MBB: NESCAC

[polbear73]

New Bowdoin President: http://www.bowdoin.edu/presidential-search/

[madzillagd]

I saw that Coach Maker, formerly of Williams, is receiving a bit of a harsh introduction to Division 1 basketball. The Marist team won its second game of the year, beating Fairfield last night. I'm not sure what type of team he inherited as he got the job only last June, which was well past the recruiting season, so it wouldn't be fair to blame their 2-18 record on him. He had such incredible success at Williams, that I'm sure he'll make progress each year as he builds his own team with his own recruits.

The team he inherited was picked to finish last in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference—and then after the opening game (a 75-72 loss to Bucknell), he lost his best player, Khallid Hart (33 pts against Bucknell), who was the conference rookie of the year the previous season. Hart has not returned from his injury.

I think this Marist team, as it is currently constituted, would be blown out by the 2013-14 Williams squad.

Hart is back now which is why they won. At one point they had their top 3 guys all out with injuries which left a whole lot of playing time for freshmen and bench guys most of which would be decent NESCAC players but many are questioning whether they should be MAAC players.  Having seen some games at the beginning of the year and now, they've definitely improved as a team in learning the system.  But, they don't have a whole lot of talent so it's going to take a few years for them to really be competitive because Maker is limited in how many scholarships he has to give. 

[nescac1]

To add some specifics to amh63' Billsville travel recs, Pappa Charlie's is still adjacent to the gym and still a great place to get a sandwich.  The good pizza place is Hot Tomatoes, and it is not on the main commercial street (Spring Street) but actually on Water Street, the next street over, where there several other pretty solid places to eat (Hops and Vines, Water Street Grill, and Hobson's Choice).  On Spring Street, there is the new Purple Pub (I've never eaten there, and I miss the old pub, which was tiny but had a lot more atmosphere / character) and Tunnel City Coffee, which is an excellent relatively new addition at the base of Spring Street, nice coffees, pastries, snacks, atmosphere.  There are 5-6 other restaurants on Spring Street (a Thai place, a Vietnamese place, Red Herring which is primarily a bar, an Indian place, a Mediterranean place, etc.) but many of them are relatively new or I haven't been in many years, so I'm afraid I can't testify to how good they are.  I think there is also a new burrito place, but also haven't been there.  The best restaurant in Williamstown is Mezze, but that's a drive from campus. 

Back to hoops, I generally agree with AmherstStudent05's thoughts on all-NESCAC candidates.  I think team success will mean relatively little this year, since I expect that there will be many more surprising losses, and a lot of teams closely bunched in the standings with no one really separating themselves.  Right now, I think Hudnut, Wohl, Sinnickson, Lin, and Hausman are overwhelmingly the top five guys: the top five scorers in the conference, and for all but the red-hot Hausman, the engines that make their teams run, in multiple ways, by a wide margin.  If all five stay healthy, barring a late crazy run by another candidate, that is a pretty solid top five -- and all are upperclassmen, who coaches like to reward, in all events. 

My second team so far is a much dicier group, and would include Safford, Westman (he's shooting 89 percent in conference games, 76 percent overall -- has ANY starting guard who scores at least 10 ppg ever shot over 75 percent from the field in D3 history???), George, Sabety, with one more slot to be filled by either Rooke-Ley (he will really need to light it up given the time he has missed), Green (needs to pick it up, but capable of doing so), Starks, Hurley, Merryman, or Tarik Smith. 

In addition to losing two elite (one of whom was transcendent) talents to transfer, and four all-Americans to graduation, one of the reasons NESCAC has struggled in the aggregate relative to past years is a very, very low-impact frosh class overall.  Johnny McCarthy was the overwhelming favorite for ROY as of a month ago, and probably still is, but as others have noted he seems to have hit the frosh wall.  He might not have made last year's all-frosh team!  An all-frosh team might look something like McCarthy, Robinson, Messier, Tarantino ... I'm having trouble even coming up with a fifth deserving guy right now -- Riopel if he was healthy, maybe, Pucci, or Galvin most likely.  Compare that to last year's ridiculous group of impact frosh: Robinson, Sabety, George, St. Amour, Brown, Rafferty, Greenman, Ogundeko ... I mean, it's night and day.  I have a feeling next year's frosh will have a MUCH bigger impact, based on some of the recruiting news so far. 

