MBB: NESCAC

[mrmike88]

Solid win for the Jeffs tonight.  As predicted, Widener lacked the size to hang with Amherst.  Kevin Hopkins had a career night with 24 points, almost all of them scored on dunks and layups.  Widener's big man, Terry Smith, was a force on the boards, but he got into foul trouble and had issues guarding K-Hop in the low post.  Thomas had a great game for Widener, driving seemingly at will down the lane and making some acrobatic shots, but they turned the ball over too much and couldn't stop Amherst on D.  The Pride ran a full-court press for much of the second half and Amherst did not turn over the ball even once against it.  Wayyy too many layups...

Congrats go to Andrew Olson, who, with 12 assists tonight, set a new school record for career assists.  And he has a season to go!

Next opponent: Fri night vs. Stevens, who beat Ramapo.

[senatorfrost]

JeffRookie-Yes I have seen him play and yes he can guard fast 2's however, I have trouble picturing him as a #2 on offense. I'm not saying he can't be a #2 on offense but Steve Wheeler should be playing more next year and #2 is where I picture him. (from the little I've seen)
  Adolphe has missed most of the season but he has many months to practice, we'll see, but yes I agree with you defensively.
  Widener as has been said and as one can see in the box scores was a 2 1/2 trick pony. Some very nice tricks but not enough. With Messiah getting 37 points, maybe this is a down year for the MAC(s)? Does anyone know anything about Stevens??

[HARGO]

The All Conference Teams were questionable. Bates gets two? I agree with ballaholic4 on his assessment of the selections. As for hoopjunkie, you are half right. Cohen should have been on one team for sure. However, you couldn't have   watched any Colby games. Farrell carried the team most of the year, especially when Cohen was hurt. Farrell played in every half of every game, logged big minutes, guarded the best guard each team had, led the team in scoring (nearly 100 points more than anyone else in the league) assists, steals, foul shooting percentage, and was fourth in rebounds. He was 8th in the nation in 3's and in the top 50 in three point percentage. Last year he was in the top 30 in assists in the nation. Oh, did I mention he was fourth in league in steals and seventh in assists, and won the scoring title? His foul shooting was among the leagues best as well. If you at least watched the Amherst-Colby  game, the score was tied 20-20 when Farrell got hurt. He had 11 points already. When he returned several minutes later, the game was over. Amherst scored something like 20 of the next 22 points. Farrell played the rest of the game with a gimpy leg. Now Amherst was the better team and I am not saying Colby would have won, but Farrell kept them in the game early, when he was healthy. With Gaudet hurt most of the year, Colby's only other real three point shooter (Farrell) had to go from a  true point to a point/scorer. Let's give credit where credit is deserved. Farrell and Cohen averaged nearly half the team's points, and they were fourth in the conference. Both were worthty of recognition. I find it very difficult to see where Olson was POY. He is very good, but not the best in the league this year. I move Cohen to second team and Farrell to POY. I like Ray for DPY, but I move his teammate out of either team. He just didn't play big down the stretch.
My favorite comeback team (slow start with their injuries), Williams, was a treat to watch, and I am pulling for Amherst to go far. NESCAC is still one tough league, especially with the great guards they have on most teams. Congratulations to all those recognized. When all else is said, the coaches' picks are the correct ones, but it is fun to second guess.










the

[La Verdad]

kevin hopkins

[NY hoopster]

Hargo is absolutely right about how great Farrell was this year. He carried the team into he quarterfinals and had he not been hurt early, the Amherst game would have been closer, although Amherst still would have won given their talent and the level of their play that day. Both Gaudet and Cohen were injured this year, and Colby still made the playoffs.

[hoopjunkie]

Hargo ,
I saw Farrell only once this year vs Tufts where he shot 5-16 &
1-6 from 3 point range . He also had 4 turnovers . The backcourt for Tufts
was their weaklink,  so I don`t think it was the defense that caused the poor
shooting . I`m sure  he is a great player I just did`nt see it .

[hoopjunkie]

And by the way Hargo, I thought Cohen was phenomimal & killed
Tufts . I still can't believe Cohen received nothing . Do the
coaches vote? Maybe he is not a nice kid & that affected the vote ?
I don`t know .

[La Verdad]

At the very least, Cohen deserved to be on the second team.  Farrell was impressive, but at times it seemed like he tried to do too much.  He's a great shooter, but his shot selection leaves something to be desired.  Granted he didn't have much help, however, taking an off-balance shot from 5 feet behind the 3-pt line is almost never a good shot.  Maybe if he had the pieces around him that Olson does he would have been a different player, but the fact remains that at times he hurt his team as much as he helped them.

