MBB: NESCAC

[WPI89]

Colby bench celebrations made it to Extra Mustard - on SI's home page this morning.

About halfway down is the Mules' video.  Props to whoever put that together!

http://extramustard.si.com/2014/03/11/scary-night-in-nhl/?eref=sihp

[madzillagd]

Well we missed out on all the fun nominations but I say we go ahead and give the All Crazy Award to the Mule Bench this year for putting in some serious work. 

[nescac1]

Agreed that the all-crazy teams are greatly missed.  The Mule Bench certainly would be a lock for all-crazy.  Some others (with the caveat that I am no Walzy in this department):

-- Trinity's coach, for most intense sideline antics
-- Dylan Sinnickson, for the combo of crazy hops and crazy locks
-- Connor Gach, for the craziest stat line we've seen in NESCAC in some time (50 percent shooter from three, 0 percent shooter from two (on only two attempts) all season
-- John Weinheimer, for being the anti-Gach (despite playing on the perimeter, total disinterest in ever shooting the ball from anywhere beyond three feet)
-- John Swords, for not being satisfied with 7'0, instead opting for 7'3 including the 'do
-- Connor Green, for craziest shot selection (as well as craziest ability to hit seemingly terrible shots)
-- George Papadeas, for craziest insistence, for a highly-coordinated/talented big man, on constantly fouling (he averaged one foul per 5.4 minutes, meaning in a typical game, he'd foul out after 27 minutes of action) 
-- Tom Killian, for craziest first step from a standing position (which often comes dangerously close to being a travel, yet somehow usually manages to stay legal)
-- Bradley Gifford, for craziest-looking jump shot (a sort of fadeway wrong-footed shot which somehow manages to go in fairly regularly)

[GingerBaker]

Hart Gliedman, for the following reasons:

Hair style ('80s comedy film villain archetype style)

For going chest-to-chest during a trash talking session with 2-time conference POY/NABC National POY/All-American Aaron Toomey (whilst being Hart Gliedman)

That crazy shot he made earlier in the season (serious kudos for that one)

[Old Guy]

Hart Gliedman, for the following reasons:

Hair style ('80s comedy film villain archetype style)

For going chest-to-chest during a trash talking session with 2-time conference POY/NABC National POY/All-American Aaron Toomey (whilst being Hart Gliedman)

That crazy shot he made earlier in the season (serious kudos for that one)

For his name alone!

[Old Guy]

Well we missed out on all the fun nominations but I say we go ahead and give the All Crazy Award to the Mule Bench this year for putting in some serious work.

Okay, I concur. Colby bench celebrations were funny, creative, and exuberant.

But, as the, say in the NFL, upon further review, I hope it doesn't produce, induce, lots of copycat behavior. There's a time and a place for it, and the line between funny and exuberant and obnoxious and disrespectful can be pretty fine, and I'm not sure all end-of-the-bench guys will recognize it.

(Oh no, first it's student announcers, now Old Guy is going to lay the Puritan ethic on us again.)

Say Colby is laying a licking on you, in your gym, and these antics are engaged in. Okay with you? How do you feel about that, as an opposing coach, fan, or player? Does Coach Strahorn (or the AD) provide any context-setting, any guidelines for these celebrations, where and when. At what point are they appropriate, and conversely when are they provocative? Just thinking.

I'm glad Colby is getting this positive publicity in basketball. They have a great hoop tradition to call on, and have been down recently. My past two visits to Colby for Midd games were to a mostly empty arena. And now there's some excitement - all to the good.

[WPI89]

The game was slow when I played as well OG - as we had to keep stopping to fish the ball out of the peach basket..................I am just kidding and actually thought of the same thing and agree completely with your comments above.

I think some spontaneity is needed to keep this from crossing the fine line of exuberance for your team, to in the "face" of the other team.  Colby is on the correct side in my opinion because it is new, unique, and although I am sure somewhat rehearsed - came across as fun spirited.

Copy-cats could easily cross that line!

[AncientSonOfHixon]

I think some spontaneity is needed to keep this from crossing the fine line of exuberance for your team, to in the "face" of the other team.  Colby is on the correct side in my opinion because it is new, unique, and although I am sure somewhat rehearsed - came across as fun spirited.

Copy-cats could easily cross that line!

"Somewhat???" That programming was better rehearsed than my answers when the IRS guy stopped by. And all due respect to OG and WPI, I loved it. (Easy to understand the competing views, but, speaking as another dude from back in the short-shorts era, I'm tossing in a thumbs-up just so board watchers don't characterize the reactions to the Colby crew as generationally determined.)

And I don't think there'll be much if any copycatting anyway, on account of: 1) plenty of coaches would outlaw it ("Keep 'yer head in the game!"); 2) plenty of players won't be into the clownishness; 3) it's never as cool to be the copier as it is to be originator; and 4) too much work!

Personally, as an opposing player, this wouldn't have bothered me. It's so clearly designed for humor (successfully)--a far cry from the throat slashes and supposed gang signals that Paul Pierce and other NBA'ers got ripped for a few years back. It seems like a sideshow, like the work of the student sections. No harm, no foul.

[gratefulfred15]

Best looking without really trying- this has gotta be a toss up between killian and gach. so hard to decide!

[gratefulfred15]

my sources are telling me that Connor Gach ate a really spicy breakfast burrito this morning, which wouldn't be a big deal unless you knew about the phenom's aversion to spicy food. really hope this doesn't stop the connor "don't forget to bus your treys" gach from doing his thing out there this week.

[lordofthejeffs]

agreed definitely a toss up -- I hear they both score on and off the court ... and look for Jacob Nabatoff to provide some depth off the bench this weekend (best FG percentage on the LJ roster!)

in other news around the NESCAC, heard Joey Kizel shot a 75 at Pebble yesterday...

[GingerBaker]

Heard Connor Gach is majoring in Art - he may even change his name to David Gachney

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

If anyone cares... I will be on the call for the Williams-Albertus Magnus game...

[amh63]

grateful..15...as a former winner of the coveted "all Crazy honor", your post is really "thinking out of the box" .  Plus k to you.

[amh63]

Dave....yes I care and I'm sure the Ephs care.  Drive safe.  Give a shout out to Nescac 1. If he makes it.