MBB: NESCAC

[magicman]

Welcome aboard for the 2018-2019 season Magicman!  It should be a competitive season in the conference....again and what's new .
I think that both Midd and Amherst will surprise many posters...both head coaches are too good.  They will win a bunch of games with the talent on hand...plus mixing in the FYs.

Hello amh63,

Glad to see you're back for another year.

Yes, the conference race will be interesting this year, as it almost always is. I expect Middlebury and Amherst to be in the thick of things like they normally are. Especially, because of their coaches, with the success and class that they have exhibited over the years. At least 5 solid teams hoping to win the NESCAC's automatic entry into the Dance, but as usual, they will get multiple entries to keep everyone happy.

My Cardinals open their season tonight on the road against Clarkson and then turn around quickly to face visiting Skidmore tomorrow in Plattsburgh. Can't wait to see that one. 
   

[nescac1]

Colby's pre-season veteran roster has a big omission: Dean Weiner.  He was when healthy Colby's main man on the interior, their key rebounder and only real rim-protector.  If he is not playing that's a huge loss for the Mules. 

[P'bearfan]

Bowdoin's 2018-19 roster is now up.  A few interesting tidbits:

-There will be 16 players suiting up for the Polar Bears this season; that's a relatively large squad for Coach Gilbride

-All the key players from last year who didn't graduate are returning (a very good thing)

-Bowdoin welcomes 5 FY players.  4 are listed as guards and 1 a G/F

-One of the Bowdoin FY's is from Tokyo, Japan: Taiga Kagitomi is a 6' 4" G/F.  Could Kagitomi be the first native Japanese player in the NESCAC?

-Bowdoin will likely have a relatively small front court with only two players listed at 6' 7" (other than Andy Ward who didn't see too much playing time last year).

Looking forward to the season.  Good luck to the Polar Bears!

[nescac1]

Williams has its roster and season preview posted, and no surprises in either.  I don't think I've ever see a D3 roster with as much size across the boards as the Ephs have ... 7 guys 6'8 or taller, five more between 6'5 and 6'7, and only one guy under 6'2.  It's likely that Bobby Casey, at 6'3, will be the only guy below 6'5 in the starting rotation! 

Rebounding has not been a particular strong suit of the Ephs since, really, the beginning of the Maker era, but if ever there is a year for Williams to try to own the boards, it is this year, with so many big, veteran, athletic players at basically every position.  Getting Scadlock back, but also more time (I would imagine) for Feinberg and Karp, would go a long way towards improving the rebounding margins as those are probably the three best offensive rebounders on the team.   Despite so many big guys, Williams has adequate (but not exceptional) team speed as well.  Still, keeping up with very quick guards may prove to be a challenge.  I'd love to see this team try some more 1-3-1 zone trap (which was very effective in small spurts last season) or the occasional 2-3 zone in the half court to utilize so many long arms at every position which should make life quite difficult for opposing shooters, and also to keep big guys from having to chase guards 5-7 inches smaller than them around the court.   

[Greek Tragedy]

I joked on the WIAC board that their starting lineup will consist of 7'1", 6'11", 6'"10 and two 6'7" guys, I think. Their 6'11" guy comes in at 305 lbs.

[nescac1]

Another shot at pre-season rankings.  The top six I think are all POTENTIAL NCAA teams and any of them could beat any other on any given night ... I think at least three and as many as five of these squads end up in the big dance, especially in what looks like a very shallow year in the rest of New England hoops (neither the Little East nor NEWMAC is gonna have more than two tourney-caliber teams). 

1. Williams - Scadlock, Heskett and Casey gives them three first-team all-league caliber guys, two with all-America level talent if fully healthy.  Karpowicz is not far behind and as an upperclassman should be ready to emerge as a big-time fourth option.  Loads of solid vet role players surround them up front and a few good frosh might help early on the perimeter.  The only real question mark is, this team has a ton of talent concentrated up front but will likely rely either on untested players or forwards playing a bit out of position to help Casey out on the perimeter.

