MBB: NESCAC

[amh63]

Jayhawks...why are you in this discussion ?  Because you can!  Whatever.  In any case please do not try to put words in my mouth and inference I did not make....see 2nd line first paragraph.
You do seem to know what Nescac 1 is thinking.  Nice.
Do not understand how the last paragraph enters the picture.

[jumpshot]

amh63 et.al,
Williams College just announced the largest capital campaign ever for a liberal arts college---$650 million of which 60% or $374 million has already been raised....

[Old Guy]

With a dad who was admissions dean at Bates for 30 years, and a first wife who worked 12 years in admissions at Middlebury, and one (me!) who worked closely with admissions at Midd for 30 years, I am always suspicious of alums who "understand" the admissions process and talk confidently about that process and its outcomes. It is indeed a human and not a scientific process, so I am hard-pressed to give credence to third parties with inside information. I take it all with the proverbial grain of salt.

I also believe in the Amherst/Williams hegemony in NESCAC, not happy about it, but accept it: they get who they want. Fact of life. Luckily, the pool of basketball talent is deep indeed, and if the rest of us get Jeff-Eph leftovers, there's still plenty of talent available. I also believe that Williams and Amherst admission standards are not substantially higher, for the primo talent, than the rest of the league. We only play five at a time, thank heavens.

I like Middlebury's situation this year. Talent returning, talent coming in. Modest expectations. I remind people that we beat the two two teams who played for the NESCAc title lat year. Maybe we can sneak up on some people. If we stay healthy, I think we can be in the mix. Early returns on the frosh are positive. 

Talked recently with Jake Brown, Middlebury point guard, who played this summer abroad with Tufts' Tom Pelleschi and Williams' Daniel Aronowitz and reports that he had a very good time. I love that kind of interaction, wish that there were more opportunities.   

[hopefan]

Looking for a little help.. I was surprised when I emailed the Amherst SID with the question:

"Regarding the Amherst Tourney, 11/20, 11/21
I see Johnson State and Suffolk are coming in... along with Amherst... can you let me know the 4th team...
Thanks...."

and received the response:

"My apologies for the delayed response. I'm working on getting an answer for you and will respond as soon as I know."

Can any NESCAC posters help me?

[P'bearfan]

Old Guy - great post +K to you.  Thanks for your thoughtful insights.

[Pat Coleman]

Looking for a little help.. I was surprised when I emailed the Amherst SID with the question:

"Regarding the Amherst Tourney, 11/20, 11/21
I see Johnson State and Suffolk are coming in... along with Amherst... can you let me know the 4th team...
Thanks...."

and received the response:

"My apologies for the delayed response. I'm working on getting an answer for you and will respond as soon as I know."

Can any NESCAC posters help me?

Worcester State, according to Suffolk's schedule. Which means Amherst plays Johnson State.
http://www.d3hoops.com/teams/Suffolk/Men/2015-16/index

[nescac1]

Is it too early to start talking about the season ?  Probably too early to project standings until we start to see some roster posted and hear a bit more about incoming frosh ... but never to early to speculate on top players in the conference (building on post-season conversations last year).  I think the pre-season first team is unusually clear, and the rest of the picture is unusually muddled.

I'd say Hausman, Green, Hudnut (assuming he is 100 percent healthy), Palleschi (ditto) and Starks are the top five guys in the league.  There are, however, a ton of closely grouped players in the next tier: McCarthy and George from Amherst, St. Amour and Matt-Daly-if-he-stays-healthy from Midd, Aronowitz from Williams, Boornazian and the Delpeches from Bates, Pavlin from Conn College, Jann and Westman from Colby, Ajai and Ogundeko from Trinity, and Kuo, Mackey, and Davis from Wesleyan. 

Pre-season POY: 1. Hausman, 2. Green, 3. Hudnut
Pre-season DPOY: 1. McCarthy, 2. the Delpeche brothers (I think Marcus is the stronger defender, but I get confused), 4. Kuo, 5. Jake Brown

ROY: who knows? 

