MBB: NESCAC

[Bluesky]

nescac hoops-thank you for your excellent summary. I did enjoy my welcome to the board from those Amherst basketball experts who ridiculed my belief that Williams would be fine but needed time and experience.

Great job!

[nescac1]

1.  Nescac Hoops, amazing stuff, post of the year.  

2.  Daustian:  irony -- noun, meaning, Amerst basketball / sports fan accusing anyone of being a "bandwagon" fan.   Of course Eph posts will be more frequent after the biggest win in three years, but Williams fans have been there on this board through two and a  half relatively down years.  Amherst loses two games, and all but the old reliables like Walzy and Mr. Mike vanish faster than Keiser Soze.  I guess unless Hopkins is dunking on overmatched teams in the first 10 games of the season, they lose interest.  

Wow Amherst got an easy draw, but they deserved it based on their overall performance.   That sectional is a joke: I don't see them breaking a sweat until the elite 8, at that point, Keene, RIC, Trinity or Brandeis could all prove tough match-ups, but Amherst would still be a substantial favorite playing at home.  

Williams has a tough road to hoe, but that is to be expected based on their record.  

As usual, one ridiculously stacked regional:  Stevens Point, Augustana, St. Thomas, Wash. U., Hope, Chicago are all legit contenders.   Hell, the two WIAC teams that might have been in that regional, but didn't make the tourney, are better than any team Amherst will face until at least the elite 8.  

[The Historian]

#1: The Academy Awards AND the NESCAC championship game fell on the same day. Coincidence? I think not..

More archival material, nescac hoops.    I figure there's a thesis out there just waiting to be written.  In fact, I have a few title suggestions for anyone up to the task:

"The Rise and Fall of the Williams Hoops Empire"
"Dr. Paulsen or: How I Learned to Stop Recruiting and Love the Springfield Victories"
"When We Were Kings: Before we lost four in a row)"
"Gone in 60 Seconds" - I've seen boulders fall faster...
"Lack of Failure to Launch" - Thus far it sounds as if they've chucked shots as anything that looked like a rim and net...
"Lemony Paulsen's: A Series of Unfortunate Events" - They're called losses...
"The Williams Inadequacy" - Lack of talent + lack of location + resting on laurels = ...
"Don't Be A Menace to Williamstown While Drinking Eph Milk in the Middle of the NESCAC Standings" - I just couldn't help myself...
"Remember the Titans: We Miss you Crotty and Coffin"
Phi Beta What?!!!

Wow!  Thank you, thank you.  I'm just stunned.  Someone should check the envelope.  On what was a hard day for an Amherst fan, this unexpected honor comes as a true surprise.  My professor told me once that all students like gold stars.  Well, this is the biggest gold star of all!

First, I'd like to thank the Academy of Williamstown.  I was wrong all year about your team and about coach Paulsen, in particular.  Never have I seen a team pull off the "rope-a-dope" strategy over an entire season.  In hindsight it was a brilliant strategy.  Using those 11 losses to set-up a dramatic 1-point conference championship victory...just brilliant.  I hope next year, Amherst tanks itself early in the season so as to set itself up for post season play on the road in upstate New York.  I've seen now that it's only through adversity that real champions are made.

Second, I'd like to thank nescac hoops and Friar T for their joint efforts to make my contribution to this hallowed posting board the winning one.  Friar T provided invaluable screen-writing help, writing at least half of the cited material himself.  And Nescac Hoops, once again, did not fail to disappoint by screwing up his attributions.  While I would like to take all the credit for those really funny titles, my modesty simply won't allow me to do so.  I must give credit where credit is due.

Third, I'd like to thank nescac hoops once again and all the other Williams posters.  Your continued posting throughout the year was like a sharpening stone for my posts and all the other Amherst posters.  Ours would never have achieved the level of immodesty and arrogance that they did without your loyal support.

