MBB: NESCAC

[lefrakenstein]

Let the hype begin for the Amherst-Midd showdown on Saturday. If Amherst beats Williams, its going to be the biggest NESCAC game in recent memory.

Any chance a 2-0 weekend puts the Jeffs back in contention for a Pool C? Probably not, but I thought I'd ask.

[senatorfrost]

  I would have thought that a 2-0 weekend would put them in contention for a bid even if they get beat for the NESCAC title. Williams has Geoghegan out and Amherst has been missing Wheeler for past couple games. I liked Ephs over Amherst but not without Geoghegan. However if Wheeler is out they figure very close. Now if Wheeler returns I doubt he'll be 100% at first and the same goes for Geoghegan. Yes I know, anything can happen.
  Anyway this makes Middlebury look very good as far as getting home court in the NESCAC tourney. I would have given Amherst half a chance to beat Middlebury with a healthy Wheeler. Now it doesn't look good but yes, anything is possible. I saw that the games Middlebury lost were the two right after Smith went down and as someone said they are undefeated with him in the lineup. It also looks as if they may have had adjusting problems v St. Lawrence
  Rating WPI over Middlebury is wrong in my opinion. Middlebury would have to watch out for Brandeis but will Brandeis make it?  MIT? Looks like a one trick pony, maybe two.

[Old Guy]

78-73 Midd over Colby at Middlebury. Good game. Well-played. Middlebury was ahead most of the game (8 up at the half) but never by enough to feel secure - and Colby started fouling with 4-5 minutes to go and made all the Panther partisans anxious.

The game perhaps turned on foul trouble - Choice and Russell both fouled out with lots of time left (6-7 minutes). Colby then spread the floor, gave the ball to Cutrone and he went all the way to the hoop or got fouled. He's tough. We probably didn't see the real Choice, but we got glimpses. His first hoop gave him 1000 for his career and he's a junior. Sherman hit some big threes to keep the game from getting out of hand. in the first half. Colby doesn't have a dominant inside presence, but they have a lot of guys who can play.

For Middlebury, Rudin was huge again, with 27 points on 6-9 from the floor, 14-16 from the line. His foul shooting sustained the lead, won the game. He's always been a good player, but this year he has really raised his game, in no way more so than at the line (nearly 80% this year; never higher than 68% in the past three years). Today was an example of how big foul shooting is protecting a lead at the end of a close game - a cliche I realize but none the less true. Rudin also had 7 assists and 4 steals. Dudley was 4-5  from the arc. Locke had a good game: 6-6 from the floor, 3 blocks early in the game.

You can argue the league is down, and it's true that Amherst is not up to the impossibly high standard they set in recent years and that Williams and Trinity have come back to the pack, but my sense this year is that the pack is pretty good, and deeper than in the past, and to have a competitive league from top to bottom isn't the worst thing.

Middlebury at 20-2 (7-0). It really is hard to believe. A long time coming. Can't look past Trinity on Friday at Trinity - they'll be ready. Then Amherst on Valentine's Day, my wife's birthday. Nothing she'd like more, I'm sure, than a 6-hour round trip drive down the CT Valley. Can I watch it on the computer?

[dman]

ephoops,
  to be fair to kevin snyder, he usually guards the other tean's point guard, so is generally pretty far from the basket.  More importantly, he was in the hospital with an iv in his arm on thurs.  give him credit for playing as well as he did in back-to-back games.  the ephs have had zero luck this year, and are playing amherst on fri the 13th...go figure...

[nescac1]

Bowdoin loss is just brutal for Williams.  Free throws from a team that usually makes them especially brutal.  They missed the front end of a few one and ones in the game so the free throw stats don't even capture the full story there.  What is scary for Williams is that they absolutely need at least a split against Amherst / Trinity -- and they have the misfortune of getting Trinity second next weekend, never easy after an always emotional game at Amherst.  Even without Joe Amherst is certainly beatable, but the Ephs are certainly an underdog there.  No matter what happens, they have to have some gas left in the tank for Trinity, because that will be a must win if they can't knock off the Jeffs -- the difference between, most likely, a 3 seed in the tournament and a home game vs. a five (or even six seed if Trinity catches Midd looking ahead) and a tough road contest.  (You gotta figure Bowdoin and Colby will both take care of Wesleyan and Conn at home). 

[ephoops]

ephoops,
  to be fair to kevin snyder, he usually guards the other tean's point guard, so is generally pretty far from the basket.  More importantly, he was in the hospital with an iv in his arm on thurs.  give him credit for playing as well as he did in back-to-back games.  the ephs have had zero luck this year, and are playing amherst on fri the 13th...go figure...

I didn't realize Snyder was sick during the week...

