MBB: NESCAC

BankShotCharlie · February 28, 2009, 11:00:48 PM

Also, congratulations on your 2007 NESCAC championship.

BankShotCharlie · February 28, 2009, 11:02:09 PM

Where are you Le Verdad? I miss you.

walzy31 · March 01, 2009, 01:24:18 AM

NESCAC Championship game tomorrow...Feel The Heat!

Hugenerd · March 01, 2009, 07:16:06 AM

The new d3hoops projections have Amherst as the last Pool C pick. So they may not have to win today to get in, but I am sure they will feel much more comfortable with a Pool A. Should be a good game today.

BornBalla · March 01, 2009, 08:39:52 AM

So do you consider Brandeis a lock now? Looks like NE will get it's usual high number of teams in.

walzy31 · March 01, 2009, 12:44:02 PM

Midd 42
Amh 37 at the half.

Amherst had a 9 point lead about 10 minutes into the game. It felt like Middlebury blocked 10 shots that half and altered two others. Baskauskas has 14 and 8.

lefrakenstein · March 01, 2009, 01:32:51 PM

Great run by Midd to close this game. Amherst led late in the second half. got to hand it to them, they deserve it.

no amherst has to hold its collective breath

walzy31 · March 01, 2009, 01:42:25 PM

Game was tied at 65 with 4 minutes left but it is now 73-65 Middlebury with 1:50 left.

Final Score was Midd 77 Amherst 68.

old_hooper · March 01, 2009, 01:54:21 PM

Congrats to Middlebury! They showed that they are the champs coming down to the end of the game. Rudin should get the POY but Baskco is a better all round player in my opinion. Just better basketball skills. Rudin plays out of control a lot but he has led his team to greatness this year and that is what counts.

nescac1 · March 01, 2009, 01:57:27 PM

Congrats to Midd on a great year and a well-deserved championship. Quite an amazing turnaround if you think about where this program was before this year's senior class came in. It is good for the league that a more diverse set of teams are playing for and winning the title, even if as a Williams fan I would have liked to see it turn out differently. NESCAC will be lucky to squeeze even two teams in to the tourney in a very down year for the league, but next year the conference as a whole is almost certain to have a MUCH better and more characteristic out-of-conference record ... almost every team looks to be improved on paper, many substantially so (especially the teams on the bottom like Tufts, Conn, and Wesleyan -- should be no easy outs in NESCAC play next year). Outside of Midd, I believe no team in the league loses more than one really key / star player to graduation.

All-NESCAC thoughts? Rudin obviously player of the year. Hell of an all rookie team in Wang, Mendell, Waller, Porter, and Sharry, really any of those five are deserving for ROY and that would be a hell of a starting five. DPY either Westbrooks, Edwards, or Locke. Coach of the year is obvious. First team: Rudin, Baskauskas, Pierce, Schultz, Choice. Second team: Cutrone, Meehan, Snyder, Bernier, Phillips. Maybe Wilson from Bates over Bernier, or Rowe will squeeze in over both on strength of his late season play.

Bucket · March 01, 2009, 03:11:38 PM

Wow, just now catching my breath. Arrived an hour before game time with the two-year-old, who was decked out in his #24 Middlebury jersey. Pepin had that championship buzz. We made our way to the floor, where the two-year-old soon acquired blue and white Mardi Gras beads courtesy of Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Rudin. Both teams were on the floor stretching.

And now, with the scene set, here are highlights and observations from Bucket's partisan POV:

*The two year old, 30 minutes before tip, planted on the sideline where the Panthers are warming up, clapping for every made lay-up and dunk like it's a game-winner.

*The knowing nods of respect from several Amherst players when they spot Williams Coach Mike Maker walking into the gym. (Maker is an FOB, Friend of Bucket)

*The two-year-old jumping like a pogo stick when House of Pain comes over the loudspeakers.

*Listening to Sports Illustrated writer (and Princeton grad) Alexander Wolff and Coach Maker discuss the finer points of the Princeton offense before the game.

*Player intros. Pepin was jacked.

*10 minutes in, Amherst looking like a team that has been here before, calmly and confidently opening up a 9-point lead.

*Midd not panicking. Getting right back in it and wrestling the lead away; a turn of events we'll see in the second half, with roles reversed. Edwards and Rudin stepping up here, as well as.....

*The Panther bench. Big first half sparks in Sharry and Davis that really seemed to shift momentum.

*It's so loud, the two-year-old is covering his ears, but he's loving every minute of it.

