MBB: NESCAC

[grabtherim]

With win over Endicott Jeff Brown now has 400 as a coach at Midd.  Could not happen to a nicer guy. 

[nescac1]

Jeff Brown is certainly one of the greats in NESCAC history.  He's shown he can win without a ton of high level talent, as he did in the Rudin years and so far seems to be doing with this year's squad.  That's not easy to do in Nescac!  Very few Midd teams fall short of their potential (maybe one or two tough tourney losses a round or so early, but everyone has had those ...).  Sign of a tremendous coach. He also adapts his style to fit the personnel on hand, some teams play super fast, others grind it out.  Again, a tribute to him. 

[nescac1]

First in-season top 25 out:

https://d3hoops.com/top25/men/2021-22/week1

Wesleyan 19, Amherst 21, Williams 29, Colby receiving a few votes.  That feels basically about right to me.  The Wesleyan-Williams winner I expect to get a big boost, a big early game in NESCAC.  Wesleyan, and in particular Amherst and Williams, all need to start beating some better teams to move up in the rankings.  The Ephs certainly get some big chances over the next five weeks with road games at Wesleyan and Yeshiva.  Amherst, Wesleyan, Williams all play each other once between now and January 8, and those games will have huge post-season implications for sure.  If Colby doesn't really get it going, the Little 3 games will surely be Amherst's only shot at ranked opponents all year. 

Overall, the New England rankings: St. Joe's, Wesleyan, Amherst, WPI, Williams, UMD, Brandeis, Colby, Nichols.  Also feels about right ...

Seems like a very informed group of voters this year ...

[SpringSt7]

Agreed re: poll. I think they have the Little 3 ordered correctly.

If I had to try a Power Rankings now that we've got a little bit more of a sample size:

1. Wesleyan - They have the best win (WPI)
2. Amherst - Backcourt looks legit as ever
3. Williams - No one below them is 5-0
4. Colby - Best of the rest, good win vs. Babson, still have the pieces
5. Middlebury - Question marks and a bad loss to Eastern Nazarene but a good win vs. Endicott
6. Trinity - 2 losses to teams combined 12-0
7. Tufts - Tough to put a 1-5 team 7th but they're to good teams and they still have the talent. Need Rogers back
8. Hamilton - All 3 losses on the road, good win vs. Union. Some intriguing pieces that have been improving
9. Bates - Bit of a mess but room to improve, would be lower if not for Baxter
10. Bowdoin - Want to put higher but have to see it first, no track record of success on roster
11. Conn  - The rebuild continues

[Old Guy]

Matt Karpowicz: 139 career fouls in 1903 career minutes, 2.92 fouls per 40 minutes

Michael Kempton: 150 career fouls in 1636 career minutes, 3.67 fouls per 40 minutes

Nate Karren: 43 career fouls in 400 career minutes, 4.3 fouls per 40 minutes

Alex Sobel: 125 career fouls in 740 career minutes, 6.76 fouls per 40 minutes

Well, you have to admit it was a pretty elegant argument until you introduced data, facts. I hate it when that happens. I was an English major.

I'll work on an alternate explanation. How this: Karpowicz was wonderfully skilled but not a high flyer, nor Kempton (Karren I haven't seen) — Sobel is more naturally athletic, more opportunities to foul, less help on the glass?

I didn't think so.

[SpringSt7]

Karpowicz was plenty athletic. His fouls numbers are actually shockingly low, especially considering Kempton's lack of athleticism and significantly superior defensive positioning (never seen a 6'11 guy take charges and hit the deck without making a thud).

I think the reality is just that Sobel tries to block everything, such is his mindset as a defender. He jumps at a lot of pump fakes, goes for blocks he probably shouldn't, and as such, ends up in foul trouble a lot. Middlebury's perimeter defense is probably a factor, but I think he just needs to smarten up and learn how to contest shots without fouling and maybe be willing to go for less blocks in order to stay on the floor for longer periods of time. I don't know much about his specific post defense but making a greater effort to force opponents' posts to catch the ball further away from the hoop is sometimes the best way to contest shots---just don't let them get a chance to shoot.

