MBB: NESCAC

Started by cameltime, April 27, 2005, 02:38:16 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 5 Guests are viewing this topic.

nescac1

I imagine folks just think Hixon and Amherst, and figure, top 25, even though this team doesn't appear to be one of Hixon's strongest.  Again, there is a lot of young talent on the squad - no one would be surprised to see Amherst get into the top 25, especially with such a soft early schedule.  But there is also no one guy who is obviously a go-to scorer or even necessarily an all-region sort of player.  The FKA-Jeffs are very long, deep and athletic and should be very tough on defense yet again, but need to figure out who will be creating offense in big moments. 

This stuff is mostly minor quibbles as to me at least Williams and Hamilton are ranked exactly where they should be to start the season.  Both are legit national contenders, but both have more questions to answer than the loaded contenders ranked above them. 

ContinentalDomer

Wesleyan should be very good.  However, the coaching staff is probably quite happy with the fact that they received few votes.  Playing with a chip on the shoulder is almost always a good place to be. Of course, at the end of the day, none of the pre-season rankings or accolades matter at all. The game is played on the floor.
Quote from: nescac1 on October 11, 2018, 03:11:39 PM
A bit surprised to see Wesleyan receive so little love (fifth among NESCAC teams) after a strong season last year (NESCAC finalist, second round of NCAA tourney).  The Cards lose a few key guys up front, but do return top-flight perimeter talent in O'Brien, Bonner and Hutcherson, and Jordan James and Antone Walker have potential to become much bigger contributors.

Colby Hoops

As has been mentioned on this board in the past, the pre-season rankings are a really tough task and the voters do a really good job. It's hard to ask voters to know the ins and outs of every potential team, who graduated, who was added, what injuries factored in last year. The name value plays a factor and Amherst and Midd's recent success (deep tourney runs, league titles, etc.) results in some slightly inflated rankings. It's the same at the D1 level -- the big name programs always fare better in the pre-season rankings.

The NESCAC is Williams and Hamilton in the top tier and then a bunch of programs with a lot of potential. I think Wesleyan is the best bet out of those. Losing O'Brien for a stretch hurt them a lot last year, and their sophomore class is so talented they can't help but be better this year. Midd and Amherst should be right there as well (side note: Josh Cherry is an under the radar guy I think will play a big role this year). I'm not quite as high on Bowdoin as Nescac1.

I think this will be the deepest the league has been in a while. I'm optimistic Colby will be significantly improved this year with a healthy Dean Weiner and a year of experience for the young guards, but when you look at the league there are no easy wins.

nescac1

Good call on Cherry, Colby Hoops - I'd say along with Scadlock and Kevin O'Brien he is one of three elite perimeter defenders returning in NESCAC (maybe I'm forgetting a few others).  He is physically imposing and was key to Amherst's late-season run after being injured to start the season.  He does need to improve his free throw and three point shooting (a common theme for Amherst players) to become a big time two-way player.   

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


I don't know if I'm supposed to say this or not, but Wesleyan was one of the few teams that did not respond to requests for preseason poll information.  That usually hurts with the voters.

For what it's worth, I think Amherst will be better this year than last year, but I still didn't vote for them.  They need to earn their spot this season, at least in my eyes.
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere

Titan Q

Quote from: nescac1 on October 11, 2018, 03:11:39 PM
A bit surprised to see Wesleyan receive so little love (fifth among NESCAC teams) after a strong season last year (NESCAC finalist, second round of NCAA tourney).  The Cards lose a few key guys up front, but do return top-flight perimeter talent in O'Brien, Bonner and Hutcherson, and Jordan James and Antone Walker have potential to become much bigger contributors.

As already posted here, Wesleyan did not respond to the preseason poll information request by D3hoops.com.  That certainly cost them a lot of poll points.  The preseason info is key data for the voters in confirming who is returning, etc.

nescac1

Ahh, interesting re: Wesleyan.  The Cards have plenty of question marks up front in all events, losing their top three big guys to graduation including the DPOY in the league, so it's not like they were an obvious Top 25 pick, but I was surprised to see them receive so few votes relative to some of their NESCAC peers - now it makes a lot more sense. 

