MBB: NESCAC

[Old Guy]

Isn't that how young teams play?  And Bates is a young team.  A good young team of which there are several in the conference this season.  If my quick research is accurate they only have 3 seniors averaging about 13 ppg and Matarazzo has only been back for the last 5 of them.  Bates might find their consistency in time for the NESCAC tourney.  If not they will certainly be trouble for everyone next year. Vandy 74

Hate to disagree with my pal Vandy74, but he's used to it. Bates is anything but "young" and inexperienced. They are young, true, in the front court with the literal twin (Delpeche) towers, but hardly in the backcourt where experience really counts. Safford is a junior and Matarazzo a senior, Selmon's a junior and Cunningham a senior. Boornazian is a sophomore but battle-tested, playing a lot last year. Bates should not be submitting a stinker like the Trinity game at home with this crew, and I suspect that Coach Forbush, whom I greatly admire, was not pleased. I'm glad that the Bobcats played better against the Amherst juggernaut (without Green). Still, the Trinity game is an indictment of Bates and its veteran leadership - or a breakout game for the Bantams.

[Old Guy]

Midd 64  CC 61. I couldn't get the video. "Watched" live stats. Midd down the whole game. Sinnickson hits a three with 3 seconds to go to win it. Never thought he would be a perimeter player. Easy weekend in CT for the Panthers. Looking forward to a report from someone who actually saw the game.

("Live Stats," I think that's the name for my next dog. I'm reading Toni Morrison's Beloved and the dog is named "Here Boy." That's a good name too.)

[amh63]

Tried to watch online the dramatic and somewhat tense battle in New London, Ct. between the Camels and the Panthers.
Will let the Middlebury posters fill in the details of the dramatic WIn.  Will concentrate on the webcast.
First problems with the pix.. Moved to a lower bandwidth to prevent a choppy screen.  The camera coverage was very artistic but basically bad.  Harsh but true.  One period in the 2nd half, pix was of an empty half of the floor with the action on the other end and unseen.  In the last 2.2 sec. of the game with the Camels with the ball at half court...trying to tie the game....all on the screen was the clock...no action of the players.  Maybe artistic, but not a sports cast, imo.
Anyway, with apology to the parents, it seems that the player with the Prince Valiant haircut was the hero in the last few minutes...key defensive rebounds/stops...a fine shot in the paint that was disallowed for a "walk" call.  Did I see Jensen's Dad object?  To continue, Sinnickson? comes down and then takes a 3-point shot to put Middlebury up by three...with 2.2 seconds to go.  Brief pause with a ref at the table.  Since the announcers gave up, really do not know what that ref action meant...checking the time...clock settings?  Bad webcast, nice win for the Panthers on the road.
Believe I heard Mrs Kizel many times in the game
Forgot,  must add that when there were announcers in the first half....one did notice the player with the "haircut", remarking to his partner on air..."nice haircut".  Player was on the foul lane, I believe.

[Bucket]

Cardiac Panthers.

Midd holding for the last shot after a Camels miss w/ :28 left. First lead of the game for the Panthers is the game-winner—a Sinnickson dagger w/ 2 seconds left after a drive and dish from Kizel.

Sinnickson (22 pts) and Kizel (16)  put Midd on their backs this game, offensively, as everyone else struggled from the field. Though he didn't knock down the key bucket—as he did against Wes—Joey was instrumental on both the tying and winning buckets. Off a Camels miss, Sinnickson board and outlet to Joey, his 3/4-court rainbow pass to a streaking Jensen with 1:42 left and subsequent lay-in was the first tie of the game (since 0-0). Midd gets a stop, Joey drives, draws a triple team, dishes to Jensen at the free throw line. He buries the J, draws contact, whistle blows. Looks like a 3-pt-play, but the bucket is waved off. James shuffled his feet before the bucket, in the eyes of the official. Midd gets another stop, Joey holds for a final shot . . . and the rest is history, as they say.

Without the option of Daley inside, Midd really living and dying by the long ball or the mid-range jumper. A dangerous game when folks aren't shooting well, but with enough guys who can step up, Midd has eeked out a couple of wins this weekend. Still, the offense (and its 80 pt output) was much more dynamic against Tufts w/ Matt Daley on the floor. Hope he comes back soon. In the meantime, Midd learning how to win the close ones, learning how to stay composed when down virtually the entire game (twice!), while on the road.

Exhale.

A couple of other items worth noting: Jake Brown really dialed up the D, especially in the second half, disrupting the flow of Camels offense. And while it was only 4 minutes of game time, very nice to see Brian Jones get the first meaningful minutes of career and to  make the most of the opportunity. A huge three that cut a 6-pt lead to 3, a couple of boards in traffic, and confidence running the point. Happy for the young man.

