MBB: NESCAC

[muletrain]

Interesting that Amherst had such a hard time stopping emmanuel. I watched the emmanuel vs Colby game and the emmanuel team was not effective at all. Colby won by 18 and had there backups in for the last 10 minutes.

My other reason for posting is to say that the top 25 rankings for dIII are absolutly insane. How do teams with 2 and even 3 losses get into these rankings and undefeated teams not even get votes. I know the season is in its early stages but the fact that Colby is 6-0 without a single vote for the top 25 makes me wonder how legit these rankings are.

It is because they were not on the national radar at the beginnning of the season and there are 3 other NESCAC teams that are ranked already.   Voters are hesistant to put 10 teams from one region in the top 25, especially if that team does not have a history of being a typical power.  For up and coming teams, unfortunately, you have to make a statement to get voters attention.  RIC may have looked like a statement, but now that win is looking less impressive with RIC losing a bunch of games, and Colby doesnt play any national contenders until Jan. 30.  If they keep winning they will get noticed eventually. but in cases like this you need to be patient.

From personal experience, I can tell you that in 2005 Carnegie Mellon started out 10-0, but didnt receive any votes until beating a nationally respected Rochester team, and they did not break into the top 25 until going 9-0.

How was a team that was 4th in the NESCAC and 17-8 last year not on the national radar? Not to mention that they returned virtually the whole team including Choice who should be an all-american this year.

[walzy31]

Well said Hugenerd. Also, wins and losses don't necessarily tell the whole story. Teams could have a loss from a NAIA team or another ranked/respected team.

4th in NESCAC and a 17-8 record is by no means a lock into the top 30 or 40 (aka National Radar). These polls aren't done with the precision that Preseason D1 Basketball and Football polls are where they are heavily factoring in the talent that graduated or turned pro and the strength of the recruit class. In D3 you need to use last year's final poll as a barometer, and then add in any consistent powerhouses who had an off year and are expected to be back on top this year.

For the past 5 years it has normally been the same usual suspects: Wash U, Va Wes, Hope, Calvin, Wooster, Amherst, Augustana, UWSP, UW Whitewater, F&M and Williams.

If you are still losing sleep over the poll, remember that it is not one of the factors that the NCAA uses in determining the NCAA field or the Regional Rankings.

[Hugenerd]

Interesting that Amherst had such a hard time stopping emmanuel. I watched the emmanuel vs Colby game and the emmanuel team was not effective at all. Colby won by 18 and had there backups in for the last 10 minutes.

My other reason for posting is to say that the top 25 rankings for dIII are absolutly insane. How do teams with 2 and even 3 losses get into these rankings and undefeated teams not even get votes. I know the season is in its early stages but the fact that Colby is 6-0 without a single vote for the top 25 makes me wonder how legit these rankings are.

It is because they were not on the national radar at the beginnning of the season and there are 3 other NESCAC teams that are ranked already.   Voters are hesistant to put 10 teams from one region in the top 25, especially if that team does not have a history of being a typical power.  For up and coming teams, unfortunately, you have to make a statement to get voters attention.  RIC may have looked like a statement, but now that win is looking less impressive with RIC losing a bunch of games, and Colby doesnt play any national contenders until Jan. 30.  If they keep winning they will get noticed eventually. but in cases like this you need to be patient.

From personal experience, I can tell you that in 2005 Carnegie Mellon started out 10-0, but didnt receive any votes until beating a nationally respected Rochester team, and they did not break into the top 25 until going 9-0.

How was a team that was 4th in the NESCAC and 17-8 last year not on the national radar? Not to mention that they returned virtually the whole team including Choice who should be an all-american this year.

Also, believe it or not, the NESCAC was down last year.  Amherst barely made it into the tourney after having more losses than usual, so 4th in the NESCAC may not mean a lot in the eyes of voters nationally right now, until they definitively prove otherwise.  I am not trying to knock the NESCAC (you can read my posts defending the NESCAC on the Multi-Region Top Conference board), but I am just trying to provide an explanation to your inquiry.

[CWM_42]

Any poll before the New Year is pretty suspect.   In December you have teams ranked based on the prior year's performance with reality obscured by cupcake schedules. Each year, more than half the teams ranked in December have fallen by the wayside come March.

For that matter, looking at the NESCAC, much will be revealed the weekend of January 29 and 30th: Trinity/Amherst travel to Colby/Bowdoin and Williams plays Middlebury. 

