MBB: NESCAC

polbear73 · February 09, 2020, 09:20:22 AM

Bowdoin has now beaten Bates and Hamilton in conference games, so they're 2-0 pending Wesleyan.

amh63 · February 09, 2020, 10:42:33 AM

Watched a wild D1 game last night....Duke vs. UNC in the Dean Dome with over 20 plus thousand crazy fans. Been in the Dean(Smith)Dome and Duke's Cameron Stadium...not for a game. No. 7 ranked Duke won in OT over a UNC team that now has 12 loses. Lots of hard to figure out games in D1. Likewise, lots of Nescac results are hard to figure out this season. Parity? Home court advantages? Player injuries? Etc.
This board has been trying to figure out the seeding of the conference Tourny with 2 games to go

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Anyway....hopefully will be watching the Midd vs. Wes game. Have to go shopping when my wife returns from her "church mtg". Our Coffee maker broke down! Crisis!
Inviting comments from posters on why Nescac basketball..or even D1 basketball...has becoming so unpredictable.

Cards Fan · February 09, 2020, 11:09:49 AM

Quote from: polbear73 on February 09, 2020, 09:20:22 AM
Bowdoin has now beaten Bates and Hamilton in conference games, so they're 2-0 pending Wesleyan.

My mistake, I was looking at out of conference schedule of Bates over Bowdoin.

polbear73 · February 09, 2020, 12:14:04 PM

No problem, Cards Fan. The fact that Bowdoin is still in the running for a playoff spot defies logic!

Bucket · February 09, 2020, 06:06:23 PM

Middlebury's offensive efficiency and precision was a thing of beauty for Panther fans in today's 95-79 win at Wesleyan.

Midd shot an eye-popping 60 percent (39-65) from the field and 52 percent from three (14-27) in as complete an offensive performance as I've seen in some time. Taking a page from the Colby playbook, Midd run cutter after cutter back door, leading to high percentage shots, which then opened things up on the outside. Wes for a time went to a 1-3-1 zone, but Midd was consistent in getting the ball to a man flashing to the high post (usually Eastman), who would then hit an open teammate at the arc or a man cutting to the basket.

Perhaps my favorite offensive stat of the day: 27 assists on 39 made baskets. That's a team that is totally in synch.

Wesleyan didn't play poorly; they were relentless on the offensive boards (16 offensive rebounds and 19 second chance points), but Midd's success on offense didn't allow the Cards to make a serious run in the second half. It seemed Midd had a big answer every time the Cards would go on a small run, with the Panther lead comfortably above 15 points for the majority of the second half.

Both Folger and Farrell flirted with triple-doubles. Folger finished with 19 points (5-7 from 3), 11 boards, and 6 assists. Farrell had 20-7-7. Eastman matched Farrell's 20 points, Ryan Cahill had 14 off the bench, while Griff Kornaker had double-digit assists (10). And you know it's a big offensive night when Bosco's 11 points, including a couple of 3s, gets sixth mention.

Jordan James was really impressive for Wes: 14 and 9 on 6-9 shooting. I like Antone Walker a lot, too. So quick to the rim, though he didn't shoot the ball well today (1-5 from 3) and was hampered by 4 fouls.

So fun to enter the last weekend of the regular season with 10 of the 11 teams playing meaningful games!

SpringSt7 · February 09, 2020, 06:16:27 PM

Quote from: polbear73 on February 09, 2020, 12:14:04 PM
No problem, Cards Fan. The fact that Bowdoin is still in the running for a playoff spot defies logic!

Unless Tufts goes 10-0 in NESCAC play, which would mean wins in Chandler and Pepin over Williams and Middlebury on the road this weekend, then I think Damian Strahorn still has my vote for Coach of the Year. With that being said, Tim Gilbride should firmly be in that conversation as well. Bowdoin was already a bottom 3 team on paper before they lost starting PG Zavier Rucker for the year, yet they sit in 8th place in the conference and look to be favorites to make it into the NESCAC tournament.

granddaddyhoops · February 09, 2020, 07:23:11 PM

Nice road win for Midd today, firing on all cylinders. Crisp ball movement was the key. Four or Five guys in double figures, 27 team assists a pleasure to watch. Big weekend coming up vs Tufts & Bates at Pepin, looking forward to it.

old_hooper · February 09, 2020, 07:27:07 PM

With both Tufts men and women looking like they will win the conference, are there any potential conflicts with scheduling games for championship weekend?

Old Guy · February 09, 2020, 09:24:44 PM

Big win for Middlebury today. They played great. I know, they were expected to win, but this game was worrisome. Wesleyan has talent and some good wins in this very uneven year — and it was the last home game of the year for them. (Wes has most everybody back next year — should be good).

