MBB: NESCAC

[madzillagd]

Actually, I wouldn't let the labeling difference between Gamble and Mayer make a difference in this process, by the way. Not afraid to put two post players on the same team, as a coach would definitely do the same.

That was going to be my next question - is there a reason that it has to be X Guards, X Fs, X Centers or is it random?

[Titan Q]

When the SIDs submit a player they list his position... that is the information we go on. There is no debate... Gamble is listed as a forward and Mayer as a center... we aren't going to change the positions from what the SIDs submit (and the SIDs are most likely told by the coaches what the positions are for each player).

Dave, you would be better off assigning players to positions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.  There is too much disparity between the positions listed for guys who play the 5.  Landon Gamble might be listed as a "forward" on NCC's roster, but he is a pure "center."

[nescac1]

Center was loaded this year, which is perhaps why Gamble was pushed to forward.  No one was going to beat out A.J. Matthews, and Kearney, Mayer, Gamble, Cross and Hannon are all stellar fives as well, many of them POY in loaded conferences.  This is the rare year that C probably had more worthy candidates than PF. 

Interesting re: Jeff Brown's nephew.  Always fun to see how a coach handles his relative.  Especially when (I am guessing this kid is a guard?) he is one of four guards in the first-year class, several of whom are very highly regarded.  Kind of a log-jam there ...

[Panthernation]

A bit of a log jam this year, yes. But it makes sense to go guard-heavy given the makeup of the roster:

Guards
2013: Thompson, Wolfin
2014: Kizel, Bulluck, Nascimento
2015: Brierly
2016: Pendergast, Huff
2017: St. Amour, Brown, Jones, Naughton

A lot of minutes to replace in the classes of 2013 and 2014.

[Bucket]

PN,

You left off Luis Alvarez who will be returning to the court for the Panthers next year.

[John Gleich]

My instincts tell me that lack of specific and general interest will cause fewer than 2000 to attend the d3 championship game.

I expect you're right on that.  What was needed was for Emory to be the Cinderella story instead of MHB. Unfortunately they didn't even make it to the sweet 16.

It would have been interested to see what might have happened if there was a large D-I base that could be convinced to jump on board with their "local" team.  For example, if Wisconsin was in the Final Four with a WIAC team... Michigan with a MIAA team, Syracuse with a SUNY team,Illinois with a non-Carthage CCIW team, Duke or NC with Guilford, etc.

[Vandy74]

Vandy74...welcome back...missed your inputs.  Share your puzzlement over your "special friend"....considering your posts.  Anyway..a brownie to you.

amh63...Thanks, I appreciate your support.  I know I can be a bit of a smart-ass, especially when it's the late-night vodka tonic doing the talking, and the post that started it all certainly falls into that category.  I really don't know what I said that could have upset anyone very much in any post that followed.  As you point out I haven't chimed in for several days but I noticed that during that time I was docked again twice anyway.  Fun is fun but that's not quite Karma Kricket, is it?    Seriously, though, I did want to make a few points concerning both the Midd-NC and Amherst-NC games a few days back, but  PN and Bucket covered much of what I wanted to discuss and said it better than I would have so I probably won't bother posting the rest of it.  There's only one game left that matters this season.

[Vandy74]

PN,

You left off Luis Alvarez who will be returning to the court for the Panthers next year.

Alvarez was progressing nicely his first two seasons.  He played briefly in only 3 games over the next two years.  I've been told he suffered an injury but I never knew what it was.  Is he coming back for only one season Bucket?  When I thought about how much Sinnockson would have helped the Panthers this year I always remembered that Alvarez should have been there as well.  Good news!

