MBB: NESCAC

[D3HforLyfe]

NESCAC1 - Great to hear from you and fair critiques on all fronts. My thought process...

Hutcherson is obviously awesome! In fact, all in all, he is probably the most talented player we have ever had at Wesleyan. He's so good that I was even a little bit worried towards the end of last year that we may lose him to the division 1 level - particularly when you take into account his size, length, and shooting ability -  despite the fact that I have heard he is very happy in Middletown. With that said, I believe you were the first one I heard say "Seniors are gonna senior". I think this is Bonner's team and they are ultimately going to go as far as he can take them. Before winter break last season he was averaging a respectably efficient 16.8ppg and was getting talked about on this blog as an early season POY candidate. As we all know, conference play is much harder and he certainly was less consistent during 'CAC play, but some of this was due to injuries he was batting through that were out of his control. The combination of health, senioritis (in the positive sense), and just his overall talent level I believe are going to lead him to a top-3 POY season.

I have always had an affinity for Doyle's game. Not that I watch nearly enough Continentals basketball to have an opinion that matters, but I just think he is often the difference maker, both for good and for bad. In the NCAA tournament, we saw a good example of both sides: I thought he was poised and had his best game I saw all season versus York leading Hamilton to a grind it out win. However, the next weekend in the Sweet 16 he struggled and was a bit of a non-factor in their season-ending loss to Springfield in a game where if Gilmour didn't go absolutely nuts it could have got out of hand Ham.
The point is that when Doyle is on, which I'm banking he will be more often as a senior, I love what he brings and Hamilton is really tough to beat. His length, passing and overall playmaking ability as the primary ball handler are invaluable to this team. Plus, I tend to love guys who can really impact a game without taking many shots and I think he is one of them (for which is even more critical for a team with three legitimate scorers in Gilmour, Hoffman, and Grassey.) Lastly, while TD is far from a dead eye shooter with a little bit of an awkward release, he can hit enough shots to keep the defense honest which is all he needs to do on this team to keep their spacing.
At the end of the day, you're probably right. This is most likely Hoffman's spot on the All-CAC team, and there is no doubt that he deserves it as well. His versatility and toughness are also invaluable and he has been at the centerpiece of this Hamilton turnaround. But I don't think we should overlook Doyle's importance either. 

Concerning Bates, I hear ya. You definitely could be right, and I hope you are - a lot of great people associated with that program up there in L-A. Furbush will have them defending like dinner is on the line by mid-season and there is no denying that the Spellman, Coyne, and Gilpin trio is a more than competent NESCAC backcourt. However, I just like each of other three that make up the bottom tier of the league a little bit more.

Cole Prewitt-Smith is a great get for Williams and a painful recruiting loss for Amherst. I heard he was on the cusp of being a Mammoth before switching to Willy at the last second. CPS is a great athlete with a smooth all-around game who reportedly turned down an impressive NEC offer from Bryant to be an Eph. With what they are losing after this season there should be opportunity to step right in as well. Sounds like an early favorite for 2019-2020 'CAC ROY for sure!!

Lastly, I apologize for the honest error about Hanna. Very happy he is back in the Blue and White! Very good for the league as he is a great player.

[nescac1]

Congrats to Kyle and James, who have had tremendous careers already and will hopefully both have healthy senior seasons to show what they can do as a tremendously talented forward pairing.  Those two guys and Bobby Casey are as talented a trio from a single class as you will ever see in NESCAC, and all should (again, if healthy) finish quite high on the all-time Williams scoring leader list (all three are fewer than 200 points from 1000 for their careers).   

I'm surprised after his tremendous NCAA performance last year that Kena Gilmour didn't make one of the five pre-season teams.  I'd say there is a good chance he ends up on one in the post-season. 

Oh, and all good points D3HforLyfe!  Saying Hutcherson is perhaps the most talented Wesleyan player ever is quite a statement.  You may well end up being right (although I think you are too young to have seen Leo Jones, who would have my vote for that title as of now).  Great to hear (from an Eph perspective) re: Cole Prewitt-Smith.  He seems like a combo guard with size who can handle and score, which is exactly the role Bobby Casey (and maybe no one else on the current roster, although am eager to see frosh Spivy) fills so there will be a huge opportunity for him next season.   