[hopefan]

Looking for a little help.. I was surprised when I emailed the Amherst SID with the question:

"Regarding the Amherst Tourney, 11/20, 11/21
I see Johnson State and Suffolk are coming in... along with Amherst... can you let me know the 4th team...
Thanks...."

and received the response:

"My apologies for the delayed response. I'm working on getting an answer for you and will respond as soon as I know."

Can any NESCAC posters help me?

Worcester State, according to Suffolk's schedule. Which means Amherst plays Johnson State.
http://www.d3hoops.com/teams/Suffolk/Men/2015-16/index

Thanks Pat...

[amh63]

Thanks Pat.  Was going to suggest checking the Amherst website where the MBB schedule is posted.  Before this past weekend, the Ken Wright Tourny at Amherst that opens the season still had TBA.   I did spend a little time with Coach Hixon in his office chatting with another alum.  We talked about everything but BB...how his sons are doing. etc. 
Forgot, he did talk about having to go to several weddings of former players...wedding gifts to bring.  Guess I delayed him in getting the schedule updated.
Old Guy...several comments wrt to yours.  First, it is nice to hear about your admission knowledge.  You must know then, that all school admissions methods/processes change over the years.  Also the procedures at Bates and Midd are not necessary the same as at Amherst. 
Second, the process I described in an earlier post wrt to the children of alum is one that has been around for some time and is posted to alums as available....especially during reunions, etc.  Not some "insider" info.  It is a service provided by the Admission Office to alums.
I was fortunate to have worked with alums and Admission deans at Amherst for several decades.  In the DC area, I help start the reception for accepted students....help drive around visiting admission deans as well as set up the school visits.  I inherited the job of having alums interview applicants...working with great people.  Amherst no longer have alum interviews...around the country.   
The admission process was different in the 60's for Princeton, Cornell, Harvard and I'm sure it still is and all have changed the process.  During the time I was involved..past tense here...I was invited up to watch  the final selection process at Amherst...on their dime so to speak.  Yes, it is a human process..an art.  I do recall having a meal with a Dean of Admission at Amherst, a Yalie, when he related that he "lost" two great ladies he wanted for Amherst..to Middlebury.  He also wished he got the baseball player that went to Yale.  Reason, Amherst would have a heck of a pitching duo.  He loved baseball and the young men he was referring to both ended up in the Majors and starting for their teams.  He knew talent and played on the Yale Basketball team no less...a starter.

[amh63]

Nescac1.....did I miss a post?....thought Hudnut left Tuft's?.
Hope my questioning a part of your post does not start something.

[nescac1]

You are thinking of Sabety, amh63

[amh63]

Thanks nescac1.  Remember the name and remember a front court player.  The last time I saw him was two seasons ago.  Going to the Colby web site,  the player did not play in the Colby game last season against Amherst.  He missed the last 8 games last season...injury...it seems.  Oh well, confusing impact big men.

[nescac1]

Duncan Robinson continuing to impress at Michigan:

https://www.michigandaily.com/section/basketball/duncan-robinson-living-preseason-hype-0

[toad22]

I guess I'm a little surprised about Duncan Robinson at Michigan, but only a little. I watch a lot of practices when Duncan was at Williams. Duncan would sometimes go through much of a two hour practice, and not miss a shot. I have watched all of the great Williams shooters in the last twenty years, and none of them seemed to be quite as good. As the article said, it is surprising when he misses. That was Duncan as a freshman. I'm sure he has only gotten better.

[P'bearfan]

Duncan Robinson continuing to impress at Michigan:

https://www.michigandaily.com/section/basketball/duncan-robinson-living-preseason-hype-0

Good article...thanks for posting.  Hope Robinson tears it up at Michigan and in the process changes some preceptions of DIII ball.