MBB: NESCAC

[nescac1]

In addition to the eye test absolutely supporting the five man shift approach, Trinity went from 16-9 and a Nescac QF loss to 30-2 and the Final Four with mostly the same roster in one offseason. The team was older and a bit healthier this year, but that's a remarkable one-year leap for a team that was flat mediocre last season.  I really do think that Cosgrove eked everything possible out of the personnel on hand, which won with intense and unrelenting effort, athleticism and poise 1-10, plus just a few true go-to scorers on offense who went cold at the wrong time. 

[D3BBALL]

My point was not to knock the Trinity second 5, was actually the opposite. They should have been mixed in with some of the starters.

Coach has to be able to adapt especially with season on the line. Against Calvin the starters were a combined minus 57 (minus 11.5 per starter), the 2nd five a combined plus 92 (plus 18 per sub), yet only 1 played any minutes with the starters. The starters did not play well the last 5 minutes and none of the 2nd 5 played, they got away with that at home.

Against Trine, the starters were a combined minus 57, the second 5 a combined plus 1, the 11 player was a minus 4 but did not play in 2nd half and only player to play any minutes with the starters.

When things are not going well mix it up and give 2 or 3 of the 2nd 5 more playing time, it certainly couldn't have hurt.

Ball movement was much better with the second 5, they didn't score it much better, but their defense was much better and maybe if they were mixed in and given additional minutes, things might have been different, it certainly couldn't have been any worse.

Very good season for them and they should be in the mix to win the NESCAC with a number of other teams next year and another possible NCAA bid.

[nescac1]

Updated of incoming NESCAC recruits:

Amherst:

Jacob Blank, 6'4 G, Yavneh Academy (TX)
Max Klitschko, 7'1 C, Taft School

Bates:

Sean O'Leary, 6'4 W, Franklin H.S. (MA) (#93 New England, #36 MA)
Keenan Sparks, 6'1 G, Phillips Academy

Bowdoin:

Liam McBride, 6'3 G, Deerfield
Chris Simons, 6'8 C, Falmouth

Colby:

Mitch Humphrey, 6'6 W, St. Viator (IL)
Dan Civello, 6'10 C, BC High
Nate Kwiecinski, 6'7 F, Cushing Academy (#94 New England)
Jack Gatjanis, 6'2 G, Gonzaga (D.C.)

Conn College:

Bo Moody, 6'2 G, Malden Catholic
Garrett Clar, 6'2 G, Victor (NY)

Hamilton:

Max Murash, 6'9 C, Cannon School (NC)
Omar Kulenovic, 6'8 F, Berkshire School

Middlebury:

Max Alberts, 6'4 W, Berkshire School
Henry Morrison, 6'9 C, Flintridge Prep (CA)
Sawyer Ramey, 5'10 G, Deerfield

Trinity:

Marley Stewart, 6'3 G, Perkiomen (PA)
Will Davis, 6'8 C, Bridgeton Academy (#102 NE, #2 ME)
Bangaly Berete, 6'6 W, Vermont Academy (#7 Vermont)
David Ayles, 6'2 G, Brewster Academy (#70 NE)

Tufts:

Isaac Friedman, 6'5 G, Millbrook School
Lukas Schmid, 6'2 G, Blair Academy (NJ)
Robbie Nyamwaya, 6'4 G, Phillips Academy

Wesleyan:

Oscar Edelman, 6'8 F/C, New Hampton (#71 New England, #5 N.H.)
Zach Wolinski, 5'11 PG, North Andover

Williams:

Justin Belcher, 6'0 G, University School (OH)
Aidan Yates, 6'5 G, Charlottesville H.S. (VA)
Jackson Rein, 6'7 W, Ravenscroft School (NC)
Matthew Nachamkin, 6'7 F, Haldane School (NY)
Khalil Carlson, 6'3 W, Monument Mountain (MA) (deferring matriculation to play at the Darrow School)

[toad22]

Next season's Ephs will likely look very different from the 2023-24 version. The biggest change will be the speed of play. Gone are Nate Karren and Cole Prowett-Smith, two players most comfortable in the half court. With Evan Glatzer and Alex Lee leading the backcourt, I expect a much faster paced game. It should be a higher scoring team, just because the may get up more shots per game. Hopefully, their defense remains solid, leading to a bit more separation in game scores.

