MBB: NESCAC

[nescac1]

Congrats to Kena Gilmour (fourth team) and Bobby Casey (honorable mention) for earning all-American status:

https://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-americans/men/2019

I would expect Gilmour, Grant Robinson, and Austin Hutcherson (despite tough ends to the season for each of them) to appear on pre-season all-American lists next season. 

With the graduation of a slew of high-profile seniors, New England is gonna be wide open next season.  Amherst will certainly head into the season as the heavy regional favorite, but the Mammoths will have a slightly different look with, likely, a smaller, quicker team.  Still, clearly the most returning talent in the region.  Middlebury will also be in the mix, and it will take awhile to sort out who the other NESCAC contenders will be.

Outside of NESCAC, the landscape may be even more certain.  Marcos Echevarria and Ty Nichols are massive losses for Nichols and Keene.  Even though both of those teams have some solid talent in reserve, losing a second / first team all-American is tough to overcome unless there is an obvious heir apparent.  MIT (as it seems to every 3-4 years) gets absolutely decimated by graduation, so likely is headed for a rebuilding season.  Gordon loses a ton, this year was really their window. 

Some teams that do look intriguing outside of NESCAC include Eastern Conn (likely the top non-NESCAC team in the region, returns its four key players from a very good team), WPI (returns the entire roster, somehow won 19 games despite only playing one upperclassman and some pretty significant injury issues), which looks like the class of the NEWMAC, Springfield, (if Jake Ross is back to 100 percent they can never be counted out, but very thin in talent after their amazing top two guys), Salem State, which also returns two elite players in the region and usually brings in a few frosh/JUCO/transfer guys of note, and St. Joseph's CT -- fared pretty well with basically an all-frosh team, and with a second Calhoun recruiting class added to the mix, they should start being very dangerous as they get more experience.  They will be the class of the GNAC for a LONG time, very likely, and I think by 2020-21 will likely be a regular regional heavyweight.   

Other teams to watch: Endicott and Nichols in the CCC (Keith Brown and DeAnte Bruton are top-tier players, although neither teams looks likely to have one of their really top-tier squads as in recent years), Babson (only lose one senior from a solid team that did beat Amherst), MIT (they usually reload pretty fast), Emerson (some talent back from the surprise NEWMAC champ, but they lose by far their top guy), and Keene could rebuild but man Ty Nichols do a lot. 

In sum, if I had to guess at this VERY premature point of what a rough estimate of pre-season New England top 12 might look like, I'd go with something like:

1. Amherst, 2. Middlebury, 3. Eastern Conn, 4. WPI, 5-8 (some combo of Tufts, Colby, Trinity, Hamilton, Williams, and Wesleyan, but tough to pick which ones or where to rank them until we know a bit more about their off-season losses and additions, Williams and Hamilton were the best of that group this season, but lose by far the most so will be depending on huge contributions from young players), then 9-12 (in some order), St. Joe's, Nichols, Salem State, Springfield. 

Enjoy the long off-season! 

[Smitty Oom]

I know Alburtus Magnus has been atop the GNAC for awhile and during this span they haven't been competing for real regional significance, but they only graduate Pitman, their 6th leading scorer. They return 92% of their scoring from a 20-8 overall record, share of the regular season GNAC title and won the GNAC playoff championship. I think if you are including St. Joe's, even with the Calhoun Program Rocket Boosters strapped on the Blue Jays, the Falcons should also be included as they are probably the favorite for next years GNAC.

[WUPHF]

I am not sure if they are top 12, but I think Brandeis could be better next season.

[BluesBrother]

Hi NESCAC people. Vote for Austin Butler to represent D3 in the Slam Dunk Contest at the Final Four!

http://www.darkhorsedunker.com/

[NEhoops]

I agree that Brandeis will be competitive enough next year to make an appearance in the regional rankings. They ended the season on a high note as ECAC champs and the coaching staff will be bringing in their first full recruiting class. We have seen some serious talent come through that program in the past. 

It will be interesting to see who takes over at Clark and Conn College. Clark has had two winning seasons in the last ten years. The right coach could make them competitive in the NEWMAC rather quickly, but it won't be an easy tasks. As for Conn, this opening will have a lot of interest from all three divisions – assistants and head coaches. Scott Faucher (Nichols) and Kevin Bettencourt (Endicott) are two current Northeast head coaches that would be a good fit. Faucher played in the NEWMAC at Wheaton, was a NESCAC assistant at Bowdoin and his stock is probably as high as it's going to be. Bettencourt played in the Patriot League (Bucknell) and was an assistant in the NE-10 at Bentley. He is 102-42 in five seasons at Endicott, including three NCAA tournament appearances.   

