MBB: NESCAC

[amh63]

I'm back.....for just a bit.   It appears that Shaun Morris, an assistant at Williams, has taken a job at BU.  The new head coach at BU has also hired away a long time coach at Yale.   Still not settled, is the head coach position at Hamilton.

[nescac1]

Congrats to Shaun Morris!  If you want to move up in the hoops world, it seems like working for Coach Maker is a sure way to do it ... that makes four former Maker assistants now working at D-1 programs (in only three years).  Hopefully Kevin Snyder is next on deck.  Speaks volumes to the (well-earned) respect for Maker in the coaching community.  I just hope that the Ephs can hang onto him for a few more years before his inevitable shot at a prime D-1 head coaching gig. 

[toad22]

Shaun Morris is a fine coach, and will do well at BU. He is very experienced for such a young guy, and he really knows Maker's offense. I believe that Maker is becoming (understandably) well known for his version of the Princeton offense, and he, and his assistants, will benefit. Kevin Snyder is next (year).

[BantamFantam]

Long time reader, first time poster. My son will attend Trinity College next year (and from what I hear, with the amount of freshmen they have coming in good luck figuring out which one he is. Although I will admit I can be biased at times).  I look forward to finally being a part of the board and I promised myself to not post to any board until he made his decision final. Well here I am! I have followed NESCAC basketball for some time now as my oldest daughter played at Amherst a couple years back.  Unfortunately I was unable to make the Men's NESCAC championship this year as I actually attended the Women's with my daughter but I have a funny feeling that next year I will not only be there as a spectator, but also a fan of one of the teams involved.

[nescac1]

Congrats, BantamFantam, and welcome to the board!   Should be a very interesting transition year for Trinity after a strong group of seniors graduated, few upperclassmen on the roster, but what appears to be an enormous group of talented new recruits joining the program.  The coach did an impressive job last year (especially getting the team to buy in on the defensive end), considering the players had to learn an entirely new system and there was some attrition from the program over the past few years.  In the past, Trinity has had a lot of talent, but not always the results to match. 

I think that Trinity should quickly return to being a NESCAC power, although this year, relying heavily on frosh (only, at most, six players returning, none of whom were double-digit scorers), they might have a tough time getting past a strong group of veteran teams in Williams, Amherst, Midd (all of whom return much of the production from Final 4 / Elite 8 teams) Wesleyan (finally ready for a break-out year?), and Bowdoin (tremendous senior class).  Rare in NESCAC for frosh-heavy teams to contend right away ...

[gordonmann]

Welcome aboard, BantamFantam.

If you'd like to use my old Message Board moniker (Clamorin' Cluck) at some point, I'll give it you.

[walzy31]

It's good to have some Trin love on this board again!

[Bucket]

Some more love for Midd hoops:

http://downsouthstreet.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/sports-lessons/

[amh63]

Thanks Bucket for the feel good post.   There is a sort of positive MBB story coming out of Amherst....Summer BB camp run by Coach Hixon.  It can be found on the front page of the Amherst college.edu site and on the sports page.  Sorry about not providing an connection here to the story/site.   It is one of my many weakness that I have not overcome to date.

[walzy31]

Thanks Bucket for the feel good post.   There is a sort of positive MBB story coming out of Amherst....Summer BB camp run by Coach Hixon.  It can be found on the front page of the Amherst college.edu site and on the sports page.  Sorry about not providing an connection here to the story/site.   It is one of my many weakness that I have not overcome to date.

Shortened link/pc

[amh63]

The hoopdirt.com site has touched on the head coach vacancy at Hamilton the last several days.  Today, in the dailydirt blog, it was posted that the job is filled and the announcement will be made later this week.  It is interesting in that one of the 4 candidates that interviewed for the job is an Amherst grad. who is presently the head coach at Wash. & Lee.

[met_fan]

The hoopdirt.com site has touched on the head coach vacancy at Hamilton the last several days.  Today, in the dailydirt blog, it was posted that the job is filled and the announcement will be made later this week.  It is interesting in that one of the 4 candidates that interviewed for the job is an Amherst grad. who is presently the head coach at Wash. & Lee.

I've been wondering about this.  Their hockey job has been open all summer, too, and though there have been rumors it has been filled, nothing has been announced for that.  Maybe they will be announced together.

Edit: just read on a hockey forum that the new BB coach is Adam Stockwell from Oswego, but we'll see, I guess

[met_fan]

Adam Stockwell it is:
http://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/hamilton-chooses-mens-basketball-coach

[jayhawk]

collegen insider reviewed top non division 1 basketball coaches both David Hixon at Amherst and Mike Maker at Williams were mentionned

http://www.collegeinsider.com/belzer/

[nescac1]

Good find, Jayhawk, and congrats to both Maker and Hixon for a well-deserved kudos. 

Trinity appears, based on its preliminary roster, to be bringing in 12 first-years, which has to be the largest frosh class I can ever recall seeing at a NESCAC school.  With only five returning upperclassmen, more than a few will see immediately PT:

http://athletics.trincoll.edu/sports/mbkb/2011-12/roster

Almost all the incoming guys either hail from or prepped in New England, but one kid is from Greece.