MBB: NESCAC

[CCsalive]

Here's the CC post of the year. I did post a lot last year, its been refreshing and productive at work(!) to avoid posting this year...I gave up fantasy sports too... but, Conn needs one simple positive post.

Did any of you guys see Conn outplay Williams? I did. Rose is great and I knew his buzzer beating three would go down, but Conn outplayed Williams at Williams. That would have been 4 league wins. The Camels blew an 8-point second half lead to Colby...ok, we all blow leads, but the Camels could have easily had 5 league wins. Also, immediately following the Williams loss the Camels' two best players, Stone and Young, were suspended for four games, two of them league contests against Amherst and Trinity. Without Charles Stone, Conn played Trinity tight @ Trinity...the Amherst game was a blow-out with Casnocha shooting 4-4 from 3land from an avg of 26 feet away.

The continued predictions that Amherst will beat Conn by 25 or 30 are misleading. One could argue that at their best Amherst is 20 points better than any team in the league. Thus, if Amherst plays well they may win by 20-30 pts.

One thing is for sure, the days of Conn being an easy win are LONG GONE. The Camels will not be an 8-seed next year...they're already better than Colby and Bowdoin, they don't have one senior, and they're best players are sophs and frosh.
Lastly, Charles Stone deserves 2nd team, along with Martin and Wheeler(underated) he's the best post-player in the league. Conn also has two ROY candidates in Billy Karis and Will Lyons...check the stats.

Go Camels

[formerbant10]

CC,

While I can agree with you that the days of Conn being an easy win are over....you make it seem like they have been bad for decades.  Conn made it to the final four in 1999 and were at the top of the conference in those next few years as well (thanks in large part to Tatum).

The one thing that your post left me wondering is who would be first team if you have Stone on the second team?  Are Martin and Wheeler your first team? 

[soze]

Walzy
We have no excuses, but Amherst will always have plenty until they can hang a National Championship Banner in Lefrak,  lets see if they can get it done this year they certainly have the personnel,  I hope Zieja's knee is pain free now.

[soze]

War National Championship banner!

[CCsalive]

Thanks for the CC love former Bant...its been a rough couple years for the Camels, but Tom Satran has the team moving back in the right direction. I believe Stone is worthy of the second team (3rd in rebs, 9th in scoring with Conn playing slow). Here's my first team:

Rhoten
Bedford
Stockwell
Martin
Clarke or Wheeler...obviously I don't care about positions.

2nd team: Clarke or Wheeler, Stone, Rose, Cohen (19 and 10 with 4.8 bpg), Ray

Wheeler is so underated...he get's close to Cohen's numbers on a loaded team.

Rose is not a first teamer yet. Let's wait till breaks Reddick's record ok?
Shalvoy? I don't think Williams deserves two guys. 
Olsen? You're not Steve Nash kid. I like Casnocha better.

Conn looks to play Princeton to Amerst's UCLA!

[Pat Coleman]

Thanks for the CC love former Bant...its been a rough couple years for the Camels, but Tom Satran has the team moving back in the right direction.

Bring back Camel Cry 4 Life!

[Sticks11]

CC,

How is Conn already better than Colby when Colby beat them at Conn this year? How does that make sense?

[formerbant10]

CC,

Conn has been struggling the last few years due to Coach Miller leaving and the lack of recruiting for a few years.  I've always thought that Coach Satran had done a good job with what he inherited, and now that he has his players in, they will continue to improve.

While Wheeler may be underrated, he gets nowhere close to Cohen's numbers.  Nobody gets to the line more than Cohen as a big man (look at the difference from last year's conference play to this year's) and he's leading the country in blocked shots.  To me he is a first teamer over Wheeler and Clarke.

Even though Amherst has the best record and arguably the best "team", that "team" style that they play with balanced scoring does not help some of their players get the recognition or stats that they might on another team.  Had they gone 9-0 in the league, they'd deserve to have two 1st teamers, but they did not, so they do not.

And I'd have to pick Bowdoin's Kyle Petrie over Stone.  Petrie is a senior and has been the program for his four years.  A great player and a tough competitor, and to this point has shown more than Stone has. 

After seeing Tufts and Bates this weekend, but still not having seen Amherst.  Here's who I like:

1st team:
Rhoten
Bedford
Cohen
D. Martin
Stockwell

2nd team:
Ray
Petrie
Rose
Clarke
?

I have Dan Martin moving on to the 1st team after seeing him.  Rose dropping after Williams stumbled at the end.  The rest of the guys I'm quite familiar with what they can do, but I'd like to see how Wheeler has improved.