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Congrats to Kyle and James, who have had tremendous careers already and will hopefully both have healthy senior seasons to show what they can do as a tremendously talented forward pairing.  Those two guys and Bobby Casey are as talented a trio from a single class as you will ever see in NESCAC, and all should (again, if healthy) finish quite high on the all-time Williams scoring leader list (all three are fewer than 200 points from 1000 for their careers).   

I'm surprised after his tremendous NCAA performance last year that Kena Gilmour didn't make one of the five pre-season teams.  I'd say there is a good chance he ends up on one in the post-season.

Considering the huge number of guards in DIII, especially who are good guards, it is hard to get every one we wanted onto five teams. Gilmour was seriously considered, but just couldn't find a space. He very likely could play onto the post-season team. We welcome those. The Preseason list is certainly never perfect. It is simply an indication of players we think are worthy of mention to be watching this season. We just can't name them all.

[nescac1]

Dave, understood.  And I think all the rest of the arguably-deserving guys from the northeast have been included. 

This year (to me at least) seems even more loaded than usual with a REALLY deep group of talented returning upperclassmen.   I've been really impressed with Chrishawn Orange when I've seen him play and he's another guard (among I imagine plenty of others) who didn't make the cut but might in the post-season.   I'm also amazed that Patron is only second-team, but then again I've never seen the two first-team frontcourt players both of whom must be really good. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

There was a HUGE crop of returning guards this year that are very, very good. There just wasn't as large a group of returning forwards. That made the cut for guards really, really difficult. Orange was on that bubble with, honestly, 15 other guys. We could have arguably made two or three more teams of just guards with guys we were seriously considering.

Forwards ... not as many to consider. Patron is damn good, but I also think the guys ahead of him are at least equal. We shall see what the season says.

[jayhawk]

That Cole-Prowitt story about Amherst and Williams is a bit of an odd story

[middhoops]

There was a HUGE crop of returning guards this year that are very, very good. There just wasn't as large a group of returning forwards. That made the cut for guards really, really difficult. Orange was on that bubble with, honestly, 15 other guys. We could have arguably made two or three more teams of just guards with guys we were seriously considering.

Forwards ... not as many to consider. Patron is damn good, but I also think the guys ahead of him are at least equal. We shall see what the season says.

Patron is the best big guy, inch for inch, that our region has seen for a while. 
Middlebury plays him in Plattsburgh this season and Vandy74 and I know already that magicman is ready to silently celebrate while we mourn at our post-game dinner.
Except, we Panther Faithful pray that Midd will drop enough 3s on the Pburgh guards to prevail, barely.

[nescac1]

Middhoops, when you put the inch-for-inch caveat in there, it's pretty much impossible to disagree (how many effective 6'2 centers are there in college hoops, period???).  The only guy around that size and build who I can think of who is better (or even belongs in the conversation) is Jeff Gibbs, arguably the best D3 big guy of this century!   

[middhoops]

nescac1, my friend, Jeff Gibbs of Otterbein was other-worldly.  I suggest his vids on youtube to all here.
Patron is not a freak, but as good a 6-2 post player as you could hope for, today.

[nescacfaninbos]

That Cole-Prowitt story about Amherst and Williams is a bit of an odd story

Might not be so strange when you consider Prowitt-Smith played for the Middlesex Magic coached by former Williams guard Michael Crotty

[nescac1]

Duncan Robinson is officially an NBA player after tonight: 3 points, 4 boards, 1 steal in nine minutes.  Congrats!  Still hard to believe that skinny 6'7 frosh has come so far ...

[mathteacherjedi]

Robinson's first NBA 3, at Madison Square Garden.  http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=25075827&ex_cid=espnapi_public

[nescac1]

Wow so cool to see.  And in the temple of basketball!  I have never been so glad to as wrong as I was about Duncan's NBA prospects. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wow so cool to see.  And in the temple of basketball!  I have never been so glad to as wrong as I was about Duncan's NBA prospects.

Me, too!  I figured him for Europe (possibly a star), but NBA was WAY beyond my expectations!

[P'bearfan]

Robinson's first NBA 3, at Madison Square Garden.  http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=25075827&ex_cid=espnapi_public

Ok, so who is working on the movie script?  This is a better story than Rudy.