MBB: NESCAC

[La Verdad]

We also need to thank the cast of Real World Las Vegas and the Mutants from table 9.

On a more serious note, any news on recruits coming in next year?  I heard rumors about a Greek kid coming to the herst next year?  Have we talked about this before? 


SANDWICHES

[NY hoopster]

Congratulations to Amherst ! I look forward to seeing them play against the team I root for next year, especially with so many of the payers that got them to the championship coming back. Watching Olson play is worth the 5-7 hours NY hoopster drives each way to see a Nescac game. It simply does'nt get better than seeing the team one roots for playing against the reigning champions.

[JeffRookie2]

Just got back home from Salem. What a weekend. Totalled my car in the snow on the way down so I only got to see the last ten minutes of the Wooster game. Man, I hope you are all right about Hixon staying put. I dont really know what to say that hasnt already been said, except that even getting into a head on collision with a stopped car sitting in the middle of the highway was not enought to ruin what an amazing weekend this was. Go Jeffs!!!

[JeffRookie2]

Actually, come to think of it, I do have a couple of things to add. I was talking to some well-connected alumni before the championship game and they gave me some insights into out income recruiting class.

Everyone already knows about Bennett and Butler, who should be great. We are also getting a 6'2" point guard who is supposed to be really good, as well as a shooting guard from Texas. Also, a 6'9" kid from Greece is coming to visit the campus in April to see if he wants to play for us. I imagine winning the championship will only help convince him.

Talked to Pat after the game yesterday, he seemed pretty unhappy that we won. He said that we would be insufferable all summer. Maybe we should let up on Pat a little, I think our team proved our point. That being said, there is a mistake on the front page Pat. It says Hopkins is a starter, when O'Shea starts at center.

My only concern about next year is our on-the-ball defense. One of the biggest keys of this season was having Tim and Mike playing great D on the perimeter. I don't know if we'll have anybody fast enough to do that next year. However, we are stacked in every other sense and I would be very surprised if we dont at least make it back to Salem next year.

[Marty Peretz]

The various posts from the Amherst fans recapping their weekend social exploits are terrific. As a native of the Pioneer Valley and a die hard Wash U fan and student, I must admit that it was extremely difficult being out of the country on a long-planned trip and not in Salem. In truth, when I booked my flight some 2 months ago, Salem did cross my mind, but only very briefly. I couldn't rationally expect us to take down the midwest region with the ease that we did, not with an almost entirely underclassmen team anyway. But alas we did...and nearly faced the Jeffs in the final. I can tell you right now that if (and they have a great shot at it) the Bears return next year, a meaningful portion of the solid WUSTL student fan base will  make its presence felt to at least a slight degree and we'll be looking forward to kickin it with Lord Jeff nation at random salem bars. First beer is on me...congrats to all you guys and to Hixon, a guy who I sometimes hate on, but who, at the end of the day, I have an immense amount of respect for. See ya next year.

[La Verdad]

Wash U had a pretty decent little cheering section, but it looked like it was an older crowd(parents, family, ect.).  From what I saw the team looked pretty impressive.  I really liked the pg's game, isn't he just a soph?  The big man looked good as well, but I couldn't help but notice that he missed a lot of open looks at the end of the Va Wes game.  He is also the least spectacular dunker I've ever seen, in fact he missed one early against Va Wes.  That being said, I sure hope he's graduating bc he did put up twenty something in the first game even with all the close misses.  He's the big strong post player that has given the jeffs trouble in the past. 

Salerno and Timbo will be missed for sure.  Timmy is probably one of the most underated players in the country?  I think so.  Salerno brought fire and toughness to court every game.  He's that guy that everyone loves to have on their team and hates to play against. 

It's a shame you couldn't make it Marty, Salem sure is a good time for all those involved.  I was pulling for the bears, Wash U was near the top of La Verdad's list of potential schools.  In fact, with the help of Coach Kinbom I was admitted to the class of 08.  Had a couple trips gone differently, I would've been on the opposite side of the civic center. 

[lemonjello]

Sounds like it was a good time down in Salem jeffrookie.  I wish I was there.  From your description, the incoming recruiting class sounds pretty impressive too, especially if they can pull in the 6'9" guy from Greece.  A lot will be expected from this group, as they will probably be counted on to replace the 6 guys from the class of '08.  It will be interesting to see who can step up defensively, because were are definitely losing some of our best in T-Mac and Salerno, as well as an underrated post defender in Wheeler.  Hopefully, Adolphe and Goldsmith can come back huge next year, and lead the Jeffs back to Salem.

[The Historian]

Just back from Salem.  No better way to finish the trip than with a pitcher at McMurphy's with one of the true great Amherst fans and off-the-court contributors to the team.

Plenty of reflections on the weekend to come.

But for now, I'll just echo Walzy:  LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats, Amherst, on a truly magnificent accomplishment!

