Nothing But NESCAC

The First Real Challenge: Hamilton vs. Wesleyan Game of the Week Preview

Game of the week preview: Wesleyan vs. Hamilton

Overview: The undefeated Hamilton College Continentals will travel to Middletown, CT, this Friday to face off with the 9-4 Wesleyan Cardinals. Hamilton comes into this game ranked sixth in the country, while the Cardinals are outside looking in. The Cardinals are 1-1 in conference play with a win against a tough Middlebury team, but a big loss against the undefeated Williams College Ephs. Like I said in my preview a month ago, Wesleyan is big, tough, and athletic. Losing a guy like Jordan Sears was a heavy blow for the Cardinals, but Wesleyan still maintains its strong defensive identity. Allowing on average 68.5 points per game, Wesleyan ranks fourth in the NESCAC. Wesleyan’s field goal percentage has plagued them thus far. The Cardinals have one of the worst shooting percentages in the league at 43.9%. Wesleyan is led offensively by sophomore superstar Austin Hutcherson. Hutcherson has followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with a stellar sophomore season so far. His 20.1 points per game ranks third in the league, while trailing Hamilton’s Kena Gilmour who averages 20.6 points per game. The matchup between Hutcherson and Gilmour will be fun to watch.

Hamilton needs to look out for Jordan Bonner on Friday night.

Both players seem to score at will in a variety of methods whether it be in transition or in a half-court set. These guys bring length to the guard position: Hutcherson stands about 6’ 6”, and Gilmour is 6’ 4”. Gilmour’s game is well-rounded because he not only scores well, but he’s tough on opposing ball handlers and rebounds well. Senior Michael Grassey of Hamilton will be another tough matchup for the Cardinals. Grassey is one of the best rebounders on the squad average around seven boards per game. He plays a Draymond Green style of play with strength inside, but also shooting to stretch the floor.

Don’t be surprised if Coach Riley puts Jordan James on him. James is having a breakout season as well. The long 6’ 7” forward will contest every shot, and is strong on the boards. He has the athleticism to run the floor with Hutcherson to dish to. This game will be Wesleyan’s third tough challenge in as many weeks. Starting off the season against Williams, Middlebury, and Hamilton is a daunting start of the season. The team can’t be so unhappy with the results so far, but picking up a win against Hamilton would be huge. Hamilton barely squeaked past Trinity, who doesn’t have nearly the team Wesleyan does. Like last year, this matchup is sure to be a thriller.

We expect to see some athletic and high-flying plays in this game.

X-Factors: This one’s pretty easy. How could I not pick Hutcherson and Gilmour? Hutcherson affects the game in so many ways. Coming in as a freshman and making the incredible impact he did right away, you come to realize the quality of player he is. It doesn’t appear that he gets rattled over the moment. Even though he’s one of the most electrifying players coming down the court in transition, I like his maturity in the half-court offense even more. He’s a smart player who knows how to run an efficient offense.

To cap it off, Hutcherson is a ninety percent free throw shooter. With the game on the line, you trust Hutcherson with the ball. You can’t say that about many college players especially underclassmen. Kena Gilmour has made his case to be regarded as one of the best players in the country. He statistics tell the whole story with his prolific scoring and steals. He’s very similar to Hutcherson in that he’s a young guard whom you trust to run the offense efficiently. I’m excited to see the plans Coach Reilly and Coach Stockwell devise to stop the opponent’s superstar guards.

Final Thoughts:

This game is Hamilton’s biggest test so far in the season, while it’s one of the final really tough opponents Wesleyan will face for a while. Hutcherson has picked up some of the slack that Krill’s graduation left, but I’m not entirely sure that’ll be enough to dethrone Hamilton. Hamilton is playing great basketball right now, and I’m not sure that Wesleyan has played to their potential yet. My heart will always be with Wesleyan, but for this game, Hamilton is too good to pick against.

Prediction: Hamilton 84 Wesleyan 79

Waist deep in NESCAC play: Power Rankings 1/9

Now we’re really in the thick of things. While it is still totally unclear what the pecking order is for the bottom eight teams in the NESCAC, there has been lots learned after the first weekend of games and here is our best guess (yes, a total guess) at where the rest of the teams fall after Williams and Hamilton, because, yes, they are really just that good.

1. #2 Williams (12-0, 2-0)

Last Week: 68-54 W vs. Wesleyan, 95-69 W vs. Conn College

This Week: @ Tufts, @ Bates

The only thing I am surprised by from Williams’ games last weekend is that they didn’t score more points against Wesleyan. They saw uncharacteristically poor performances from their stars Kyle Scadlock and Bobby Casey as the duo shot a combined 6-25 on the night. As we know, shooting at a 24% clip just won’t cut it for the Ephs…if they’re going to win a national championship. They still managed to knock off a good Wesleyan team despite a terrible shooting performance. Having said that, in the future, they might not fare so well on such nights as the Cardinals shot just 27.9% as a team, which is undeniably horrible. Was it the defense or just an off night for Wesleyan? Hard to tell, but the Ephs still came out clean in the opening weekend and will own this spot until a team knocks them down.

2. #5 Hamilton (13-0, 1-0)

Last Week: 72-70 W vs. Trinity

This Week: @ Wesleyan, @ Conn

Hamilton is barely holding on the the #2 spot in these rankings as I do not like their ugly game against Trinity. Trinity, a squad with lots of roster turnover in more of a rebuilding mode, should not have given the highly touted Continentals such a run for their money. This first conference game was incredibly even and came after an off night for Hamilton, giving me even more doubts as there wasn’t a clear reason why they were met by an equal competitor in the Bantams. Trinity got hot in the game and shot well, but that happens from time to time and shouldn’t be a source of failure for a Hamilton team with their eyes on making a deep run in the NCAA tournament. They’re still #5 in the country and undefeated, so that’s worth something, but I’m not sure they’ll be here for the long haul.

3. Amherst (11-1, 1-0)

Last Week: 84-55 W vs. Trinity

This Week: vs. Williams

I like what I’m seeing from this Amherst team. I didn’t have high expectations for them this season but Grant Robinson is doing a great job of leading a young team. Robinson scored 19 in their lone conference game and with him, Fru Che, and Eric Sellew, they have a talented core and are off to a hot start.

4. Wesleyan (11-3, 2-2)

Last Week: 54-68 L @ Williams, 80-77 W @ Middlebury

This Week: @ Conn, @ Wesleyan

I won’t fault Wesleyan for their loss to Williams—it was inevitable and not nearly as ugly as it could’ve been for how poorly the Cardinals played. They are a deep, big, and athletic team, and showed that they are capable of explosive games like in their contest against the Panthers. Austin Hutcherson put up a whopping 36 points on 12-22 shooting while Jordan Bonner posted a double-double to lead his team with ten boards. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Cards knock off Amherst or Hamilton in the near future.

Hutcherson and the Cards are a dangerous group.

5. Middlebury (10-4, 1-1)

Last Week: 92-80 W vs. Conn, 77-80 L vs. Wesleyan

This Week: @ Bates, @ Tufts

I’m genuinely surprised by the Midd loss to Wesleyan. I’m not a very biased writer, but Midd always finds ways to win, especially at home. I’d like to chalk this one up to the student body not being at the game because of winter break, but that isn’t entirely fair to the efforts of the Wesleyan team. Midd got beat on defense and not one player had more than six boards on the night. Max Bosco has been great off the bench so far and bolsters a balanced lineup along with Jack Farrell, and Griffin Kornaker that spreads the ball out well but they just couldn’t quite get it done against Wesleyan and for the first time in a while find themselves outside the top four.

