MBB: NESCAC

[middhoops]

Vermont Academy has become a big time basketball feeder school.  Popp is going to see some very serious talent (virtually none of it ever to see a NESCAC gym) and has an opportunity to build a good name for himself in D1.
GW is coached by former UVM head coach Mike Lonergan.  I suppose it's possible that he may afford a walk on bench seat to Hart, but it sounds like the kid gave up his stellar NESCAC career for other than basketball reasons if he's going that high up the D1 ladder.  Clearly, as good as Matt Hart was in our league, he does not meet the very athletic model of guards that Lonergan favors now that he can actually recruit them.  I've had conversations with Mike Lonergan regarding basketball talent.  He is, well, let's say, very practical.  He likes speed, size, shooting, speed, quickness, speed and jets if you got 'em. He likes his guards to steal the ball, beat everyone down court and finish with an easy basket.  Don't we all?
Good luck to Popp and Hart in their new environs.

[nescac1]

Interesting.  Note also that Lonergan has a D3 connection as he coached Catholic for many years, including winning Catholic's lone D3 championship a little over a decade ago.  So he's certainly familiar with the level of competition at D3.  I can't imagine that Lonergan would have offered Hart a spot if he didn't think he could at least contribute to some degree, but agreed that it is a dramatic step up in competition (to put it lightly) from NESCAC to the A-10.  I'll be rooting for Hart not only because I enjoy watching him play and hope he succeeds, but if he does succeed, it will prove that the top NESCAC guys can compete at a very high level.

[Pat Coleman]

When Lonergan was at Catholic, his third-string center left after his sophomore year and went to walk on at North Carolina. As a senior, Matt Laczkowski got into seven games for a team that went to the Final Four.

Perhaps that's what Lonergan remembers. Although Hart is far better than Laczkowski and GW is not UNC.

[creakyknees]

A quick check of Matt Laczkowski's stats while at North Carolina show 6 games played with 1 start.  I believe the lone start was against Georgia Tech which presumably was the last home game when the Tarheels historically start and honor all of the seniors.  Matt averaged less than 1 mintue per game played with 0 points (0/1 FG and 0/2 FT) and 1 reobound.  With the exception of the lone game in which he started, all of Matt's 5 total minutes were at the end of extremely lopsided games.  There are lots of great reasons to transfer and attempt to walk on to a Division 1 basketball program.  Playing time is usually not one of them.  Having said all that, best of luck to Matt Hart at George Washington.  It was a pleasure watching such a talented D3 hoops player - even if just for a year or two.   

[Pat Coleman]

The stats (with seven games):
http://www.goheels.com/ViewContent.dbml?SPID=12965&DB_OEM_ID=3350&CONTENT_ID=227755

[middhoops]

Mike Lonergan loves guards who can defend on the ball.
He didn't have many of those at his first D1 stop. 
He also LOVES deadly three point shooters who can spot up.  They may not play a lot, but he loves them.  Mike is 5-7.
If Hart plays and hits some of those key 3s, it would be so cool.....

[amh63]

When I read that Mr. Hart was headed to DC's GWU...in the middle of town near K st and Penn Ave.between the White House and Georgetown...I thought...what a contrast to Clinton NY....a city school and near my doctor.s office and all the political lobbyist offices.   It is the school of legendary Celtics Coach Red A....who smoked the cigar near the end of a winning game...the school that had a slew of UConn connections...mainly former coaches.
Pat C. Pointed out the D3 connection and Midhoops the UVM connection...but no one pointed out the UMD connection...one year on the Terps' bench as an assistant I believe....before going North.
GWU is where I took my SATs in high school and for years was the most expensive college in the land.  It is a place that gave up football in 1966  and played it's baseball games near the White House.  It is a school where it is difficult to reach the athletic portion of the school's website.
All other posters made good points....looking at the present roster, Matt's size and talents should fit right in.  Mr. Hart does play defense and can/will rebound...in the games I saw.
The question in my mind that remains....who on the coaching staff  "recruited" him?  The majority of the present players are from local area schools.
I maybe interested enough to go to a home game......take the subway downtown...to see Hart play.   Interested in joining me Nescac 1?

[Pat Coleman]

Yes -- tough for a D-III coach to go straight to D-I. Pretty short list over the past 15 years.
http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2014/05/report-bob-walsh-takes-job-at-maine

[jumpshot]

I am not aware of any Division III college having 22 teams qualify for NCAA championship competition in a single year as Williams College did in the 2013-2014 school year ---and advance as far across the board. In the next few months Williams will open both a new library and a new football venue, following the science center, student center, and, most recently, the new humanities building in the past several years. More to come ....

