MBB: NESCAC

[PolarBear16]

Guys, the Polar Bears just beat the defending national champs! The Polar Bears only play one senior of consequence, Liam Farley, and they just handily took down the #7 team in the country. Bowdoin handed out 20 assists, and I want to highlight that Zavier Rucker had five while Stephen Ferraro had six. Ferraro went 0-5 from the field, but he more than made up for it with those assists along with six rebounds and four steals. May I say it was 2016-2017 Jack Daly-esque? I've said it a thousand times: you don't come into the Morrell Madhouse (trademark pending) and walk out with win!

Alright, so is the Bowdoin bandwagon about to get crowded? I think that it might. Looking ahead at the schedule, Bowdoin should be favored in their six games before the Christmas break. Bates and Colby are both down, and a visit to Anna Maria this week is probably the trickiest game in the near future. Add it up, and the Bears have a decent chance at being 10-0 heading into 2018. OK, I'll back away from the computer.

To pour some cold water on the win, Bowdoin has played Babson tough the last few years, and Bowdoin beat them in Morrell in 2015 as well. That didn't mean much as the year went on. Babson appears to still be adjusting to losing Joey Flannery, and there is a chance that they end up not being that good this year. Whatever, Bowdoin is now 4-0.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Guys, the Polar Bears just beat the defending national champs! The Polar Bears only play one senior of consequence, Liam Farley, and they just handily took down the #7 team in the country. Bowdoin handed out 20 assists, and I want to highlight that Zavier Rucker had five while Stephen Ferraro had six. Ferraro went 0-5 from the field, but he more than made up for it with those assists along with six rebounds and four steals. May I say it was 2016-2017 Jack Daly-esque? I've said it a thousand times: you don't come into the Morrell Madhouse (trademark pending) and walk out with win!

Alright, so is the Bowdoin bandwagon about to get crowded? I think that it might. Looking ahead at the schedule, Bowdoin should be favored in their six games before the Christmas break. Bates and Colby are both down, and a visit to Anna Maria this week is probably the trickiest game in the near future. Add it up, and the Bears have a decent chance at being 10-0 heading into 2018. OK, I'll back away from the computer.

To pour some cold water on the win, Bowdoin has played Babson tough the last few years, and Bowdoin beat them in Morrell in 2015 as well. That didn't mean much as the year went on. Babson appears to still be adjusting to losing Joey Flannery, and there is a chance that they end up not being that good this year. Whatever, Bowdoin is now 4-0.

Joey Flannery AND five other seniors.  I suspect the standards we became accustomed to from them last year are probably not in the cards, at least right now.

[nescac1]

A few early-season thoughts on the Ephs, and NESCAC more generally.  Williams is 4-0 vs. two credible and two poor opponents.  The Ephs have another weak opponent still to come before a BIG test against Wesleyan, a team that always gives the Ephs a lot of trouble and which looks better than I anticipated (more on that later).  The Ephs' inside game is just awesome this year and, with no seniors in the frontcourt rotation, will only keep improving.  Kyle Scadlock is playing like an all-American, doing it all on both ends of the floor.  I don't see many guys stopping him this year, his combo of open-court explosiveness and interior finishing, plus a decent outside game, is very tough to stop.  And he seems absolutely locked-in to start the year - he has clearly embraced being the first option and is thriving in that role. 

Matt Karpowicz looks great so far this year and it was encouraging to see him get his first start vs. Yeshiva yesterday.  Now, to be fair the Ephs have played three teams with very small, very weak froncourts out of their four games.  So it's really been unfair when he's up against 6'4 dudes, as his crazy per minute stats reflect -- in only 14.5 MPG, he's putting up 10.5-5-1.3 plus 1 block and nearly a steal per game on ridiculous 78 percent shooting!  Probably half of his baskets have been dunks, which certainly helps the shooting percentage.  That percentage will come down as the opposition grows stronger, of course, but I hope he continues to start and I hope his MPG get more into the 20-24 range.  He can easily get his scoring average up to around 15 ppg while maintaining high efficiency, and that would take a bit of the burden off of Scadlock.  His defensive awareness is improving and his offense and rebounding are huge assets, and he could grow into a major star with more experience.  The third amigo in what I think has to be the best frontcourt in Division 3 is James Heskett, who is playing very efficient basketball with 14 ppg and 6 rpg on 46/41/82 shooting.  His inside-outisde game and ridiculous length at the 3 makes him an impossible match-up for most teams.  Heskett has yet to get an assist this year, so creating for teammates is an area he can work on.  He is still growing as a player but each year has made major strides.  I'd also like to see Williams find creative ways to get him the ball closer to the rim, where he is very effective, especially finishing on the move.  Of course, there are only so many touches the team can generate in the paint and they have an embarassment of riches to choose from. 