6. Bowdoin (8-4, 1-1)

Last Week: 72-57 W vs. Conn College, 79-87 L vs. Tufts

This Week: @ Trinity

This remains a team that performs below its potential. Jack Simonds, David Reynolds, Hugh O’Neil, and Jack Bors are a force to be reckoned with, however, they lost to a Tufts team that lost in turn to a young Colby Mules team. This is a team that has top four potential but need to be more consistent. In the loss against Tufts, O’Neil and Bors scored just 6 combined points (Bors had 0) and they allowed four Jumbos to score more than 14 points. Defense may be an issue going forward, but they can sure score.

7. Colby (10-3, 1-1)

Last Week: 103-93 W vs. Tufts, 71-81 L vs. Bates

This Week: @ Trinity

It was a pretty bizarre opening weekend for the Mules, taking down a perennial power in Tufts and losing to one of the worst teams in the league in Bates. They had already beaten Bates and an inter-Maine game will never be a rollover contest, but seriously? Bates? If the Mules are really here to challenge top teams, they need to have a consistent approach to games and score more near the rim. They really lived and died by the three last weekend and it came back to bite them. Having said that, when they are hot, they are hot, so they could represent a trap game for many top teams.

8. Tufts (6-8 1-1)

Last Week: 93-103 L @ Colby, 87-79 W @ Bowdoin

This Week: vs. Williams, vs. Midd

Like many teams, it was a mixed opening weekend for the Jumbos who find themselves below a team that they beat. They have a poor non-conference record which isn’t helping their ranking and a team that is not particularly deep. They will be out-talented by the top teams despite some scoring ability from all of their starters. Luke Rogers hauled in 16 boards against Bowdoin, but other than him, they really lack a rebounding presence at all and if he can get well-guarded, the Jumbos might be seriously deficient on defense.

9. Trinity (9-5, 0-2)

Last Week: 55-84 L @ Amherst, 70-72 L @ Hamilton

This Week: vs. Bowdoin, vs. Colby

I’m terming Trinity’s opening weekend as mixed as Tufts because they nearly knocked off an impressive Hamilton team, losing 72-70. Nick Seretta and Donald Jorden made a statement in this game, combining for 39 points and shooting 17-23 as a pair. Jorden added 11 boards and led his team to a halftime lead against the #5 team in the nation. Kyle Padmore had a quiet night, shooting just 1-5 for just two point on the night and as one of the veteran presences on this team, he will have to have a bigger impact going forward.

10. Bates (3-10, 1-1)

Last Week: 70-99 L @ Bowdoin, 81-71 W @ Colby

This Week: vs. Midd, vs. Williams

I don’t really expect much from this Bates team, but their win against Maine rival Colby had to feel good in their opening weekend after losing to Bowdoin the night before. Granted their performance against Colby might just be the ceiling for how well they can play. They shot 65% from deep (11-17) while the Mules who were hot against Tufts show just 29% from deep. In other words, it required the perfect storm for Bates to overcome Colby.

11. Conn College (4-8, 0-2)

Last Week: 80-92 L @ Middlebury, 69-95 L @ Williams

This Week: vs. Amherst, vs. Hamilton

As one of just two winless teams after the first weekend, it would’ve been hard to not put Conn at the bottom of the barrel. Dan Draffan and David Labossiere are the only two weapons that the Camels have and Labossiere is significantly more dangerous than Draffan. The duo could get hot and give some weaker teams a run for their money, but as seen in their 26 point loss to Williams, they will just get flat out beat by the top teams in the league. I don’t think they will go winless in NESCAC lay if that is any consolation.

Off to the Races: Men’s Basketball Stock Report 1/8

Now that one weekend of conference games is in the books, we can see how exciting this season is truly going to be. There is really no apparent hierarchy and every team displayed some sort of weakness that can be exploited as we move forward in the season. This weekend was really a microcosm of what NESCAC basketball looks like on a regular basis. We had a few blowouts, a few tight games, a few defensive battles, and a good number of shootouts. There was seemingly no discernable pattern of who’s beating who, and that’s exactly the way we like it. Every weekend is an interesting one, nearly impossible for us to predict. With that being said, let’s take a look at the best and worst performers of the first weekend to see where everybody stands:

Stock Up

Williams dominance

It was about as successful as it could have gone this weekend for the Ephs as they took care of Wesleyan and Conn College at home. The Wesleyan game especially passes the eye test because they were able to prove that they could win a defensive battle. We know that Williams can score, but the fact that they led a low-scoring game pretty much the entire way against the talented Cardinals shows that they can win in any fashion. Bobby Casey ’19 led the way against Conn College, posting a game-high 24 points and 8 assists in a rout of the Camels. The Ephs were playing as well as anyone in the preseason, but they’ve brought their dominance into NESCAC play and that is a scary sight for teams around the league.

Jack Simonds as a leader

Everything was falling for Jack Simonds this weekend, but we’ll find out if he is really here to stay

The top performer of the weekend was undoubtedly Jack Simonds. The senior put up an astonishing 55 points on 22-33 from the field and grabbed 15 rebounds combined in the matchups with Bates and Tufts. It felt like Simonds couldn’t miss all weekend and he certainly threw his name back into the conversation for NESCAC player of the year with his efforts. After a breakout sophomore year, Simonds had a bit of a down season in his junior campaign and Bowdoin struggled at times without his leadership. He has come into conference play firing on all cylinders after torching Bates and putting up a valiant effort in a loss versus Tufts. Bowdoin comes out of the weekend right in the thick of things at 1-1, but things are looking bright if Jack Simonds can keep putting out performances like these.

Stock Down

Hamilton dominance

This is not meant to take anything away from a win to start off NESCAC play for the Continentals, but the Bantams tested them on Sunday. It took a carrying violation against Trinity and then a basket with 0.8 seconds left for Hamilton to sneak out the win. The Bantams were embarrassed by Amherst in Western Mass on Friday so morale was low when they rolled into New York for their Sunday matchup. Hamilton couldn’t capitalize, and Trinity hung around for much too long in this one. Kena Gilmour ’20 was not himself at all, putting up 15 points and snatching only 4 rebounds, but fortunately Michael Grassey ’19 picked up the slack and was able to do just enough to secure the win. The Continentals are doing just fine, but being ranked #6 in the country is a very impressive feat. It’ll take a much less sloppy effort if they want to compete with the other top teams in the league moving forward.

Clarity in the middle

Austin Hutcherson ’21 is identifying himself as the top option so far for the Cardinals

It’s never easy to identify the best teams this early in the season, but there are 6 teams that finished the weekend 1-1, and it wasn’t exactly the 6 that we may have thought. After looking really bad to start the season, Bates snagged a win at Colby and even Conn College battled tough with Middlebury until the very end. Tufts started off slow losing to Colby on Friday, but turned around and took care of Bowdoin on Saturday. Wesleyan looked very impressive at times too, but here they are at 1-1 with the rest of them. Trinity and Conn each went 0-2 on the weekend, but the way they played we can tell there won’t be a winless team in the NESCAC this year. All we can do now is wait another week to get a bigger sample size and start making some better assessments. I wouldn’t be surprised to see quite a few 2-2 teams at the end of the second weekend…

Hope for Connecticut

I will admit that Wesleyan had a solid weekend and doesn’t have much to feel bad about at the moment, but Conn and Trinity aren’t doing them any favors in the early going. The state of Connecticut as a whole went 1-5 this weekend and only one of those losses was by fewer than 12 points. I’m not saying I expect to see these three schools at the top of the standings, but they certainly haven’t helped make a name for themselves so far. There’s never an easy game in this conference, so there’s no time to relax for any of the schools down in the NESCAC’s warmest state. Another weekend like this and we might have to start looking forward to the spring season when the southern schools get to have their moment.

