MBB: NESCAC

[middhoops]

Quality road win for Middlebury at Skidmore tonight.  I'll leave it to others to dissect the game and leave a few tidbits for comment.
Matt Folger is an impossible match up for most teams.  Tonight was no different.  Seems like Folger has been in foul trouble in all but one game this year, although I'm probably wrong.  Regardless, his soft touch and defensive intimidation give the Panthers a uniquely potent weapon.
Nick Tarantino was a total beast on the boards.  His play above the rim was more than Skidmore could deal with.  Best game of his career so far.
Jack Farrell's speed gave Skidmore fits.  He shot well, drove the ball effectively and ran the court like Usain Bolt.  Old Guy will no doubt fill in his stat line.
Jack Daly kept the very talented Edvinas Rupkus in check until the game was largely decided.
Daly didn't put up dazzling stats but his effect on the outcome was significant.

This was a game where Midd struggled offensively at times, especially the last few minutes of the first half.  They righted the ship coming out for the second half, turning a four point deficit into a twleve point lead, largely on an explosion from Folger.
Through six games, Jeff Brown's team has played great defense, run on every opportunity, played a very deep rotation and done what it's taken to win.
A solid early season.

Now three weeks off before a tournament in Virginia.

[JustAFan]

Middlebury's big men were the difference tonight in the Panthers win over a good Skidmore team.  It's a joy to watch Middlebiry play defense and hit the boards as well as push the ball at every opportunity. They are extremely well coached and have definately developed a recognizable brand of play.

You will be hard pressed to find a better freshman anywhere in the country than Skidmore's 6-5 point guard Noah Merin. Wow! Silky smooth handle, the ability to penetrate at will and finish above rhe rim, very unselfish and a good outside shot. He could easily be playing at a higher level. I hope Williams gets Skidmore back on the schedule so I can see him in person.

[Bucket]

Impressive win for the Panthers at Skidmore, 91-76.

Packed house in Saratoga, standing-room only, loud and energized. Students right on the floor—one kid brought a rubber mallet to the game ands in the front row, pounding the hardwood throughout.

Thoroughbreds fed off the energy to end the half on a run. While Midd led for most of the first 15-16 minutes, Skidmore had a burst to take a 4-point lead into the locker room. With Folger saddled with early foul trouble, limiting him to just 8 or 9 minutes in the opening half, Tarantino was key to keeping Midd in the game. As previously stated, he was around and above the rim all night on both ends of the floor. 20 points, 17 rebounds.

Folger scored 13 of his 18 in the second half; draining threes and scoring in transition. Jack Ferrell played like a veteran—22 points (7-14 from the field, 3-5 from three). He flew down the court and played tenacious d on guys 3-4 inches taller.

Midd opened the second half on a 16-2 run and took all of the emotion away from Skidmore and the rabid crowd.

Watching Daly and Rupkus go at it was a joy. 13 pts and 11 assists for Daly (along with 5 boards and 3 steals). He struggled a bit from the floor; he was harassed on the perimeter, and he was always met by a couple of lanky defenders every time he took it to the cup, but the one 3 he did drop was a dagger, just when it seemed Skidmore might have one last run in them.

Skidmore's Noah Meren was reminiscent of ABA-era Dr. J, both with his hairstyle and play. So smooth, he seemed to glide rather than run. And he finished at the rim—dunks and acrobatic reverses—that led me to remark that I was glad no style points were offered.

Now we head into the break. It will be a long three weeks! 

[frank uible]

It's Freddie Scott, not Freddie Mitchell. You mentioned nothing but DARP players. DARP was a great recruiter - all because he related to people so well on an universal basis. But of course he is gone, and he was uniquely a man of his times.

[Old Guy]

Middhoops is right on all counts, but he has an equanimity I lack. He's so cool: "Quality," "solid" win. C'mon, Middhoops — this was a terrific road win. Two GOOD teams, playing hard and well. Good hoop! I was exhausted at the end of the game, like it was a postseason affair. Clearly, I'm more fan than analyst. Middlebury was tough, deep, played great in a hostile arena.

Tarrantino was uncontainable, playing above the rim — 20 points, 17 rebounds. Coming out party for frosh Jack Farrell: with so  much attention being paid Daly, he was cool and confident: 22 points, high scorer for the game (7-14/3-5/5-5), a crucial performance. He hit some big hoops in the second half. Daly ended up with 11 assists (13 points). Dahleh was solid, picking up Rupkis with Daly in foul trouble. Dahleh's play is very encouraging after his year lost to injury. He's a confident player, offensively and defensively, agile, slippery.

Very exciting game. Big noisy crowd. Skidmore is developing a following. Back and forth in the first half, some great hoop — Skidmore ahead by four 38-34 at the break (though it could have been more as the Thoroughbreds missed a couple of bunnies at the hoop as time expired.) Folger sat much of the half with a couple fouls. When he was in there he was himself, that is, very good, had a beautiful block of a dunk attempt. Daly only had one point in the half (but six assists). Skidmore guarded him with tall athletic guys (6'6'' Dakpe Yiljep and 6'4" Pat Gallagher). They collapsed on Jack at the hoop, knowing that he likes to finish in traffic and not pass out of it.

