MBB: NESCAC

[Dr E. Spengler]

Sticks, who are you?  The demoralizing dunk I am referencing occured with 12:22 left in the first half...any other questions?

Also, Drew Cohen 5-11, 8 boards, 12 points, 1 assist, 3 TO, 0 blocks, 0 steals in 31 minutes.  Kevin Hopkins 5-6, 5 boards, 12 points, 2 assists, 1 TO, 2 blocks, 1 steal in 21 minutes.  Those who refuse to admit that Hopkins is superior to Cohen...Would you prefer to be called stubborn, ignorant, wrong or stupid?  Since I'm a good guy...I'll let you pick.


Say what you want about my posts.  They are ridiculous on purpose. No one can tell me that d3hoops was not proven completely irrelevant by the selections.  The fact that you think that the selections are ALWAYS flawed, nescac, proves my point for me.  Don't you get it?  The polls in Division 1 are generally considered at least somewhat irrelevant as well.  Something so that people have something to talk about between games.  But AT LEAST when making the selections the committee they look at the ranking of the team to somewhat determine quality of wins.  It is entirely clear, and subsequently reinforced by your complaning that the top 25 poll has completely no baring on the work of the selection committee, and that the whining of the people of this board based on Amherst's SOS, was either off the mark, or again at the very least considered to be entirely irrlevant by those who actually do this for a living.  Even if they are wrong...they make the decisions and you continue to create a top 25 poll with no baring on the season itself.

Mrmike, generally I would just blow you off as a mutant who takes this too seriously and often cant see the forest for the trees.  In this instance, however...you need to be set straight. TMac had just fouled out of the game on a phantom 4th foul call and a terrible charge called on him subsequently.  Having the bodawg out of the game as one of Amherst's surest hands surely hurt the Jeffs.  First, the one thing that I do agree with you on is that Hopkins should have been in the game.  But your beef should be with Hixo not Fletcher.  The rebound for the putback came straight down off the rim on an atrocious shot.  Should someone have been there?  Absolutely.  Did anyone think that a kid who had been shooting lights out all day would have had the ball come off the rim like that?  Definately not. 

And let me get to Wheeler's shot.  God knows you have nothing to do with yourself then contemplate Amherst basketball, so you should know as well as anybody that that is his shot.  A shot he has been making all year.  It was the shot he wanted and it looked damn good coming off his hand.  While, you always like seeing a playing go to the rim at the end of a game.  You want him going to the rim, because his shot didn't go in...If it had gone in you would be praising him as a hero (which you should be doing anyway.)  Now apologize to Geronimo...it can be hazardous to her new born child to see her mother have been so upset to read such utter garbage.

And Jeffrookie, if you are going to jinx Amherst...at least do it privately.

[cruiser]

personally id still take a still current first team all nescac selection and reigning defensive player of the year (cohen) , a guy who is keyed on by most, if not all, teams he faces over the serviceable big man (hopkins) who, while he gets time on a very deep team, has only started 5 of 27 games and is not outstanding in any particular statistical category.

[walzy31]

ahh yes. the "Start" as a key statistic in debating players.

ok i don't want to get into #3 most killed debate on this forum. i came on to ask a question.

La Verdad,

Have you ever been slapped AND punched in the face by an old guy in the same intramural basketball game?

[NY hoopster]

Dr Spengler;
With respect to the Cohen/Hopkins debate, that is resolved in Cohen's favor by simply looking at the in-Conference stats of the two players (they both played the same teams, didn't they?) and not by an unopposed trailing dunk by a 6-10 center off a great pass by Olson.
1. Cohen's  scoring average was 12.7 vs 12.0 for Hopkins
2. Cohen was #2 in rebounding in the league; Hopkins wasn't in the top 20
3. Cohen was #13 in assists in the league; Hopkins is not listed among Nescac leaders
4. Cohen was first in blocks in the league with 36, and Hopkins was #2 with 17; this is
   somewhat like Babe Ruth hitting 54 homers in 1920 with the next closest player hitting 19.
(And you wonder why the smart money on this post advises ignoring you?)

[geronimo]

Pat and PG, just feel free to ignore the posts of Spengler, Geronimo, etc., as the rest of us already do, or just enjoy the absurdity for sheer entertainment value.  For example, Geronimo mysteriously bashes very sound analysis from Mr. Mike (without providing any explanation of why she thinks Mr. Mike is off base), who always provides useful insight into Amherst and its competitors without resorting to ridiculous claims of invincibility.