Not sure for that last part.  I thought Weitzen was very tough.  Amherst has Olson and Wheeler who are both worthy.  Pat Martin has been playing great in the 2nd semester, but Trinity won't get 3 by any shot.  Stone is in the mix as well.

And Sticks, I don't think that Conn is better than Colby right now either.  Especially not when Drew "Treyball" Cohen is playing.

[cruiser]

cohen is 2nd in scoring, 1st in rebound, both defensive and offensive, and leads the NCAA in blocked shots. anywhere but the first team for him is a travesty

[CCsalive]

Bant- our all-conference teams are similar. I hear you with Amherst's style and depth (Hopkins is their 8th,9th,or10th guy!) but Wheeler is the NESCAC POW this week and he's a high level player...I did not see Martin play, is he better than Wheeler? Nice point on Pat Martin, btw Russ Martin's leads the leag in fg% he's yet another impressive Sophomore in the league.

Yes, Colby beat Conn with Cohen getting 19 and 14 with one block. Stone had 19 and 8, 2 blocks...I didn't like that Cohen's first three shots were from 16-ft...it took Colby a half to show up, they beat us by four...we wooped Bowdoin the next day...I would just like Conn to be recognized as on par, if not better, than Bowdoin and Colby, and on the heels of Williams and Tufts...and light years ahead of Midd and Wes...and next year, watch out.

[ajsnc13]

While I do think that Conn has greatly improved over the last 2-3 seasons, I still think they're a long way away from being a true contender in the NESCAC, this season they just didn't what the other NESCAC teams have been doing for years, winning their non-conference games. 

There only quality win was over Bowdoin, who was coming off (sadly) a game in which they had to battle back from 17 down at half on the road.  Ask anyone in the league, teams are particularly vulnerable on the road in the second game.  Other than that, none of their wins are particularly impressive, and they're not better than Colby, who showed it by beating them. 

You're also off on your all-conference selections.  There's no WAY Clarke or Wheeler are first-team selections.  Wheeler is currently Amherst's second or third option for scoring, and while very talented is not one of the best five players in the league.  You're own Stone, Cohen, Rose, Ray or Petrie (who you managed to leave off completely) are far better players and are more deserving of 1st team consideration.  Especially Cohen, who is statistically the best player in the league and is 100% responsible for any of the Mules success.  Maybe you've only seen these guys play against Conn, but unfortunately all-conference is based on a lot more than just trips to New London.  Olsen is a lot better than you think...

[qbsfinest]

HERE IS MY ALL CONFERENCE TEAM BASED ON WHAT I HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR

PG: RAY
SG: BEDFORD
SF: ROSE
PF: RHOTEN
C:  D. MARTIN

SECOND TEAM:
PETRIE, OLSON, STOCKWELL, WEITZEN, AND CLARKE

ANYONE DISAGREE WITH THIS?

[cruiser]

i disagree completely considering you left off cohen who is, as stated by another poster, statistically the best played in the NESCAC

[Dr E. Spengler]

Whether or not I am friends with either Zalaski or Salerno is irrelevant.  Both of these players are the glue that holds this strong Amherst team together.  Most of the people on this board have little idea what that is all about.  While you are staring at the computer screen fixated on stats, these two are willing victories and grinding out games.  You claim you are here to discuss serious basketball issues?  If you aren't familiar with either Keith Zalaski or Mike Salerno...look up in Salem...they'll be the ones climbing the ladder...cutting down the nets.

[cbone]

Dr. Splenger has hit it right on the head. This amherst team has what it takes to make it to Salem because they do not have any egos and have 4-5 guys who would be first or second team all-nescac selections if they played on any other NESCAC team. The fact that Wheeler is not a first or second team selection is completely rediculous. Over the last two weekends (which have all been must win games for Amherst) he has been simply unconscious from the field. Amherst  is so deep that when looking at potential All-Nescac selections you cannot simply look at stats. You have to realize that they sacrifice a few baskets a game in order to run through NESCAC opponents. I can confidently say that Rhoten would not average more than 15 a game IF he had the opportunity to play for the Jeffs. Also, Olson outplayed Ray this year and was huge in the first half at Williams when the rest of the team seemed to be a little tight. The way that Amherst has ended the season should guarantee them at least 3 players on the first and second teams.
On another note, Tim McLaughlin should run away with the defensive player of the year award. If anyone has any doubt about his defensive abilities, check out his stats from the first half of the Bates game. Five blocks in a half....not bad for a backup guard.
I really hope that Williams wins this weekend so that the Amherst senior can graduate with a 7-6 record against Williams. The class of 2006 would be the first winning class against the Ephs in a long time.