[Pat Coleman]

PAT COLEMAN!!!!!!! Word on curb is that the real media in the room and the players looked at you like you had three heads when you asked about Williams.  It's a good thing that Dan Wheeler is such a gentleman or you would have been sitting there with your foot in your mouth.  Also Walzy, informed us that you took back that the Northeast is the weakest region in D3...save the NESCAC. 

The "real media" in the room were busy asking if Hixon had a room for the night, what had happened to his foot, etc. Can't help if they were uninformed.

And I guess a decade at USA Today doesn't qualify me as real media?

I've also never said the Northeast was the weakest region in Division III (that honor belongs to the group just West of you) and I certainly never discussed it with Walzy.

You should stop getting your info second-hand. Shut up and enjoy the ride.

[Pat Coleman]

Talked to Pat after the game yesterday, he seemed pretty unhappy that we won.

Dunno why you would think that, except ...

He said that we would be insufferable all summer.

Yes, that I did. And so far your fellow fans have done little to disprove that suggestion. But didn't I also tell you that I thought we needed MORE Amherst fans on the board?

Sorry, talked to several Amherst fans over the course of the weekend and it's hard to remember which was which conversation.

[nescac1]

One underrated aspect of Hixon's coaching job -- he gets talented kids to stick with the program despite little to no playing time, and they often come through as seniors.  A guy like Salerno who got no pt for three years, or guys like McLaughlin and in the past T. Jones who never were starters until senior year, could easily have become frustrated and left the program, but stuck it out and then became key contributors.  The current group of sophomores, outside of Baskauskas, may be in the same boat. 

As for next year, Amherst may well be starting a line-up that is bigger than 90 percent of Div-I lineups and close in height to some NBA teams -- Hopkins, Goldsmith/Jones, Walters, Baskauskas, Olson, outside of Olson that's a 6'7-6'8 average, which is downright scary.  Even the top four bench guys will likely be in the 6'5-6'8 range.  Sure, quicker guards might burn them, but how many will be quicker than Wooster's and VWU's?  Doesn't do you much good when you get past your guy and there are two monsters waiting around in the post.  And I think Coulibably has the ability to be as good or even better a lock-down perimeter defender as McLaughlin based on what he showed last year. 

I think Williams despite a major size disadvantage at essentially every spot should be able to hang with them a little better next year (more games like the NESCAC championship than the prior two games) but it will take significant improvement (and definitely a lot more physical strength) from the rising sophomores and juniors, and a clean bill of health from the rising seniors (in particular Rose).  Is Weisbrot expected to be 100 percent next year, or is his back a chronic thing?  One things Williams will have is incredible depth for the first time since 2003, if guys like Rubin, Meyer, Golia, and a few of the other rising sophs continue to build on the ability they showed at the end of the year, and if even one frosh can be an impact guy off the bench.

New England should be fun next year.  Amherst should start the year number one (could put Wash U. over there, but hard to vote against the defending champs), and Keene, Brandeis, and Williams all deserve to be in the top 25 assuming no underclassmen defections (and I'd say Keene and Brandeis both bring back top-10 caliber squads).  NEWMAC should be much more balanced, and RIC, Tufts, Trinity and Middlebury all have a lot of solid parts returning as well.  Although N.E. is not very deep, I'm not sure any region will have a stronger top-five next year.

For the NESCAC haters, I note that Amherst pretty much ran roughshod over every team it faced this year, outside of about 10 minutes against Wooster, except for the two losses to other NESCAC competition and the near-loss against Tufts.  Although a few conference teams performed below expectations, a team like Bates would finish better than eight in almost any other league in the country (I think they went undefeated out of conference, admittedly against weak competition).  And this was not considered one of the better years, talent-wise, for NESCAC overall.  Sure, NESCAC has an easier road to the final four than the midwest teams, but if you win once you get there, you prove you're the best, and NESCAC has now done it twice in five years (and came very, very close a third time).  Every Amherst and Williams team to make the final four has proved it belonged, even those that didn't win.  And when was the last title won by, say, a UAA team? 

[Pat Coleman]

Just got back home from Salem. What a weekend. Totalled my car in the snow on the way down so I only got to see the last ten minutes of the Wooster game. Man, I hope you are all right about Hixon staying put. I dont really know what to say that hasnt already been said, except that even getting into a head on collision with a stopped car sitting in the middle of the highway was not enought to ruin what an amazing weekend this was. Go Jeffs!!!

I had heard about this story and actually would like to hear more about it.

[justafan02]

Congrats to Ameherst.  As a Marlin faithful and ODAC fan...your kids were very impressive.  I wish we would have played better.

Your point guard was poised and unrattled all night.  He is something.  Very quick and great decision maker.  Did he make a mistake all night?  And how about your freethrow shotting.....talk about a dagger!!

Enjoy the celebration of being National Champs....you desearve every bit of it.

[Pat Coleman]

I remember just one really ill-advised pass. Been putting the time spent waiting in the Roanoke airport to good use and my Salem wrapup, which usually doesn't run until midweek, is already up.

http://www.d3hoops.com/salem/07/wrapup.htm