MBB: NESCAC

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Maker recruited arguably the best non-one-and-done d1 freshman in the country to a St Thomas team ineligible for postseason play. He's a VERY good recruiter. Pairing him with one of the best player development coaches in Tauer is a total coup at UST.

[Greek Tragedy]

If anyone follows soccer, sometimes during big games, they like to create a combined 11, taking the best 11 players from the two teams playing each other...like a Champions League final or the FA Cup final, for example.

Apparently the NBA has gotten into the act, requested by the fans. Guess who made the team? Duncan Robinson, of course, otherwise wouldn't be posting it here.

https://www.facebook.com/100044423289697/posts/pfbid0DKBfmDMggVPKLSFfDfhPwUkifDRjrYgePzfyQstUPDEt5E9GaiqDhoiSaRz6bfiel/?mibextid=DcJ9fc

Gordon, Murray and Jokic from Denver and Butler and Robinson from Miami. He's listed as the SG, which I'm sure would've gone to Tyler Herro, a Wisconsin native who played at Kentucky, had he not broken his hand in the 1st round.

[nescac31hoops]

Man oh man, I am very excited to watch Bowdoin play this year. Don't call me crazy, but I can see this team, led by McGowan, going on a run in the regular season, hosting it all, and winning on their home court. Thats just how good they are and how good he is. Bowdoin will put the league on notice this year. HAGS!

[nescac1]

Final NESCAC recruit list (with some additions to Conn College).  I'm sure there are a few other recruits, but this should be the bulk of them:

Amherst:
Nate Pablis, 6'6 SG, Flint Hill (VA)
Johnny McCain, 6'0 G, Canterbury
Marc Garraud, 5'8 G, Noble and Greenough

Bates:
Cole Decker, 6'5 G, Archbishop Stepinac (New York)
Babacar Pouye, 6'7 F, Cate School (CA)
Marc Begin, 6'3 G, Brewster Academy
Jaelen Jackson, 5'11 G, South Portland H.S.

Bowdoin:
Justus Bardauskas, 6'7 F, Loomis Chaffee
Ben Chilson: 6'5 SG, Tunkhannock (PA)
Natrel Allen, 6'4 SF, Deerfield (PG)
Matteo Cervone, 6-5 SG, Haldane HS (NY)

Colby:
Marcos Montiel, 6'3 G, Brooks School
Sam Hinman, 6'0 G, St. Sebastian's
Matt Lamy, 6'4 G, St. Paul's School
Kam Rodriguez, 5'9 G, Berkshire School
Savion Stroud, 6'2 G, St. Paul's School

Conn College:
Tom Harrison, 6'4 G, Christ's College, New Zealand
Dylan Watson, 6'6 W, Fox Lane (NY)
Jay Royal, 6'2 G, Kent Denver (CO)
Derius Hodges, 6'8 F, Grace Christian School (NC)
Julius Powell, 6'8 C, Bristol Central (CT)

Hamilton:
Connor Jenkins, 6'5 F, Willison Northampton
Nate Raub, 6'8 F/C, Payton Prep (Chicago, IL)
William Holmes, 6'8, F, Ithaca H.S. (NY)
Jalen Reese, 6'6 F, Gilford (NH) (#99 in New England, #19 in NH)

Middlebury:
Ian Murray, 6'3 G, Governors Academy
Kuba Cwalina, 6'5 G, Archbishop Malloy (NY)

Trinity:
Jared Berry, 6'0 PG, Vermont Academy (#87 in New England, #2 in Vermont)
Tristan Davis, 6'6 F/C, Frederick Gunn (CT) (#30 in CT)
Paul Ippolito, 5/11 G, Williston Northampton

Tufts:
Liam Kennelly, 5'11 PG, Millbrook School
Jon Medley, 6'2 G, Wilbraham & Monson
Zion Watt, 6'6 W, Crossroads School (CA)