Marcos Soto and Michael Kempton as leading bench guys are both very capable players who would probably get more chances on other teams.  They are very good system players who pass the ball well, set screens, play tough D, and can score a bit when given opportunities.  Both will be needed to have some big games this year when 1-2 of the other front court guys are struggling.  If Soto can get going from 3, that would be HUGE for Williams. 

Where Williams clearly needs to improve is in making and defending the 3 point shot.  The Ephs are only shooting at 29 percent from 3 (despite having ample wide-open opportunities with opposing teams packing the pain), while giving up 39 percent from deep.  While the interior game (on both ends) has been so dominant that it hasn't mattered yet, that shooting differential simply can't continue vs. better competition.  Bobby Casey is the only guard who has really been scoring the ball well so far, and he has played very well off the bench; good energy guy.  I'm not worried about the shooting as Cole Teal and Mike Greenman are both rhythm shooters who typically take awhile to warm up, and the early games (as usual) have been choppy without much sustained rhythm.  Teal in particular is a guy whose shooting each year REALLY seems to pick up after the first 3-4 games of the season.  Getting him going is critical for Williams as otherwise teams will be sagging into the lane to try to limit the bigs. 

Defending the 3 is an area that the team just has to work on.  In the games I've seen so far, some opposing guys have made some very difficult 3's, but also there have been too many quick 3's without a guy in the shooter's space.  Although not the quickest team, Williams is big, athletic, and deep, with a lot of intelligent players, so this is something I'm sure that can also be easily improved over time as the team really locks in vs. better teams and works more on switching, etc..  The Ephs' 2-point defense, on the other hand, has been incredibly effective, with so much length and bulk in the frontcourt, there is just very little room for opposing teams to operate down low. 

Other NESCAC thoughts: six teams are undefeated in the conference so far, and all six have looked very good.  Hamilton has been doing it without their starting PG Dwyer, not sure if he is injured or what but so far it hasn't been an issue, and also strangely bringing their top big man, Groll, off the bench.  In typically (for Hamilton) unorthodox fashion, the team has been playing with a starting lineup of five natural wing players.  I imagine if and when Dwyer returns, that will change a bit, but definitely interesting!

Bowdoin's win over Babson is a big one for them.  Clearly some impact frosh have stepped up.  The P'Bears schedule, which is weak overall, is REALLY back-loaded.  I agree with PolarBear16's assessment of Bowdoin's upcoming schedule.  Indeed, in the next 13 games, they may face few major challenges (Tufts looks like the biggest by far).  Don't be shocked to see Bowdoin with a very gaudy record, and eventually a national ranking, through 17 games.  It helps that it looks like the other two Maine teams (especially Bates) may struggle a bit this year.  Bowdoin's last six games are VERY tough, but even there, they do play four of those at home. 

I try not to take TOO much out of common opponent analysis, especially early in the season, but the fact that Wesleyan easily beat Nichols, which easily beat Trinity, which destroyed Bates, has to be good news for Wesleyan and very bad news for Bates.  Even though the Bobcats are 3-1, barely beating U of New England (a team that Bowdoin and Colby simply destroyed) also isn't a great sign.  Speaking of Colby, it seems like the Mules are improved.  Their tiny (5'9 and 5'10) all-frosh backcourt has played really well and given them a boost.  With, once again, a very young team,  Colby will have some ups and downs (two frosh guards might have some real struggles in conference play in particular), but the future in Waterville looks bright -- it will probably just take a year or two to get there. 