Once upon a time, when I was a poor, blind boy, growing up in the Bronx, I had the dream of one day becoming a poster on these boards.  For years I monitored them in silence--afraid to post because of my blindness--but then earlier this year, I found the courage.  After all, if an opinionated ex-tennis player can post, why can't an opinionated blind-boy?

So, yes, thank you again for this honor.  I am humbled by it, and will cherish it next weekend as I watch Amherst's next game from LeFrak.  In that same spirit, I wish the Ephs all the luck next weekend in Williamstown...er, Canton, New York.

[fpc85]

1.  Nescac Hoops, amazing stuff, post of the year. 

2.  Daustian:  irony -- noun, meaning, Amerst basketball / sports fan accusing anyone of being a "bandwagon" fan.   Of course Eph posts will be more frequent after the biggest win in three years, but Williams fans have been there on this board through two and a  half relatively down years.  Amherst loses two games, and all but the old reliables like Walzy and Mr. Mike vanish faster than Keiser Soze.  I guess unless Hopkins is dunking on overmatched teams in the first 10 games of the season, they lose interest. 

i am still here

[Friar T]

I love that since the Amherst faithful aren't staring at their monitors, feverishly typing away every second of the day, that they are called out immediately for not responding to a loss.

Work + Weekend + Lack of Internet at home = no posting

Notice that the formula doesn't equal no support or lack of team spirit. That being said, congrats to Williams. They beat two high quality teams this weekend to keep their season alive. This will be great experience for their young players and a great farewell for their upperclassmen.

Before any one goes wild and claims Williams to be the great team they always were (too late), let's remember they're still 16-11 and have the ability to lose to some really crappy teams. I was impressed with the freshies, but Rose and/or Shalvoy NEED to be firing on all cylinders for them to continue to win big games. If one of those two doesn't shoot exceptionally (7-9 from three is from another world), they'll return to being a barely +.500 team. I'll pray for your safe travel on your 4 hour 49 minute, 250.24 mile trip to Canton, NY. I hear it's lovely this time of year...

Amherst still looks like a front-runner to host their sectional if they can turn their recent lapse around. Loved seeing Olson break Crotty's record. Trinity and Brandeis should be a GREAT first-round matchup. It's a shame that either of those two teams will have to go home early.

Historian, thank you for your shared plaudits. I too am just but a humble poster...

Daoustian, great post...

[nescac1]

Ummm, once again the Amherst fans are a broken record ... for pretty much every one of Paulsen's teams that have performed well, they "need" their star players to hit a lot of 3's.  That is how the Williams system works.  It's like me saying, Olsen needs to play well at the point for Amherst to win.  Duh.  So yeah, if both Shalvoy and Rose are missing a ton of shots, the Ephs will struggle, just like they would have struggled in 2004 if both Abba and Crotty were both missing all of their 3's.  Now, no one has said this Ephs' team is at the 03/04 level, mainly because there is no one like junior/senior Demuth and Coffin to dominate opponents inside.  But for anyone who has followed the Ephs, it's not like they were just cold for the first 2/3 of the season and then suddenly hit a hot streak.  The system is working again.  Can they still have an off shooting night?  Of course, and the odds of that increase against the better defensive teams.  But the way they are playing now and I imagine, even more so, next year, the odds of a poor shooting night are much, much smaller, because they have been getting open 3's rather than crazy contested heaves.  There's no way they would be losing to the likes of Framingham State and Wesleyan the way they've played the last eight games.  Of course, they won't get to play the likes of those teams from here on out, so it's moot ...

And to Friar and Historian, if Amherst wins the whole dance, you can feel free to gloat about your easy tourney draw, but right now, all Amherst has is a 2-2 record in their last four games, a second place banner from the conference tourney, and memories of conference champion Williams cutting down the nets on their home court.   You dismiss the NESCAC tourney like it is nothing but prelude to the NCAA's, but that title means a lot to the players, ask Formerbant if you don't believe me.  I don't think the Ephs would trade their conference title to switch spots with Amherst right now, no matter how easy Amherst's path may look. 

