MBB: NESCAC

[Bucket]

All NESCAC teams posted:

First Team: Bobby Casey, Jack Farrell, Austin Hutcherson, Kena Gilmour, Grant Robinson
Second Team: James Heskett, Peter Hoffman, Sam Jefferson, Eric Sellew, Jack Simonds

POY: Gilmour
Defensive Player of the Year: Jordan Bonner
Rookie of the Year: Noah Tyson
Coach of the Year: Dave Hixon

First team seems to be unanimous with this board's projections.

Bummed (and a bit surprised) that Matt Folger didn't make second team, though everyone that did has been in the conversation, so I guess it's not that surprising.

[nescac1]

Interesting.  Sellew had a very good year but Che seemed more valuable as a two-way player.  Speaking of which I don't know how he doesn't get DPOY.  Hoffmann a very good player but def surprised he beat out Folger, Bonner, Che.  Everything else looks pretty solid. 

[Colby Hoops]

Upperclassmen (and particularly seniors) almost always seem to get the nod over younger guys in the all-league awards -- even when its not particularly close. I believe coaches vote for these awards? My sense is not a lot of research goes into them. While Hoffman and Sellew are both great players, the numbers really don't back up either of them having a spot over Folger or several others.

[nescac1]

Good point Colby Hoops, all things being equal (and sometimes not even being equal), a more veteran player will always get preference in the all-league voting.  I mean heck, Duncan Robinson couldn't even crack the first-team all-NESCAC team as a first-year, and he is now an NBA starter! 

[NEhoops]

I figured that AMH/HAM/WIL would have two players recognized. I thought it would be the case for MID as well, but maybe Folger and Bosco split votes. Either way all of the second teamers are very deserving. I think a lot of research goes into the coaches vote - they've seen all the players in a game setting (at least once) and many more times on film. They recognize players that help their team win in ways that sometimes don't show up in the box score.

I think Bonner (WES) and Reynolds (BOW) not being selected is indicative of the some of the struggles their respective teams had – they both made 2nd team last season.
Hoffman is a three-time 2nd team selection and his teammate Gilmour will have a strong chance to become a three-time 1st team selection next season putting him in some elite company.

Toomey (AMH)
Kizel (MID)
Rhoten (TRI)

Some others that came close or could have been on the list:

Wang (WIL) – wasn't selected to an all-conference team his senior year
Hart (HAM) – selected to 1st team his sophomore year before transferring
Robinson (WIL) – selected to 2nd team his freshmen year before transferring; only freshmen that I know of to be selected to a NESCAC all-conference team

The 2013-14 season had some special talent – Toomey and Kizel were seniors; Hart was a sophomore and Robinson was a freshmen. Regarding this year's selection this is the only year that there is only one senior on the first team and second time there has been two or more sophomores on the first team – three this year and two in 2011-12 (Toomey/Kizel).

[nescac1]

With three sophomores on the all-league first team (that has to be a first, right?), the list of three time award-winners could soon expand by a lot. Of course a lot can happen over the course of two seasons ...

Heck of a soph class in Nescac by the way.  Morris, Bosco, Rogers, Che, James, Jordan, Draffan, Hannah, maybe McCarthy once his knee is healthy, among I'm sure others, are all guys to watch.  One of the most talented groups in Nescac history.   The trajectory is pointing up for the majority of the league next season as a result. 

[Colby Hoops]

I figured that AMH/HAM/WIL would have two players recognized. I thought it would be the case for MID as well, but maybe Folger and Bosco split votes. Either way all of the second teamers are very deserving. I think a lot of research goes into the coaches vote - they've seen all the players in a game setting (at least once) and many more times on film. They recognize players that help their team win in ways that sometimes don't show up in the box score.

This is probably true, although I'm guessing they don't do a deep dive into the numbers. Also players that have a big game against them are probably more likely to get a vote. Either way, they do tend to do a pretty good job.

[MiddWatcher]

Thanks for news re: All Stars. A great group of guards : ) Remarkable how the game has changed. Agree with others: certainly disappointed for Matt Folger, but knowing the guy, I do not think he is overly worried. But he will be even more motivated : )  Look out for that team next year. And, hopefully, the next few weekends.  IMO, Matt totally sublimated his own numbers for the good of the team this year. He was a tremendous team player, through and through.  I am extremely proud of him as a player on that team; a team ( and school ) that I watch a lot in any number of different teams. It is somewhat disappointing that the other coaches did not quite recognize his contributions, but sometimes even the other coaches do not know the total picture within a team dynamic. Matt is a huge leader and is extremely well respected by his teammates.  And by the Middlebury fans.  He improved in a lot of areas this year; none more so than that he led the team in fewest turnovers per minutes played.  And he is a mobile, ballhandling big man.  Congrats to Matt on a great year and continued best wishes for a successful end to this year.