Wesleyan:
Jack Williamson, 6'2 G, Williston Northampton
Hunter Fleming, 6'8 C, Northfield Mount Herman
Ben Lyttle, 6'5 F, Stepinac (NY)
Reid Celestin, 6'6 G, Brewster Academy (#101 in New England, #20 in NH)

Williams:
Matt Devine, 6'4 G, Berkshire School (#98 in New England)
Tyler Van Gorp, 6'10 C, New Trier (IL)

[nescac1]

Pretty cool to see Sam Peek in Lakers garb for a pre-draft workout:

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1670218570436063233?s=20

More on Peek's post-college plans here:

https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/sports/2023/06/20/nba-poughkeepsie-sam-peek-impresses-in-celtics-and-lakers-tryouts/70336663007/

The list of NESCAC guys transferring to D1 is pretty darn impressive.  I believe that NESCAC has had around as many (if not more) players moving to D1 on a scholarship as all other D3 leagues combined over the past dozen years.  Of course, it's a bummer those guys didn't stick around NESCAC for all four years!

I think the full list is:

Varun Ram - Trinity to Maryland (received a scholarship during his last year)
Duncan Robinson - Williams to Michigan
Hunter Sabety - Tufts to Hofstra
Austin Hutcherson - Wesleyan to Illinois
Matt Hart - Hamilton to GW
Sam Peek - Wesleyan to Stetson
Alex Sobel - Midd to Sacred Heart
Dylan Thoerner - Tufts to UC-Irvine (saw that Thoerner recently announced this officially)

All of those guys (to date) have made real impacts on a D1 program, save for Hutcherson, who was getting a lot of hype at Illinois before unfortunately succumbing to injuries that ruined his career. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wasn't there a Tufts guy who sat the bench for Villanova a few years back?

[nescac1]

Good call Ryan.  Through Google I found that Kevin Rafferty transferred to Villanova where he was a walk on on loaded teams.  But I can't say I have any memory of him at Tufts. 

[SpringSt7]

Not trying to rain on the parade but I think everyone after Hutcherson has to be viewed through a different light given the COVID circumstances and eligibility rules. It's just a totally different time where teams are looking everywhere for older players which Peek and Thoerner benefitted from being a year old and Sobel benefitted from being 2 years older. Still a great accomplishment but the Robinson, Sabety, Hart, and Hutcherson moves are a cut above for me given the era and the fact that all of their new homes wanted them bad enough to take them for multiple years and develop them, including a year of sitting out.

[PolarBaller]

To echo nescac31hoops, I expect the polar bears to be in rare form next year. The size and length of the young bears in Brunswick is nothing to overlook. Couple that with the fact that well placed moles in Brunswick, Maine are telling me that McGowan has only gotten better since his foot injury last season... could be scary for opposing teams to enter the igloo next season

[nescac1]

Posted this a year or so ago and figured due for an update.  Here is a list of NESCAC alums with known NBA connections.  * = a former NESCAC hoops player ...

Amherst:

*Connor Johnson -- Assistant Coach, OKC Thunder
*Glenn Wong -- Chief of Staff, OKC
*Andrew Olson -- Cleveland Cavaliers shooting coach
*Adam Harper, Associate Vice President, Youth Basketball Development, NBA
Ezra Van Negri -- Strategic Planning Analyst, OKC
Ken Catanella -- formerly Kings' Assistant G.M.
H. Irving Grousbeck -- Co-owner and Managing Partner, Boston Celtics
Daniel Rube, Executive VP and Deputy General Counsel, NBA
Noah Jacobs -- NBA Production Assistant
David Wasserman and David Moore -- limited co-owners, Atlanta Hawks

Bates:

Peter Meisel -- Director, Player Health, NBA
Lucas Denning -- Director, Marketing Partnerships, NBA G League and G League Ignite

Bowdoin:

David Mandlebaum -- Business Development and Commercial Lead, NBA
Amy Smith -- Vice President, OKC Thunder

Colby:

*Artie Cutrone -- Associate Vice President, Media Partnerships, NBA

Conn College:

*Zuri Pavlin -- Emerging Media, Production, NBA
Rob Hale -- Co-Owner and Director, Boston Celtics

