MBB: NESCAC

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

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Bucket

Quote from: booyakasha on February 13, 2020, 01:21:25 PM
Quote from: lumbercat on February 13, 2020, 11:11:20 AM
Are you really saying that Furbush is on the refs as much as Strahorn? Thats not accurate.
No straws, Ive watched Strahorn for 8 years.

BTW--There have been a couple of T's on Bates players this year, I think that is what you are seeing.

Agreed Colby Hoops - this is a bit pointless, but Bucket and Lumber seem to time and time again have it out for D and I think it is better to have the record straight.



Time and again have it out for Damian Strahorn? I don't think I have ever offered an opinion about him. Ever.  And my post was more about Furbush—who is practically a saint on the sideline—than Strahorn. Perhaps you're confusing me with someone else.

MiddWatcher

Thanks, Jefffan for the story on Duncan Robinson. What a great blog when an Amherst fan can send along a story on the former Williams player : )  Kudos to you, Duncan will be in the three point shooting contest on Saturday night !  ( May have to wear purple for that one ).

So, Tufts - Middlebury on Friday night. Hope all can catch some of it. Two really good teams right now !  Tufts is so balanced. Power Inside, a slasher and a great shooter on either side with several excellent guards to handle and a terrific coach. Am reminded of Bill James and his Baseball Abstracts from the 80s. One of his theories was to always watch out for an MLB team in September that would have a very good record and just miss out on the playoffs ..... look out for them the next April. That would be Tufts. That was a good team that beat Middlebury last February; not a fluke win at all. They have kept that momentum going all year.  And, Middlebury, especially coming off of last Sunday at Wesleyan.  Finally back to being healthy, with just about everything clicking right now. They are good ! The three big guys have been awesome: Folger able to get lift again off his feet, Eastman ( BTW - you all may want to just think about plugging he and Farrell for First Team All NESCAC next year ) has been tremendous and Cahill has added a lot. A very fine shooter. And Charley Moore has chipped in, too. Look out for him next year. The two primary subs, Ingram and DeLorenzo have done their thing: play some D, don't throw it away and chip in with a shot or two along the way. But, mostly, the 3 Designated Point Guards have really been awesome. Never better than last weekend. Farrell takes the teaching of " get a hand in the passing lane " to new heights..... " Get your whole body in the passing lane and just steal the thing ". He  has done it over and over again. Bosco gets to more key hoops late in games and is crazy at the foulline ( 34 of 35 at one stretch ). And Kornaker - how about 19 assists in two games ? Including what I thought was the Play of the Year at Wesleyan when he drove baseline, beat one, drew another looked for two receivers ( both covered ) and finally found the available beyond the arc and threw a bounce pass from underneath the basket out to Farrell for a three pointer !  You can have your dunks - that was Basketball. With all due respect to those mentioned as MIP for NESCAC - to me, it is Kornaker.  Has played great defense all year, usually guarding opponent's best - and is spunky and feisty when guarding people. Has improved his shooting form and results, and is always looking pass First to help out his team. Just an opinion.  Yes, the three smaller guards may get beat up a bit by taller guards, but the Big O at 6'5 is not waiting to come onto the court.  More power to them - and if they can just keep running and running, maybe Midd can spring the upset tomorrow night and really make things interesting the next few weekends. Hope you can watch the game.

I will bow out of this blog at this time. Many thanks for reading stuff. As a former player, coach and now dad ( my son is #13, P. DeLorenzo for Middlebury ) it is a bit tenuous being a fan and writing on blogs. I am not a social media guru ... never been on Facebook or Twitter and probably have screwed up several of these posts the past year or so. But it is a good blog, the people are intelligent and excited about basketball, so thanks for the good reading ! This weekend ( and, hopefully, a bit beyond for Middlebury ) will mark my swan song after over 50 years in the sport. It has been a wonderful love affair - not only with a round ball, but with the qualities of Division III in particular. The Midd guys are a joy - as I am sure are virtually all of the players at the other schools you all write about. Sports are a joy beyond all delight and remain a constant in an ever changing and challenging world. Best to the folks at D3Hoops.com.  You add a lot to the sport. 


