MBB: NESCAC

7express · February 09, 2013, 04:23:14 PM

Bowdoin Conn College postponed no makeup date announced: http://camelathletics.com/sports/mice/2012-13/releases/201302094hu9a2

fanfromct · February 09, 2013, 05:40:30 PM

Bowdoin just announced that they're playing the Wesleyan game tonight, Saturday, at 7pm at Silloway Gym in Middletown, CT, with the women's game at 9pm.

lumbercat · February 09, 2013, 07:07:58 PM

Bates puts Hamilton away in a close one in a packed Alumni Gym to secure a spot in the NESCAC tourney.
Not the Bobcats best effort of the year but true to their identity as a grinding team they were able to get it done.
Unless Wesleyan or Bowdoin should lose their reamaining 2 games I believe the Bobcats will find themselves with the 7 seed.
Not an enviable task for an undersized club as they will visit one of the big 3 but as always they will bring toughness and great intensity.

walzy31 · February 09, 2013, 09:42:01 PM

Quote from: walzy31 on February 09, 2013, 10:26:07 AM
Saturday February 9th NESCAC Spreads

Colby @ Wesleyan
Wesleyan -16.0
O/U: 129.5

Bowdoin @ Conn College
Bowdoin -5.5
O/U: 126.5

Hamilton @ Bates
Bates -3.0
O/U: 137.0

Well the schedule changed on us so obviously only the Hamilton / Bates result is official. Pretty good line. The other two games probably would have been within a half of a point also.

Hamilton 56 @ Bates 59
Bates -3.0 (PUSH)
O/U: 137.0 (Under +22.0)

Old Guy · February 09, 2013, 09:47:20 PM

Bowdoin beat Wesleyan, 75-68, in Middletown. Anybody see the game. Looks like it could have been quite a game.

Bowdoin shot the ball well - 50% from the floor, 43% from three, 10-11 from the line. Bowdoin's starters all played over 36 minutes. Hurley played 40, had 10 points and eight assists. The Polar Bears had quite a game offensively from their 6'10" senior center, Maximillian Staiger, who was 9-11 and 5-5: he even hit a three, his first of the year - he's 1-1. He's having a nice year, shooting over 50% from the floor - and over 80% from the line, pretty good for a big guy. Only three boards tonight though. Swords, their seven footer, didn't show up in the box score. Flu?

For Wesleyan, their three 1000 point guys all had good nights: Shasha scored 22, Beresford had 19, Callaghan 13. Glen Thomas had eight rebounds (four offensive) in just 14 minutes.

Bucket · February 10, 2013, 09:57:19 AM

Wesleyan will now play Colby in what is essentially a play-in game for the NESCAC tournament. If the Cards lose, they're out, not matter what Colby or Hamilton do in their final games.

At the start of the year, there was talk of Wes contending for the NESCAC title, for going to the NCAA tournament, for breaking up the "top 3." Yet now they must win their final game to even qualify for the NESCAC tournament. Crazy. What an utter disappointment in Middletown.

nescac1 · February 10, 2013, 10:18:12 AM

Still flummoxed re: what happened with Wesleyan. I think they just never developed enough depth beyond the current senior class, all of whom have been playing at the same level, roughly, as a year or so ago (but also, that group plateaued without developing from stars into superstars). Usually teams gets a boost from the development of rising sophomores, but Wesleyan's current sophomore class seems to have no above-average-starter caliber guys. Julian Harris came in with a ton of hype, and showed a lot of talent at times, but never seemed to be a good fit and now has apparently left the program. He was supposed to be the missing piece. Still, though, the Cards over the years have showed that playing their best, they can hang with anyone in the league, but at their worst, can lose to anyone in the league. Really inconsistent and perplexing. Next year, after losing three 1000 point scorers, could be REALLY rough for Wesleyan. OR maybe it will be a mega-Ewing theory and they will surprise everyone.

Bowdoin, meanwhile, seems to be going the other direction. The key for the future is Swords. They have a great table-setting point guard in Hurley (who I think may end up setting a single-season NESCAC record for assist average, but so far as i know, no NESCAC record book is maintained online), two solid and very experienced wing shooters in Madlinger and Mattias, and one of the better all-around talents in the league in Pieiri all coming back next year. Swords though will be the only returning big guy, and if he can develop into a consistent force for 30 mpg on both ends (he's shown flashes but yet to do it over long stretches of multiple games, he can look fantastic or disappear) as he has the potential to do, Bowdoin will have a very, very strong starting five. They also could use one or two more guys in the incoming recruiting class to help with depth, as they only have one bench guy right now (other than Swords) who contributes much.

grabtherim · February 10, 2013, 10:38:11 AM

Quote from: nescac1 on February 10, 2013, 10:18:12 AM
Still flummoxed re: what happened with Wesleyan. I think they just never developed enough depth beyond the current senior class, all of whom have been playing at the same level, roughly, as a year or so ago (but also, that group plateaued without developing from stars into superstars). Usually teams gets a boost from the development of rising sophomores, but Wesleyan's current sophomore class seems to have no above-average-starter caliber guys. Julian Harris came in with a ton of hype, and showed a lot of talent at times, but never seemed to be a good fit and now has apparently left the program. He was supposed to be the missing piece. Still, though, the Cards over the years have showed that playing their best, they can hang with anyone in the league, but at their worst, can lose to anyone in the league. Really inconsistent and perplexing. Next year, after losing three 1000 point scorers, could be REALLY rough for Wesleyan. OR maybe it will be a mega-Ewing theory and they will surprise everyone.

