MBB: NESCAC

toad22 · February 20, 2025, 06:32:14 PM

Quote from: rdanie03 on February 19, 2025, 12:18:18 PMI don't see an upset brewing. The Top 4 are all top 15 teams in the country who can all but lock up home-court privileges for the first weekend of the NCAA tourney with a 1st round win, while no one outside the top 4 is higher than Williams at 59. This year's NESCAC might be the most top-heavy it's ever been, as with the exception of Williams beating Trinity, no one has taken a game off the top 4.

That's why they are upsets.

jumbomumbo · February 22, 2025, 11:35:20 AM

Halftime prediction:

Tufts 39 - Williams 23

jumbomumbo · February 22, 2025, 03:45:54 PM

Tufts Player of the Game: ZION WATT! 5-7 from 3 in 19 mins. He's been an incredible role player for us this year and today was his time to be the difference maker. Way to go ZZ.

Was looking like my prediction would be right at half but something happened in the final 10 mins. Was too busy at the bar to notice what exactly it was. Williams played well. Looks like Wesleyan was in a dog fight with Amherst but got it done. 25-0. Wow. Trin game later. Hamilton beat conn. Looks like top 4 seeds will advance to Wesleyan next weekend pending a Colby barrage from 3

nescac1 · February 22, 2025, 04:00:01 PM

Tough to see the Eph season come to an end, and for the first time since 2020 and only the second time since 2016, not to end after at least one win in the NCAA tourney. The team fought hard but just didn't have enough size, strength, or scoring options to get it done against a strong Tufts team. After briefly going up by 6 in the second half, Tufts went on a big run to close out the game, as normally quiet three point shooter Zion Watt was on fire, hitting everything and quickly turning a deficit into a lead.

Tufts got contributions from a lot of guys in this one. The Williams D did a nice job hounding Morakis (in particular) and Gyimesi into inefficient shooting nights, but Reilly and Watt were open due to all the attention in the paint and nailed everything. When those two guys combine to hit 10 triples, Tufts will be almost impossible to beat since you can't ever concede the paint area. Kennelly as advertised was all over the place on defense and played with incredible energy for all of his 31 minutes, and also did a great job orchestrating the offense; his impact was much bigger than his stat line, just scrappy as all hell. Scary that Tufts has essentially this entire group together back again next year to continue this run.

For the Ephs, a heroic effort by Alex Lee, who single-handled kept the Ephs in the game with a 23-3-4 on stellar shooting from deep and the line. After his huge first half, Tufts shaded the defense to harass him with multiple guys on every touch, but Williams could not take advantage with openings for other guys. Aidan Yates had a great game for a FY playing his first post-season game, the future is going to be bright for him. Hudson Hansen had a very strong two-way game snaking around the rim for some very tough interior buckets and adding four blocks on defense. Sammy Cooley also had one of his better games of the season for the Ephs.

In addition to the hot shooting from Watt and Reilly, Tufts killed the Ephs (as has been an issue all season) with so many demoralizing second-chance points after the Ephs played 35 second of great D Williams is almost surely going to play an even smaller lineup next year, so the Ephs will have to focus this off-season on how to gang rebound on the defensive glass against bigger, stronger teams like Tufts.

Hopefully some of the young guys can really hit the weight room which could help, but the Ephs don't have a true glass-cleaning center that makes life easier for everyone else. Really since 2010 the Ephs had usually had big, space-eating centers who could be a presence in the paint on both ends - Geoghegan, Whittington, Mayer, Kempton/Karp, Karren. That's a luxury that was lacking this year and most likely will be next year again, as barring something unexpected Hansen who is really a natural 4 will likely have to play up at the 5 as the full-time center, with likely a stretch-4 type wing playing next to him (Rein would be my guess). The Ephs may have to try to adjust their style to be a faster team as it's hard to be in these half-court slugfests when you have to throw so much as guarding the paint.

The Eph senior class (who had a strong four-year run despite terrible injury luck as a group) contributed only 11 total points in this one, and with a strong rising sophomore class, a big incoming FY class, and some other guys coming back from injury, plus two on-floor leaders in Hansen and Lee who seem to improve each off-season, I expect the Ephs to be a much tougher out next year. Of course, Trinity, Tufts and Wesleyan all look pretty loaded heading into next year, as well ...

Good luck to Wesleyan, Trinity, Tufts and Hamilton the rest of the way. I expect at least three, and if Hamilton can win another game perhaps all four, to be hosting the first weekend of the NCAA tourney.

jumbomumbo · February 22, 2025, 05:35:51 PM

I think tufts just locked in a hosting spot for the NCAA tourney. Trinity is going to be tough to beat, but I like our chances against Wesleyan in a championship game. We were up the entire game, held scoreless in the final 6 and that was the difference maker. If anyone is going to beat Wesleyan this year, it will be Tufts or one of those tough mid west programs.

stlawus · February 22, 2025, 05:41:03 PM

Feel bad for Declan Porter. Had an injury his senior year of high school in 2019, carried over into the next year at prep school where the season was cut short due to covid so he didn't get a lot of game time, sat out 20/21 and basically only got 2 years of run at Williams his frosh and soph years. Wasn't in game shape to start 23/24 and had an injury that kept him out most of the season as well as half of this year where he just couldn't get it going again. Left Canton as the section's all time leading scorer and a lot of hype, just a series of unfortunate events followed.