As for Dodson, he's 6'8"... he needs to get more than one rebound vs. Colby and one rebound vs. Bowdoin.

[Pat Coleman]

Nice piece in the local paper on Middlebury's Ben Rudin and Kyle Dudley, teammates since elementary school:

http://www.addisonindependent.com/print/1881

Nice!

Most D3 basketball articles in local papers are short, boring, unoriginal and contain factual errors in the first sentence. This was an interesting, in-depth look at a different side of those two guys that I didn't know about. Probably the best article of its kind I've ever seen. Thanks for posting.

Agreed, and echo Evans' thanks. I posted it on the "What We're Reading" list on the front page of D3hoops.com.

[Denton]

As discussed Friday, the Maine trips can be a grind.  This certainly includes trips FROM MAINE to the distant lands of Midd and Williamstown.  That makes this weekend play by Bowdoin even more impressive.

The Bears played a very good and physical game Friday night against the best team in the NESCAC.  The zebras were too much of a factor – giving the bears a 21 to 11 foul differential.  It was 9 to 2 at one point.  Where were the "panther friendly" refs back in my day?  The 44 – 34 rebounding advantage kept Bowdoin in the game until late.  Rudin was the ultimate difference either drive & dishing or taking to the hole.  He is impressive.

Yesterday the Polar Bears were out to make a statement.  Having beaten Williams 2 of  the last 3 times coming into the game, Bowdoin was ready.  The game was back and forth until Kyle Jackson heated up from 3 point land.  He was joined by Paul Sellew and freshman Ryan O'Connell raining three pointers.   In total, William had more threes but that could not overcome the Bears inside advantage.

Mark Phillips was dominant inside, going 7 for 7.  The only thing slowing him down were the 4 fouls limiting him to only 20 min.  The battle of the boards was clearly Black and White with Bowdoin holding a 34-25 edge.

The ultimate difference maker was from the line, where the Bears have been steadily improving all year.  Shooting 88% and perfect in the 2H, Bowdoin rolled.  While Schultz missed both free throws (flagrant foul) what would have taken the lead at the end, the Bear's Tim Lane drained a 1 & 1 to stretch the lead with less than a minute.  Then on the next trip Lane was put back on the line and completed another 1 & 1 to ice the game.

Bowdoin is definitely building momentum and will be a force to contend with.  If Williams and Bowdoin both play next weekend like they did yesterday, the Bears may be playing the first round in Brunswick.

[CWM_42]

I agree with Denton's assessment.  Bowdoin lost some very key players from last year's NCAA team (Hippert and Fliegel) and has added some talented freshman (Hanley and O'Connell). They are pretty balanced and physically tough.

I think the Eph's growing rebounding issues are going to weigh them down the rest of the way.  I would expect to see lower shooting percentages for the Purple away from Chandler, which is not going to make up for the rebounding deficiency this weekend. Also, William's only non-neutral site road wins this season have come against Springfield (10-11) Keene State (10-10) U-Mass Boston (3-18), Wesleyan and Conn College.  They have lost to Framingham State (12-10), Salem State (17-10) and Middlebury on the road.

Once we get through next weekend, I believe this is how the standings will look (tie-breakers included to set up pairings).

1.  Middlebury, 9-0
2.  Amherst, 7-2
3.  Colby, 6-3
4.  Bowdoin, 5-4
5.  Williams, 5-4
6.  Bates, 4-5
7.  Trinity, 4-5
8.  Conn College, 2-7
9.  Wesleyan, 2-7
10.  Tufts, 1-8

I would note that Trinity, Conn, Bowdoin, Colby and Bates all play non-conference mid-week games this week.

[Old Guy]

I don't think Bowdoin got jobbed at Middlebury by the refs, though I do think the officials seemed overmatched at times. There was some bludgeoning under the hoop uncalled, and some tickey-tack stuff with no advantage that did get a whistle. More fouls were called on the Polar Bears because they fouled more. They are the more physical team - they contest every thing, all over the forecourt. Middlebury over the season has nearly 50 fewer fouls than its opponents, and have played 13 games on the road and 9 at home this season, so it's not home cookin' - and we're away again next week vs Trinity and Amherst

We got all three Maine teams in our gym this year and they're all good. They play two games against each other every season, and this year they split - they're all 1-1 head to head. Bates has no ice hockey team for the basketball team to compete with for fans, so Bates is hoop crazy. That wonderful old gym really heats up on cold winter nights. Based on just this one game, I think Colby has the best talent and Bates the least, though the Bobcats took us to overtime and we were lucky to escape with the win. Midd's Edwards stifled Jackson (Bowdoin) on Friday, and shut off Wilson (Bates) in the second half, but fouled out against Cutrone (Colby). Colby's backcourt was better than Bowdoin's against us but Bowdoin was better up front. Bates has those thick guys with beards, look like lumberjacks, but they can play. I don't think we'd be 3-0 this year if we had to take the dreaded Maine trip, twice, though that's what we have to do every other year.

