MBB: NESCAC

[madzillagd]

Are you talking about individual players or teams?  ...and I missed PN's comment so what was their take...

[Middfan]

Not sure if this has been previously reported, but the word is...

One of the expected key members of this year's Panther team, Dylan Sinnickson, is out for the football team as a wide receiver.  I have no doubt that he will excel.  Still, the possibility of injury combined with hours on the field rather than in the gym, must be on the minds of the coaching staff.  He joins that small handful of 3 sport athletes.

Herein demonstrates the beauty and priorities of D3, more relatively, NESCAC sports.  It is about the experience.

May he have a guardian angel!

[middhoops]

Are you talking about individual players or teams?  ...and I missed PN's comment so what was their take...

Sorry, I meant which individual players.

[madzillagd]

I'm not sure if I have a list of folks that are going to step up, but I do have list of guys that I think are under the microscope at the beginning of the year and will heavily influence how their teams do.  Here are some thoughts about the top 5 teams...

Amherst - I think the obvious one to pick here would be Pollack but I'm actually going to go with Green.  Tough to win without some type of post presence and pressure will be on Pollack to double his minutes and stay out of foul trouble, all while increasing his production.  I think the key to whether Pollack is successful depends on Green buying him time at the beginning of the year.  Green had some great games and he had some bad games, as you'd expect from a freshman.  He has to step his game up and be consistent this year, especially to start the year to take some pressure off of Pollack.  Interesting stat:  Green played 550 minutes last year and recorded a total of 10 assists.  That's a stat Yinka Dare (RIP) would be proud of.  I don't think Green needs to turn into Workman, but he does need to be able to support his teammates better than that in an assumed starting role.

Bowdoin - Someone who follows the team closer could probably come up with a better answer, but for me it's John Swords.  Call it Swords-fatigue but I'm at the point where I'm tired of hearing what this guy will do and need to start seeing him do it consistently.  We'll see if he can actually become the force that some believe he can be.

Midd - This is a tough one because I don't think this player exists.  I'm expecting Sinnickson to step up and have a big role on the team but it's not in the position/style that they need the biggest help.  For me, the biggest challenge Midd faces this year is to find someone that can replace Lynch and I don't think that player exists on the roster (someone can correct me if I'm wrong).  It's not a knock on the guys that are there, it's more a recognition of how tough a player Lynch was and what he did for the team.  Jensen, Daley, Churchill, Roberts - are any of these guys going to step up and be an offensive threat or is Midd going to be strictly a perimeter team next year.   

Tufts - I'm expecting Tufts to move up a spot this year and to do so I think Haladyna has to take it to the next level.  He's got a smooth, well-rounded game and I think he can really up his scoring this year and become a key contributor of that team.  Ferris and Palleschi are both going to deliver I think, Haladyna is the guy I think is the difference maker on whether they can get past Midd. 

Williams -  We already talked about this but Robertson's replacement is the guy on the hot seat and I'm expecting Rooke-Ley to be that guy. Early on in the year he'll need to establish himself as a floor leader that the team can get behind. 

[amh63]

Madz's...your posts are so interesting that I am tempted to respond....but am too deep into Fall sports now. 
Still, some trival tidbit. On Friday there will be a Block Party in the center of the business area of Amherst.  The town, the U of Mass. and Amherst College are the sponsors to get the townspeople and the students to mingle, etc. The party goes from 6 to 10pm.  Two bands and a hoop event will happen on the closed off Main Street.  The Amherst men and women BB teams will participate ...only on shooting around, I hope.  Kids being kids, I see a few nervous HBC hanging around.
Block party is on Thursday!  It has happened.

[P'bearfan]

Bowdoin - Someone who follows the team closer could probably come up with a better answer, but for me it's John Swords.  Call it Swords-fatigue but I'm at the point where I'm tired of hearing what this guy will do and need to start seeing him do it consistently.  We'll see if he can actually become the force that some believe he can be.