2. Hamilton -- Gilmour, Hoffmann, Groll, Doyle and Grassey give them five guys who have all been key players for at leats three years now, just a tremendous starting five highlighted by all-American talent Gilmour.  The Conts have good depth on the perimeter but it is unclear who if anyone will provide the inside muscle off the bench. 

3. Wesleyan -- I love the trio of Hutcherson, Bonner and O'Brien -- three huge, athletic perimeter players who can defend, get to the rim and (for two of them) shoot.  Wesleyan also has three experienced centers to rotate all of whom give different looks (a bruiser, a leaper, and a shooter). There are only three known quantities in terms of perimeter scoring returning so the team may go through some offensive droughts but the Cards will not be fun to play with so much size and athleticism on the perimeter. 

4. Middlebury -- Folger, McCord, Dahlel, Farrell and Kornaker is a rock-solid starting five.  McCord is immovable, Folger has a boatload of talent, and the soph guards should be a lot better and more impactful.  Interior depth is a question mark as are finding a new identity after Jack Daly dominated so much of the offense last season.  I think Midd is a year away but we know that Brown will have his boys ready every night.

5. Bowdoin -- I am generally higher on Bowdoin than they end up but I really do like the talent on this team.  Rucker and Grad could really explode as sophomores.  Reynolds and O'Neil are very solid frontcourt players and Bowdoin has a few young guards to choose from to help Rucker out.  But this team's upside/downside is all about Jack Simonds, who can play like an all-American at times but also has some really quiet stretches.  IF Simonds lights it up senior year the sky is the limit.

6. Amherst -- this may end up being too low, and it's not a reflection so much of Amherst as I think all five teams above them are very solid.  The Mammoths could easily finish in the top three as there is no shortage of talented guys who might explode into big-time dudes, especially Schneider, Cherry, Robinson, Che, and McCarthy.  There is also tremendous depth and size up front and they will really defend.  The big question mark is, who who will score from the perimeter and who will be the guy to create the key buckets down the stretch with McCarthy and Riopel gone?  Robinson seems like the most likely candidate but will have to grow a lot as a player.  Like Midd, I kind of think this squad is a year away but with a VERY easy schedule they will post a gaudy W-L record early and build a lot of confidence. 

After the top six, I think it gets very murky with more questions than answers, but here goes:

7. Bates -- I love Jeff Spellman and think he will have a big year.  The Gilpin/Coyne backcourt should be one of the better in the league in year three.  Lynch finally has some help up front with some big guys in the incoming class.  This team is a bit lacking at forward but will suprise a few teams especially at home where they are always very tough.  I think they are the best of the anticipated second division.

8. Trinity -- with Gendron graduated and Jeremy Arthur, it appears, not returning, this team is really lacking in terms of offensive playmaking (not really a strong suit last year, for that matter).  They have a lot of guys who are capable of a big night from time to time (Seretta, Christian P., Bell) but who will emerge as a consistent go-to guy on offense?  On the plus side, they are big, tough, deep, athletic and will be a bear defensively.  I like Donald Jorden as a potential break-out player inside.  Another team will is never fun to play against as they can really ugly it up. 

9. Tufts -- I like the young talent but man with only seven returning players, no seniors and only two juniors, these guys are REALLY green.  Savage is a really good second option but is he ready to be a go-to guy?  Aronson is the favorite for ROY but he's still only a frosh.  I love the sophomore class as a whole, a few of those guys are gonna break out, and this team will be very good in 2021, maybe as early as 2020, but 2019 just cracking the top 8 will be a big accomplisment behind so much youth. 

10. Colby -- I might have had them 8 if Weiner was playing but it seems he is not on the roster of returnees and he would be a HUGE loss for this team.  Lots of good perimeter players but they are gonna struggle to hang with the better big guys in the league as I have no idea who plays the 5.  They will push the ball and rotate tons of quick, pestering guards, and they will be a tougher out this year than last year.  This might end up being a bit too low but SOMEONE has to be 10 and I don't love the balance on the roster right now. 

11. Conn -- who knows from year to year who they will lose to attrition but even assuming everyone is back, they are in their usual spot at 11.  It's too bad Tyler Rowe didn't stick around because if he was a senior right now the Camels could actually do some damage.  The frontcourt of Labossier, Draffan and incoming seven footer Omslaer should be really good.  But it was guard play that killed Conn last year and there is no reason to think that will be dramatically improved, as Conn lags far behind every other NESCAC team on the perimeter. 

