MBB: NESCAC

[Bucket]

Nah, not at all.  I actually look forward to next year when NESCAC will, for the first time in ages, be WIDE open.  I could see any of seven teams -- Williams, Amherst, Midd, Colby, Tufts, Trinity, Bowdoin -- with a legit shot of winning the NESCAC title, and even Wesleyan, Hamilton, or Bates have enough talent to surprise some teams.  Williams will probably be the slight favorite going in with the Robinson/Wohl/Rooke-Ley/Greenman core returning, but Mayer did SO much for the Ephs down the stretch and no one can replace what he brought on both ends.  Amherst loses a ton and doesn't have a strong senior class to rely on, for the first time seemingly in eons.  Midd and Bowdoin lose strong senior classes, too, so the top four teams in NESCAC from this year could all struggle at times next year, and all will have major question marks heading into the season.   Meanwhile Colby, Tufts, and Trinity each defeated, or at least came very close to doing so, the top teams last year, and all look like they should be MUCH improved on paper.  Wesleyan also brings everyone back and will be a sleeper.  It's going to be a battle every game in conference play, and the days of two or three teams steamrolling everyone else are long gone.

I agree. A 7-3 conference record could very well earn the top-seed in the conference tournament next year.

[nescac1]

Nothing I haven't shared before!  Seems like most of the recruiting info is covered by one of two sites:

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/  (seems like Conn is bringing in a sizeable group of badly-needed recruits from that site)

and in particular, http://www.d3bballrecruits.com

The latter site includes all three Williams recruits that I know of, and two of the (four, if memory serves) Midd recruits discussed here.  It also includes a bunch of recruits for Tufts (which just continues to accumulate talented players), and a few others for some NESCAC schools. 

Neither site has info on the purported Toomey-level recruit headed Amherst's way, however ... I'm sure over the next month a lot more decisions will be finalized.  As of now, still seems like, in the aggregate, a weaker year for NESCAC recruiting than last year's historically good class ... no surprise there. 

[Pat Coleman]

"As in every game in the NCAA tournament, there are media timeouts after the 16, 12, 8, and 4 minute marks of each period... then each team has five total timeouts: 4 30's and 1 full with one 30 second time out having to be used in the first half or you lose it (thus why last minute timeouts tend to be called in the first half... and the first timeout called by either team in the first half is made a full timeout (they don't lose the full timeout) and is thus a media timeout as well - making really for five media-length timeouts in the second half."

Like I said: changes the game.

But it changes all the games, not just this one.

[AncientSonOfHixon]

I really enjoy the back and forth between the LJ and Eph posters.  Excellent rivalry and the fight for bragging rights is very funny. Interesting how many of them see the world beginning and ending at Amherst and Williams, all the rest of us being interlopers. So be it, no big deal. That said, if someone else wins the league next year or heaven forbid a championship we would be well advised to remove their belts and shoelaces and put them on a 24 hour watch

. . . I bet the non-Williams/Amherst posters LOVE this stuff.

Other than a couple active contributors from Middlebury and outsiders who follow the conversations in several rooms, there haven't been many consistent non-Amherst/Williams posters in this room in years.

"Next year??" Hey, grabtherim, what makes you think I didn't already have my belt and shoelaces removed and out-of-reach by approximately halftime last FRIDAY NIGHT?

(I've got a wife and son to think about.)

[AncientSonOfHixon]

Nah, not at all.  I actually look forward to next year when NESCAC will, for the first time in ages, be WIDE open.  I could see any of seven teams -- Williams, Amherst, Midd, Colby, Tufts, Trinity, Bowdoin -- with a legit shot of winning the NESCAC title, and even Wesleyan, Hamilton, or Bates have enough talent to surprise some teams.  Williams will probably be the slight favorite going in with the Robinson/Wohl/Rooke-Ley/Greenman core returning, but Mayer did SO much for the Ephs down the stretch and no one can replace what he brought on both ends.  Amherst loses a ton and doesn't have a strong senior class to rely on, for the first time seemingly in eons.  Midd and Bowdoin lose strong senior classes, too, so the top four teams in NESCAC from this year could all struggle at times next year, and all will have major question marks heading into the season.   Meanwhile Colby, Tufts, and Trinity each defeated, or at least came very close to doing so, the top teams last year, and all look like they should be MUCH improved on paper.  Wesleyan also brings everyone back and will be a sleeper.  It's going to be a battle every game in conference play, and the days of two or three teams steamrolling everyone else are long gone.

100% ditto here, actually, despite how it sometimes may appear.

Am especially fascinated by Tufts if Palleschi returns. Sabety, Palleschi, Haladyna, Ferris. . . . Jeezuz. (But why does Tufts lately always seem like less that the sum of their parts?) And what if Swords takes another developmental leap; he'll have Hurley fully recovered, and that's a good point/center start. VERY curious about young Midd backcourt of Brown/St. Amour (though I realize that St. Amour, like Pollack, could have major/slow recovery ahead; not everyone has access to the, um, "training" methods of Adrian Peterson). And of course the whole league is right now wondering whether D. Robinson has much Alpha Dog in him, as should become apparent with Mayer and Epley gone. If he doesn't have much, he'll just be your basic run-of-the-mill all-NESCAC all-American. If he does. . . . Well, there should be laws against that.

