MBB: NESCAC

D3BBALL · January 10, 2026, 03:45:36 PM

Quote from: Bucket on January 10, 2026, 12:42:28 PMMiddlebury really missed Dominick Ducree yesterday, out with a sprained ankle. I don't believe his presence would have changed the outcome, but his scoring and shooting (14 ppg, 47 percent from 3, good for 2nd in the conference) would certainly have helped.

That said—and all el jefe noted being true, concerning shooting and turnovers—Middlebury played really, really hard yesterday. Obviously Trinity's defense and athleticism makes life miserable for opponents, and that aspect of their game, combined with their ability to score and go on runs, so often saps the will of opponents (thus the Bantam's +37 scoring margin, the largest in the country), and that didn't happen with the Panthers yesterday.

I don't believe in moral victories, however I do have more of a bullish outlook for this Midd squad after yesterday's game, tbh, and disagree with el jefe's assessment that the Trinity game and result could foretell further difficulties for Midd this season.

I had the opposite feeling after the final buzzer on Friday night.

Tip of the cap to the defending champs and best team in the country.

More games to play.

Agree on Ducree, wouldn't have changed the outcome but Middlebury very limited offensively.

D3BBALL · January 10, 2026, 03:51:23 PM

Trinity doing a nice job on Hansen Rein and Yates. Williams bench keeping them in the game. Trinity up 8 at the half

nescac1 · January 10, 2026, 03:54:06 PM

Man, Lazarre and Okorougo are the key to everything Trinity does defensively, either would be a worthy DPOTY but I'd go with Okorougo just because whoever he is guarding basically has no chance one-on-one, so strong, fast, and balanced. It's gonna be another great POTY race this year between Cuevas, Okorougo and Gyimesi. Tristan Davis is also physically imposing, although he did get into foul trouble in that half.

I really like when Williams plays Sommers, Marshall and Shepherd together as a group. They are obviously very inexperienced as a trio but enable Williams to play with more pace, and they really seem to work well together.

Quiet a weekend for Wesleyan and presumptive POTW Wolinski bouncing back from a brutal team offensive showing against Amherst.

nescac1 · January 10, 2026, 04:57:40 PM

Rough, rough weekend for Williams. The main bright spots were FYs EJ Sommers and Solomon Marshall who absolutely looked like they belonged playing against the best team in the country. And both are really exciting players to watch, especially Marshall, who is the most electric Eph guard to watch in a long, long time. He's going to be a fan favorite for the next four years. Sommers sure looks the part of a future all-American. Dylan Shepherd also had his best weekend as an Eph and he has improved dramatically since the start of the season, if the three point shot can get there he's a starting-caliber two-guard. Rein and Yates I'm confident will bounce back from a tough weekend, Wesleyan and Trinity have some of the best perimeter defenders in the country between them and I think it was a learning experience facing that Okorougo/Lazarre/Cormier/Cameron etc. gauntlet.

Trinity is going to be very, very tough to beat this year. You need to have an elite ball-handler at the point of attack to have a chance, once they get a run fueled by turnovers it's so hard to recover, and that's unfortunately for Williams been a big problem all year given all the injuries and guys rotating in and out at guard. I'm not sure I've ever seen a D3 team which is better able to pressure the ball well past the three point line in the half-court so effectively without giving up many open paths to the basket when the defense (purposefully) overextends.

D3BBALL · January 10, 2026, 08:48:36 PM

NESCAC, Sommers was terrific today as you say. The best Williams player and maybe the best player period in the game today.
You talked about turnovers Trinity had 5 yesterday and 12 today. Their turnovers never seem to create a lot of easy baskets for the other team. Middlebury had 17 and Williams 16 turnovers.

Game got within 2 in the 2nd half but again trinity bench just too much. Ayles and Davis both in foul trouble, McDonald gets hurt and Norris and Berete both played very well the last 10 minutes. Berete gives them another wing that can defend and Norris an athletic big who made 2 threes today. Trinity bench just got better. 2 players on the road in conference play, coming up big.

Davis, Okorougo, McDonald, Norris, Berete just too much on the boards and controlled Rein and Hansen

Didn't help Williams that Hansen got in foul trouble the last 10 minutes on a couple of ticky tack fouls. Refs were terrible today for both teams.
Agree on Marshall, he plays tough, confident, and with swagger, something Williams needs.

D3BBALL · January 10, 2026, 09:23:38 PM

Quote from: nescac1 on January 10, 2026, 03:54:06 PMMan, Lazarre and Okorougo are the key to everything Trinity does defensively, either would be a worthy DPOTY but I'd go with Okorougo just because whoever he is guarding basically has no chance one-on-one, so strong, fast, and balanced. It's gonna be another great POTY race this year between Cuevas, Okorougo and Gyimesi. Tristan Davis is also physically imposing, although he did get into foul trouble in that half.

I really like when Williams plays Sommers, Marshall and Shepherd together as a group. They are obviously very inexperienced as a trio but enable Williams to play with more pace, and they really seem to work well together.

Quiet a weekend for Wesleyan and presumptive POTW Wolinski bouncing back from a brutal team offensive showing against Amherst.