[amh63]

Amherst's roster is up!  One of the new players is from Serbia.  Lots of G/F types of players with size on the team.  Front court players are in the 6'7" plus height.....but the listed height are generally low.  The weight/size is more important, imo.  Then there is the quickness factor and arm length and hand size.  Amherst has had a number of front court players that were both scorers and rebounders on their Title teams that were under 6'6".  Am sure posters here can remember them.
Amherst list two grad. Assistants and one assist. coach...Toomey.  Listed captains...two...a junior and a senior.   Am sure there are a number of designated outside shooters.  Question remains Is who will develope into the PG/playmaker among the listed guards.  16 players listed.
Oh yes,  hope the new grad assistant is a front court type.

[WPI89]

Hoops!!!  Nice to be back reading you all. Hello Amh63.  Great info above NESCAC. Hope your declarative statement about NEWMAC bites you. We shall see.   Health and good luck to all.

[ContinentalDomer]

Hamilton's roster is up:  https://athletics.hamilton.edu/sports/mbkb/2018-19/roster

In terms of significant minutes, Joe Pucci and Jack Dwyer graduated - 9 ppg between them, strong NCAA tournament contributions, and great leadership on and off the floor.  One player from last year is absent from the list - Tyler Washington (So).

Assuming Mark Lutz (Jr) is healthy, he will spread the floor and add scoring punch off the bench, after missing the latter portion of the season in 2017-18.

Regarding NESCAC1's point about "inside muscle", Kendall (So), McEnaney (So), and Osarenren (Fr) are the most likely to provide an inside presence on defense and on the boards, after the first five.  Gilmour and Grassey were Top 10 in NESCAC rebounding last year. Groll was Top 15, and Hoffman is also a good rebounder.  Although undersized in terms of height, Hamilton tends to get the rebounding piece done as a team.

[grabtherim]

The dirtiest play I have ever seen in a lifetime of watching college basketball.  Kewan Platt the player who could have killed the guy he hit should be thrown off the team immediately, and the school should consider kicking him out as well.  Watch as Platt misses a shot, seems irate that a foul was not called, and then simply cold cocks the Nichols player a few seconds later.  How ironic that his  bio on the Fitchburg hoops site indicates that he's a Criminal Justice major.  Perhaps those courses will come in handy in assisting his attorney if he's indicted for assault, which he should be. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWcrJ18yjok

[nescac1]

Wow, that video is ... something else.  Apparently he is already off the roster (and deservedly-so). 

[grabtherim]

Quick appropriate action taken, with the promise of more to come. 
  http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/25275935/fitchburg-state-suspends-kewan-platt-dirty-play-bars-campus 

[jayhawk]

preseaon article on Amherst Mens Bbaal on athletics website

Some interesting items- last year Amherst led the nation in field goal percentage

Timmy Mccarthy before he got hurt was shotting 45% from 3 pt line- He is ready to play after injury
strong under the radar freshman class now sophomores
I would look for Josh Chery to be more aggressive offensively , kind of a unique 3 extremely strong player

Freshman
Probably most ready freshman is Will Phelan, played in a tough private school league, in many skills- ambidextrous, can jump, shoot from outside and drive and pass
Maybe get playing time even though freshman

The kid from Serbia turned down an invitation to be on Serbia national 16 year team -may need some time to adjust to college and bball in America
Michael Schretter talented freshman player at 6'7' but with so many taller players back may find time to get on court difficult

be interesting to see how the team develops over time

[jumpshot]

Anyone else notice that Duncan Robinson scored 29 points while playing almost the entire game, and hitting the winning come-from-behind three-point basket a few seconds before the final buzzer for the Sioux City Sky Force, the Miami Heat's Developmental League team? Duncan has already had two stints with the Heat in Miami as part of his two-way contract. His hard work, poise, and basketball knowledge are certainly paying off!

[jumpshot]

Opps ... I meant Sioux Falls rather than Sioux City.