MBB: NESCAC

[Argylebballer]

Sports Flash on WXIN Ricradio tonight 4 to 6pm. Interviews with head coaches from 3 NESCAC teams and Virgina Wesleyan, RIC and Pat Coleman so tune it.  Go to www.anchortv.org to tune in.

[amh63]

I posted earlier that I would not post on this board until after the Friday games.  I lied.
Need/like to put in my two cents in on Old Guy's "plea" for some advice.  
The final choice is with Old Guy.  Telling his son and wife that he is doing this or that because of a  poll of this board is a no win situation.  Do think of it.  The best I can do here is provide additional info to help make the choice.
First, there will be residual "guilt" either way.
This is Midd.'s first sectional in quite awhile.  Midd.'s history indicate that it is not a easy path to a sectional.
To see Midd. win one and go to its first Final 4 will be a experience to remember...especially live.
Your son and his buddies on the team are in the 10th grade and if they improve, their chances to go for a state title maybe better than Midd.'s chances in the same time period.
You may have this problem again when Midd. advances to the Final 4 and your son's team also advances.
As a father of 3, high school kids bounce back well when they are young and you discuss the situation with them.
Finally, on the Amherst website, the SID has posted a video of "The Shot". This referred event has been mentioned by Amherst posters. Background: Amherst is hosting a sectional at home.  It's opponent is Tufts and Amherst is behind 74-71 with 15 seconds to go.  Point guard Andrew Olsen takes the last shot with one second on the clock.   Amherst goes on to the Final 4.
I was there with my BB traveling buddy.  I had my head down not understanding why Tufts was ahead at this critical junction.  Were we not supposed to beat this Tufts' team?  My buddy stated that Amherst will tie the game and then win.  
It was a tense time....and that was what makes it a game to remember with the atmosphere, etc..
For Tufts, it has been many years since they have been anywhere near that game position....to be in a sectional game.

[lefrakenstein]

I respect the need to see the panthers. But I think you have to go your son's game. Maybe I'm just saying this b/c I've been geographically far, sometimes almost as far away as possible while remaining on the planet, from the games and I've had to live without seeing them live for the last few years. But I don't think it's all that bad.

Watching the games alone on the computer a ways from the action is so different. You really like you're going through a personal struggle sometimes. It can be so agonizing and there's no one else around who even remotely gets it. I honestly think it's a test of the spirit. It can be good for the soul.

If I were you, I would ask myself this - which would you be more devastated to miss: The panthers advancing to the Final 4 on an olson "shot"-esque last second moment, OR your son, in the game at crunch time due a starter's injury, making an olson-esque shot to win the game and keep his team in the tournament?

Got to take Young Guy, right? Even if there's only a minute chance of that happening, could you really live with yourself if you missed it? Plus, you can follow the Midd game on your phone...

[nescac1]

More on the connection between the Lafayette PG and Dave Paulsen I mentioned a few days back:

http://media.www.thelaf.com/media/storage/paper339/news/2011/03/11/Sports/Proud.Of.Our.Pards-3984933.shtml

[machine54]

Old Guy - just yesterday (or so it seems) my Midd Kidd was 6 and just learning how to play - now she is a student athlete at Club Midd - with the athlete component nearing an end - time is precious - see your son play - family first

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

[eph partisan]

I would have to agree with the family-first group, Old Guy. This, and other situations (EG living in England), is what they invented webcasts for!

Key questions for the Ephs' game:
-Can they get Whittington going?
-Can Wang play under control / Can the Ephs handle the pressure and not turn the ball over?
-Can they stop VW from hitting threes?
-Alternatively, can the supporting cast hit threes?

I think if the answer is yes to three of those questions, Williams wins.

Anyone with last minute thoughts before tonight's games? Any of the NESCAC coaches say anything interesting on the radio show?

[Colby Hoops]

I'm going with RIC in my upset special tonight.  Could be my dislike for Amherst rearing its head again, but I think RIC matches up pretty well defensively against Amherst's guards, and as long as Kaasila doesn't hammer then down low, I could see the anchormen pulling out a W.

[7express]

Anyone with last minute thoughts before tonight's games? Any of the NESCAC coaches say anything interesting on the radio show?
------------------

Middlebury with the largest victory margin of the 3 teams even though their the only one playing a true road game.

Amherst & Williams with 2 close victories, but since I'm an LEC student I hope RIC wins (sorry guys!)

[walzy31]

Friday March 11th NESCAC NCAA Spreads

Middlebury @ Rochester
Middlebury -1.5
O/U: 114.5

Virginia-Wesleyan @ Williams
Pick'em
O/U: 151.0

Amherst Vs. Rhode Island College (@ Williams)
Amherst -12.0
O/U: 158.5

Friday March 11th NESCAC NCAA Updated Spreads

Middlebury @ Rochester
Middlebury -3.0
O/U: 116.5

Virginia-Wesleyan @ Williams
Williams -2.0
O/U: 151.5

Amherst Vs. Rhode Island College (@ Williams)
Amherst -11.5
O/U: 158.5

Friday March 11th NESCAC NCAA FINAL Spreads

Middlebury @ Rochester
Middlebury -3.0
O/U: 116.5

Virginia-Wesleyan @ Williams
Williams -1.0
O/U: 151.5

Amherst Vs. Rhode Island College (@ Williams)
Amherst -12.0
O/U: 158.5

[nescac1]

Put me down for all three NESCAC squads, Walzy.  I like Middlebury the most of the three, the others look spot-on.  I'll take the overs for Midd/Williams, under in the Amherst game. 

Should be crazy tonight in Chandler.  Go Ephs!

[Old Guy]

I hope those of you who like Middlebury tonight are right. I'm in Rochester. My family insisted - true, Young Guy leading the charge. Over the years I have stockpiled some dadpoints, and I'm drawing on that account this weekend. (Wife: "don't be silly: of course, you should go"). Who knows when I/we will pass this way again.

Middlebury is a group of strong, resilient players, who have played well away from home (cf. the NESCAC tourney): good senior leadership - Locke, Davis, Wholey; Sharry is a mature player; the sophomore guards are battle-tested; Kizell has played his best in the biggest games. Of course, there are never guarantees: some nights the hoop gods don't smile on you.

Go Panthers.

[booyakasha]

Is it just my computer, or is there something wrong with the audio for all webcasts at Williams?

[lefrakenstein]

Is it just my computer, or is there something wrong with the audio for all webcasts at Williams?

I've muted mine.

Amherst up 8 at the half. It was 10 with amherst having a chance for the last shot, but a sloppy turnover resulted in a layup at the other end.

RIC is almost playing with too much heart... they keep over-collapsing on dribble penetration only to see the ball get kicked out to a wide open three point shooter. The Jeffs are making them pay.

Too many sloppy passes early for the Jeffs and then the one to close the half. 7 TOs total in the half, just 3 for RIC. Only other complaint is that Amherst seems to let their guard down defensively after a made shot. Seems like 80% of RICs points have come right after an Amherst score. The other 20% is off TOs. RIC is actually outshooting the Jeffs 45%-39%. If we can flip that in the second half and keep dominating the boards we should be safe.

[lefrakenstein]

67-65 Amherst with under 3 to play.

This one is basically Toomey vs the Refs

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The refs are really disrupting the flow of the game.  They're not really making bad calls, just too many of them.