5 Bold Predictions for the Rest of the Season

1. Williams wins the national championship

Matt Karpowicz ’20 is one of the many Ephs who will help pave the way for a deep tournament run

To be honest, this isn’t a particularly bold prediction. The Ephs are #2 in the nation and they have looked nearly unstoppable to this point in the season. Their average margin of victory is 26 and only 2 of their games have been decided by less than 10 points. What makes them so tough to stop is the fact that they have so many different guys that can beat you on a given night. If you try to play a zone then Bobby Casey ’19 and James Heskett ’19 will light you up from beyond the arc. If you don’t have a true big man then Matt Karpowicz ’20 and Michael Kempton ’20 will wreck you in the paint. If you don’t have at least one standout wing capable of playing defense at a high level then Kyle Scadlock ’19 is going score at will. These guys are as good as it gets at the D3 level and you can see it as soon as they step on the court – the average height of their starting lineup is 6’6” and not one of them is below 6’3”. Williams has made runs deep into the tournament in recent years, but this time they’ll come back with some hardware. Barring injury, the Williams College Ephs will be your 2019 NCAA Division III Basketball National Champions.

2. Hamilton wins the NESCAC championship

Kena Gilmour ’20 is one of the biggest stars that the NESCAC has to offer

Well, if anyone is going to take down the Ephs (at least before the NCAA Tournament) then there’s no doubt that the #5 team in the country has the best chance. The average height of their starters is 6’5”, so they’re really the only team that has the size to reasonably matchup with Williams. They’ve got a bona fide star in Kena Gilmour ’20, an array of athletic wings who can shoot the ball and have the athleticism to defend multiple positions, and a big man in Andrew Groll ’19 who anchors the team down low. They, too, have blown teams out of the water, with only 2 games within 10 points and an average margin of victory of 21. They shoot the ball at an astonishingly high rate (51.3% FG) and turn the ball over less than almost anyone. Essentially the only question that I have about them is whether or not their defense will be able to compete in a game when the shots simply aren’t falling. Like most NESCAC teams they haven’t played a very tough schedule so they’ve had their way with opposing defenses, but there will come a game when they just aren’t getting the bounces. I’m not sure that their defense is good enough to win a grind-it-out type game like this, which is also why I don’t see them being able to make a run in the NCAAs. What we do know is that their offense is as good as anyone in the nation, so I think they will get hot enough in a three game stretch to win the NESCAC title.

3. Bowdoin finishes third in the NESCAC

David Reynolds ’20 will have to keep producing at the same rate for Bowdoin to stay in contention

There’s no doubt that Williams and Hamilton are the top 2 teams in the conference, so the question seems to be who will finish 3^rd. Things are much murkier in the middle, but I like what’s been going on in Brunswick so far this season. After a slow 2-3 start the Polar Bears have really found their identity, winners of their last 6 contests. The duo of Jack Simonds ’19 and David Reynolds ’20 is one of the most lethal scoring combinations in the league, with each of them averaging over 17 points per game. Zavier Rucker ’21 is one of the steadiest point guards out there, and he also adds a very viable third scoring option. His range certainly raises some questions as he’s only shooting 27.3% from 3-point land. Teams will definitely start to play off him a bit and respect his quickness, forcing him to shoot from farther out. He’ll have to get better from the outside to draw some of the attention away from Reynolds and Simonds. Hugh O’Neil ’19 is another elite big man who currently leads the league in field goal percentage (67.2%) while also coming in at 2^ndin the league in rebounding (10.6 per game). This type of efficiency is exactly what Bowdoin is looking for out of their senior captain. What especially stands out about the Polar Bears is their strong upperclassman leadership. Aside from Rucker their main rotation of guys consists only of juniors and seniors, and this will go a very long way in a conference that is seeing a lot more asked of some of the younger players. Bowdoin has an excellent opportunity to make a leap into the top half of the NESCAC this season, and it all starts with the guys who have been there time and time again.

4. Colby leads NESCAC in scoring

Noah Tyson ’22 is potentially the most talented player on the Colby roster, and he’s only a *freshman*

This is another prediction that doesn’t appear to be very unreasonable given what we’ve seen so far – the Mules are 2^nd to only Hamilton in points per game – but Colby has struggled mightily in recent years, including last year’s 10^th place finish. What they have going for them this year is a very balanced scoring attack where all 5 starters average double figures in scoring. They attempt an incredible amount of 3-point shots, but this fast paced style is the way that they need to play since they lack a true big man and have a height disadvantage at almost every position on the court. When the game is moving at this type of pace it also means that they’ll be allowing a lot of points, so even if they do lead the league in scoring they very well could finish in the bottom of the standings again. For the fans, however, this makes almost every Colby game must-watch basketball. We’re likely to see lots of scores in the 80s and 90s, so it’s almost always going to be worth tuning in to the action in Waterville. Win or lose, it’s shaping up to be a very exciting season for Coach Strahorn and his squad.

5. Bobby Casey wins POY

Bobby Casey ’19 has a chance to be the second consecutive Eph to bring home the POY trophy

Although I wrote that Kena Gilmour was our prediction for Player of the Year in our awards preview a few weeks ago, it could be another southpaw that takes home the trophy at the season’s end. Teammate James Heskett ’19 earned POY honors last season, but this year it’s been Bobby Casey’s turn. The senior has been a lights out scorer this year, coming in at 5^thin the league with 18.1 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field including over 45% from deep. He’s also grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game and dishing out a league-leading 4.5 assists per game. There’s no question that he benefits heavily from the fact that he’s the team’s primary ball handler and the talent that exists around him in Williams’ lineup is unparalleled. Not a lot of guys would be able to share the ball as much as he does while still getting a fair share of shots for himself. Either way, the Ephs are loaded and Casey is a star so he’ll be an interesting guy to keep an eye on as the season progresses. If they’re able to maintain the blistering start that they’re off to, you can bet that Casey will be leading the way.

New Year, New Pecking Order: Holiday Power Rankings

2019 Preseason Holiday Power Rankings

1.) #2 Williams (9-0)

This Williams team looks nearly unstoppable. They have three players averaging over 14 points per game and three averaging over five boards per game, dominating each of their nine opponents thus far. Bobby Casey has been lights out from deep, draining 47.7% of his threes, Scadlock has been electric from the floor, shooting over 60% from the field, and James Heskett has been doing his thing for the Ephs, following up his All-American season with some more balanced numbers among a more talented supporting cast with the return of Scadlock. Matt Karpowicz and Michael Kempton have been doing well all around as a big man unit, averaging a combined 14 PPG and over ten boards, equalling a dual double-double. No NESCAC team can match the size and big-game experience of this Eph team with the Continentals as the only real threat on their road to a second straight NESCAC championship.

Casey and the Ephs are not going to be a fun opponent this season.

