MBB: NESCAC

[D3BBALL]

Best of luck to both teams tonight. I will, unfortunately, be choosing the D1s over Trinity-Tufts, will probably check in but feel like I've watched these two play 9 times in the last 3 years. Understand the idea and do think it will pay off exposure wise in the last 2 rounds but having these games on the first night of the tournament on ESPN+ is not ideal in my opinion. But I've been around long enough and I get it. Wish Trinity and Tufts were playing earlier, it is cool that they are doing standalones though.

Check in around 8 might be best part of game!
Today/tomorrow some of the best days in all of sports!!!

[jumbomumbo]

So my alumni group chat. Everyone has ESPN+. No one has been able to get into any of the d3 games today. CHARLIE BAKER WTF. SO YOU MAKE TEAMS FLY TO INDIANA FOR A GAME THAT CAN BE PLAYED IN THEIR BACKYARD, AND THEN YOU A.)PUT A PRICE ON THE GAME AND B.) THAT SERVICE DOESNT EVEN WORK.

Let's just say Charlie is getting an email tomorrow win or lose.

[D3BBALL]

So my alumni group chat. Everyone has ESPN+. No one has been able to get into any of the d3 games today. CHARLIE BAKER WTF. SO YOU MAKE TEAMS FLY TO INDIANA FOR A GAME THAT CAN BE PLAYED IN THEIR BACKYARD, AND THEN YOU A.)PUT A PRICE ON THE GAME AND B.) THAT SERVICE DOESNT EVEN WORK.

Let's just say Charlie is getting an email tomorrow win or lose.

NCAA does not care about d3 in any sport!!!

There is maybe 250 people here watching.

[SpringSt7]

3 straight Final Fours for Trinity. One or two games away from having some uncomfortable conversations that Willimas/Amherst fans do not want to have...

[el_jefe_90]

I will say even though they lost, it was a controversial but great decision by Linton to bench Gyimesi from the 8 minute mark to the end. He was becoming a liability by committing that flagrant foul and nearly committing another. Gave them a fighting shot. Gyimesi was their best player this year, but he was helping Trinity more than Tufts

[nescac1]

I assume Gyimesi was just not close to right which was obviously a tough break for Tufts.  Quite a tourney run for Bernstein.

Crazy that Tufts has yet to make a Final Four when six Nescac squads have.  A lot of tough luck, an Andrew Olson miracle shot, COVID ending a tourney when they had a real shot, the Trinity buzz saw as their cryptonite, and a tough injury to a star the year they had their best shot. 

They lose a special senior class but do bring back a lot of talent including a strong rising soph class who will play a ton more. 

Good luck to Trinity in the Final Four.  Three straight Nescac titles and three straight Final Fours for this core senior group is wild. 

[toad22]

Getting to the final four three seasons in a row makes this Trinity group the best in the NESCAC era, IMHO. They are just so tough to actually beat. My little brother was a good player for Trinity, so I'm never going to hear the end of this. They have won one championship already, and a second doesn't seem unlikely.

[SpringSt7]

The scary thing is that Trinity is in the Final Four with what has really been their C+ offensive game for the duration of the tournament. They get a pass today because Tufts is a bad matchup for them but they shot 1-11 from 3 tonight and going back to the end of January they are barely shooting 30% from 3. Their floor is just so so high. If they make some shots they are unbeatable

[D3BBALL]

Game was very similar to the other two, but way more physical today.
Again the refs were very inconsistent on both ends.
Vetter showed today again why he should be on any first team division three basketball awards.
If they've gotten him the ball more in the last five minutes, the game wouldn't have been as close as it was.
There was a lot of chippiness in the game.
Gyimesi obviously didn't play great, but neither did Okorougo for Trinity.
Yes, Trinity shot one for 11 from three, not very good actually bad. But we've all seen them shoot 3 for 30. At least today they only took 11.
Trinity just the more experienced and poised team.
And I'll say it again it's a shame these teams had to meet in the elite 8 instead of final four.

