MBB: NESCAC

[grabtherim]

Perhaps a bit off topic and I apologize, but a friend let me know that during the playing of the National Anthem before the Trinity Wesleyan game this past weekend, several members of the Wesleyan team chose to take a knee versus standing. If you support the players kneeling, I strongly disagree with you respecting your opinion as well as the players right not to stand if they so choose.  By the same token, my feelings are perfectly encapsulated in this video from last March, before any of the Colin Kaepernick stuff ever happened.  Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams was not happy with the way his players had acted during the anthem at a game. This is how he responded.  Worth 4 minutes of your time, no matter how you feel. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qz58jMhDDA

And tell us about your military service, Buzz.

I guess according to your logic I'm knocked out from having an opinion on this, agreeing with him, or being patriotic as well.  That said having had a dad who dodged bullets a few months after he graduated high school from Belgium to Berlin and lived to tell and teach me about it trumps your thought.  In fact, even without those things Buzz, me or you can feel exactly like he said without having served in the military despite your snide comment.  In my mind, not up to your usual standards Old Guy.  I'm a bit surprised.   

[ContinentalDomer]

I confess that I do not understand the comment about Buzz Williams at all.  He was born in 1972.  He was in college during the first Iraq war.  And he was 29 years old when 9/11 occurred.  As such, Buzz Williams is not a draft dodger.  It is clear that Buzz Williams is trying to teach his players a lesson about respect for the nation, its military and the flag.  Perhaps I misread your intentions, but what's the beef?

Perhaps a bit off topic and I apologize, but a friend let me know that during the playing of the National Anthem before the Trinity Wesleyan game this past weekend, several members of the Wesleyan team chose to take a knee versus standing. If you support the players kneeling, I strongly disagree with you while respecting your opinion as well as the players right not to stand if they so choose.  By the same token, my feelings are perfectly encapsulated in this video from last March, before any of the Colin Kaepernick stuff ever happened.  Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams was not happy with the way his players had acted during the anthem at a game. This is how he responded.  Worth 4 minutes of your time, no matter how you feel. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qz58jMhDDA

And tell us about your military service, Buzz.

[WPI89]

grab - I hit smite by accident - I applaud you..........................

[nescac1]

It's been a rough stretch for the Ephs.  Williams is still a pretty young team but despite that youth has a lot of court experience, and the Ephs can certainly play better than they have over the past few weeks.  Other than the first half vs. Colby, Williams simply hasn't played very well vs. ANY of their five (counting Wesleyan) NESCAC opponents.  Williams has beaten quality non-conference teams in Springfield, Eastern Conn, Hope and Mount Union, so the struggles within the league are a bit mystifying.   

The biggest issue is rebounding.  Getting destroyed on the boards by Bowdoin and Trinity, neither of whom is especially huge or deep up front, just can't happen to a team that has size and depth and athleticism like Williams does.  The Ephs have been giving up too many long reobunds on jumpers and all five guys need to be focused on putting their bodies on men and aggressively going after long / loose rebounds.  The Eph center trio really needs to step up both in terms of rebounding and defending the paint.  The advantage of having three big guys, all of whom can play, is that they can be really aggressive and never have to worry about foul trouble.  Less than nine boards collectively isn't enough for 40 minutes out of the center position.  1.2 blocks collectively is around half what it needs to be.  Those three guys combine to average only 3.5 fouls per game.  They rarely punish anyone who gets close to the rim.  There is benefit to standing tall and avoiding dumb fouls, but they seem to be erring on the side of not being aggressive enough.  It's OK to knock a guy down going to the rim every so often to at least make them worry a bit.  It's OK to go harder on the offensive glass too.   If they are blocking 2-3 shots per game and collectivley getting 5-6 fouls, I think that would be preferable.  That SHOULD be the advantage of depth inside and Williams just isn't aggressive right now on D. 

