MBB: NESCAC

[7express]

I was at that game tonight.  Great atmosphere, just what a rivalry game should be, both sides going against each other until the final buzzer.  Difficult shot for Toomey, but he made it look easy to win the game, and Wang had a great look from halfcourt at the buzzer.

[with age came?]

I would not want to determine who the last playoff spot goes to if Colby, Trinity and Hamilton all end up win 2 wins in the conference.  Another win by Trinity appears the least likely (toughest remaining schedule).  Colby needs to win against Conn or best case scenario (my bias is showing) Hamilton pulls out at least one win this weekend and settles the issue with 3 wins (assuming I am correct about Trinity not pulling a "big upset"). Trust me I have seen Stockwell teams do "unexpected things" when records are 0-0 in the second "playoff season"!

Prayers were answered...big win for Hamilton which now controls its own destiny....win and your in!

[eph partisan]

Williams can finish as high as 5 and as low as 7.

The team finishes fifth with a win, a Bates loss, and a Bowdoin loss; finishes sixth, with a win and a Bowdoin loss;  if Bates and Bowdoin and Williams all win, Williams finishes seventh (all three would be 5-5, tiebreaker is record vs. top 4 teams and head-to-head; Bates would 1-3, Williams and Bowdoin would be 0-4, Bowdoin wins head-to-head), and Williams finishes seventh if they lose.

[eph partisan]

The rest of the 4-8 battle looks like this:

Bates finishes #5 with a win, or a loss by Williams (have the head-to-head over Bowdoin); finishes #6 with a loss and a Williams win.

Bowdoin finishes #6 with a win, or a loss by Williams; finishes #7 with a loss and a Williams win

Hamilton gets #8 with a win or a Trinity loss

Trinity gets in at #8 with a win and a Hamilton loss

Tufts has locked down the #4 seed

[nescac1]

Thanks for breaking it down Eph Partisan.  Obviously a huge game today, Midd vs. Amherst.  Williams may have done Midd a favor by making Amherst expend maximum effort, but then again, VT-CT-MA is a tough road trip for Midd, should be a great game.  Hopefully Williams can lick its wounds after yet another game that didn't go its way at the buzzer, and play with the same intelligence and intensity vs. Trinity today.  After nearly two years in which almost everything went right, the last year, starting with Troy Whittington's broken hand, the unfortunate ending vs. Wooster (featuring two winning or tying shots that rolled in-and-out), the ridiculous spate of pre-season injuries this season (in particular Wang's back injury which has killed his senior year), and the four losses in the waning seconds this year, nothing has been going the Ephs' way of late.  Whether it's against Wesleyan, Midd, or Amherst, Williams will be out for revenge next weekend in the NESCAC tourney, and the Ephs are down but definitely not yet out.  I really like the future of this team as guys like Mayer, Rooke-Ley, and Epley continue to emerge, and Semin and Wohl I expect to both break out as sophs.  But I'd love to see the Ephs at least make a strong run in the NESCAC tourney to end the year on a more positive note. 

For folks following the Jeremy Linsanity (and if you haven't watched him play yet, by all means, do so), he has two NESCAC connections: his brother Joseph Lin is having a strong first year at Hamilton, and he played on a great high school team with former Amherst all-American Brian Baskauskas.  In this interview, he mentions Baskauskas and also Blake Schultz (who I imagine he must have played AAU ball with or something). 

http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/releases/091114_Lin_SlamOnline

[amh63]

Late report after a really good game in Lafrak last night.  There is a nice writeup of the game and some video on the Amherst website.  Just a few comments and impressions.
Going to the boxscore  there are several stats that jump out....indicating how close the game was.  Both teams took about the same number of shots and made about the same.  Both took about the same number of 3-point shots and the percentages were about the same.  Williams shot 88 plus% from the foul lane and Amherst shot about 60 plus%.  Lucky for Amherst both teams had less than 10 foul attempts each! What a surprise to me in an intense game that at times was quite physical, IMO.  Amherst had more blocks and had more rebounds....where as Williams had more assists.
Based on a number of Amherst fans.....it was a terrific game....and they thought that Williams was playing at their peak...the best that they had seen Williams play in years.
I believe that the fire marshall could have stopped the game to clear out some fans...biggest turnout with people sitting on the floor on the Amherst side.
Hope there is enough energy left for the tough Midd. team today.  Trinity did not seem to extend the visitors from the north.

[Ashley Parker Angel]

Walzy, wondering if you've got spreads for today's games. Should be an exciting showdown between the two unbeaten-in-NESCAC teams and a great weekend to be at Lefrak.

[Ashley Parker Angel]

Wesleyan is locked in at #3

I may be mistaken but I believe Wesleyan still needs the win today at Colby (assuming Bates beats Hamilton tomorrow, though that should be an interesting contest) in order to secure the third seed heading into the tournament. Because Bates beat Wesleyan, if the two teams were to end the season with identical records, the Bobcats would take the three spot.

[ECSUalum]

Congrats to Amherst Lord Jeffs for a breathtaking 77-75 OT win over Middlebury Panthers, and WCSU for theirs over Keene St 108-105 in OT!!! Watched both games streamed over Amherst College and LEC TV
What great college basketball we have seen over the last week!!!

