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Messages - BaboNation

#31
Quote from: Kuiper on October 03, 2023, 06:28:53 PM
Tufts 0 - Babson 0.  I couldn't watch the game, but it looked remarkably even from a statistical perspective.

I'd call it a gentlemans' draw.  Neither team was playing with much urgency for the last 10 minutes - probably happy with a quality SOS outcome.
Can't remember a game with fewer highlight plays.  Plenty of skill, but little of note in the final 3rd of the pitch.  Tufts probably had the best chance denied at the 6.
#32
Men's soccer / Re: NESCAC
September 26, 2023, 02:08:50 PM
So I really, really, hate to discuss the worthiness of YCs or RCs, particularly in games involving my squad, and I'm not going to dispute any of the cards issued in the game, but here are some observations:

Gazo's 2 YCs = his entire total from last year.  I've seen nothing from him in 2 years to think of him as a dirty player.
Last year Babson had 34 YC vs. opponents 33 and 0 RC vs. opponents 1.  That does not strike me as a dirty team.
Or does that make the opponents equally dirty? 
I will say FY Yablonovskiy who got the other YC2/RC pushes the envelope with chippiness and has lost his composure at times.  I think the Babson coach needed to sit him down after the 1st YC for the remainder of the match.
Coach Anderson played at a time when the physicality of NE soccer was far, far, greater than what we see today.  That in no way excuses physical excesses.  It does nothing for me.
#33
Men's soccer / Re: USC Rankings
September 21, 2023, 02:23:41 PM
Quote from: EnmoreCat on September 21, 2023, 02:08:38 PM
Quote from: BaboNation on September 21, 2023, 01:56:23 PM
Well I'm as big a Babson fan as they come, but 15???  No way they deserve that.  They did have a good week (3-0), but didn't beat anyone of real consequence (all outside the Massey top 100).  And kudos to the squad for winning those 3 games in 4 days.  Did they really need to squeeze that 19th game into a Sunday?

Gazo is back and while he's not lighting the world on fire, the offense was anemic in his absence.

To really earn a top-20 ranking they should be expected to do no worse than 1-1-1 against Conn College, Amherst, and Tufts, especially since only the Amherst game is on the road; or is it more appropriate to say in the pasture?

Other than those 3 games I'll grudgingly accept a draw somewhere else.  So, 13-3-3 should be expected of a top-20 team, given their remaining schedule.  Nothing less.

I think you are actually referring to the billiards table that is Hitchcock Field.

Any chance they'll get around to mowing between now and the match on the 27th?  Lots of rain forecast in the days leading up to the game.  Shouldn't affect the home team either way - Air Amherst.  Much respect.

I give Babson a 1 in a thousand chance to come away victorious.  But the future looks very, very, promising.  In fact I'll make a prediction here and now ... a championship level squad will be practicing at Hartwell-Rogers field (New England's premier natural grass pitch) in the summer of '26;  that team will be one of the FIFA World Cup contenders.
#34
Men's soccer / Re: USC Rankings
September 21, 2023, 01:56:23 PM
Well I'm as big a Babson fan as they come, but 15???  No way they deserve that.  They did have a good week (3-0), but didn't beat anyone of real consequence (all outside the Massey top 100).  And kudos to the squad for winning those 3 games in 4 days.  Did they really need to squeeze that 19th game into a Sunday?

Gazo is back and while he's not lighting the world on fire, the offense was anemic in his absence.

To really earn a top-20 ranking they should be expected to do no worse than 1-1-1 against Conn College, Amherst, and Tufts, especially since only the Amherst game is on the road; or is it more appropriate to say in the pasture?

Other than those 3 games I'll grudgingly accept a draw somewhere else.  So, 13-3-3 should be expected of a top-20 team, given their remaining schedule.  Nothing less.
#35
Men's soccer / Re: New England Soccer Discussion
September 05, 2023, 11:53:02 AM
Quote from: OldNed on September 04, 2023, 05:02:39 PM
Quote from: BaboNation on September 03, 2023, 06:30:13 PM
Babson overcomes a lackluster, uninspired, sloppy effort to eke out another way-too-close 1-0 win.
UT-Dallas impressed me more than St. Joe's on Friday.  They caused havoc on the Babson back line with their high press and overall quickness and defensive recovery.  Maybe better conditioned too to the outside observer.
Every Beaver starter seemed to be in a generous mood with giveaways.  Better teams will capitalize on this if it isn't cleaned up.  Quickly.
Thankfully, two of the new D1 transfers combined on a corner liner from Morgan, headed in by Stone.  Beautiful thing that.
Kalishman went down in the opening 90 seconds and didn't return (hammy?).  Key piece.  FY center forward "Sasha" Yablonovskiy, who has shown good early form also left the match with a leg injury.
And leading returning scorer Gazo has not appeared yet this season.
The schedule gets real next weekend.