Cards Fan

Quote from: MiddWatcher on February 13, 2020, 08:32:57 PM
I will bow out of this blog at this time. Many thanks for reading stuff. As a former player, coach and now dad ( my son is #13, P. DeLorenzo for Middlebury ) it is a bit tenuous being a fan and writing on blogs. I am not a social media guru ... never been on Facebook or Twitter and probably have screwed up several of these posts the past year or so. But it is a good blog, the people are intelligent and excited about basketball, so thanks for the good reading ! This weekend ( and, hopefully, a bit beyond for Middlebury ) will mark my swan song after over 50 years in the sport. It has been a wonderful love affair - not only with a round ball, but with the qualities of Division III in particular. The Midd guys are a joy - as I am sure are virtually all of the players at the other schools you all write about. Sports are a joy beyond all delight and remain a constant in an ever changing and challenging world. Best to the folks at D3Hoops.com.  You add a lot to the sport.

Sad to see you go, MiddWatcher. Wish the best to you and your son, and hope for a happy basketball-less future. Best!

lumbercat

Agreed Colby Hoops - this is a bit pointless, but Bucket and Lumber seem to time and time again have it out for D and I think it is better to have the record straight.
[/quote]



In Bucket's defense he hasn't said anything about Strahorn to my knowledge other than to say he thought your Strahorn-Furbush comparison was off.

I'm the guy who has stated opinions about Strahorn which are understandably unpopular among the Blue and Gray.

Let's enjoy some good NESCAC basketball this weekend boys.

DIII_Enthusiast

Alright I have yet to pick perfectly on a NESCAC weekend but I think I saved the best for last and have a good feeling about this one. So here goes nothing:

Conn vs. Hamilton: Two words: Kena Gilmour. I expect Kena to simply be too much for a Conn team that has been having a tough season. While the supporting cast of the Continentals has left something to be desired as of recent, I think Hamilton wins. 82-64 (Hamilton)

Trinity vs. Amherst: This one for me is tricky. Amherst is finally back to almost full strength (I imagine it will take Robinson & Sellew a game or two more to be fully back) Trinity has shown a high ceiling (win vs. Midd) and a low floor (loss vs wes). However, I think the Mammoths, and hot streak of Garret Day will be too much for the Batams. 77-72 (Amherst)

Tufts vs. Middlebury: I will come right out and say it-Panthers over Jumbos. While the Jumbos have a solid lineup, I expect Kornaker and Farrell to have big games. Moreover, I think Savage will struggle against a fundamentally sound Panther defense that plays together. 87-80 (Midd)

Bates vs. Williams: even with Bates on the verge on missing the playoffs (I believe) I think Williams is looking slightly better the more the season goes on. I think the Ephs will risk it and play Karp a lot of minutes against a guard dominant/run&gun team and it will pay off. I think Karp has 20/10/8 or more and the Ephs win. 79-70 (Williams)

Colby vs. Wesleyan: Even after a remarkable season, Colby faces a possibility of dropping to #3 in the playoff standings (if being 20-3 but #3 in the league standings doesn't epitomize the difficulty of the NESCAC than I don't know what does). Sam Jefferson is questionable, Wesleyan has their backs up against a wall and I think the Cardinals will come to play. On a practical level, Colby pushes teams to play more guards/forwards. Wes has struggled when they have gone big and has A LOT of firepower in their backcourt (sometimes too much for the rotation). A combination of their hot shot guards and some chippiness shown throughout the season will keep the Cards in this game. Also, expect Jordan James (the one practical big for this game) to have a BIG game (20/15). Maybe it's the desperation from Wes, maybe it's Sam Jefferson being hurt, maybe it's a big performance from Gabe Ravetz but I'm taking the Cardinals. 85-82 (Wes).

Here's to a great NESCAC weekend! 

booyakasha

Quote from: MiddWatcher on February 13, 2020, 08:32:57 PM
Thanks, Jefffan for the story on Duncan Robinson. What a great blog when an Amherst fan can send along a story on the former Williams player : )  Kudos to you, Duncan will be in the three point shooting contest on Saturday night !  ( May have to wear purple for that one ).