Amherst for the second straight year is the biggest unknown in NESCAC, with very high upside but also a low potential downside.  Last season, we saw both on display at various points of the season.  I think Amherst is so big, athletic, and tough defensively that they can probably beat anyone on any given day, but will also be susceptible to some upsets when they struggle to make shots. 

Old Guy

Quote from: jayhawk on October 10, 2018, 08:15:05 PM
another good frosh Center Alex Sobel Middlebury

Darn, Jayhawk! I was loving the general absence of Panther names on the above lists, hoping we can sneak up on some people.

Sure wish NESCAC teams played one another more than once. Records might not be so gaudy, but standings might be fairer, and the competition would be fantastic.

An old discussion, I know.

amh63

I'm in Old Guy's position wrt Amherst "hiding in the bushes".   Did not mention the Amherst's oversea trip, etc.  I believe this year's team has a high upside.  An on the floor leader is the key to how far the team will go this season.  Imho, the early part of the season will be to find/develop that floor leader.  I recall late last season that Amherst beat both Hamilton and Williams in back to back games as the Jeff's started to jell at the right time.  That could happen again this year.  Depth is not an issue as well as talent.  Early season rankings is not an issue or should be with both the players or coaches, imho.

D3HforLyfe

And we are back! October 15th is tomorrow, the official start of the d3 season for everyone besides our beloved 11 teams (for which I don't actually see as a big disadvantage or problem). I have really enjoyed the recent stuff on here and it's awesome to have you all back in my life. I don't have the time to do a pre-season deep dive into each team like last year, but I love this stuff too much not to give anything. I think it is going to be a very fun season in the NESCAC. Some national heavy hitters, a couple teams on the cusp, and a few teams really unknown. I agree, Old Guy, I still wish we would extend conference play as well! Maybe one day...Anyways, here is how I see the league shaking out this winter:

1 - Williams
2 - Hamilton
3 - Wesleyan
4 - Bowdoin
5 - Trinity
6 - Middlebury 
7 - Amherst
8 - Colby
9 - Tufts
10 - Conn College
11 - Bates

POY: Gilmour
COY: App
DPOY: Scadlock
ROY: Aronson (Tufts)

1st Team:
Gilmour
Heskett
Bonner
Reynolds
Scadlock

2nd Team:
Hutcherson
Casey
Doyle
Folger
Simonds

*Notes:
*I actually have a liiiittttle bit more confidence in Hamilton than Williams going into the season. More question marks for me in the Berkshires. However, the Hamilton's road games against Wesleyan and Williams in conference are going to be really hard. If healthy, I don't see Willy dropping more than 1 in conference, particularly considering both Wesleyan and Amherst conference games, opposed to L3 games, are home.

* Gotta imagine POY is a two horse race between Gilmour and Heskett (MAYBE Bonner can sneak into the conversation if things come together for the Cards?!? Or maybe this vid just got me excited lol - https://www.instagram.com/p/BnETulJFXKV/?taken-by=wes_mens_hoops). I like Gilmour by a hair. A little bit more of a pure scorer, and I believe the NESCAC likes to share the love in terms of their awards unless a repeat winner is consensus. Scadlock coming back could take away from some of Heskett's productivity as well.

*JR Bascom being back for a fifth year (due to a medical redshirt) is huge for the Cardinals. An incredibly reliable and tough big who was second in the conference in FG% last season at 61.4%. I think him and David Dixon can complement each other really well to go along with a loaded backcourt. In terms of freshman in Middletown, I have heard a lot of good stuff about Joe Dellolo and Sam Peek. The stars could particularly be aligning for Dellolo. Big lefty who can supposedly really shoot it. Cards will need some people to step up to fill hole left by Krill and Sears and it will most likely be some combo of Dixon, James, and Dellolo.

*Bowdoin is very interesting to me. Reynolds, Simonds, O'Neil, and Tucker is a very formidable four in the NESCAC, or any D3 conference for that matter. I don't see too much depth on their roster after that (perhaps Bors who can get hot in a hurry), but I think they have a good chance at advancing in the NESCAC tournament and qualifying for NCAA.