Finally, Wesleyan, wow.  With the losses to graduation and attrition, I had modest expectations, but Wesleyan has been perhaps the most impressive team in NESCAC so far this year.  Wesleyan has four easy wins (three of them blowouts) including beating up on a very talented Nichols team.  After Jordan Bonner, who is as expected the main man on offense, Wesleyan has tremendous balance with six guys averaging between 7-12 ppg.  Three of those six guys are frosh, so clearly Wesleyan brought in a big-time recruiting class to complement a talented returning core.  Saturday's Williams-Wesleyan game should be REALLY interesting as Williams has an edge on the front line but Wesleyan's big, athletic guard trio will likely give the Ephs (and everyone else) a lot of trouble.   

[grabtherim]

Balance is Beautiful in Panther Land... Dahleh is back..... 

Lots of weapons, no tendencies, when best player averages double digit assists, this team has higher ceiling than last year

2 leading scorers Daly, Folger score inside & out.  Last year, teams were happy with a Brown three or a St. Amour baseline drive

Keith Brown......how did that Blue Middlebury 15 shirt fit you.... Ironic scored only 15 points in game too...38, 45....distant memory
Three 3's and only 2 after draining that first one to start game with Daly's hand in face......

Our LEADER, he just about averages a triple double a game, while shutting down the other teams best scorer!!!!


Since, leadership, hustle, guts, IQ, footwork, & playing for your teammates... don't show up in the box score. He is marginalized.

Best Player in NESCAC.  Top 5 in Country.   Tired of uneducated bull****.

Wondering quietly on a Sunday evening at home where to find this vast populace of haters who don't respect Jack Daly.

Ha. Yeah. That was...odd, to say the least.

Shaking my head.  Let me get this straight.

"Last year, teams were happy with a Brown three or a St. Amour baseline drive."

Not sure if this means Midd was happy with that or that's what last year's opponents were happy with?  Either way, it makes no sense to me. In 2016-17 Brown was 4th on the team in 3 pt attempts.  I don't get it.   

"Best Player in NESCAC.  Top 5 in Country.   Tired of uneducated bull****."
 
I haven't read anything here or heard anyone saying what is being spewed.  Does "uneducated" mean take into account that some may choose to wait before accepting some strong conclusions 4 games into a season?

The kids are off to a nice start.  Things look good.  Enjoy it without battling imaginary windmills.  Not sure why there's a need to make early proclamations via looking hard for real or in this case imaginary insults, tooting your own horn/genius and disparaging everyone else who is not you.  Here's the thing:  Believe it or not, none of us are Knight, Wooden or Coach K.  Given that, it seems to me that none of us should get up on a high horse and act like we we are.
     

[nescac1]

Undefeated teams in New England so far:

Roger Williams 5-0
Eastern Connecticut 5-0
Middlebury 4-0
Williams 4-0
Wesleyan 4-0
Bowdoin 4-0
Amherst 3-0
Springfield 2-0

Upcoming match-ups between currently undefeated team:

Wesleyan plays at Williams December 2
Springfield plays at Williams and Amherst December 9/12
Also of note, Midd has a big game at Skidmore on December 8, which is undefeated and will probably be ranked by the time those two meet. 

It will be interesting to see which New England teams are in the first in-season D3hoops Top 25 (which I think is released in a day or so).  Williams likely stays 3, and Middlebury probably moves up to 4.  I have to think Babson and Tufts, with two losses each, are both knocked out.  I'm guessing that Amherst and Eastern Conn take their place, as both slide into the back end of the top 25, with Wesleyan just behind them.  Bowdoin may get a few votes as well, but probably need another few weeks of winning out to warrant serious consideration.  Hamilton may also sneak into the back of the top 25, but more likely positions itself juuuuust outside. 

[nescac1]

As strong as plenty of NESCAC teams are, I'd favor a team of NESCAC transfers over any NESCAC squad by at least 20 points.  Consider:

C Hunter Sabety - 3 ppg, 2.7 rbg, and .6 bpg in 7.8 mpg on 64 percent shooting as Hofstra's back-up center
F Duncan Robinson - 12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 46/44/86 shooting at Michigan
F Zach Baines - 17.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 54/43/67 shooting at Occidental
G Ethan Feldman - 23.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 71/68/89 (!!) shooting at NYU
G Tyler Rowe -- 24.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.8 spg, 46/41/78 shooting at Western Conn

Coach - Dave Paulsen, George Mason (currently 3-3)

Dang, that's a squad.  Just let the four shooters keep launching while Sabety sets monster picks and rebounds everything that misses when he's not rolling to the basket for dunks. 

