MBB: NEWMAC

[BaboNation]

I saw that Clark's Shay John is entering the portal.  Big loss for them if he goes, I imagine.   Iscandari seems like a guy who might get some higher-level interest too? 

I've been wrong before, but I can't see John at the D1 level.  D2 possibly.  He can dominate smaller/weaker 4/5's at D3, but against equal size I question whether he can survive.  He doesn't have an outside game and isn't a good ball handler.  He needs the ball on the low block and finish after 1/2 dribbles. I don't see him as skilled as John Adams (WPI) who went on to The Citadel.  But maybe someone wants a 10 mpg backup.
Iscandari is probably the quickest guard in the NEWMAC and likely was ROY runner up to Ferdinando.  Gets to the rim in tight spaces.  I think he'd need another full year and show improvement before drawing interest.  Lots of upside if he keeps working.

Like I said, I've been wrong before and the world is changing In college hoops.

[BaboNation]

More recognition for Ferdinando, winning the D3Hoops Region 2 ROY and 2nd-team All-Region.

I guess in this day and age I'll have to say I hope I have the pleasure of seeing him play 4 years @ Babson.

[D3BBALL]

More recognition for Ferdinando, winning the D3Hoops Region 2 ROY and 2nd-team All-Region.

I guess in this day and age I'll have to say I hope I have the pleasure of seeing him play 4 years @ Babson.

Very much deserved, and as you say going to be fun watching him play the next 3 years, 2 alongside with Mulvey.

[nescac1]

Wow, St. Anselm headed from D2 to NEWMAC in 2027-28:

https://x.com/HD_DirtKing/status/2047000156885729695?s=20

[BaboNation]

Not a fan of this at all.  I have nothing against St. Anselm's, just as I had nothing against Emerson and Salve Regina.  This would now be 3 additions in 15 years.
Sticking strictly with basketball and leaving everything else aside, if they stay with the Home-Away model this would now eat up 18 of 25 regular season games.  There are already too many teams with lackluster out of conference schedules.
Without looking it up are there even any 10-team conferences that play H&A?
And I'm not a fan some sort of 2 division conference either made up of 5 teams each, if that's what they're thinking.
Oh well, they didn't ask my opinion, so I'll just have to adjust.
But all this expansion is subtraction by addition if MIT ever jumps to the UAA where they are more closely aligned.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Not a fan of this at all.  I have nothing against St. Anselm's, just as I had nothing against Emerson and Salve Regina.  This would now be 3 additions in 15 years.
Sticking strictly with basketball and leaving everything else aside, if they stay with the Home-Away model this would now eat up 18 of 25 regular season games.  There are already too many teams with lackluster out of conference schedules.
Without looking it up are there even any 10-team conferences that play H&A?
And I'm not a fan some sort of 2 division conference either made up of 5 teams each, if that's what they're thinking.
Oh well, they didn't ask my opinion, so I'll just have to adjust.
But all this expansion is subtraction by addition if MIT ever jumps to the UAA where they are more closely aligned.

Plenty of 10 team conferences with 18 conference games.  You don't really want to go any higher.

[OUVan59]

Without looking it up are there even any 10-team conferences that play H&A?

The Landmark Conference expanded from 8 to 10 teams three years ago and play a full round-robin schedule. Didn't love it when it was announced but it's been a success. I find Conference games much more interesting and important and, at least with the Landmark, it expanded the playoff field from 4 to 6.

[BaboNation]

Without looking it up are there even any 10-team conferences that play H&A?

The Landmark Conference expanded from 8 to 10 teams three years ago and play a full round-robin schedule. Didn't love it when it was announced but it's been a success. I find Conference games much more interesting and important and, at least with the Landmark, it expanded the playoff field from 4 to 6.

I appreciate the feedback.

The NEWMAC already has a 6-team tournament field.  I too like the H&A and conference games.  I liked them a lot more when they were fewer and there was a long history between opponents.
In this new NPI age there is a strong correlation between adding teams and losing Pool C bids.  When you're limited to 7 non-conference games everyone needs to be scheduling a fair number of strong programs and winning a fair share of those games.  There's a huge difference between 12 conference games and 18 conference games.  That's the jump the NEWMAC will have made in 15 years.  The women's side will increase to 13 teams with 3 women's only institutions, but they don't play round-robin.

As a Babson fan I also foresee an end to road holiday tournaments.  With just 7 non-conference games and typically scheduling the best of the UAA, NESCAC, GNAC, LEC, etc., the math just doesn't work.  Next year they'll be playing in the inaugural champions tournament against Christopher Newport and another previous champion TBD.

Now that it's gotten this far they may as well go to 11 teams.  At that point a round-robin is completely unsustainable.  But I'd rather lose the H&A and gain lots of games against elite competition.  That would also give Babson much more control over their NPI number.

[OUVan59]

In this new NPI age there is a strong correlation between adding teams and losing Pool C bids.  When you're limited to 7 non-conference games everyone needs to be scheduling a fair number of strong programs and winning a fair share of those games. 

It does put the emphasis on playing good teams but IMO that's a good thing. Catholic is a great example. Four years ago they went 22-4 but were left holding the bag when bids came about because their OOC schedule was pretty soft. This was the year before the Landmark expanded to 10 teams.  They got the message however and the past three seasons they significantly improved their schedule and received an at-large bid each of the last two seasons. They won the conference tournament three years ago but would have received one then as well.  This year Scranton, Elizabethtown and Drew were all in the at-large conversation down the stretch but all three faltered in February Landmark league play and all three were one-and-done in the Conference tournament.  You don't have to play all top 10 teams but at least 5 of the 7 better be solid teams.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

There's nobody in the NEWMAC who shies away from competition.  Maybe CGA, Emerson, and Salve could do a little better, but they're not dragging anybody down.  The teams need to be good enough to win some of those games, but you've got a lot of serious programs and serious coaches.  I don't think it'll be an issue for NPI.

[BaboNation]

There's nobody in the NEWMAC who shies away from competition.  Maybe CGA, Emerson, and Salve could do a little better, but they're not dragging anybody down.  The teams need to be good enough to win some of those games, but you've got a lot of serious programs and serious coaches.  I don't think it'll be an issue for NPI.

Emerson actually finished the regular season with the best Massey SOS in the NEWMAC.  I posted those numbers a few pages back.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

There's nobody in the NEWMAC who shies away from competition.  Maybe CGA, Emerson, and Salve could do a little better, but they're not dragging anybody down.  The teams need to be good enough to win some of those games, but you've got a lot of serious programs and serious coaches.  I don't think it'll be an issue for NPI.

Emerson actually finished the regular season with the best Massey SOS in the NEWMAC.  I posted those numbers a few pages back.

I'm not sure that's true every year, but they're certainly no slouch.  Nobody is dragging the conference down - especially not compared to the bottom of some others.