[AmherstStudent05]

Was able to catch the last 10 minutes or so of the Conn-Midd game.  So many thoughts, yet not quite sure what to say.

First, Conn was without Matt Vadas today (don't know why).  Before the game, I would have said the Camels had absolutely no shot to beat Midd without Vadas -- I would have had them as healthy underdogs even with Vadas -- but that is why they play the games, I guess.  Credit to Conn for hanging tough.

Conn was pretty sloppy down the stretch with a lot of apparently self-inflicted wounds -- in the last few minutes alone they threw an inbounds pass put of bounds, had a guard dribble the ball off of his foot, and had a backcourt violation.  I say "apparently self-inflicted" because, over the past few seasons, Midd seems to have perfected the art of gutting out tight games, so something tells me that even these self-inflicted wounds may not have been so self-inflicted after all.  In any event, Midd certainly was responsible for forcing other turnovers.  Most notably, with Midd down 7, Sinnickson missed a 3 and the Camels got the rebound.  I had the feeling that one more Conn score there could have been the backbreaker.  But somehow, Kizel incredibly picks the pocket of the Conn player (it appeared 100% clean to me) and promptly converts a three-point play.  Incredibly clutch play by Kizel there.

With 1:05 to go, Conn took possession of the ball following a Jensen travel. Tie game.  I would have thought, with 65 seconds to go, that Conn could get a 2 for 1 without really even trying.  Instead, they oddly seemed to be trying not to shoot early in the shot clock.  They showed almost no initiative for the first 20 seconds or so of the possession.  When they finally did try to score, Midd played fantastic, tough D and forced an awful 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock.  Midd then had the ball and the very fortunate luxury of being able to play for the last shot.  I really didn't think they did a good job on that last possession to be honest -- Sinnickson ended up taking a slightly unbalanced three from about a foot beyond the top of the key -- but Sinnickson absolutely drained it.

As for Midd, it is very hard to know what to say.  Of course, as Herm Edwards famously reminded us, "You play to win the game."  Midd certainly accomplished that all-important objective this weekend.  For whatever reason, Middlebury enjoys making Houdini like escapes. That is fine every now and then, but it simply can't be a reccuring theme for a team that wants to go to the NCAA Tournament -- much less Salem.  The Panthers simply have to step up their game DRAMATICALLY if they want to achieve either of these ambitions.  In particular, Midd's shooting woes continue.  St. Amour in particular needs to start hitting more shots from the field (though he did hit a bunch of clutch free throws today).  Fortunately for the Panthers, their grit, composure, and mental toughness have bought them enough time to make the necessary improvements.

[middhoops]

AmherstStudent05, you are very kind.

[Vandy74]

Cardiac Panthers.

Without the option of Daley inside, Midd really living and dying by the long ball or the mid-range jumper. A dangerous game when folks aren't shooting well, but with enough guys who can step up, Midd has eeked out a couple of wins this weekend. Still, the offense (and its 80 pt output) was much more dynamic against Tufts w/ Matt Daley on the floor. Hope he comes back soon. In the meantime, Midd learning how to win the close ones, learning how to stay composed when down virtually the entire game (twice!), while on the road.

Exhale.

I'm not sure what it is I think I can add to this but I haven't posted this weekend.  Winning, like losing is an attitude.  I like Middlebury's attitude. 

[jayhawk]

Checking Trinity basketball there are some players with strong backgrounds
Might check this article on Ed Ogudenko:  http://prepbasketballreference.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/amidst-challenging-season-proctor-academys-ed-ogundeko-quietly-shines/

[grabtherim]

This is not your slightly older brother's Midd team.  Hard if not impossible to predict what you will get from these Panthers from game to game and or even half to half.  The Big Tuna said it best: "You are what your record says you are."  The Panthers need to keep themselves in the hunt by holding serve, beat the teams they are better than, finish the regular season in the top 5, and avoid Williams, Amherst and Bowdoin in the first round.  The problem is the talent from 4-8 or so has caught up to Midd, so it will not be easy.  I hold out the hope of a fan that if they get there, they might find lightning in a bottle during a Championship weekend.  Lots of basketball to go.  Word to the wise, dont sleep on Trinity, especially their front line.  Last thing, non basketball related.  Some real NESCAC bragging rights to Midd with 2007 grad Steven Hauschka kicking for Seattle in the upcoming Super Bowl.   