[ephoops]

I agree with Denton's assessment.  Bowdoin lost some very key players from last year's NCAA team (Hippert and Fliegel) and has added some talented freshman (Hanley and O'Connell). They are pretty balanced and physically tough.

I think the Eph's growing rebounding issues are going to weigh them down the rest of the way.  I would expect to see lower shooting percentages for the Purple away from Chandler, which is not going to make up for the rebounding deficiency this weekend. Also, William's only non-neutral site road wins this season have come against Springfield (10-11) Keene State (10-10) U-Mass Boston (3-18), Wesleyan and Conn College.  They have lost to Framingham State (12-10), Salem State (17-10) and Middlebury on the road.

Once we get through next weekend, I believe this is how the standings will look (tie-breakers included to set up pairings).

1.  Middlebury, 9-0
2.  Amherst, 7-2
3.  Colby, 6-3
4.  Bowdoin, 5-4
5.  Williams, 5-4
6.  Bates, 4-5
7.  Trinity, 4-5
8.  Conn College, 2-7
9.  Wesleyan, 2-7
10.  Tufts, 1-8

I would note that Trinity, Conn, Bowdoin, Colby and Bates all play non-conference mid-week games this week.

CWM_42:

Welcome to the NESCAC board.

I thought I'd start you off with some good karma...

[CCsalive]

I've been following on my phone...now that I'm at work I can get back to procrastinating. My weekends are just too damn busy! The wife clamped down and I couldn't get to the Wes v Conn game, but I am excited to have the tie-breaker advantage...more on that in a second.

I've enjoyed the recent posts regarding Bowdoin. It is nice to learn more about a team which to me, despite last season's NCAA trip, remains the sleeper of the league. Currently, I cannot name one of their guys. Old Guy, thanks for your great insights from the frozen tundra. Interesting that Midd either gets all three Maine teams, or makes the trip twice. Conn splits it. This year we had Bates and Tufts at home and we head, this weekend, to Colby/Bowdoin. What is the consensus across the league? Do Amherst and Trinity travel to Maine twice in one year?

I think everyone grossly underestimates Conn and Wesleyan. The Camels are proud  to have won a road game, a must-win game at that, against a team that has defeated Amherst, Trinity, and Bates.

Looking ahead to this weekend, I do not refute the predictions that have both CC and Wes losing both games. Imagine, however, the heartbeak for either team should they learn of the other's upset win? I believe that this fear will inspire both CC and Wes to play extremely hard and well this weekend. I would not be surprised if each team wins a game. I would like to know what Colby and Bowdoin are playing for. Has Colby secured a home game?

Last week, Wesleyan lost two mid-week games (Eastern CT and Salve) while the Camels prepared, exclusively, for the Cardinals...one could argue that this exacerbated the "must win" situation for CC, but I would also note that here is where Tom Satran shines.
Is Choice a wing/slasher or more of a catch-and-turn type? I think that CC's Porter could cause him some match-up problems.

Lastly, I can't understand how any of you can say that Midd is "in the driver's seat" when they are yet to play Amherst and Williams.

[eclinchy]

Lastly, I can't understand how any of you can say that Midd is "in the driver's seat" when they are yet to play Amherst and Williams.

Middlebury has played Williams. Middlebury beat Williams.

It's actually Amherst that hasn't played Middlebury or Williams. (At least not the in-conference Williams game that counts.)

[hoya73]

CC:  Nice to have your enthusiasm back today.  The year has been fun with all of the close games.  Everyone has something to be excited about except maybe the Jumbos.  They are always hard to figure out.

Yes, Amherst and Trinity, like Midd and Williams, have feast or famine--two Maine trips every other year.  The 'Herst has arguably the worst of it, vis a vis the Bantams, because that's the year we travel to Hartford as well.

I know no one wants to hear it but you have to give some love to the Jeffs--they lost about 70% of scoring, rebounding and assists from last year and somehow are in it with a week to go.  And the freshman are getting a lot more time as frosh than the Class of '08 did.  If Wheeler's wheel gets healthy they will be a tough out in the tourney.  Kudos to the Class of '09 for stepping up in leadership and solid play--no matter what happens.

[CCsalive]

My bad on Midd not having played the Western Mass teams. I got confused by the exciting weekend slate.
If I've got this figured out; this year Amherst only plays four conference games at home and two of them are CC and Wes. If I'm a 'Herst native and a hoops fan, I'm not too happy about that.

Can someone please tell me the name of a Bowdoin player!?