The offense has been the bigger problem of late.  For whatever reason, Dan Aronowitz hasn't been able to take games over like he did early in the season with consistent explosive moves to the basket -- he doesn't seem to have his usual burst to the rim of late.  So other guys need to step up on offense and help him out.  Cole Teal needs to getting and taking lots of good looks from 3.  Scadlock, Heskett and Karpowicz have all at times (mostly in December) shown great things in terms of getting to the rim early in the year either in transition, off pick-and-rolls, or with back-door cuts (or on occasion from aggressive individual drives).   Those three guys have been the three most efficient offensive players on the team but they aren't putting up enough shots, collectively, on a game-to-game basis.   Karpowicz has shown a great post up game when he gets the ball in close as well.  All three can and will have to be more assertive on the offensive end, getting the ball in good position and looking to use their size and strength to finish close to the rim, for the offense to get humming again.  Right now the offense is just not very cohesive or consistent and it's not generating nearly enough good looks close to the basket off crisp ball and player movement.   Way too many long jumpers and not enough fouls drawn or layups made. 

Williams has shown it can play well vs. good teams in stretches this year, but really needs to step up its game at both ends if it hopes to turn things around after a discouraging start to the conference season. 

[grabtherim]

Watch and listen to hear straight from the Wesleyan players and Coach Reilly their words on taking a knee during the national anthem. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ywhcw9Nqig
Simply put, while defending their right to it, I find their protest misplaced, as I made my feelings known on the sanctity of our anthem and flag clear earlier.  Everyone makes their own choices, better put by the sage Howard Johnson who once said: "that's why we make both vanilla and chocolate."

[Cards Fan]

Wes takes a blowout over a pool Emmanuel team, 80-50. It all went as expected, but the interesting part was that Jordan Bonner, one of the Cardinals' main scoring threats got back in action for the first time in a long time. He tallied low stats in low minutes, but hit 2 monster 3s. He could be a top go-to option for them for the rest of the year.

[Canvas Hightops]

Huge weekend for Williams.
After losing 3 of their last four, the Ephs desperately need to find (re-find) their mojo.
Lately their great depth of size has been of little benefit.  Quicker players tend to beat the bigger Ephs to lose balls and rebounds.  Coach App must find a way to make his seeming advantage into a real one. 

Tufts hosts two very dangerous teams.  Both Wesleyan and Conn College are capable knocking off anyone.
Coach Sheldon's 10 man rotation is returning big dividends.  Tufts is the team to beat right now.

Amherst would appear to have an easier schedule this weekend at home.  Hixon's current squad lately hasn't been who we thought they were.  Four losses?  Inconceivable.

Middlebury travels to Williamstown on Sunday to a gym they almost never leave with a W.  However, Midd appears to be on the upswing even in the absence of Zach Baines while the Ephs are adrift.  Perhaps.

Another weekend of upsets?
Damn, I love January.

[Cards Fan]

Huge weekend for Williams.
After losing 3 of their last four, the Ephs desperately need to find (re-find) their mojo.
Lately their great depth of size has been of little benefit.  Quicker players tend to beat the bigger Ephs to lose balls and rebounds.  Coach App must find a way to make his seeming advantage into a real one. 

Tufts hosts two very dangerous teams.  Both Wesleyan and Conn College are capable knocking off anyone.
Coach Sheldon's 10 man rotation is returning big dividends.  Tufts is the team to beat right now.

Amherst would appear to have an easier schedule this weekend at home.  Hixon's current squad lately hasn't been who we thought they were.  Four losses?  Inconceivable.

Middlebury travels to Williamstown on Sunday to a gym they almost never leave with a W.  However, Midd appears to be on the upswing even in the absence of Zach Baines while the Ephs are adrift.  Perhaps.

Another weekend of upsets?
Damn, I love January.

I can't say Williams ever really had their mojo. Yes, they beat some poor teams, but they really don't have quality wins outside of Eastern Conn and Hope. Even Colby nearly topped them, and a poor Union team took them to OT. 

[whyDiii]

Tonight's NESCAC action should be very exciting..any thoughts??