OK, now back to the matters at hand.  Anyone know anything about Brockport?  I looked up the team quickly and they seem to play a high octane style with a lot of depth and a lot of quickness.  Not a ton of height outside of one frosh who has put up big numbers.  I wonder if the Ephs will try to match them as the running game suits Williams well against NESCAC opponents, or try to make it more of a half court affair as I am guessing the Ephs are not as quick or athletic at B-port, but may (for once) have a size advantage.   B-port does have a gaudy record and I know they beat Amherst around five years ago in the dance, so the program seems to be legit. 

Trinity-Brandeis should be a classic.  It would be nice to see the Bants win one for the NESCAC in our rivalry with the UAA.   

[tballs]

Was impressed with Williams this weekend, they have some real tough matchups (that freshman #21 comes to mind) and when they are hitting look real good, but they have their work cut out for them up at brockport state...regardless of how that team is it is not an easy place to play- middle of nowhere, loud fans, weird lighting, etc. puts Williams at a definate disadvantage 

Anyone know why the Trinity/Brandeis game is being played at RIC and not at trin or brandeis?  Also interesting subplot to that game...Colin tabb, great former trinity player, now coaching for brandeis, while his bro sean is coaching at trin...wiiiild stuff

[Pat Coleman]

I understand Brandeis is hosting UAA indoor track meet in the same space as their court this week.

[walzy31]

#6: ahhhh, the excuses. williams was "lucky". however, lean in, double clutch threes in the sweet sixteen are fair game. walzy, chris rose had a broken hand. schultz and go-HEE-gun hadn't quite emerged. when there are more offensive threats on the floor and fully healed bones, it allows for cleaner looks at the hoop and less last-second shots to avoid shot-clock violations. i was at the first two williams-amherst and williams put up a ton of off balance attempts at the last second. yes, williams shot the ball well, but let's start with the defense that allowed them to get these looks...

Williams College 3pt shooting against Amherst this season:
1/6/07 - Amherst wins by 19
5-29 = 17.2%
1/20/07 - Amherst wins by 21
6-21 = 28.6%
2/25/07 - Williams wins by 1
13-25 = 52.0%

I posted up statistics from box scores and got 6th place on a top 10 list. Imaaaagine if i used creative thought..or words... what could have been accomplished!?! Historian, congrats on your award, but know that I would have put more effort into it had I known a top 10 was looming.

[nescac1]

Tballs, thanks for the info.  I think Williams gets Brockport at a neutral site (St. Lawrence), which should help a little.  I see that B-port beat Trinity as well in the tourney a few years back -- so that's two of NESCAC's top dogs they have taken down in five years.  Hopefully Williams can avoid the same fate ...

Interesting subplot re: Trinity v. Brandeis.  Another interesting potential subplot: if the Ephs can make it past Brockport, Paulsen may be up against St. Lawrence, where he coached back in the 90's. 

[mrmike88]

I think you could also give RIC home court for winning their conference, while Brandeis and Trinity did not (Williams fans, Amherst still gets home court because their overall record was much better.  Trin and RIC have similar resumes, so that could have been a deciding factor).

From what I can gather Brockport really dominated the SUNYAC this year but for the second year in a row Plattsburgh pulled off the tourney upset.  The last SUNYAC team I saw was Potsdam State two years back - athletic and relatively big compared to a lot of NE schools.  But this comparison is probably of no help to you guys.

[YoungSnukes]

What a disasterous loss for Amherst. Will they host until salem?

[formerbant10]

TBalls, welcome to the site.

Let's not forget that Colin Tabb was an assistant at RIC as well, which will give the Judges another advantage.  However, there are still more Tabb/Martins at Trinity so the Bants are still the early favorite.

[nescac1]

Almost forgot -- the Ephs actually played Brockport in 2004 in the NCAA's ... so there is quite a NESCAC history with that squad ...

[tballs]

i hear that the estimated number of tabbs/martins at the trinity brandeis game is a conservative 255