*After a few sluggish possessions to open the 2nd half on both sides, Midd opens up a 10-point lead. Locke's presence being felt on the defensive end, even when he's not blocking shots; Smith cleaning up the glass.

*Amherst not folding, wrestling the lead back with about 10 minutes left. And here it goes back and forth, no team opening up a lead bigger than 3 until Rudin hits a rainbow jumper in the lane with 1:30 left to give the Panthers a 5 point lead.

*The rest is pretty much a blur, for Bucket, but I do recall the horn sounding. Later, amid the celebration and cutting of nets, a Panther parent will ask, "Did this just happen?"

*Old Guy to Bucket, post-game: "So, not so bad." And then breaking into a wide grin.

*The defense of Edwards and Davis on Baskauskas. Brilliant move by Jeff Brown to rotate these guys on Baskauskas, always having a fresh defender on him. What a player Bas is. He made noise early, but then he seemed smothered the rest of the way. That had to be the quietest 17-point, 14-board game I've ever seen.

*The depth of the Panthers. Midd went 10 deep today, and while Rudin logged 35 minutes and Smith 31, 6 other guys played at least 15 minutes each. Great rotation management by the Panther coaching staff.

*The heart of the Panthers, especially the seniors. Rudin, Smith, Westman, and Dudley were not going to be denied today.

Time to rest up for next week....

Old Guy · March 01, 2009, 05:37:38 PM

I can't improve on Bucket's highlights, so won't try.

Even as a high school coach for ten years, I was always extravagantly respectful of, even daunted by, opponents: "Man, are they good," I would say. I felt that way about Amherst. All those weapons. I just wanted the Panthers to acquit themseleves well. I'm an anxious fan. Our players' identities to me are as students, real people, some even have taken my classes. So, even with all this success, I sell the team short to protect my own emotional well-being.

Also, in truth, nothing like this has ever happened at Middlebury. It was only a few short years ago Walzy was giving his preseason evaluation and said Midd would be improved, but predicted 9-0 in the league (the team won 4 NESCAC games that year). Today, a packed and noisy gym, two terrific teams, playing great basketball - "is this heaven?" "No, it's Middlebury." No way. I couldn't imagine this scene.

I was hurtin' when Amherst jumped out ahead at the beginning of the game - so efficient and poised, thrilled when we came back to go up at the half, then agonized again when Amherst came back from 11 down in a stretch where we went ice cold and they heated up (bombs by Waller and Baskauskas, jump shots by Holmes, and Meehan doing his thing in the lane).

But this Middlebury team has a lot of heart. Today, Rudin was Rudin (18 pts, 9 boards, 5/2 a/to). He has the ball in his hands 75% of the time and makes things happen, controls the game, plays a breakneck game. The only player I've seen in years to compare was Farrell in his senior, POY year at Colby, and his team didn't do what Ben's has.

Sharry was a force today at both ends - what a nice touch for a big guy (15 points in 21 minutes, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks). Aaron Smith was the Smith of yore, very solid, tough (11 pts, 9 boards). Davis did a nice job on Baskauskas when he was taking Edwards underneath. And the other guys who play serious minutes are good players, scrap, concede nothing. We had 20 offensive rebounds. The second Middlebury player deserving of post-season (all-NESCAC) recognition might be Edwards - he so valuable.

I have made something of a living arguing the value of sports beyond the Ws & Ls. My favorite sports aphorism is by Al McGuire, HOF coach: "the best thing in sports in winning. The second best thing is losing." The idea is to compete, live in the moment, be a part of something bigger than just you.

But this winning is pretty good. I won't take it for granted. Congratulations, Jeff Brown and Panther players and their families.

Old Guy · March 01, 2009, 05:39:12 PM

proofread, Old Guy: That would be 0-9 (Walzy's forecast).

walzy31 · March 01, 2009, 08:29:09 PM

Quote from: Old Guy on March 01, 2009, 05:39:12 PM
proofread, Old Guy: That would be 0-9 (Walzy's forecast).

I remember that.
Congratulations to the Middlebury hoops program. Great turnaround of the program and great season. Lord Jeff Nation is sitting with their fingers crossed...I hope we get in.

ephoops · March 01, 2009, 11:41:51 PM

Congrats to Midd. Great win and a great season.

Some random thoughts:

It would be nice for a 5th NESCAC team to get to Salem.

Bucket and Old Guy -- I've really enjoyed your posts this season.

While Bas is probably a better all around player, Rudin deserves to be POY.

Amherst deserves to be in Pool C. If they do get in, I wonder if the committee will send them out of the region? I think they can make some noise in the tournament.