MBB: NESCAC

[nescac1]

I think SpringSt7's rankings are dead-on.  Colby has the most upside based on that ranking but it's also totally fair given all the uncertainty there. 

[D3BBALL]

My rankings were just based on how they finished this year, I wasn't trying to rank them for next year but if I did they would be like this.

1) Wesleyan, best coach, maybe best guard and they have enough coming back.
2) Bates, maybe best player in the league and they won't have to face Tufts front line or Trinity's seniors.
3) Tufts, lots of good wings/guards, but will be different not controlling the boards the way they have in the past.
4) Trinity has lost a lot, more than anyone else, and the players remaining are not close to the caliber of the 4 seniors. May just be the first time in 4 years where more than 1 freshmen plays a lot. I know they are high on incoming class.
5) Amherst, can they do it again next year, without as NESCAC1 stated, some valuable pieces gone. They need more scoring and size.
6) Conn, I think they have enough players that can light it up on different nights that they don't have to rely on 1 player, but does depend on who comes back.
7) Williams, talented, but 2 down years, injuries, and finishing games worries. Team I just wouldn't bet for or against on.
8) Colby, new coach, lost some good players and a player that could have been POY, just not sure they have enough even if they get the recruits to stay. But again, wouldn't bet on or against this team yet.
9) Middlebury, think one year in for the coach, player will get settled more and just better team than the 2 below and look forward to see how Ducree plays next year.
10) Bowdoin, not going to replace Cuevas scoring, but maybe the move the ball better and Dawkins could be really good.
11) Hamilton just not enough horses at this point. Recruiting class will be key.

[nescac1]

From the transfer board, interesting to see that Colby has a transfer coming in, Ben Miller from Hartford, who was a double-digit scorer as a FY:

https://x.com/_benmiller1/status/2041248124732137966?s=61

Kind of odd that this is happening with no coach, but perhaps this was all locked down previously and he's just announcing it now. 

Speaking of transfers, Dylan Watson isn't the only Conn College player in the transfer portal.  James Lafrance, who just transferred to Conn last year, is in as well: https://x.com/JamesLaFrance2/status/2031108862691127575, as is Josiah Wright, who played limited minutes as a FY: https://x.com/Coach_Kaj/status/2032523863188197448.

If both Watson and Lafrance depart, Conn will be a very different team, as that would mean last year's three leading scorers are all gone ... but perhaps they will bring some more transfers in.  Certainly seem to be operating differently than any other NESCAC school right now. 

[D3BBALL]

From the transfer board, interesting to see that Colby has a transfer coming in, Ben Miller from Hartford, who was a double-digit scorer as a FY:

https://x.com/_benmiller1/status/2041248124732137966?s=61

Kind of odd that this is happening with no coach, but perhaps this was all locked down previously and he's just announcing it now. 

Speaking of transfers, Dylan Watson isn't the only Conn College player in the transfer portal.  James Lafrance, who just transferred to Conn last year, is in as well: https://x.com/JamesLaFrance2/status/2031108862691127575, as is Josiah Wright, who played limited minutes as a FY: https://x.com/Coach_Kaj/status/2032523863188197448.

If both Watson and Lafrance depart, Conn will be a very different team, as that would mean last year's three leading scorers are all gone ... but perhaps they will bring some more transfers in.  Certainly seem to be operating differently than any other NESCAC school right now. 

Miller will help Colby, at least give them depth and maybe a stronger bench.

For Conn, Watson is the one they need to keep, they have enough guards that can shoot. Lafrance against good teams had a tough time, shot 32% overall and 27% on threes against top 8 NESCAC teams. And like you say Conn is operating differently than the rest of the NESCAC team, but it might be how it is going to be going forward. Which would be a shame, but blame the NCAA for all of this player movement.

[nescac1]

While I agree that Watson is the more important player for Conn, I do think Lafrance would be a huge loss.  Espinosa and Lafrance were their only volume three point shooters last year, accounting for half the team's three point production between the two of them.  Clar and Cantwell would then get all the defensive attention that Lafrance and Espinosa did on the perimeter, and it's not clear if they have any major perimeter threats ready to step up behind them.  In all their portal guys DO depart, and if Conn has no major transfer coming in this year, I'd move them way back in terms of a prognostication. 

As a general matter, it's not a great sign for whatever is going on at Conn that so many guys are looking to leave.  It's not like these guys are sure-thing D1 players like a Cuevas, losing players like that doesn't raise any red flags.  And I note that one of last year's rotation FYs, Matt Leaver, also transferred to another D3 school. 

[Stickthe3]

Hoopdirt is reporting the following coaches are associated with the opening at Colby:
former Dartmouth head coach David McLaughlin, Army associate head coach Jarren Dyson, Hampden-Sydney associate head coach Bryson Gibson and a current head coach in the Liberty League.  I don't know anything about Dyson and Gibson but a quick search showed no ties to Colby/New England/NESCAC, which is a big concern for me as an alum.  We saw what happened in the short time Rutigliano was there. 

The anonymous head coach in the Liberty League is interesting - wondering if it's RPI's Mark Gilbride?  Bowdoin '02 alum, assistant coach at Amherst when they won the title in '07, and son of former longtime Bowdoin coach Tim Gilbride.

Needless to say, very curious to see what direction the AD goes with this hire.

[nescac1]

If Colby could get Gilbride that would be a massive coup, and with his Maine ties he's probably be a lifer in that job.  He absolutely maximizes his talent at RPI (and is also a good recruiter in I'd say a pretty difficult place to recruit to, both geographically and because of academics).  You know when you play RPI they are going to, no matter what, make life very, very difficult for you on the defensive end.  The good news for any NESCAC program is even if you screw up on a hire, coaches from around the country are desperate for basically any NESCAC job. 

[stlawus]

Gilbride would make sense. I think he's gone as far as he can with RPI. Always good teams but feels like he's hit the ceiling after a good extended run. Two straight 21 win seasons with no NCAA tournament appearance as a result has to be frustrating. Sweeney made the move as a result of this dynamic but hasn't done anything at Conn, however. Gilbride can definitely elevate any NESCAC team.

I can't think of any other coach in LL that would be a potential candidate. Downs at SLU interviewed at Bates in the late 2000s but he's definitely a SLU lifer now. Burke at Skidmore is the only other one that could be considered a mystery candidate. Skidmore's AD is retiring so that could be a factor.  Mee at Vassar? Would seem unlikely given that he took himself out of consideration from Carnegie Mellon a year ago. Chris Murphy at Union? Also seems unlikely given that he's been at Union since he was a player.

[lumbercat]

Civello may have set his sights too high....several dissenters at the D1 level-- looking like it might be Bucknell which wouldn't be too shabby.

[nescac1]

Just curious, lumbercat, where are you seeing Civello connected to Bucknell?

[lumbercat]

A local home town connection- Civello lives in Weymouth Ma, a neighboring town.