[nescac1]

Aaron Toomey is a finalist for the Hampden Sydney job:

https://hoopdirt.com/daily-dirt-3-21-19/

That's a good gig: great program for many years that has recently fallen on hard times, ample talent base to recruit from. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Aaron Toomey is a finalist for the Hampden Sydney job:

https://hoopdirt.com/daily-dirt-3-21-19/

That's a good gig: great program for many years that has recently fallen on hard times, ample talent base to recruit from.

I thought he was waiting for Hixon to retire.

[nescac1]

Have you heard that directly Ryan, or is that just rumored?  My guess is Hixon won't quit for at least two more years given the strength of this year's sophomores.  And maybe longer.  Also, is Toomey even a lock for the gig?  Lots of other candidates from the big-and-growing Hixon coaching tree come to mind ... seems foolish to (if offered the job) give up a bird in the hand - and one close to Toomey's North Carolina home - without a guarantee that he will be the successor. 

[Greek Tragedy]

How is Nichols not going to be top tier next year. They return basically everyone except Echevarria. Granted, that guy is a huge loss, but Everyone else seems to be back. They lost a close one to Swarthmore in the tourney. I think they'll run away with the CCC next year.

[nescac1]

I could be too low on Nichols.  But I thought Echevarria was a really special player who elevated that entire team, with his confidence as much as anything else.  And they do lose a few bench guys from a very thin team that didn't really have much production beyond the starting five.  And I do think Endicott will be very good again next year, bouncing back from a relatively down year.  Keith Brown is beyond legit, McDevitt is a very good second option, and Kyle Henderson looked like he was going to be really good before he (I assume) got hurt.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Have you heard that directly Ryan, or is that just rumored?  My guess is Hixon won't quit for at least two more years given the strength of this year's sophomores.  And maybe longer.  Also, is Toomey even a lock for the gig?  Lots of other candidates from the big-and-growing Hixon coaching tree come to mind ... seems foolish to (if offered the job) give up a bird in the hand - and one close to Toomey's North Carolina home - without a guarantee that he will be the successor.

No, entirely speculation.  Sorry.  I should've said something.  He just seems like such a logical successor, whenever that happens to be.  No reason for Hixon to go anywhere anytime soon.

[jumpshot]

In case you missed it, Duncan Robinson scored 36 points for the Miami Heat's D-League team (two-way contract) earlier this week. Duncan has 9 consecutive games with at least 5 three-pointers, has scored 20 or more points in 11 straight games, is averaging 20 points a game, and was recently selected as one of the two best players in the league.

Continues to handle the profession and all that goes with it exceptionally well (hard work, travel, interviews, teammate relationships, etc.)

[jumpshot]

Also, most any D3 assistant basketball coach that is offered a D3 head coaching job should take it. Moving up is a "game of attrition" for assistant coaches, as it is not uncommon for some to put in 6 years or more waiting for an opportunity while never earning more than $ 25,000.

In the meantime, the collateral duties "as required" of some NESCAC assistants (such as sitting in a golf cart at a soccer game providing transportation in the event of an injured player) can be  discouraging ....

[Greek Tragedy]

In case you missed it, Duncan Robinson scored 36 points for the Miami Heat's D-League team (two-way contract) earlier this week. Duncan has 9 consecutive games with at least 5 three-pointers, has scored 20 or more points in 11 straight games, is averaging 20 points a game, and was recently selected as one of the two best players in the league.

Continues to handle the profession and all that goes with it exceptionally well (hard work, travel, interviews, teammate relationships, etc.)

Was that based on a certain week? I check out the D-League once in awhile because the Bucks' D-League team is in Oshkosh, about an hour away and the city I live in was a finalist to get that team, but went to Oshkosh instead. Robinson isn't even the leading scorer on his team and isn't even near the team leaders in rebounds. He checks in at 32nd in the league scoring list. A Bucks player who has been up and down with the Wisconsin Herd averages 29 and 14.

[grabtherim]

Assuming he is in line to replace Hixon, and Hixon is not planning on leaving in the next year or two, which none of know one way or the other on either to be fact or fiction, wouldn't he be a better candidate with some head coaching experience?

Aaron Toomey is a finalist for the Hampden Sydney job:

https://hoopdirt.com/daily-dirt-3-21-19/

That's a good gig: great program for many years that has recently fallen on hard times, ample talent base to recruit from.

I thought he was waiting for Hixon to retire.