MBB: NESCAC

[lumbercat]

Could Strayhorn be changing his approach of relying on 3 pointers-- is he finally deciding to bring in some bigs?

[D3BBALL]

Trinity brining in D1 transfer from Pepperdine Paul Jordan 6'6" forward.

Is Trinity the only NESCAC school that allows D1 transfer?

[middballer]

https://youtu.be/lZ9ugD6tq3Q?si=NLN_IhiFLtZeUFzd

At about an hour and 27 minutes into this "Not Even D2" podcast, Wesleyan Coach Joe Rielly lists his all-time best scorers in the NESCAC since his playing days with Trinity to now.

PG:  Aaron Toomey
SG:  James Wang
SF:  Sam Peek / Duncan Robinson
PF:  Tyler Rhoten
C:   Alex Sobel

I'm curious to see how some of the longtime posters would answer this question? Also all-time starting five in pure basketball, not just scoring.

[nescac1]

Mike Nogelo is the big omission from that list of guys since Reilly's playing days.  I think Matt Hancock from Colby did overlap with Reilly and would be very much in the mix by all accounts, but he was before my time so I can't opine. 

For pure scoring I'd go with:

PG: Toomey
SG: Lucas Hausman
SF: Robinson
PF: Nogelo
C:  Michael Mayer

If I want to put together the best possible overall team (based on peak NESCAC performance):

PG: Andrew Olson
SG: Jamal Wilson
SF: Blake Schultz (Robinson obviously way better eventually but Schultz was a better two-way player as a senior than Robinson was in his final NESCAC year)
PF: Mike Nogelo
C: Alex Sobel

Honorable mention (in order):

PG: Toomey, Mike Crotty, Zak Ray
SG: Kena Gilmour, John Bedford, Hausman, Wang, Matt Hart, Keith Wolff
SF: Colin Tabb, Robinson, Peek, Willy Workman, Austin Hutcherson
PF: Ryan Sharry, Mike Schantz, Rhoten, Steve Zieja
C: Ben Coffin, Mayer, Troy Whittington, David Murray, Andrew Schiel

BTW I think nearly all the guys I've listed could have been D1 scholarship guys (beyond those who actually were!) as seniors had they played in today's transfer environment. Nogelo would have been very high D1.   

[quicksilver]

@nescac1 Here is another Bowdoin commit:

Adam Bello, combo guard, 6-2, Masters School (NY)

[Dustin_Patrón]

Not trying to start a scrap here b/c I agree with most of the nominations for best starting 5...

But has anyone even thought of mentioning Brendan Barry? Kid may have been the most elevated blue collar talent we've seen since Coffin '04.

[nescac1]

Sorry, but who is Brendan Barry>

[nescac1]

A good number of additions to recruit list.  NESCAC is bringing in a ton of very big bodies - although some of the bigs appear to be major projects.  I assume several schools have more guys than this:

Amherst:

Jacob Blank, 6'4 G, Yavneh Academy (TX)
Max Klitschko, 7'1 C, Taft School
Elias Chin, 6'4 G, Thousand Oaks (CA)

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)
Ray Cuevas, 6'2 PG, Pingree (MA)

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.)
Will Perkins, 6'5 F, University School (CA)

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
Scott Schmitt, 6'11 C, IMG Academy

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)
Dylan Shepherd, 6'2 G, Tower Hill School (DE)
Khalil Carlson, 6'3 W, Monument Mountain (MA) (deferring matriculation to play at the Darrow School)

[quicksilver]

@nescac1

Another Bowdoin commit:

Ray Cuevas, 6'2 PG, Pingree (MA)

[nescac1]

Thanks quicksilver.  Cuevas looks like a good get for Bowdoin, quick and athletic to the hole -- with Simonds leaving, Bowdoin could use a score-first guard and he seems like he fits and bill and could make an early impact.  What Bowdoin REALLY needs is McGowan back to 100 percent of the player he was pre-injury, which would not be a surprise with another year to recover. Only Williams had worse injury luck than Bowdoin last year, and if the Bears come into the season at full health with a top eight of Reeves, McGowan, Natrel Allen, Ben Chilson, Halpern, Achufsi, Bessire and Cuevas or another FY making an impact as a scorer off the bench, and with McGowan again playing at an all-league level, Bowdoin could be a sleeper next season.

In general, I think NESCAC will be very deep next year and more balanced as a league than last season. Trinity won't be as dominant as they were last year, but is still loaded with talent with a lot more incoming, clearly a top 25 team if not likely to repeat as a Final Four squad (not impossible though!).  Tufts looks loaded, clearly a top-ten national team heading into the season.  Williams is a bit of a mystery with so much graduating but also so many games lost to injury last season, and the Ephs are I'd say a low top-25 team in terms of talent level IF reasonably healthy to start the year.  Wesleyan, Hamilton, and Amherst bring nearly everyone back from teams that had some success and should challenge for top-four status in NESCAC and an NCAA berth next year.  The Maine teams are all likely to improve (there is nowhere to go but up for Bates, certainly) with more veteran rosters.  Midd I'd guess is around status quo, another team that had some injury woes and youth but they also do need to replace the production of their offensive star.  Really, only Conn looks highly likely to be significantly diminished from last year's level. But even still Conn does return two all-league guards so the cupboard is hardly bare. 

Speaking of Conn, Jarron Flynn is transferring to Springfield as a grad transfer.  That makes three Conn grad transfers moving on to the D1, D2, and D3 level, respectively, next year.  That's a ton of talent which will be playing elsewhere.     

