MBB: NESCAC

[jumpshot]

NESCAC1,

I agree this year's team is better with team defense than the early App years, in part to having more size and depth. Still below Eph teams of the 90's and early/mid-2000's (or 60's for that matter). Perhaps my expectation is higher from an "old school" knowledge of the value of defense and rebounding as a consistent key to high performance in D3 in general and NESCAC specifically over the years.

Just saying that opportunities for improvement in basic defensive skills and relentless rebounding are apparent and present on an absolute basis. Not arguing about a one-year or short-term relative improvement.

I assure you we're watching the same team .... maybe simply with slightly different standards....

[amh63]

Halftime of the Amherst vs Lasell game.  Amherst ahead by 25 points in a game where HC Hixon playing his young players for most of the "2nd quarter" of the first half.  Amherst playing good defense and shooting outside much better than the Babson game.
Avoided posting my pious views of the Babson game and the very questionable last "foul call".  Read the posts by others wrt the call.  Amherst fell behind in the first half and was way down in the second half.  Bradley Jack was defended well and The other scorer was playing well.  Babson was hitting from outside....But there were a number of calls that had Hixon somewhat demonstrative.  I got the feeling that this was going to be a ""Homer" type game....where the game may be  decided by a few questionable calls by the refs.  After TMac's three gave Amherst the lead, Babson lost the ball will time running out.  The video did Not cover the last five  secs of action.  There was a wild shot and time ran out. The announcers did not explain the huddle by the refs and what was the call...did time run out before the shot was in the air.  A foul against Amherst was decided and a 0.5 sec. was put on the clock.  No mtg at the video for a replay.  Players from both teams wondering what was going on.  The Babson player made his three shots...good action.  Announcers were strangely quiet about the call.
I agreed it was a terrible call in a hard fought game at Babson...but I am a bias poster.

[Conts Fan]

Hixon demonstrative?...I don't believe it!

[nescac1]

Confirmed that Scadlock is out for the year:

http://ephsports.williams.edu/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20171209n8rp2v

Tough blow for a kid who has worked his way into a nationally elite player, and tough blow for the team.  But those are the breaks ... the Ephs have some talented young forwards who will need to step up. 

[jayhawk]

Jersey Force AAU twitter confirms new Amherst commit, rugged 6'8' 220 lb power forward who has good post moves :
Congratulations to Michael Schretter on his commitment to Amherst, c 2013 D3 National Champions; the Mammoths are getting an incredibly hard worker, an intelligent/mature kid from a great family;

Amherst team this year moving forward on the learning curve this  by playing in particular three freshman a significant amount of time in each game
today: point guard: Grant Robinson (today 5 of 5 from 3 pt range) who today looks like he could be a really good point guard, 2 guard Tim McCarthy (3 of 4 from 3 pt ranges) and Fru Che- who as a 6"5\ has steady game. 
Amherst in particular playing 3  freshman and replacing so many players from last year will be much be better at end of year

[toad22]

NESCAC1,

I agree this year's team is better with team defense than the early App years, in part to having more size and depth. Still below Eph teams of the 90's and early/mid-2000's (or 60's for that matter). Perhaps my expectation is higher from an "old school" knowledge of the value of defense and rebounding as a consistent key to high performance in D3 in general and NESCAC specifically over the years.

Just saying that opportunities for improvement in basic defensive skills and relentless rebounding are apparent and present on an absolute basis. Not arguing about a one-year or short-term relative improvement.

I assure you we're watching the same team .... maybe simply with slightly different standards....

Though Harry Sheehy's teams in the 90s were nearly all relentless defensive teams, few since then have been exceptional, many certainly not as good as this year's team. Rebounding is something else, as there have been a more teams better at rebounding,mostly in the Sheehy and Paulsen eras. Williams has been a relatively weak rebounding team most of the time since the introduction of the "two guard offense" by Mike Maker. I really like the way this year's Ephs play defense. They will get better, of course, but most teams are having a hard time getting good shots against them. They look to be a very good team in the making.

[BigMike33]

How I Roll, if I'm talking about you I like you.

I really like Scadlock, he worked on his 3 pointer last season and improved it, he is such a dominant physical specimen

I felt passing was his needed focus until I saw the early season regression in 3 point shooting.

Here's hoping for 100% recovery.

Can he still have 2 more years of eligibility, he deserves it

[BigMike33]

Williams will have to adjust by I think putting Karpowicz in lineup more for post touches and inside out passing to open up the floor

Williams just took another hit in athleticism, and floor spacing since Scadlock demanded attention and got the other team's best defender usually.

