MBB: NESCAC

[Old Guy]

Is it me, or has "Andrew Locke" changed his appearance substantially heading into the Final Four?

http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2011/03/final-four-feature-middlebury

Night and day - 40 pounds: dedicated work in the weight room.

[nescac1]

Congrats to Wooster.  Great defensive team and Franks was awesome.  Karma is a bitch as Wooster caught every break including atrociously one sided officiating I mean awful.  And two shots bouncing in and out.  Agonizing.   But I guess we are now even for 2003.  Gutty effort by Troy who was physically abused all game.  Great game for Nate also.  Great year for a young Ephs team but right now hard to take as I don't think they were worse than Wooster

[David Collinge]

Congratulations to Williams on another in a seemingly endless series of great years.  I'm sorry if you felt cheated this evening, but I hope you can take some comfort in the knowledge that you have a great team and a great program, just as Wooster has a great team and great program.  And when two such teams/programs meet, you're likely to have a great game.  Wooster and Williams now have met twice in Salem and had two great games.  It's a real honor to be able to advance past the Ephs in this tournament. 

[nescac1]

Thanks.  Wooster did play great d down the stretch no doubt.  I guess the ephs were owed some bad karma.  A little lucky in 2003, a little unlucky in 2011.  So call it even.  I guess when Wooster and Williams meet it is destined to be a classic.

[nescac1]

Heartbreaking night for nescac.  Midd played tough as always but just couldn't hit the ftas late.  Dammit.  Ahh well.  Still don't know how those last two Wang and epley shots rimmed out.  Agghhh.  One thing is for sure these four teams play sOme serious d. 

[ScotsFan]

My god.  I too don't know what kept those last two shots out!  That was the LONGEST 8 seconds I've ever endured in a basketball game! I thought the end of Woo's tournament game with Manchester was excruciating?!   

Congrats to Williams on another fine fine season!  Chapter one in this series went the way of the Ephs in epic fashion.  And chapter 2 went the way of the Scots in even more epic fashion.  I shudder to think what chapter 3 will have in store for us!  ;P

[Old Guy]

Disappointing. We didn't handle the Tommies' press well at all. Give them credit: they pressed the whole game and neutralized us effectively. We were disorganized, never got into a rhythm. When we went up seven in the second half, after a typical first half (down 7), I thought we had a good chance to be playing tomorrow. Nuthin was easy the whole game.  When we beat the press we couldn't convert. We had a chance to win or tie with 15 seconds left, and couldn't get the ball to Sharry on the block - and only managed a deep contested three by Thompson as time ran out.

When you complain about the officiating after a loss, you look like a crybaby, a whiner, so I won't. Tough night for NESCAC - could have easily been a NESCAC final. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. St. Thomas is a solid outfit. I like Wooster tomorrow, but I won't be shocked by a St. Thomas win. They're tough.

[nescac1]

I know it sounds whiney to bitch about reffing  But I think in this case it has to be part of the discussion.  And I think I'm fair.  I acknowledge that Williams got the benefit of close calls down the stretch in both 03 games.  I thought the better team won both Stevens Point games.  Last night, while Wooster played dynamite on both ends down the stretch, Williams was in total control until they picked up six mostly cheap / phantom fouls in the first few minutes of the second half. That, plus the fact that two starters had four fouls for much of the half, forced Williams to play differently.  Which is a shame.  What killed me in particular were the off the ball holds and moving screens that both teams were guilty of, but only the Ephs got called for.  Troy was mugged repeatedly, no calls.  Very frustrating.  The Ephs also had too many careless to's which have plagued them all year.  A product of the four primary ballhandlers being two sophs, a junior, and a frosh.  With this experience, the Eph backcourt should be even more spectacular next year.  Nate Robertson was unreal the last two games, he has announced himself as an elite player on the national stage.   Congrats to Wooster who was very resilient and resourceful especially in jumping passing lanes, a heck of a team who made clutch plays.  And thanks to the Ephs for an incredible two year run. I am confident this won't be coach Makers last trip to Salem.  Finally, shout out to Troy for gutting out injuries all year.  So tough, so talented, he will be missed on multiple levels

[amh63]

At least the All-Star game will have additional conference players to admire.  Whittington addition to the rooster will make the East squad the favorite.