[Bucket]

As strong as plenty of NESCAC teams are, I'd favor a team of NESCAC transfers over any NESCAC squad by at least 20 points.  Consider:

C Hunter Sabety - 3 ppg, 2.7 rbg, and .6 bpg in 7.8 mpg on 64 percent shooting as Hofstra's back-up center
F Duncan Robinson - 12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 46/44/86 shooting at Michigan
F Zach Baines - 17.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 54/43/67 shooting at Occidental
G Ethan Feldman - 23.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 71/68/89 (!!) shooting at NYU
G Tyler Rowe -- 24.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.8 spg, 46/41/78 shooting at Western Conn

Coach - Dave Paulsen, George Mason (currently 3-3)

Dang, that's a squad.  Just let the four shooters keep launching while Sabety sets monster picks and rebounds everything that misses when he's not rolling to the basket for dunks.

I'd take Mike Maker over Dave Paulsen any day of the week, Marist's struggles notwithstanding.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

New poll.  http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/men/2017-18/week-1

Amherst and Bowdoin got in.  Tufts, Wesleyan, and Hamilton: not quite.

[toad22]

As strong as plenty of NESCAC teams are, I'd favor a team of NESCAC transfers over any NESCAC squad by at least 20 points.  Consider:

C Hunter Sabety - 3 ppg, 2.7 rbg, and .6 bpg in 7.8 mpg on 64 percent shooting as Hofstra's back-up center
F Duncan Robinson - 12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 46/44/86 shooting at Michigan
F Zach Baines - 17.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 54/43/67 shooting at Occidental
G Ethan Feldman - 23.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 71/68/89 (!!) shooting at NYU
G Tyler Rowe -- 24.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.8 spg, 46/41/78 shooting at Western Conn

Coach - Dave Paulsen, George Mason (currently 3-3)

Dang, that's a squad.  Just let the four shooters keep launching while Sabety sets monster picks and rebounds everything that misses when he's not rolling to the basket for dunks.

I'd take Mike Maker over Dave Paulsen any day of the week, Marist's struggles notwithstanding.

I love Maker too, though I do believe that Paulsen has improved his coaching a lot in the years since he left Williams.

[ECSUalum]

A few early-season thoughts on the Ephs, and NESCAC more generally.  Williams is 4-0 vs. two credible and two poor opponents.  The Ephs have another weak opponent still to come before a BIG test against Wesleyan, a team that always gives the Ephs a lot of trouble and which looks better than I anticipated (more on that later).  The Ephs' inside game is just awesome this year and, with no seniors in the frontcourt rotation, will only keep improving.  Kyle Scadlock is playing like an all-American, doing it all on both ends of the floor.  I don't see many guys stopping him this year, his combo of open-court explosiveness and interior finishing, plus a decent outside game, is very tough to stop.  And he seems absolutely locked-in to start the year - he has clearly embraced being the first option and is thriving in that role. 

Matt Karpowicz looks great so far this year and it was encouraging to see him get his first start vs. Yeshiva yesterday.  Now, to be fair the Ephs have played three teams with very small, very weak froncourts out of their four games.  So it's really been unfair when he's up against 6'4 dudes, as his crazy per minute stats reflect -- in only 14.5 MPG, he's putting up 10.5-5-1.3 plus 1 block and nearly a steal per game on ridiculous 78 percent shooting!  Probably half of his baskets have been dunks, which certainly helps the shooting percentage.  That percentage will come down as the opposition grows stronger, of course, but I hope he continues to start and I hope his MPG get more into the 20-24 range.  He can easily get his scoring average up to around 15 ppg while maintaining high efficiency, and that would take a bit of the burden off of Scadlock.  His defensive awareness is improving and his offense and rebounding are huge assets, and he could grow into a major star with more experience.  The third amigo in what I think has to be the best frontcourt in Division 3 is James Heskett, who is playing very efficient basketball with 14 ppg and 6 rpg on 46/41/82 shooting.  His inside-outisde game and ridiculous length at the 3 makes him an impossible match-up for most teams.  Heskett has yet to get an assist this year, so creating for teammates is an area he can work on.  He is still growing as a player but each year has made major strides.  I'd also like to see Williams find creative ways to get him the ball closer to the rim, where he is very effective, especially finishing on the move.  Of course, there are only so many touches the team can generate in the paint and they have an embarassment of riches to choose from. 