I say Karpowicz because he is the only threat guy on bench, he can take over offensively in post
Maybe a freshman will get some time so they might develop. Bobby Casey's days of anonymity just ended

Injuries suck, they always put the what if into the equation, which can Never be answered

[middhoops]

The Ephs may miss Scadlock a bunch, but this may turn out to be addition by subtraction, temporarily.  Anyone who has seen Karpowicz dominate the offensive boards has plenty to fear by his potentially increased minutes.  James Heskett has appeared to struggle to find a consistent role in the offense up until now.  Unleashing a talented and very long forward who is deadly from 3 and can take it to the hoop over people doesn't bring joy to my heart when I think about the Ephs visit to Vermont next month. 
More touches for two guys who few teams have an answer for?  Oh, joy.
Jack Daly would struggle to cover Scadlock for sure.  But he can't play Karpowicz and I doubt he'd be assigned to Heskett (but wouldn't rule it out if Heskett caught fire in a game).

Scadlock is probably the best player in our conference.
Williams is so deep in the front court that they will absorb this big loss.  It is the Eph back court that needs to step up if they are to go deep in the NCAA tourney again.

[amh63]

Jayhawk....thanks for the inputs. Yes, the outside shots against Lasell started to drop for Amherst's Younger players...as they did not in the Babson game.  Saw Babson's HC converse with Riopel after the game.  It was his three's in the 2nd half that put Amherst in position to win the game, IMO.
Watched the missed field goal by Navy that allowed Army to win the football game in heavy snow conditions in Philly...14-13!  Saw Boston College rain 3's to take a big lead over No.1 Duke in the first half....eventually helping BC upset Duke.  It was a day of "upsets" in several sports and gave me some solace over the Amherst lost against Babson in an away game.
Some more rambling comments here wrt basketball.
First, the Nescac teams are finding success when their outside shots start to fall...an offensive trend of inside-outside thant leaves shooters open.  Requires ball movement and sharing.  Also requires a strong inside presence and rebounders.
Second, there are more new players stepping up as HC's are mixing the younger players in various combos.  Yes, the early season with a number of hopeful "cupcakes" is for evaluation of players and building a team, on both sides of the game.
As Jayhawk points out, Amherst has presented quite a number of combos in games.  Amherst has to date rebounded well but also has a high number of turn overs. 
Yes, the season to date is to find out who can play defense and who can run, rebound and imho, look for the open teammate.  After the holidays, conference games start.  I know that all the CAC teams are going through this early season evaluation "period".  All the teams will be better when conference games arrive. 
I also hope no more injuries occur.  I want to see at least four CAC teams in the the post- season.
Lots of "ranked teams" are getting beat...upset?

[rlk]

IMHO, I dont think it is possible to do what Bill Bradley did before or for anyone to be an Ivy player in any sport and become a professional star.  The money is too big, the process too efficient, to alllow athletic greatness to end up in the Ivy League.   The Rolle story is nice but remember where he went to school - Florida State.   The reality that this cannot occur tonight is neither a shocker nor a problem.  Institutions serve various needs and constituents.

Seth Towns?  Obviously not in the NBA (yet, at any rate), but he was projected to go to a major D1 power and opted for Harvard.

[P'bearfan]

Bowdoin goes into the holiday break with a nice 20 point win over UM-Farmington, 87-67.

Didn't get to see the game but David Reynolds provided offensive fireworks coming off the bench to score 26 points, including 6-8 from behind the arc - all in just 27 minutes of play!! 

Two other players finished in double figures: Simonds (17); and Farley (10).

Good luck to the Polar Bears with finals.  Hope they enjoy the break and come back ready for conference play.

GoUBears!!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

First semester finals may have started, or about to start, but that hasn't stopped the action on the hardcourt from being formidable. Even the first winter storm of the season didn't stop the games on the East Coast.

On Sunday night's episode of Hoopsville, Dave tries not to scratch his hair (out) as he and guests try and decipher the action of the past few nights and week. While the women seem to have settled in this week, the men's side continues to produce results that make things more complicated. Are there any great teams in Division III?

It just may be too early, still, to really know.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch the show LIVE starting at 7:00 p.m. ET right here: http://bit.ly/2kjEiau

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Guests include (in order of appearance):
- Carissa Sain Knoche, Chicago women's coach
- Brian Morehouse, No. 8 Hope women's coach
- Dan Raymond, Ithaca women's coach
- Jeff Brown, No. 2 Middlebury men's coach
- Matt Goldsmith, TCNJ men's coach

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[BigMike33]

Dave, Great lineup. Way to be with all the December sports pulling at you

[BigMike33]

Midd Hoops,

Size of Eph's guards is not changing, they do not have a much higher ceiling then their output to date which has been Casey on Fire.
inconsistency across board. Greenman 3-13, 1-8 yesterday. plus you have Kempton at 5 who does not score

Karpowicz needs to replace Kempton in starting lineup or play most post minutes, Teal is alread not much of a threat. If you have someone not a threat, you can double Karpowicz so floor balance is important for Karp to have impact he could possibly have.
He hurt Midd in Elite 8 game with Aronowitz, Casey, Scadlock, Heskett spreading floor, threats everwhere

Karp lost weight this summer, improved his footwork,
Casey and Karp are two Eph's who worked hard on their game this summer and it is noticeable