MBB: NESCAC

[middhoops]

If you're just hanging around, Tufts is playing a wild one against RIC.  Trailing 31-28 at the half, Tufts has played a wide open game.  Down 12-4 early, the Jumbos went on a 17 point run at one point.
RIC only has 9 guys dressed and started out with a flurry of fouls.
Tufts doesn't appear to have anyone who gives you great confidence handling the ball, but they keep it moving and everyone gets their shots!
If RIC doesn't get in serious foul trouble the second half should be very entertaining.

[middhoops]

Tufts and RIC traded leads through the second half.  The Jumbos had an attempt at a tying 3  with a few seconds left, but it didn't fall and the Anchormen came away with a 61-58 victory.
Turnovers by Tufts down the stretch did them in.  24 were at least one too many, negating a nine rebound advantage.  Tufts will need to take much better care of the ball when they host Middlebury on Sunday.

[NothingButNESCAC]

Looking forward to a fun night of basketball. Surprised the board is so quiet right now so feel free to go check out all the stuff we have been putting up this week. We will have an in-depth look at Williams and a weekend preview up in a little bit as well.

http://nothingbutnescac.com/2015/01/08/composite-power-rankings-19/

[amh63]

Middhoops....was going to post on the Tufts' game played last night.  Seems you picked up all the key points that I was set to post! Therefore great post
RIC, with a new HBC this season, list only 11 players and is undersized wrt to Tufts.  But they are quick and play a fine trap- press that led to..yes..to 24 TOs.  Trying to recall if Tank Smith was the ball handler last season for Tufts.   In any case, tufts' HBC seemed to prefer another player that had trouble bringing the ball up the floor...10 second violations, etc.  Tufts' big boys were outplayed by the shorter, leaner front court players.  The Jumbos played an assortment of zones and man to man.  The outside shots of one Jumbo player kept Tufts in the game, imo.  Oh well, the LEC beats the CAC again.
Why is Middlebury playing Tufts on Sunday?  Travel distance?   Other CAC schools get back to back games it seems....maybe to compensate for the fact that Tufts only has one weekend game?   Seem to answer my own question.
Anyway...so many games to watch...off course I will be on line to watch Both Hamilton games tonight....the wonders of technology.  Thought for a brief moment to catch a bit of the Bates game...to see how Old Guy pace the Bates' gym .

[nescac1]

Thanks to middhoops, we have lines!  (He asked me to post as he lost the original email).  Stepping into Walzy's shoes is not easy, but these look very solid to me:

Amherst -13 over Hamilton

Midd -1 over Bates

Williams -2 over Trinity

Wesleyan -2 over Colby

Bowdoin -9 over Conn.


[I'll take Hamilton -- 13 points is a lot in what figures to be a low-scoring affair; Midd -- Panthers are mostly healthy and too deep for Bates; Williams -- very tough call as Trinity could dominate the interior, but I like the Ephs to hit just enough 3's to squeak out a win; Wesleyan -- Cards are playing well and they have a nice interior / perimeter balance; and Conn -- Bowdoin likely wins, but Conn has some good young talent which should be enough to make it a closer game than nine points]. 

[Bucket]

Middhoops....was going to post on the Tufts' game played last night.  Seems you picked up all the key points that I was set to post! Therefore great post
RIC, with a new HBC this season, list only 11 players and is undersized wrt to Tufts.  But they are quick and play a fine trap- press that led to..yes..to 24 TOs.  Trying to recall if Tank Smith was the ball handler last season for Tufts.   In any case, tufts' HBC seemed to prefer another player that had trouble bringing the ball up the floor...10 second violations, etc.  Tufts' big boys were outplayed by the shorter, leaner front court players.  The Jumbos played an assortment of zones and man to man.  The outside shots of one Jumbo player kept Tufts in the game, imo.  Oh well, the LEC beats the CAC again.
Why is Middlebury playing Tufts on Sunday?  Travel distance?   Other CAC schools get back to back games it seems....maybe to compensate for the fact that Tufts only has one weekend game?   Seem to answer my own question.
Anyway...so many games to watch...off course I will be on line to watch Both Hamilton games tonight....the wonders of technology.  Thought for a brief moment to catch a bit of the Bates game...to see how Old Guy pace the Bates' gym .

Yes, you answered your own question!

One NESCAC team always has a Friday-Sunday conference schedule because of the odd number of teams. This is the second year for Middlebury. Hamilton had it the two years prior. Next year, it will be someone else's turn.

With 11 teams, one team will lack a "travel partner," meaning its opponents will have only 1 weekend game, instead of 2, when they face that particular team. Because of this, the second game was moved to Sunday, so that the 11th team (Middlebury, in this case) is not playing back-to-back games when the second opponent (in this case, Tufts) did not have a game on Friday night.

It's not easy on players to be idle Saturday and then have a game on Sunday--it disrupts normal study habits. And it's even tougher on the parents. But I do think it's the most equitable solution so that you don't have a situation where one team is playing on back-to-back nights and its opponent is not.

This has been going on for 3 years now, amh! Surprised you hadn't noticed. 