Marcos Soto and Michael Kempton as leading bench guys are both very capable players who would probably get more chances on other teams.  They are very good system players who pass the ball well, set screens, play tough D, and can score a bit when given opportunities.  Both will be needed to have some big games this year when 1-2 of the other front court guys are struggling.  If Soto can get going from 3, that would be HUGE for Williams. 

Where Williams clearly needs to improve is in making and defending the 3 point shot.  The Ephs are only shooting at 29 percent from 3 (despite having ample wide-open opportunities with opposing teams packing the pain), while giving up 39 percent from deep.  While the interior game (on both ends) has been so dominant that it hasn't mattered yet, that shooting differential simply can't continue vs. better competition.  Bobby Casey is the only guard who has really been scoring the ball well so far, and he has played very well off the bench; good energy guy.  I'm not worried about the shooting as Cole Teal and Mike Greenman are both rhythm shooters who typically take awhile to warm up, and the early games (as usual) have been choppy without much sustained rhythm.  Teal in particular is a guy whose shooting each year REALLY seems to pick up after the first 3-4 games of the season.  Getting him going is critical for Williams as otherwise teams will be sagging into the lane to try to limit the bigs. 

Defending the 3 is an area that the team just has to work on.  In the games I've seen so far, some opposing guys have made some very difficult 3's, but also there have been too many quick 3's without a guy in the shooter's space.  Although not the quickest team, Williams is big, athletic, and deep, with a lot of intelligent players, so this is something I'm sure that can also be easily improved over time as the team really locks in vs. better teams and works more on switching, etc..  The Ephs' 2-point defense, on the other hand, has been incredibly effective, with so much length and bulk in the frontcourt, there is just very little room for opposing teams to operate down low. 

Other NESCAC thoughts: six teams are undefeated in the conference so far, and all six have looked very good.  Hamilton has been doing it without their starting PG Dwyer, not sure if he is injured or what but so far it hasn't been an issue, and also strangely bringing their top big man, Groll, off the bench.  In typically (for Hamilton) unorthodox fashion, the team has been playing with a starting lineup of five natural wing players.  I imagine if and when Dwyer returns, that will change a bit, but definitely interesting!

Bowdoin's win over Babson is a big one for them.  Clearly some impact frosh have stepped up.  The P'Bears schedule, which is weak overall, is REALLY back-loaded.  I agree with PolarBear16's assessment of Bowdoin's upcoming schedule.  Indeed, in the next 13 games, they may face few major challenges (Tufts looks like the biggest by far).  Don't be shocked to see Bowdoin with a very gaudy record, and eventually a national ranking, through 17 games.  It helps that it looks like the other two Maine teams (especially Bates) may struggle a bit this year.  Bowdoin's last six games are VERY tough, but even there, they do play four of those at home. 

I try not to take TOO much out of common opponent analysis, especially early in the season, but the fact that Wesleyan easily beat Nichols, which easily beat Trinity, which destroyed Bates, has to be good news for Wesleyan and very bad news for Bates.  Even though the Bobcats are 3-1, barely beating U of New England (a team that Bowdoin and Colby simply destroyed) also isn't a great sign.  Speaking of Colby, it seems like the Mules are improved.  Their tiny (5'9 and 5'10) all-frosh backcourt has played really well and given them a boost.  With, once again, a very young team,  Colby will have some ups and downs (two frosh guards might have some real struggles in conference play in particular), but the future in Waterville looks bright -- it will probably just take a year or two to get there. 