[nescac1]

I agree that playing faster will be to Williams' benefit next year.  The Ephs' return four out of six primary starters (if you count Glatzer who started the first semester before getting injured) and they should be quick (particular for an Eph team) at every position.  I'd say the presumptive starting unit is Roughley at C (moving up from the 4, where he had a size advantage, but at the 5 he'd have an athleticism advantage over many opposing centers), Hansen at the 4 (a quicker but less skilled player than Roughley who will benefit from playing at pace), and then a perimeter unit with three quick two-way players in Dinkins, Glatzer (if healthy) and Lee.  That group lacks much outside shooting at all, but should be able to run the floor and get to the rim effectively and also play a more aggressive style of perimeter defense than we typically see from the Ephs.  Several of the likely top players off the bench, including Sammy Cooley and Matt Devine, would also I think thrive in a more up-tempo style. Incoming FY point guard Justin Belcher looks like another quick player who can push the pace off the bench. And with the top two centers graduating without an obviously traditional 5 to replace them, Williams probably has no choice but to play smaller in any event.   

The wildcards are Declan Porter who was a two year starter and could challenge for a starting spot if fully healthy next fall, and Ben McGraw, who suffered a season-ending injury mid-year.  With them more prominently featured Williams could look more like a typical Ephs team, with much better shooting and size but far less quickness.

One thing we've seen in D3 in recent years is that, all things being equal, speed and athleticism seem to win over size and skill for teams that are fairly equally matched in the aggregate deep in the tournament. If you look at teams who have had massive success over the past few years like Trine, RMC, Whitewater, Christopher Newport, Trinity (CT), Guilford, HSC among others, these tend to be teams with great athletes at all five positions that may not always play a beautiful brand of offense, and may not have a traditional post scoring threat, but always seem to be able to disrupt what their opponents want to do on offense with quick, tough defenders at every spot.  Swarthmore is the biggest counter-example of a team that has made consistent, deep tourney runs without elite athleticism thanks to skill, shooting, and movement, but it really does seem like in most cases, without speed you are are in big trouble when faced with an opponent who can pressure the ball at every spot. 

Of the top 50 teams in team 3 point shooting percentage, only Platteville made the elite 8 and CMC made the sweet 16.  The stat that seems to most correlate (not perfectly of course, you still have to score!) with team success is opposing FG percentage defense -- Trinity, CNU, Hampden Sydney, Williams, Calvin, Tufts, Guilford, RMC, Hope and Keene were all in the top 20 nationally there.  It's almost like whoever first said that defense wins championships knew what they were talking about! 

[SpringSt7]

Cornell head coach Brian Earl just left to take the same position at William & Mary, replacing Dane Fischer. Ironically enough, Dane Fischer (a former Williams assistant and long time Paulsen guy) and Brian Earl were the other two finalists for the Williams job to replace Mike Maker. The third guy, Kevin App, graduated from Cornell.

Could be an interesting week in Williamstown

[nescac1]

David Murray to D2 Merrimack:

https://x.com/adamfinkelstein/status/1771562018828419268?s=46&t=f6sxXDdfYkdSSeU0Te9c9A

[toad22]

Cornell head coach Brian Earl just left to take the same position at William & Mary, replacing Dane Fischer. Ironically enough, Dane Fischer (a former Williams assistant and long time Paulsen guy) and Brian Earl were the other two finalists for the Williams job to replace Mike Maker. The third guy, Kevin App, graduated from Cornell.

Could be an interesting week in Williamstown

Oh Crap!

[Bucket]

David Murray to D2 Merrimack:

https://x.com/adamfinkelstein/status/1771562018828419268?s=46&t=f6sxXDdfYkdSSeU0Te9c9A

Merrimack is D1 now...

[nescac1]

Thanks Bucket, my bad! 

Impressive for Murray ... and that's four D1 grad transfers now for NESCAC in the last three years.

[nescac1]

Seems like this will be a good read - by a former Amherst hooper:

https://www.amazon.com/Pipeline-Pros-Ben-Kaplan/dp/1637274335

[nescac1]

Quick update on NESCAC players in the portal -- all seniors with one year of eligibility as grad transfers:

David Murray - committed to D1 Merrimack
Ben Rice - committed to D2 Johnson University
Alex Stoddard - in the portal
Ben Callahan-Gold - in the portal

In addition, former Amherst player Beluo Oranye, who played for Aaron Toomey at Hartford, has a sixth year of eligibility and is in the portal.  Could be a tough off-season for Toomey as his two star FYs, Henry Herman and Stephen Akwiwu, are also both in the portal. That's life in college hoops nearly everywhere now ...

If Callahan-Gold ends up elsewhere, that is I'd say the difference between Trinity being in the mix for pre-season number 1 and looking more like a team in the 5-15 sort of range ... Dana Smith and Callahan-Gold were both huge on both ends for Trinity last year. 

