MBB: NESCAC

[nescac1]

Griffin Linstra, a 6'5 guard from NJ who had at least one D1 offer, commits to Tufts.  Loaded recruiting class for the Jumbos, with four strong recruits all of whom per recent Tufts trends bring D1-size to their positions.  Wesleyan, Williams and Amherst appear to have solid groups coming in as well, but Tufts seems to be the big winner this off-season. 

Another recent NJ commit is 6'2 Delbarton guard Patrick Mahoney to Trinity. 

[ImTold]

I'm Told Trinity G Henry Vetter has entered the transfer portal

[jumbomumbo]

I'm Told Trinity G Henry Vetter has entered the transfer portal

Mumbo was briefed on this news as well.

[nescac1]

Wow, obviously would be a massive change in the NESCAC and national landscape if Vetter does transfer up (and I'd suspect he will get plenty of D1 interest).  With him still on the team, even with the loss of Dorion, Trinity would be probably a unanimous pre-season number one and a heavy pre-season favorite in NESCAC.  If he does leave (assuming no one else does - I'd think Okorougo could also get plenty of D1 interest were he to poke around the portal), I think Tufts, with virtually everyone back and a strong incoming class, would be the pre-season NESCAC favorite and no worse than a top five team nationally in pre-season polls. Wesleyan could be in the mix too IF Regan (also in the portal) returned as a grad student.  Without Regan and Johnson, though, I think they'd likely start out behind even a Vetter-less Trinity team.   

[WUPHF]

If Vetter is in the portal, he has not Tweeted the customary thanks coaches, with that being said, I am in the portal whatever. Maybe he already knows where he is going.

[D3BBALL]

If he was definitely going it would be a done deal. Guess is that he is maybe seeing what the interest is for him.

All that being said, there are very very very few Duncan Robinson's. A player that can leave a d3 or d2 program and can go produce at a high level d1 program is rare. And add to that, go to a major d1 program and an elite academic school and perform any where close to where they did at their present school is rare.

The old saying, the grass is not always greener, clearly applies.

Everyone hear knows what I think of Shane Regan, but at the next level, guessing D2 is out for him, he is not going to be anywhere near as good as he was at Wesleyan. He will be constantly guarded by bigger, stronger and more athletic players. He will also have to guard bigger, stronger and more athletic players.
Look at the NESCAC last year and the players that left to D1, yes they contributed but none at the same level at their previous school.

Henry Vetter while taller will have same issues.

Vetter has chance to do something very few have done and that is back to back d3 championships, win 3 NESCAC championships in a row, maybe win the regular season, win NESCAC player of the year, 3 times NESCAC first team, maybe d3 first team all american and maybe d3 player  of the year.
Most if not all of these are not going to be attainable for either Regan or Vetter at the next level.

So many players in D1 portal and many don't find a home. There must be a percentage out there and I bet it isn't great.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The difference is age.  Robinson was a d1 prospect before the HS injury and he left after one year in D3 to go to a Top 10 program, where he put in four years of work with full-time trainers and coaches to get his game to where it is.  A good shooter with size and mobility just isn't something we see much in d3, let alone one with the connections to make that kind of leap and to allow for the development time.  Totally unique scenario.  Unlikely to be replicated, especially in this day and age of immediate results.

[SpringSt7]

I love Vetter but I do not think he is a slam dunk D1 player. He doesn't handle it enough to be a full time 1 against scholarship athletes and he isn't big enough to play the 2 full time. Doesn't jump terribly high or run very fast.

Also, if you are entering the portal in the last week it's open you are:

A. Definitely not 100% committed to leaving Trinity


B. Severely limiting your options compared to what they would've been if you went in a month earlier before a lot of teams rebuilt their rosters and there were way more spots.

With that being said, if Vetter leaves that would be massive. Probably takes them from preseason #1 to like, late teens early 20s

[nescac1]

I think for both Vetter and Regan, the biggest issue is outside shooting.  Both have I think JUST enough size and strength to play the 2 at a lower or maybe mid-tier D1 school and are solid enough as your second ball-handler / creator.  But Vetter for his career is a 41 percent shooter overall and 35 percent three point shooter and Regan (who does have great mid-range touch) is only a 33 percent three-point shooter on fairly low volume.  In D1 you absolutely need your two-guard if they don't have elite athleticism to be a lights-out long-distance shooter - both are very good free-throw shooters, so if you are a coach maybe you figure the touch is there and with a full spring and summer to focus primarily on the long-distance shot, maybe they can be a guy who is reliable from beyond the arc.  But with only one off-season to work with, that may be the concern for either.

Certainly, NESCAC (and all of D3) will be rooting for Vetter to get a good D1 offer!