I know he's not gonna get it or even be considered, but Lazarre should be in the running for player of the year. If you watch him play, he just does everything well.

toad22 · January 10, 2026, 11:08:49 PM

Man, that Trinity-Williams game was really rough. A lot of blood was spilled, and a bunch of stitches too! Congrats to Trinity. The Ephs played together, and quite well, except for 6 minutes in the middle of the second half, where more than all of Trinity's lead came from. The Ephs can't play partial games, they're not that good.

D3BBALL · January 11, 2026, 02:57:06 PM

Bates losing at Amherst and getting killed in the second half was bad enough. But today they lose at Hamilton.
They better find a way to get on a roll and get on a roll quickly.

SpringSt7 · January 11, 2026, 05:45:06 PM

Probably not enough made of Bates' being the odd travel partner out in our analysis of the league slate. IT is a big ask, especially that combination of travel

D3BBALL · January 11, 2026, 07:40:18 PM

Quote from: SpringSt7 on January 11, 2026, 05:45:06 PMProbably not enough made of Bates' being the odd travel partner out in our analysis of the league slate. IT is a big ask, especially that combination of travel

You are correct. League should really change that up every year to make it fair.
That being said they have to win one of those games. First half at Amherst they were fine. Second half was terrible. Today imo coaching certainly didn't help.

quicksilver · January 11, 2026, 09:40:29 PM

Quote from: SpringSt7 on January 11, 2026, 05:45:06 PMProbably not enough made of Bates' being the odd travel partner out in our analysis of the league slate. IT is a big ask, especially that combination of travel

Yup --- the Amherst-Hamilton weekend is brutal for the Maine teams (and likely vice versa for Hamilton) in other sports with back-to-back games (chiefly hockey) even with a travel partner. Is Bates always the odd team out or does this rotate??

Stickthe3 · Reply #31901 - Re: MBB: NESCAC

I think it rotates - I remember Conn being on that schedule a few years ago, but I'm not exactly sure how it's decided.

D3BBALL · Reply #31902 - Re: MBB: NESCAC

It does rotate, but I am not sure every team is in the rotation. Conn was the single rotation team for the 22-23 & 23-24, Bates this and last year. I think trinity may have been for the 18-19 season

toad22 · Reply #31903 - Re: MBB: NESCAC

The "odd man out"rotates around the league changing every two years. It started out west at Hamilton and has been through 4-5 schools so far. Hamilton, Midd, Williams, Conn, and Bates. Maybe one more I have forgotten.

nescac1 · Reply #31904 - Re: MBB: NESCAC

The current senior class in NESCAC is loaded and has a lot of guys who even as FYs clearly had a big-time future (although of course some of the development over time far exceeded even high expectations). I think this current FY class is, likewise, one of the most loaded with high upside talent we've ever seen. And this doesn't even include, really, whatever Trinity has on its bench, since they have so much depth that FYs never see the floor in a meaningful moment.

Amherst: KJ Neville has really come on since entering the starting lineup and looks like he could be a special player (especially once he gets his free throw shooting straightened out), his rebounding for a guard is particularly stellar and he's hard to stay in front of, and Sherron Woodberry looks likely to be one of the best shooters in the league over the next four years.

Bates: Jamari Robinson, lightning quick off the bounce and seems like he has a ton of upside, he will be a three-year starter for Bates for sure.

Bowdoin: Mason Dawkins is one of the best athletes in the conference and probably is leading the league in dunks (certainly in highlight-reel dunks). If he gets his outside shot straightened out the sky is the limit for him, he's doing everything else on both ends of the floor. Probably still the ROTY favorite but so many guys on coming on strong, it's hard to say.

Middlebury: Dominick Ducree is leading the team in scoring and clearly an elite shooter, hopefully his injury is a short-term thing so he can be in the ROTY picture as well. Justin Fuerbacher is starting as a FY and seems like a solid all-around player who will be a bigger factor for Midd going forward.

Tufts: Ricardo Nieves has slowed down from his hot start but is still a key player for a ranked Tufts team and seems like a future contender for defensive POTY in NESCAC.

Wesleyan: Ian Plankey and Jaalan Watson are playing fairly short minutes but both are noticeable presences when they are on the floor and I expect both will be starting by next year. Watson is very small and it often takes undersized guys a bit of time to figure out where to find their shots, but he is extremely skilled and athletic and he has started to come on in recent weeks, and Plankey is already an overpowering physical presence, very hard to move around, who will be a real handful as his skills keep developing. I suspect both will see heavier minutes as conference play continues.

Williams: EJ Sommers can do it all at 6'9 and is improving rapidly, he had some really spectacular plays against Trinity and was the best player on the floor for Williams in that game, and Solomon Marshall really popped this weekend and is another electric athlete among the FYs, I expect he will get a lot more time in the second half of the season.

This is not meant as an exhaustive list, but that seems like a particularly high-upside group of FYs to keep an eye on. Over/under on all-Americans from that group I'd put at around 2.5 or 3. And it's going to be a stellar ROTY race.