MBB: NESCAC

amh63 · March 19, 2009, 10:51:26 PM

oldhooper, I agree with your thoughts. I really hope he has an injury free senior year. He will be quite valuable to the team if he improves as much as Bradley did this year. His strength is his ball handling and defense and I believe the strength of any future Amherst team, as in the past, is in its defensive side. My earlier posts wrt to a point guard relates more to having another point guard with experience two years down the line. I saw Johnson only briefly in person. He did show energy and hustle in the 2nd Williams game. That was the game when the Amherst team was recovering from the flu and lack of practice (as well as too much of Wang and other William guards). I did not notice his ball handling skills though. I believe if he has good ball handling abilities, his height should not matter. Hixon can use him like he did with Fletcher Walters to bring the ball downcourt if necessary. Still Fletcher played guard in high school before he gained his 6'8" height. The height factor can be a plus in passing the ball. Meehan also has this advantage at his position.

Old Guy · March 19, 2009, 11:53:27 PM

Middlebury had a remarkable three sport athlete who graduated two years ago: John Sales. Played all four years on some great teams.

Soccer (15 goals in four years 5 goals senior year; 62 games total; two NESCAC runners-up; one NCAA Tourney); hockey (113 games in four years -38 goals; three NCAA championships, one NCCA championship runner-up); lacrosse (44 games; 4 goals - played defense; four NCAA tournaments).

Hockey was the sport he could have played at the D1 level. (Ivy League) He was a throwback; liked to play sports, every day. Good student.

Walzy points out the difficulty of multi-sport participation. Only the most extraordinary athletes can do it. NESCAC gets D1 athletes with the promise of being able to play two sports (or three, in the case of John Sales).

I played two sports in College, basketball and baseball, but half the athletes in the school did. Different era, though nine football players are on this year's baseball team.

La Verdad · March 20, 2009, 10:41:35 AM

Basketball is actually a 2nd sport for most of the amherst hoops players. Their true passion...intramural softball. Here is last year's lineup:

1. Olson 2B- ++ glove, high OBP
2. Bradley 3B/SS- iffy glove, + speed, cancer in the clubhouse
3. Walters CF- + arm, ++ range
4. Goldsmith SS/3B- + glove, ++ power from the left side
5. LaVerdad LF
6. Hopkins 1B- high OBP
7. Wong C- the chinese nat'l team wanted him to play in the WBC
8. Jones P Fastball, change-up, curve, ++speed
9. Holsey RF liability

formerbant10 · March 20, 2009, 12:13:13 PM

Glad to see that IM softball passion is shared throughout the 'CAC. Such a great way to end each school year.

O-Boards10 · March 20, 2009, 01:57:50 PM

Now this could get interesting. Maybe we should get a NESCAC basketball IM softball league going cause I know Bowdoin boasts a pretty formidable club. Lane plays a flawless LF, Jackson holds down the hot corner, Hauser is a strong pitcher and Phillips while not very agile in the field can crank a few out the yard kind of like Big Hurt.

Good way to enjoy the spring.

ephoops · March 20, 2009, 02:16:23 PM

Quote from: formerbant10 on March 20, 2009, 12:13:13 PM
Glad to see that IM softball passion is shared throughout the 'CAC. Such a great way to end each school year.

Slow pitch or fast pitch / windmill??

La Verdad · March 20, 2009, 03:09:51 PM

Quote from: formerbant10 on March 20, 2009, 12:13:13 PM
Such a great way to end each school year.

Couldn't agree more. Warm weather+cold drinks+softball=good times. Maybe head over to Pizza Hut after the game, relive the childhood a little bit?

I'd vote for Goldy and Fletch to represent the Herst. Every team needs a couple of powerful lefties for the middle of the order. Goldy was on the baseball team his first two years, but never broke into the lineup (apparently the baseball coach didn't take kindly to basketball players?).

formerbant10 · March 20, 2009, 03:35:24 PM

Slow pitch of course....ever tried hitting off a real softball pitcher? Not easy.

amh63 · March 20, 2009, 03:59:03 PM

You don't mean the Amherst baseball coach of 44 years who just won his 800 game? Now if the tall BB players were pitchers, especially left hand pitchers, the coach would provide them with whatever they wanted. I remember a long while back in the Wash. D.C. area watching/playing (mostly watching) summer league pick-up ball. There was a red-headed N.C. State BB player playing that found success in the pro's...as a pitcher; relief pitcher. The height of tall pitchers provides great leverage and power...I guess. It was around the time in the 70's that I started noticing taller pitchers in the pro's.

nescac1 · March 20, 2009, 04:24:27 PM

In case any of us were still in denial about the lack of a NESCAC presence in this year's final four, the recent shift in this thread to discussions of former Amherst lacrosse players and speculation about slow-pitch softball line-ups composed of former NESCAC players should bring that reality home ...

On a (still unrelated) basketball note, how about the point guard from North Dakota State? Damn he can play.

And on a recruiting note, a few Long Island kids going to NESCAC schools:

C.J. Caputo, Chaminade, Middlebury

David Fogel, Hewlett, Wesleyan

Kyle Shneider, Jericho, Tufts

fpc85 · March 20, 2009, 04:37:41 PM

'herst women in a dogfight with wash u
'herst 20
wash u 20

mid to late 1st half

Hugenerd · March 20, 2009, 06:54:25 PM

NABC all-region teams were released today:

Baskaukus and Rudin were first team.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nabc/genrel/auto_pdf/D3all-district.pdf

walzy31 · March 20, 2009, 10:09:10 PM

I wonder who is going to win the D3hoops.com pick em...

dman · March 21, 2009, 11:37:53 AM

did you pick wash u to win it all???

Gabriel · March 21, 2009, 01:59:34 PM

Quote from: dman on March 21, 2009, 11:37:53 AM
did you pick wash u to win it all???

dman,

Wash U is much better than any of the other teams. They are as good this year as last year and look what they did to a very good Amherst team last year. Mark Edwards is an outstanding coach who recruits and gets high character kids.

Other players score more points, but just watch Tyler Nading and see what he brings to the game--it's like a clinic in team basketball. He is the ultimate selfless player who does all the little things that bring this team success. Caution---you don't really realize how good he is unless you keep your eye on him all the time to observe things he does on defense and on offense away from the ball. Nading is a tenacious defender and an excellent rebounder. He boxes out on the boards, he anticipates defensively. On the other end he is a great passer, sets flawless screens and can score when he has to. The ultimate team player and literally a coach on the floor. He is an engineering major with a high GPA and a very high basketball IQ. One of the best.