I'll give it a crack.  Agree that Swords is a pivotal guy for the P'Bears this year.  Keep in mind that he didn't start playing basketball competitively until part way through high school.  Last year I saw flashes of some really good things.  Agree that for Bowdoin to have a big year Swords needs to take his game up a notch - which is definitely possible.  This will take some pressure off of Hurley, Madlinger and Pieri.

While I realize the original question was about identifying the key individual for each team, IMHO, the real key to Bowdoin's success this year is: where will the depth come from?  Yes Swords has to have a big year but he's not going to play 40 minutes of every game so who will step in at center?  It looks like there's either a big drop in size or experience.  For that matter who will back up Hurley?  The offense and especially ball distribution can't come to a grinding halt when Hurley's not on the floor.  Who's the second shooter? the second 3? 

If Bowdoin gets sustained good play from Swords and some depth from the bench - including the FY's - they could be tough.

[Bucket]

Midd - This is a tough one because I don't think this player exists.  I'm expecting Sinnickson to step up and have a big role on the team but it's not in the position/style that they need the biggest help.  For me, the biggest challenge Midd faces this year is to find someone that can replace Lynch and I don't think that player exists on the roster (someone can correct me if I'm wrong).  It's not a knock on the guys that are there, it's more a recognition of how tough a player Lynch was and what he did for the team.  Jensen, Daley, Churchill, Roberts - are any of these guys going to step up and be an offensive threat or is Midd going to be strictly a perimeter team next year.   

Daley has far and away the greatest offensive potential, with the skills and eye-popping athleticism to surpass Lynch's fantastic achievements. Whether he does so will be up to Matt.

Jensen's a better defender than Peter and can contribute in the scoring column, but he's not a post player, nor is he expected to be.

Both Jack Roberts and Chris Churchill will have the opportunity to be go-to guys in the post. Both improved greatly as the season progressed last year. I think Churchill has more upside and potential on the offensive end; Roberts has proved to be more of a presence on the defensive side of the court. It will be very interesting to see how their games improved over the summer—Churchill, as a junior, especially. 

[grabtherim]

Midd - This is a tough one because I don't think this player exists.  I'm expecting Sinnickson to step up and have a big role on the team but it's not in the position/style that they need the biggest help.  For me, the biggest challenge Midd faces this year is to find someone that can replace Lynch and I don't think that player exists on the roster (someone can correct me if I'm wrong).  It's not a knock on the guys that are there, it's more a recognition of how tough a player Lynch was and what he did for the team.  Jensen, Daley, Churchill, Roberts - are any of these guys going to step up and be an offensive threat or is Midd going to be strictly a perimeter team next year.   

Daley has far and away the greatest offensive potential, with the skills and eye-popping athleticism to surpass Lynch's fantastic achievements. Whether he does so will be up to Matt.

Jensen's a better defender than Peter and can contribute in the scoring column, but he's not a post player, nor is he expected to be.

Both Jack Roberts and Chris Churchill will have the opportunity to be go-to guys in the post. Both improved greatly as the season progressed last year. I think Churchill has more upside and potential on the offensive end; Roberts has proved to be more of a presence on the defensive side of the court. It will be very interesting to see how their games improved over the summer—Churchill, as a junior, especially.

Having seen Daley play before he arrived at Midd, I expected him to be a rotation player last season.  Despite that, I agree with Bucket, he should make an impact.  I think he simply has to get his confidence up with a good start as he has the game and physical tools to compete in the league.

Perhaps more important to the Panthers will be Sinnickson, a wild card who has the ability to play both inside and outside.  He showed major flashes his freshman season and seemed to be primed to be even better last year before his season ending injury.  Assuming he comes out of the football season healthy, by the time he steps on the court in November he will not have played a college game in 18 months.  Not unreasonable to suppose that if these two guys step up, along with the experienced core Midd brings back, the other developing players (Huff, Pendergast and Nidenberg), and the freshman led by St. Amour, the Panthers may well keep their spot in the NESCAC Hoops Big 3. 