2.) #5 Hamilton (9-0)

I’ve been a big fan of this unit that Coach Stockwell has developed for quite some time. They were set on a course for predestined greatness in this 2018-2019 season long ago when the group of Peter Hoffmann, Tim Doyle, Andrew Groll, and Michael Grassey joined forces in the 2015-2016 season. Those four along with the most athletic player in the lineup, junior Kena Gilmour, make up this team that could bring the Continentals their first major men’s sports championship in who knows how long. Gilmour and Grassey are doing most of the scoring in the perfect 9-0 start to the season, averaging 19.7 and 15.2 PPG, respectively. They are a balanced team and Gilmour, Grassey, and Groll all haul in over five boards per game. Their trusty point guard, Doyle, dishes out passes to the rest of the shooters and is the glue that keeps the gears turning and rounds out the deadly group that is, top to bottom, without any glaring weaknesses.

Gilmour’s Continentals are the biggest threat to the Ephs in 2019.

3.) Amherst (7-1)

This is a bit of a surprise for me as I figured that after losing some studs, the Mammoths would enter more of a rebuilding year. Their only loss so far was to the 2017 national champion Babson Beavers and they received votes in the last D3 Hoops rankings. Their big man, Joe Schneider, is their only senior, boding well for the future of this historically dominant program. Grant Robinson is leading the way on the scoring front with 15.8 PPG with Eric Sellew putting in 9.6 PPG, and sixth man-to-be and deep threat off the bench, Garrett Day, dropping 9.3 PPG in just 17.3 minutes per game. Five Mammoths average over four rebounds per game and while Robinson is the closest they have to a superstar, they are a deep team with many possible contributors and several wild card players who entered into new roles at the start of this season.

4.) #24 Middlebury (8-2)

This is an unusual year for the Panthers as they are without a true leader on the court like they have had the past few years. Matt Folger is the most talented player on the floor for Midd and has been off to a hot start, putting up 16.0 PPG, shooting over 50% from the field and over 47% from deep which is going to need to be sustainable for the Panthers to have a shot to compete with Bobby Casey and the Ephs. My biggest concern for the Panthers this season was at the guard position as they lost Jack Daly and had a big scoring, passing, and rebounding hole to fill. Jack Farrell, Max Bosco, and Griffin Kornaker have all contributed surprisingly well so far this year, making up the next wave of elite Panther guards. Farrell is averaging 15.8 PPG, 4.9 REB/G, and 4.3 A/G while Bosco is scoring 13.8 PPG in 21 minutes per game off the bench. Kornaker is more of a distributor, averaging 4 A/G and spreads the floor well between Folger, Hilal Dahleh, and Eric McCord down low. While Folger hauls in boards in his own right, raking in 9.5 per game to nearly total an average of a double-double for himself. McCord and freshman forward Alex Sobel are the defensive specialists, grabbing 10.8 and 5.4 REB/G, respectively. The guards are going to need to continue to play lights out for the Panthers with Folger leading the way for Midd to compete in the postseason. Their early season conference match ups should provide a good indication of how this rather unpredictable teams competes against better competition.

5.) Wesleyan (7-3)

Contrary to Andrew’s (unsurprisingly) favorable preview for the Cardinals entering this season, this team has proven to be human in the early going despite their notable athleticism. They played a non-conference game against Williams and lost by 15—not such a bad result considering the prowess of the second-ranked Eph team. It actually was a poorly played game by the Cardinals, boding even better for their future games against the NESCAC’s top foes as they shot just 25% from beyond the arc. They also hauled in just 28 boards which was likely the main issue—allowing Williams to dominate on defense. Jordan Bonner, Austin Hutcherson, and Antone Walker are the big time scorers for this Wesleyan team, all averaging at least 14 PPG and represent a dangerous trio of shooters. This young team may be a bit inconsistent at times with Bonner as the only senior on the roster, but they should have a shot in some games that they are not favored in due to their athleticism and potential to score.

6.) Colby (8-2)

This young Mule team is coming out of nowhere to intimidate the other NESCAC competition in the 2018-2019 preseason. While I didn’t really expect them to compete without any seniors on the roster, they are quietly putting together wins with five players averaging double digit point in the early going. Matt Hanna (14.1 PPG, 5.7 REB/G, 3.5 A/G), Sam Jefferson (16.6 PPG, 4.0 REB/G, 40.3% 3-PT), Wallace Tucker (11.1 PPG, 3.7 REB/G, 2.0 A/G), Noah Tyson (11.8 PPG, 8.6 REB/G, 2.6 A/G), and Ronan Schwarz (11.9 PPG, 4.9 REB/G, 58.2% FG) round out a well-balanced, and deep starting five for the Mules. While it’s hard to determine the quality of their opponents, they knocked off Bowdoin pretty easily 83-70 and Bates 86-69.

7.) Trinity (7-3)

Trinity is a team much like Colby in that they lack a superstar or one player really performing above the rest of the team. Four of five starters (Kyle Padmore, Donald Jorden, Christian Porydzy, and Nick Seretta) average 10 PPG while Connor Merinder adds 8.3 PPG. Jordan and Merinder each haul in 8.1 and 6.4 REB/G, respectively and are the best rim defenders on the team. They lost to pretty badly 84-67 to 16th ranked Nichols but lost by less than five points in their other two hiccups thus far. This team still has a lot to figure out after losing key players last season, much like Middlebury and Amherst, but they seem to have a deep enough lineup so far to be dangerous and a match for many NESCAC foes.

8.) Bowdoin (6-3)

Despite a below average 6-3 record entering the break, including a loss to rival Colby College, the Polar Bears are boasting a modest four game win streak after staring the season just 2-3. While it often takes some time for younger teams to get going, I didn’t expect to see this from the rather experienced Bowdoin team. Jack Simonds, Jack Bors, Hugh O’Neil, and David Reynolds who represent a similar level of experience to the Hamilton team. In fact, I’d even go to say that similar to Hamilton, this is the year of hope and destiny for the Bowdoin team too. If there was ever a year for them to make a run at the whole thing, this is it. Now I’m by no means saying they’re as talented as Hamilton or Williams, but David Reynolds and Jack Simonds both have POY potential, making a run at the league’s scoring title, and Hugh O’Neil has DPOY potential, bringing down rebounds with the best of them for his entire career. They fall all the way down here to eighth on these first power rankings of the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get hot and make a run and host a first round playoff game.

9.) Tufts (4-5)

Nobody lost more key players than Tufts did at the end of 2018. They lost starters Thomas Lapham, Everett Dayton, and, most importantly, Vinny Pace, leaving them with just Miles Bowser and team leader Eric Savage remaining. Savage, however, is the only Jumbo left in the starting lineup from last season as Bowser is no longer on the roster. Tyler Aronson and Carson Cohen are two of the new starters and are freshmen looking to make a quick impact at the college level. Both highly decorated high school players, Aronson and Cohen should improve as the season goes along but likely, as seen in their early record, will be overmatched by against some better teams and will experience up-and-down shooting nights. Rounding out the starting five are sophomores Justin Kouyoumdjian (that is a mouth full), Brennan Morris, and Luke Rogers. Savage has been a bit banged up thus far, leaving room for Cohen to make an early impact, but expect Cohen to come off the bench in games that Savage plays in. Arguably their best game of the season was in a loss to #7 MIT that went to OT early in the season. While the Jumbos might be the last ‘good’ team in these power rankings, they still have the talent to knock off any team on any day, speaking to the depth of the NESCAC.

