MBB: NESCAC

Bucket · December 23, 2015, 03:57:45 PM

ESPN has a big piece on Duncan Robinson today:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/14374339/michigan-wolverines-duncan-robinson-completes-improbable-transition-division-iii-division-i

Hart and Sinnickson both mentioned as well.

Really nice, insightful piece on Duncan's journey, though I imagine that Eph partisans will be agitated by this sentence: "On the way out the door, though, Maker suggested that Robinson ought to stretch his wings, dream bigger than the confines of Williams."

Knowing Mike well, I doubt the veracity of this scenario; that's just not his style or code of ethics to tell a player he should leave as well. Now, if Duncan asked Mike if he could succeed at the Division I level, then yes, he'd give his honest assessment. But I don't think that's a conversation Mike initiates.

jumpshot · December 23, 2015, 04:16:31 PM

Thanks, Bucket. Two inaccuracies ----Williams has won 34 national championships in 11 different sports. Also, MM simply confirmed to DR that MM thought he could play in D1 for the right coach in an offense that aligns with DR's skills.

jumpshot · December 23, 2015, 08:53:05 PM

Another excellent game tonight for Duncan Robinson with 12 points on 4 for 8 three-pointers and 6 assists as Michigan overwhelms Bryant. Next up ...the start of conference play after a few days off. Lots of fun watching him play this season so well after taking the risk and working hard to play for the Wolverines.

iwumichigander · December 23, 2015, 10:27:14 PM

Quote from: jumpshot on December 23, 2015, 08:53:05 PM
Another excellent game tonight for Duncan Robinson with 12 points on 4 for 8 three-pointers and 6 assists as Michigan overwhelms Bryant. Next up ...the start of conference play after a few days off. Lots of fun watching him play this season so well after taking the risk and working hard to play for the Wolverines.

Bryant was a "cupcake" for Michigan - which many D1's tend to schedule right before the holidays and the end of the non-conference schedule. Nothing like giving the home town fans something to cheer about. And, the ticket prices for these contests are usually dirt cheap by D1 standards. Robinson looks good on the offensive ends but has work to do on defense. He likely needs another year in the weight room to really improve defensively.

jayhawk · December 26, 2015, 06:34:53 AM

article mentions two NESCAC recruits

jayhawk · December 26, 2015, 06:35:35 AM

sorry here is link https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2015/12/25/brookline-high-position-post-perimeter/g56r2R0HLt0Igkd19cp3PM/story.html

P'bearfan · December 26, 2015, 09:23:43 AM

QuoteAnother excellent game tonight for Duncan Robinson with 12 points on 4 for 8 three-pointers and 6 assists as Michigan overwhelms Bryant. Next up ...the start of conference play after a few days off. Lots of fun watching him play this season so well after taking the risk and working hard to play for the Wolverines.

QuoteBryant was a "cupcake" for Michigan - which many D1's tend to schedule right before the holidays and the end of the non-conference schedule. Nothing like giving the home town fans something to cheer about. And, the ticket prices for these contests are usually dirt cheap by D1 standards. Robinson looks good on the offensive ends but has work to do on defense. He likely needs another year in the weight room to really improve defensively.

I watched the UM v Bryant game as well. Robinson looked very good especially in the first half. While he was out of position / beat on defense a few times he did a good job overall (he had a couple of steals and blocks if I remember correctly).

I'm curious to see how he adjusts to having long, athletic players cover him during conference play. Hopefully he'll handle it well because that guy can shoot and it would be terrific to see him excel at UM! Best of luck the rest of the season.

amh63 · December 26, 2015, 10:20:28 AM

Jayhawk.....Thanks for the Link. Maybe the Amherst recruit has a couple of inches of growth.

iwumichigander · December 26, 2015, 07:04:20 PM

Quote from: P'bearfan on December 26, 2015, 09:23:43 AM
QuoteAnother excellent game tonight for Duncan Robinson with 12 points on 4 for 8 three-pointers and 6 assists as Michigan overwhelms Bryant. Next up ...the start of conference play after a few days off. Lots of fun watching him play this season so well after taking the risk and working hard to play for the Wolverines.
QuoteBryant was a "cupcake" for Michigan - which many D1's tend to schedule right before the holidays and the end of the non-conference schedule. Nothing like giving the home town fans something to cheer about. And, the ticket prices for these contests are usually dirt cheap by D1 standards. Robinson looks good on the offensive ends but has work to do on defense. He likely needs another year in the weight room to really improve defensively.

I watched the UM v Bryant game as well. Robinson looked very good especially in the first half. While he was out of position / beat on defense a few times he did a good job overall (he had a couple of steals and blocks if I remember correctly).