Midd had a 57 point second half, came out smoking with an 18-4 run after the break. Folger was terrific in this stretch, hitting three 3s. He only played 20 minutes but ended up with 18 points with 4 threes and 4 blocks, playing in foul jeopardy the whole game. He's a good one. He does so much that foul trouble may be his nemesis. If I were playing Midd, I'd go right at him, as he likes to block shots and he's good at it. Refs were good tonight, not anticipating contact at the hoop. As for Midd fans, we like it when Folger's on the floor.

Skidmore is good, versatile, athletic. They'll be around at the end of the season. Rupkis going to the basket is tough — he's so strong! They have a 6'5" frosh, Noah Meren, who is also really hard to guard going to the hoop, flashy, Oscar Gamble/Dr. J Afro (period reference), very different from Rupkis, skinny, creative, had three hoops that brought the crowd to its feet: two fancy reverse layups in traffic and a dunk after a cross-over dribble. Came off the bench with 19 points (2-2 from three). He'll be fun to watch develop: tries to do too much at times (3TOs). Yiljep is a formidable player, lean and long — plays inside and outside (16 points tonight). Like I said, Skidmore is good.

A word about Jeff Brown. I generally don't comment much about coaching decisions, etc. — i know how much I don't know. If I went to every practice I might be more comfortable holding forth. But tonight I think Jeff Brown really was masterful managing his roster. Both Daly and Folger were in foul trouble. He played a lot of people, in the first half especially (11 players) — but made sure his best five were on the floor when the game was in the balance. It certainly appears he knows what he's doing.

It's early, but this was a reaffirming win. Daly was not at his best, checked hard, and Folger's minutes were compromised, and Midd beat a good team, on the road, during final exams. Like Middhoops said: "solid," "quality."

I see that Bucket scooped me. I'm slow. I'm posting anyway. Excuse the redundancy and excess.

[BigMike33]

Hard Fought game. All kinds of diverse talent on both teams. Most I have seen in a D3 gym. Skidmore is very good. Lots of weapons. Good thing for Midd this was played early in season. One can see Skidmore developing into Top 5 team in Northeast.

Folger is his own worst enemy. His first foul was a cheap reach in on sideline. This ONE foul put him behind the eight ball all night.
When you know you are covering Yiljep, you need all fouls to deal with Yiljep's drives into the paint. Low IQ play.

Midd Hoops.  Correct every game except 1 Folger in foul trouble. That game pendulum swung, he was too passive.

If Skidmore had a quality big, this could have been a loss. Without McCord, Midd is vulnerable if Folger's foul troubles persist.

Nasty block by Folger on former Williston teammate "Big Irish" attempted dunk. That was personal.

Circle that game against York to open Wash and Lee Tournament after break. Midd is vulnerable as York is best team in tournament and break is long.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Skidmore's not deep and they made a lot of dumb mistakes.  I think the quality of the Midd defense got them rushed a little bit.  They are short a post guy, but the big guards help make up for it.  Midd also plays at a speed that's beneficial for Skidmore.  I'd be interesting how they fare against a team that slows the pace a bit (and has big guys).

I'm looking forward to Midd and Swarthmore.  They play fast and have some big guys - with really strong team rebounding.  That should be a great one.

Middlebury spolidified their spot in my eyes.  They played disciplined, mid-season basketball and exposed Skidmore growing pains - trying to incorporate a decent number of new additions to the team.  Wasn't the best Midd game, but it's a better game than most every team in the country has shown just yet.

[grabtherim]

Agree with the comments, so much to like with what Midd is showing.  To me the most important takeaway is depth and the experience so many young players are getting early this season.  Slumps, injuries or just a bad night for guys you rely on are pretty much a given going forward.  For Jeff, to be comfortable with a variety of guys when league play starts is huge.  In my mind, last night was the best and most complete game I have seen Tarantino play as a Panther.  Looks like a guy who knows, in fact, has learned what he brings to the table.  Very impressive indeed.  Now remembering they are student athletes, it's time to get Finals and papers out of the way.  Great start, and I look forward to the VA tournament.  That said, I think this league is going to have some incredible games when it starts up in January.  Tons of talent spread around.  No body should rest easy, as I think the league will be a dog fight. 
     

[JEFFFAN]

It's Freddie Scott, not Freddie Mitchell. You mentioned nothing but DARP players. DARP was a great recruiter - all because he related to people so well on an universal basis. But of course he is gone, and he was uniquely a man of his times.

My mistake - thank you for the correction.  I mentioned these players because they had all been drafted into the NFL, something that could not happen today in the NESCAC. Or the Ivies for that matter.