[Patrick Coleman]

So my alumni group chat. Everyone has ESPN+. No one has been able to get into any of the d3 games today. CHARLIE BAKER WTF. SO YOU MAKE TEAMS FLY TO INDIANA FOR A GAME THAT CAN BE PLAYED IN THEIR BACKYARD, AND THEN YOU A.)PUT A PRICE ON THE GAME AND B.) THAT SERVICE DOESNT EVEN WORK.

Let's just say Charlie is getting an email tomorrow win or lose.

Did not hear any other issues. Hopefully your fans were 1) using the right link and 2) got in eventually.

[D3BBALL]

I will say even though they lost, it was a controversial but great decision by Linton to bench Gyimesi from the 8 minute mark to the end. He was becoming a liability but committing that flagrant foul and nearly committing another. Gave them a fighting shot. Gyimesi was their best player this year, but he was helping Trinity more than Tufts

It was a great decision and as you say gave them a chance. Team just moved the ball better without him on the floor.

[D3BBALL]

The scary thing is that Trinity is in the Final Four with what has really been their C+ offensive game for the duration of the tournament. They get a pass today because Tufts is a bad matchup for them but they shot 1-11 from 3 tonight and going back to the end of January they are barely shooting 30% from 3. Their floor is just so so high. If they make some shots they are unbeatable

Agree tough match up for Trinity and 1 factor that was key against Tufts, while Bernstein and Nyawmaya played well and had a combined 23 points. Davis and McDonald had a combined 16. I think Trinity takes that any day. Overall Trinity won the rebounding by 8 as well, with Lazarre with 9. Just all the little things that offset the poor shooting on threes.

[SpringSt7]

Colby commit Nolan Miles has been named the Gatorade POY in Maine - random thinking as we wait for this next day of games start - what is the hit rate on Gatorade POYs in the NESCAC? I know some others have won Mr. Basketball like Noah Tyson but I just did Gatorade POY because they were easier to find. Also might have missed some that I forgot were NESCAC guys in the early 2000s.

Massachusetts:
Eric Sellew, Amherst, 2016

Maine:
Nolan Ames Colby, 2026

New Hampshire:
Eric Gendron, Trinity, 2013
Connor Green, Amherst, 2011

Rhode Island:
Liam Simpson, Tufts, 2025

Vermont:
Sawyer Ramey, Middlebury, 2023
Matt St. Amour, Middlebury, 2012, 2013

Quite the range on guys here and funny that between Miles, Simpson, and Ramey, there will be 3 active in the NESCAC next year. I also learned in my research that there was a Massachusetts POY in 2008 named Stevie Meija. No relation to Stephen Zieja as far as I can tell.

[Stickthe3]

Nolan Ames*

[nescac1]

Wow re: Ames.  Assuming Rutigliano sticks around and if Civiello decides to return to Colby, the Mules could be pretty loaded next season ...

I'd say that is a pretty solid hit rate overall.  St. Amour an all-timer, Green an all-American, Sellew a very-high level player for Amherst, Gendron and Ramey solid players at least. Will be interesting to see Deerfield's two bigs, Simpson and Webb, go against each other the next four years for Tufts and Williams.  They are very different players with Webb more of a shooter and Simpson a physical guy who operates in the paint. 

Trinity and Mary Washington should be a great game and seem very well-matched. Mary Washington is on a major roll, blowing out Christopher Newport to win its league title, cruising through the two first rounds including against Amherst, and beating two very high level teams in Lacrosse and UChicago.  Fair to say that right now, they are playing at a bit higher level than Trinity.  They are small but like Trinity strong and athletic and play bigger than their size, and they generally don't turn it over - only 10 TOs total in the last two tourney games.  And Kye Robinson is I'd say the best individual player playing in that game, even over Vetter.  Mary Washington won't be intimidated by Trinity's ball pressure and this isn't a game where Trinity can afford to count on the defense alone to win the game, they will have to actually hit some 3's and also do a bit of damage in the paint.  They will put their defensive ace Kaden Bates on Vetter I assume so this is a game that Okorougo really needs to get going. 

Trinity does have a huge experience edge as Mary Washington doesn't have any seniors (which is pretty scary if Robinson decides to stick around for next year) and this is the first time making a very deep tourney run, but they kind of remind me of Trine as a team that has some real alphas and isn't going to shrink from the moment.