I watched the 1st half of the Babson/St. Joe's game and I didn't see the UT Dallas game so I can't compare the 2 games, but I think I agree with your take on the St. Joe's game.  I thought Babson was clearly the better team during the part of the game I watched and coming from a St. Joe's perspective I was disappointed with the Babson goal because it came from a takeaway on St. Joe's part.  That being said, I think you have to give credit to Babson for taking advantage of the error.  I'd be curious to hear what you thought of the 2nd half.

It's risky to read too much into the 2nd half of a game with the circumstances being what they were.
Nursing a 1-0 lead Babson has a tendency to play more conservatively than I'd like.
I don't know how deep the STJ roster is, but they weren't as aggressive as UT-D with its high trapping style and closer marking.  Babson's passing and build-up was far better against STJ than UT-D, but that again may be in part due to less defensive pressure applied by STJ.  Hard for me to know the STJ strategy and how much is dictated by personnel/depth/trust.  Babson substituted much more freely.
Neither game was relaxing for a Babson fan.  Even in the 89th minute STJ had a free kick from a dangerous location that could have resulted in a heartbreaking tie.
I think STJ will be fine in the GNAC going forward.
#36
Men's soccer / Re: New England Soccer Discussion
September 03, 2023, 09:06:02 PM
Quote from: SKUD on September 03, 2023, 07:32:20 PM
Babo where were you watching from the basketball court?

If you are suggesting my observations are off the mark I'd welcome other views.  I thought the team played far better against St. Joe's, although the offense couldn't convert more than once.
There were far too many bad turnovers in their own end against UT-D.
#37
Men's soccer / Re: New England Soccer Discussion
September 03, 2023, 06:30:13 PM
Babson overcomes a lackluster, uninspired, sloppy effort to eke out another way-too-close 1-0 win.
UT-Dallas impressed me more than St. Joe's on Friday.  They caused havoc on the Babson back line with their high press and overall quickness and defensive recovery.  Maybe better conditioned too to the outside observer.
Every Beaver starter seemed to be in a generous mood with giveaways.  Better teams will capitalize on this if it isn't cleaned up.  Quickly.
Thankfully, two of the new D1 transfers combined on a corner liner from Morgan, headed in by Stone.  Beautiful thing that.
Kalishman went down in the opening 90 seconds and didn't return (hammy?).  Key piece.  FY center forward "Sasha" Yablonovskiy, who has shown good early form also left the match with a leg injury.
And leading returning scorer Gazo has not appeared yet this season.
The schedule gets real next weekend.
#38
Men's soccer / Re: New England Soccer Discussion
August 29, 2023, 09:14:11 AM
Quote from: northman on August 29, 2023, 08:29:15 AM
I was intrigued at the thought of D1 transfers at Babson.  It appears there are no fewer than 5 transfers from the likes of West Virginia, UVM, Davidson, UMass, and UConn.  Some quick research suggests that none of them enjoyed huge playing time at their former institutions.  Although Justin Stone appears to have had a couple of impact seasons at Davidson before tailing off.  His bio indicates his dad is Rob Stone.  I wonder if it's the same Rob Stone who broadcasts World Cup matches?  That Rob Stone was a 4-year starter in his day at Colgate.

I assume these transfers are largely Covid-eligibility driven?

2 of the 5 you mentioned were on the team last year:  Gazo (UVM) and Kim (UMass) are starters and key pieces.  The other 3 are wild cards, because as you say, they didn't play a lot while at the D1 level.

Some other players on the team I really like are midfielder Kalishman (who also plays lacrosse) and Araujo B/M who started as a freshman.
#39
Men's soccer / Re: New England Soccer Discussion
August 28, 2023, 03:13:19 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on August 28, 2023, 01:30:24 PM
Just did a quick browse of Babson roster...

Reaction? The Beavers are gonna be a problem.

A problem for other teams?  I sure hope so.  Yes, there are 3 D1 xfers coming in (Stone looks like the best), but they also lose their best scorer from last season (Ben Williams 13 goals - next highest 6) to graduation.  The buildup will probably be solid, but the last 20 yards is where the lack of speed and creativity has ended too many seasons.
Gazo probably their best returning striker.  I foresee a lot of 1-0 and 2-1 games,  Coach Anderson, while building a solid program, is a little too conservative for my liking.  I'm probably being too harsh, given the difficulty for recruiting in the Northeast with so many powerhouses around,
#40
Region 1 men's basketball / Re: MBB: NESCAC
August 10, 2023, 04:25:09 PM
Dan Civello '24 6'10"

Boston College HS
Rise Above Basketball

Committed to Colby College
#41
Region 2 men's basketball / Re: MBB: NEWMAC
July 28, 2023, 08:54:34 AM
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on July 27, 2023, 09:55:12 PM
Quote from: BaboNation on July 27, 2023, 09:37:10 AM
Stephon Baxter (Bates) has enrolled at Babson for grad school.

