MBB: NESCAC

[P'bearfan]

According to multiple sources, Duncan Robinson will take an official visit to Michigan this week. He will likely be offered Michigan's final available scholarship.

....and here I thought July and August were going to be painfully slow regarding basketball news. 

[grabtherim]

Funny that a Second-Team All NESCAC player has been offered a scholarship at a D1 powerhouse (I think I have been clear about which side of that equation I think was flawed). man as he weighs an obviously difficult and important life decision.

Where you stand on the D3 All American landscape has little or nothing to do with a player's ability to compete at D1.  There is no "equation" to be "flawed".  No doubt there are players not even sniffing post season honors who can compete quite well at D1 if given the chance and others named to the teams who would have no shot to do the same. 
The only real consideration here is what Robinson and his family see as best for him, what he wants to do and accomplish.  He's a heck of a player.  All the best to him no matter what he ends up doing. 
   

[AmherstStudent05]

Funny that a Second-Team All NESCAC player has been offered a scholarship at a D1 powerhouse (I think I have been clear about which side of that equation I think was flawed). man as he weighs an obviously difficult and important life decision.

Where you stand on the D3 All American landscape has little or nothing to do with a player's ability to compete at D1.  There is no "equation" to be "flawed".  No doubt there are players not even sniffing post season honors who can compete quite well at D1 if given the chance and others named to the teams who would have no shot to do the same. 
The only real consideration here is what Robinson and his family see as best for him, what he wants to do and accomplish.  He's a heck of a player.  All the best to him no matter what he ends up doing. 

This is so wrongheaded that it barely merits a response, but I guess I will take the bait. 

It is an interesting question how many NESCAC players -- or D3 players generally -- could "compete quite well" at the D1 level if given the chance.  We have often had that discussion played out on this very message board with regard to the lower levels of the Ivy and Patriot Leagues.  D1 is a big place with a lot of variance, and it is certainly reasonable for us NESCAC fans to speculate where our favorite players might have fit in that mosaic given the right opportunity and desire.

But that is not what is going on here (or, at least, what is being reported as happening).  It is being reported that Duncan Robinson has received -- or shortly will receive a scholarship offer from Michigan.

My initial comment used the qualifiers "scholarship" and "D1 powerhouse" advisedly.  It cannot be often that top D1 teams offer scholarships to D3 players.  And, I suspect that is for good reason.  In my view, there are very, very few D3 players that could compete at a place like Michigan.  Indeed, I am curious to see if an established NESCAC standout like Duncan will get any meaningful PT there.

Anyway, back to the direct topic of my initial post: I suspect that to the extent coaches at D1 powerhouses consider offering D3 players, those players, without fail, have demonstrated exceptional athletic ability, skill, AND accomplishment at the D3 level.  These are the very sort of attributes that would seemingly ensure all-conference recognition as well.

[nescac1]

Duncan Robinson is the first NESCAC player I'm aware of that has been offered a D1 scholarship, either initially as a high school recruit, or later as a prospective transfer, by a major conference school (Matt Hart received scholarship offers, but from lower-tier D1 programs -- still an incredible accomplishment, of course!).  Unless you count Tyler Rhoten, who I believe was offered a scholarship to play football at Syracuse out of high school! 

Perhaps Kevin App was hired because he has some dirt on Duncan that will keep him at Williams ...

[jackson5]

I don't understand the scholarship offer from Michigan. I think Robinson can play and would get some play, probably even be able to start on a America East or NEC team, but I don't think he'll ever average more than 5 minutes a game in the Big Ten. If he was just being added as a walk-on I'd agree and say go for it. But Michigan can do better than offering him a scholarship.