Bowdoin, meanwhile, seems to be going the other direction. The key for the future is Swords. They have a great table-setting point guard in Hurley (who I think may end up setting a single-season NESCAC record for assist average, but so far as i know, no NESCAC record book is maintained online), two solid and very experienced wing shooters in Madlinger and Mattias, and one of the better all-around talents in the league in Pieiri all coming back next year. Swords though will be the only returning big guy, and if he can develop into a consistent force for 30 mpg on both ends (he's shown flashes but yet to do it over long stretches of multiple games, he can look fantastic or disappear) as he has the potential to do, Bowdoin will have a very, very strong starting five. They also could use one or two more guys in the incoming recruiting class to help with depth, as they only have one bench guy right now (other than Swords) who contributes much.

I cannot figure the Cardinals out either. Assuming they make the tournament, I still see them as a dangerous team but would not be surprised if they get beat badly either. Strange. Agree with you on Bowdoin. The pieces are in place for an up tick which can start this post season, but should definitely take place next year. If they bring in or develop a big forward, watch out.

walzy31 · February 10, 2013, 10:55:39 AM

Sunday February 10, 2013 NESCAC Spreads

Amherst -4.0 @ Williams
Colby +9.0 @ Wesleyan
Bowdoin -13.5 @ Conn College
Trinity +21.5 @ Middlebury

Maine-Man · February 10, 2013, 11:19:12 AM

Quote from: grabtherim on February 10, 2013, 10:38:11 AM
Quote from: nescac1 on February 10, 2013, 10:18:12 AM
Still flummoxed re: what happened with Wesleyan. I think they just never developed enough depth beyond the current senior class, all of whom have been playing at the same level, roughly, as a year or so ago (but also, that group plateaued without developing from stars into superstars). Usually teams gets a boost from the development of rising sophomores, but Wesleyan's current sophomore class seems to have no above-average-starter caliber guys. Julian Harris came in with a ton of hype, and showed a lot of talent at times, but never seemed to be a good fit and now has apparently left the program. He was supposed to be the missing piece. Still, though, the Cards over the years have showed that playing their best, they can hang with anyone in the league, but at their worst, can lose to anyone in the league. Really inconsistent and perplexing. Next year, after losing three 1000 point scorers, could be REALLY rough for Wesleyan. OR maybe it will be a mega-Ewing theory and they will surprise everyone.

Bowdoin, meanwhile, seems to be going the other direction. The key for the future is Swords. They have a great table-setting point guard in Hurley (who I think may end up setting a single-season NESCAC record for assist average, but so far as i know, no NESCAC record book is maintained online), two solid and very experienced wing shooters in Madlinger and Mattias, and one of the better all-around talents in the league in Pieiri all coming back next year. Swords though will be the only returning big guy, and if he can develop into a consistent force for 30 mpg on both ends (he's shown flashes but yet to do it over long stretches of multiple games, he can look fantastic or disappear) as he has the potential to do, Bowdoin will have a very, very strong starting five. They also could use one or two more guys in the incoming recruiting class to help with depth, as they only have one bench guy right now (other than Swords) who contributes much.
I cannot figure the Cardinals out either. Assuming they make the tournament, I still see them as a dangerous team but would not be surprised if they get beat badly either. Strange. Agree with you on Bowdoin. The pieces are in place for an up tick which can start this post season, but should definitely take place next year. If they bring in or develop a big forward, watch out.

Good win by Bowdoin last night, but the truth is Wesleyan's poor play definitely helped! Stagier had a career night - wish he would have played this way all year - as Wesleyan couldn't stop Bowdoin's inside attack. Hopefully Bowdoin will keep things rolling, as they will play an improving Tufts team in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. I agree next year could be interesting, albeit seems like I find myself saying that every year. Starting core of the team is intact, but bench will be weak and Bowdoin has yet to show it can win a game against the top half of the league.

7express · February 10, 2013, 11:19:33 AM

Quote from: walzy31 on February 10, 2013, 10:55:39 AM
Sunday February 10, 2013 NESCAC Spreads

Amherst -4.0 @ Williams
Colby +9.0 @ Wesleyan
Bowdoin -13.5 @ Conn College
Trinity +21.5 @ Middlebury

Williams, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Trinity

amh63 · February 10, 2013, 11:39:30 AM

Hope all are well..post- storm..up in NE. Let the games begin!
If Yale can beat Princeton....Amherst has a chance in Willytown! go Jeff's!
happy the poll has been removed.

P'bearfan · February 10, 2013, 01:00:36 PM

Good win for Bowdoin yesterday. Hopefully they can finish the regular season with a win at Conn College today.

I think the key for the Polar Bears in the 'CAC tournament will be having everyone healthy. Pieri missed several games and Swords hasn't played since early in the first half against Williams (he came out right after a collision with a Williams player on a fast break). Don't know anything but assume Swords was injured on the play.

If Polar Bears have everyone healthy for the tournament they might be able to surprise a few teams!

Agree that next year could be really interesting for Bowdoin. Hopefully the incoming players will be able to contribute and things come together for them.

lefrakenstein · February 10, 2013, 01:21:48 PM

Quote from: walzy31 on February 10, 2013, 10:55:39 AM
Sunday February 10, 2013 NESCAC Spreads

Amherst -4.0 @ Williams
Colby +9.0 @ Wesleyan
Bowdoin -13.5 @ Conn College
Trinity +21.5 @ Middlebury

Midd; Conn; Wesleyan

nescac1 · February 10, 2013, 02:01:54 PM

Announcers mentioned that Dan Wohl is not playing due to illness. Given the Ephs' lack of depth, that might affect Walzy's spread a bit, so still time for last-second betters to take advantage. Williams lost the only game (Stevens) that Wohl did not play in this year.