[AmherstStudent05]

Not to sound like a broken record, but it is obviously still early on in the NESCAC season and the conference pecking order is still far from set.  That being said, the current standings do indicate some separation as Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Trinity, and Williams are all at least two wins clear of the rest of the conference at the moment.

If this early snapshot holds up, Williams would seem to be in a nice spot as they have already played three of the other four teams in this "upper tier."  Indeed, to date Williams has been a participant in every single game among these (preliminarily) top tier teams.

Of course, whatever the pecking order turns out to be, it must certainly be less rigid than last year where #1 Amherst lost to no one, #2 Williams lost only to Amherst, #3 Midd lost only to Amherst and Williams, and #4 Tufts lost only to Amherst, Williams, and Midd.

[Old Guy]

Not to sound like a broken record, but it is obviously still early on in the NESCAC season and the conference pecking order is still far from set.  That being said, the current standings do indicate some separation as Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Trinity, and Williams are all at least two wins clear of the rest of the conference at the moment. AmherstStudent05

Seems to me that Amherst has separated itself from the rest of the league, given the score of the first Amherst-Williams game. Williams had all they could handle at home with Colby (!) and Bowdoin. Middlebury slips by Ct. College, without Vadas, by a whisker. Form seems to be holding but a deeper look shows complications, ambiguity. The Panthers are still figuring it out. With the game on the line, they go small. Daley is emerging as a key. Midd could use more of presence in the paint. Stay tuned.

[amh63]

In this "lull" point of the week, as the locals prepare for another winter storm to arrive, I will pass on a few random comments on MBB, this board and posters.
Amherst has produced a video on Aaron Toomey...short one on setting a point record at Amherst.  The news conveyed that caught my interest is that Aaron was ill prior to the Tufts game...when he set the record... had not practiced for several days...was on medication and down before the game.  My son and his wife has had the flu recently....therefore Conner Green may have the flu.  Maybe the performance of players and the missing Vardas were because of seasonal related illness.
Even without Walzy's lines to create interest and posts, has anyone else notice how the "pages" on this board have been flying by...ever since breaking the 1000 page barrier.  Guess the dynamics of the season to date have helped. There has been little comments on the play of Tufts to date....as also been noted for Trinity.  Tufts was a coming team in the preseason...set back by the lost of its ROY player for the season...and of Ferris.  Still Tufts has barely been having a winning season given all the talent on its team and the FY Sabety's play.
In my freshman year, I was required to take an infamous English writing course that "crushed " the ego of many.  It bonded my class as all still talk about the course whenever we gather.  One thing I learned was that one's writing should /does reflect one's personality...ergo the variety of styles, etc.  I have enjoyed this season's postings since I feel that the posts are reflecting more of the posters' personality...whatever it maybe....when we talk about common subjects...with humor,  in presenting one's views, discussing conflicting plays, etc.  Lately, the posts have made reference to a mentor, a quote by some famous person, an author, etc.  The references, imo, reflect one's personality to a degree.  Old Guy, the English Prof, may be laughing out loud by now.  Whatever.  I close for now with a quote gleemed from a PBS series presently showing on Sunday evening.  Related to me by my wife...did not watch the show.
Carson, the Earl's Butler states..." Life is a gathering of memories...in the end one is left only with memories".  Following one's favorite teams over the years, generates memories; posting on one's team here is based on memories, truly, and sharing them with people of like mind generates memories.  Thanks all.
Old Guy....I know that naming a dog is a sensitive and personal step...still, how about "Here Old Boy".

[grabtherim]

Seems to me that Amherst has separated itself from the rest of the league, given the score of the first Amherst-Williams game. Williams had all they could handle at home with Colby (!) and Bowdoin. Middlebury slips by Ct. College, without Vadas, by a whisker. Form seems to be holding but a deeper look shows complications, ambiguity. The Panthers are still figuring it out. With the game on the line, they go small. Daley is emerging as a key. Midd could use more of presence in the paint. Stay tuned.

Your point on inside presence is spot on.  Have to wonder when and if we will see Daley again or at his best with him being in and out of uniform so much.  Midd could sure use a healthy version of him.  Rebounding superiority and shut down defense, two hallmarks of Midd the last few years not a given now.  Not to say the Panthers cannot turn things around in the regular season, but candidly given what we have seen thus far that is probably more from the heart than the head.  Hope they can beat Williams and/or Amherst to prove me wrong, but either will be a very tall order for this squad.     

