Nothing But NESCAC

Déjà Vu?: Hamilton vs. Christopher Newport Sweet Sixteen Preview

We’ve got a Top-10 matchup out in Clinton, New York as the #10 Hamilton Continentals (25-4) welcome the visiting #9 Christopher Newport Captains (27-3) to Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. For the Continentals, their first game was all but a cakewalk, as a last-second layup bounced off the front end of the rim to give them a two-point win. They followed up that nailbiter with a more comfortable 11-point victory, one that featured a more consistent performance on both ends of the floor. The Captains ran through the New Jersey Athletic Conference and continued running through their first two NCAA Tournament opponents, winning both games by a combined 61 points. It’ll be a contrast of styles. They’re built like Amherst on defense, but have more weapons from the perimeter instead of all-around guard play. It’ll be a stern test for the Continentals, one that they’ll hope to pass in order to advance to the Elite Eight.

Well, the cardiac Continentals survived quite the scare in their opening round matchup with Penn State-Behrend, ultimately pulling out a 72-70 win. Hamilton trailed by as many as 11 midway through the second half before storming back to take the lead late. Kena Gilmour was sensational, racking up 26 points to go along with five boards, and Peter Hoffmann chipped in with 19 points. While the Continentals forced 17 turnovers en route to their win, they struggled to guard the perimeter. Their poor defensive performance was partially corrected in their round of 32 victory against Moravian (35.6% from the field), but they were still able to connect on 40% of their shots from deep. This time, Gilmour and Hoffmann got a big boost on the offensive end from Tim Doyle ‘19 as the senior tallied 16 points. For the second game in a row, Hamilton forced 17 turnovers; however, they committed 17 of their own. They must be more careful handling the ball against Christopher Newport, a team that’s stingy defense only allows 62 PPG and can rebound the ball.

Marcus Carter ‘19 is capable of going off at any point for the Captains

Christopher Newport is riding high into their Sweet Sixteen trip to Clinton after dispatching their previous two opponents quite easily. The #9 ranked Captains feature a squad with a solid balance on offense combined with a ferocious defensive gameplan that packs the paint and makes teams beat them with the long ball. Marcus Carter is the leading scorer for Christopher Newport (16.5 PPG, 7.2 REB/G), and guard Jason Aigner (15.5 PPG, 44.8% 3PFG) will shoot from just about anywhere on the court. In their most recent 85-59 win against Alfred, Carter went off for 26 points and Aigner sunk five threes. Adrian Beasley was a force down low, posting an impressive double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Cutch Ellis also registered a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds). This one game is a microcosm of the Captains’ offensive game plan: spread the ball around and get everyone involved, because they have plenty of guys who can score and the ball movement will tire opposing defenses quickly. CNU doesn’t force a ton of turnovers (12.6/game), but they make it extremely tough for opposing players to score; they boast an impressive defensive field goal percentage of 37.5%, including 29.6% from beyond the arc. They are relentless when crashing the glass (outrebounded Alfred 49-30) and also attack the rim frequently on offense, averaging over 20 free throw attempts per game.

Hamilton X-Factor

Michael Grassey ‘19

Kena Gilmour and Peter Hoffmann cannot handle all the scoring duties alone if Hamilton wants to advance to the Elite Eight; they need help, and I think Michael Grassey’s play will severely influence the outcome of this matchup. Grassey is the team’s third-leading scorer with 11.8 PPG, however the NCAA Tournament has not been kind to him: In the Continentals’ first round matchup against Penn State-Behrend, Grassey shot 2-9 from the field and registered a measly four points. In their most recent win over Moravian, he was slightly better (eight points) but again shot just 2-8. Grassey will need to exceed his scoring average for to stay in the tournament, as Christopher Newport’s defense seems likely to zone in on Gilmour and Hoffmann and force guys like Grassey to beat them. The senior has had a great career at Hamilton and is not ready to hang it up just yet, so I believe he’ll break out of his mini slump and put up some points.

