MBB: NESCAC

[Vandy74]

Varun Ram, who played at Trinity two years ago, has walked on to the basketball team at the University of Maryland. Not too shabby.

http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=716396&SPID=120728&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=29700&ATCLID=207325760&Q_SEASON=2013

He doesn't see much PT but he has played in all their games so far.  18 minutes in their one easy win.  Pretty decent for a former D3 player and the season is young.  Good luck to him.

Talking to one of my brothers about Middhoops' and my Lancaster trip he mentioned a friend of his who has a son playing for Trinity.  Soph G Rick Naylor out of Sudbury VT.  His school is listed as Kimball Union Academy in NH.  It's a popular PG year school but I don't really know if he did it that way after playing locally at Otter Valley Union HS.  He's averaged 20 minutes PT in the two games played so far this season.

[Old Guy]

I'm predicting a big upset or two in the league this season: everyone has Wms/Amh/Midd again running the table with the rest of the year. I think that won't happen - there'll be a SoVT kind of surprise, or two, in the league. Remember a few years back, the Jeffs were sailing along, and Olson got hurt, and the roof fell in. Who knows about illness or injury.

I think it's possible that Colby behind Stewart and Hudnot could be better than people think (I hope Colby people will start coming to games again). Bates is really tough in their little gym - and they have some quality returning and emerging (Boornazian): maybe the big frosh for them can provide some balance. Sabety at Tufts could be a difference maker. Rafferty running the show at Wesleyan might draw out the best in Epps and Thomas, a formidable front court. We talk about Swords as a presence (over a third of his boards are offensive), but the Polar Bears also return some good, competitioned-hardened players (Pieri, Madlinger) - they could grab someone in their gym.

So I think we'll see some surprises in the league, upsets (not involving Middlebury, I hope!).

I want to note the passing of Ray Bicknell, long-time (23 years) Bowdoin basketball coach (coached there when I played at Midd) at age 93. I got to know him a bit on a personal level as his nephew was a classmate of mine at Midd. I found him to be warm and witty, a Yankee (MA, NH) having a delightful understated personality. He was 93, a member of the so-called "greatest generation," serving four years in the military, three during WWII, two overseas in the South Pacific.   

[AmherstStudent05]

I'm predicting a big upset or two in the league this season: everyone has Wms/Amh/Midd again running the table with the rest of the year. I think that won't happen - there'll be a SoVT kind of surprise, or two, in the league. Remember a few years back, the Jeffs were sailing along, and Olson got hurt, and the roof fell in. Who knows about illness or injury.

Old Guy, I think you may actually have in mind the 2010 Jeffs and Conor Meehan rather than any team Andrew Olson was on.  For one thing, I am not sure that Olson was capable of getting seriously hurt.  More importantly, the roof never fell in during his four years in the Pioneer Valley -- three final four appearances and a two-loss Sweet 16 team.

In 2010, the Jeffs did end the season on a six-game losing streak to finish 14-11, 3-6.  Obviously an incredibly disappointing and frustrating season.  While the Jeffs did start with an 8-1 record and our best player (Meehan) battled injuries basically throughout the year, in fairness, that team had nowhere near the talent of a Williams or a Middlebury.

Anyway, like everyone else, I am thrilled that basketball has returned to the NESCAC.  Amh63, while I still want some time to enjoy this season, your insight into the future of Amherst's PG situation was spot-on.  In recent history, Amherst has benefited tremendously from having a string of PGs (Olson to Meehan to Toomey) with tremendous basketball IQ and an ability to take over a game on offense when needed.  It is not clear there is such an underclassmen on the roster at the moment (it was hoped that Barry would fill those shoes, but maybe Berman can develop his offensive game).  But, again, I want to enjoy this season first.  It is clear that there is a lot of talent in the NESCAC -- now we just need to see who can do the best job of molding that talent into the best TEAM.

[jayhawk]

My strong guess is that Coach Hixon has a plan in place about the next point guard.

[amh63]

AmhSt05....pardon the abbreviated handle, but I' m lazy on an IPad with its limits.  A question and a comment.  Did the starters in the Brooklyn game wear their beards or were they clean shaven?  Don't want the Red Sox trend to carry over to Amherst ...unless it leads to a Title too!
On your comment on Berman improving his offensive game....I am of the belief that a PG' s best offensive contributions is to pass/distribute the ball and get assists, to control the tempo of the game and direct the offense.  Of course, I expect a player on the floor to play good defense and shoot well when he is called upon.  I know what you meant...since we are all spoiled by scorers like Toomey, Olsen etc. at the position.  In his limited time on the floor, Berman is credited with 2 boards,.a good sign.  Aaron is also a fine rebounder for his size.  Aaron also had 4 steals in the game.  Looking to see how the FYs play defense with more PT.  It should be noted that both George and Pollock had 2 blocks each and Aaron had a block.
Jayhawk....I agree that Coach Hixon has a plan .

[Old Guy]

Old Guy, I think you may actually have in mind the 2010 Jeffs and Conor Meehan rather than any team Andrew Olson was on.Amherststudent05

You're right. Bad mistake. Should have done my homework, looked it up. Old Guy syndrome, mixing up eras. Meehan was a heck of a player too: rarely seen a point guard go to the hoop harder than Meehan. Rudin maybe, also this guy at Skidmore (Medunjanin) - strong.

[middhoops]

Amen to Medunjanin.  Teams need to have a big body who can defend a penetrating ball handler in order to hope to neutralize him.  He's a beast.

[maineman]

I'm predicting a big upset or two in the league this season: everyone has Wms/Amh/Midd again running the table with the rest of the year. I think that won't happen - there'll be a SoVT kind of surprise, or two, in the league. Remember a few years back, the Jeffs were sailing along, and Olson got hurt, and the roof fell in.

