MBB: NESCAC

[D3BBALL]

About half the NESCAC teams have rosters up.  A few notes:

https://bantamsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster?sort=class - two of the FYs from Trinity's highly touted incoming class ended up not joining the team, the big guy who was previously reported as ending up at URI, and Prosper Sonkoua, a wing from New Jersey.  They still have five highly regarded FYs in a loaded class, several of whom should make an immediate impact. 

https://camelathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster - Conn College as expected loses a ton of guys.  They do bring in Max Portnoy and Jon Nalty, both of whom started last year for Begly and should at least help with depth issues.  Still, it's certainly looking like a few years of rebuilding ahead for Conn given all they lost in the off-season.

https://colbyathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster - while Colby did suffer a huge loss to the portal, and of course has a coaching transition, they do return most of their roster, bring in a solid FY class, and also bring in three transfers to help right away ... Miller, Johnson, and Catchings.  Colby still has plenty of solid talent and looks very deep, and should remain a fairly strong, middle-of-the-pack NESCAC team, despite all the transition. 

Tufts and Williams both have rosters posted as well, but with no real surprises for either. 

On a non-roster note, Williams started a page for its forthcoming half-billion dollar athletic complex:

https://www.williams.edu/athletics-recreation-complex/about/

It's over four years away from completion, but in a few years they can at least start pointing recruits to it being on the horizon.  It will include an entirely new basketball arena.  It looks absolutely massive on the map, and will be in an ideal location at the base of Spring Street, right across from the still new-ish football complex and also near the Williams Inn and across from an existing huge parking lot.  Once this is done, Williams will go from among the very worst indoor athletic facilities in the conference to perhaps the best (or maybe second-best after Colby, but certainly top two), which hopefully makes a big difference for winter sports in particular.  I hope the hoops arena is built with the fan experience in mind, ideally with four sides of spectator seats packed in close around the court to create a real home court advantage. This really should have been built a decade ago, but better later than never!   

Prosper at Trinity has a leg injury and told likely out for season. He is still enrolled. He will be missed, IMO most physically ready to play and could have played multiple positions.
First major (lost season) injury for Trinity in 5 years, been lucky that way, but they do have a very good strength conditioning and training staff.

[nescac1]

One of the most concerning roster situations in NESCAC is Bowdoin.  Bad enough to lose Cuevas to transfer, that alone is brutal, and both their centers to graduation, but two other big bodies with eligibility (Simons and Rey) apparently chose not to return, as well. 

https://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/mens-basketball/roster

So, the roster only has 12 guys, one of whom appears to be a walk-on, which is just not a sustainable roster size in NESCAC.  Senior Natrel Allen returns which is good news but he's a senior who has only played five games in his career due I think to injury.  Bleeker is another good player who has had terrible injury luck in his career to date. Bowdoin really needs a healthy year from Bleeker as he is the guy likely to get most of Cuevas's attempts.  Bowdoin returns only one player who made more than 10 three pointers last year, and the situation is particularly bleak on the interior, where the only big man is a FY.

Bowdoin is still very strong on the wing if the guys with injury history can finally stay healthy, as Dawkins, Allen, Bleeker, Maly and Chilson is a big and talented group, but they will need untested FYs to play effectively right away at guard and at center, but if they lose ANYONE in the rotation to injury, it gets dire, fast.

I'm not sure Hamilton (yet to post its roster, but also very limited returning talent and a small incoming class) starts the season with a better situation, and those are the two teams who on paper will be in the roughest position heading into the season. 

On the plus side, Corey Baylor is a FY to watch at guard and I suspect he will play a big role right away, along with Baum inside. I'd put him in the early mix for ROTY watch.   

[quicksilver]

One of the most concerning roster situations in NESCAC is Bowdoin.  Bad enough to lose Cuevas to transfer, that alone is brutal, and both their centers to graduation, but two other big bodies with eligibility (Simons and Rey) apparently chose not to return, as well. 

https://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/mens-basketball/roster

So, the roster only has 12 guys, one of whom appears to be a walk-on, which is just not a sustainable roster size in NESCAC.  Senior Natrel Allen returns which is good news but he's a senior who has only played five games in his career due I think to injury.  Bleeker is another good player who has had terrible injury luck in his career to date. Bowdoin really needs a healthy year from Bleeker as he is the guy likely to get most of Cuevas's attempts.  Bowdoin returns only one player who made more than 10 three pointers last year, and the situation is particularly bleak on the interior, where the only big man is a FY.

Bowdoin is still very strong on the wing if the guys with injury history can finally stay healthy, as Dawkins, Allen, Bleeker, Maly and Chilson is a big and talented group, but they will need untested FYs to play effectively right away at guard and at center, but if they lose ANYONE in the rotation to injury, it gets dire, fast.

I'm not sure Hamilton (yet to post its roster, but also very limited returning talent and a small incoming class) starts the season with a better situation, and those are the two teams who on paper will be in the roughest position heading into the season. 

On the plus side, Corey Baylor is a FY to watch at guard and I suspect he will play a big role right away, along with Baum inside. I'd put him in the early mix for ROTY watch.   

Yes -- all very concerning, starting with just 3 recruits. With a 5-member senior class and the departure of Cuevas, there should have been something more like 5 recruits.  FWIW, Chris Rey was injured early in the season in 2025 and never came back. Chris Simonds was also injured, perhaps even in preseason as he did not appear in any games until January and then only for very limited minutes and with a substantial brace around one of his knees.

[D3BBALL]

Rey I believe had concussion issues, which is too bad, the kid could shoot the ball.