Finally, Wesleyan, wow.  With the losses to graduation and attrition, I had modest expectations, but Wesleyan has been perhaps the most impressive team in NESCAC so far this year.  Wesleyan has four easy wins (three of them blowouts) including beating up on a very talented Nichols team.  After Jordan Bonner, who is as expected the main man on offense, Wesleyan has tremendous balance with six guys averaging between 7-12 ppg.  Three of those six guys are frosh, so clearly Wesleyan brought in a big-time recruiting class to complement a talented returning core.  Saturday's Williams-Wesleyan game should be REALLY interesting as Williams has an edge on the front line but Wesleyan's big, athletic guard trio will likely give the Ephs (and everyone else) a lot of trouble.

nescac1, excellent review +k

[FanOfNescac]

As strong as plenty of NESCAC teams are, I'd favor a team of NESCAC transfers over any NESCAC squad by at least 20 points.  Consider:

C Hunter Sabety - 3 ppg, 2.7 rbg, and .6 bpg in 7.8 mpg on 64 percent shooting as Hofstra's back-up center
F Duncan Robinson - 12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 46/44/86 shooting at Michigan
F Zach Baines - 17.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 54/43/67 shooting at Occidental
G Ethan Feldman - 23.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 71/68/89 (!!) shooting at NYU
G Tyler Rowe -- 24.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.8 spg, 46/41/78 shooting at Western Conn

Coach - Dave Paulsen, George Mason (currently 3-3)

Dang, that's a squad.  Just let the four shooters keep launching while Sabety sets monster picks and rebounds everything that misses when he's not rolling to the basket for dunks.

I'd take Mike Maker over Dave Paulsen any day of the week, Marist's struggles notwithstanding.

I love Maker too, though I do believe that Paulsen has improved his coaching a lot in the years since he left Williams.

Poor Mike Maker. 0-6 this year, 22-78 in exactly 100 games in Poughkeepsie. Terrific coach, near-impossible gig.

[Caz Bombers]

As strong as plenty of NESCAC teams are, I'd favor a team of NESCAC transfers over any NESCAC squad by at least 20 points.  Consider:

C Hunter Sabety - 3 ppg, 2.7 rbg, and .6 bpg in 7.8 mpg on 64 percent shooting as Hofstra's back-up center
F Duncan Robinson - 12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 46/44/86 shooting at Michigan
F Zach Baines - 17.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 54/43/67 shooting at Occidental
G Ethan Feldman - 23.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 71/68/89 (!!) shooting at NYU
G Tyler Rowe -- 24.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.8 spg, 46/41/78 shooting at Western Conn

Coach - Dave Paulsen, George Mason (currently 3-3)

Dang, that's a squad.  Just let the four shooters keep launching while Sabety sets monster picks and rebounds everything that misses when he's not rolling to the basket for dunks.

I'd take Mike Maker over Dave Paulsen any day of the week, Marist's struggles notwithstanding.

I love Maker too, though I do believe that Paulsen has improved his coaching a lot in the years since he left Williams.

Poor Mike Maker. 0-6 this year, 22-78 in exactly 100 games in Poughkeepsie. Terrific coach, near-impossible gig.

I'm a local and watch a bunch of Marist games in person and on the web, more than I probably ought to. Maker is over his head at D1.

A true gentleman who has suffered some personal losses that nobody should have to, a wonderful guy, don't get me wrong, but totally lost and exposed at this level. Lousy recruiter, lousy in-game coach. He should probably start looking around for good D3 gigs.

[JEFFFAN]

A few early-season thoughts on the Ephs, and NESCAC more generally.  Williams is 4-0 vs. two credible and two poor opponents.  The Ephs have another weak opponent still to come before a BIG test against Wesleyan, a team that always gives the Ephs a lot of trouble and which looks better than I anticipated (more on that later).  The Ephs' inside game is just awesome this year and, with no seniors in the frontcourt rotation, will only keep improving.  Kyle Scadlock is playing like an all-American, doing it all on both ends of the floor.  I don't see many guys stopping him this year, his combo of open-court explosiveness and interior finishing, plus a decent outside game, is very tough to stop.  And he seems absolutely locked-in to start the year - he has clearly embraced being the first option and is thriving in that role. 