[middhoops]

Yes -- tough for a D-III coach to go straight to D-I. Pretty short list over the past 15 years.
http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2014/05/report-bob-walsh-takes-job-at-maine

Walsh is in the perfect position for a new coach.  His predecessor was an unmitigated disaster.  A good recruiter, he consistently lost with the best talent in the America East Conference.  Worse, he lost a third of his roster every year and not to graduation.
Having been to Orono, Maine a few more times than anyone should be forced to;  I can at least partially understand the leakage.
As an America East fan to only a slightly lesser degree than a NESCAC guy, I hope Walsh is a huge success.  Not huge enough to ever dominate UVM, but able to contend every year.
Lonergan was a D3 player at Catholic before coaching there.  He was technically on the Maryland staff for a year but it was a favor from a friend to give him a quick stepping stone up to D1.  He did a great job of recruiting at Vermont and left the program in great shape when he left for GW, as opposed to when he arrived to the barest of cupboards.

[P'bearfan]

Bowdoin has been bringing in very small recruiting classes the last few years and its roster could be perilously thin next season behind what looks to be the best rising group of Seniors (narrowly edging out Williams) in NESCAC.   Bowdoin should be pretty good next year behind that veteran core, but once Swords/Hurley/Pieri graduate, the Polar Bears could be in deep trouble, as Lucas Hausman is the only non-senior with any star power on the returning roster.

Very fair assessment of Bowdoin's situation.  Based on what I understand, Bowdoin typically brings in 3 players per year.  Last year's class shrank to 2 when Liam Farley decided to take a PG year at Loomis Chaffee.  He'll be joining the team in the class of '18 with two other wing players - all of whom appear to be able to shoot.  Hopefully that will provide some offensive spark in the coming years.

The rising senior class is unusually large and loaded.  Keep in mind though that Swords was not an impact player when he arrived and his development speaks to his tremendous hard work and that of the coaching staff.

Not to get too far ahead of ourselves but Bowdoin's biggest challenge will be a lack of a natural PG behind Hurley. Of course I don't think we'll ever be able to "replace" Swords.    However, HBC Gilbride did a great job this past year adjusting the offense to fit the pieces he had so we'll have to see where we go. 

I'm looking forward to next season and seeing how the players develop and what options that provides.  I think Bowdoin will be a very good team but a different one from last season.

[Old Guy]

Historical footnote (my stock-in-trade): Hart to GWU reminds me some of the move up of Vermonter (Rutland) Jimmy McCaffrey, years ago, from D2 St Michael's to D1 Holy Cross. Not as big a jump to be sure, but nonetheless, a gamble. He was lights-out at Holy Cross . . . because he could shoot the ball.

McCaffrey was drafted in the 6th round of the NBA draft in 1986; averaged 22.2 ppg; scored 46 against Iona, and had 15 assists; scored 1178 points in two seasons. I believe he applied to Middlebury. I watched him play in a state tournament game with Midd coach Russ Reilly: when he scored 60 points in a tourney game his senior year, Middlebury became an afterthought. St. Mike's was very strong then, the equal of UVM competitively. He was a phenom.

As they say, Hart has a shooter's chance.

[nescac1]

Thanks for the update, P'bearfan.  Interesting that the guy who took a PG year ended up at Bowdoin.  I imagine if he was expected to make an impact last year, the extra year can only help him.  With three ace perimeter shooters graduating, Bowdoin's biggest hole / question mark next year is scoring from deep on the wing, so those recruits will likely have a chance of playing right away.  If Hurley is 100 percent back to the Hurley of old Bowdoin will have the best PG-C combo in the league.  A nice starting point. 

[crls]

Historical footnote (my stock-in-trade): Hart to GWU reminds me some of the move up of Vermonter (Rutland) Jimmy McCaffrey, years ago, from D2 St Michael's to D1 Holy Cross. Not as big a jump to be sure, but nonetheless, a gamble. He was lights-out at Holy Cross . . . because he could shoot the ball.

McCaffrey was drafted in the 6th round of the NBA draft in 1986; averaged 22.2 ppg; scored 46 against Iona, and had 15 assists; scored 1178 points in two seasons. I believe he applied to Middlebury. I watched him play in a state tournament game with Midd coach Russ Reilly: when he scored 60 points in a tourney game his senior year, Middlebury became an afterthought. St. Mike's was very strong then, the equal of UVM competitively. He was a phenom.

As they say, Hart has a shooter's chance.

Yes.  Jimmy could no doubt shoot it.  What made him special though, was his athleticism and deceptive quickness.  He jumped very well and if he turned the corner on you it was a dunk.  I had the pleasure of working with him on the "summer camp circuit" when we were both freshman.  He also made a great commercial with Larry Bird.

[P'bearfan]

If Hurley is 100 percent back to the Hurley of old Bowdoin will have the best PG-C combo in the league.  A nice starting point.

Yes, next season we may re-name Brunswick - "Pick and roll central".