MBB: NESCAC

[madzillagd]

Could be an interesting Ephs-Polar Bears contest on Jan. 17, with Swords matching up against the presumptive POY (alas, in Williamstown).

You never know but in the previous match up Swords fouled out in 7 minutes so I'm doubtful he's going to be able to play a full game against Mayer and not get into foul trouble unless Bowdoin decides to go more to a zone to protect him.  His per 40 min stats are pretty good, he just hasn't played enough minutes to really get a feel of how big an impact he will have.  He only went over 20 mins 5 times last year in 22 games, so it will be interesting to see if he can do that every night this year. 

[Old Guy]

I must give you a jab.  I smiled when you associated "moose" with Locke.  Only a Maine raised guy would make that association...not beast or monster, etc. NESCAC1

I'm an old guy: I grew up in a great era of nicknames. Every big guy was nicknamed "Moose." In my era, the best rebounder, statistically, in the country was a big guy from AIC named Moose Stronzek. We played AIC - they killed us in an XMas tourney. Moose may have had 10-12 rebounds, but was credited with 24.

I played on a high school football team and our best back was named "Peanut" (he was small), and we had "Porky," "Fats," "Big Jim," and "Tweety," in the line ("Tweety" had a speech impediment - remember Tweety-Bird? "I tot I taw a putty-tat").

In college, we had "Clubbo," (his friends still call him that - his wife and daughters call him Clubbo!). He had big feet and was slow (short for "Clubfoot"), but he could shoot and loved the game, still does, a knee replacement later. Bates had a player everyone called "Bum" whom I played with in my first couple years after college working back in Maine. It was short for "Rubber-bum" - he had a big butt. The most popular player on my Middlebury teams was named Paul but nicknamed "Head." Simple: he had a big head. "Low -Card" was short for "Johnny Low-Card," for his predilections on the team bus playing gin rummy - he always played the low-card..

You could object to your nickname, if it were based as it often was on a physical idiosyncrasy or embarrassing event, but that did no good. You just accepted it as part of sports culture at the time, banter. You developed thick-skin. Ultimately, it was affection, part of the bond, not cruel or insensitive. I'm serious. What happened to the great nicknames? Where are they now? Did we have more fun? Is ShaSha his real name?

A pre-season digression.

[nescac1]

Old Guy, I think you are misattributing amh63's "jab" to me, but no worries.  When I was in college we had two Meese in my class (is that the right term?), one a hockey player, one a rugby player.  Both nicknames were well-earned. 

Swords is clearly the x-factor for Bowdoin (defining x-factor as a guy who is not yet a star and whose level of productivity increase is most likely to prove determinative in a team's success).  Who would folks say are x-factors for other teams?

-- Williams, I think it's Rooke-Ley, who will likely be counted on, following a year away from hoops, to go from bench scoring spark plug to a primary ball-handler and orchestrator of Coach Maker's complex offensive schemes.   
-- Amherst, Connor Green, who the Jeffs will need to be a second go-to offensive creator and volume shooter along with Toomey. 
-- Midd, Sinnickson, similar deal to Rooke-Ley, will need to be a primary scoring threat after a year away from hoops. 
-- Tufts, I'd go with Haladyna, who I imagine will step into Scott Anderson's starting position and will make Tufts very dangerous if he becomes a consistent 15-20 ppg go-to threat on the perimeter. 
-- Wesleyan, this is a lot to put on a frosh, but Harry Rafftery, as the Cards need strong leadership at the point to steer what has been a rudderless ship in recent years
-- Bates, Boornazian, Bates will need him to be a guy who consistently puts up between 15-20 points and 7-10 boards, since the Bobcats have no other obvious go-to threats up front.

[grabtherim]

I must give you a jab.  I smiled when you associated "moose" with Locke.  Only a Maine raised guy would make that association...not beast or monster, etc. NESCAC1

I'm an old guy: I grew up in a great era of nicknames. Every big guy was nicknamed "Moose." In my era, the best rebounder, statistically, in the country was a big guy from AIC named Moose Stronzek. We played AIC - they killed us in an XMas tourney. Moose may have had 10-12 rebounds, but was credited with 24.

I played on a high school football team and our best back was named "Peanut" (he was small), and we had "Porky," "Fats," "Big Jim," and "Tweety," in the line ("Tweety" had a speech impediment - remember Tweety-Bird? "I tot I taw a putty-tat").

In college, we had "Clubbo," (his friends still call him that - his wife and daughters call him Clubbo!). He had big feet and was slow (short for "Clubfoot"), but he could shoot and loved the game, still does, a knee replacement later. Bates had a player everyone called "Bum" whom I played with in my first couple years after college working back in Maine. It was short for "Rubber-bum" - he had a big butt. The most popular player on my Middlebury teams was named Paul but nicknamed "Head." Simple: he had a big head. "Low -Card" was short for "Johnny Low-Card," for his predilections on the team bus playing gin rummy - he always played the low-card..