[nescac1]

On a different note, question for Midd fans.  What kind of upside does frosh Roberts have?  He is listed at 6'8 but looked more like 6'10 to me, and solidly built to boot.  Could he help fill the enormous void from losing Locke and Davis, in terms of defense?   Lcoke was flat out nasty on d last night.  Midd did struggle with the press but St Thomas is super quick and Midd's guards are even younger than Williams. They will continue to grow and Kizel has a ton of potential. 

[nescac1]

Looking at the game recap, Williams had five TO's in Wooster's big run. Two via offensive fouls, one via one careless pass, two via two spectacular steals by Wooster.  That is rough.  Franks is really a heck of a player on both ends.  If I had a vote for all American I'd put him on first team, top individual player in either game last night, although Robertson was a very close second.    One final comment.  Thx to the nice Wooster fan who tried to cheer me up this morning.  Their fan support id amazing and they are a class act no doubt.  

[eph partisan]

That game just killed me. We had it, and we let them take it away. Seeing Troy fall to his knees when Epley's layup rimmed out was a punch in the stomach.

Nevertheless, great season, great team. Congrats to Midd, as well - they, too, had a great season, and were a great team.

Another loaded top of the nescac next year, with some teams looking like they'll come on strong. Got a long wait till then, though!

[nescac1]

Congrats to Troy Whittington for, deservedly, earning first-team all-American honors, James Wang for moving up from the third to second team, and Ryan Sharry for making the fourth team.  Based on who is graduation, Wang and Sharry both have a good shot at being first-team preseason all-Americans, or likely no worse than second, heading into next year.

http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-americans/men/2011

Still heartbroken for the Ephs, just one of those games where so many things had to happen for them not to hold on, and all of them did.  But it was a wonderful year for a team that overcame the loss of a loaded senior class, a ton of new rotation guys, and numerous important and untimely injuries to make the Final Four.  Two final fours in the first three years of Maker's system is just an incredible accomplishment.  The wins over Virginia Wesleyan and Amherst in Chandler were absolutely incredible.  I am sure the Midd fans are likewise thinking "what if" after they came within one Nolan Thompson (hotly contested, but still) three, or converting a few missed free throws, of beating St. Thomas, after seeing St. Thomas handle Wooster with ease.  But again, just a tremendous year for the conference, three top-ten teams, two in the final four, three all-Americans ...

And I don't see things getting any easier in NESCAC next year.  Williams loses a lot of length and athleticism up front and Troy of course is irreplaceable, but with Nate Robertson's development into an elite player, the continued growth of James Klemm and Hayden Rooke-Ley, and further improvement from Wang (a very hard worker to begin with who I'm sure was a little bit bummed by his, for him, off shooting down the stretch, I think he will be very sharp from the get-go next year), I think Williams will have the best perimeter group in the country next year, which goes a long way.  If Mayer and Epley can make the kind of strides you'd expect from first-year forwards, Williams could have a strong (though not as strong w/out Troy certainly) rotation at the 4/5 as well.  Meehan is a huge loss for Amherst but the Jeffs bring everyone else back and have the most size and experience in the conference.  Plus Hixon always brings in tons of talent.  Middlebury loses a lot up front (Locke's impact in particular is difficult to quantify), but now has a tough, tested back-court, and Sharry will be a dominant force all year.  It would be virtually impossible to be as tough defensively without Locke and Davis, but I think their offense should be improved.  When you consider how many key seniors most of the other top teams lose (Virginia Wesleyan and Augustana being the exceptions), all three are still top-ten teams for sure heading into next season. 

I think NESCAC will have a bit more depth, to boot.  Bowdoin brings all but one guy back and brings in a seven footer with some skills to bolster the front-court depth, they will be incredibly tall and they have the best rising senior class in NESCAC.  Hamilton joins the conference with a young and improving team.  Wesleyan should be better, deeper, more experienced, and hopefully luckier, with several key guys returning who missed all or most of the year with injuries.  I think any from that group could potentially make a run at an NCAA bid if things break right.  It will be a long off-season to wait though!