[lemonjello]

A few links, for those interested in reading more on the Robinson situation:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140729/SPORTS0201/307290085/1361/Report--Williams-College-sharpshooter-Duncan-Robinson-visiting-Michigan
https://twitter.com/Balas_Wolverine/status/493970495763521536
http://www.umhoops.com/2014/07/29/report-michigan-host-division-iii-transfer-duncan-robinson/

Also, Robinson is visiting Davidson too: https://twitter.com/umhoops

[nescac1]

And here are Duncan's comments on the potential transfer, which, based on this interview, sounds all-but-certain at this point:

http://www.umhoops.com/2014/07/29/michigan-interest-dream-come-true-duncan-robinson/

[grabtherim]

Funny that a Second-Team All NESCAC player has been offered a scholarship at a D1 powerhouse (I think I have been clear about which side of that equation I think was flawed). man as he weighs an obviously difficult and important life decision.

Where you stand on the D3 All American landscape has little or nothing to do with a player's ability to compete at D1.  There is no "equation" to be "flawed".  No doubt there are players not even sniffing post season honors who can compete quite well at D1 if given the chance and others named to the teams who would have no shot to do the same. 
The only real consideration here is what Robinson and his family see as best for him, what he wants to do and accomplish.  He's a heck of a player.  All the best to him no matter what he ends up doing. 

This is so wrongheaded that it barely merits a response, but I guess I will take the bait. 

Really? OK, you are a mid major or lower D1 coach with guards who are doing the job for you.  You have a nice big man but you need to spell him for 6-10 minutes a game with someone who can come in, hopefully make a layup but more importantly clog up the middle and block a shot or two.  Toomey, DeBarto out of Rochester, your boy Willie and Andrew Locke as a senior are all available and dying to transfer to your school .  Who are you taking?  Two were All Americans, the 3rd arguably should have been.  Locke?  No one mentioned his name, EVER in All American or even ALL NESCAC discussions.  Wrongheaded?  Learn about situations, needs and what players bring to the table versus awards and accolades.  Equations belong on math tests and MIT problems, not common sense basketball decisions.  It's not the science you want it to be.  Sorry. 
     

[Bucket]

And here are Duncan's comments on the potential transfer, which, based on this interview, sounds all-but-certain at this point:

http://www.umhoops.com/2014/07/29/michigan-interest-dream-come-true-duncan-robinson/

Yeah, we've seen the last of Duncan Robinson in the NESCAC. If not Michigan, then it's gonna be Davidson. Two great schools, two great DI basketball programs, with one being one of the top programs in the country. Amazing. Good for Duncan.

[madzillagd]

Keep in mind this was a team without a coach for many weeks. Most D1 coaches are not going to poach players from other coaches but if there is nobody home, the rules change. Now when you consider that then there really aren't that many players each year that would fall into that category, plus you want them young but they need to have proven themselves already. Not too many players are going to meet those specifications.

J5 - Have no idea if Duncan is going to play but if you consider Albrecht was 99% Eph before he ended up at Michigan and became a bit of hero in the tournament you never know when it's going to be the right time and right situation.

[AmherstStudent05]

Funny that a Second-Team All NESCAC player has been offered a scholarship at a D1 powerhouse (I think I have been clear about which side of that equation I think was flawed). man as he weighs an obviously difficult and important life decision.

Where you stand on the D3 All American landscape has little or nothing to do with a player's ability to compete at D1.  There is no "equation" to be "flawed".  No doubt there are players not even sniffing post season honors who can compete quite well at D1 if given the chance and others named to the teams who would have no shot to do the same. 
The only real consideration here is what Robinson and his family see as best for him, what he wants to do and accomplish.  He's a heck of a player.  All the best to him no matter what he ends up doing. 

This is so wrongheaded that it barely merits a response, but I guess I will take the bait. 

Really? OK, you are a mid major or lower D1 coach with guards who are doing the job for you.  You have a nice big man but you need to spell him for 6-10 minutes a game with someone who can come in, hopefully make a layup but more importantly clog up the middle and block a shot or two.  Toomey, DeBarto out of Rochester, your boy Willie and Andrew Locke as a senior are all available and dying to transfer to your school .  Who are you taking?  Two were All Americans, the 3rd arguably should have been.  Locke?  No one mentioned his name, EVER in All American or even ALL NESCAC discussions.  Wrongheaded?  Learn about situations, needs and what players bring to the table versus awards and accolades.  Equations belong on math tests and MIT problems, not common sense basketball decisions.  It's not the science you want it to be.  Sorry. 
     

