MBB: NESCAC

[eclinchy]

Tufts roster up:

http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/MenBasketball/roster.htm

Six new names, and only three are freshmen. Aside from Pierce and Gallant, the team's third senior is the tight end from the football team.

[eclinchy]

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.

I love Baskauskas. But to play devil's advocate...

We can't be sure that he'll be the same player without the talent he had around him last year. Part of what made him so good was the fact that Walters/Jones/Hopkins would go off and dominate in the paint and force defenders to double down on them, which would lead to open jumpers on the wing. Is Baskauskas still going to shoot 48% on threes with a defender in his face? Maybe, maybe not. Let's be careful.

[walzy31]

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

KSC -10.5 Vs. Williams

[topoftheworld]

eclinchy

who knows if he will be as productive, but lets compare 2 players to help prove the point i am making (different point from yours).

player 1 - 24 ppg 6 reb 4 ast
player 2 - 12 ppg 4 reb 2 ast

by looking at the stats and the numbers they put up, you would have to think player 1 is a much better player than player 2.  but player 2's last game of the season was in salem.  player 1 is bartalotta (mit) and   obviously player 2 is baskauskas.  and even though he might not put up the numbers because many guys on amherst can score and make plays, he is still a better player from the numerous games i have seen them both play.

[Agent_Zero]

eclinchy,

pierce is listed as a junior. he still has a year left of eligibility and plans on using it, apparently. so that makes the Tufts team even younger. Only one senior in Gallant. Gallant has been a sold contributor and obviously there is Pierce, but other than flashes from Dave Beyel last season, this team is extremely untested and unproven. They will need to come around quick.

[eclinchy]

Yeah. I like Gallant (who was it that computed Hollinger-style shooting percentages and called Gallant one of the most efficient scorers in the league? I remember that, that was cool), but having only one proven senior is scary, agreed.

If I had to guess a starting five, I'd say: Galvin-Gallant-Beyel-Pierce-...Selby? It'll be interesting -- their PG is good but inexperienced, and I'm curious to see what happens in the post. I like Pierce as a 4, so if a true center emerges that would be nice... I'll be looking for a breakout year from Selby, and I'm also anxious to see the new 6-7 freshman center in action.

Anyway... I'm optimistic. Young does not mean bad. Last year's team was plenty old and it flopped. This year, there's youth but there's talent.

On another note, anyone got preseason all-league picks? I'll throw 10 names out there:

first:
Jon Pierce, Tufts
Brian Baskauskas, Amherst
Aaron Smith, Middlebury
Adam Choice, Colby
Ben Rudin, Middlebury

second:
Joe Geoghegan, Williams
Kyle Jackson, Bowdoin
Brian Ellis, Bates
Paul Rowe, Trinity
Dave Beyel, Tufts

Honorable mention (aka People I'm Irrationally Snubbing Because I'm Dying to Fit Dave Beyel Into My Starting 10): Wheeler, Westbrooks, Bernier, Snyder, Schultz, Whittington, Grayson

[eclinchy]

KSC -10.5 Vs. Williams

Awww, come on, it's gotta be closer than that. Williams could lose by 4-6 blindfolded.

by looking at the stats and the numbers they put up, you would have to think player 1 is a much better player than player 2.  but player 2's last game of the season was in salem.  player 1 is bartalotta (mit) and   obviously player 2 is baskauskas.  and even though he might not put up the numbers because many guys on amherst can score and make plays, he is still a better player from the numerous games i have seen them both play.

Maybe you've seen them play a bit more than I have, but I'm tempted to disagree with the underlying "Baskauskas is better" assumption. Baskauskas can knock down shots, sure; Bartolotta's an all-around player. I'm oversimplifying things, but I still think he's a little better.

[ne-ball]

what do you guys think of matt galvin at the point for tufts? what are his strengths and weaknesses? i had seen him a couple of years ago and thought he was just okay.  would like to hear feedback

[senatorfrost]

  I saw Bartolotta v Amherst last year. He did it all! MIT had it down to 2 with a little more than a minute left. He rebounded, was high in assists and he attracted a lot of attention. He ran out of gas at the end or who knows. I think he was injured that game and I don't think he was the same for most of the rest of the year.
  At any rate he was healthy for that game and in my opinion comparing Bartolotta with ANY other d3 front court player I saw last year is like comparing Ted Nugent with Antonio Vivaldi.

[senatorfrost]

  I notice Bowdoin Women and Trinity men rosters are still not up. Bates M wasn't up last night. Why can't they all be like Colby and the Wes. women?? Those programs say-here we are, no games, no pretentions and if anyone actually 'tries out' and makes it and is not on the roster we'll add them on.
  Some places want to pretend they're more academic than Harvard Yale and Princeton, which have been up for weeks. (One of the six teams wasn't up-can't remember which)
Special dispensation is given to the Amherst and Williams men. Every new name on both rosters was mentioned long before any rosters went up. Some of that may be attributed to the NEBR site but I'm pretty sure the site detectives are tipped off, so to speak. At any rate all the names were out there.
   Tufts is usually a late poster of rosters btw. So hey next year why doesn't everyone pretend they're like Harvard Yale and Princeton and just 'put it up' What is the %#@*& big deal? I wonder who will be the MVP between Bowdoin W and Trinity M? I'm betting on Bowdoin W.

M=most
V=voluminous
P=not going to say. I'm too nice

[ephoops]

what do you guys think of matt galvin at the point for tufts? what are his strengths and weaknesses? i had seen him a couple of years ago and thought he was just okay.  would like to hear feedback

I saw Galvin play in high school two years ago...He played for Regis in Manhattan in the very competitive NYC Catholic league.  I only saw him once last year for Tufts.

I believe he has the ability to be a solid PG in the NESCAC.  He handles the ball well, is a good passer who sees the floor.  He's strong enough to get in the paint and get off his shot as well as the ability to take it strong to the rim.  His jump shot can be inconsistent.  He also has a high bball IQ and will get others involved and will get his teammates the ball.

[gordonmann]

At any rate he was healthy for that game and in my opinion comparing Bartolotta with ANY other d3 front court player I saw last year is like comparing Ted Nugent with Antonio Vivaldi.

+k

[Ralph Turner]

At any rate he was healthy for that game and in my opinion comparing Bartolotta with ANY other d3 front court player I saw last year is like comparing Ted Nugent with Antonio Vivaldi.

+k

There is a place for Vivaldi and there is a place for Ted Nugent!         

Vivaldi's Summer

Ted Nugent's Stranglehold

Or Eric Clapton playing Robert Johnson   

[ne-ball]

ephoops
Regis plays in the Catholic A league (not AA)which actually isn't strong at all and they only got into that in 2007. Previously they played in B which is quite weak. But I trust your assesment of his game. I never heard much about him in New York either in Catholic School or AAU, so that's why i was curious. Thanks.

[golflax99]

great to see middlebury finally getting the respect they deserve. are they the favorites right now to win nescac?