MBB: NESCAC

P'bearfan · August 24, 2013, 11:03:30 AM

Old Guy - sorry to hear that you won't be able to see the games or post much. But it sounds like a great adventure for you and your family. Best of luck!

nescac1 · August 28, 2013, 03:54:03 PM

Good luck in Cameroon, Old Guy! Your enthusiastic commentary will be missed.

Since things are quiet and will be until pre-season practice, here is a question for the board: if you could add one school to NESCAC, which would it be?

old_hooper · August 28, 2013, 04:39:42 PM

Old Guy, we know you are there recruiting.

MIT or Brandeis (both more suited to UAA)

How about Springfield?

amh63 · August 29, 2013, 08:50:44 AM

Old guy.....hope the family will enjoy the experience! Miss your unique perspective . Need to get young guy started!

Bucket · August 29, 2013, 11:38:23 AM

I don't think Old Guy would mind if I shared his family's blog:

http://innocentsinafrica.wordpress.com/

The byline of bigtrain45 are his posts.

Vandy74 · August 29, 2013, 11:03:53 PM

Old Guy...I didn't realize when we ran into each other in town a few weeks ago that your trip was happening so soon. (Where did the summer go so quickly?) You're missed at Dos Bros as you will be at Pepin this winter. Work on that French mon ami.

madzillagd · August 30, 2013, 03:53:19 PM

Bio on new Colby assistant

http://hoopdirt.com/news/60f1a95b/colby-college-hires-assistant/

nescac1 · September 06, 2013, 01:46:50 PM

Williams, like Middlebury (and apparently Bowdoin, based on the NSN website) will be webcasting all home athletic contests vis NSN. Much higher quality webcasts -- yahoo!

http://ephsports.williams.edu/sports/General_News_Items/Northeast_Sports_Network_to_Provide_Live_Webcasts_of_Williams_College_Athletics_Events

amh63 · September 06, 2013, 04:41:46 PM

I mentioned on the Football board the fact that Bowdoin had signed a three year deal with NSN to broadcast all home contests!....with professional broadcasters.
In the case of Bowdoin and Williams, IMHO, that broadcasting aspect should be an upgrade. no mention of Amherst joining in on the fun. Should see this Sat.....in contests against Middlebury.
Thanks Nescac 1...for the info.

old_hooper · September 06, 2013, 05:03:21 PM

On the Midwest board for CCIW they are saying that Sporting News has Ill Wes ranked #3 in country. I have not seen Sporting News poll but did go to the iW website and they mention that only Williams and St. Mary's are ranked ahead of them.

That probably means that the Ephs are ranked 1st in that poll. Don't think you will find a better tandem than Mayer and Epley in the country but I don't think I would trade that for the experienced backcourt of Amherst with Toomey, Kalema and Killian. Throw Green in to that and not to many questions about offense. The big question will be how well they play defense.

Williams will have to prove they have someone to spell Nate Robertson. If they can do that they will be a serious player for a run to the final four and a title game. Amherst and Williams have been there 6 of the last 13 years. CCIW which is one of the strongest conferences in DIII has not had a team to the finals since 1997. Ill Wes has added 2 division one transfers to their roster this year that returns 4 starters and a solid bench. This could be their year!

madzillagd · September 06, 2013, 06:33:21 PM

Interesting that Williams would be getting that respect with their backcourt graduating but who am I to tell them they're wrong

I think you are going to find that the Williams backcourt is not going to be as inexperienced as you might think.

P'bearfan · September 07, 2013, 02:27:49 PM

Quote

Posts: 2264
Karma: 85

Re: NESCAC MBB

« Reply #15082 on: Yesterday at 01:46:50 pm »

Quote

Williams, like Middlebury (and apparently Bowdoin, based on the NSN website) will be webcasting all home athletic contests vis NSN. Much higher quality webcasts -- yahoo!

Thank god! Last season's webcasts from Bowdoin were like watching claymation videos. Very frustrating. I'm excited to see the new broadcast.

amh63 · September 08, 2013, 10:43:36 AM

Missed those "claymation" videos ;

lefrakenstein · September 08, 2013, 11:04:30 AM

Quote from: madzillagd on September 06, 2013, 06:33:21 PM
Interesting that Williams would be getting that respect with their backcourt graduating but who am I to tell them they're wrong

I think you are going to find that the Williams backcourt is not going to be as inexperienced as you might think.

Did Rooke-Ley play much pg when he was active?

nescac1 · September 08, 2013, 11:31:40 AM

I saw that Sporting News hoops issues, and yes, Williams is ranked first preseason. Amherst is sixth, and Middlebury and Tufts are also mentioned as possible contenders. WPI is tenth. Mayer and Toomey are both first-team preseason all-Americans (and deservedly so). Epley and Kizell are also mentioned as top players to watch. As usual the D3hoops.com preseason rankings will be a better barometer, but these aren't too far off and nice to see recognition for the Ephs (although this will also place a big target on their back). I think IWU has to be the team to beat with only one guy lost to graduation and the two D-1 transfers. Williams and Amherst (which will reload, the Jeffs always have some young guys emerge and have an enormous group of acclaimed underclassmen to pick from) I'd say are just a hair behind IWU, with Midd very close behind in the third group. Even in the two-page preview, the Sporting News made a ton of mistakes (the Wheaton blurb is totally confusing for example, and the preview mistakenly said that Amherst won NESCAC's second national title, when the Jeffs actually won a third championship for the conference).

The Sporting News omitted some sure-fire contenders from its top ten, including Cabrini (how Walton-Moss is only a second team preseason all-American escapes me), St. Thomas (lost a ton but always reloads), Whitworth, Stevens Point and Whitewater, which, I predict, will all be in the D3hoops top ten along with IWU, Amherst, Williams, Wooster and St. Mary's. (Another CCIW team is also a possibility, but I'd guess there will be another 2-3 from that conference closely grouped in the 10-20 range). WPI does bring everyone of note back, but they need to show something in the NCAA tourney before they deserve consideration as a contender.

And to answer lefrakenstein's question, Rooke-Ley didn't play much point, but then again, he was playing on rosters with Nate Robertson and James Wang, so there was not a ton of opportunity. He did handle the ball a lot and I think if healthy he would be a very capable point guard. Very different player from Nate, not as creative a passer nor as crafty a finisher at the rim, but more physical and a substantially better shooter. Like Nate he is a very good defender. He might not create as much off the dribble for other guys, but on the other hand defenses won't be able to cheat off him which will open up the inside more for Epley and Mayer. I think that, while Hayden will be a primary ball-handler, you will see a lot of different guys bringing the ball up for Williams and initiating the offense, which is how Maker likes it: he prefers his players to be interchangeable rather than in narrowly-defined roles.