[Old Guy]

If you're not sick of the St. Amour attention, here's how the local news covered his decision. View it culturally: VT is a small state, second smallest (pop.) in the country. This is big news. It's fun. Kid is a hero in his small town, people love him, want him to succeed. He didn't go to Exeter or NMH, stayed home. Midd has players on the roster from all over (like other NESCAC teams) - two from CA, Nacimento from Brazil, OH, MA but largely draw from large urban areas, NY, NJ, PA, CT, Coach Brown's preferred recruiting territory. Partisan concerns aside (which I understand - I will attend the D3 finals in Atlanta with decidedly mixed feelings), you have to wish him well at the next level.

http://www.wptz.com/news/sports/local-sports/Matt-St-Amour-makes-his-choice-of-colleges/-/18355682/19515324/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/dcl1x9z/-/index.html

Watched the Wms-Midd baseball game today at a major league-quality stadium, Tucson Electric Park (the major league teams have all abandoned Tucson for Phoenix, leaving these fabulous facilities). Cloudless sky, mid-80s, eat your heart out.

[Vandy74]

If you're not sick of the St. Amour attention, here's how the local news covered his decision. View it culturally: VT is a small state, second smallest (pop.) in the country. This is big news. It's fun. Kid is a hero in his small town, people love him, want him to succeed. He didn't go to Exeter or NMH, stayed home. Midd has players on the roster from all over (like other NESCAC teams) - two from CA, Nacimento from Brazil, OH, MA but largely draw from large urban areas, NY, NJ, PA, CT, Coach Brown's preferred recruiting territory. Partisan concerns aside (which I understand - I will attend the D3 finals in Atlanta with decidedly mixed feelings), you have to wish him well at the next level.

http://www.wptz.com/news/sports/local-sports/Matt-St-Amour-makes-his-choice-of-colleges/-/18355682/19515324/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/dcl1x9z/-/index.html

Watched the Wms-Midd baseball game today at a major league-quality stadium, Tucson Electric Park (the major league teams have all abandoned Tucson for Phoenix, leaving these fabulous facilities). Cloudless sky, mid-80s, eat your heart out.

And Middlebury won it as well.  Good to start the NESCAC part of the season off with a W.  From the brief write ups available it seems that Sinnickson is healthy and playing well.  Also good to see.

[frank uible]

It is your correspondent's experience that the vast majority of D1 fans (irrespective of the locale of their residence) tend to have linsufficient interest in D3 basketball or other D3 games to cause them to go out of their way to attend any of those games.

[LarryBasketball33]

Waiting two weeks for a championship game is very strange.  Almost feels like Bowl Season in football.  Good luck to the Lord Jeffs.

 
Midd will have some nice battles to get the Lynch/Thompson/Wolfin minutes. Alvarez is a defensive specialist who was often called on to be a pain to the opponents top guards, the kind of guy who would really get under the skin of guys he D's up.  If healthy, he can help.  The 2013-14 wild cards for Mildd are how Sinnickson comes back, and what Coach Brown gets from Daley, Nidenberg and Huff who did not get the minutes they might have hoped for this past season.  I think next season will show that Pendergast can get to the rack with any NESCAC guard, and he should gain confidence with increased minutes.  As long as he protects the ball, his minutes should be there.  Take all of this with the addition of St. Armor and and there is reason for optimism that Midd can stay at the top or near it in the league.  Still, if some or most of these guys don't step up, teams will  make their game plan: Stop Kizel and beat Midd.     

[Vandy74]

It is your correspondent's experience that the vast majority of D1 fans (irrespective of the locale of their residence) tend to have linsufficient interest in D3 basketball or other D3 games to cause them to go out of their way to attend any of those games.

Agreed.  I considered the D1 tie-in before I made my post but I too realized that it just wouldn't work.  Even selling a D3 team at home is harder than one would expect.  Middlebury's crowds have certainly grown over the past few seasons but not to the extent one might expect considering the quality of the product being offered.  At least NESCAC  sites, for the most part, include an "athletics" link.  Several times while trying to find stats on teams playing in the ncaa tournament I've had to use the back door to find it.  When D3 schools de-emphasize their own programs they obviously don't offer much in the way of a venue for the public to appreciate them.  Anyway, back to your point and mine, that is why I mentioned Emory.  I was accepted there as well.  They are located just outside of Atlanta and have been quite successful in their own region for 2-3 seasons now.  Unfortunately that doesn't make them good enough to advance very far into the tourney.  Whether anyone outside our region wants to accept it or not, if you can compete in the NESCAC you rank among the elite of D3.   It's a shame more basketball fans don't afford themselves the opportunity to enjoy it.

