MBB: NESCAC

[P'bearfan]

The CBB has yet to be decided. Bates and Bowdoin both have three games left to Colby's two.

My understanding is that the CBB title is the winner of the non-conference match ups between Colby, Bates and Bowdoin.  Since Colby defeated both Bowdoin and Bates they will take the title.  Bowdoin and Bates haven't met yet in their non-conference games but when they do they'll be playing for 2nd place.

[amh63]

Late to posting the Amherst blow out of Lasell 101-69...yes, another 100 plus away win. Was deferring to other Amherst posters as I watched my favorite Di football match...the Army vs Navy game.
Anyway, my lead in remark...It was a good day for the Nescac!  All CAC teams won, except for Bates.  Had to wait for the Bates-Colby finish.   Just trying to be Clever...never works for me.
Everyone dressed played and by the half, Amherst led 54-35, even when the Lasers made the last shot.  In the second half, as Amherst continued the romp, I noticed that the end of the bench was rising up together and clapping/ cheering.  Team support...yes, more likely it meant that they would play more minutes.  Lasell had two big front court players...one listed at 260 pounds.  Even in the second half with both bigs in, Amherst kept its rebounding lead.  Amherst wanted a fast pace and took more outside shots to spread the defense and/or beat them down the floor.  Led by Racy and Green, Amherst shot well...all five starters had double figures and Conklin just missed.  Amherst 6' 10 " freshmen was the first freshman in at the 6 minute mark.  When Amherst rotated players in, it was by twos or threes...to keep players fresh, etc.
One often can get a feel of a game via the remarks of the announcers.  First half, there were suggestions on how /what Lasell needed to do.  By the middle of the 2nd half with the deficit growing even with new players inserted, the announcers would keep remarking, "they are the 3 rd ranked team".

I stayed up late to watch the top rated team play WashU in St. Louis.  WashU is presently ranked 20th.  Both have very large squads....as their JV teams had played earlier.  It was a barn burning game in the 2nd half, with The Top team wining on the foul line.
At the half, WashU was down by 8.  In the first part of the 2nd half, WashU surged to an 8 point lead.
The no.1 team rotated back in 4 starters...as a group...and took the lead again. 
I am relating this info to illustrate how depth...deep bench is needed in games against tough teams on the road.   
It is a good feeling to know that Amherst is building a deep bench with floor experience/ play.  Next games are down South against Rust and Rhodes.

Happy Holidays to all and keep safe and warm!

[GoWesYoungMan]

Wesleyan pulled away from Westfield St 82-61 to finish the semester on an eight game win streak over mostly average competition. With last year's top six returning Coach Reilly has lengthened his bench with increasing contributions from jr PJ Reed, soph Nathan Krill and fr Kevin O'Brien. BJ Davis continues to impress and Jack Mackey appears to be pulling out of an early season shooting slump. Improvement still needed for a much tougher NESCAC slate.

No major surprises across the conference for the first semester. Midd struggled early on the road but seems to be improving. Conn College with a nice finish and they may be turning a corner. Amherst looks ready to compete for national honors with a combination of talent, depth, experience and a coach who has been there before.

With regards to CBB and Little Three championships, the Little Three includes league play in the calculation. FWIW, I wish the non-league Little Three games would all be played in the first semester. They would add some early excitement to the schedule for players and fans (especially students) and frankly in the second semester when the games an wedged between League weekends they lose some of the impact and are a bit of a distraction. Just my opinion.

Best to all the NESCAC players for finals and look forward to league play.

[P'bearfan]

FWIW, I wish the non-league Little Three games would all be played in the first semester. They would add some early excitement to the schedule for players and fans (especially students) and frankly in the second semester when the games an wedged between League weekends they lose some of the impact and are a bit of a distraction. Just my opinion.

Agreed and this was the situation for the CBB last year.

[booyakasha]

The CBB has yet to be decided. Bates and Bowdoin both have three games left to Colby's two.

My understanding is that the CBB title is the winner of the non-conference match ups between Colby, Bates and Bowdoin.  Since Colby defeated both Bowdoin and Bates they will take the title.  Bowdoin and Bates haven't met yet in their non-conference games but when they do they'll be playing for 2nd place.

Wasn't the case when I played last decade, but maybe it's changed. I'm not sure the CBB is even an officially recognized thing anyhow.

[pinseeking1]

I don't know if the CBB is anything official or if it's just for bragging rights. Therefore, if it's just bragging rights, it would make much more sense to include the home and away games for each team, as in the Little Three. Who gets to decide these things, anyway?

[nescac1]

Thoughts on the first third of the season.

Team rankings

The 800 pound gorilla: Amherst ... looks like a prohibitive favorite to not just win, but dominate, the league. 

The contenders: Colby, Wesleyan ... Colby is probably the most experienced team we have ever seen, or ever will see, in NESCAC -- an all-senior starting five, filled with guys who have been starters or playing major roles for many years, and only two non-seniors in the rotation in any form.  Colby is all-in on earning that elusive NCAA berth this year, because once this current senior class graduates ... ouch.  Wesleyan is also a very senior-heavy squad. 

