WBB: NESCAC

[amh63]

It has been very quiet here.  Finally, the Amherst BB schedule is provided.  I guess the coach was trying to nail down the early opponents.  Amherst will be hosting two tournaments early in the schedule/season.  The first is the women's version of an established men's kick-off tournament.  The second one soon follows the first one and is in the time frame when the men plays a Springfield region tournament made up of area schools.   Also to note is the conference arrangement of having the women's teams traveling with the men's team.  In prior years, when the men's team was playing Trinity at home, the women's team would be playing away and vice versa.  Now both teams will play at the same site.  This I believe is due primarily to economize.
The team roster will not be available until practice starts.  Then we will see how the recruiting went!

[sumfun]

In preseason poll, Amherst starts off where they left off...#4.  No seniors, but young players with Final 4 experience.  Will be fun to see how new freshmen and transfer from Vermont contribute.  Bowdoin also in top 25, though they graduated their point guard from last year, they will still be very tough. 

[amh63]

Sumfun
  Good to hear from you.  The season is fast approaching.  You must have some inside connections.  I hope the Vermont transfer is a front court player.  Last year, many of the teams Amherst played  during its march to the Final Four had some large and talented players in the front court; in particular inside players.  Amherst needs some depth up front; rebounders.  Speed. talent and hustle as well as teamwork will carry you far. but depth is always need in a long season.

[sumfun]

D3 Hoops poll has Amherst #2.  Some folks out there must value a team last year that started 3 sophomores and 2 freshmen and made it to the Final 4. Amh63 -  I think their inside/under the boards play will only improve.  Last year in the Final 4 the refs let the girls start the game physical and Amherst help their own even down a few inches in height.  When the refs started to call ticky tac fouls and Leyman and Daignault got in some foul trouble, that's when they need depth. 

[senatorfrost]

What do Dolly Parton, Volbeat, Kitty Wells, Mike Ness and Emmylou Harris have in common with the majority of NESCAC men's and women's basketball coaches?

Hint-'for the future'

[BBstudent]

to Amh63
"I hope the Vermont transfer is a front court player. "
The Vermont transfer is, I believe, a guard -  a tall (maybe 5' 9" or 10") guard but not front court

[sumfun]

Why don't the NESCAC schools play pre-season scrimmages against DII or some of the smaller DI schools in the area like Wash U just played against S. Illinois?

[speedy]

Why don't the NESCAC schools play pre-season scrimmages against DII or some of the smaller DI schools in the area like Wash U just played against S. Illinois?

Probably because of the NESCAC's strict limits on number of games that can be played in a season - scrimmages count against the limit.

[Laserty]

The D1 transfer is all of 6'1 and a guard... Most I guess wont be able to guard her.

[northernstar]

I went on the website, and Amherst has her listed at 6' 0"!  I have known schools to fudge up on height, but it would be a story when a school understated a height!  It does have a glowing report of her in the team preview!  AMHERST SOUNDS LIKE THEY WILL BE VERY STRONG THIS YEAR!

[sumfun]

I read the same season preview, and I think they'll have a good season.  They do have a big bullseye on their back and Bowdoin is ranked very high also.  Also noted that the non-league competition is much more accomplished than the last two years.  They will be well tested.

[amh63]

Sumfun,
  I replied to your question on the NESCAC football board.  The same answer relates to your question about why the conference do not have earlier games.  Wash. U and other D3 schools schedule their first games last Saturday because they can.  NESCAC games start this weekend...on Friday.  I believe this later start allows a significant number of multi-sport students make the transition from fall teams to winter teams.  In women BB, Rizzo at Amherst goes from soccer to BB.  A number of field hockey players go to ice hockey, etc.  For many conference schools, the ability to attract top players with Div. 1 abilities, to their programs is that in Div3, the students can continue to play more than one sport.
Whatever the true height of Ms. Jenner, she is listed as a forward.  I am sure that her ability to play guard will be utilized by the coach.

[sumfun]

Makes perfect sense to me.

[feces monkey]

I was a little worried about Amherst's schedule this year, but I'm glad to see they've decided to keep the traditional non-conference powerhouses like Mount Holyoke, Lehman and Clark on the schedule again. It's always impressive to see student-athletes really challenge themselves in the classroom and the gym.

I'll assume that the evolving Baruch rivalry will just take a one-year hiatus and be back next winter.

[sumfun]

Your comment made me go look at the schedule and past games with those schools.  Holyoke and Clark are easy drives while kids in school.   Lehman gave them two good games last year.  Baruch will be a good test when I checked their website so I don't get your comment.  10 teams won 20 games or more, 6 teams from NCAA tourney.  Big improvement over last year, better than most NESCAC teams.