[Colby Hoops]

Some good games this week -- Williams at Wesleyan, Bates at Colby, Tufts continues their ridiculous schedule with Salem State and either Babson or Brandeis, Midd at Albertus Magnus and New England College should be fun.

I'm very interested in the Bates/Colby game on Friday (which I unfortunately won't be able to watch). It's been a weird start for Bates, but they've only lost to an undefeated Clark team and a solid Babson team. Colby hasn't exactly looked dominant to this point and the CBB games (particularly in Lewiston) will always be battles.

Sarr has had a slow start to the year -- he's mostly stayed out of foul trouble which is always the big concern, but he just hasn't appeared to be as impactful as he was in the second half of his freshman year. Jacob Iwowo has also started slow after a promising end to the '19/'20 year. I still think Bates will improve, they often seem to get better as the season goes along. Colby has a lot still to prove -- think it'll be a close one.

[SpringSt7]

Have the CBB always played all their non-conference games in the first semester? I recall them usually playing the second game end of Jan/start of Feb

[Colby Hoops]

Have the CBB always played all their non-conference games in the first semester? I recall them usually playing the second game end of Jan/start of Feb

They've been doing both in the first semester for the past several years I believe. It used to be that one was before the break and one was later in the season, but I can't remember exactly when that switched.

[SpringSt7]

That's too bad. I always enjoyed having a couple extra litmus tests for how each team is improving throughout the season---we just don't get enough of that with the single round robin conference schedule.

[Colby Hoops]

Welp, looks like I got ahead of myself talking about the Bates game. Colby falls to a middling Southern Maine team 74-71.

The defense wasn't great, but mostly it just came down to a really, really bad shooting night for the Mules. 5-34 from three and 10-24 from the FT line. A lot of very open looks that didn't go. Noah Tyson couldn't buy a bucket after shooting it well so far this year.

Honestly I don't feel like Colby played that bad, but they just can't beat anyone when Hanna and Tyson shoot 3-25.

[Old Guy]

Middlebury had a fairly comfortable game tonight against SUNY Canton, a 19 point win, 79-60. Middlebury went in at the half up by 9, 34-26, and played the second half ahead by double digits. Hard to know how good SUNY Canton is — they came in with a COVIOV compromised 1-1 record. However, they did go to the NCAA tourney in 2020 by winning their conference tourney (the losing big to Springfield) and had wins over St. Lawrence, their neighbor, and Clarkson. Their best player is a 7'1" senior Aussie center who shoots the three, though he was 1-8 today

Sobel had a nice game: 19 points, 11 rebounds — 6 assists and just one personal foul!. Brennan was Brennan (12 pts, 11 boards); Bobbett played fast under control and had 8 assists, 9 pts (4-7). Osher had 16 points. Time to put in a good word for Thomas Zodda, a slender 6'7", who comes in at the 5 for Sobel and plays hard (6 pts, 6 rebs in 10 minutes).

Stevens couldn't buy a hoop, 2-11, 0-5 from 3, all good shots, his shots, short fadeaways , open threes, no bricks, in and out, cursed. It happens, not to worry.

Three road contests coming up: 12/2 Albertus Magnus (a win overall  Keane State), 12/4 New England College (4-4, not to be confused with UNE), 12/8 Plattsburgh (1-5, usually tough, maybe not this year, big loss to Skidmore).

[stlawus]

Canton is a team that is very streaky.  When they are on, they are hard to stop.  The game you mentioned against St. Lawrence they set a program record for made 3 pointers.   They have most of that team back, but the one player they did lose was a pretty critical piece.  They had center depth 2 years ago too but their first center option off the bench transferred to a DII school.   Also one of their top returning scorers from 2 years ago has been injured this season.  They should still be a good team this year and this is likely a good win for Middlebury down the stretch.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I was just disappointed we didn't have a block-fest.  Sobel and Fitch, from Canton, are the top two per game blockers active in D3 right now.

[amh63]

Ah, the power of words....was looking ahead before the holidays, and found a " gem".   Amherst will play Springfield College soon.  Saw that Trinity will play Springfield tonight at 7pm.  Logged on the Springfield website to check out the roster, etc.  Seems Springfield is having a slow season start.  The writeup of a recent loss had the phrase..." improved to 0-3"!.