Christopher Newport X-Factor

Jason Aigner ‘21

Hamilton has not guarded the three ball very well in their first two tournament games, allowing Penn State-Behrend and Moravian to sport a combined 43.8% from beyond the arc. In steps Jason Aigner, and as I touched on briefly earlier in the article, the sophomore is an absolute sniper from deep. He’s taken an insane 252 three pointers (over eight attempts per game) but is sporting an impressive 44.8% success rate. Aigner has connected on nine triples in Christopher Newport’s two tournament wins, and he’ll be salivating at the defensive numbers the Continentals have registered in their last two games. He’s only failed to register double digit points in one of his last sixteen games and hit at least four three-pointers in twelve of those sixteen. He doesn’t attack the rim too often, so the Continentals will have to try and run him off the three point line. Hamilton doesn’t really have anyone who can shoot as well as Aigner from deep, so their best bet is to run the sophomore off the three-point line and force him to beat you off the dribble.

Final Thoughts:

I’d love to take the Continentals here because they are a great feel-good story in the sense that sans Gilmour, the starting five is all comprised of seniors who are making one last run to avenge last year’s heartbreaking defeat in the NCAA Tournament. Gilmour is a special player, and if Hoffmann, Grassey and Doyle all sync up, they’re a very hard team to defeat. I’m concerned the Continentals will get bombarded from deep if they don’t fix their perimeter defense, but an underlying factor is Newport’s ability to bang down low and make the game a physical one. The Captains are by no means a big team (Ellis is the tallest player that plays significant minutes at 6’7’’), but they are no doubt a very physical team who is not afraid to initiate contact. What’s more, they’re a smart team who uses their physicality but doesn’t commit very many fouls. Barring an incredible performance from Gilmour, I think Hamilton’s run ends in the Sweet Sixteen at home, and the Captains advance to the Elite Eight.

Prediction: Christopher Newport 77 – Hamilton 71

There’s Only Room for One: Amherst Regional Preview

Amherst Regional Preview

Now we’re getting to the good part. The weaklings have been filtered out and only the top dogs remain. Amherst is fortunate enough to host the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds, but the committee punished them with an absolutely loaded region. According to the most recent d3hoops.com rankings, this region features teams ranked 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 14^thin the nation so it most certainly is the cream of the crop. The combined record of these four teams is 105-12 (.897) and their average margin of victory through the first two rounds is just less than 20 points. These are some of the most talented and well-coached teams in the land and only one team can advance to the Final Four in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is the best that D3 basketball has to offer so get ready for an action-packed weekend at LeFrak Gymnasium.

#7 Amherst College Mammoths (25-4, beat Rosemont and #23 Rochester)

How They Got Here

Eric Sellew has played a huge part in getting the Mammoths to the Sweet 16

The Mammoths didn’t have much difficulty advancing to the Sweet 16. They obliterated Rosemont in the first round, then had a more tightly contested affair versus Rochester but led the whole way and came home with the win. On Friday everyone was hot for Amherst but they were led by Eric Sellew’s 10-point, 11-rebound double double. The Rochester game was a bit more of a battle, but a strong effort from the starting five behind Grant Robinson’s 17 points on 50% shooting propelled them to victory and potentially two more home games before the season ends. Defense has really led the way so far as the Mammoths have allowed just 120 points through their first two games – tied for the fewest of any remaining team. They’ve been thrown into a region with some teams that are capable of putting up big scores, so I guess we’re about to find out just how good their defense really is.

Who They Lose To

Normally this section would be titled “How They Lose,” but we already talked about how Amherst would lose in our preview for their first two rounds and we’re sticking to that. Instead, I’ll talk about who is the most likely candidate to take down the Mammoths in this region. That team, I believe, is the Swarthmore College Garnet. The Garnet made it all the way to the Elite Eight last season and they didn’t lose a whole lot from last year’s team. In fact, they even added dynamic freshman guard George Visconti who has been huge in their development this season. Swarthmore is getting hot at the right time, winners of their last 12 games in a row. In fact, they’ve already defeated each of the three teams that they lost to this year. They rolled through their first two NCAA Tournament games, including a 105-65 romping of no. 12 nationally ranked MIT in the second round. This region is stacked with talent but I think Swarthmore is the team to beat heading into Amherst this weekend.

