MBB: NESCAC

[amh63]

Will add my thoughts on the Palleschi's topic.  He was a player down low that all coaches worried about.  However, he had a good outside shot that drew defenders out...only to have him make a pass to a teammate moving into the open space.  He also ran the floor well..  He is at Tufts where his diploma and his education will serve him well in the future.  IMO, that is the key reason that players of his level come to Nescac schools. 
Somewhere I read that Vinny Pace maybe another star player that has his floor time carefully monitored. 

[BigMike33]

To add to the Vinny Pace time management monitoring...Vinny had a slight twist of the ankle in the Middlebury game which cost him most of the second half.  The ankle was on the already compromised leg with heavy full leg brace.

Since that game, I have noticed that Pace comes out flying in the first half in terms of energy, mobility and determination.  His skills seem to degrade as the playing minutes add up.

I have noticed 5 to 8 minutes of consecutive game time rest in both halves since Middlebury game.  Very interesting to watch now with Palleschi out how Tufts will handle his minutes especially on the second of NESCAC weekend back to backs where your 2nd game on Saturday afternoon is less than a 24 hour turnaround

[BigMike33]

Riddle me the incongruence of the D3 Top 25 Poll versus the Massey Ratings which are not subjective other than the formula weights to the power rankings which determine the power mix & totals based on metrics.

Massey Ratings    vs.  D3 Top 25 Poll
#10   Tufts               #4    Tufts
#16  Middlebury      #14  Amherst
#32  Wesleyan       #22  Middlebury
#36  Williams          #25  Wesleyan
#41  Amherst
#46  Hamilton

I will opine that memories, which are a human flaw,  have filtered some of this years' reality with shades of 2016 Tournament runs.  However, every year is different.  We can all agree that Amherst, on the whole, has not played to date like the 14th best team in the land. They certainly have the potential to be formidable but have not put it together to date. Williams & Hamilton should also be at least getting some Top 25 votes which neither have garnered.

Looking forward to the NESCAC teams in the NCAA tournament.

[jumpshot]

Middlebury ahead 49-43 at halftime in the Panthers' mid-week non-conference scrimmage against Lyndon State, as the teams combined shoot 54% with 43% of their shots three-point attempts of which they make 46% in a defense-optional contest.

Two Mid players account for 60% of the Panthers' shots.

As I've said, whoever makes the most threes has a good chance of winning in an era of weak fundamentals ....   

[BigMike33]

Middlebury continues its' poor 3 point defense...Lyndon State shot over 50% from 3.  This attitude of we are just going to outscore you will only work with timely defensive stops, rebounding, and most importantly, taking care of the ball. 

[Brownee]

You never know who is going to step up and shoot the lights out; Jake Brown with career high 31, perhaps. McCord pulling down defensive and offensive rebounds and scoring double digits, why not. Folger using his wing span to knock the ball around like he was playing volleyball and scoring a career high, sweet to watch. Sure, all of that plus the staples of Matt and Jack. That is why they are a formidable "T"eam, on any given night a break out performance or two and the Panthers pull out a win against a team shooting 3's at a percentage that should have won the game.

[BigMike33]

Folger is consistently not given the correct block totals. His massive wingspan makes fingertip blocks besides the shot changes he forces.

He had 4 blocks in first half...only credited with 1.   When a ball changes direction in flight...it is a block. 

[BigMike33]

I will be making the trip to see the 2 best freshman in the NESCAC....Kena Gilmour & Matt Folger on Saturday at Pepin.

Huge game for both teams. Middlebury has the experience, the home court & Hamilton does not have a quality road win this year.

[toad22]

I'm looking forward to traveling to Amherst later today. Williams has a great opportunity to put their season back on track. A win would also be a big psychological boost. It won't be easy, but they seem to have a bit of wind in their sails. Marcos Soto has been threatening to break out at center for several games now, so his performance against Middlebury wasn't a very big surprise.

[amh63]

Saw a few D1 games last night that may put " rankings" now in perspective.  Caught the end of two games....West Virginia beating Kansas the no.2 team.  4th straight time WVU has beat Kansas at home.  Seems the coach of the Mountineers has in his contract a 25K bonus for such a win...gives the money to a charity fund named for his mother.  The no.1 team...Villy U. lost too!  The no. 4 team was also behind late in the game...Kentucky.
To help everyone in their March Madness picks, it seems that the powers to be will provide a top 16 ranking/bracket in early Feb..
A pundit commented that even when a No.1 ranked team goes to the Big Dance without a lost...they do not win the Nat Title.  Today only the Zag..Gonzaga in Washington remains unbeaten.
Returning to the CAC reality here.  We are at just over the half season point.  Many key games ahead...conference games. 
Bigmike33...your posts here have been "top drawer"!  In the psst, we have had comparisons of rankings, etc galore...usually late in the season.  Most such discussions will not impact the post season picks.  The Nescac games remaining and the Tourny ahead will determine who will go to the NCAA post season and where.