I'm curious to see how he adjusts to having long, athletic players cover him during conference play. Hopefully he'll handle it well because that guy can shoot and it would be terrific to see him excel at UM! Best of luck the rest of the season.

My gut says Robinson will handle the long, athletic defenders without too much trouble. He has a fairly quick release and usually positions himself square with the basket. I think he might have trouble with stronger, physical defenders ---say a Michigan State.

pinseeking1 · December 28, 2015, 08:59:47 AM

Big week for Bates this week with games against WPI and Babson. Should be an early indicator of how the NESCAC season may look as both of these teams are quality opponents...

booyakasha · December 28, 2015, 09:21:12 AM

Quote from: pinseeking1 on December 28, 2015, 08:59:47 AM
Big week for Bates this week with games against WPI and Babson. Should be an early indicator of how the NESCAC season may look as both of these teams are quality opponents...

Don't sleep on Brandeis Saturday either. UAA teams are usually a tough win, and they played Amherst tough earlier this year.

lumbercat · December 28, 2015, 10:36:57 PM

Yes 2 big home games for the Garnet- too bad the Bates campus will be a ghost town with Bates on break.
While the Bobcats will not have the full home court benefit of Alumni Gym Furbush will have them ready to play after a couple of disappointing losses where they played pretty well but couldn't close.

nescac1 · December 29, 2015, 07:35:30 AM

A few random Eph-related notes / links:

The Ephs have a really tough neutral-court game with Ursinus tonight. Ursinus is a very deceptive 2-5: they have played a rough schedule (including only two home games) and have several close losses to really good teams, including single-digit road losses to D1 UPenn and top-25 teams F&M and Scranton. Ursinus is big across the board and balanced, and their top scorer was a high school teammate of the Ephs' Bobby Casey. It's clear that Ursinus can play with anyone so the Ephs will have to be at their best to come out with a victory after the long layoff.

Yet another Duncan Robinson article, mentioning Coach Maker and his time playing at Chandler Gym: http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2015/12/column_duncan_robinson.html

Here are links to recent interviews with Daniel Wohl and Hayden Rooke-Ley regarding their professional experience. I loved this comment from Hayden in particular -- while Duncan is clearly an unusual D3 player, I think we are seeing not only from his success but from Matt Hart's success that the very top tier of NESCAC players could not just play, but succeed, at many D1 programs:

http://ephsports.williams.edu/sports/mbkb/2015-16/releases/20151213ss81sh
http://ephsports.williams.edu/sports/mbkb/2015-16/releases/20151225t3kf8m

From the Hayden interview:

Are you following Duncan Robinson at all?

"Of course! It's fun to see him out there, and I'm really happy for him and his family. In terms of college hoops, he's playing at the level that we at Williams all dreamed of. It's nice to see someone chase that dream -- and have some success in doing so. And it couldn't happen to a better dude."

"The only downside has been the media's portrayal of D-3 hoops! I obviously realize the urge to depict a Cinderella story -- and this is to take nothing away from 'Dunk's' well-deserved journey -- but your average follower might conclude that Williams gets players from the local YMCA and competes as an intramural sport. So that's my petty gripe as a former Williams' player who will always have the D-3 label -- and carry it with some juvenile bitterness. Haha!"

Old Guy · December 29, 2015, 10:00:56 AM

I had a Christmas conversation with Geoff Morton, friend and basketball mentor. He was the basketball coach (and just about everything else) at University School in Cleveland in the six years I taught there in the 1970s. He was also a star player at Williams (class of '59), a 1000 point scorer. University School is the alma mater of Middlebury's Nolan Thompson and Williams' Tucker Kain from a few years back - has had good basketball teams for a long time.

Geoff pointed out to me that Kyle Scadlock, Williams promising freshman is a U.S. grad, and the nephew of former Notre Dame and Cavalier great Austin Carr. Good genes. He reported that Kyle was out last year with a knee injury - good recruiting by the Ephs. I remember on many occasions seeing Carr play for the Cavs and meeting him when the team (Cavs) worked out in the U.S. gym (Bill Fitch was the coach). Geoff and I saw the very first Cavs game at the Cleveland Arena and dozens of games at the Richfield Coliseum, halfway to Akron.

Nostalgic ramblings as we await the resumption of the NESCAC season.

JEFFFAN · December 29, 2015, 11:44:05 AM

While we are waiting for the season to start again after the new year, I thought that I would pass on a comment made by the current coach at Amherst, when asked informally who the best Division 3 player he had ever seen was, answered ... Jim Rehnquist. Amherst College Class of 1977, son of Chief Justice Rehnquist. Without hesitation he gave that answer.

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20066215,00.html

The guy was an incredible shooter and rebounder - if they had a three point line his average would have skyrocketed.

Something to get the conversation going on a Tuesday before New Years Eve ...