[Old Guy]

And Middlebury won it as well.  Good to start the NESCAC part of the season off with a W.  From the brief write ups available it seems that Sinnickson is healthy and playing well.  Also good to see. vandy74

Zip it, Vandy. Not even a hint of gloating. We have two with the Ephs today - and are flipping a coin (drawing names out of a hat?) to see who pitches. Lots of baseball left with the Ephs today. The Ephs come here for two weeks (Midd only has a one-week break) - I wonder if that's too long, that's a long road trip.

Early a.m. cloud cover in Tucson - I want my money back. It's fun to watch Sinnickson, 6'5", run down balls in centerfield. Merryman is not with the hardball team, taking a break between seasons. Any other NESCAC basketball/baseball doubles? Or other sports, the throwbacks, guys who when basketball season ends, can't wait to get out and do somethings else intensely athletic?

Who were the basketball/baseball pros - Gene Conley, Dave Debusschere, Gary Roggenburk, Bob Gibson (Globetrotters) - I realize I'm dating myself. It can't be done today - the seasons are too long and the demand to focus, specialize, too great. Barry Larkin's son, Shane (Miami), would be a candidate. Who are great college baseball-basketball doubles over time: Dave Winfield? Anyone else? (The old old guys will say Dick Groat, the O'Brien twins, even Curt Gowdy.) Elway, Henson Samardzija are football/baseball. Golf: Bill Sharman, John Brodie, Hale Irwin?

This kind of unproductive rumination will only get worse as I get older. I won't know anything about today's players, teams, and games, but I'll be hell on the '50s.

[magicman]

And Middlebury won it as well.  Good to start the NESCAC part of the season off with a W.  From the brief write ups available it seems that Sinnickson is healthy and playing well.  Also good to see. vandy74

Zip it, Vandy. Not even a hint of gloating. We have two with the Ephs today - and are flipping a coin (drawing names out of a hat?) to see who pitches. Lots of baseball left with the Ephs today. The Ephs come here for two weeks (Midd only has a one-week break) - I wonder if that's too long, that's a long road trip.

Early a.m. cloud cover in Tucson - I want my money back. It's fun to watch Sinnickson, 6'5", run down balls in centerfield. Merryman is not with the hardball team, taking a break between seasons. Any other NESCAC basketball/baseball doubles? Or other sports, the throwbacks, guys who when basketball season ends, can't wait to get out and do somethings else intensely athletic?

Who were the basketball/baseball pros - Gene Conley, Dave Debusschere, Gary Roggenburk, Bob Gibson (Globetrotters) - I realize I'm dating myself. It can't be done today - the seasons are too long and the demand to focus, specialize, too great. Barry Larkin's son, Shane (Miami), would be a candidate. Who are great college baseball-basketball doubles over time: Dave Winfield? Anyone else? (The old old guys will say Dick Groat, the O'Brien twins, even Curt Gowdy.) Elway, Henson Samardzija are football/baseball. Golf: Bill Sharman, John Brodie, Hale Irwin?

This kind of unproductive rumination will only get worse as I get older. I won't know anything about today's players, teams, and games, but I'll be hell on the '50s.

And maybe the best four-sport athlete of all...Jim Brown. While at Syracuse he was a 1st team All American in football and lacrosse.
He also excelled in basketball and track.  As a sophomore, he was the second leading scorer for the basketball team (15 ppg), and earned a letter on the track team. His junior year, he averaged 11.3 points in basketball, and was named a second-team All-American in lacrosse. His senior year, he was named a first-team All-American in lacrosse (43 goals in 10 games to rank second in scoring nationally.