10.) Conn College (3-5)

And then there were two. Conn and Bates seem to be far below the rest of the NESCAC competition thus far. I hope they prove me wrong, but each program is in different places and will struggle for different reasons throughout the spring. For Conn, they have their star player, David Labossiere, leading the way but they lack a solid supporting cast to propel them into the fire of the NESCAC competition. Dan Draffan is another great player for the Camels, but Jack Zimmerman, Phil Leotsakos, and Ryan Omslaer need to step up their game for Conn to work to sneak into the playoffs. With that said, however, Labossiere could make a run for the NESCAC scoring title and could take over any game as he is shooting 40% from deep and averaging nearly 20 PPG so far. Draffan scores over 16 PPG and hauls in nearly 10 boards per game and if they can figure out how to score, this team could upset better NESCAC teams on their off nights.

11.) Bates (2-7)

Bates had an underwhelming but not abysmal 2017-2018 season, but lost one of their starters in Guards Shawn Strickland. They went into the holiday break with five straight losses, two to NESCAC teams (Colby and Bowdoin) which I think clearly makes them the worst team in Maine so far. They shoot from beyond the arc at just 27.8%, make under 60% of their free throws, and only have two players in Jeff Spellman and Nick Lynch scoring in the double digits per game. Lynch and Spellman are also the only Bobcats averaging over six boards per game and it looks as if, unless there is going to be a dramatic shift in the new year, this may be a long season for Bates. Tom Coyne should return after the break in time for NESCAC play, and while it’s been rough so far, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Bates make the playoffs and slowly climb up the rankings into the top eight.

Slightly Too Early End of Season Award Candidates

At this point in the season every team has played between 8 and 10 games, which isn’t a particularly large sample size. Well, we decided that the p-value is low enough for us to be able to hand out some awards for what we’ve seen thus far. At the end of the season the NESCAC hands out awards for Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year. We felt that this simply isn’t enough to recognize all of the talent that is present in NESCAC basketball, so we added 6^th Man of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. We plan on putting out an updated list midway through the season and, of course, at the end of the season as well so stay tuned because we’re in for an action packed season.

Player of the Year

Kena Gilmour ’20 (Hamilton)

19.7PPG, 6.6REB/G, 2.7AST/G, 52.6% FG

Gilmour has been off to an incredibly hot start in his junior campaign after earning Rookie of the Year honors two seasons ago and finding a spot on the all-NESCAC first team last year. He is a true do-it-all player who scores, shares the ball, rebounds, and defends well. Averaging 19.7 points per game is already impressive as it is, but he hasn’t even played full minutes in a number of their matchups given that they’ve been blowing teams out. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see his scoring numbers actually increase come conference play. What really stands out is that he’s shooting over 50% from the field, proving that he’s an efficient scorer who has the awareness to take good shots and not force anything despite being the team’s best player. He’s certainly aided by the fact that the Continentals have so many other threats, but the 6’4” guard is already looking like a very strong candidate for POY honors.

Defensive Player of the Year

Matt Folger ’20 (Middlebury)

9.9REB/G, 2.1BLK/G, 0.9STL/G

He’s no slouch on the offensive end either, but Folger has really been making a name for himself on the other end of the court. In the NESCAC, guys who are 6’8” and 210 pounds are almost always going to be big men so Folger has a huge advantage given that he plays as a wing. He possesses the size to defend NESCAC bigs but he has the quickness and athleticism to defend guards as well. It also doesn’t hurt that the Panthers have an outstanding true big man in Eric McCord, so Folger has been able to play mostly around the perimeter. This is a huge reason for why he is tied for the league lead in blocks per game – he’s almost always defending someone 2 to 5 inches shorter than him. This allows him to often get a hand on jump shots when he’s closing out on a shooter. Folger consistently causes problems for whomever he is defending, so opponents beware and try not to get distracted by that outrageous moustache.

Rookie of the Year

Noah Tyson ’22 (Colby)

11.8PPG, 8.6REB/G, 2.6AST/G, 0.5TO/G

At this point in the season, this was the easiest award to pick. The former Mr. Basketball in Vermont has really been making a name for himself during his first season in Waterville. His scoring numbers have been good, but the 6’2” guard has been hauling in rebounds like it’s his job. His 8.6 rebounds per game is good for 8^thin the NESCAC, but each of the 7 guys ahead of him on the leaderboard are over 6’4” so you can see that Tyson is a next level athlete. Perhaps the most promising feature of Tyson’s game is that he’s very sure-handed with the ball. The freshman is averaging a miniscule 0.5 turnovers per game, giving him the 3^rdhighest assist-to-turnover ratio (5.2) in the league. He has all the tools to become a star, so keep an eye on the standout youngster to see if he can continue this blistering pace as we start to move into conference play.

Side note: Apologies for using this photo of Tyson from last year, but Colby hasn’t uploaded their headshots for basketball season yet so it’s the best we could do.

6^thMan of the Year

Max Bosco ’21 (Middlebury)

15.3PPG, 2.9AST/G, 48.2% FG

Here’s another early award that was frankly a no-brainer. Bosco has been easily the most effective 6^thman in the league, putting up an impressive 15.3 points while playing just 21.6 minutes per game. He is the perfect complement to Middlebury’s top offensive threats – Matt Folger and Jack Farrell – because it allows the Panthers to take one of those two off the court and without sacrificing any offensive production. Bosco is a guy that is easy to lose track of, but if you do then he’ll make you pay. He’s capable of knocking down threes with his quick release, but he can also put the ball on the floor and get to the rim if you close out too hard. This guy is exactly what the Panthers could ask for in a 6^thman and the rest of the league should be on notice – don’t forget about Max Bosco.

Comeback Player of the Year

Kyle Scadlock ’19 (Williams)

14.4PPG, 9.2REB/G, 2.3AST/G, 63.2% FG

Not only is Scadlock a lock to win comeback player of the year, but he’s also a very serious contender for player of the year. The senior currently falls at 16^thin the NESCAC in points per game, however he’s doing that while taking nearly half as many shots per game as the first 15 guys on the list. Shooting 60% over the course of an entire season seems impossible, but Scadlock has been getting great looks because of how many other weapons are in this Eph lineup. Scadlock has also been a rebounding machine thus far, but this also isn’t too much of a surprise given that he’s 6’7” and is almost always the most athletic guy on the court. Williams has also played a relatively easy schedule to this point so they haven’t needed any serious late-game leadership that a guy like Scadlock can bring. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his scoring totals actually start to increase once they start facing more talented teams.

Coach of the Year

Damien Strahorn (Colby)

This is probably the toughest award to give out this early in the season since each team has played a vastly different schedule to date. That said, Strahorn is doing an excellent job with the guys he has to come up with a winning formula. He has the Mules off to an 8-2 start while scoring the 3^rdmost points per game in the conference, behind only Williams and Hamilton who currently sit at #2 and #4 in the national rankings. They also lead the league in assists per game and are doing a very respectable job rebounding given their lack of a true big man. On the other end Colby forces a ton of turnovers and are very pesky defensively, which is exactly how they need to play with their size disparity. If he can keep the Mules as hot as they have been to flip the script from last season’s 10^thplace finish, Strahorn will be on his way to earning coach of the year honors.