Matt Karpowicz looks great so far this year and it was encouraging to see him get his first start vs. Yeshiva yesterday.  Now, to be fair the Ephs have played three teams with very small, very weak froncourts out of their four games.  So it's really been unfair when he's up against 6'4 dudes, as his crazy per minute stats reflect -- in only 14.5 MPG, he's putting up 10.5-5-1.3 plus 1 block and nearly a steal per game on ridiculous 78 percent shooting!  Probably half of his baskets have been dunks, which certainly helps the shooting percentage.  That percentage will come down as the opposition grows stronger, of course, but I hope he continues to start and I hope his MPG get more into the 20-24 range.  He can easily get his scoring average up to around 15 ppg while maintaining high efficiency, and that would take a bit of the burden off of Scadlock.  His defensive awareness is improving and his offense and rebounding are huge assets, and he could grow into a major star with more experience.  The third amigo in what I think has to be the best frontcourt in Division 3 is James Heskett, who is playing very efficient basketball with 14 ppg and 6 rpg on 46/41/82 shooting.  His inside-outisde game and ridiculous length at the 3 makes him an impossible match-up for most teams.  Heskett has yet to get an assist this year, so creating for teammates is an area he can work on.  He is still growing as a player but each year has made major strides.  I'd also like to see Williams find creative ways to get him the ball closer to the rim, where he is very effective, especially finishing on the move.  Of course, there are only so many touches the team can generate in the paint and they have an embarassment of riches to choose from. 

Marcos Soto and Michael Kempton as leading bench guys are both very capable players who would probably get more chances on other teams.  They are very good system players who pass the ball well, set screens, play tough D, and can score a bit when given opportunities.  Both will be needed to have some big games this year when 1-2 of the other front court guys are struggling.  If Soto can get going from 3, that would be HUGE for Williams. 

Where Williams clearly needs to improve is in making and defending the 3 point shot.  The Ephs are only shooting at 29 percent from 3 (despite having ample wide-open opportunities with opposing teams packing the pain), while giving up 39 percent from deep.  While the interior game (on both ends) has been so dominant that it hasn't mattered yet, that shooting differential simply can't continue vs. better competition.  Bobby Casey is the only guard who has really been scoring the ball well so far, and he has played very well off the bench; good energy guy.  I'm not worried about the shooting as Cole Teal and Mike Greenman are both rhythm shooters who typically take awhile to warm up, and the early games (as usual) have been choppy without much sustained rhythm.  Teal in particular is a guy whose shooting each year REALLY seems to pick up after the first 3-4 games of the season.  Getting him going is critical for Williams as otherwise teams will be sagging into the lane to try to limit the bigs. 

Defending the 3 is an area that the team just has to work on.  In the games I've seen so far, some opposing guys have made some very difficult 3's, but also there have been too many quick 3's without a guy in the shooter's space.  Although not the quickest team, Williams is big, athletic, and deep, with a lot of intelligent players, so this is something I'm sure that can also be easily improved over time as the team really locks in vs. better teams and works more on switching, etc..  The Ephs' 2-point defense, on the other hand, has been incredibly effective, with so much length and bulk in the frontcourt, there is just very little room for opposing teams to operate down low. 

Other NESCAC thoughts: six teams are undefeated in the conference so far, and all six have looked very good.  Hamilton has been doing it without their starting PG Dwyer, not sure if he is injured or what but so far it hasn't been an issue, and also strangely bringing their top big man, Groll, off the bench.  In typically (for Hamilton) unorthodox fashion, the team has been playing with a starting lineup of five natural wing players.  I imagine if and when Dwyer returns, that will change a bit, but definitely interesting!

Bowdoin's win over Babson is a big one for them.  Clearly some impact frosh have stepped up.  The P'Bears schedule, which is weak overall, is REALLY back-loaded.  I agree with PolarBear16's assessment of Bowdoin's upcoming schedule.  Indeed, in the next 13 games, they may face few major challenges (Tufts looks like the biggest by far).  Don't be shocked to see Bowdoin with a very gaudy record, and eventually a national ranking, through 17 games.  It helps that it looks like the other two Maine teams (especially Bates) may struggle a bit this year.  Bowdoin's last six games are VERY tough, but even there, they do play four of those at home. 

I try not to take TOO much out of common opponent analysis, especially early in the season, but the fact that Wesleyan easily beat Nichols, which easily beat Trinity, which destroyed Bates, has to be good news for Wesleyan and very bad news for Bates.  Even though the Bobcats are 3-1, barely beating U of New England (a team that Bowdoin and Colby simply destroyed) also isn't a great sign.  Speaking of Colby, it seems like the Mules are improved.  Their tiny (5'9 and 5'10) all-frosh backcourt has played really well and given them a boost.  With, once again, a very young team,  Colby will have some ups and downs (two frosh guards might have some real struggles in conference play in particular), but the future in Waterville looks bright -- it will probably just take a year or two to get there. 