[magicman]

I don't know how many posters on this page watch Hoopsville. Maybe some of you do so on a regular basis, maybe you only do so when a NESCAC coach is on, or just the coach of the team you support, but it is a great place to enhance your D3 knowledge about what's going on in other parts of the country.  If you can't watch it when it airs, usually on Thursday and Sunday nights you can always replay it at a more convenient time. You can find the links on the front page.   

Dave McHugh is currently in the midst of a Hoopsville fundraiser so he can upgrade the equipment, make the video production better, take more road trips and maybe visit a college near you. I know that a lot of people on this board tune in to Hoopsville. I'm sure as D3fans we all would like to see the show continue and improve. We now have the opportunity to help out with a contribution that will benefit us all. Kind of like a public television contribution.

There are different levels at which one can contribute and Dave has offered some perks for each level. I chose the slam dunk level, since my size, as Vandy and middhoops will attest, has prevented me from ever getting one of those in a game. But whatever level you choose remember this: As fans of D3 basketball we're all better off because Hoopsville exists. I wouldn't want Dave to have to close up shop. None of us will benefit if that happens. I remember not so long ago that the D3hoops site crashed one night and it took a day or so before Pat and staff could put the pieces back together. The D3 world, from coast to coast, was in mourning and some of us were downright strung out, because we didn't have access to the one place we could go to and no one knew what was going on. A huge sigh of relief was heard when the site was up and running again and posters all over the place were stating the obvious...what would happen if there were no more D3hoops to go to?

Well that's kind of how I feel about Hoopsville. So lets all pitch in, from the posters down in the DC and Virginia area that love their NESCAC teams, to the posters out west who still come on the boards and tune into Hoopsville. Then of course, there's all the fans in the New England region that could make a huge impact if they all gave a contribution at just the $10.00 level. That's less than you'd spend if you bought Dave a couple of drinks at the local watering hole if he showed up at your gym to do a live interview with your coach. 

Think about it fellow posters but don't take too long. The Hoopsville Fundraising Project runs from now through February 9th, 2014

Here's the link to the page that will enable you to choose the amount you wish to contribute:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hoopsville-fundraising-project

Thanks for your attention, now back to our regularly scheduled program.               

[ECSUalum]

I don't know how many posters on this page watch Hoopsville. Maybe some of you do so on a regular basis, maybe you only do so when a NESCAC coach is on, or just the coach of the team you support, but it is a great place to enhance your D3 knowledge about what's going on in other parts of the country.  If you can't watch it when it airs, usually on Thursday and Sunday nights you can always replay it at a more convenient time. You can find the links on the front page.   

Dave McHugh is currently in the midst of a Hoopsville fundraiser so he can upgrade the equipment, make the video production better, take more road trips and maybe visit a college near you. I know that a lot of people on this board tune in to Hoopsville. I'm sure as D3fans we all would like to see the show continue and improve. We now have the opportunity to help out with a contribution that will benefit us all. Kind of like a public television contribution.

There are different levels at which one can contribute and Dave has offered some perks for each level. I chose the slam dunk level, since my size, as Vandy and middhoops will attest, has prevented me from ever getting one of those in a game. But whatever level you choose remember this: As fans of D3 basketball we're all better off because Hoopsville exists. I wouldn't want Dave to have to close up shop. None of us will benefit if that happens. I remember not so long ago that the D3hoops site crashed one night and it took a day or so before Pat and staff could put the pieces back together. The D3 world, from coast to coast, was in mourning and some of us were downright strung out, because we didn't have access to the one place we could go to and no one knew what was going on. A huge sigh of relief was heard when the site was up and running again and posters all over the place were stating the obvious...what would happen if there were no more D3hoops to go to?

Well that's kind of how I feel about Hoopsville. So lets all pitch in, from the posters down in the DC and Virginia area that love their NESCAC teams, to the posters out west who still come on the boards and tune into Hoopsville. Then of course, there's all the fans in the New England region that could make a huge impact if they all gave a contribution at just the $10.00 level. That's less than you'd spend if you bought Dave a couple of drinks at the local watering hole if he showed up at your gym to do a live interview with your coach. 

Think about it fellow posters but don't take too long. The Hoopsville Fundraising Project runs from now through February 9th, 2014

Here's the link to the page that will enable you to choose the amount you wish to contribute:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hoopsville-fundraising-project

Thanks for your attention, now back to our regularly scheduled program.               

Magic,

Well stated, I contributed after watching Coach Geitner on Hoopsville a couple of days ago. I did not know about the fundraiser, until I tuned in to watch  Hoopsville the other night.  D3Hoops, Baseball, Soccer has given me enormous pleasure over the last 7 yrs, (all free of charge), and the web site(s) deserve to be funded properly!!!!