MBB: NESCAC

[TheHerst2and4]

Everyone knows amHurst has a long-standing tradition of scheduling only scrimmages against profoundly weak out-of-conference opponents. As a former player of multiple sports in NESCAC all four years, my view is that this policy is offensive to good competitors who play any sport in NESCAC. I, for one, value let's play anyone, anywhere, any time. Who benefits from a weak schedule ... coaches' records, administrators, fans? Certainly not players seeking a great experience.

As a former player of multiple sports in NESCAC all four years, I found this amusing. Thanks for sharing!

[nescac31hoops]

Word on the street is that fully half of NESCAC teams are planning to forfeit their scheduled games against Bowdoin, rather than show up and be humiliated.

Wow. I hope this isn't true. Would be a shame if McGowan aka MJ doesn't have a chance to shine this year!

[lumbercat]

Cant remember a kid being hyped more in the off season than McGowan. Looking forward to seeing him play.

[Bucket]

Cant remember a kid being hyped more in the off season than McGowan. Looking forward to seeing him play.

I have a grain of salt I can lend you . . .

[lumbercat]

Got it.
Quite a PR arsenal however. I don't recall the likes of Duncan Robinson or other greats getting pumped like this kid.

[jumpshot]

Hey TheHerst2and4, I went 16-0 vs amHerst. You ...?

[toad22]

McGowan is a good player. I wouldn't bet against him being one of the top offensive players in the league this year. I'm not as sure about all the hype!

[TheHerst2and4]

Hey TheHerst2and4, I went 16-0 vs amHerst. You ...?

I can assure you no one cares anymore about me or my playing career since it was so long ago (defer to you if you think your 16-0 run is relevant), so I apologize to everyone else, but since you asked, I was fortunate to be on some good teams, 7-4 in hoops and finished my career with a national championship. Despite playing a lot of those teams, I think I still had a "great experience"...Besides the older I get the better I was.

With all due respect to NESCAC1 who I think is a passionate Williams fan but fair and reasonable, the soft Amherst schedule has been a narrative for a long time. A lot of those teams have been on the schedule for decades and have ebbs and flows of being competitive. There's long standing relationships between the basketball programs. Besides, if you look at the last 20 years, Amherst has something like a 59% winning percentage against Williams, and about 63% over the last decade. So I guess..what's the point? Maybe the Williams players aren't as insulted as you?

[lumbercat]

Hey TheHerst2and4, I went 16-0 vs amHerst. You ...?

Ive been off this board for a while but one thing doesn't change- Jumpshot running his mouth on his career- from some who played with him he's a legend in his own mind--runaway ego.

[jumpshot]

lumbercat, take a deep breath and relax. I'm a modest, humble guy. You don't know me or any of my teammates in any case, so your false narrative is null and void. For my part, I stipulate that TheHerst2and4 clearly had a great experience, as I watched several of his outstanding performances.

[lumbercat]

Modest and humble?  You lay it on with the very best. At the end of the day it's good entertainment for the board.

[SpringSt7]

Just because we could use some hoops talk - the Amherst strength of schedule (or lack thereof) was a total moot point in the Hixon era given their consistent postseason success. They loaded up on creampuffs but they won the NESCAC every other year, won multiple national championships, and competed deep into March just about every year. He could do whatever he wanted and clearly whatever he was doing worked.

Sears does not get that benefit of the doubt, it should be a new conversation with him. To me, getting some confidence built up with a young and unproven group seems like a good strategy. The cynic in me says it's a coach under pressure trying to inflate his W-L.

[AmherstStudent05]

Just because we could use some hoops talk - the Amherst strength of schedule (or lack thereof) was a total moot point in the Hixon era given their consistent postseason success. They loaded up on creampuffs but they won the NESCAC every other year, won multiple national championships, and competed deep into March just about every year. He could do whatever he wanted and clearly whatever he was doing worked.

Sears does not get that benefit of the doubt, it should be a new conversation with him. To me, getting some confidence built up with a young and unproven group seems like a good strategy. The cynic in me says it's a coach under pressure trying to inflate his W-L.

I've got to defend my man Coach Hixon here, Spring. Hix put together competitive schedules for Amherst. I think there were a few years there where we may have led the league in wins versus ranked opponents in Region (back when that was a thing). We had rivalries against Brandeis, Rhode Island, Eastern Conn, Babson, Springfield who were usually good teams. Now, did Coach Hixon sprinkle in some "creampuffs" in the schedule? Absolutely he did. Particularly early in the season to make up for the NESCAC's truncated preseason schedule. I think this was very smart strategy by a very smart man. There's no need to play only a murderer's row. But make no mistake, those legendary Amherst teams were all battle tested come NCAA tourney time — both from NESCAC teams and beyond.

And, while we are on the subject, let's not make it out like Williams historically plays a murderer's row either. For instance, take that vaunted, one-loss (to Amherst!) national championship team. Someone can correct me but I believe Amherst was the only ranked team you guys played (whether in conference or not) prior to the NCAA tournament.

[SpringSt7]

Amherst's body of work is always strong - unfortunately a lot of those teams you mentioned dropped off in recent memory which is maybe clouding my judgment a little bit. Williams schedule has been stronger but not perfect under App - they were #1 in the country in SOS in both 2017 and 2020 if I have my years correct (I probably don't), but the big difference is the lack of total layovers - the Lesleys, Riviers, Elms, Pine Manors, etc. I wish Williams didn't play MCLA but the two schools are 10 minutes away and it is a nice tradition for right before Thanksgiving.

Amherst's schedule doesn't have to be perfect but there is no denying they played some games that were really not great. And again, it worked just fine, so there is not like there is a real reason to knock it.

I would have to defer to nescac1 and toad for 2003 scheduling talk. But they've been fine lately even if they haven't been perfect.

[nescac1]

Since I started the whole Amherst schedule thing, first, when I posted, it really did seem like a historically abominable schedule for Amherst.  But two of the four worst games on that apparently preliminary schedule are no longer listed - Rivier and Elms.  Without those two, it's still quite a bad schedule but not materially different than, say, Trinity's schedule this year, so I view it a lot differently.  Amherst oddly now has 23 games on its schedule if I'm counting right, so I think there is now one game missing or still to be added?  Or maybe they are playing a scrimmage?  The whole thing is quite odd.

Second, I do think there is a big difference between this schedule and the Hixon schedules.  Amherst used to play teams like Brandeis and Babson regularly, and now those teams are gone.  So I definitely think there is a different approach now.   

Also, regarding any of these schedules, I give coaches some leeway because (1) you never know which teams do or don't want to play you, (2) there are often budgetary / travel constraints that mandate playing teams reasonably close to you.  So some of this is not entirely in their control as you never know what administrations set in terms of travel budgets etc. 

Turning away from Amherst, I really hope Williams schedules Western New England next year.  They are a team on the rise and if a few fifth years with eligibility return they could be really loaded next year.  It's a shame (for both Amherst and Williams) that Springfield, a traditionally strong close regional rival, has after a coaching change gone way downhill - they used to be a great program.  But maybe scheduling WNEC will pick up some of that slack. 

This really is going to be one of the most unpredictable NESCAC years in quite some time.  So many teams are absolutely decimated by graduation losses, and lots of teams will be relying on very young cores.  I think no one has any clue what kind of prediction to make beyond Williams should probably be the only top 25 pre-season team in the league, and Bates looks like the team who brings back the least overall talent. 

AmherstStudent05, I wish I could remember Williams' 2003 non-league schedule as well as you do, but I have no idea, and alas, the Sports Info archives don't go back that far, which is a shame!