[BankShotCharlie]

Glad to see Amherst back on top the NESCAC again. Watched both games on Jeffcast in slow motion (skipping every 30 seconds).  Very proud of Jeff Holmes who continues to make huge plays at opportune times.  Looking forward to watching them keep this momentum rolling into the playoffs.

Major props to David Kalema who stepped up tonight and went to the hole with speed and precision.  Another solid performance from Toomey who was CLUTCH from the line.  The kid is a winner.

Lets Goooooo!!!

[OchoLoko41]

In the spirit of passing out congratulations - major props to the Cardinals for both setting a Wesleyan record for wins and the biggest single season turnaround in NESCAC history (#9 to #3)

[toad22]

I'm looking forward to making the trip up north to Middlebury next Saturday. Going the back way, the trip is beautiful. In addition, Williams has played well there in the last few years. I look for a very close, very tense game. As long as Williams can shoot the ball decently and defend a little, something that they have done only some of the time this year, they should give Middlebury all they can handle and maybe more. An added incentive for the Ephs is the likelihood of a rematch with Amherst if they can get the job done up north. This year's NESCAC tourney should be a barnburner. It's great to see Wesleyan and Tufts playing so well. It has been a while.

[Old Guy]

Great game at Amherst, OT. Disappointing loss for the Panthers. Anybody's game. The stakes were high. Hosting the tourney would have been so much fun. Would you rather play Williams or Hamilton in the first round? It was just a terrific game, the Panthers played heroically. Wish we could play the last 30 seconds over. We had real chances to win. I'm proud of the team, glad I went down to Amherst, but have that little sick feeling you get when your team loses an important game in the game's final seconds. It was such a hard-fought game.

Proud of the Panthers. When Amherst got out to that big lead in the first half, punctuated by a spectacular alley-oop to Williamson, the place was rocking, Middlebury was disoriented, a blowout seemed possible. Never question these kids' hearts. Their furious run to make it a game again at 35-31 was also spectacular. Down 15 with two and half minutes to play in the first half, we scored the last 11 points of the half. Bulluck played three minutes and got a big hoop during the comeback and blocked Williamson's shot on a baseline drive at the buzzer.

The winning shot: 75-75, Toomey has the ball (natch) running the clock down, three second differential between the shot clock and the game clock. High pick and roll, Kasiila rolls free to the hoop, but everyone knows Toomey will take the shot, Midd, can't foul, but collapses on Toomey who misses an 18 footer. Kasiila, all by himself on the weakside glass has an easy putback with 2.2 seconds left. Game over.

I can't imagine a better weekend of basketball at Lafrak. I hope the Amherst students realize what a gift they were given, a weekend of great, great basketball with victory for the home team in the last minute both nights. Terrific players playing their hearts out. From the players, I sensed great respect (and fatigue) as they shook hands at the end of the game.

Amherst did a great job on Ryan Sharry. He leads the league in field goal % and went 3-11. Nobody else did that this season. Midd fans will argue that there was lots of contact underneath when he had the ball, uncalled. Nolan Thompson was the glue for the Panthers (18 points, 7-11, 4-8 from three), and he had to be, as Jake Wolfin was subpar (deep thigh bruise). Not an excuse - no team this time of year is 100%.

Toomey is awfully good. Amherst has so many weapons: big and strong under the hoop, quick in the backcourt, great long range shooting. We had a hard time guarding Kalema tonight.

As a Middlebury partisan I'm very disappointed with the loss, but as a hoop fan I'm grateful for the quality of the players' skill and effort today, both sides.  Great game. 

[7express]

So, it looks like we have the playoffs set:

#8 Hamilton @ #1 Amherst
#7 Williams @ #2 Middlebury
#6 Bowdoin @ #3 Wesleyan
#5 Bates @ #4 Tufts.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.  It's not often your 7 vs. 2 game will be the best game of the quarterfinals, but this is not an ordinary #7 in Williams.  They only lost by 1 @ Middlebury in the regular season meeting, from what I saw of them Friday I think they could get the win.  Bowdoin vs. Wesleyan looks to be the next best game.

[walzy31]

I can't imagine a better weekend of basketball at Lafrak. I hope the Amherst students realize what a gift they were given, a weekend of great, great basketball with victory for the home team in the last minute both nights. Terrific players playing their hearts out. From the players, I sensed great respect (and fatigue) as they shook hands at the end of the game.

Nolan Thompson was the glue for the Panthers.

Toomey is awfully good.

I'm grateful for the quality of the players' skill and effort today, both sides.  Great game.

I highlighted Old Guy's thoughts by way of leaving my favorite parts about what he wrote. I must have said seven times during the game "Locke would have blocked that." Usually in reference to a Kalema, Williamson or Toomey 2pt FGA. Won't miss Sharry next year either. Those guys can play.

One of the best 22 hour stretches of basketball I've seen at Lefrak in 11 years. All three teams playing high quality basketball and executing on offense. I'm glad Amherst came away with the two wins and the top seed.

Here's the alleyoop that was mentioned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NY3P1QDrBA&list=UUymI2Q4jP-wboU-36Cux9Yg&index=1&feature=plcp...a top 5 dunk of Williamson.

Amherst & Middlebury both just finished their SECOND consecutive unbeaten regular seasons on their home courts. Remarkable.

Crazy team to be posted later on Sunday the 12th!