MBB: NESCAC

D3BBALL · January 22, 2026, 08:55:52 PM

If you are the odd team in the league, there is 1 weekend you don't have a conference game. This weekend the teams that travel together play each other, so the odd team doesn't play.

toad22 · January 22, 2026, 09:00:06 PM

Quote from: D3BBALL on January 22, 2026, 08:55:52 PMIf you are the odd team in the league, there is 1 weekend you don't have a conference game. This weekend the teams that travel together play each other, so the odd team doesn't play.

Thank the Presidents for letting Hamilton back in the league.

lumbercat · January 22, 2026, 09:50:22 PM

Thanks Fellas- I'm more of a NESCAC football guy but love the posts and passion from the BB followers on this board.
In recent years Middlebury has had some great teams and their followers became very active on this board. Recently, the Panthers have been limping a bit, I was hoping the Midd faithful were not front runners....so it was reassuring to see Bucket emerge recently and hope that our esteemed Bates friend Old Guy is well.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · January 23, 2026, 08:26:22 AM

Quote from: toad22 on January 22, 2026, 09:00:06 PM
Quote from: D3BBALL on January 22, 2026, 08:55:52 PMIf you are the odd team in the league, there is 1 weekend you don't have a conference game. This weekend the teams that travel together play each other, so the odd team doesn't play.

Thank the Presidents for letting Hamilton back in the league.

Just to stir up some good conversations: if the NESCAC were to add one more to get back to even, which school would you like to see it be?

SpringSt7 · January 23, 2026, 09:03:25 AM

Vassar - natural travel partner with Hamilton. Fits academic ethos of the conference. Will be pretty good some years and not awesome other years so won't upset competitive balance either way. Can't really think of a close second choice to be honest

NEhoops · January 23, 2026, 09:18:48 AM

I don't see any school in New England being a natural fit.

Unless Pouye is 100% I would be surprised if he played this weekend. At St Joe's (ME) will be a tough game for Bates. They are better than their record and seem to be healthy. Remijo Wani is playing well - the junior was selected as a preseason all-American per D3Hoops.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · January 23, 2026, 09:20:27 AM

Quote from: NEhoops on January 23, 2026, 09:18:48 AMI don't see any school in New England being a natural fit.

Unless Pouye is 100% I would be surprised if he played this weekend. At St Joe's (ME) will be a tough game for Bates. They are better than their record and seem to be healthy. Remijo Wani is playing well - the junior was selected as a preseason all-American per D3Hoops.

There were missing three starters (including Wani) for a while before Christmas. They're going to be much better than their record, although it's hard to know exactly how good.

lumbercat · January 23, 2026, 10:38:14 AM

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on January 23, 2026, 08:26:22 AM
Quote from: toad22 on January 22, 2026, 09:00:06 PM
Quote from: D3BBALL on January 22, 2026, 08:55:52 PMIf you are the odd team in the league, there is 1 weekend you don't have a conference game. This weekend the teams that travel together play each other, so the odd team doesn't play.

Thank the Presidents for letting Hamilton back in the league.

Just to stir up some good conversations: if the NESCAC were to add one more to get back to even, which school would you like to see it be?

BABSON

ItsATuftSituation · January 23, 2026, 11:39:04 AM

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on January 23, 2026, 08:26:22 AM
Quote from: toad22 on January 22, 2026, 09:00:06 PM
Quote from: D3BBALL on January 22, 2026, 08:55:52 PMIf you are the odd team in the league, there is 1 weekend you don't have a conference game. This weekend the teams that travel together play each other, so the odd team doesn't play.

Thank the Presidents for letting Hamilton back in the league.

Just to stir up some good conversations: if the NESCAC were to add one more to get back to even, which school would you like to see it be?

The feel like the correct answers are either Vassar or Brandeis. The travel partner aspect of Vassar makes sense going west, while still close to most of the Mass. and Conn. schools. Fundamentally, Brandeis is a liberal arts college, though the law school and research aspects would make them somewhat of an outlier. MIT and Babson don't fit the academic models of the NESCAC, despite their academic rigor. Brandeis though joined the NEWMAC for women's lacrosse, so if they ever did leave the UAA, I suspect it would be to join the NEWMAC.

quicksilver · January 23, 2026, 01:36:19 PM

Both Vassar and Brandeis would work. Neither would upset the balance on the hockey front since neither has a hockey team. There are just 10 hockey playing NESCACs, which makes for a nice 18-game conference schedule, with a home-and-home series. The same thing is true regarding football -- I believe that neither Vassar nor Brandeis has a football team so would not screw with the current 9-game football schedule . .

deiscanton · January 23, 2026, 01:49:45 PM

If Brandeis was ever forced to leave the UAA, they would definitely go to NEWMAC. The Brandeis women's teams were charter members of the New England Women's 6/New England Women's 8 in the 1980's. Clark replaced Brandeis in the NEW8 in the mid 1990's when Brandeis left the NEW8 in favor of having the UAA become their primary league. In the early 1990's, the Brandeis women played both a UAA and a NEW8 conference schedule in women's basketball with the Judges competing for the NEW8 title. (The NEW8 title did not carry an automatic bid to the NCAAs, however.) The NEW6/NEW8 eventually became NEWMAC in the late 1990's.

Back in the 1970s, Brandeis decided not to join NESCAC because Brandeis did not want severe limitations on their ability to recruit athletes off-campus, and Brandeis wanted the opportunity to compete for national championships. NESCAC in the 1970s banned their teams from competing in NCAA national championships-- that ban would only be reversed in the late 1990s/turn of the 21st century.

toad22 · January 23, 2026, 02:01:59 PM

Union used to be a NESCAC member. Babson and MIT were both asked, but said no.

D3BBALL · January 23, 2026, 03:44:15 PM

Wonder how much NESCAC rules hurt them getting a 12th team. I know in hoops the teams start a week later than everyone else in D3, doesn't make a lot of sense. I am sure there are other rules as well. How much the NESCAC is liberal may hurt in getting another school to come as well.

I know Babson and MIT are different type schools than NESCAC's, but not sure why that would matter.

In the end it would be better to get another team.

Greek Tragedy · January 24, 2026, 12:38:49 PM

So if they went to 12 teams, would they just play 11 conference games?

jumpshot · January 24, 2026, 02:47:57 PM

EPHS trail Midd 44-32 at half ... the reality is this group simply does not have the necessary ballhandling/passing, shooting, or defensive skills, particularly against the three, etc. Next year will depend in large part on how much work the returners do in the off-season and summer competition.
All programs go through this sort of experience ... the measure will be how well young people react to it.