You have really outdone yourself with this post, grabtherim. Congratulations!  For the record, Aaron Toomey, John DiBartolomeo, and Willy Workman have all been named as d3hoops All Americans, but perhaps you merely meant that Willy Workman "arguably should have been" named to the First Team alongside Toomey and DiBartolomeo in 2013 (Workman made the Third Team).  Similarly, someone must have mentioned Locke's name a couple of times during the All-NESCAC discussions since Andrew made the second team his senior year.

Again, my comment, which you are still incapable or unwilling to address head on, was limited to a "D1 powerhouse."  As a matter of course, the Michigans of the world simply do not look to the NESCAC to fill out their scholarship quota -- even if conference stalwarts like Andrew Locke expressed interest. This is an incredibly special achievement worthy of an incredibly special talent -- the kind of talent that simply COULD NOT fly under the radar come ALL NESCAC selection time.  DR is certainly such a talent.

I must say though that you do raise an excellent point.  If I were a mid major or lower D1 coach (but why bother with such a strict limitation, I can't help but wonder), and for some reason my remit was strictly to find a reserve big man whose skill set seemed to more or less match what Andrew Locke has on offer and my selection pool was artificially limited to either Aaron Toomey or Locke himself -- well, then, yes, under those (insane) circumstances, I would take Locke even in spite of his less well documented resume.  I will say though, that if allowed to broaden my horizons even just a tiny a bit, I would much have much preferred Whittington or Sharry to Locke if I had to choose a NESCAC big man to join my D1 program back in 2011.

[grabtherim]

Blah, blah, blah.  D1 powerhouse, mid major or lowest level D1, as a coach, you go out and get what you need to help your team win and have better practices to help you do that.  You look at the slots you need to fill, scholarships you have and the years left in the guys in your program.  The point plain and simple is being named an All American at D3, despite being a heck of an accomplishment, does not necessarily make a kid a better D1 prospect.  This is especially true when another D3 player has the skill set the D1 coach needs to fill a slot.  You're  the one who raised the equation.  There is no equation.  It's common sense, and it doesn't matter if it's Michigan, San Jose State, or Marist.  The same common sense applies.  Maybe you can get that. Finally, if you needed someone to come in and give you a few minutes of solid defense from the 5 as my example noted, you would pick Sharry or Whittington (BOTH better all around players than Locke) over a 7 footer who would block a few shots and affect nearly every other one in the paint?  Really?     

[jayhawk]

Nice positive article on what some former Wesleyan students are doing with an AAU basketball program in NYTimes

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/magazine/in-search-of-the-next-andrew-wiggins.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSumMediumMediaFloated&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

[toad22]

Duncan Robinson is an incredible basketball talent. Physically, he is very young for his age. He grew an inch in the last 9 months or so, and might well have more growing to do. He is still a skinny adolescent who won't fully mature until he is 25-26. I was surprised when I heard about Michigan. Beilein needs basketball players - as opposed to athletes - more in his style of play than most coaches. His players look a lot like Maker's did at Williams, just bigger, faster, and better. I'm sure that is the reason Beilein is interested in Duncan. Spike Albrecht played at the old Williams gym a few years ago against the JV. Our JV guards ate him up. I was very surprised when he got an offer from Michigan, and even more surprised when he turned out to be pretty good at that level. It shows that Beilein looks at recruits a little differently than other coaches. I like Duncan a lot. He is a really nice young man, and I wish him well, no matter what his decision. However, I will be very sad if he leaves.

[NEhoops]

The Robinson situation is definitely a perfect storm. If Maker didn't leave Williams then Robinson would have stayed and MOST coaches wouldn't have tried to recruit (regardless of how great his season was). So with the coach that recruited him gone and his stock as high as ever its only natural that he would draw some interest. Its a big jump, but Michigan makes perfect sense.