Middlebury got out to an early lead, 22-7, and were never really threatened thereafter (Wes did get it to 9 at one point): the Panthers played 40 minutes of resolute basketball. Shot the ball great: 60% from the floor (39-64) and 52% from three. They'll beat a lot of teams shooting the ball like that.

Good defense, making life difficult for James, double and triple teaming him, saying effect that "someone else will have to beat us." Soph Gabe Revetz tried but was not enough (18 points, 4-7 from 3). Senior Kevin MacDonald also had a nice game (14/6).

Middlebury had very balanced scoring: Eastman and Farrell had 20 points; Farrell also had seven boards, seven assists and three steals. Folger has been so steady of late, steadily excellent, showing versatility and calm leadership: he had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Kornaker had ten assists. Cahill had a nice game:14 points in 17 minutes (5-6 FG, 3-5 from 3) and played earnest defense on James. Bosco had a tidy 11 points.

Don't mean to be a broken record, but where would the Panthers be without Eastman and Cahill. Cahill is what is now called a "Stretch 4." He 6'6" - 6'7" and picks up, with Eastman, the opponent's big man. He has a beautiful stroke, we knew that, but has played such robust defense underneath. Eastman plays so hard at both ends, with so little fanfare, and he's so creative at the hoop: Midd now features him on the low block. But, better pick him up on the arc too because he can shoot it!

Wonderful last weekend coming up before playoffs here at Midd: Tufts on Friday, Bates Saturday.

lumbercat · February 09, 2020, 09:33:58 PM

Been down south and only following scores- didn't realize Mule Jefferson did not play in the Amherst game. Might have been a different outcome if he could go in my opinion.
I have to give rival White Mules a tip of the Bates Garnet cap once again.
I think Jefferson ranks as one of the very best shooters in recent memory.....I'll say no more.

amh63 · February 09, 2020, 10:18:15 PM

lumbercat...maybe you should have watched the Amherst game...big win at Colby. Every team has had injuries or lost a key player during the season for a period. Every coach makes adjustments...it is a Team game.
Big win for Midd in Middletown. Saw a bunch of the game.
Next weekend games should determine the Nescac tournament seedings

maineman · February 09, 2020, 10:35:13 PM

For Midd to get a home game in the playoffs they will have to pass Trinity in the standings with both teams at 5-3 and Trinity holding the head on head tiebreaker. To move ahead of Trinity, Midd would have to win its two remaining home games against Tufts and Bates and Trinity would have to lose one of its remaining two road games against Amherst and Hamilton. On paper, you might expect each team to go 1-1 on the weekend leaving things status quo.

Of course another scenario would be for Williams to win twice at home against Bates and Tufts while Trinity drops two games and Midd wins at least one. That would propel Williams ahead of Trinity and into a playoff game at Midd.

Since I don't expect that to happen, it will likely come down to a Midd-Trinity playoff game, the question being, "Where?" Most likely, Hartford which will make for a tough task for a Midd, a 3 or 4 loss team to advance past the NESCAC quarterfinals. Padmore led Trinity was very efficient against Midd sporting a +11 in rebounds.

If Trinity were to prevail in the playoff game would a 4 or 5 loss Midd team be competitive for a Pool C bid? Within the league, Tufts Colby and possibly Amherst would be lined up ahead of them. Who knows who will be ranked above them within the region and nation?

amh63 · February 10, 2020, 08:35:59 AM

Question here. Why was the Midd vs Wes game played on a Sunday?
Enjoyed the write-ups of the game by Old Guy and Bucket...filled in the parts that I missed....shopping for a coffee pot.

deiscanton · February 10, 2020, 10:08:21 AM

Quote from: amh63 on February 10, 2020, 08:35:59 AM
Question here. Why was the Midd vs Wes game played on a Sunday?
Enjoyed the write-ups of the game by Old Guy and Bucket...filled in the parts that I missed....shopping for a coffee pot.

I would think that since the NESCAC game against Wesleyan is the only game that Wesleyan's conference opponents will play on that weekend, NESCAC has Wesleyan play on a Friday/Sunday schedule so that the other opponent doesn't have an unfair advantage of playing with rest on Saturday afternoon while Wesleyan gets no rest.

Williams had the Friday night game vs Wesleyan and then had the rest of the weekend off.

In other words, Wesleyan has no travel partner.

Bucket · February 10, 2020, 10:52:20 AM

Quote from: amh63 on February 10, 2020, 08:35:59 AM
Question here. Why was the Midd vs Wes game played on a Sunday?
Enjoyed the write-ups of the game by Old Guy and Bucket...filled in the parts that I missed....shopping for a coffee pot.

The team without a travel partner has played on Fridays and Sundays, every NESCAC weekend, for the past 8 years or so.