He's a lock to start and provide much needed backcourt scoring.  Although he's not a prototypical PG if he can provide A/TO of 2+ the team will be in good hands.
While I don't expect him to carry as heavy a load as he did at Bates he's a guy who has the quickness and ability to beat his man off the dribble, find seams, and finish in tight areas - skills in short supply on the roster.  18 ppg is a very reasonable target I think.
If every other undergrad who played last year returns I can visualize a 10+ man rotation with a return to a more up-tempo game (before even considering if any of the FY players can see minutes).

And the added spice comes with the altered schedule where NESCAC opponents have been reduced to just 1.  The Nov. 26 game @ Bates becomes more intriguing.

On another note Babson has added its own Elite Camp next month.  I believe this is a first for the school and adds another competitive recruiting edge that so many schools have used in recent years.  I believe the NYU coach said no less than 3 incoming players were part of their offering.


Less of a load at Babson, but score more than at Bates?

Yes, I recognize that what I wrote may seem contradictory, but it was intentional.  I may prove to be wrong, but I envision more like a 32 mpg ceiling, possibly as low as 30.  Some of the uncertainty will become clearer when the roster is finalized.
In short, he can be more efficient in the minutes he plays.  He will have the experience that comes with 5th year players.  I think he'll get to the FT line more in the NEWMAC too.
There are a lot of similarities in the stat lines and style of play I see when comparing him to Alex Carlisle who just graduated from Wheaton (MA).  Both played similar minutes;  both were/are SG, but asked to shoulder the PG role; both had higher scoring averages as juniors (in Baxter's case 20ppg); both very good FT shooters; both very good off the dribble and scoring in the paint.
Finally, even though I am a fan of the NEWMAC, I recognize the quality of competition is higher in the NESCAC.  I'm awarding Baxter a completely arbitrary, unscientific, 2ppg additional "conference differential".
#42
Region 2 men's basketball / Re: MBB: NEWMAC
July 27, 2023, 09:37:10 AM
Stephon Baxter (Bates) has enrolled at Babson for grad school.

He's a lock to start and provide much needed backcourt scoring.  Although he's not a prototypical PG if he can provide A/TO of 2+ the team will be in good hands.
While I don't expect him to carry as heavy a load as he did at Bates he's a guy who has the quickness and ability to beat his man off the dribble, find seams, and finish in tight areas - skills in short supply on the roster.  18 ppg is a very reasonable target I think.
If every other undergrad who played last year returns I can visualize a 10+ man rotation with a return to a more up-tempo game (before even considering if any of the FY players can see minutes).

And the added spice comes with the altered schedule where NESCAC opponents have been reduced to just 1.  The Nov. 26 game @ Bates becomes more intriguing.

On another note Babson has added its own Elite Camp next month.  I believe this is a first for the school and adds another competitive recruiting edge that so many schools have used in recent years.  I believe the NYU coach said no less than 3 incoming players were part of their offering.
#43
Looks like Will King has found a home at Claremont-M-S

https://twitter.com/IWUhoopscom/status/1681802331078246400?s=20

EDIT:  WK retweeted this, so it should be legit
#44
Region 2 men's basketball / Re: MBB: NEWMAC
July 17, 2023, 08:46:56 PM
Quote from: WPI89 on July 17, 2023, 04:55:13 PM
John Lowther is now a commissioned officer in The United States Army.  He was in ROTC at WPI.  He will now be protecting all of us, instead of just the defensive end at Harrington.  Congratulations John!

Babo - you may need to re-look at your NEWMAC rankings.

Thanks for the update WPI89.  Mixed emotions.  He leaves a huge hole in the NEWMAC.  If he had played another year he'd have likely finished in the top 5 in school scoring along with all-time greats.  Still he was a 1000-point man in 3 years.  He and Houston @ Emerson were the top 2 in the NEWMAC (and accolades beyond) over the last 4 years.
I've heard nothing but praise for his character and leadership.  I wish him all the best.
#45
Region 2 men's basketball / Re: MBB: NEWMAC
July 07, 2023, 10:54:09 AM
Quote from: WPI89 on July 07, 2023, 10:17:03 AM
That looks like a strong schedule Babo.  WPI is partially out - 3 tournaments this year.  Our early Ted Coughlin Tourney.  Then a Tourney at Bridgewater State - also before Thanksgiving.  And finally - they go to Stevens during Christmas Break.

no info on other teams in any of those tourneys yet.

Also - Tufts, Fitchburg, and Worcester State are scheduled.

One other quick note - Babson/WPI first game in Worcester is super early - December 9th.

Good stuff WPI.

Yeah, the early December conference games are another unwelcome byproduct of adding a 9th NEWMAC team IMO.  When you back-schedule form the NCAA tournament, then back-schedule from the NEWMAC tournament,  and play 2 league games a week starting the first of the new year, you still have 2 games left over.  Those 2 games needed to be moved to early December, asking student-athletes to hang on campus longer than most undergrads. 
Babson has finals very early in December, and most students will already be gone for the semester break.  So this does not foster a strong attendance with a heavy student presence.  At least in Babson's case these games will be largely attended by locals, friends, and families.