[amh63]

Yep.....Tuesday's Amherst MBB and WBB games "postponed".
Thanks Nescac1 for the corrections and clarifications to the eating places.  Need to refresh my memory....can one do that?....when I visit Williamstown next football season...hopefully!

[polbear73]

Husson at Bowdoin postponed.

[P'bearfan]

New Bowdoin President: http://www.bowdoin.edu/presidential-search/

Fascinating choice for Bowdoin's new President.  Not the background I would have expected for a liberal arts college

[Bucket]

New Bowdoin President: http://www.bowdoin.edu/presidential-search/

Fascinating choice for Bowdoin's new President.  Not the background I would have expected for a liberal arts college

That's an understatement! Would love to hear reaction of Bowdoin faculty...

[7express]

I saw that Coach Maker, formerly of Williams, is receiving a bit of a harsh introduction to Division 1 basketball. The Marist team won its second game of the year, beating Fairfield last night. I'm not sure what type of team he inherited as he got the job only last June, which was well past the recruiting season, so it wouldn't be fair to blame their 2-18 record on him. He had such incredible success at Williams, that I'm sure he'll make progress each year as he builds his own team with his own recruits.

Marist hasn't had a winning season since they finished 18-14 in 2007/08; they've recorded only 53 total wins since then (to put that in perspective if Kentucky finishes this year unbeaten and starts off next year unbeaten they'll get to 53 straight wins sometime around Christmas of 2015), an average of only 8.9 wins a season.  This Marist team was doomed no matter who was coaching it.

[Panthernation]

My second team so far is a much dicier group, and would include Safford, Westman (he's shooting 89 percent in conference games, 76 percent overall -- has ANY starting guard who scores at least 10 ppg ever shot over 75 percent from the field in D3 history???)

For what it's worth: DR shot 75% on two-point field goals last season in conference.

[middhoops]

New Bowdoin President: http://www.bowdoin.edu/presidential-search/

Fascinating choice for Bowdoin's new President.  Not the background I would have expected for a liberal arts college

A NESCAC President with an M.B.A.
Put me near the top of the list of people who love the concept.

[amh63]

Posted on the WBB board.....in error...the following.
Amherst closed the school for Tuesday and cancelled all classes.
Afraid there will be little movement in New England this evening.
Bowdoin has been causing quite a stir in their recent announcements...new football coach selected and now a new Prez selected.  The retiring Prez has been at Bowdoin for 14 years...a long time for a CAC prez.
Midhoops maybe correct...again...with the new found wealth in the endownment growth...a Prez with a MBA maybe the correct path to take as suggested by Robert Frost.
Apologies, old Guy and Old Girl for taking liberties with the Poet of New England.

[TIAJeff]

New Bowdoin President: http://www.bowdoin.edu/presidential-search/

Fascinating choice for Bowdoin's new President.  Not the background I would have expected for a liberal arts college

A NESCAC President with an M.B.A.
Put me near the top of the list of people who love the concept.

What we need is a -- business administration!

George F Babbitt

[amh63]

Welcome aboard, TIAJeff!   Not familiar with the quote...but seems most appropriate

[P'bearfan]

Quote
New Bowdoin President: http://www.bowdoin.edu/presidential-search/
Fascinating choice for Bowdoin's new President.  Not the background I would have expected for a liberal arts college

That's an understatement! Would love to hear reaction of Bowdoin faculty...

This is one of those choices that will cause people 20 years from now to either say "Brilliant, out of the box selection!" or "What were they thinking?!".

I hope it's the former.

[MENESCACFAN]

St. Joe's v Bates postponed.  They are trying to turn it into a Wednesday double header with the Women's game.