As with every team this time of year, there are more questions than answers, and so much can and will change.  The great news for long time watchers of Midd Hoops is that after decades of it not being so, from the foundation created over the past 6-7 years, Middlebury is now a real basketball school.  I wish it started next week.               

[madzillagd]

I haven't seen Sinnickson play yet so I just assumed by his size and his dunking videos that he's more a wing than a post player.  As such, I was thinking he'd be more of an outside threat/slasher than a post player. Daley will be interesting to watch because he does seem to be more mobile than Jensen from what I've seen.  If he's been able to get stronger I could see him being effective against a lot of big guys in the league. 

[toad22]

There are a lot of ways to go on the question of players stepping up. Since I concentrate of watching Williams, I will comment on the Ephs. From my perspective, Daniel Wohl stepping up and assuming a leadership role is a huge key for Williams. Last year, he deferred a lot to the upperclassmen. This year, he needs to assert himself. He could play any of the five positions on the court. Since Williams is so loaded with wings this year, he probably is most needed in the backcourt. If Wohl becomes a major scoring threat this year, Williams will become really hard to guard, since he will be the third strong option, along with Mayer and Epley. Most really good teams have three offensive stars. Daniel Wohl needs to become the third star.

[nescac1]

I think other folks have pretty much nailed the most likely candidates for break-out players / x-factors for next year.  I think of this category of players as guys who are rising Sophomores or Juniors who have yet to be named all-NESCAC, but have strong potential to do so.  I'd agree that Rooke-Ley and Wohl on Williams, Green on Amherst, Haldyana (and Palleschi, although as ROY he has not exactly flown under the radar, and Ferris technically qualifies despite basically playing at all-NESCAC level already) on Tufts, and Daley and Sinnickson on Middlebury all seem to fit into that category.  The big four will likely remain the big four, with only Bowdoin (Pieri, Hurley, Swords all candidates to make that leap) as a potential challenger, because so few other NESCAC players appear to have that potential. 

I would add Mike Boornazian from Bates to that mix, he looks like the next in a recent line of small-but-tough Bates forwards with moxy and good scoring touch; he will likely land on at least one all-NESCAC squad before all is said and done.  Matt Hart from Hamilton will also jump to all-NESCAC status as early as next year, looks like a high schooler out there but is incredibly effective.  But neither Bates nor Hamilton is deep enough to pose a threat.  Finally, Chris Hudnut from Colby had some very good moments as a frosh, but is likely another year away, at least, before he is in the conversation for a top-ten player in NESCAC.  Other than Matt Vadas, the three Connecticut schools all appear to be entirely devoid of all-NESCAC level returning talent; all three will, consequently, be fighting just to make the NESCAC playoffs. 

[amh63]

Madz....saw your post on the Little East board with regards to a game between Amherst and ECSU on the 7th of Jan.  Surprised me and my friend ESCUalum.  Where did you find the upcoming season's MBB schedule for Amherst?

[madzillagd]

That was based on what's posted on the D3Hoops Amherst schedule

[amh63]

Madz's...thanks for tHe quick response.   ECSUalum pointed the site on the little East board.  Looked at the posted schedule and it is quite a different Amherst schedule.  I pointed out...see my response to ECSU ....why the schedule raises questions and puzzles me.  Normally, Amherst ends the regular season in the conference with a pair of back to back games.  Whether at home or away, the Friday game is with Williams and the Sat. Game is with Middlebury.  The schedule shows the Middlebury game but no Friday Williams game.  The two games with Williams are placed elsewhere.  Very unusual as also the start of the season.  For years, Amherst has hosted a tournament with local schools...a tradition of sorts.  Not so this year.  Things do and can change.  Is Williams playing in a D3 sponsored tourny this season...that may have been a factor.  Maybe you can find out why there is no end of season Williams game in Le Frak on Friday....I would think that it would have to be a league agreement on the matter since Middlebury would be at a disadvantage with meeting an Amherst team that had no Friday game.

[Bucket]

I believe that Middlebury becomes the team w/out a travel partner this year, taking the role that Hamilton has played the last two years. That probably accounts for the Williams schedule discrepancy.