You could object to your nickname, if it were based as it often was on a physical idiosyncrasy or embarrassing event, but that did no good. You just accepted it as part of sports culture at the time, banter. You developed thick-skin. Ultimately, it was affection, part of the bond, not cruel or insensitive. I'm serious. What happened to the great nicknames? Where are they now? Did we have more fun? Is ShaSha his real name?

A pre-season digression.

Maybe not a nickname along the lines of Old Guys examples, but Midd currently has Jake
Nidenberg, who to the basketball program is and probably always will be: Jerry.  As the story was related to me, a freshman last season was talking about a mistake made by a fellow freshman "Jake" during a pre-season pickup game, the comment was meant for Nidenberg, but heard and thought meant for him by Midd's other Jake: Wolfin.   Apparently, the senior Jake did not take too kindly to this coming from a freshman, and let his feelings be known.  From that point on, to avoid this happening again, Jake Nidenberg became Jerry. 
By the way, Jerry did not see much of the floor last season, but don't be surprised if that changes this year.  He's a big strong kid who can play.  Sometimes the best thing about a freshman is they become a sophomore.  Jerry can bang inside when he has to and can play a little further from the basket as well.     

[amh63]

Good chats/posts all around!  Makes me respond.
Madz's post on the efficiency of Swords caused me to return to the topic, I now label..Is Swords ready for Prime Time?  I looked at the stats of the lone meeting between Amherst and Bowdoin last season in LeFrak.  The polar bear starter Straiger...all 6'11" of him had 3 RBs, 6 pts, 0 fouls and blocks in 18 minutes.  The other 4 starters had at least 29 min or more.  Madlinger who fouled out had the 29 min.  Swords is credited with 3 RBs, 6 pts, 1 block and 2 fouls in 19 minutes on the floor.  I do not recall both bigs were on the floor together.  Meanwhile, Amherst's front court of Workman, Williamson and "Big Pete"...a nickname of sorts...had 5 blocks.  Peter Kaasila had 7 RBs and more points than both Bowdoin's Bigs.  This raises the question if the HBC knows how to use tall players...is blending Swords into the flow of the game or into the offense.  That may in part explain why I felt Swords did not know his role while on the floor.
Nicknames ...a classmate friend had the name Moose vice Dick/ Richard.  Moose was a big three sport student who took a number of math and physics courses with me.  He was a 6'3"240# plus guard on the football team, played lacrosse and was an undefeated wrestler in the unlimited weight class in his freshman year.  Moose to his Beta brothers and me dropped wrestling as a soph, because the sport wound him up too much...not giving him time to focus on his physics courses.  Moose went on to become a Structural Engineer after Cornell GS.  I call him Dick now in deference to his wife's wishes.  I am of OldGuy's era.

[TheHerst2and4]

a few clips from the Amherst pep rally surfaced, good look at David George '17 athleticism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uSS_qAmPLY

[nescac1]

George definitely looks like a guy who will be a force sooner as opposed to later.  Not surprised that he had a lot of D-1 schools interested.  Sanderson looks like he is even taller than George, and is someone to definitely keep an eye on this year, another one of these late-growth spurt guys like Fletcher Walters (or incoming frosh Duncan Robinson on Williams) who retain their perimeter skills.  Now that he has bulked up a bit I expect he will receive a lot of PT as a stretch four. 

David Kalema, though, is the most impressive on that clip.  His athleticism was on display last year on the court, of course.  With Allen Williamson graduated, probably the most athletic returning NESCAC player. 

Amherst would definitely dominate any other school in a dunking contest -- I don't think many guys on Williams, for example, are super-impressive in that arena (in fact Wohl, Mayer, and maybe Weinheimer are the only returning players who have ever even dunked once in a game).  In a three-point shooting contest, however, I'd love Williams' chances vs. anyone . 

[madzillagd]

Amh63 - I think the knock on Swords is that it's hard to point at any individual contests and see that he is able to dominate.  It just simply hasn't happened yet so there's a question of whether it can/will ever happen.  Midd was probably his best game last year but even then he only took 6 shots. 

But, I think if you want to look at his potential impact you have to look at his stats on a per-40 min basis.  Looking at him that way, here's where he ranks...

14.9 pts/40 - 35th in the league.  Comparison - Workman was 14.5 which was 38th.
12.7 rebs/40 - 5th in the league.  Comparison - Mayer was 12.2 for 6th
2.6 blk/40 - 3rd in the league.  Comparison - Pollack was 2.5 for 6th.   

Based on those numbers, you can see that he could have a big impact to the game but I'll believe it when I see it.  For example, his rebounding is 12.7 reb/40 yet he didn't grab double digit rebounds in a single game last year. 

[Old Guy]

Most athletic player in NESCAC? Kalema has the early lead. Sinnickson at Midd is a candidate (with Jensen a close second, in my opinion). Other schools want to check in? Who are the "athletes" on your squad that can bring the home folks to their feet, and perhaps inspire the team? (As an old coach, I am ambivalent about the inspirational impact of the big dunk: I said to many teams: "last time I checked, it only counts two points, right? Get over it!" But that might be rationalization.