[grabtherim]

Just remember there's always Southern VT, the new powerhouse in D3 especially if they dare beat the Ephs again.  Should that happen the season for absurd pronouncements will officially begin as it did last November. Don't smite me Nescac1, just having some fun, but your guaranty of a NCAA bid for them after the 1st game of the season proves definitively that the word fan comes from fanatic...

Nah, not at all.  I actually look forward to next year when NESCAC will, for the first time in ages, be WIDE open.  I could see any of seven teams -- Williams, Amherst, Midd, Colby, Tufts, Trinity, Bowdoin -- with a legit shot of winning the NESCAC title, and even Wesleyan, Hamilton, or Bates have enough talent to surprise some teams.  Williams will probably be the slight favorite going in with the Robinson/Wohl/Rooke-Ley/Greenman core returning, but Mayer did SO much for the Ephs down the stretch and no one can replace what he brought on both ends.  Amherst loses a ton and doesn't have a strong senior class to rely on, for the first time seemingly in eons.  Midd and Bowdoin lose strong senior classes, too, so the top four teams in NESCAC from this year could all struggle at times next year, and all will have major question marks heading into the season.   Meanwhile Colby, Tufts, and Trinity each defeated, or at least came very close to doing so, the top teams last year, and all look like they should be MUCH improved on paper.  Wesleyan also brings everyone back and will be a sleeper.  It's going to be a battle every game in conference play, and the days of two or three teams steamrolling everyone else are long gone.

[Vandy74]

. . . I bet the non-Williams/Amherst posters LOVE this stuff.

Other than a couple active contributors from Middlebury and outsiders who follow the conversations in several rooms, there haven't been many consistent non-Amherst/Williams posters in this room in years.

Agreed.  Rather disappointing.  I expected P'bearfan in particular to stay active throughout the tournament but he disappeared following Bowdoin's loss in a game I thought they played very well in.  They deserved to be talked up more than they were.  As Nescac1 points out it should be a horse race in the conference next season.  Hopefully that will generate some enthusiasm from fans of teams other than the so-called Big 3.  It's an open party.  Admission is free.  Granted Fredheads don't fare too well but nonetheless we keep on Truckin'.

[NothingButNESCAC]

I am a Bowdoin student (sophomore) and a huge fan. If any of you came to a Bowdoin game this season I was one of the kids who was at the far end right courtside trying to chirp the opposition all game. Hopefully P'bearfan will get back onto the board soon so Bowdoin can continue to grow in its presence on the boards. Also shoutout to at least the one player on Bowdoin I know of who reads this board way more than he should.

As for next year and Bowdoin's prospects, I am really excited. There are a lot of questions to be answered because the seniors were amazing this season, but in HBC Gilbride we trust.

[Bucket]

but in HBC Gilbride we trust.

Just not in calling time outs. Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Vandy74]

I am a Bowdoin student (sophomore) and a huge fan. If any of you came to a Bowdoin game this season I was one of the kids who was at the far end right courtside trying to chirp the opposition all game. Hopefully P'bearfan will get back onto the board soon so Bowdoin can continue to grow in its presence on the boards. Also shoutout to at least the one player on Bowdoin I know of who reads this board way more than he should.

As for next year and Bowdoin's prospects, I am really excited. There are a lot of questions to be answered because the seniors were amazing this season, but in HBC Gilbride we trust.

I knew some of you were out there.  Let's hear more from you about the P'bears.  And if you happen to know an Anthro-Soc. prof by the name of Marcos Lopez who deviously relocated his fandom as well as his teaching skills from Midd to Bowdoin this year tell him to answer his email.  He'll know who sent the message.

[The General Public]

Just picked up one of these badboys.

http://teespring.com/D3Athlete

[Old Guy]

But it changes all the games, not just this one.

Sorry. My point was that all those tv time outs changes the game in the post season, makes for a different game from the regular season when coaches must be more concerned about which players are "gassed." 

[toad22]

Old Guy, you are right. Troy Whittington was better in NCAA play because he got more frequent breaks. His wind was not good, and the extra breaks made a big difference.

[grabtherim]

Wang to Whittington was an awesome combination.  It's a shame Wang was so hurt late in his career at Williams. He was lightning quick and could be dominant for stretches and games at a time. I remember Troy putting on a dunking exhibition well before game time at Midd and both teams simply standing around watching him. He was fantastic but so much stronger going left than right if I remember correctly. I sat with his high school coach during the Ephs heartbreaking Final Four loss in 2011. Sounds like he dominated in high school as well. No surprise there.

Guy, you are right. Troy Whittington was better in NCAA play because he got more frequent breaks. His wind was not good, and the extra breaks made a big difference.

[nescac1]

Sounds like a badly-needed infusion of talent is on its way to Conn College last year.  Should be plenty of opportunities for playing time for many of these incoming frosh:

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/article/3466/Salisburys-Robinson-Makes-Pick.php
http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/article/3459/Conn-Adds-Two-More.php