So, Tufts - Middlebury on Friday night. Hope all can catch some of it. Two really good teams right now !  Tufts is so balanced. Power Inside, a slasher and a great shooter on either side with several excellent guards to handle and a terrific coach. Am reminded of Bill James and his Baseball Abstracts from the 80s. One of his theories was to always watch out for an MLB team in September that would have a very good record and just miss out on the playoffs ..... look out for them the next April. That would be Tufts. That was a good team that beat Middlebury last February; not a fluke win at all. They have kept that momentum going all year.  And, Middlebury, especially coming off of last Sunday at Wesleyan.  Finally back to being healthy, with just about everything clicking right now. They are good ! The three big guys have been awesome: Folger able to get lift again off his feet, Eastman ( BTW - you all may want to just think about plugging he and Farrell for First Team All NESCAC next year ) has been tremendous and Cahill has added a lot. A very fine shooter. And Charley Moore has chipped in, too. Look out for him next year. The two primary subs, Ingram and DeLorenzo have done their thing: play some D, don't throw it away and chip in with a shot or two along the way. But, mostly, the 3 Designated Point Guards have really been awesome. Never better than last weekend. Farrell takes the teaching of " get a hand in the passing lane " to new heights..... " Get your whole body in the passing lane and just steal the thing ". He  has done it over and over again. Bosco gets to more key hoops late in games and is crazy at the foulline ( 34 of 35 at one stretch ). And Kornaker - how about 19 assists in two games ? Including what I thought was the Play of the Year at Wesleyan when he drove baseline, beat one, drew another looked for two receivers ( both covered ) and finally found the available beyond the arc and threw a bounce pass from underneath the basket out to Farrell for a three pointer !  You can have your dunks - that was Basketball. With all due respect to those mentioned as MIP for NESCAC - to me, it is Kornaker.  Has played great defense all year, usually guarding opponent's best - and is spunky and feisty when guarding people. Has improved his shooting form and results, and is always looking pass First to help out his team. Just an opinion.  Yes, the three smaller guards may get beat up a bit by taller guards, but the Big O at 6'5 is not waiting to come onto the court.  More power to them - and if they can just keep running and running, maybe Midd can spring the upset tomorrow night and really make things interesting the next few weekends. Hope you can watch the game.

I will bow out of this blog at this time. Many thanks for reading stuff. As a former player, coach and now dad ( my son is #13, P. DeLorenzo for Middlebury ) it is a bit tenuous being a fan and writing on blogs. I am not a social media guru ... never been on Facebook or Twitter and probably have screwed up several of these posts the past year or so. But it is a good blog, the people are intelligent and excited about basketball, so thanks for the good reading ! This weekend ( and, hopefully, a bit beyond for Middlebury ) will mark my swan song after over 50 years in the sport. It has been a wonderful love affair - not only with a round ball, but with the qualities of Division III in particular. The Midd guys are a joy - as I am sure are virtually all of the players at the other schools you all write about. Sports are a joy beyond all delight and remain a constant in an ever changing and challenging world. Best to the folks at D3Hoops.com.  You add a lot to the sport.

I hven't watched a ton of Midd over the last few years, but he kept Midd in the game against Colby with some crazy tough shots. As a Colby fan I was happy he didn't touch the ball more. Congrats to him on a fine season.

amh63

Getting to be the time of season when games become "much watch" for posters here.  Some posts have included the on court  "antics'' of the coaches.  Decided to relate a personal  story wrt Trinity's fine coach...Cosgrove.  I was in LeFrak...sitting in the Amherst side stands across from the players/coaches side.  It may have been Cosgrove's first game in LeFrak...his sideline behavior is fun to watch...pacing back and forth, etc.  Turns out, I am sitting among some "Amherst fans??" that are connected to the Trinity HC, including his wife.  My chats with them revealed the connection.  Have to go back into the archives to find the outcome of the game.  Remember that his wife's has an Amherst connection.
Enjoy watching games on TV....close games...and there are shots of the coaches on both sides.

booyakasha

Quote from: Bucket on February 13, 2020, 04:05:00 PM
Quote from: booyakasha on February 13, 2020, 01:21:25 PM
Quote from: lumbercat on February 13, 2020, 11:11:20 AM
Are you really saying that Furbush is on the refs as much as Strahorn? Thats not accurate.
No straws, Ive watched Strahorn for 8 years.