[madzillagd]

Well here are a couple Norwegian moose





The first is a pic I took standing a foot away from this particular beast at an animal park in the mountains of Norway this summer.  In true Norwegian fashion, the animal was completely untethered and you are relying on it's good nature and love of the native plants to keep it from trampling you as you stand inside it's enclosure.   

The second beast is my 5 yr old son who has been nicknamed Moose by his uncle.  His name is Magnus and in Norway you pronounce that "Mog-noose" which of course rhymes with Moose so it's stuck with him.  Far less disturbing for folks than his previous nickname Booby that his older sister gave him.  Turns out screaming Booby to get a kid's attention from across a park or store will grab people's attention.

[amh63]

The Herst2&4......thanks for the video.
Like what I see in Levine and Sanderson.  Considering that there are 2-3 front court players at least 6'7" tall NOT in the shown contest...Amherst does have front court players that have mobility and hops.  Last season, Sanderson was listed at 6'9" and 185 #.  I posted that in Salem, his brothers stated he was at least 195#.  I assume he is over 200# now and now shows he has hops.  Last pre-season in a brief chat with Coach Hixon, he mention thoughts of using Sanderson in the #5 position....due to his mobility and quickness.  I believe Pollack will be the starter at center.  He has shown in the post season games to be a scorer and a rebounder....not just a player to give Big Pete a rest.  I will be curious to see if the coaches will consider using two bigs together....like a Locke and Sharry combo...one more of a scorer and the other a defensive specialist..shot blocker/rebounder.  Also see Killian and Green who both are outside/inside scorers moving at times to the #3 slot.  Killian is a rebounder and a slasher who has dunked in games on a drive (my candidate for the x-factor player suggested by NESCAC1).  Green showed in the post season and the title game that he can go to the basket and score and rebound inside.  Used early as a outside gunner, he works well with classmate Pollack inside.  He was the Gatorade Player for New Hampshire in HS...indicating more than an one dimensional player.  Last comment for now....one does acknowledge the lost of THREE starters from last year...great leaders and players.  One forgets that Pollock, Levine, Sanderson, etc. played against those fine front court scorers/rebounders, etc. every day in practice...learning the Hixon defenses and how to defend top players.
Amherst will be a deep squad and expecting Sanderson to measure out at around 6'10' and growing in all directions with very long young players with hops, and high BB IQs not far behind.....Amherst will be OK.  Expect leadership to come with the seniors and Hixon to blend the talent he has into a TEAM.
Talked too much for now...maybe more my hopes than reality.  Expect Coach Hixon will not talk to me or even let me in the gym at Homecoming.
With Killian, Toomey, Kalema and Green...proven outside shooters in game conditions....I will take the challenge NESCAC 1

[Old Guy]

The first is a pic I took standing a foot away from this particular beast at an animal park in the mountains of Norway this summer. Madzillagd

Madz: you're a Bowdoin guy. You gotta get out more. Grab your pals (or kids) and go pitch a tent up at Moosehead Lake, 2 1/2 hours from Brunswick- and you'll get a moose a foot away from your tent in the a.m. IN THE WILD. Don't worry, they're less aggressive than a cow. Drive slow at night, though; they're stupid in the road, and they can wreck your ride and send you to the hospital with uncomfortable symptoms and some bad memories. You'll be picking moose hairs out of your teeth for months.

[amh63]

Madz's Polar Bear love gets a karma pt.
Strange how a word/ animal enters one's chats...Moose being the one for me.  Recently had two conversations with couples that recently took long trips out west to Montana , Tetons, etc.  one was thrilled to see her first Moose in the wild...surprising for a girl raised in Minn.  the other couple was a little disappointed in not seeing any Moose..even when going into Canada.  Did see true Buffaloes..not the ones that are raised for meat.  Those bisons are not not true blood.  Guess the Bison farm in Amherst/Hadley are mixed...oh well.  Surprised that the Bison is not a nickname for today's  big football players being that they have an aggressive ornery nature.
Have to ask my brother in law if he saw any Moose in Sweden this year.
Any animal in your neck of the world that can be a nickname candidate...Old Guy?

[Old Guy]

Any animal in your neck of the world that can be a nickname candidate...Old Guy? amh63

Lizards. They're everywhere. Fighting Lizards (no less likely then Fighting Ephs or Fighting Lord Jeffs). It would have been a good nickname for any hoop team I played on: I played close to the ground.

[amh63]

Madz ...pointed out recently that Sports Arenas may be upgraded to handle the social media technology revolution.  The Sports Wonks....new nickname I recently picked up...who love to look into stats, data, etc. to use in sports in so many ways such as seen in the movie "MoneyBall" about a baseball team..are now into the NBA in a big way.  Qualifier here:  I just found out via the WSJ today
All  30 NBA arena have player-tracking cameras to collect game data.  Seems the new technology have revolutionized the way NBA Wonks think about the sport.  It seems now Duke will be the first college program to be targeted. The SportVU system-collects the location coordinates of the players, refs and ball 25 times/ sec.- will record every movement inside Cameron this season.  Home games and player practices data will help evaluate players! wow!  The NSA will be envious
Brings a smile to me thinking what Madz's could do which such data.  I think of Madz's as this board's
"Wonk"...in a positive nice way really.