[frank uible]

Better yet they all played in the NFL with the exception of Swiacki.

[nescac1]

Congrats to future Eph Ryan Moon, a savvy true PG out of Bishop McGuinness HS in North Carolina.  Hopefully he continues the fine tradition of notable Nescac point guard play from that program!

https://twitter.com/ryan_moon2/status/939569294270173184

[Cards Fan]

Boy, that was scary. Wesleyan gets the W, 71-61, but not in flawless fashion.

Wesleyan started the game down 15(!!) - 0. The gym was absolutely silent. For whatever reason, Wes comes out swinging against good teams (early leads against Williams and Nichols), but this is their 3rd game starting down 7-0 or worse to subpar teams.

Austin Hutcherson shot 7-9 from 3 point land, putting up 27 points. That is the future of the team right there. Now Wes has a big break, then back against Fitchburg.

[jumpshot]

EPH players can improve by becoming better at handling the ball. Too many turnovers, many unforced, as has been the case in recent years. The outstanding EPH teams of the late 1990's and early 2000's actually started pre-game warmup with basic ball-handling drills, and Coach Sheehy attributed some of the success of his teams simply to being excellent passing squads.

Also individual defensive footwork, positioning, stance, and avoiding fouls ----so called little things --- would make a big difference.

Many outstanding EPH teams valued one or more real defensive stoppers. Can't simply rely on outscoring the opposition every night...

[nescac1]

Jumpshot, the Ephs' offense has been inconsistent for sure this year -- and for some reason, in nearly every game, Williams REALLY struggles in the first 10 minutes or so to find rhythm.  Something to work on over the break.  But regarding defense, I'm not sure WHAT team you are watching.  This is the best Eph defensive team in many years in my view, one of the best ever.  Today, a solid Springfield team could really do very, very little vs. Williams, scoring only 51 points.  Cole Teal, James Heskett, and Henry Feinberg, with some help from the bigs (especially Kempton) shading towards the inside, totally stymied all-American Jake Ross, holding him to 11 points on 5-17 from the field -- and Ross is absolutely legit (he killed Williams last year as a frosh).  Opposing teams are averaging 62 ppg on the season, and shooting only 36 percent from the field and 31 from 3 point range -- hard to do much better than that.  The Ephs play very hard on defense, position themselves well, provide excellent help, and use their length to force opponents into really difficult shots most of the game.  The D is NOT the issue for the Ephs.  And of course they did it today without one of their best defenders, Kyle Scadlock. 

Offensively, it was a tale of two halves for Williams.  IN the first half, until the very end of the half, the Ephs were very impatient, rushing shots, taking long 3's early in the shot clock, and doing too much one.  IN the second half, they moved the ball much better to the open man and were going inside and out.  One issue was the usually-unflappable Mike Greenman, who visibly was getting into some sort of chippiness with one of the Springfield guards and was forcing too much of the offense on his own.  Once he calmed down a bit the team started to play better as a whole. 

For the Ephs, Bobby Casey continued his spectacular play of late.  He's been absolutely on fire over the last few weeks, up to 49 percent from the season on 3, and he's also been finishing really well in the lane.  Today, 20 points, 6 boards, solid D, and 6-9 from 3 (including several from VERY deep).  He has been great all season long.  James Heskett was also great especially in the first half when he was most of the Eph offense at tiems.  Great all around game with 15 points, 3 boards, 3 treys, 2 assists, a steal and 3 blocks.  I believe that he is capable of scoring even more if the team gets him the ball in good scoring position.  He is just SO smooth for his size and has stepped up his aggression with Kyle Scadlock out. 

Cole Teal, Matt Karpowicz, and Chris Galvin also had very nice games for the Ephs, with Karp doing a great job boarding, protecting the rim, and swinging the ball out of double-teams.  I do however think he could stand to be a little LESS unselfish and look to take it aggressively to the hole, where still, no one has been able to stop him all year. 

A really solid first semester for the Ephs despite the disappointing loss to Wesleyan in which everything that could go wrong, basically did.  Of course, the big question for Williams remains, will Scadlock return (he was on crutches today, not a great sign).  If not, that's simply a huge loss, but guys like Heskett, Feinberg and Casey will just have to keep stepping up and playing well, which all three have done so far in Scadlock's place.  The Eph starting backcourt hasn't really found its outside shooting groove yet, and when (I hope) that happens, Williams will be that much more dynamic on offense.  I'd also love to see the Ephs attack the boards more aggressively going forward and generate more second-chance points.  But these are nits following a strong first semester of Williams hoops ...

[jumpshot]

EPHS earn a good win 68-51 versus a cold shooting Springfield team (30% from the floor, 25% from distance compared with 41% for each by Williams). Springfield hampered by having only two scoring threats.

Time for exams, rest, renewal, and healing before heading to California over the holidays .... Decent start to the season for Williams with signs of becoming cohesive and unselfish ....