MBB: NESCAC

[albinomascot19]

So how many teams from the NESCAC have a legit shot at making the NCAA Tournament?  I'd say Amherst is a lock.  Also how about Tufts, they have been looking like a nice team lately.  I would have added Bates, but now they are in the midst of a 3 game losing streak. 

[walzy31]

For tourny hopes I would say NESCAC will get between 2 and 4 teams in. Since Williams dropped both this weekend, I don't think 5 is possible. Personally, I only think 2 teams will get in (Amherst and the other team in the finals...if Amherst is out before finals then Amherst and the winner.)

IN - Amherst
BUBBLE - Trinity
BUBBLE - Tufts
OUTSIDE of BUBBLE looking in - Bates/Williams (not both - but neither is likely unless a tourny finals appearance)

[JeffRookie2]

I think it's worth pointing out that although Amherst easily beat Tufts, Dan Martin is the real deal. He scored at will whenever they got him the ball down low. I think of the 10-15 times this happened, he either scored or got fouled 80% of the time. Just look at how many fouls O'Shea, Goldsmith, Jones and Hopkins racked up trying to guard him. I was also impressed with Jeremy Black, he can really shoot the ball.

[JeffRookie2]

Where has formerbant been? I want to hear his take on Trinity's play over the weekend.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Amherst is a lock and I think Tufts has got a pretty good shot too.  Trinity will be the bubble team and Bates will probably have to win the tournament.  They got jinxed by the front page story on d3hoops.com.

[demonizzy]

Amherst is a lock and I think Tufts has got a pretty good shot too.  Trinity will be the bubble team and Bates will probably have to win the tournament.  They got jinxed by the front page story on d3hoops.com.

It seems as if the sports illustrated jinx has made it to d3hoops.com..... that's just not cool.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

There already is a hoopsville jinx, when teams are featured on the show each week.  I'm not sure if Bates got a mention or not, but it would explain the poor weekend.

[Denton]

I agree with ajsnc13  that Bates will struggle with Bowdoin, even at home.  If there had been 2 more min in their game at Brunswick - Bates would have lost.

As for the Bears - their win on Saturday was the best they played all season.  Double digits from 4 guys - not just relying on Petrie.  Even the freshmen are contributing.

Although Bates has not lost at home this year - Saturday is the day.  Bowdoin by 5.

[qbsfinest]

If Tufts ends up beating Williams at their place on Saturday they could almost be sure of an NCAA bid due to at least a semifinal appearance in the NESCAC tournament and their high QOWI%. Bates, Williams, and Trinity will have to win the conference tournament at Amherst in order to receive a bid and in that case, Amherst of course, will be the only other NESCAC to get the at large bid.

My predictions:

NESCAC Gets three bids this year which will be determined over the course of the next two weeks.

Amherst by 20 over Conn College
Trinity over Colby by 5
Tufts over Williams by 9
Bowdoin over Bates by 1

Amherst over Bowdoin by 15
Tufts over Trinity by 6

Which leaves a showdown between the number 1 and number 2 teams in the Northeast,{Amherst and Tufts}due to the fact that WPI is highly overrated and all those close wins are catching up to them. Tufts has to bring their A game or it could be a long night for the Jumbos up at Amherst.

[Red1]

Everyone seems to be picking Bowdoin to beat Bates.  What people don't seem to realize is the difference between home and away for the Bobcats.  Yes, the game in Brunswick was close, and yes Bowdoin might have won a 42 minute game.  In Lewiston, however, Bates won by a significant margin (more than 20, but I don't remember the exact number).  Like Bowdoin, Bates also beat Williams at home, but by a lot more (and I know people hate these types of comparisons).  Bates' homecourt advantage is very large, and it's more than enough to put the Bobcats over the top of the Polar Bears. 

Predictions:

Bates d. Bowdoin by 10
Tufts d. Williams by 7
Trinity d. Colby by 5
Amherst d. Conn by 25

Amherst d. Bates by 15
Tufts d. Trinity by 3

Amherst d. Tufts by 10

[formerbant10]

Sorry fellas, got snowed in at Trinity this weekend.  Still not even back yet.

Tufts/Trinity:

Trinity should have won this game.  Tufts was very good at hitting the open shot and ran their offense very well.  "Swampass" Black off the bench was very good.  Better than I had expected.  Martin did not have a great game.  Decent post moves, but certainly got more than his fair share of no calls on travels and three second calls.  He is very tough to contain 1-on-1 and crashes hard....2 tip ins in the final minute of the game to force OT and eventually win.  Weitzen had a great game and the Trinity fans around me had a hard time believing he was actually a basketball player.  Great game to watch.  No team could break away from the other.  Pat Martin played very well, barely missed a 12 footer to tie in OT.  If they played again, I'd think Tufts would zone a little more and let the Bants shoot from the outside.  Trinity played well, nothing outstanding in this game though.  Hoar did a very good job on Martin.  Martin got his big buckets when Hoar was forced to help off him.  Less gambling on for Trinity on D and I think they win this game at the FT line down the stretch.  Westbrooks is going to be a monster on D.  Another year of polishing his skills on offense and he will be a lot of fun to watch on both ends of the floor.

Bates/Trinity:

Bates has no depth.  Ray played well, but Martin played much better.  Stockwell is very tough, and Wholey played a decent game.  But Reilly does not have too much to work with after those 3.  Pat Martin, Clarke and Rhoten really stepped up in this game after a tough loss the night before.  Hoar hit a couple big shots early in the game and did a very good job on Stockwell (If not for Cohen, he would get my vote for DPOY).  Not sure who Bates has been playing that they were giving up less than 60 points a game.....just about 90 in their last 3 losses to the better teams in the conference.  Bates did not look to double Rhoten nearly as much as Tufts did the night before.  He was able to get clean looks at the hoop and when the double did come he had the time to get a good pass back out to the perimeter.  Trinity is absolutely deadly from the FT line.  If a player does miss, he immediately makes a great play to make up for it (Russ Martin's 3 pt play).

More Later

[ajsnc13]

Just to touch upon what Red1 said about the Bates - Bowdoin matchup....Bates did easily handle Bowdoin at home earlier in the year by about 20...Bates played well, especially shooting the 3's..but Petrie got in foul trouble 2 minutes into the game...when he was in,the game was even...however Bates, at home, should be favored in this playoff game..but Bowdoin will prevail because they are playin better ball right now and are due for a win against a good Bates team...
Bowdoin 63, Bates 57

[Dr E. Spengler]

Let me drop some serious knowledge on all of you fools for just a second.  The one thing that Amherst has that will put them over the edge is a secret weapon.  Everyone knows about booman, rc, cas, olson, wheels etc.  Anyone who sits on this message board constantly would surely know about these phenoms.  But lets talk about the most deadly one-two punch of a backcourt since, well...Corrigan and Bedford.  Outside of Amherst College though, one would be forced to recall the Frazier/Monroe backcourt of the glory days of the Knicks when thinking about this deadly duo that lurks on the Amherst bench:

Zalaski/Salerno '06   

Would the backcourt of KBalls and Salerno be exactly what the Jeffs need to cut down the nets in Salem?

Is the atomic weight of cobalt 58.9?

[qbsfinest]

are u bein serious? this website is for serious  basketball issues? do those two even play?

[fpc85]

let em live . ilike it!