Revenge Tour: Hamilton Continentals’ Men’s Basketball Season Preview

2017-2018 Record: 24-5 (7-3); lost to Williams in NESCAC Semifinals, lost in NCAA Sweet 16

2018-2019 Projected Record: 28-4 (8-2), Win NESCAC Championship, Lose in NCAA Final Four

Key Losses: None

Continentals Starting Lineup:

G Tim Doyle ‘19 (10.0 PPG, 3.3 AST/G, 36.5% 3PFG)

Doyle’s game isn’t very flashy, but the 6’5’’ guard is an integral part of this Hamilton squad. A pesky defender with a knack for causing turnovers, Doyle tallied a career-high six steals against Amherst last season, and averaged more than steal a game in the 2017-2018 season. While his offensive numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, the Nuskayuna native certainly has the capability to put up points. Doyle recorded at least fifteen points in eight games, including a season-high 26 against Utica. He’s off to a great start in 2018-2019, shooting 57.8% from the field and dishing out a team-best four assists/game.

G Kena Gilmour ‘20: (18.5 PPG, 7.2 REB/G, 1.8 STL/G, 47.0% FG)

Gilmour’s transition from freshman to sophomore included a spot in the starting five, and boy did he deliver. The former NESCAC Rookie of the Year finished second in the NESCAC in scoring and led the league in steals, garnering All-NESCAC First Team honors and a spot on the All-Northeast Region Second Team. He dropped 40 points in Hamilton’s Sweet Sixteen defeat to Springfield, and the junior looks ready to lead his squad to their first ever NESCAC Championship. His 2018-2019 MVP campaign is off to a blazing start, averaging 19.5 PPG on 51.2% shooting to go along with 6.9 REB/G and 1.3 STL/G. The one knock on his game thus far, however, has got to be the poor 3PFG%; Gilmour is just 7-25 from beyond the arc, and he’ll need to find a rhythm from downtown before the conference slate begins.

G/F Michael Grassey ‘19: (12.8 PPG, 7.1 REB/G, 38% 3PFG)

Grassey is a pure shooter and only needs the slightest bit of separation to get off a shot. His eighteen threes made were good for 10th in the ‘CAC, and connected on 40% of them in conference play. He essentially finished tied with Gilmour as leading team rebounders (despite the shortest members of Hamilton’s starting five) and recorded four double-doubles. Through the first eight games of this young season, Grassey has upped his scoring average to 15.9 PPG, including a 26 point showing against Transylvania in late November. One thing’s for sure about Grassey: this kid hasn’t forgotten how to shoot. The senior from Winchester is torching opponents from downtown at an astounding 53.2% clip. A word of advice to NESCAC coaches: don’t play zone against this kid.

G/F Peter Hoffmann ‘19: (13.9 PPG, 5.0 REB/G, 1.4 STL/G, 56.1% FG)

Hoffmann was the team’s second-leading scorer last year and ranked fifth in the NESCAC in field goal percentage (56.1%). His numbers earned him a Second-Team All NESCAC selection, and captains this year’s squad with fellow teammate Michael Grassey. The 6’6’’ senior does most of his damage from inside the arc, and he should probably abandon the three ball all together (8-38 last season, 3-13 this season). Although his scoring has dipped since his sophomore season, the senior can still shoot the rock; Hoffmann tallied 18 points in Hamilton’s season-opening win against Centenary University, and poured in 16 a few games later against Carnegie Mellon. He might not be the player opposing defenses are entirely focused on, but lose sight of him and Hoffmann can and will make you pay.

F Andrew Groll ‘19: (7.4 PPG, 6.1 REB/G)

Groll is another one of those prototypical centers who does the dirty work on both ends of the floor. A starter his freshman and sophomore seasons, Groll came off the bench in 2017-2018, but regained his starting role for his senior year. Despite averaging 7.4 PPG, Groll was very effective from the field, shooting an even 50%. He’s also a threat on the offensive glass, placing 8th in the conference in total offensive rebounds. This season, the numbers are essentially identical.I know the Continentals are a deep squad with talented scorers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Groll saw some more touches; not only would it establish a low post presence, but he could also attract an additional defenders, opening up the court to allow for a cutting teammate or leave the perimeter exposed.

Breakout Player:

G Mark Lutz: (11.6 MPG, 4.6 PPG, 0.6 TO/G)

Hamilton has a wide assortment of guards to choose from, so it’s hard for Coach Stockwell to allocate minutes to all his players. Lutz has improved his offensive game to earn those minutes. Just like many of his teammates, Lutz likes the make it rain from three; he’s made at least one three pointer in seven of Hamilton’s eight games, and averages 44.8% from beyond the arc. His most recent performance against SUNY Polytechnic was his best yet, where he scored 13 points and went 3-4 from three. He’s currently averaging close to 8 PPG while shooting 44.8% from long range. Lutz also does a great job at taking care of the ball, sporting a .5 TO/G average. If Hamilton ever finds itself in an offensive spunk, Lutz will most likely be the first guy off the bench to spark a run.

Everything Else:

Last season left a bitter taste in Coach Stockwell’s mouth as the Continentals lost a thrilling NESCAC Semifinal to Williams. Couple that with squandering a three point lead with four seconds to play in the Sweet Sixteen (Hamilton missed two free throws, allowing Springfield to launch a prayer three and send the game to overtime), and you’ve got a team that is angry and motivated to prove they are one of the best teams in the land. Currently ranked #3 in the country, there’s no doubt this Hamilton team is one of the favorites to not only grab its first NESCAC Championship, but also a National Championship; and how could you not love the potential this team possesses? They led the NESCAC in scoring this past season and returned four of their five starters. The one starter they did lose (no offense to alum Joe Pucci ‘18) averaged less than 6.0 PPG and was more of a floor general than anything. This team is an offensive juggernaut, currently averaging 92.1 PPG on 50.9% shooting. They seem to play a more small-ball approach, as their traditional center (Andrew Groll) only averages around 20 MPG. Instead, this team is full of tall, athletic guards that love to shoot.

Defensively, the Continentals were near the bottom of the conference in terms of points allowed (74.2 PPG), but did lead the NESCAC in turnovers forced by a sizeable margin. So far to date, the averages are trending in the right direction; Hamilton ranks top five in the NESCAC in teams in terms of points allowed (68.8 PPG), turnovers forced (lead the league with 17.3 TO/G) and rebounding (35.6 REB/G). Another major problem the Continentals had last season on the defensive end was fouling; they committed 19.1 PF/G, a number that only Colby and Trinity were able to surpass. Eight games in, and the number is worse, up to 20.3 PF/G (Apparently “keep your hands to yourself” was not preached at the team meeting prior to the season’s beginning). All jokes aside, Hamilton is trending in the right direction on the defensive side of the ball, but conference play will be the telling point as an indication to whether or not the Continentals have turned the page.

#YGTMYFT

I set aside this special acronym for specifically Hamilton. Games are won and lost at the free throw line (just ask Hamilton last season regarding Springfield). I know I’m reopening a wound that hasn’t fully quite healed, but the signs were there: the Continentals shot just 71.4% from the line in 2017-2018, and while that’s good enough for third in the NESCAC, it’s still not a phenomenal average. This season, they’re shooting…..61% from the charity stripe, second worst in the ‘CAC. Now before Continental faithful freak out, I expect this percentage to increase mainly due to the starting five’s lack of minutes thus far. Coach Stockwell has rotated a majority of his bench players into games for significant periods of time trying to figure out who he can count on for when the conference games come calling. Many of the poor percentages belong to said bench players, with the one exception being Peter Hoffmann (29.6% FT). Nonetheless, I have to say it, because conference games will be tight scoring and there will be times where the Continentals will have to ice the game at the line: Hamilton, YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS!!!