*I think Jeremy Arthur is one of the most underrated players in the league. Versatile and really tough (the latter being a given for any Cosgrove player). Could definitely see him being an All-NESCAC 2nd teamer before it's all said and done. Kyle Padmore is extremely proficient defensively and could be a sleeper in the DPOY race. Also like Joe Bell to have a good year. Reminds me of Langdon Neal with perhaps even a little more in his offensive arsenal.

*Middlebury and Amherst are interchangeable in my mind at this point. I don't really know what to expect out of either of 'em. Historically such good programs and such tough places to win, but I look at both of their rosters and struggle to see either as NCAA tournament team at this point. Agree with much of what has already been said by NESCAC1 and others concerning both.

*Heard that Matt Hanna is no longer at Colby (not sure if someone already said this). If that is true, tough loss for the Mules. They handed him the keys as a freshman and looked to really be building around him.  With that said, Wallace Tucker had a pretty darn good freshman year as well, and could be primed to have a big sophomore season. Put Weiner, Jefferson and Schlager around him and, perhaps, there is something budding. 


*I admittedly don't know much about most of the incoming freshman. With that said, I really like Tyler Aronson for Tufts - an elite athlete at the guard position for the d3 level. Reminds me some of Spellman from Bates, but maybe even a little more explosive. Savage could have a great statistical year for Jumbos, but they lost A LOT from last season (Pace, Dayton, Garrett, Engvall, Lapham - Yikes). Tufts - partly because it offers such a different college experience than the rest of the 'CAC - has the ability to recruit high level talent and retool quickly, but we shall see. As of now, they are my third team out.

*Looking at their current rosters, I feel fairly confident that CC and Bates will be two out of three that don't make the playoffs. As always, will need to see who is actually on the roster for the Camels come game 1 of the season. Labossiere could put up BIG numbers this season though, and Draffan obviously had an impressive freshman year. As for Bates, while I like their trio of guards (Spellman, Coyne, Gilpin), I just don't see enough upfront or on the wing to have any confidence going into the season. However, this is year 2 of the return for Tommy Verdell to the Bobcats bench, and I do believe he is one of the best recruiters in the league. He was able to get the Delpeches up to L-A so I wouldn't be surprised if he has a couple more ringers coming in the near future as well. 

*Pro NESCAC News: Duncan killing it per usual (https://www.instagram.com/p/BozsHK1FT63/?hl=en&taken-by=miamiheat). His ability to continue to improve/grow as a player should never be overlooked. Barring injury, I am extremely confident he will have a long NBA career, and I don't know if there is a limit to how far he can take this incredible story. Also, a lot of fun watching Workman and Hausman on Maccabi Haifa's NBA tour against the Kings and Clippers last week. It seems like Workman has found a home with Haifa, and even more happy that Hausman had a big game against the Clippers. I really really hope that productive game (10 points in 10 minutes, i believe) can bring some good fortune his way. Any updates on Hanley, Hart, Sabety, or other NESCAC professional endeavours? Very cool news on McCarthy and Riopel, sounds like a similar opportunity as Matt St. Amour and Jack Mackey capitalized on in the prior two years.

Speaking of Jack Mackey, he hosts a hilarious basketball-centric weekly podcast with his brother Joe (a former walk-on at Bucknell University and now varsity high school coach in New York). Its title is "The Off-Guards Podcast" - I am bias, but I believe it is very well done and continues to get better with each episode. Check it out, I listen through iTunes, but I am sure it is available online on other platforms as well.

*Nathan Krill is doing a Grad Transfer year at the University of San Francisco. The Dons have had back to back 20 win seasons under 3rd year Coach Kyle Smith (by way of Columbia in 2016), and obviously play in the very tough West Coast Conference (Gonzaga, St. Mary's, etc). With that said, I don't think it is ridiculous to think that Krill can possibly crack the rotation. D1 size, moves well, and can really shoot it. If he can last defensively, there is usually a role for guys like him.

*In the coaching ranks, I have heard and seen some movement that most of you probably know by now. Jordan Sears is a Graduate Assistant at St. Johns working under fellow Cardinal alum and Johnnies Assistant Coach Greg St. Jean. Mike Greenman is a Graduate Assistant at Northwestern. Jake Brown is a Graduate Assistant at Columbia. Am I missing others? Outside of 'CAC,I think Brandeis nailed their hire with Jean Bain - a great young coach who will be able to build upon the great tradition that lies below the recent ugly happenings in Waltham.