Hamilton:

Gillian Zucker -- President of Business Operations, L.A. Clippers
Charlie Mierswa  -- former CFO, Brooklyn Nets
Brandon Leibsohn -- Manager of Basketball Strategy and Legal Affairs, San Antonio Spurs

Middlebury:

*Koby Altman -- Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager
Flint Reilly -- former Director, Business Development, NBA Global Partnerships

Trinity:

*John Halas -- Scout, New York Knicks

Tufts:

*Sonia Raman -- Assistant Coach, Memphis Grizzlies
*Pierce Larsson -- Senior Manager, NBA G League
Gautum Kapur -- Manager, Basketball Strategy, NBA
Kayin Cherry -- League Operations Senior Production Assistant, NBA (until January 2022)
Ed Tapscott -- Director of Player Development (and former interim coach), Washington Wizards
Gregory Michel -- Vice President and Head of Procurement, NBA
Sejal Dua -- NBA Data Scientist
Caroline Rao Rolander - NBA Membership Program Coordinator
Kirsten Trinidad - Celtics dancer (and currently a biomedical engineering grad student at Tufts!)

Wesleyan:

*Greg St. Jean -- former Assistant Coach, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers
*Jordan Sears - head coach, Texas Legends (G League)
*Kelly Hogan - NBA Basketball Operations, Player health
Theodore Dalton --  Senior VP, Corporate Partnerships and Business Development, Celtics
Dipali Ottaviani -- Associate Vice President, NBA
Michele Roberts -- Executive Director, NBA Player Association
Adam Purdy -- Content Marketing Director, NBA
Matthew Conley -- Director, Gaming and New Business Ventures, NBA

Williams:

*Duncan Robinson -- Miami Heat player
*Will Hardy -- Utah Jazz head coach
*Rafael Stone -- Houston Rockets General Manager
*Edward Flynn - Charlotte Hornets video coordinator
*Cole Teal - General Manager, Greensboro Swarm (G League)
Alexandra Roth -- Associate Vice President and Senior Associate Counsel, Legal Governance and Policy, NBA
Kailie Saudek -- Manager, Special Projects, NBA Player Association
Mark Kossick -- worked at NBA from 2007-2018, culminating in Vice President, International Programming, Global Content & Media Distribution

[jayhawk]

Next Saturday, August 12th, David Hixon former Amherst College basketball coach will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

First D3 coach to have spent his entire career at a D3 school to be elected the Hall of Fame

John Calipari and Dave Calhoun wil present Hixon at his induction ceremony

[nescac1]

There is a report on the transfer board that Trinity's Gilbert Otoo is transferring to Brandeis.  If true, that adds to an increasingly long list of NESCAC players who will be playing elsewhere next season.  Other than Otoo, these are all grad transfers playing their COVID year ...

Alex Sobel - Sacred Heart
Dylan Thoener - Cal Irvine
Preston Maccoux - Case Western
Will King - Claremont Mudd Scripps
Stephen Baxter - Babson
Gilbert Otoo - Brandeis
Cooper Wirkala - Thomas

When you toss in a large group of talented players whose eligibility is exhausted, NESCAC is going to be very hard to predict next year, with loads of new faces playing major roles nearly everywhere.  Also adding to the unpredictability is a very small group of rising seniors who are major impact type players  - David Murray, Ben Callahan-Gold, Nate Karren, Cole-Prowitt Smith, Noah Osher, and after that it gets pretty barren across the league (apologies to anyone I'm forgetting). 

[SpringSt7]

Sobel is technically a 6th year using a waiver from his sophomore year I think, not a COVID year. He is a class older than all the guys listed. But that is a crazy thin senior class.

[SpringSt7]

Per the team Instagram, Dana Smith is returning for a 5th year at Trinity. Struggled to stay healthy last year but will provide some much needed experience and production at wing

[BaboNation]

Dan Civello '24 6'10"

Boston College HS
Rise Above Basketball

Committed to Colby College