After my quick free throw rant, I will say this Hamilton team can be really special. The NESCAC is one of the premier basketball conferences in D3, and there’s a strong possibility the Continentals will come out as the cream of the crop. In fact, I’m going as far as declaring Hamilton as the favorite to secure their first ever NESCAC Championship, and if they clean up the personal fouls on defense/improve their free throw shooting, this team can win a National Championship. This is a squad full of veteran players who got a taste of what they can accomplish during last season’s postseason run, and is one of the best and most consistent offensive team in the country. I expect big things from this Hamilton team, so don’t make me look bad.

Trinity College Bantams 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Trinity College Bantams

2017-2018 Record: 15-10 (4-6 NESCAC), lost in NESCAC Quarterfinals

2018-2019 Projected Record: 13-11 (2-8 NESCAC)

Key Losses:

G Eric Gendron ’18 (11.7PPG, 4.2REB/G, 3.2AST/G)

G Jeremy Arthur ’19 (11.3PPG, 4.1REB/G, 43.1% FG)

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Christian Porydzy ’20 (8.9PPG, 3.6REB/G, 3.4AST/G)

Porydzy is the facilitator for this squad. He shares the ball willingly, he’s athletic enough to beat defenders off the dribble, and his jump shot is good enough that opposing teams have no choice but to respect it. Because Porydzy is such a solid all around player, he’ll have to do pretty much everything a littlebit better for Trinity to see more success this season. There’s no doubt that he’ll need to have an uptick in scoring given all the scoring they lost from last year, but the Bantams are also losing a lot of rebounding, which is an area that Porydzy excels in despite being a smaller guard. They also suffer the loss of the second team leader in assists, so Porydzy will have to pick up some of the slack from there as well. Through 7 games this season, we aren’t seeing Porydzy improve his production from last year, so keep an eye on the performance by the point guard in Hartford.

G: Nick Seretta ’20 (7.5PPG, 2.8REB/G)

One of the biggest issues last season and so far this season for the Bantams is the lack of a playmaker. They need a guy who wants the ball in his hands at the end of a close game and can execute in those big spots. A guy who consistently puts up 15 points and grabs 6-8 rebounds per game. Seretta should be that guy. He’s got the size and athleticism to be one of the league’s premier players, yet his stats don’t reflect that at all. In fact, he hasn’t really seen an improvement in his numbers at all, despite Trinity losing their top two scorers and two of their top rebounders from last season. In their two losses thus far, Seretta scored 16 points on 5-16 shooting including 1-7 from beyond the arc. He followed those two games by putting up a goose egg in 23 minutes in the two-point victory over Southern Vermont. Seretta needs to be better moving forward because Trinity will only be able to go as high as he can take them.

G: Kyle Padmore ’20 (5.3PPG, 2.3REB/G, 52.6% FG)

Padmore is another guy who could fill the “best player” role simply based on his physical attributes. He has height and length, and he is a very efficient scorer as you can see based on his 52.6% field goal percentage from last season. In the early going he has already doubled his scoring average as well as largely increasing his rebounding and assist averages. This is exactly what the Bantams are hoping for from a guy who is seeing an increase in minutes. Because of his size he’ll likely be tasked with defending bigger guys, so it remains to be seen if he can bang around with some of the larger bodies that he’ll see come conference play. He’s still figuring out how to take a bigger role, but it appears Padmore is up for the challenge at a time when Trinity really needs it.

F: Donald Jorden, Jr. ’21 (4.2PPG, 4.4REB/G, 67.9% FG)

The Tampa, Florida native is off to an incredibly efficient start in his sophomore campaign. He, too, has nearly doubled his scoring and rebounding averages through 7 games and continues to shoot an eye-popping percentage from the field. Granted he’s playing over twice the amount of minutes he was playing last season, so the numbers make sense. Regardless, this kid is playing really good basketball and he is doing everything that Coach Cosgrove could ask. Jorden will face a similar challenge to Padmore in that he’s a bit undersized for the “4” position, but his length and athleticism should surely close the gap in terms of height and weight. He should pose a number of matchup problems, so look for Jorden to continue the outstanding pace he is setting for himself.

F: Connor Merinder ’19 (5.5PPG, 4.7REB/G, 49.6% FG)

Merinder represents really the only big body that Trinity puts on the court in the starting five. His rebounding and scoring numbers are respectable, but his main duty is defending opposing bigs and doing what he can to eliminate the size disparity between the Bantams and most other NESCAC starting lineups. Nearly every team at this point has one or two guys between 6’7” and 6’10” that act as a true center, like Matt Karpowicz of Williams or Luke Rogers of Tufts. What I like about Merinder is that although he doesn’t do a ton of scoring, he shoots a high percentage which will at least force other teams to respect the inside game enough to open up options for other guys. Merinder isn’t going to be the most standout player on the roster, but his value is unmatched and he’ll do his best to compete with some of the other bigs around the league.

Everything Else

This season will certainly be an interesting one for the Bantams, who lost two of their top players from last year. The main focus for them will be on the offensive end where they struggled at times last season. In five of their ten losses they failed to even reach 60 points, and they ended they year 3^rdto last in the conference with 71.1 points per game. It would appear that the main reason for this was that shots just weren’t falling. Trinity plays good defense and don’t turn the ball over very much, but their field goal percentage was middle of the pack and their 3-point shooting percentage was only two spots away from dead last in the league. This second stat is especially concerning given that their lineup is very guard-heavy. These guys won’t be able to compete very much if they aren’t hitting shots from the outside, because we know their strength is not in the paint.

Colin Donovan ’21 is going to be one of the only weapons off the bench this year

Another key focus for Trinity this year is depth. So far this season the Bantams have not looked particularly deep, and it seems as though their rotation really just consists of 7 guys. They like to bring Joe Bell ’20 and Colin Donovan ’21 off the bench, the latter of the two being a solid scoring threat. Again the issue of size resurfaces. Neither of those two role players off the bench is over 6’3” so it’ll be a challenge for Trinity to match the size of some of the stronger teams in the conference. With this being the case, they simply need to be hitting more shots. Hopefully Coach Cosgrove has stolen a page out of Tom Izzo’s book, because with their lack of size, they need to be taking and making better shots. If they can spread the floor, speed up the pace of the game, and be a bit more efficient in scoring then they have a real shot at stealing a few wins. If they aren’t able to do these things, it’ll be a very long year in Hartford.

Conn College Camels 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Connecticut College Camels

2017-2018 Record: 6-17 (0-10 NESCAC)

Projected 2018-19 Record: 6-18 (0-10 NESCAC)

Labossiere just joined the career 1000 club and is the cornerstone of this team.

Key Losses:

N/A

Projected Starters:

F Dan Daffran ‘21 (14.1 PPG, 5.9 REB/G)

Daffran appeared in all 23 of Conn’s games last season, starting in 10 of them. Daffran was second on the team with 325 points scored despite starting less than half of their games. He is also a solid rebounder who has the potential to average a double-double. Daffran’s development is key for the Camels as he has the talent to be one of the top NESCAC forwards.

F David Labossiere ‘19 (17.8 PPG, 5.3 REB/G)

Labossiere returns for his final season with the Camels and will likely be the heart and soul of their team. He lead the team in points scored last season along with being second in rebounds. It is likely that the Camels entire game plan will revolve around Labossiere as he has been one of the only consistent pieces that they’ve had in his tenure.

