MBB: NESCAC

[ac08]

Wow this is tough....but I go with:

Amherst
G - Andrew Olson '08       (5'10")
G - Adam Harper '04        (6'3")
F - Fletcher Walters '08   (6'8")
F - Steve Zieja '03           (6'5")
C - Andrew Schiel '05      (6'7")

[Old Guy]

Meant to give Tim Edwards a shout out today - 10 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds today. Best rebounding guard I've seen here. Plays so hard.

Don't know how I feel about Schultz's refusal to take Edwards' hand after a collision in the backcourt. On the one hand, Schultz is a competitor and it's the middle of a hotly contested game. On the other, what's the harm in expressing your brotherhood in this enterprise, a couple of seniors battling in different colored jerseys, with a lot in common.

[nescac1]

Hugenerd, Williams always plays 24 regular season games, I believe.

Has to be a place somewhere for Jamal Wilson on an all-Amherst squad, dude could ball.  

As for Williams, for guys I've actually seen play, I'll go with C Coffin, F Nogelo, F Schultz, G Frew, G Crotty.   Toughest calls: Coffin over Chapin, Chapin was insanely good for one year, Coffin for two, so Coffin gets the nod, and Schultz over Hunt, Hunt was a better offensive player, Schultz better on D and rebounding, but that is very close.  From what I've heard Garcia Major and Sheehy would knock off Frew and Schultz, but haven't seen them play.  

Speaking of Eph centers from the past, Whittington's career trajectory reminds me a bit of Chapin and Coffin ... both fairly pedestrian players their first two years, and Junior year they seemed to finally get it, especially late in the season when they began to dominate at times (especially Coffin, Chapin made another leap from Junior to Senior year).  Both finished as All-Americans ... if Whittington continues to improve at this rate, I don't think that is out of the question for him next year. 

[speedy]

. . .
I would like to begin by throwing out my take on Bowdoin's best starting five:

G-Dennis Jacobi (1988-92)
G-Kyle Jackson (2005-09)
F-Gregg Fasulo (1974-78)
F-Chris Jerome (1979-83)
C-Joe Williams (1984-88)

Pretty good pix although the very best Bowdoin player in semi-modern times would be G Bobo McFarland, who played just before your 1971 cut-off date (1966-69). Another one who was very good (and played before your cut-off date) was Dick Whitmore, the current Colby coach, who played in the 1962-65 era - he was a great rebounder and scorer. Both McFarland and Whitmore's stats understate their productivity because they played during a period when freshmen were not eligible so they only played for 3 seasons.

[ac08]

I agree that it's tough to leave off Wilson. I only saw him play during an alumni game, but from the stories I've heard he's legendary.

[toad22]

The trouble with Wilson was that he could shoot you into a game, or he could shoot you out of one.

[amh63]

Colbyalum,
No excuses for the Amherst lost.  Colby played the better game.  Their leaders came through.  Amherst needs to work on their weakness.  They out rebounded Colby but their foul shooting contributed to another lost.  Of note is the Amherst write-up pointed out that Meehan left the game early in the second half due to an injury.  Meehan had 9 points and 5 rebounds in the first half.  His backup played steady but I believe the young team on the floor for most of the second half was missing his leadership/distribution abilities.
If Amherst ever gets all their starters playing well in a game, continue to improve their defense and foul shooting, I believe they can still win the conference.  Maybe it is only an old alum dreaming.  The talent is there and the young players are getting more and more game experience.  The seeding for the tournament is starting to become important if the rest of the season follows the present path.

[Rick Vaughn]

No Bowdoin love for Kyle Petrie?  Skinny kid who didn't look like much, but boy could he play.

[Sticks11]

I would like to begin by throwing out my take on Bowdoin's best starting five:

G-Dennis Jacobi (1988-92)
G-Kyle Jackson (2005-09)
F-Gregg Fasulo (1974-78)
F-Chris Jerome (1979-83)
C-Joe Williams (1984-88)

No Kyle Petrie??

[walzy31]

Wow this is tough....but I go with:

Amherst
G - Andrew Olson '08       (5'10")
G - Adam Harper '04        (6'3")
F - Fletcher Walters '08   (6'8")
F - Steve Zieja '03           (6'5")
C - Andrew Schiel '05      (6'7")

Olson
Harper
Bedford
Walters
Zieja

I'd rather go with the small lineup and have four out and one ogre who doesn't miss anything inside of 12 feet down low.
I give Bedford the nod over Wilson because he can score in more ways and is a leader.
Choosing Walters over Dan Wheeler was not easy.
Rehnquist scored 1,512 points before the three point line existed. If Zieja's knees are gone then I'll take the other bigg man.
Neil Somers was also considered, but I went with Harper.

[amh63]

The Amherst "dream team" is very good...as posted by Walzy.  However, but in my judgement, based on seeing all the name players live over the years, the team may have too many scorers...especially down low.  Harper and Olsen are leaders and are dangerous on the court without having to score much.  Walters can provide offensive and defensive skills in many ways.  The problem lies in the remaining two.  Both can create their own shot down low.  Both require their one on one skills to score.   As a "team", this maybe a problem.  Not enough balls.   I prefer a better defensive, quicker player vice a scorer.
All the stars one names are indeed talented players.  I am looking at it as picking an all star team that can play well together.

[walzy31]

I am pretty sure that those five guys would manage to play well together. Remember, they all had the same coach and went through a system where their respective offensive prowess' were reigned in for the betterment of the team. And I think they played with one ball last decade too. Who would you replace and with whom?

[amh63]

I am more old fashion in my pick.   I prefer Pat Fitzsimons '03, a true center/lowpost player.  He has the two highest field goal percentage in the Amherst record book and holds the highest number of blocks in a game.....10.  I would let him join Zeija, his classmate. 
I remember chatting with him after the '07 championship game on the floor.  The North Carolina native was happy for the Amherst team/coaches.  However, I felt that he wished he had the opportunity to play in a final game as he looked around and took in the moment.

[ac08]

Olson
Harper
Bedford
Walters
Zieja

I like that lineup. I'm partial to length, though.

One lineup I considered was:

Olson, McLaughlin, Baskauskas, Walters, and Hopkins... then I realized something

[walzy31]

ac08,

I think you are missing Dan Wheeler in your lineup (Walters came off the bench in 06-07). I love that lineup too...a lot.

After conferring with a few ex-players, I have to make a lineup change and move Bedford to 6th man (he was the best 6th man I have ever seen anyway), and insert the aforementioned Jamal Wilson '97 into the Starting 5.