BTW--There have been a couple of T's on Bates players this year, I think that is what you are seeing.

Agreed Colby Hoops - this is a bit pointless, but Bucket and Lumber seem to time and time again have it out for D and I think it is better to have the record straight.



Time and again have it out for Damian Strahorn? I don't think I have ever offered an opinion about him. Ever.  And my post was more about Furbush—who is practically a saint on the sideline—than Strahorn. Perhaps you're confusing me with someone else.

Apologies - it was Old Guy complaining about Strahorn in the past and I recalled incorrectly.

Colby Hoops

It's a good thing Colby is building a new athletic center because I'm pretty sure Sam Peek just burned this one down. 23% from deep heading into this game and 6-6 in the first half including one off the glass!

Fun first half, as Wesleyan leads by 6. Incredibly fast pace and both teams shooting well.

King and Weiner are back for the Mules, but the big news continues to be Sam Jefferson, who is on the bench in street clothes once again.


Cards Fan

At the half:

Conn up on Hamilton @ Hamilton.
Bates even with Williams @ Williams.
Trinity up on Amherst @ Amherst.
Wesleyan up on Colby @ Colby.
Tufts and Middlebury dog fight.

Drop everything and turn on NESCAC basketball. It's the final weekend, and no one is safe.

Colby Hoops

Absolutely wild game in Waterville, as Colby prevails 85-82 on a Wallace Tucker three with 4 seconds to go. Crazy last minute of the game as Colby took a 4 point lead with 45 seconds to go on a Tucker three. Matt Hanna nearly steals the ball on the ensuing possession and Tucker fouls Antone Walker in the dive for the loose ball. Walker makes the first, misses the second which is rebounded by Wesleyan and kicked out for a three by Gabe Ravetz -- a 4 point possession to tie the game! Was shocked that Strahorn didn't bring in Dean Weiner to rebound on that free throw. Then Colby clears the floor for Tucker to isolate and he pulls up to nail the game winner. Tucker took over the last few minutes of the game for Colby.

Gritty effort by the Mules in the second half. There were a couple of other wild sequences in that second half including a steal followed by an and one for Matt Hanna. Will King was superb in the second half after a slow start finishing with 17 pts and 8 assists.

Colby launched 45 threes in the game, and looked in serious trouble at many points. Wesleyan's hot outside shooting dried up in the second half, but I was impressed by them overall. A lot of length and talent. Jordan James was excellent in the second half after a quiet first half. Certainly a game that could have gone either way.

With that win, I think Colby is in very good shape for a Pool C bid regardless of how they do in the conference tournament. Obviously, if they're looking to make a run in either the NESCAC or the NCAA tournament, they need Jefferson back.

Colby Hoops

Really impressive wins by Middlebury and Trinity tonight. Wouldn't have guessed a comfortable Midd win if you told me Jack Farrell scored just 6 points. But looks like he impacted the game in other ways and the rest of the Midd team played very well. Trinity diced up an Amherst defense that looked impenetrable last week at Colby. That loss probably eliminates Amherst from Pool C, or at least makes it very unlikely.

So the only seeds that are locked in right now are Tufts #1 and Colby #2. Williams is very likely for #6, but could move up if Amherst some how lost to Conn. Will leave all the tiebreaker scenarios to the smarter people. I'll be rooting for Trinity against Hamilton tomorrow though, as I'd love to avoid a 2/7 matchup with the Conts.

Will be going to the Williams-Tufts game tomorrow -- not a ton on the line for either team, but Karp vs. Rogers should be really fun. Both put up very nice numbers tonight, but Rogers was an ugly 1-9 from the stripe.

middhoops

When I saw Ryan Cahill enter the court wearing a boot, my heart smacked my pelvis.
Luke Rogers tore Midd to pieces in the first half, shooting easily over a very game Tommy Eastman.  Still Midd went on a run to lead by 6 at the half.
After the intermission, the Panthers doubled down on Rogers, forcing him to pass or take a highly contested shot in traffic.  Midd also freely fouled Rogers, who struggled from the FT line. 
As usual, plenty of scorers for Middlebury.  No stars, just solid team play.
Midd led by 14-18 much of the 2nd half.  Tufts was led by some truly spectacular shooting by Brendan Morris who seemed to keep the Jumbos in the game as best he could.

