MBB: NESCAC

[dman]

just checked out williams' schedule this year.  looks really good.  no mid-week games during conference play and playing some good non league teams including ursinus.  hamilton is listed as a conf. game.  anyone heard anything about ham joining conf.??

[TheHerst2and4]

Long time reader, first time poster...
Walzy,
Interesting point on Amherst's three point percentage this year. In the years past the Jeffs have been able to rely on teams helping down on some big men to open up the three ball for the shooters. I'm not downlplaying Amherst's big men this upcoming year but it'll be interesting to see if whoever draws that role will be able to open up the outside shooting.

[ephoops]

Anyone attend the Williams scrimmage versus the alumni?  Reports??

[eph69]

Alumni won by over 25. Crotty made sure they wouldn't lose this year. Alums had an all star group.
Varsity was outmuscled and outplayed as you would expect. Not much to get excited about for this year's team. New coach, Maker, seems to be excellent. He has a great feel for the game and for the program but it will take time to get his philosophy incorporated. Middle of the pack in the conference seems about right. However, watch out for the future

[walzy31]

Alumni won by over 25. Crotty made sure they wouldn't lose this year. Alums had an all star group.
Varsity was outmuscled and outplayed as you would expect. Not much to get excited about for this year's team. New coach, Maker, seems to be excellent. He has a great feel for the game and for the program but it will take time to get his philosophy incorporated. Middle of the pack in the conference seems about right. However, watch out for the future

Crotty won an internet award for outrunning Joakim Noah during a Celtics workout a year ago. I forgot the exact name of the award he won, but I remember smiling and thinking it was deserved and dead on.

[nescac1]

Thanks Eph69.  Williams has the misfortune of a tough opening game -- at Keene State -- against a team that will have a month of practice under its belt.  It will be a real challenge to learn an entirely new system, led by a new point guard, in two weeks ... Ephs may indeed be a year away given that the current talent is concentrated in the Junior class and they will need some time to adapt to the new coach.  Then again, I think NESCAC will be down, or at least unpredictable, overall this year with a lot of talent departing and nearly half the league featuring new coaches.   Midd and Colby are really the only teams with stability in terms of both coaching and key players.  Surprised the Colby posters, who last year were a bit eager to overhype a young team, but this year have a team worth hyping, haven't been out in force yet. 

[formerbant10]

A lot of talent departs/graduates every year.  The NESCAC will more than hold their own this year.  Again.

[ephoops]

The New England region is well represented in the pre-season All-American teams. 

http://www.d3hoops.com/all-american/menpreseason09.htm
 
First Team:        Steve DeLuca Sr. Brandeis and Tyler Kathan Sr. Keene State
Second Team:    Jimmy Bartolotta Sr. MIT
Third Team:        Brian Baskauskas Sr. Amherst
Fourth Team:     Craig Johnson Sr. Coast Guard
Hon. Mention:     Jon Pierce Sr. Tufts

I can't remember a year that had so many New England players recognized.

Pat:  Is this a record for the New England region?

[Pat Coleman]

Last year there were six also.

http://www.d3hoops.com/all-american/menpreseason08.htm

But before that the high was four and it was most commonly three in the years since we moved to four teams plus honorable mention.

[Agent_Zero]

long absence from these boards for me. The collapse of Tufts down the stretch last season, a summer away from civilization, and lots of school work have kept me away from the nescac board. excited for the season however. Congrats to all the players from the northeast who received All American recognition. Especially Pierce. i am interested to see how he responds to the pressure. and i am interested to see how the team comes together behind him. They are extremely young and relatively inexperienced, save for Pierce, Beyel, and Gallant. If they can figure it out and avoid the chemistry issues that destroyed this team last season, I am very excited for the possibilities, especially in a conference that will have a new look this year with the coaching changes and the graduation of last years senior class. Looking forward to another exciting season and hoping Pierce, with the help of all the talent around him, can lead Tufts to what would be a surprising strong finish. Because no one really expects anything out of them. And tbh, after last season, they shouldnt.

Walzy, early line on Williams/Keene State? My bookie here in Medford is getting anxious

[nescac1]

Both Amherst and Williams have pre-season rosters and previews posted.  Neither give a ton of info, however, on which new players will step into the rotations.  Amherst brings in six guys, the smallest of whom is 6'5.  Jeez, insane.   

Williams offense should be fun to watch if and when it comes together -- I loved watching those Beilin WVU teams.  the question is how many of Paulsen's recruits will fit Maker's system ... I think the bigger, skilled perimeter guys with court vision and shooting ability should have a chance to thrive, eventually.   The small, quick point guards and interior-oriented players who aren't shooters may have a tougher time getting  a lot of burn in that system.  Although I am sure if healthy (he suffered an injury in Italy according to the game reports), the offense will have to make use of Geoghegan as he is clearly the best offensive option on the team. 

[ne-ball]

agent _zero
i would like to see tufts surprise people. although i am not a tufts fan specifically. i am a pierce fan and hope he can be a leader this year. it's always fun to watch a young team and hope they over achieve.
don't know how the recruiting is going for next year but got wind that a kid from new york is going early who is a 5'10 shooter and plays no defense...not very promising, especially given the bigs that a team like amherst is getting. NESCAC is always hard to predict, especially with all the shuffling that's gone on recently.

[fpc85]

Both Amherst and Williams have pre-season rosters and previews posted.  Neither give a ton of info, however, on which new players will step into the rotations.  Amherst brings in six guys, the smallest of whom is 6'5.  Jeez, insane.     

Amherst first years are a talented group but they will go only as far as the upperclassmen can take them. They now have the opportunity to show the rest of the conference that they have some ability. I can't wait to see the jeffs continue to be a major player in the NESCAC.

[topoftheworld]

agent 0,  what kind of coaching changes went on at tufts this year?  this has been a crazy year for coaching changes, but i didnt know sheldon might have switched locations.  what kind of chemistry problems did tufts have last year?  very confusing team, played some good teams tight, brandeis, even had a close game with amherst, but then couldnt beat anyone in the conference except williams.

as for the all american teams, i have seen all of those players play, and a healthy deluca, and baskauskas are on another level from the rest of the guys.  and i have seen them play many times.

[Agent_Zero]

top, sheldon is still at tufts. tufts had no coaching changes, even in the assistant ranks as far as i know. i was referring to the williams, bates, trinity, and wesleyan changes. as far as chemistry problems, i dont really know specifically but in watching them, it sure looked as if they werent on the same page in many instances. and they were extremely inconsistent all year. as noted, played some very good teams very tight and then lost to teams like wesleyan on their home floor.