nescac1 · February 22, 2025, 06:31:56 PM

Agree re: Declan, he could have easily been a 1500 point scorer for the Ephs with better health luck, one of the most impactful FYs the Ephs have had. This whole class was jinxed. Roughley was never as explosive athletically after his first year due to a long series of injuries, including multiple breaks to his foot. Glatzer had a freak broken hip injury which dramatically changed his trajectory. And Dinkins had a number of injuries as well. Just a tough-luck group and one of the few App classes without a 1000 point scorer (seemed like a lock for two after year one). But each had some really big moments on the court nevertheless over the last four years as they were part of three NCAA teams including two that made the Sweet 16.

D3BBALL · February 22, 2025, 08:07:10 PM

Quote from: jumbomumbo on February 22, 2025, 05:35:51 PMI think tufts just locked in a hosting spot for the NCAA tourney. Trinity is going to be tough to beat, but I like our chances against Wesleyan in a championship game. We were up the entire game, held scoreless in the final 6 and that was the difference maker. If anyone is going to beat Wesleyan this year, it will be Tufts or one of those tough mid west programs.

Trinity was right there against Wesleyan as well. I think all 4 teams have a shot . Morgan not a typical game today, will see if he bounces back. Trinity rolled today.

D3BBALL · February 22, 2025, 08:09:39 PM

Quote from: stlawus on February 22, 2025, 05:41:03 PMFeel bad for Declan Porter. Had an injury his senior year of high school in 2019, carried over into the next year at prep school where the season was cut short due to covid so he didn't get a lot of game time, sat out 20/21 and basically only got 2 years of run at Williams his frosh and soph years. Wasn't in game shape to start 23/24 and had an injury that kept him out most of the season as well as half of this year where he just couldn't get it going again. Left Canton as the section's all time leading scorer and a lot of hype, just a series of unfortunate events followed.

I heard porter didn't play the first half of this year because he was not enrolled, not because of injury.
The entire Williams team needs to hit the weight room.

toad22 · February 22, 2025, 08:41:24 PM

Quote from: D3BBALL on February 22, 2025, 08:09:39 PM
Quote from: stlawus on February 22, 2025, 05:41:03 PMFeel bad for Declan Porter. Had an injury his senior year of high school in 2019, carried over into the next year at prep school where the season was cut short due to covid so he didn't get a lot of game time, sat out 20/21 and basically only got 2 years of run at Williams his frosh and soph years. Wasn't in game shape to start 23/24 and had an injury that kept him out most of the season as well as half of this year where he just couldn't get it going again. Left Canton as the section's all time leading scorer and a lot of hype, just a series of unfortunate events followed.
I heard porter didn't play the first half of this year because he was not enrolled, not because of injury.
The entire Williams team needs to hit the weight room.

Every college basketball player I know already does lift very hard, with specially designed programs. I am sure the Ephs will continue to do so.

jumbomumbo · February 23, 2025, 02:43:33 PM

Ryan Scott's Twitter projection for the NCAA tournament has all of Wesleyan, Trinity, Tufts, and Hamilton hosting an NCAA tournament pod. By far the best conference in D3 this year. No one counter with UAA please - they couldn't compete in last years tournament.

Bucket · February 23, 2025, 03:25:15 PM

Quote from: jumbomumbo on February 23, 2025, 02:43:33 PMRyan Scott's Twitter projection for the NCAA tournament has all of Wesleyan, Trinity, Tufts, and Hamilton hosting an NCAA tournament pod. By far the best conference in D3 this year. No one counter with UAA please - they couldn't compete in last years tournament.

What does last year have to do with this year?

stlawus · February 23, 2025, 03:38:31 PM

I don't get the whole best conference thing anymore I guess. Ok a conference is the "best", then what? What's the end game? It's a very tedious exercise without any sort of point.

ItsATuftSituation · February 23, 2025, 04:46:48 PM

Quote from: jumbomumbo on February 23, 2025, 02:43:33 PMRyan Scott's Twitter projection for the NCAA tournament has all of Wesleyan, Trinity, Tufts, and Hamilton hosting an NCAA tournament pod. By far the best conference in D3 this year. No one counter with UAA please - they couldn't compete in last years tournament.

I've watched a fair amount of UAA basketball this season, along with a fair amount of NESCAC basketball, and I'd agree that the NESCAC is having a better season top to bottom. But it doesn't really mean anything.

I do think the ODAC as a league is also very competitive year in and year out and has had teams win the national title recently while the NESCAC hasn't of late. Maybe not quite as deep as the NESCAC but the top 5-6 teams could all play with anyone.

Excited for this weekend, the four best teams all season are still playing and I think that's gonna make for a great two days of hoops in Middletown.

jumbomumbo · February 24, 2025, 09:46:02 AM

Saturday predictions:

Wesleyan 76 - Hamilton 64
Tufts 69-Trinity 67

Sunday prediction:

Tufts 71- Wesleyan 63. Cue the duck boats!!