MBB: NESCAC

[ronk]

First day of practice, so of course the old men show up to watch.
Saw the end of the Middlebury women's initial practice.  Some great recruits.  They will win a few more game this season.

Vandy74 and I saw quite a show once the men took the floor at 8:30 pm.  Not ready to share it all on the board yet, but it made our anticipation of the drive to W. Conn in a couple weeks grow dramatically. 
Middlebury looks to be an improved team at both ends of the floor.  Very good depth, too.
More later.

Vanessa young & Becky Knox will be factors.

[nescac1]

ContinentalDomer, I was focused only on returning players, but I remember Gilmour sounded like a steal during recruiting.  Gilmour definitely seems like a top-five frosh to watch in the league.  Keep us posted on Hamilton!  Midd, Amherst, Williams, Bates and Trinity all appear to have some frosh who will contribute early, as well, if they receive the opportunity.  Gilpin, Feinberg, Karpowicz, DeLorenzo, Bell, Seretta, Clapp, Sellew all names to keep an eye on in the early going ...

Hamilton has a really nice young nucleus in Gilmour, Hoffman, Grassey, Dwyer, Groll and Koster.  The team should be improved this year and as those guys mature could be a contender in the years that follow ...

[amh63]

Middhoops....nice teaser post .  A little note of caution....you are going to E.Conn.   Not W.Conn in Danbury!  I was hoping to catch a game at W.Conn when I visit a son who now lives nearby in Patterson, NY.  Hoped to meet up with some posters that reside nearby.  Really disappointed that the HC there retired...the one that a poster pointed out that had a Santa like face.

[middhoops]

You saved my bacon there, amh63.  Guess we'll go to Willimantic, instead.
Much appreciated.
(Hope magicman isn't reading this....)

[amh63]

 Middhoops..FYI... Check the MBB board...Little East site.  ECSUalum has posted some info wrt to places to get a room and specifics on food and drinks.

[magicman]

You saved my bacon there, amh63.  Guess we'll go to Willimantic, instead.
Much appreciated.
(Hope magicman isn't reading this....)

I am and I won't let it pass when I see you in February.

[ECSUalum]

Middhoops....nice teaser post .  A little note of caution....you are going to E.Conn.   Not W.Conn in Danbury!  I was hoping to catch a game at W.Conn when I visit a son who now lives nearby in Patterson, NY.  Hoped to meet up with some posters that reside nearby.  Really disappointed that the HC there retired...the one that a poster pointed out that had a Santa like face.

That's funny!! +k amh63

[magicman]

D3hoops has come out with their preseason Men's All-America Team. 3 players from the Northeast Region have made the list.

Joey Flannery,   Babson College guard, has been named to the 1st team

Matt St. Amour   , Middlebury College guard, has been named to the 2nd team

Tom Palleschi, Tufts University center, has been named to the 3rd team

Here's a link to the complete list of players chosen:
http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-americans/men/preseason-2017

[P'bearfan]

D3hoops has come out with their preseason Men's All-America Team. 3 players from the Northeast Region have made the list.

Joey Flannery,   Babson College guard, has been named to the 1st team

Matt St. Amour   , Middlebury College guard, has been named to the 2nd team

Tom Palleschi, Tufts University center, has been named to the 3rd team

Here's a link to the complete list of players chosen:
http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-americans/men/preseason-2017

Congrats to all 3 players - this is a well deserved recognition!

[middhoops]

Flannery is all that.  And then some.
If he and his supporting cast stay healthy, they have a shot to go all the way.

Babson and Amherst will have an epic match up next month in LeFrak.

[nescac1]

About 10 days until opening day for most of NESCAC!  Still quiet here.  Here is a shot at pre-season all-NESCAC:

First team is quite easy: Tom Palleschi, Ed Ogundeko, Matt St. Amour, Dan Aronowitz, Jack Simonds.  All are major stars and should be legit all-American candidates if they stay healthy. 

POY: 1. Palleschi 2. Aronowitz 3. St. Amour

Second team, on the other hand, is very difficult.  I'll go with: Johnny McCarthy, Christian Riopel, Kyle Scadlock, Vinny Pace, Patrick Stewart.  Other than Pace, all would need a massive leap forward in performance to squeeze someone out of the first team.  Pace is a very tough call as he could be first team or nothing at all, depending on how healthy he is to start the season, so I'll split the difference. 

Also warranting consideration: Jake Brown, Lee Messier, Tyler Rowe, Jeff Racy, Jayde Dawson, David George, Jack Daly, Zach Baines, Joseph Kuo, Andrew Groll, Tarik Smith

All-defense: Palleschi, Ogundeko, McCarthy, Scadlock, Daly.  George, Aronowitz, Kuo, Brown also worthy of consideration.   

[amh63]

Nescac1....nice thoughts!  Would like a possible look at possible ROY candidates.  Jeff Racy's bigger brother is on the Tufts team and Amherst has a FY that won the Gatorade award in MA.  An award that Conner Green won in NH. 

[Old Guy]

About 10 days until opening day for most of NESCAC!  Still quiet here.  Here is a shot at pre-season all-NESCAC:

First team is quite easy: Tom Palleschi, Ed Ogundeko, Matt St. Amour, Dan Aronowitz, Jack Simonds.  All are major stars and should be legit all-American candidates if they stay healthy. 

POY: 1. Palleschi 2. Aronowitz 3. St. Amour

Second team, on the other hand, is very difficult.  I'll go with: Johnny McCarthy, Christian Riopel, Kyle Scadlock, Vinny Pace, Patrick Stewart.  Other than Pace, all would need a massive leap forward in performance to squeeze someone out of the first team.  Pace is a very tough call as he could be first team or nothing at all, depending on how healthy he is to start the season, so I'll split the difference. 

Also warranting consideration: Jake Brown, Lee Messier, Tyler Rowe, Jeff Racy, Jayde Dawson, David George, Jack Daly, Zach Baines, Joseph Kuo, Andrew Groll, Tarik Smith

All-defense: Palleschi, Ogundeko, McCarthy, Scadlock, Daly.  George, Aronowitz, Kuo, Brown also worthy of consideration.

Who's the point guard you'd rather have than Jake Brown?

[Old Guy]

Happy first day of practice!  Here are thoughts on a potential break-out player for each team (someone who played a very limited role last year but has the chance to emerge in a major way this season):

Middlebury -- Hilal Dahleh: like St. Amour came in with a reputation as a shooter but struggled a bit in his first year from deep while showing a nice array of other skills.  As more shots find the mark this year his scoring will go up.  Nick Tarantino is also one to watch. 

Thanks for this post NESCAC1. It's always great to have your comprehensive take on the whole league and its players.

For Midd (breakout player), Tarantino is due, overdue really, constrained by injuries the last two years - he's tall and can really run the floor; Dahleh is certainly worthy, but around here it's a bit hard not to be excited by what might be with Zach Baines. 

[nescac1]

Thanks!  I'd say Baines did just a bit too much late in his frosh season to warrant a breakout label (i.e., he's already broken out).  As for Brown, he may be the best PG in NESCAC without being an all-NESCAC player.  The position seems unusually weak league-wide.  Rowe and Brown probably the best returning guys but neither is exactly Aaron Toomey ...