F Phil Leotsakos ‘19 (8.0 PPG, 5.0 REB/G, 2.2 AST/G)

Leotsakos is another senior leader on the Conn team who will look to use his experience to improve upon Conn’s poor record last year. He is a solid role player who does his job but not all too much more.

C Ryan Omslaer ‘22

Omslaer will be contributing factor early on in his career at Conn. He is an absolute force on the court, listed at 7’0” 215. He will look to use his height advantage to dominate the boards as well as be an effective rim protector.

G Jack Zimmerman ‘21 (3.7 PPG, 2.2 REB/G 2.0 AST/G)

Zimmerman will be in the starting lineup for the Camels for the first time in his collegiate career. Being the only guard in the starting lineup it is pretty clear that he will be the main ball handler for the Camels. He is an effective 3 point shooter and ball distributor who will be used to run the offense for Conn this year.

Everything Else:

Conn has had a rough go of it in the NESCAC in the past couple of years but it does not appear as if they have added all too much to change that this season. They do not lose any major pieces, which is a huge plus for the, but their roster overall leaves much to be desired. I believe that the simply don’t have the talent to match up with the majority of NESCAC teams and this may be yet another rebuilding year for the Camels.

If anything will allow Conn to break out from the woes of their past it will be the combo of Dan Daffran and David Labossiere. These two were the only Camels last season to average over 10 PPG and will both be returning to the starting lineup. The both have the potential to go off any given game but whether they have enough support to carry their team to victory is another question.

Tufts University Jumbos 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Tufts University Jumbos

2017-2018 Record: 17-8 (6-4 NESCAC), lost in NESCAC Quarterfinals

2018-2019 Projected Record: 16-8 (5-5 NESCAC)

Key Losses:

G Thomas Lapham ’18 (7.0PPG, 2.3AST, 1.0STL/G)

G Everett Dayton ’18 (8.3PPG, 4.3REB/G, 44.9% FG)

G KJ Garrett ’18 (9.9PPG, 5.3REB/G, 1.2STL/G, 46.7% FG)

G/F Vincent Pace ’18 (18.3PPG, 8.3REB/G, 2.5AST/G)

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Tyler Aronson ’22

Aronson found his way into the starting lineup right out of the gate in his freshman campaign. Listed at just 6’2” and 185lbs, Aronson makes his living as a scorer despite not being the biggest guy out there. He has a terrific jump shot and his high release allows him to get into the paint to score from mid-range rather than just live behind the three-point line. His outstanding athleticism makes him a very tough matchup on both ends of the court, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see him near the league lead in steals by the end of the season. Watch out for Aronson this year because he’s already in position to lead the next wave of elite NESCAC guards.

G: Carson Cohen ’22

The second of Tufts’ dynamic duo of freshman is Carson Cohen, who has served as a bit of a workhorse through his first four contests. Cohen is averaging 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists while playing 34 minutes each game thus far. These are some great numbers, and that includes two close victories and an overtime loss against #11 nationally ranked MIT. Playing a similar style to Aronson, Cohen has great handles and will surprise you with how quickly he can get to the basket. As his 5 assists per game would indicate, he has tremendous court vision and is serving as the facilitator the Jumbos need. He is also looking like an early rookie of the year candidate with his performance so far.

G: Justin Kouyoumdjian ’21 (4.7PPG, 2.4REB/G)

Kouyoumdjian is finding a nice role as the 3^rdor 4^thscoring option in the starting lineup. His shooting numbers are modest and certainly have room for improvement given his nice shooting stroke, but he’ll contribute a few buckets when the Jumbos need it. He’ll also grab a few rebounds and dish out a few assists, acting as a sort of glue for this team. In the early going he has turned the ball over at a bit too high of a rate (4 per game) so that’s something to focus on as the season progresses. For now, the southpaw serves as a complementary scoring option who will help keep everything running smoothly on the court.

G/F: Brennan Morris ’21 (1.8PPG, 0.4AST/G, 53.9% 3PT)

Morris brings a bit of height to the starting lineup and he plays as a true sharpshooter with about as pure of a jump shot as you can find. Like the smaller guards in the lineup, he can score in a multitude of ways and helps spread the floor on offense. He is a key part of the lineup as he has the size and length to matchup with some of the bigger forwards in the league, which will be especially important against teams like Williams and Hamilton who are loaded with 6’4”-6’7” wings. Morris is a great piece to have in this lineup, and it’ll be a big year for him given that he saw very little action in his freshman season.

C: Luke Rogers ’21 (5.2PPG, 4.8REB/G, 60.5% FG, 39.5% FT)

The Massachusetts native is about as true a center as they come. Rogers is a skilled post player who is capable of having huge games (as evidenced by his 32-point outburst in the second game of the season). He’s going to be a rebound machine this year, especially since Tufts will often go with a relatively small lineup. He was in the rotation last season, but didn’t play a ton of minutes so keep an eye on his durability given that his 6’8” frame is lugging 230lbs up and down the court every night. He is really going to have to work on free throws because he shot an abysmal 39.5% from the line last year, and he’s at 41.7% through four games this year. Teams are going to take notice, so he better be staying late shooting foul shots after practice or else hack-a-Rogers could be in full effect.

Everything Else

Tufts lost a larger portion of their lineup from last season than any team in the league. Not only did they graduate 4 players who played key roles, but they also saw the departure of Vincent Pace ’18 who was a true NESCAC stud. This left them with a ton of minutes up for grabs, and only one senior on the roster. This year the Jumbos have an entirely different core filled with talented underclassmen – the only question is whether or not they can survive with so much inexperience against teams with much older lineups. Well, they’ve already begun to answer that question, plugging two freshmen into the starting five and seeing guys step up who were used in much smaller doses last year.

Patrick Racy ’20 has mostly been used off the bench in the first three games, although he started nearly every game in his sophomore season. He helps bring length to the court with his 6’6” frame, and he has already upped his rebounding totals from 3.8 per game last season to 5 per game through their first four. Eric DeBrine ’22 is another guy with size who can help the Jumbos matchup with some of the bigger teams, and he has been used as such in his first four career games. Given that Tufts starts 3 guys who are 6’2” or below, they’ll look to mix in these guys who can completely change the dynamic of the lineup with different sizes and skill sets. They also finished the 2017-2018 season tied for last in the league in blocked shots per game, so hopefully these bigger guys can get their hands on a few more shots.

Tufts will look to Will Brady to fill in important minutes off the bench

One issue that the Jumbos will look to fix from last season was their scoring inefficiency. They ended the year 3^rdin the NESCAC with 78.7 points per game, but second to last in field goal percentage (42.6%) and third to last in 3-point field goal percentage (33.1%). What this really means is that they can be scoring A LOT of points. They’ve already improved their shooting numbers early into this season, and they’ve added some guys to their lineup who can really shoot. I talked about the four guards in their starting lineup that can knock down shots, but Will Brady ’21 is another who plays a similar role and shoots a very high percentage from beyond the arc. He will help bring some firepower to an already talented offense that is seeking to increase their efficiency, especially since their defense really isn’t anything special.

Eric Savage is serving as the team captain this year, so the Jumbos are eager to get him back as soon as possible

A big hole in the early going for the Jumbos is the loss of Eric Savage ’20. He has been out thus far with a concussion but yet his Jumbos squad is a team that has looked pretty good so far given how much they lost from last year. When he is healthy again, slot him into the starting lineup and make this Tufts team much tougher to face than they are currently. Tufts is already off to a good start, and that’s a very scary sight for teams that expected a down year with all the youth in Medford.