Could be interesting: Trinity, Bowdoin, Williams, Tufts ... all of these teams have talent, but all have been inconsistent so far.  Trinity with three losses despite a weak early schedule has been difficult to figure out, especially given how much experience they returned from an Elite 8 team. 

Fighting for the last playoff spots: Midd, Bates, Hamilton, Conn College.  None of these teams look to be terrible, but none look like they have a realistic shot of finishing in the top four of the league, either. 

All-league so far:

First team: Lucas Hausman, BJ Davis, Dan Aronowitz, Chris Hudnut, Connor Green

Second team: Johnny McCarthy, Matt St. Amour, Jeff Racy, Mike Boornazian, Vinny Pace

(with St. Amour, Green, McCarthy, Racy, take your pick for who squeezes onto the first team, and who is on the second, they are very closely bunched; I am confident however that Green will end up on the first team when all is said and done now that he has his groove back)

Keep an eye on: Matt Daley, Jaquann Starks, Ed Ogundeko, Shay Ajayi, Ryan Jann, Malcolm Delpeche, Jack Simonds, Joseph Kuo

POY: 1. Hausman, 2. Davis, 3. Aronowitz

Break-out player: Vinny Pace

All rookie: Jack Simonds, Kyle Scadlock, Peter Hoffmann, Tyler Rowe, Bobby Casey

ROY: Simonds edging out Scadlock

[JEFFFAN]

This is a really good write-up, nescac1.   It captures where the league is now in a concise way.   Despite my claims about youth, I would agree that Amherst is the favorite especially with Green starting to come around.  He plays a completely different role than Toomey or Olsen did so he will never be able to do what they did as ballhandlers, but he is very strong and tough inside.  I don't think that Hixon has tied down his lineup yet - still a lot of players playing at different times, especially the bigs.

Again, excellent write-up.

[jumpshot]

Duncan Robinson leads Michigan in scoring by hitting 6 of 8 three pointers for 18 points in win over Northern Kentucky last night.

[booyakasha]

What gives with the nescac assist leaders - funny list 3-7, three Jacks sandwiched between two Jakes.

This must have something to do with the Jake from State Farm/Cliff Paul/Chris Paul connection

# Player Team GP A Avg
3. Jake Brown MID 10 47 4.7
4. Jack Dwyer HAM 9 42 4.7
5. Jack Daly MID 10 46 4.6
6. Jack Mackey WES 7 30 4.3
7. Jake Donnelly BOW 8 31 3.9

[ephoops]

Duncan Robinson leads Michigan in scoring by hitting 6 of 8 three pointers for 18 points in win over Northern Kentucky last night.

From the Michigan Hoops blog:

http://www.umhoops.com/2015/12/16/five-key-plays-michigan-77-northern-kentucky-62/

Duncan Robinson is the best shooter in the country. Literally.

His 86 effective field goal percentage leads the nation by almost 10% among KenPom's qualified players who play at least 60% of available minutes.

When you have the best shooter in the country on your roster, you have to get him open looks and that's exactly what Michigan managed to do in the first half. Robinson had seven first half three-point attempts and made six of them to lead all scorers with 18 at the half.

"He was shooting behind screens, he had guys on him and he was shooting, he had a swag to when he was shooting it, that was impressive," Beilein said after the win. "Those weren't six open 3s, about three or four of them there was a guy on him pretty good. That's where his height helps him."

Robinson loves shooting from the corners, but he is and incredible shooter from the right side in particular. All of his makes were on the right side of the floor on Tuesday night and he's only missed a couple shots on that side of the floor.

[quicksilver]

Here is a good story on Bates commit and guard Nick Gilpin -- he is a senior at Hampden Academy (the same school that produced Graham Safford) and is rated the third best prospect in Maine by NERR so should be a good one.

[booyakasha]

Thoughts on the first third of the season.

Team rankings

The contenders: Colby, Wesleyan ... Colby is probably the most experienced team we have ever seen, or ever will see, in NESCAC -- an all-senior starting five, filled with guys who have been starters or playing major roles for many years, and only two non-seniors in the rotation in any form.  Colby is all-in on earning that elusive NCAA berth this year, because once this current senior class graduates ... ouch.  Wesleyan is also a very senior-heavy squad. 

I wonder if Patrick Stewart, who missed all of last season with an injury, is able to stay and play another year for Colby. Obviously, if it is possible from an eligibility perspective, the decision would include far bigger issues than just basketball (another year of tuition doesn't sound fun). If he is an education major it may be possible to do the student teaching component needed for state certification to make the year useful (just a thought, I have no idea what his major is).

[nescac1]

Gilpin sounds like a great get for Bates, which seems to have a lock on elite point guards from Maine over the years ... Zak Ray, then Safford, now Gilpin. 

[lumbercat]

NESCAC 1-
Very well stated- Furbush is a Maine guy with Bird Dogs all over the state- he is always in the hunt on all Maine prospects.  He just landed another great Maine recruit- Thomas Coyne.
Furbush is emerging from the Joe Reilly shadow as a great recruiter and a damn good game coach. He got schooled by Whitmore in his early days but boy has learned and grown-----and he's maybe 32.