That's what I have for now! Here is to another great season in my favorite conference in college basketball...

Bucket

Quote from: D3HforLyfe on October 14, 2018, 04:39:48 PM

*In the coaching ranks, I have heard and seen some movement that most of you probably know by now. Jordan Sears is a Graduate Assistant at St. Johns working under fellow Cardinal alum and Johnnies Assistant Coach Greg St. Jean. Mike Greenman is a Graduate Assistant at Northwestern. Jake Brown is a Graduate Assistant at Columbia. Am I missing others? Outside of 'CAC,I think Brandeis nailed their hire with Jean Bain - a great young coach who will be able to build upon the great tradition that lies below the recent ugly happenings in Waltham.

That's what I have for now! Here is to another great season in my favorite conference in college basketball...

Joey Kizel is a grad assistant at Texas.

Colby Hoops

Wow hadn't heard the Hanna news, but it looks like you're right and he's walking on at Lousiville: https://www.cardchronicle.com/2018/7/5/17536740/louisville-basketball-adds-walk-on-matt-hanna

That's a big blow for Colby.

nescac1

Wow, interesting move for Hannah and big blow for Colby.  While I imagine playing for Louisville (even post-Pitino) has a lot of allure, hard to imagine Hannah seeing any significant minutes for the Cardinals.  Good luck to him.  That definitely takes Colby down a peg or too.

Lots of interesting insights as always from D3HforLyfe.  I agree with most of what he has to say about the landscape of the league.  Huge for Wesleyan to get Bascom back.  Losing the top three big guys would have been very tough.  Bascom gives badly-needed physicality and board work inside and should be even tougher next season.  I think that makes Wesleyan a clear number 3 to start the year and really not that far behind Williams and Hamilton.  I am surprised to see D3HforLyfe pick Bonner over Hutcherson for first-team all-league.  Bonner is a very good player but is also very streaky with his shooting, and when his shot isn't falling doesn't give as much in other aspects of his game as Hutcherson.  Hutcherson I think has massive upside and I expect will make a leap sort of like Kena Gilmour did after his first year.  He is in my view the top young player (frosh/sophomore) in NESCAC unless a first-year player really emerges as a star early. 

Also surpsied to see Doyle as a second-team all-league pick when to me he is the fourth best guy on Hamilton.  Hoffmann is a real handful because he can play the post effectively even at 6'4 with his strength and athleticism and will always be a mismatch for whomever is guarding him.  He has a very unusual skill set and is going to be difficult to deal with as a senior.  I'd slide him into that Doyle all-league spot pre-season.   

I agree that Aronson is the best bet for ROY given his combination of talent and the fact that he is likely to get a big opportunity in a depleted Tufts backcourt. 

Finally, Bates seems a little low to me at 11.  I think they will be in the mix for the 7-9 spots in the league when all is said and done.  Always a tough court to play in, and I think Spellman is one of the most electrifying players in the league and if he can get just a bit more consistently could be in for a huge year.  Gilpin, Coyne and Hummel from a really solid and experienced guard rotation that has had two years to grow together.  Nick Lynch should be solid as a senior at center and Bates has a well-regarded big guy coming in who should be able to serve as an effective back-up inside, something the team really lacked last year.  They don't really have a true "4" on the roster and will always be at a disadvantage inside against the bigger teams in the league, but I think Bates is better-situated than Conn or Colby (especially without Hannah) heading into the season, and I would not be surprised to see them bypass Tufts as well. 

nescacfaninbos

New ot the board as I now have a rooting interest in the NESCAC.

Hanna had a change of heart and is back at (or never left!) Colby

https://twitter.com/MHanna_22/status/1022527473102270465

Colby Hoops

Quote from: nescacfaninbos on October 15, 2018, 02:32:05 PM
New ot the board as I now have a rooting interest in the NESCAC.

Hanna had a change of heart and is back at (or never left!) Colby

https://twitter.com/MHanna_22/status/1022527473102270465

Thanks for the clarification! That is good news for Colby.