[Pat Coleman]

Folger is consistently not given the correct block totals. His massive wingspan makes fingertip blocks besides the shot changes he forces.

He had 4 blocks in first half...only credited with 1.   When a ball changes direction in flight...it is a block.

I'd venture to say most blocked shots are not correctly credited or credited at all. It's about the hardest stat to properly track because of the game pace -- as a stat caller, you have to call out the shot properly, and the rebound, and sometimes the block gets lost in the shuffle. It's a lot of numbers and stats to call in a very short order and for the computer operator, also difficult to get all the info in at the pace of a basketball game.

[BigMike33]

Pat,

As a former PA announcer, clock operator and official book keeper, I agree with the difficulties in secondary stat tabulations during heat of game.

These were blatant last night....Australian boomerang, Minnesota Fats masse.... I think not.  Folger had 6 legit blocks credited with 3.  This has been a pattern with this young man due to his freakish wing span and magnificent hand eye coordination in blocks, deflections, and midrange shooting.

The EYES don't lie!!!

[nescac1]

While Folger looks like a very promising frosh and a likely future star, I'd say that plenty of other guys have equally good arguments, at this point, for the second best frosh in the leage (Gilmour is the best I've seen, I most certainly agree).  I noted several a few days back -- Tufts' Eric Savage, Bates' Nick Gilpin, Tom Coyne, and Jeff Spellman, Colby's Ethan Schlager, Bowdoin's David Reynolds and Williams' Matt Karpowicz have all posted some very impressive numbers and are important players on their respective teams.  Savage in particular has been huge for Tufts this year, and will continue to need to step up given the injuries around him.  And Karpowicz has really come on in league play.  (And Folger blocking a slew of shots against a Lyndon State team which is smaller than most high school teams -- only one starter over 6'2! -- doesn't real move the needle either way). 

Go Ephs tonight!  Hopefully the second-half-vs.-Midd rather than the first-half-vs.-Hamilton team shows up! 

[BigMike33]

For sure no needles were moved in that antiseptic game.  Folger also put-up 11 points and 8 boards.

The problem with comparing freshman is playing time differences and whether their statscome in as Marv says...extended gar-bage time.

Gilmour has the most playing time and best stats & most importantly led team to victories.

Folger has played the most meaningful minutes.  Folger came in after 9-0 Tufts run to start game on road and put up 7 points and blocked a shot to calm game down  back to 18-15 at next time-out. That was the most impressive contribution...poise where experience does not exist yet against best team in NESCAC

In most cases, blocks equal stops which are usually number 1 goal in today's basketball since everyone can score.  Then you add the follow-up intimidation which causes ugly shots to be taken to avoid being blocked. Folger has 10 blocks in 5 NESCAC games.

[BigMike33]

Amh63:   Thanks for the kindness.

Background: 

12pm Saturday ECAC game of week in late 70's   ...1 game a week
High school PA announcer 4 years 79-83
1983 Syracuse WAER worked with Tirico, McDonaugh, Papa (Raiders-A's) Grew up with Big East ..
Pearl Washington. Patrick Ewing.  The birth of ESPN College Basketball
1984 Figured out Media was bought & paid for...zero journalistic freedom
Syracuse '87 Newhouse graduate :  29 year computer networking career
Attended 87 Final Four.....Keith Smart...grrrrr
In person 4 Final Fours, 50 plus regional NCAA games all over country, 20 plus Big East tournament strips...

Basketball is my passion.  Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving for my early basketball. Larry Bird eventually symbolized it all for me and still does. Much love for George McGinnis whose off foot one handed floaters became my staple in the playground a chance to befuddle and compete.

Middlebury is my team but I just just try to call it like I see it. I see strengths & weaknesses in all teams & players & coaches & referees. I try to apply my knowledge and see what I see could be done to improve. I hold myself to this same standard first and foremost.

The competition in NESCAC has been fantastic. I understand the selection process for NCAA & look forward especially to NESCAC against Midwest teams. The Middlebury vs. Illinois Wesleyan contest was strategically interesting as Coach Brown tried to wear out IW with aggressive offense, pace & defense & IW tried to wear out Middlebury with size, execution & will.  It took Middlebury a whole half the next night to recover against CSI