[walzy31]

Ryan Sharry's stat line so far this season below. It's hard to put up those percentages against air.

26.3 Min per game

60.7% FG%
50.0% 3FG%
90.0% FT%

13.9 PPG
8.0 RPG
2.5 BlkPG
2.0 APG
1.5 StlPG

[walzy31]

Amherst -22 @ Lasell Lasers
Over/Under: 166.0

[Old Guy]

Ryan Sharry's stat line so far this season below.

Sharry also has another impressive stat: 6'8". He grew since last year! His 90% from the line is 1-20. He gets to the line. He was good last year, in the running for ROY. He seems very at home on the floor this year and with Middlebury's depth up front (Locke 6'10 has been coming off the bench) no one need play tentatively.

I'm having a hard time restraining myself, realizing that Middlebury hasn't played a strong team yet, and I have learned caution over the years, but this team may be better than last year's. Tremendous balance, depth, size.

Happy holidays, NESCAC hoop fans.   

Then, let the games begin!

[Old Guy]

Proofread, Professor. That's 18-20 from the line for Sharry.

[nescac1]

Sharry does indeed look like an all-conference, and future POY, contender.  A few Ephs also have some pretty crazy stat lines during the early-season beat down of weaker teams (obviously all will come down to earth somewhat once the competition heats up ...).

Were there a most improved player award, it would probably come down (so far) to Sharry and two Ephs, James Wang and Troy Whittington, who are putting up similarly insane (and unsustainable) stat lines.

Wang, 17 points, 4.5 assists, 3 boards, 1 steal, 2 threes per game,  shooting .68, .70, .73 (particularly insane shooting numbers for a point guard)
Whittington, 12.4 points, 7.3 boards, 2 blocks, 1 assist, .5 steals, shooting .73 from field and .71 from line, in only 17.6 mpg ...

On another note, check out this nasty dunk from Amherst's frosh Williamson, not bad for a D-I frosh, let alone a NESCAC frosh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjOU_FX6kLk

Kudos to Amherst for that site, I hope other NESCAC schools (in particular Williams!) someday follow suit ...

[Old Guy]

Williamson's dunk: he walked.

(Scary though)

[lefrakenstein]

Amherst -22 @ Lasell Lasers
Over/Under: 166.0

Amherst beats Lasell 94-70. Sometimes Walzy is so good you don't even need to play the games.

Shout out for Amherst goes to Conor Meehan with 13 points, 11 assists and 6 boards. Wheeler a close runner up going for 23. Kaasila just misses a double double with 11 and 9.

Really like what we're seeing from Kurt Bennett, who had 7 points and 9 boards tonight. Looks like he is rounding into his potential. Sometimes it just takes a little longer with big guys. He, Holmes and Kaasila are going to be a lot to handle in the next couple of seasons. Can't wait for the Midd-Amherst game. That's going to be a battle down low.

[speedy]

Where's our Colby woofer?

Bowdoin 69 Colby 56 [at Colby]

[O-Boards10]

Interesting that Amherst had such a hard time stopping emmanuel. I watched the emmanuel vs Colby game and the emmanuel team was not effective at all. Colby won by 18 and had there backups in for the last 10 minutes.

My other reason for posting is to say that the top 25 rankings for dIII are absolutly insane. How do teams with 2 and even 3 losses get into these rankings and undefeated teams not even get votes. I know the season is in its early stages but the fact that Colby is 6-0 without a single vote for the top 25 makes me wonder how legit these rankings are.

Its tough to make an argument for Colby to be considered in the top 25 when they were 4th in the NESCAC and lost in the first round of the league tournament. Yea they have a good record, but besides Rhode Island College they've beaten a bunch of poor teams like UNE (3-6), Maine Farmington (0-6), Emmanuel (1-6) and Endicott (3-6). Its not tough to look like a top 25 team against that kind of talent. Against a quality team like Bowdoin they loss pretty handily. Before we rush to crown the flavor of the month, let's let the team show what they can do against quality opponents.

[amh63]

Walzy31,
  The next game on Jan.2 will be at Stevenson.  Looking forward to meeting you there....I guess at the older gym.....since the new gym does not appear to be ready,   Weather and health being good, I will be seeing an Amherst game live for the first time this season!  Hope to catch more live games later in the year in New England.   Happy holidays to all!

[FISHERMAN]

Where's our Colby woofer?

Bowdoin 69 Colby 56 [at Colby]

OH SNAP! Take that Muletrain! You're a "woofer".