Finally, Wesleyan, wow.  With the losses to graduation and attrition, I had modest expectations, but Wesleyan has been perhaps the most impressive team in NESCAC so far this year.  Wesleyan has four easy wins (three of them blowouts) including beating up on a very talented Nichols team.  After Jordan Bonner, who is as expected the main man on offense, Wesleyan has tremendous balance with six guys averaging between 7-12 ppg.  Three of those six guys are frosh, so clearly Wesleyan brought in a big-time recruiting class to complement a talented returning core.  Saturday's Williams-Wesleyan game should be REALLY interesting as Williams has an edge on the front line but Wesleyan's big, athletic guard trio will likely give the Ephs (and everyone else) a lot of trouble.

And remarkable to use ALL of those words and never once type the word Amherst!  Well done!

[Bucket]

As strong as plenty of NESCAC teams are, I'd favor a team of NESCAC transfers over any NESCAC squad by at least 20 points.  Consider:

C Hunter Sabety - 3 ppg, 2.7 rbg, and .6 bpg in 7.8 mpg on 64 percent shooting as Hofstra's back-up center
F Duncan Robinson - 12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 spg, 46/44/86 shooting at Michigan
F Zach Baines - 17.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 54/43/67 shooting at Occidental
G Ethan Feldman - 23.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg, 71/68/89 (!!) shooting at NYU
G Tyler Rowe -- 24.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.8 spg, 46/41/78 shooting at Western Conn

Coach - Dave Paulsen, George Mason (currently 3-3)

Dang, that's a squad.  Just let the four shooters keep launching while Sabety sets monster picks and rebounds everything that misses when he's not rolling to the basket for dunks.

I'd take Mike Maker over Dave Paulsen any day of the week, Marist's struggles notwithstanding.

I love Maker too, though I do believe that Paulsen has improved his coaching a lot in the years since he left Williams.

Poor Mike Maker. 0-6 this year, 22-78 in exactly 100 games in Poughkeepsie. Terrific coach, near-impossible gig.

I'm a local and watch a bunch of Marist games in person and on the web, more than I probably ought to. Maker is over his head at D1.

A true gentleman who has suffered some personal losses that nobody should have to, a wonderful guy, don't get me wrong, but totally lost and exposed at this level. Lousy recruiter, lousy in-game coach. He should probably start looking around for good D3 gigs.

Man, you have no idea what you are talking about. The sum total of Maker's experience was at the D-I level before taking the head coaching job at Williams, during which time he twice took the Ephs to the national title game.

Associate head coach at Dartmouth, assistant at West Virginia and Creighton. You think he's "exposed" at the D-I level? The Marist job is one of the toughest in Division I. Maker knew this when he took the job; he's not afraid of the challenge.

[P'bearfan]

Guys, the Polar Bears just beat the defending national champs! The Polar Bears only play one senior of consequence, Liam Farley, and they just handily took down the #7 team in the country. Bowdoin handed out 20 assists, and I want to highlight that Zavier Rucker had five while Stephen Ferraro had six. Ferraro went 0-5 from the field, but he more than made up for it with those assists along with six rebounds and four steals. May I say it was 2016-2017 Jack Daly-esque? I've said it a thousand times: you don't come into the Morrell Madhouse (trademark pending) and walk out with win!

Alright, so is the Bowdoin bandwagon about to get crowded? I think that it might. Looking ahead at the schedule, Bowdoin should be favored in their six games before the Christmas break. Bates and Colby are both down, and a visit to Anna Maria this week is probably the trickiest game in the near future. Add it up, and the Bears have a decent chance at being 10-0 heading into 2018. OK, I'll back away from the computer.

To pour some cold water on the win, Bowdoin has played Babson tough the last few years, and Bowdoin beat them in Morrell in 2015 as well. That didn't mean much as the year went on. Babson appears to still be adjusting to losing Joey Flannery, and there is a chance that they end up not being that good this year. Whatever, Bowdoin is now 4-0.

Love the moniker!!  Hopefully some enterprising students will print up tee shirts for this season.  +K