MBB: NESCAC

[lefrakenstein]

One note on the breakout players conversation: I really think Tom Killian is ready to bring a lot more to the table offensively this year. He has a lot more game than he was necessarily called on to show last year. With Amherst light on experienced wing players, I could see him having a Kalema-esque breakout season.

[toad22]

The addition of Hamilton into the NESCAC schedule messed up Williams' schedule pretty badly, in my opinion. Williams now plays Amherst, at Amherst, on Sat. January 11 in the NESCAC game. The Little 3 game gets pushed to Wed, Jan. 22 at Williams. For Williams, these games elicit more intensity and emotion every year, than any others. To have both of them stuck in the middle of January, one on Wednesday night, is not in either school's best interest. The NESCAC schedulers should be paying attention to big rivalries, but I guess they don't know, or don't care. I don't have access to other teams' schedules, but I would be interested as to other changes.

[amh63]

Lefrakenstein...agreed with you with respect to Tom Killian.  His rebounding and defense have steadily improved.  Hope his bulk increases without losing his quickness.  I posted earlier that he is taller than his listed height and does have hops.  His younger brother is in the Class of 2017, according to his father, but will play another sport that uses a stick.
Toad....I  feel for you.  The Williams schedule changes has messed up my plans to see live games in LeFrak...travel plans.  Some compensation is the improved webcasts by Williams this year. Guess, I need to go with the flow so to speak.

[P'bearfan]

The NESCAC schedulers should be paying attention to big rivalries, but I guess they don't know, or don't care. I don't have access to other teams' schedules, but I would be interested as to other changes.

Last year Bowdoin played their biggest rivals (Bates and Colby) in two non-conference games in December and then again in conference play. 

This season Bowdoin will play Bates and Colby in back to back non-conference games on the 6th and 7th of December (Fri/Sat).   However, once conference play starts Bowdoin will only play Bates (unless I've mis-read something).  It's a shame they can't get both on the conference schedule especially given the proximity of the schools.  At least all the games are on a weekend.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The NESCAC schedulers should be paying attention to big rivalries, but I guess they don't know, or don't care. I don't have access to other teams' schedules, but I would be interested as to other changes.

Last year Bowdoin played their biggest rivals (Bates and Colby) in two non-conference games in December and then again in conference play. 

This season Bowdoin will play Bates and Colby in back to back non-conference games on the 6th and 7th of December (Fri/Sat).   However, once conference play starts Bowdoin will only play Bates (unless I've mis-read something).  It's a shame they can't get both on the conference schedule especially given the proximity of the schools.  At least all the games are on a weekend.

You misread - they play both twice.  The NESCAC already takes enough crap for not doing a double-round robin in conference play, even they don't have the hubris to try and cut the conference schedule any more than that.

[P'bearfan]

The NESCAC schedulers should be paying attention to big rivalries, but I guess they don't know, or don't care. I don't have access to other teams' schedules, but I would be interested as to other changes.



Last year Bowdoin played their biggest rivals (Bates and Colby) in two non-conference games in December and then again in conference play. 

This season Bowdoin will play Bates and Colby in back to back non-conference games on the 6th and 7th of December (Fri/Sat).   However, once conference play starts Bowdoin will only play Bates (unless I've mis-read something).  It's a shame they can't get both on the conference schedule especially given the proximity of the schools.  At least all the games are on a weekend.



You misread - they play both twice.  The NESCAC already takes enough crap for not doing a double-round robin in conference play, even they don't have the hubris to try and cut the conference schedule any more than that.

You're right.  I somehow overlooked the Colby game when I entered the schedule into my calendar.  Bowdoin v Colby on Jan 25th and Bowdoin v Bates on Feb 14th.

[toad22]

I really like the way Tom Killian plays. I do think that this year, there will be more room in the Amherst offense for him to shine. He is a smart player, and shoots it very well.

In other news, James Wang just signed a two year deal in the Chinese NBA. I'm very happy for him. He loves basketball, and had such an injury limiting senior year.


http://ephsports.williams.edu/landing/index

[amh63]

Toad...is the "Chinese NBA"  a mainland league?  Not that it matters in sports,  did not Wang play for a team on Tawain.

[madzillagd]

Wang is playing in the mainland now.  He started in the mainland when he first went over, but then hit a eligibility snafu and got moved to Taiwan where he played last year.  He's now back with this new team in the mainland.  I believe the issue had to do with the fact that he hadn't played any games (or enough games) in Taiwan to be considered a Taiwanese player - so he was getting counted as an American player which the teams have a limit of only one I believe.  Now he qualifies as a Taiwanese player.  Great news for him because not only is it better competition but you get paid 4-5 times more playing in the mainland than you do playing in Taiwan.   

[John Gleich]

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.

Looks like the link from the IWU page has been removed.

Did they only list the top 10?

That list is included in the St. Mary's story:

http://www.smcmathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2013-14/releases/20130911fbdd9l


Makes you wonder how he comes up with his list... especially because it MUST be put together before school starts for everybody (and not to say anything about roster additions/subtractions).

[jayhawk]

FYI
AdamFinkelstein on twitter - Pat Duquette lands 5th commitment of 2014 class at UMass Lowell with Dontavious Smith - 6'8 face-up forward from North Webster (LA)
6 hours ago

Pat Duquette off to an excellent start

[amh63]

Jay hawk...thanks for the info.  But are you posting on the wrong board?  Umass- Lowell is not in the CAC.

[jayhawk]

Pat Duquette played basketball at Williams
Pat taking the position at UMAss Lowell was mentionned before on this board
This is a follow-up note that might be of interest to those who posted information before
see
see http://www.berkshireeagle.com/sportscolumnists/ci_23276482/howard-herman-pat-duquette-has-his-big-opportunity

[WPI89]

Unless the tba is Duke and with possible apologies to Brandeis and Eastern CT, Amherst is essentially guaranteed to be 10-0 going into NESCAC play.

http://d3hoops.com/teams/Amherst/men/2013-14/index

[Charles]

Unless the tba is Duke and with possible apologies to Brandeis and Eastern CT, Amherst is essentially guaranteed to be 10-0 going into NESCAC play.

http://d3hoops.com/teams/Amherst/men/2013-14/index

wow, other than 1 game with Middlebury and 2 with Williams, what kind of schedule is that?