[walzy31]

The All Conference Teams were questionable. Bates gets two? I agree with ballaholic4 on his assessment of the selections. As for hoopjunkie, you are half right. Cohen should have been on one team for sure. However, you couldn't have   watched any Colby games. Farrell carried the team most of the year, especially when Cohen was hurt. Farrell played in every half of every game, logged big minutes, guarded the best guard each team had, led the team in scoring (nearly 100 points more than anyone else in the league) assists, steals, foul shooting percentage, and was fourth in rebounds. He was 8th in the nation in 3's and in the top 50 in three point percentage. Last year he was in the top 30 in assists in the nation. Oh, did I mention he was fourth in league in steals and seventh in assists, and won the scoring title? His foul shooting was among the leagues best as well. If you at least watched the Amherst-Colby  game, the score was tied 20-20 when Farrell got hurt. He had 11 points already. When he returned several minutes later, the game was over. Amherst scored something like 20 of the next 22 points. Farrell played the rest of the game with a gimpy leg. Now Amherst was the better team and I am not saying Colby would have won, but Farrell kept them in the game early, when he was healthy. With Gaudet hurt most of the year, Colby's only other real three point shooter (Farrell) had to go from a  true point to a point/scorer. Let's give credit where credit is deserved. Farrell and Cohen averaged nearly half the team's points, and they were fourth in the conference. Both were worthty of recognition. I find it very difficult to see where Olson was POY. He is very good, but not the best in the league this year. I move Cohen to second team and Farrell to POY. I like Ray for DPY, but I move his teammate out of either team. He just didn't play big down the stretch.
My favorite comeback team (slow start with their injuries), Williams, was a treat to watch, and I am pulling for Amherst to go far. NESCAC is still one tough league, especially with the great guards they have on most teams. Congratulations to all those recognized. When all else is said, the coaches' picks are the correct ones, but it is fun to second guess.

the

I've been swayed by HARGO andf McMurphys...Nick Farrell for the Cousy
see you soon agian salem

[eclinchy]

I'm having trouble sizing up this Amherst-Stevens match-up.  I want to think Amherst is the favorite because... well, come on, it's Amherst... but it's hard to compare the two teams.

Their only common opponent (correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am) is Tufts.  Amherst beat the Jumbos in overtime, by four, while Stevens slammed them by 21.

What do you think, Jeffs fans?  Are you nervous?

[frank uible]

Undoubtedly Loeffler knows more about Hixon than Hixon knows about Loeffler.

[NY hoopster]

LaVerdad's point about Cohen needing to be a selection on one of the teams is dead-on, and the same point has been made by Hargo. Cohen is a polite quiet kid, so it wasn't a personality thing that kept him off. The thing that needs to be considered when criticizing the shot selection of Farrell (or any point guard) is that very often they wind up with the ball as time is about to tick off the shot clock. It is very unusual for a point guard to lead a league in scoring because of the toll in terms of fatigue in bringing up the ball and playing D on the opposite point. And lets face it, the defense of every team keyed on Farrell every game. He didn't get it done by being physically imposing either. He was and is a very unique player.

[JeffRookie2]

I'm having trouble sizing up this Amherst-Stevens match-up.  I want to think Amherst is the favorite because... well, come on, it's Amherst... but it's hard to compare the two teams.

Their only common opponent (correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am) is Tufts.  Amherst beat the Jumbos in overtime, by four, while Stevens slammed them by 21.

What do you think, Jeffs fans?  Are you nervous?

I'm not saying we shouldn't take stevens seriously, but at the same time I think its hard when Tufts is the common opponent because Tufts has played Amherst so well over the last couple of years. I also think Amherst has improved over the course of the year with Hopkins playing so well, although I think the defense lately has left much to be desired.

Hey Eclinchy, you probably saw the Stevens game, why dont you give us a scouting report?

[JeffRookie2]

Looks like Amherst will be hosting a sectional, along with Stevens Point, Va Wes and St. John Fisher. Maybe making Wooster play on the road will result in a potential upset. They seem to me like the most frightening potential final four matchup for amherst, assuming we get past stevens and RIC/KeeneSt.

[hoopjunkie]

I was at the Stevens - Tufts game . So here`s my scouting report .
The Steven Ducks have  real good backcourt quickness & scoring.
Their 2 leader scorers Farid & Gray are tough. Both can hit the three
& both are excellent slashers . They are good defenders .Gray more of a lanky
athletics type , whereas Farid is strong & can really handle the ball . They are
both more 2  type guards then point .
They hae a very good shot blocker 6`6" Collins who had 66 blocks for the year.
They also have a point guard real small, who can nail the three .
Amherst really should be able to handle them since they have home court & I think
Stevens will not be able to handle Amherst down low. When Stevens beat Tufts it was
in New Jersey & Tufts was not able to handle their  backcourt . Watch out for their pressure
but Steve Nash ... Uh i mean Andrew Olson should control the game . Amherst 84 Stevens 71