Those who watched ESPN last night saw Duke beat Wisconsin, the second ranked team in the country, in large part because their three freshmen played great. Of course, the NESCAC is not littered with future first round NBA draft picks, but that doesn’t mean that some freshmen can’t come in and contribute right away. Below are some of the players that are already making an impact.
Johnny McCarthy- #10- G- Amherst
McCarthy is a 6-5, 190-pound guard, who played for Noble & Greenough School in Massachusetts. McCarthy has the ability to take the ball into the paint and will finish with either a smooth turn around jump shot or go up strong to the glass. His game fits in nicely in the Jeffs’ offense and hopefully he can fill the shoes of Tom Killian ’14. McCarthy has been playing so well that he is even generating some Player of the Year buzz. In his first four games with Amherst, he has been very impressive, averaging 14 points per game, shooting 55.3% from the field and 35.7% behind the arc. In addition, he has hauled in 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game and he is only improving. After an impressive debut on November 18, dropping 17 points in 33 minutes, he played an efficient game on November 22 against Mount Ida, going 7-9 from the floor with 16 points and 6 boards. You might expect to see some turnovers from a college freshman, but McCarthy only had one turnover in his first three games. It is looking like a bright future for McCarthy in NESCAC basketball.
Lee Messier- #21- G- Connecticut College
Messier is a 6-3, 175-pound guard, who played for the Tilton School in New Hampshire. Messier has been a shooter since day one and especially loves the three pointer. He has the ability to run the break and find gaps in the defense. His shot is similar to that of Steph Curry, a guard for the Golden State Warriors. He has a quick release, allowing him to get his shot off from outside the arc, as well as in traffic. His highlight tape from high school is basically a two-minute video of him hitting a barrage of threes and pull-up jumpers.
His college highlight tape is starting to look very similar. In his first four games, Messier has already dropped in 11 threes, going 6-10 in his second game. He currently averages 14.2 ppg and shoots 37.9% from three. His deadly shooting ability will free up room in the paint for another standout freshman and big man from Conn, Isaiah Robinson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBzh20uKsQ8
Isaiah Robinson- #33- F- Connecticut College
Robinson is a 6-5, 225-pound forward, who played for the Salisbury School in Connecticut. He is a big man with a nice mid-range jump shot, and once he gets in down on the block, there are not many players big enough to stop him from going up strong for two points. This season for the Camels, Robinson has averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, shooting 48.8% from the field. On November 20, he dropped 25 points and came away with 7 rebounds in 48 minutes against Yeshiva. If he can clean up some of his turnovers, he will be a tough player to stop in the paint.
Vincent Pace- #13- G- Tufts
Pace is a 6-5, 185-pound guard, who played for the Bridgewater School in New Jersey. He is a smart player, who can defend well on the ball and can be trusted to set the tempo while running the offense. At the beginning of the season, Pace was projected to become a breakout player, and he has certainly played at a high level, living up to the hype. His playing time and his play have improved as the season has progressed. He put up 12 and 13 points respectively in his previous two outings. Before a tough game last night, after five games, he was averaging 7.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3 assists, some solid numbers for this Jumbo, who also had four steals in a tough loss against MIT on November 25. We will have to wait and see if Pace can continue to play at the level of a breakout player.
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