MBB: NESCAC

P'bearfan · January 12, 2016, 01:08:23 PM

Apparently a big snow storm is expected to hit the northern Maine area so tonight's Bowdoin v Presq Ilse game has been postponed. No new date announced yet.

booyakasha · January 12, 2016, 01:51:21 PM

Quote from: toad22 on January 11, 2016, 02:44:04 PM
I am told that the whole Colby team, and coaches, were down with the flu. I'm sure they'll be in perfect health for Williams!

I was a bit relieved when I heard this (norovirus to be more specific; nasty stuff that spreads like wildfire). This weekend's match-up with Williams is going to be crucial. 0-3 would not be an insurmountable deficit for either team to overcome to make the playoffs, but would leave little margin for error in a conference where there aren't many easy wins, if any at all (Conn College 2-0!!!).

jumpshot · January 12, 2016, 07:45:18 PM

Williams fortunate to be up on Johnson State by 11 at the end of the first half notable for Ephs woes of unforced turnovers, needless fouls, lazy defense, missed layups, etc.

nescac1 · January 12, 2016, 08:39:42 PM

Williams, unsurprisingly, a bit hungover from the brutal Trinity loss and uninspired for a mid-week game against NESCAC punching bag Johnson State eeks out a 27 point win despite ice-cold three point shooting. Good one to get out the system, so hopefully the team picks up its energy and its shooting for the very tough NESCAC weekend ahead.

Williams has been getting fine play since the New Year from Aronowitz, Scadlock and Casey. That trio, despite including two frosh, has emerged as the three top playmakers on the Ephs; all are capable of getting into the heart of the defense and scoring. Right now, they are a very capable top three, and next year, if they make the improvements one would anticipate, I expect them to be an elite top three. Against good teams however the Ephs badly need to find consistent 4th through 6th options. Losing Greenman hurts in that respect as he could provide some consistent outside shooting for the team that just isn't there right now. Teal, Galvin, Flynn and Heskett have all had big games here and there, but at least two of those four need to become consistent game-to-game contributors for the Ephs to start picking up some Ws in NESCAC play.

jumpshot · January 12, 2016, 11:08:29 PM

Anyone else watch Michigan upset #3 Maryland as Duncan Robinson scores 17 points on 5 for 9 from three point land and a skillful reverse layup? Dick Vitale goes wild over DR with many mentions of Williams, Mike Maker, etc. So pleased for Duncan's success thus far ...with more to come.

Mr. Ypsi · January 13, 2016, 12:06:13 AM

I can only imagine the feelings among Williams fans. Tremendous pride on what DR is doing at Michigan, and tremendous regret that he is not still at Williams! They may or may not even make the postseason this year; vs. being a top 5 team if DR had stayed in Willytown.

toad22 · January 13, 2016, 09:37:15 AM

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on January 13, 2016, 12:06:13 AM
I can only imagine the feelings among Williams fans. Tremendous pride on what DR is doing at Michigan, and tremendous regret that he is not still at Williams! They may or may not even make the postseason this year; vs. being a top 5 team if DR had stayed in Willytown.

Mr. Ypsi, thanks for reminding me!!

JEFFFAN · January 13, 2016, 11:05:33 AM

As an Amherst fan, I cannot describe in words how happy I am to see Duncan Robinson playing so well for Michigan.

nescac1 · January 13, 2016, 11:17:04 AM

Yup, happy for Duncan but of course will always wonder what have been -- I feel like Duncan would have made Williams a final four squad last year (Wohl as a second option and Hayden as a third option would have been nasty last year), instead of a team that bowed out early in the NESCAC tourney. Speaking of Duncan, the latest article on him quotes current Eph Tae Scott and former Trinity Bantam Varum Ram:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bs-sp-early-terps-duncan-robinson-0113-20160112-story.html

I wonder why it is that so many NESCAC guys (Ram, Robinson, Sinnickson, Hart and Sabety) have transferred up to D1 schools while no one from ANY other conference that I can think of has made the same move? Seems like there are a handful of D3 guys elsewhere around the country who could certainly play D1 as well ...

Losing Sabety hasn't seemed to have hurt Tufts at all -- if anything, it's helped them, perhaps the Ewing theory at work? Sabety and Palleschi were Tufts' two best players but clearly could not play well as a duo, now the roster works much better with one big guy surrounded by shooters and slashers rather than two clogging the paint.

toad22 · January 15, 2016, 02:56:06 PM

A very interesting game at Chandler tonight. Colby comes in after a couple of sickness influenced losses last weekend, hungry for a win. They feature a team loaded with seniors, eager to restart their season. Williams, after two very tough losses last week, is trying to get a win with their mostly underclassmen, and freshman, dominated rotation. I am hopeful that James Heskett, a very promising freshman wing can start to string together more periods of excellent play. If he can emerge as a constant threat on offense, the Ephs become very hard to guard. Scadlock and Casey have already made the transition from tentative to consistently good. They, along with Aronowitz, now represent the bulk of the offense. The addition of Heskett could make Williams a very tough game for anybody in the league.

booyakasha · January 15, 2016, 07:43:35 PM

No Hudnut tonight, not sure why.

Williams shooting well from three against zone and pounding it inside when center-less Colby in man. Tough to match up without a big body.

I don't understand how Aronowitz can be left open after making a couple threes; but time and time again Colby loses track of the hot shooter (same as last weekend at Tufts and Bates).

lumbercat · January 15, 2016, 07:47:01 PM

Bates sleepwalking in Clinton- no matter how many years we progress that bus ride from hell remains in play. No excuses for the Bobcats as they should be ready to play. More of a concession to the Buff n Blue who deal with the aforementioned travel headaches, in all sports, more frequently.

Hudnut on the IR? Colby getting spanked.

Regardless of outcome with Tufts, Middlebury better than anyone thinks.

nescac1 · January 15, 2016, 07:50:19 PM

Hudnut and Stewart BOTH out for Colby, big break for the Ephs. Williams up 14 but frankly should be more but for some really cryptic turnovers (as usual -- there is just no need to try to thread the needle when the opponent has no answer inside when the ball is caught cleanly) and too many three point attempts when Colby is undermanned on the interior without their top two guys. Flynn should get the rock a LOT more than he has been. Aronowitz on absolute fire, wow what a half for him.

For Colby, Westman and Jann have both been fantastic to keep Colby within some sort of striking range, Jann hitting some very high degree of difficulty jumpers and Westman blowing by whomever has guarded him with relative ease. But no one else on Colby has really been able to do anything -- after this year, Colby could be really hurting given the seniors they are losing.

booyakasha · January 15, 2016, 08:18:48 PM

Tie game with just under 6 to go after a good stretch defensively by Colby and a few threes. Agree with you Nescac1, this game would be in the books had Williams kept pounding it down low...

nescac1 · January 15, 2016, 08:19:05 PM

Wow. Williams and Colby tied at 60. Wilson has been scorching hot in this half, hitting some really tough shots, no one besides Teal can hit any sort of shot for Williams. An undermanned, undersized Colby team playing with loads more energy than the Ephs, working their butts off on every play. Williams has been totally unable to get the ball inside to exploit their massive size advantage, and have continued with their turnover woes.