Another perimeter recruit who could see some time early on is Elias Chin at Amherst -- he is his school's all time leading scorer, rebounder, and assist man, dominated (albeit at a low level of competition) in H.S.  He gives Amherst a big ball-handler that it's been lacking for the last few years, may be a lot to ask for a FY but perhaps he can help calm the offense down and get the ball more effectively down low where Amherst has a mismatch vs. everyone it plays. 

While as always I will miss some guys who end up making a big impact, the FYs to watch early on from the list above I'd say include:

Chin, O'Leary, Humphrey, Morrison, Ayles, Schmid, Reeves, Edelman, Yates, and Rein. 

[quicksilver]

I would guess that the third (and tallest) Simonds brother will have an impact for Bowdoin.

[P'bearfan]

Mike Nogelo is the big omission from that list of guys since Reilly's playing days.  I think Matt Hancock from Colby did overlap with Reilly and would be very much in the mix by all accounts, but he was before my time so I can't opine. 

For pure scoring I'd go with:

PG: Toomey
SG: Lucas Hausman
SF: Robinson
PF: Nogelo
C:  Michael Mayer

If I want to put together the best possible overall team (based on peak NESCAC performance):

PG: Andrew Olson
SG: Jamal Wilson
SF: Blake Schultz (Robinson obviously way better eventually but Schultz was a better two-way player as a senior than Robinson was in his final NESCAC year)
PF: Mike Nogelo
C: Alex Sobel

Honorable mention (in order):

PG: Toomey, Mike Crotty, Zak Ray
SG: Kena Gilmour, John Bedford, Hausman, Wang, Matt Hart, Keith Wolff
SF: Colin Tabb, Robinson, Peek, Willy Workman, Austin Hutcherson
PF: Ryan Sharry, Mike Schantz, Rhoten, Steve Zieja
C: Ben Coffin, Mayer, Troy Whittington, David Murray, Andrew Schiel

BTW I think nearly all the guys I've listed could have been D1 scholarship guys (beyond those who actually were!) as seniors had they played in today's transfer environment. Nogelo would have been very high D1. 

Interesting list - thanks for putting it together.  I'm not familiar with the Honorable Mention Centers but was a little surprised that you didn't include John Swords.  Averaged almost a double double his last 2 seasons (from memory).  Wasn't going to score 40 but forced the opposing team to change its offense as very few people came into the paint.  Underrated passer as well.

[nescac1]

Swords is certainly very good and would belong on the honorable mention list.  C is just a very loaded position in NESCAC.  Coffin was first-team all-American, the MVP of the final four on a championship team, and the next season best player on a team that came within one basket of repeating at champs (also was the best player on the court in a game vs. a D1 team).  Whittington was conference POTY, the best player on a Final Four team, and a key player on a team that played in the national title game the prior year (he was awesome in the Final Four that year), and was the most athletically special frontcourt player NESCAC has seen. Murray, conference POTY, first-team all-American, and now will be on scholarship at a D1 school.  Schiel was also NESCAC POTY - along with Nate Karren, he was the best outside-shooting center NESCAC has seen, and helped lead Amherst to several very deep tourney runs.

Swords would certainly be my next HM pick, following by another elite defensive center, Midd's Andrew Locke. 

This is a helpful resource btw when comparing guys over the past 25 years:  https://nescac.com/sports/2023/7/16/mbb-all-time-honors.aspx

[nescac1]

An early shot at next year's league picture:

Team tiers:

(1) Tufts and Trinity - Tufts looks loaded, loses a few good role players but Medley and Champion are ready to step into the starting lineup.  Trinity has bigger losses than Tufts, but seems to have a great class coming in and plenty of talent returning from a dominant Final Four team.

(2) Williams - in a tier by itself, coming off a Sweet 16 season, losing a massively impactful senior class, but also returning some key injured players, could easily move up or down and really hard to predict where the Ephs will land ... but App's program has earned the benefit of the doubt. 

(3) Wesleyan, Hamilton, and Amherst - each team returns nearly its entire rotation and have a ton of veteran talent led by loaded senior classes.  All could easily be NCAA teams, but need to take a big leap from last year's level to do so. 

(4) Colby, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Conn - Conn loses the most of any team in the league and is the most likely team to slip back from last year's level; Colby, Midd and Bowdoin all seem unlikely to contend with the talent on hand, but could also surprise a few teams.

(5) Bates - it can only get better with some talented rising sophomores to build on, but even better is still pretty rough. 


All-conference predictions:

First team: Henry Vetter, Scott Gyimesi, Shane Regan, Nicky Johnson, Hank Morgan, Max Poulton, Teja Singh
Second team: Alex Lee, Brandon Roughley, Will Scherer, Cam Schainfeld, Elias Espinosa, Garret Keyhani, James McGowan

Other contenders: Charlie Randle, Jack Lawson, James Morakis, Josh Bernstein, Jarrel Okorougo, Tristan Joseph

POTY: 1. Vetter, 2. Gyimesi, 3. Morgan, 4. Regan, 5. Johnson

All defense: Josh Bernstein, Will Scherer, Jarrel Okorougo, Nicky Johnson, Jon Medley.  Others to watch: Evan Glatzer, Hudson Hansen, Jackson Cormier.

[nescac1]

Conn College picked up a nice transfer, Quron Zene from Brandeis, a burly forward who started 29 games over two years at Brandeis.  He should help fill the huge gaps left up front by Conn's graduated seniors now playing at the scholarship level.