How about tonight at Midd?  Green Mountain seems to have some height with a 6'10" and two 6'8" players.

[middhoops]

Not tonight.
Don't confuse Green Mountain College height with So. Vermont basketball players.  If you look back at the last few years of GMC men's basketball, the annual turnover of players is higher than you'll find at almost any other school in the region.  A few years ago all but one player on their roster were freshmen.
I hope that Green Mountain can establish itself as a quality basketball program, but they have some work to do.

One bright note:  http://athletics.greenmtn.edu/sports/mbkb/2012-13/releases/201303234uoem8

This story says that GMC has a new tuition plan for local kids.
Good luck to the Eagles but I don't expect them to come within 30 pts of the Panthers in Middlebury's home opener.

[maineman]

Not tonight.
Don't confuse Green Mountain College height with So. Vermont basketball players.  If you look back at the last few years of GMC men's basketball, the annual turnover of players is higher than you'll find at almost any other school in the region.  A few years ago all but one player on their roster were freshmen.
I hope that Green Mountain can establish itself as a quality basketball program, but they have some work to do.

One bright note:  http://athletics.greenmtn.edu/sports/mbkb/2012-13/releases/201303234uoem8

This story says that GMC has a new tuition plan for local kids.
Good luck to the Eagles but I don't expect them to come within 30 pts of the Panthers in Middlebury's home opener.

Assuming he had the grades, could Provencher from Middlebury UHS played for Midd?  Doesn't Ritter or Delorenzo have kids on the current MUHS roster?  Presumably future Panthers??

[middhoops]

Funny you bring that up.  DeLorenzo's son was considered by many to be the local high school's best player last season.  As a freshman.  Rumor mill says he'll be off to prep school to develop.  I didn't see him play but heard he was 6-4 with a promising game.  Her husband is the former women's hoop coach at Colby and men's coach at Oberlin after being a very good player for Colby.

[Old Guy]

Assuming he had the grades, could Provencher from Middlebury UHS played for Midd?  Doesn't Ritter or Delorenzo have kids on the current MUHS roster?  Presumably future Panthers?? Maineman

I don't believe that Tyler was recruited by Middlebury. My son has played on school and AAU teams with Tyler since the seventh grade. Tyler is a nice player - a slender 6'3", smooth, athletic (can dunk), shoots the three. I did write to another school's coach (D3, not NESCAC but similar) suggesting he consider Tyler. I believe Tyler will get better in college: he has simply not played as much basketball as other kids his age. He played football (quarterback/strong safety) and baseball (ss/p) and spent most of his summers with family. I think he will grow and develop as an athlete in college, unlike some kids who top out at 17. Middlebury, I suspect, did not need to wait to see if that were the case.

Football coach Bob Ritter and Sue have two daughters at Middlebury, fabulous athletes (Katie, a junior, and Chrissy, a soph, field hockey/lacrosse, both outstanding players on great teams). Their son, Bobby, is a junior in high school at Middlebury, and is also a terrific athlete, a d-back and split end on Midd's State Championship football team, point guard in hoop, lacrosse stalwart. I coached Bobby in little league baseball and he was our best hitter - in the 4th grade! He's special too.

The Delorenzo boy, Perry, is a 10th grader, the son of Katherine, Midd field hockey coach (NESCAC Champs), and Gene, former Colby baseball coach and women's basketball coach. He was a star last year, as a 9th grader, on the 15-5 Midd High team. He's tall, 6'3" at 13, and has a terrific stroke, shoots the three, had eight in one game. He's precocious. He's at Exeter now. I believe we will be writing about him on this Board in a couple of years.

Sorry to be so parochial, but Maineman did ask. 

[amh63]

Since his name came up.....HFC Ritter has been selected as COY in the conference.
Will the Middlebury contest with Green Mountain be televised/webcast tonight?  To be held in the facility that Middlebury donated to them?  Need to watch some conference BB games.  The Amherst women's team play their first game tonight...but of this morning, the game will not be webcastted.
Vandy....glad that your preferred comic strip is available to you.  Prince Valiant is one of my favorite strips too.   Did you read it as a child?  Introduced to you by your father?  The reason , I ask is that the comic strip has several Amherst ties...one a writer and another the artist?...the later maybe of your Father's generation.  It has been stated somewhere that the museum in Worcester, Ma. with an Middle Age collection of costumes and weapons was used for the comic strip.
You never know what trivial can be found on this board.
Middhoops...see, my label of a BB player's haircut can be seen as one of "admiration and respect".
Update/clarification.  Foster was the artist/creator.  John Cullen Murphy became the artist in 1970 when Foster lessen his load.  Cullen Murphy. his son, started some script writing for Foster while at Amherst.  Became the writer for his father later.  Cullen Murphy is in the Amherst Class of 1974 and is presently Editor in Chief of "Vanity Fair" and Chairman of the Board of Amherst College.
Both the Amherst women's game and the Middlebury game will be webcast....Good since I did not want to watch a Tufts game, etc.
Last note.....plans underway to attend a LIVE Panther game this weekend!  Happy, happy

[nescac1]

Early decision deadline passed for NESCAC schools, so a lot of hoops recruits should have committed by now -- but other than one Colby and one Amherst recruit, it seems quiet on that front.  A lighter-than-usual recruiting season for NESCAC schools, or just a lack of media mentions? 

[P'bearfan]

Bates is trailing St Joseph's (ME) at the half 40-33.  The webcast is decent overall - ok picture and the guys (students?) doing the commentary are pretty good.