It's no mystery, Nancy Drew.  The only thing sound about mrmike's analysis is the sound of how stupid it is. 

mrmike waits in the wings until it's time to jump out from behind a bush and second guess.  He does it every year, and it's always whiney and moronic. 

People think Geronimo picks on mrmike, but they have short memories, while Geronimo's is as long as the road that runs paralell to the highway that runs next to the sidewalk that snakes paralell to the River Nile.  I'll take that shot from Dapper Dan Wheeler any day, and so would any other sensible observer.  Has mrmike been watching the freaking games while spitting his luke-warm milk (the direct opposite of hot fire) all over his WAMH mic?  The answer, apparently, is no. 

"Dye-lan, Dye-lan, Dye-lan!"  http://www.qarxis.com/chappelle_da_band

The baby is crying again.  And I don't mean Baby Ipcah.

Again, in yet more immortal words from Ricky Bobby:  "Dear Lord baby Jesus, or as our brothers in the south call you, jesuz, we thank you so much for this bountiful harvest of Dominos, KFC, and the always delicious Taco Bell. I just want to take time to say thank you for my family -- my two beautiful, beautiful, handsome striking sons, Walker, and Texas Ranger, or TR as we call him. And of course my red hot smokin' wife Carley, who is a stone cold fox."

[formerbant10]

Also, Drew Cohen 5-11, 8 boards, 12 points, 1 assist, 3 TO, 0 blocks, 0 steals in 31 minutes.  Kevin Hopkins 5-6, 5 boards, 12 points, 2 assists, 1 TO, 2 blocks, 1 steal in 21 minutes.  Those who refuse to admit that Hopkins is superior to Cohen...Would you prefer to be called stubborn, ignorant, wrong or stupid?  Since I'm a good guy...I'll let you pick.

I'm more of a numbers guy than a story guy.....I'll be brutally honest, those numbers aren't great for either player.  Treyball had much more expected out of him than Hopkins.....but both seemed to have a solid game.  And I'm as much a Cohen supporter as you'll find outside Maine.

Williams with a tough 1st round matchup as well.  Playing Brockport is no easy task....especially far from home.  Trinity lost at B'port their last two Dances.  But if they get past the Golden Eagles, I'm not sold on St. Lawrence....so they could take 2 if they stay hot.

Very possible that the 'CAC gets all 3 into the 2nd round.

Congrats to Williams, they played a great weekend.....just enough to come out on top.  Glad to see Shalvoy coming up big when they needed him to. 

[senatorfrost]

 Yes it is time to say "nice job" to the Ephs. They played well-they shot, who could ask for anything more? Not me. A while back I mentioned all the injuries which most rational people KNEW had a large hand in tipping the scales. Actually in those days you could see Frankie Fourleaf tipping them himself.
  No Frankie this year. No moaning about bad luck or tough breaks. A New Senator has evolved. This New Senator is only concerned with what takes place on the court and not in the trainer's offices. Ephs won two tough ones and I think they can take 2 at least in the tourney. St. Lawreence is from a FAR weaker league. After that I'd be guessing.
   So say good by to the old Senator. He would have been brought up how Amherst had to do without Goldsmith and Coulibally. How Goldsmith could have been a #4/5 who had shooting range and how Coulibally could have lent a valuable foot, so to speak, with his tough man to man defense.
  The new Senator will say nothing about that. He simply hopes that Amherst can over come the HUGE roadblocks (of all kinds) that have been placed before them.

    I did make a mistake-I did not look to see who was actually over hyping Amherst. I will not make that mistake again

Be assured that all differences should be put aside and no matter what we think of the other NESCAC teams that are in the tourney, we should all root for them. I always have and I will again this time.

[mrmike88]

Spengler, you make a solid point about T-Mac's absence, but it should be noted that Salerno (who in my opinion is as good an on-the-ball defender, if not better) replaced him and guarded Shalvoy on that possession.  The thing that got me about that whole possession was the sub of Walters for K-Hop.  And yes, if Wheeler makes that shot then this whole thing is moot.  But I think Amherst screwed up those two possessions.  It's just my opinion.  I also think that is the only pivotal moment they screwed up all season.  They executed almost perfectly at the end of the Trinity game; Martin made his shot and Olson didn't, and that's all.  27 games and one bad ending?  Sounds like a great season to me.

Trinity/Brandeis is going to be a great game.  Graves-Fulgham of Brandeis is probably the only guard I saw all year who has speed to rival Kino's, and DeLuca is a beast down low.  The Judges will have a leg up down low because of him, but I don't think Brandeis really has someone to guard P. Martin at the point.  I'm looking forward to it.