[Colby Hoops]

With three sophomores on the all-league first team (that has to be a first, right?), the list of three time award-winners could soon expand by a lot. Of course a lot can happen over the course of two seasons ...

Heck of a soph class in Nescac by the way.  Morris, Bosco, Rogers, Che, James, Jordan, Draffan, Hannah, maybe McCarthy once his knee is healthy, among I'm sure others, are all guys to watch.  One of the most talented groups in Nescac history.   The trajectory is pointing up for the majority of the league next season as a result.

It's a crazy class. Can add Zavier Rucker to that list. And guys like Wallace Tucker, Griffin Kornaker, Justin Kouyoumdjian, Garret Day and Jack Zimmerman are all solid contributors as sophs with room to continue improving. There are also a few guys who aren't hugely impactful players so far but have the potential to be really good as upperclassmen, like Sam Grad, Marc Taylor and Spencer Kendall.

One random thought -- does a guy like Austin Hutcherson consider making the jump to D1? He pretty clearly can play at that level. I wonder if some of the recent success of guys who have done that might make it seem like a more viable option. Hutcherson isn't Duncan Robinson, but I think he could play for a power conference team especially with a year to sit out and hit the weight room.

[middhoops]

So many deserving players.
Adding to Bucket and MiddW's comments, Matt Folger made huge strides this year (see Offensive Rebounds/blocked shots) while taking a back seat to penetrating guards in a season when his team transformed its persona.

The guy who impresses me most at the end of the year is Grant Robinson.  As Jack Farrell's biggest non-relative/neighbor/coach/friend fan*.....at this point in the season I just got to say that Robinson is the last guy I want to see with the ball with 7 seconds left.


*not that I'd trade Farrell for anyone.  ever.

[nescac1]

Good list of names that I omitted, Colby Hoops.  For Williams, I really do like Marc Taylor's potential, assuming he can make a full recovery from his injury.  He was just starting to show what he is capable of when he went down, a tough break for him. 

Regarding Hutcherson, after the success of Duncan, Hart and Sabety (and as recently noted by D3HoopforLife, we can add Jeremy Arthur to the list who his having a big year in D-2), NESCAC stars have proven they can contribute at higher levels of basketball.  I still think it will be very unusual to see guys transferring up who have NESCAC eligibility remaining (it was sort of flukey they three guys left around the same time, and I imagine all had very different reasons), NESCAC degrees and the chance to continue be a star on a program that you know are hard to pass up unless you are guaranteed a lot of playing time at a high-level program and basketball is your number one priority.  Hutcherson could definitely contribute to any number of D1 schools, he is really the prototype of what hoops has become -- a tall, athletic player who can guard wings, shoot the 3 and handle the ball.  Gilmour, Robinson, and possibly Farrell too.  I'd be surprised if any of them actually entertained going anywhere.  But all have the speed / athleticism required to succeed in D1 hoops in my view. 

I also think Kyle Scadlock could contribute as a graduate student somewhere if that is his desire, as he'd be another year removed from his ACL surgery.  Kyle through, really, bad luck (two significant injuries in his hoops career) is one of the better talents / bigger contributors over the course of his career in NESCAC history never to make an all-league team.   

[Bucket]

Interesting note about Jack Farrell. Like many NESCAC players, he was a three-sport athlete in high school. Yet, from those who know, I'm told that basketball was probably his third sport in terms of his opportunity to play at the highest levels. (Though, as you will read, not his third sport in terms of personal interest.) I understand he had several DI scholarship offers for lacrosse, and he was similarly touted on the soccer pitch. Imagine that speed on either field! But, I was also told he loved basketball more than the others and, most of all, wanted to be a true student-athlete at an excellent school, where he could play (and excel) at a sport he deeply loves.

[JEFFFAN]

Predictions on which NESCAC teams make it through this weekend and which are most exposed to an upset loss?

[nescac1]

In order from most-likely to least-likely to advance, how I would handicap it:

Hamilton - playing at home, massive favorite in game one, would be a solid favorite vs. Keene or a big favorite vs. Moravian ... 80 percent chance of advancing
Amherst - two concerns are playing on the road and possibly without Sellew.  Still, a near-lock in opening game, would be a solid favorite even on the road vs. (very likely) Rochester ... 75 percent chance of advancing
Williams - massive favorite in game one, very slight favorite if they play Plattsburgh in game two, but probably a toss-up game on a neutral court ... 55 percent chance of advancing
Middlebury - toughest opening game by far, but still a slight favorite.  At Rowan, would again be a very slight favorite ... 40 percent chance of advancing

Odds of all four advancing to round of 16 this year are probably something like 20 percent ...

[daoustian]

Odds of all four advancing to round of 16 this year are probably something like 20 percent ...

Based on your odds, more like 13.2% if you do the math, but who's counting?