So proud of the Babson squad in what has been a truly challenging season.
With back-to-back conference championships they are now tied with MIT at 6 for the most all-time. And in both championships they had to go on the road to beat the #1 and #2 seeds. Going to the NCAA tournament 4 years in a row also ties a program record.
It certainly didn't look promising as recently as 7 days ago with Amado out of action since January 20th and more player games missed due to injury than any in recent memory. In one stretch they lost a starter per game in 3 straight outings and were forced to use guys like Parker Mason who himself is still working his way back.
So while watching some horrid performances against the bottom of the league, including blowout losses by 68-38 @ Salve Regina, and 90-54 @ Springfield I struggled to stay confident that the season could be salvaged. That said, I think when Timmy O'Toole (top rebounder) was lost for 9 games during the holiday Wisconsin trip coach Brennan probably figured at 5-5 Pool C was looking like a long shot, even though their year-end SOS was something like 10th in the country, so get the team healthy and ready for late February. Brennan, Dorney, et al deserve all the accolades for getting this team in peak form at the right time and the postseason game plans were superb.
The usual stars deserve the lion's share of attention, but I want to single out some lesser known players who really played well down the stretch.
David Cross: The best defensive guard on the roster had trouble staying on the court because he seemed to lose his offensive game and that in turn affected his overall play. While never a top scorer, he was missing open looks by wide margins. But when the calendar flipped to February he was back and his contribution on both ends was outstanding. The job he did defending Taylor in the final was a key to victory. 30+ mpg in the 3 postseason games, when he hadn't done that once all season speaks for itself.
Tyler Lauder: He held his own against the best 2 conference bigs in back-to-back games (Adams & McArdle). Still just a sophomore, his offense needs work, but he denied and frustrated both guys for long stretches when it counted. That he almost matched McArdle point for point (8 vs. 10) was an unexpected plus.
Timmy O'Toole: Best rebounder, 2nd in steals, rotates in coverage at every position but the point. You can overlook all he does until he's gone for 9 games and you wonder why we can't grab a rebound or shut down a forward inside. And, like Lauder, just a sophomore.
NeJohn Fortes: The most anticipated FY recruit, he didn't see action til mid-season due to a knee injury, but he's already worked his way into the rotation. He provides depth for the forwards with wingspan and hops that surprise the opposition. He looks like he's still adjusting to his dramatic increase in height (listed at 6'6") but he's a 3-level threat that is somewhat rare beyond Baxter and Amado.
Not to criticize the different D3 experts who gave Babson a small chance at the championship (the mathematical models gave them something like a 6-8% chance, and game-by-game losses by double digits) but you'd have to know that the first time they had Baxter-Amado-O'Toole-Lauder-Cross-Fortes all available at the same time was game #1 of the postseason.
With back-to-back conference championships they are now tied with MIT at 6 for the most all-time. And in both championships they had to go on the road to beat the #1 and #2 seeds. Going to the NCAA tournament 4 years in a row also ties a program record.
It certainly didn't look promising as recently as 7 days ago with Amado out of action since January 20th and more player games missed due to injury than any in recent memory. In one stretch they lost a starter per game in 3 straight outings and were forced to use guys like Parker Mason who himself is still working his way back.
So while watching some horrid performances against the bottom of the league, including blowout losses by 68-38 @ Salve Regina, and 90-54 @ Springfield I struggled to stay confident that the season could be salvaged. That said, I think when Timmy O'Toole (top rebounder) was lost for 9 games during the holiday Wisconsin trip coach Brennan probably figured at 5-5 Pool C was looking like a long shot, even though their year-end SOS was something like 10th in the country, so get the team healthy and ready for late February. Brennan, Dorney, et al deserve all the accolades for getting this team in peak form at the right time and the postseason game plans were superb.
The usual stars deserve the lion's share of attention, but I want to single out some lesser known players who really played well down the stretch.
David Cross: The best defensive guard on the roster had trouble staying on the court because he seemed to lose his offensive game and that in turn affected his overall play. While never a top scorer, he was missing open looks by wide margins. But when the calendar flipped to February he was back and his contribution on both ends was outstanding. The job he did defending Taylor in the final was a key to victory. 30+ mpg in the 3 postseason games, when he hadn't done that once all season speaks for itself.
Tyler Lauder: He held his own against the best 2 conference bigs in back-to-back games (Adams & McArdle). Still just a sophomore, his offense needs work, but he denied and frustrated both guys for long stretches when it counted. That he almost matched McArdle point for point (8 vs. 10) was an unexpected plus.
Timmy O'Toole: Best rebounder, 2nd in steals, rotates in coverage at every position but the point. You can overlook all he does until he's gone for 9 games and you wonder why we can't grab a rebound or shut down a forward inside. And, like Lauder, just a sophomore.
NeJohn Fortes: The most anticipated FY recruit, he didn't see action til mid-season due to a knee injury, but he's already worked his way into the rotation. He provides depth for the forwards with wingspan and hops that surprise the opposition. He looks like he's still adjusting to his dramatic increase in height (listed at 6'6") but he's a 3-level threat that is somewhat rare beyond Baxter and Amado.
Not to criticize the different D3 experts who gave Babson a small chance at the championship (the mathematical models gave them something like a 6-8% chance, and game-by-game losses by double digits) but you'd have to know that the first time they had Baxter-Amado-O'Toole-Lauder-Cross-Fortes all available at the same time was game #1 of the postseason.