[Dr E. Spengler]

NY Hoopster...12.7 points vs 12 points...look at the difference in total minutes.  Seniority plays the biggest role in who gets to start for Hixon.  When you're his guy, you stay his guy.  Anyone who criticizes Hopkins for not starting simply has never followed Amherst basketball.  It takes an act of God for someone younger to start over an upperclassman. 

Since I just dismissed your entire post in about 30-35 seconds and you spent that time looking up stats, please never post again.

Formerbant, how can you possibly say Cohen had a good game?  I'll take Hopkins' line over his any day...I cannot possibly understand a counterargument.

mrmike, the sub for fletcher was an offense/defense decision and was made because Amherst was switching off the screen and would have left hopkins on shalvoy.  The decision, although you may disagree with it was more logical than you give it credit.  We notice it more because of that fluke of an offensive rebound off the bottom of the rim, not because of anything that actually occured on defense.

[Sticks11]

Spengler-

Who am I? Well, based on your posts, I would classify myself as someone much more knowledgeable about basketball than you.  And as far as the Cohen-Hopkins debate, I will refer to the sales analogy "You can't sell stupid" - indicating some people just don't get it.  That of course, would be you.  Cohen is the better player, I don't need to look at stats.  However, I will now heed nescac1's advice and ignore your posts. 

More importantly, I would like to hear formerbant's scouting report on 7'9 Sun Ming Ming.  I saw his line from the game, seems like a bigtime project.

Jamie Snyder-Fair for NESCAC Assistant Coach of the Year??? (I know they don't have one, they should institute one for the Big Man)

[mrmike88]

Spengler, point taken.  I didn't give much consideration to the switch-off in that situation.  I'll concede you that one.

[formerbant10]

NY Hoopster...12.7 points vs 12 points...look at the difference in total minutes.  Seniority plays the biggest role in who gets to start for Hixon.  When you're his guy, you stay his guy.  Anyone who criticizes Hopkins for not starting simply has never followed Amherst basketball.  It takes an act of God for someone younger to start over an upperclassman. 

Formerbant, how can you possibly say Cohen had a good game?  I'll take Hopkins' line over his any day...I cannot possibly understand a counterargument.

First off, it can be an act of God or tragic injury (if there is a difference).... a la Olson/Corrigan.  But Hixon is very loyal, and rightfully so.  It breeds hunger on the bench.

Also, Drew Cohen 5-11, 8 boards, 12 points, 1 assist, 3 TO, 0 blocks, 0 steals in 31 minutes.  Kevin Hopkins 5-6, 5 boards, 12 points, 2 assists, 1 TO, 2 blocks, 1 steal in 21 minutes.  Those who refuse to admit that Hopkins is superior to Cohen...Would you prefer to be called stubborn, ignorant, wrong or stupid?  Since I'm a good guy...I'll let you pick.

I'm more of a numbers guy than a story guy.....I'll be brutally honest, those numbers aren't great for either player.  Treyball had much more expected out of him than Hopkins.....but both seemed to have a solid game.  And I'm as much a Cohen supporter as you'll find outside Maine. 

Still looking as to where I said Drew had a good game.....let me know when you find it.

[formerbant10]

More importantly, I would like to hear formerbant's scouting report on 7'9 Sun Ming Ming.  I saw his line from the game, seems like a bigtime project.

Project is not the word.  Circus act would be a more fitting phrase.  One of his shots, put back from 6 feet out, got jammed inbetween the backboard and rim.  Really nice kid, getting exploited badly....but you can't coach height I guess.

I'd take Hopkins and Cohen over him anyday

[nescac1]

Nice Sports Illustrated on-line article on the Williams/Amherst game.  (Always helps to have alums in journalism ...):

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/tim_layden/02/26/williams.amherst/

[nescac hoops]

Seniority plays the biggest role in who gets to start for Hixon.  When you're his guy, you stay his guy.  Anyone who criticizes Hopkins for not starting simply has never followed Amherst basketball.  It takes an act of God for someone younger to start over an upperclassman. 

The doctor is right about this one, but i have to question Hixon's logic with it. As an eph fan, I love seeing O'Shea on the floor and Hopkins on the bench. Why he doesn't play Hopkins more is beyond me. He should start him and play him more for no other reason that it would end the Cohen/Hopkins debate by allowing Hopkins to play equal minutes as Cohen and put up far better numbers. I'm glad this logic isn't something Paulsen uses. If he did, Nelson would have remained a starter and Schultz wouldn't see the minutes he does now and their season would have been over a long time ago.