MBB: NESCAC

[el_jefe_90]

Lazarre named DPOTY, Neville ROTY and Wesleyan Coaching Staff of the Year

[el_jefe_90]

First Team Alphabetical:
Cuevas, Gyimesi, Okorougo, Pohlman, Pouye, Vetter, Wolinksi

Second Team Alphabetical:
Bernstein, Chin, Civello, Espinosa, Hammond, Lazarre, Watson

[nescac1]

Awards overall seem pretty solid.  ROTY and COTY were everyone's consensus pick.  Gyimesi is certainly one of the three choices everyone had at the top and a worthy winner.  First team, Pouye vs. Civello is an argument but it was always going to be those two guys for the final spot.

On second team, Lazarre, Civello, Chin and Espinosa all felt like locks.  The last three spots were pretty wide open and you can quibble with Hammond, Watson and Bernstein but there were no obvious omissions that were clearly better than any of them.  Rein, Lafrance, Medley, and Coyne all had decent all-league cases but none were guys who were sure things.  To me, Coyne is the biggest omission and I think probably should have been on there, especially as as senior, but that's just a quibble. 

With at least ten out of 14 guys likely gone (unless one of the transfer portal guys returns), plus a few other former all-NESCAC guys who didn't make it on this year (Cormier and Poulton) graduating, NESCAC definitely looks as wide open next year as it has been in quite some time.  No one in the league returns more than one all-league guy ...   

Wolinski and Pouye will be the big consensus favorite's for next year's POTY award in one of the weakest group of candidates (on paper) we've seen in some time ... but surely some younger guys will emerge from out of nowhere the way Wolinski did this season. 

[D3BBALL]

Gyimesi is not a bad pick (was in my top 4), he impacted the game on both ends and did average a double double in league play, the only player to do so. How much did the vote split on Vetter/Okorougo would be interesting to know.

Had 6 of the top 7 on first team, Pouye was hurt and then not a first team player when he came back. I would have moved Lazarre up.
2nd Team, Medley over Berstein, would have liked to see Hauser over Hammond or Watson. Don't see how Conn gets 2 players. To get 2 players, you have to be better than a 500 team.

Trinity 3 players
Weslyan 2 players - Deserved a 3rd player my pick Hauser
Tufts - 2 players
Conn - 2 Players - 1 player too many
Amherst - 2 Players
Bowdoin - 1 Player
Colby - 1 Player
Bates - 1 Player

DOP - Knew it was going to come down to Lazarre and Okorougo, either a good choice.

ROY - Neville, was probably the easiest decision.

COY - Reilly good choice, he is the elite coach in the league. Wonder if Amherst losing to Williams cost Sears.

NESCAC1 agree next year wide open and Wolinski and Pouye easily top 2 favorites for POY next year.

[el_jefe_90]

I'm good with all of these selections. For ROTY, I was on the Dawkins train for a while. But towards the end of the season, it was pretty clear that Neville was the best choice. I do think Dawkins was a clear second though. For next year, if/when Cuevas is gone, I can certainly see Dawkins taking a big leap and being the teams go-to option.

I definitely agree that Wolinksi and Pouye would be the top two choices heading into preseason given what we think may happen in the offseason. I think a couple wildcards could be Jon Medley, Jackson Rein and either James LaFrance if he can improve his scoring in NESCAC play, or Dylan Watson since I think he could be more involved with Espinosa graduating. Neville would be another choice but you just never know with Amherst's offense.

[nescac1]

BTW with 10 spots to fill next year, here are my picks for guys I expect to make a leap into all-conference consideration (el jefe wrote this before your post but I agree with your takes as well):

Ben Lyttle - Lyttle is underrated, a physical two-way player who after a slow start to the year has really come on.  Over his last five he's been huge, especially on the glass, averaging 14-10. He might have been a third Wesleyan guy if coaches had voted after the league tourney. 

Jackson Rein - if he makes another leap the way he did last off-season, he could even be in the first-team mix, especially if the Ephs can rise a few spots in the standings. 

Jon Medley, Dylan Reilly, Jared Berry and Tristan Davis - Tufts and Trinity will still be good next year and these are some of the guys likely to get the most additional opportunities to fill in for the graduating seniors. Berry is gonna score a LOT as a starter. 

Greg Cantwell and James Lafrance - Conn seems to do very well in all-league selections year after year, and one of these two at least will be in the mix. 

Matthew Rideout - dude can flat out score, Hamilton should be less-bad next year, as his injury this year definitely hurt them. 

And then this year's top FY players: KJ Neville, Mason Dawkins, Jamari Robinson, Dominic Ducree, Ricardo Nieves and Theo Pow.  All those guys have the talent to be all-league and I think Neville and Dawkins will be first-team all league as soon as next season.  If I'm betting on the next NESCAC sophomore to test the portal, it's either Neville or Dawkins.