[AmherstStudent05]

Good stuff, NothingbutNescac.  Over the years I have been following NESCAC hoops, many a poster could have gone broke betting on Tufts's potential.  I will try not to fall in that trap.  Still, I don't see them being a bottom 3 team this year, let alone the NESCAC cellar-dweller.  To be sure, they have been disappointing thus far, but they have also played a very competitive schedule.

Agreed that those are some great lines, Middhoops.  I too will take Hamilton and Midd.  13 points on the road just seems like an awful lot to give up for Amherst.  Especially with the Ephs looming on the horizon.  I like Amherst to win, but not by that much.  I also like Midd to avenge last year's loss to Bates.  That was a (very) rare bad conference loss by the Panthers and so I have no doubt they will be ready to play tonight.  No disrespect to this year's Bates squad though.  Haven't seen them play yet, but they appear to be a formidable squad. 

[amh63]

Bucket....I'm happy if I can remember my Wife's birthday within a day and this is our 50 th year...age and the fact that Middlebury, a title contender, is the school that gets the "favor".
Took notice of the Tufts' game in that Amherst plays RIC down the road.  The former HBC, a Hamilton grad...like the ECSU HBC....had set a up series of games with Coach Hixon...went up to take the head job at the Un. Of Maine.  The WSJ had an article this week about the money problems hitting the public colleges in Maine.  Wonder if it impacts the sport programs at the schools.
Hamilton has been a tough place to play in recent years....Amherst was lucky to get out with a win the last time in Clinton.  Therefore, agreed that the 13 points is a stretch.  Middhoops is setting up the Jeff fans. . With regards to Williams on Sat.....Coach Hixon has stated that he doesn't need to get the players up for the Ephs.  He needs to get the players focused on the game in hand.
Wonder if the Tufts vs RIC game was scouted online or live by Amherst... "Two for the price of one ticket"?  Sure it was taped...given today's webcast quality.
Oh yes, the primary ball handler for Hamilton is Lin...who is now listed at 6'1".  He is still shorter than his NBA playing brother, but has grown about three inches from his freshman season....yes, I can sometimes remember trival things three years back.

[middhoops]

Middhoops is setting up the Jeff fans.

Geez, amh63, I was just trying to make it interesting.  Any more than 13 and no one could take it seriously. 
This was just a list that I'd sent to nescac1, curious of his opinion.  He immediately jumped on the Amherst spread.  Had I taken the time to edit my original, I probably would have lowered it to 7.

Let me make one thing clear.  It's not my intention to be the next Walzy.

[NothingButNESCAC]

Know we posted already and nobody likes a self-promoter, but because Young Guy wrote an article on Middlebury, we thought it appropriate to pass along another article.
http://nothingbutnescac.com/2015/01/09/ho-ho-hoops/

And since we didn't make any picks on the site, let's say that from Middhoops very good lines we take Amherst, Bates, Williams, Wesleyan, and Conn (still think Bowdoin wins the game though)

[jayhawk]

nothing but nescac good note/analysis of Amherst- clearly a work in progress
Hope that Connor Green can take the wrap off his shooting hand, Ben Pollack and Eric Conklin can play, and intrigued if and when Ray Barry has a chance to play.
lots of good teams in league. Williams does have excellent senior leadership and Mike Greenman is deceptive

[Bucket]

From Panther Nation:

Over the past two days, over half of the Middlebury team has come down with a bad stomach virus. Many statuses are uncertain at this time.


Lovely.

Update: According to PantherNation, Matt Daley is out and Jake Brown, Matt St. Amour, Henry Pendergast, Dean Brierly, Jack Daly, Nick Tarantino all questionable to play.

Unreal...

Update 2: All of those questionable players are in uniform and warming up. I guess we'll soon see how effective they are!

[lumbercat]

Too bad for Bates this game is being played during winter break. If the students were on campus Alumni Gym would be a zoo- advantage Snow Panthers.

[Bucket]

Too bad for Bates this game is being played during winter break. If the students were on campus Alumni Gym would be a zoo- advantage Snow Panthers.

I hope this is being said in jest. With half the Panthers sick, and from my first-half viewing, the backcourt is a mere shadow of itself (St. amour and Brown, in particular, have none of their usual energy), there is no advantage for Middlebury in this game.

Delpehche twins a big factor on the defensive end. When not blocking shots, they are altering many. What a presence for the Bobcats. Also, Bobcat 1-3-1 zone doing a very good job of taking Merryman out of his usual flow.

And I know this won't be popular, but Safford does himself no favors by demonstrably jawing at the Middlebury bench. He did this after his game-winning shot last year, and he's at it again. I know of his personal history, and I have much sympathy for what he has gone through, but this behavior is bush and tarnishs the reputation of a very, very good player.

[lumbercat]

23, 5,11, 13, 14 and 31 were the rumored casualties and all were out there tonight. If they were incapacitated I give them credit for gutting it out tonight in Alumni Gym which is a tough place to play.
I bet the Panthers bounce back on the back end of their weekend road trip.