not to belabor what I have written before.
On Amherst Men Basketball website there is a preseason video of the team practicing
There is one frame of the team huddling and it is very easy to see that Charlie Randall is practicing maybe not playing first semester but likely second semester
Good luck to NESCAC teams this year
signing off

for what it is worth a clarification about Charlie Randall playing this year at Amherst, he may have to sit out first semester

I have heard that Charlie Randall may be still be at Amherst and on the team this year

Have been very frustrated with Amherst and coaching. That said curious about several of the freshman including the 6'5' Brandon Margolin who may be a tough small forward. The freshman   Ryan Hempfling is 6'10' 220 lb center from one of the best basketball prep schools in the country , Blair Academy. Unusual is that he is rated on ESPN basketall recruit rating,
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/258905/ryan-hempfling
I believe unusual for a D3 player to be rated by ESPN. I am sure someone will write about others

Amherst College adds recruit point guard KJ Neville
complimenting present recruits for 2025 of  a 2 guard , small foward and a center to their recruiting class

Charlie Randall is a lean 7 player who loves play at the 3 pt line
has potential but has not been as consistent as he would like
It would have been smart to have stayed at Amherst for next year
Amherst has their best recruiting class of 3 players, at least on paper, coming in next year
With a rugged talented center from Blair Academy  with an outside shoot and a rugged forward from New York Catholic School league
Perfect complement to Randall's skill set
hopefully the incoming frosh  and Amherst can live up to potential next year

I am not here to defend Amherst coaching

I see at least four and sometimes five underclassmen who play in the rotation

always hard to translate how good a high school player will be as freshman
Ryan Hempfling at 6'10" center for Blair is rated as a 78 by ESPN, I think it is unusual that an incoming freshman gets a rating by ESPN -usually reserved for future D! players
He is a fifth year senior so probably ready for playing time

Brandon Margolin -incoming small forward very talented and strong

one of Amherst better recruitng and balanced classes
I will have to wait for next year to see what happens
Freshman Elias Chin is a talented point guard but it seems they do not encourage him to attack on offense --surprising considering his high school career
signing off till next year

https://www.amherst.edu/news/magazine/issues/2024_fall/amherst-creates/from-d3-to-the-nba

https://x.com/BrandonMarg4

6'10" Ryan Hempfling Blair Academy
Amherst College commit

Next Saturday, August 12th, David Hixon former Amherst College basketball coach will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

First D3 coach to have spent his entire career at a D3 school to be elected the Hall of Fame

John Calipari and Dave Calhoun wil present Hixon at his induction ceremony

Jefffan you seem really down about Amherst Basketball

I think one of the reasons David Hixon was so succesful was that he put a high premium on recruiting talented point guards. Point guards run the show and importatly can make something happen when it seems nothing is happenning on offense

Can not predict what future freshman can do
But have seen Johnny McCain who is a senior at Canterbury play and make 6 3 pointers (his high school team has a future D1 point guard) he has the potential to be one of the best shooters (not necessarily scorers) ever at Amherst (hopefully his defense can be good)

Also saw Marc Garraud who is a point guard at Nobles play and an Amherst commit
Nobles other than him is not that good and saw him against Rivers School which has probably four or so future D1 players
Garraud however was a point guard on the Middlesex Magic AAU (coached by a former Williams star)
The Magic is loaded with really good D1 players and Garraud did a fine job
probably more like 5'10 than 5'8 but really good athlete, fast, with good hands, able to shoot outside , and seems to be a good passer
He is more like Nicky Johnson at Wesleyan (former rivers school players) not saying he is as good but could be an improvement
that said very diffcult to bank on freshman

David Hixon, former Amherst College coach, is one of 12 finalists to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame

yes I know what Charlie Randall shoots, I did not need not anyone tell me waht they shoots
I am just saying Amherst is missing some of their players,
Randall can be good, he shots too many 3 pointers
I do not think Amherst is very good this year


A week ago teams were world beaters, now this person or that person missing for teams abd  it is a problem- that was my point


teams are what they are

Amherst was missing 7'1" Charlie Randall their best shootng big man tonite