[nescac1]

Well, that was the ugliest half of Williams basketball all year, for sure.  Hamilton played great -- locked in and hustling like crazy on D and scorching hot from deep on offense.  But Williams is just so cryptic right now, so many things going wrong -- telegraphed passes, careless ball handling, poor interior finishing, seemingly never stopping the ball in transition, losing assignments on defense, getting screened off with ease so that Hamilton had open shot after open shot.  Gilmour was red hot yet no one ever seemed to pick him up on the outside.  Nearly every Hamilton score seemed to be an upon layup or an open three.  Great ball movement for Hamilton, but I'm not sure what the Ephs are doing out there on defense this game.  Williams did play well against some good teams in the middle of the season -- Eastern Conn, Springfield, Hope and Mount Union were all quality wins and the team played well on both ends in most of those games.  But right now, the Ephs just seem to be lost out there on both ends. 

[Old Guy]

Midd playing on Sunday, so I'm switching as much as possible between games. Some wild games. Tufts-Wes is a tight battle. Pelleschi just went down and was helped off the court - doesn't look good, could not put any weight on left foot/leg.

Wiliiams looks lost (NESCAC1 summarized well). Amherst down 11 to Bowdoin in LaFrak, not playing well. Conklin out. (I've criticized amateurish Amherst announcers: no more. The person they have now, very professional, excellent.)

Bates down 11 to CC in Lewiston. 

[Old Guy]

Tufts-Wes tied at the half, 38 all. Pelleschi on crutches, ice pack on his knee.

[nescac1]

Williams looked like a totally different team in the second half, but spotting Hamilton 20 was just too much to overcome.  At one point the Ephs got within 7 but then Hamilton hit three quick triples in succession and it was over.  Wish the Ephs had played with that sort of intensity and focus to start the contest. 

For the Ephs, Kyle Scadlock after several very quiet games was extremely aggressive, which was great to see: 20 points, 9 boars, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals, most of which production came in the second half.  Although he struggled a bit with his finishing both in the lane and at the line, all in all he had a great game.  Mike Greenman continues his stellar play off the bench of late, hitting a lot of big shots and finishing with 15 points including three deep triples.  Frosh Matt Karpowicz continues to be a force down low, finishing with 10 points on 5-6 shooting in only 12 minutes.  He's gonna be a great big man down the line.  The rest of the Ephs really struggled out there.  Teal and Aronowitz in particular, who continue to have a really tough time during this rough streak for Williams, combining for only FOUR points in the day. 

Aronowitz is not nearly the same player that he was last year and in the first few weeks of this season.  Something clearly changed for him in the game prior to Wesleyan (can't recall opponent off-hand) and other than brief moments of his vintage self, he just hasn't been the same.  Williams was really built to revolve around his penetration and creating but he has nowhere near the same lift or explosion into the lane that he had to start the season.  Bummer to see because when 100 percent he's a tremendous talent. 

For Hamilton, it was the Kena Gilmour show -- the front-runner for NESCAC frosh of the year was absolutely on fire, finishing with 22 points on 6-7 from 3, and adding 5 boards, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 steals and one absolutely monstrous dunk.  Great young player.  The usual suspects for Hamilton -- Hoffman, Groll, Grassey and Dwyer -- were all solid.  A very young Hamilton squad is gonna be damn good next year and REALLY good the following year.  Tremendous group of frosh and sophomores on that team. 

[nescac1]

Ridiculous end to Bowdoin-Amherst.  ANOTHER McCarthy special.  Jack Bohrs hits a clutch three seemingly to win it, and then McCarthy hits a simply ridiculous double-clutch three fading into the corner at the buzzer.  The dude is crazy -- I've never seen a player who more elevates his game in clutch situations.  Insane. 

[Bucket]

Ridiculous end to Bowdoin-Amherst.  ANOTHER McCarthy special.  Jack Bohrs hits a clutch three seemingly to win it, and then McCarthy hits a simply ridiculous double-clutch three fading into the corner at the buzzer.  The dude is crazy -- I've never seen a player who more elevates his game in clutch situations.  Insane.

Absolutely insane.

And all set up by an Amherst technical for too many men on the court w/ 8 seconds left, leading by three. A Simonds free throw, then the Bohrs 3 with :04 left seemed to give the P'Bears the win. And then...Johnny McCarthy.