One final thought after watching Midd and Williams in the final four.  I am honestly not sure who I would take, if I could pick a first year PG for the next three years, Toomey, Kizel, or Rooke-Ley.  Toomey is the best shooter and the most pure scorer, but struggles a bit on defense at times.  Kizel is fearless and is the best penetrator.  Rooke-Ley is extremely tough and is the best defender and rebounder of the three, and I expect his shooting numbers to really improve (when he misses, he rarely misses by much).  He didn't get as much responsibility this year due to playing behind Wang and Robertson, but has shown flashes of tremendous talent.   I think all three will have some great battles over the next few years, all very different, but very effective, players.  And with Troy and Locke no longer around to patrol the middle, that should really open things up for penetrating guards when these teams face off. 

[amh63]

It seems a team wearing purple won it all.  What shade of purple was it Frank?
This post is to say that I made the trip down to Salem after all.  Sort of prep for next year when I expect two conference teams to attend again...if the brackets are set ok....and another team in purple and white to win.
Missed the other posters!  I understand.  Don't really like the all-star format.  Missed Whittington in the all-star line-up.  Did talk to a Williams man from PA. who had a son on the William's '03 team that won it all.
This post is also to let Conor Meehan know that there was an Amherst person rooting for him.  They do not play defense much in an all-star game.  Will miss the Meehan clan at the games I attend next year.
The trip down and back, etc. was cheaper than the game at the Verizon center on Thursday.  Gas cost included.
Best road sign seen on the trip....Dismal Hollow Road.   Took my hat off when I went pass the Hometown of Bucket.
Nate Robertson from Ann Arbor is quite a player as he took over late in the game.  The Williams fan stated that the early fouls on Williams' players hurt their rotation, etc.   I sort of pointed out that it was like the Amherst-Williams game in the Elite 8.  Couldn't let that go by, could I NESCAC 1?  Don't see Amherst bringing in much this year since they have a "big man" returning and have a large squad of players returning.  At most two new players.   Who is that guard Jayhawk keeps bringing up?

[Old Guy]

I have some distance now on Friday's games. I was displaying my disappointment in my posting immediately after Midd's loss to St. Thomas, observing more the Panthers' inadequacies in the game rather than what the Tommies' did to win it. We lost by two to the #8 team in the country who went on to win the national championship, decisively.

Down two with 15 seconds left, we came out of the timeout with a plan to get the ball to Sharry, our best player, low on the left block and let him maneuver in the lane. Both he and Kizell (who was trying to deliver the ball), were effectively overplayed to prevent that entry pass. Textbook defense. Then we were left to improvise and didn't come up with the miracle buzzer-beater. I give the Tommies credit (now, if not Friday night).

Our players played with the heart they have displayed all year. We really did miss Wolfin down the stretch (he didn't play much in the second half - foul trouble) when St. Thomas took over the game again. Jake has shown himself all year unafraid to make the difficult pass or take the big shot with the game on the line. Against that press, to lose Wolfin for long stretches, and then not have him in there in the final minutes, was big.

Locke showed the way he can affect the game and other teams' approach in Salem. He "only" had 4 blocks but discouraged and altered so many others. What fun it has been to watch his development over his four years here. I hope he keeps playing - he really has only scratched the surface of his potential. We'll be good next year (we prospered after Ben Rudin left), but Andrew was a unique player. I honestly can't report on Jack Roberts (our 6'8" frosh) as he was played so sparingly in games, and I don't attend practice. I know people like him.

I have talked at length here about the character of this team, its maturity and generosity of spirit. The seniors will be missed, a lot. Every year, basketball gets me through the winter (I don't ski - it's cold out there), regardless of the team's success, so this year has been a real joy. We'll be good again next year, along with the Ephs and Jeffs. The league will be fun with some definite challengers emerging.

I enjoyed the Salem trip. 81 degrees when we arrived Thursday. First day of spring here today and it's snowing like crazy. I'm off to Phoenix next week to watch the Panther pastimers play a few games there. They end the week with three against Williams. That will be fun too.

28-2. Final Four. Not bad. My favorite sports saying (and I employ it often) is from Al McGuire, who said, "the best thing is sports is winning; the second best thing in sports is losing."

Carpe diem.