I'd rank the biggest losses to graduation for NESCAC schools as follows:

1. Conn 2. Williams 3. Trinity (assuming Callahan-Gold departs) 4. Middlebury 5. Tufts (assuming Dieterle doesn't use his last year of eligibility).  The rest of the league loses fairly little overall I believe, barring unexpected transfers.  Although Williams suffers huge losses, that should be offset to some degree by the anticipated return of Glatzer and Porter (fingers crossed).  So Tufts, Trinity, and Williams look once again like the class of the league, probably in that order, with Amherst, Hamilton and Wesleyan as potential contenders as well. 

[quicksilver]

@Nescac1

Here is a name to add to the Bowdoin list:

Chris Rey, 6-7 SG. A 2022 grad of Beaver Country Day (All-NEPSAC (Class B)). He did a PG year at Andover and then enrolled at Fairfield University where he was listed on the pre-season roster but not the regular roster for 2023-24. It is unclear whether he redshirted at Fairfield or what happened there.

[nescac1]

Thanks quicksilver.  Here's an as-final-as-I-can-get-it list of NESCAC recruits.  A bunch of names surely missing, of course. 

Looks like Trinity has a third straight very strong group coming in.  They could be loaded for quite awhile.  Colby and Hamilton bring in some desperately-needed size.  Tufts and Williams also seem to have solid classes coming in.  Oscar Edelman should help Wesleyan's frontcourt. Amherst I assume has more than two recruits after a smallish class of three last year, but that's all I have seen for them so far. 

Amherst:

Jacob Blank, 6'4 G, Yavneh Academy (TX)
Max Klitschko, 7'1 C, Taft School

Bates:

Sean O'Leary, 6'4 W, Franklin H.S. (MA) (#93 New England, #36 MA)
Keenan Sparks, 6'1 G, Phillips Academy
Lorenzo Enright, 5'11 G, St. Peter's Prep (NJ)

Bowdoin:

Liam McBride, 6'3 G, Deerfield
Chris Simons, 6'8 C, Falmouth
Chris Rey, 6'7 G, Andover
Adam Bello, 6-2 G, Masters School (NY)

Colby:

Mitch Humphrey, 6'6 W, St. Viator (IL)
Dan Civello, 6'10 C, BC High
Nate Kwiecinski, 6'7 F, Cushing Academy (#94 New England)
Jack Gatjanis, 6'2 G, Gonzaga (D.C.)

Conn College:

Bo Moody, 6'2 G, Malden Catholic
Garrett Clar, 6'2 G, Victor (NY)
Edward Harrison, 6'6 W, Miller School (VA)
Matt Leaver, 6'7 F, Vermont Academy (#9 VT)
Parrish Johnson, 6'5 G, Andrews Osborne Academy (GA)

Hamilton:

Max Murash, 6'9 C, Cannon School (NC)
Omar Kulenovic, 6'8 F, Berkshire School

Middlebury:

Max Alberts, 6'4 W, Berkshire School
Henry Morrison, 6'9 C, Flintridge Prep (CA)
Sawyer Ramey, 5'10 G, Deerfield

Trinity:

Marley Stewart, 6'3 G, Perkiomen (PA)
Will Davis, 6'8 C, Bridgeton Academy (#102 NE, #2 ME)
Bangaly Berete, 6'6 W, Vermont Academy (#7 Vermont)
David Ayles, 6'2 G, Brewster Academy (#70 NE)
Sam Norris, 6'7 F, The Newman School (MA)

Tufts:

Isaac Friedman, 6'5 G, Millbrook School
Lukas Schmid, 6'2 G, Blair Academy (NJ)
Robbie Nyamwaya, 6'4 G, Phillips Academy
Evan Reeves, 6'8 C/F, Wilbraham & Monson (#71 New England)

Wesleyan:

Oscar Edelman, 6'8 F/C, New Hampton (#72 New England, #5 N.H.)
Zach Wolinski, 5'11 PG, North Andover

Williams:

Justin Belcher, 6'0 G, University School (OH)
Aidan Yates, 6'5 G, Charlottesville H.S. (VA)
Jackson Rein, 6'7 W, Ravenscroft School (NC)
Matthew Nachamkin, 6'7 F, Haldane School (NY)
Khalil Carlson, 6'3 W, Monument Mountain (MA) (deferring matriculation to play at the Darrow School)

[nescac1]

Ben Callahan-Gold commits to Binghamton: https://x.com/pdtscouting/status/1788731514194153730?s=46&t=f6sxXDdfYkdSSeU0Te9c9A

Along with Peek, Murray, Sobel, and Thoerner, that's five Nescac players who committed to D1 for their COVID year over the past three seasons.