Huge, really, huge win short handed tonight.  Like last Sunday at Wesleyan, the Middlebury offense is dialed in.  Fun to watch.

Who among you is going to lay out the scenario for tomorrow's games impact on the opening round of the conference tourney?

nescac1

Solid win for the Ephs in a very hard-fought game vs. Bates.  Not a thing of beauty at times, but both teams played really hard.

For Williams, the best player on the floor was Karp, 16-7-4, 8-12, very smooth finishing, his typical solid game, but the MVP was Ryan Moon, who just absolutely played his heart out and was the key to the Ephs pulling away in the second half.  In only 14 minutes, Moon had 7 boards, several of them ferociously pursued.  He also added two points, two assists, a steal, some solid ball-handling, and two offensive fouls drawn, including a big one on Sarr.  He also played very solid defense on impressive Bates frosh Stephen Baxter, who is a quick and aggressive young player and gave the other Eph guards fits.  He really sparked the team and has been playing great in the second semester.

Henry Feinberg played great, he was the only Eph hitting from outside and hit some big ones and was ferocious on the glass.  Nate Karren continues to get better and better, 8 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks off the bench tonight.  Cole Prowitt-Smith also had some nice moments, a few impressive finishes inside. 

The Bates frosh trio are going to be really good.  Sarr had only four points, but 17 boards, 5 blocks, and a lot of shots altered.  Crazy long arms, good leaping ability, and great timing.  Sarr and Iwowo are still raw offensively, but man, they are going to terrorize teams on the defensive end the next three years, the second coming of the Delpeche twins (not as big, but Iwowo in particular is very quick laterally).  They look like D1 athletes defending out there, and if they can add a lot more offensive polish, they will be a handful.  Baxter is going to be really good too.  He and Cole Prowitt Smith, and Sarr and Karren, are going to have some fun battles over the next three years!

I believe Tufts is locked into the first spot, and Williams locked into the sixth spot, so no NESCAC seeding at stake tomorrow.  But Tufts needs this win to lock up a Pool C bid, most likely, and Williams with a win guarantees a winning season.  It's been a LONG time since the Ephs haven't had one. 

The Ephs as usual struggled from the line and from 3 tonight.  Alas, it's just who they are.  They need to win big on the interior to compensate (and tonight they were awesome in the paint, notwithstanding Sarr).  If ever this team could get hot from outside, they would be really interesting.  But the team's shooting specialists are really struggling from deep right now. 

Colby Hoops

Okay, I'm going to take a shot at some of the most likely scenarios... bear with me, there may be errors. I'm only doing the four scenarios which seem most likely. I didn't do any scenarios with Conn or Bates winning, although Bates is in if they beat Midd. I didn't include the Tufts-Williams game because that doesn't matter for seeding unless Amherst loses to Conn.

Scenario #1
Amherst beats Conn
Trinity beats Hamilton
Midd beats Bates
Wesleyan Beats Bowdoin

1. Tufts 2. Colby 3. Trinity 4. Amherst 5. Midd 6. Wiliams 7. Bowdoin 8. Bates

Scenario #2
Amherst beats Conn
Hamilton beats Trinity
Midd beats Bates
Wesleyan beats Bowdoin

1. Tufts 2. Colby 3. Amherst 4. Midd 5. Trinity 6. Williams 7. Hamilton 8. Wesleyan

Scenario #3

Amherst beats Conn
Trinity beats Hamilton
Midd beats Bates
Bowdoin beats Wesleyan

1. Tufts 2. Colby 3. Trinity 4. Amherst 5. Midd 6. Williams 7. Bowdoin 8. Bates

Scenario #4
Amherst beats Conn
Hamilton beats Trinity
Midd beats Bates
Bowdoin beats Wesleyan

1. Tufts 2. Colby. 3. Amherst 4. Midd 5. Trinity 6. Williams 7. Bowdoin 8. Hamilton