The Competition

#14 Nichols College Bison (27-2, beat Middlebury and Rowan)

Marcos Echevarria is one of the most exciting players on any team left in the tournament

The Bison have been a pretty underrated team this season. They hold a 27-2 record and they cruised through the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament – only picking up one conference loss in 18 games this season. Senior guard Marcos Echevarria is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 20.6 points per game and while posting a number of 30-point games this year. Nichols boasts a pair of 6’8” big men by the names of Jerome Cunningham and Matt Morrow who do the bulk of the rebounding work, combing for over 19 rebounds per game. The size that these two guys bring often results in a mismatch at one or multiple positions on the court, and this team is very good at exploiting those mismatches. On the defensive end, this duo helps compensate for the fact that none of the starters in the Bison backcourt are over 6 feet or 160 pounds soaking wet. This is a funky team because their starting five is made up of three guys who look like they belong on the JV team and two guys who look like they should’ve gone D1. Nichols has had their way with NESCAC opponents this year, taking down Wesleyan, Trinity, Tufts, and Middlebury on their way to the Sweet 16. So be wary, because they can and will surprise you.

#6 Swarthmore College Garnet (26-3, beat Mitchell and #12 MIT)

I’ve talked about them already so as you can see, Swarthmore is legit. They feature senior point guard Cam Wiley who’s coming off his second consecutive Centennial Conference Player of the Year award and junior forward Zac O’Dell who earned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award. These are two of the very best players at their respective positions and they’re complemented nicely by sophomore sharpshooter Conor Harkins who knocks down threes at a very impressive 45% clip. Coach Kosmalski has done an outstanding job since taking over as head coach and has now coached the Garnet to their most successful season in program history for the fourth year in a row. Swarthmore just keeps on getting better and better so I think this could be the year they make a deeper run into the tournament.

#5 Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets (27-3, beat Morrisville St. and York)

Buzz Anthony is hoping for a few more opportunities to drop dimes this year

The Yellow Jackets actually fell to Guilford in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship game, but received an at-large bid to the tournament and have looked dominant thus far. Sophomore Buzz Anthony is the guy for Randolph-Macon, as he won the conference’s Player of the Year award averaging 15.8 points and 5.7 assists per game – the latter of which is good for 21^stin the nation. Jon Nowell and Grayson Midulla take on the bulk of the rebounding work, although the tallest player on the team is actually senior Luke Neeley. This guy is an absolute weapon from beyond the arc and he also stands at 6’8”, making his shot nearly unblockable. Oh, and did I mention he’s also left-handed? Neeley is a real threat for this team and he isn’t even one of their top three scoring options. Randolph-Macon is a bit of an unknown to those of us in New England, but they’re capable of doing some damage in this region just as much as anyone.

Champions in February, Champions in March? Amherst NCAA Preview

#7 Amherst (23-4, 7-3, Defeated Hamilton to Win NESCAC Championship)

Prior to the NESCAC Tournament, Amherst was in a very good position to snag a spot in the Big Dance. Their résumé included a 20-4 overall record, with a season sweep of Williams along with win at Middlebury. Instead of leaving it up to the committee, however, the Mammoths pulled off three straight, eventually defeating Hamilton en route to their 8th NESCAC Championship. They’re headed back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out for the first time since 2010 last season, and look poised to make a deep run.

The Mammoths went on a tear to end the regular season, winning nine of their past ten games. They finished ranked #7 in D3 polls, the highest ranking among NESCAC teams. Given its recent historical success in the NCAA tournament (19 appearances, 4 Final Fours, 2 National Championships all within the last 25 years), to not make the postseason tournament last season was a disappointment to say the least. With such a deep and talented squad that’s peaking at the right time, Amherst is ready to make a deep run in March.

How They Got Here:

On paper, Amherst did not have the most talented team in the NESCAC, nor would many have thought they would win a NESCAC Championship this season. They lost their top two scorers in Mike Riopel ‘18 (12.7 PPG) and Johnny McCarthy ‘18 (11.9 PPG), and while Grant Robinson ‘21 and Fru Che ‘21 averaged a combined 17 PPG as freshman, it was a tall task to ask these two to lead the Mammoths back to the postseason. Well, the duo exploded onto the scene in the 2018-2019 season, with Robinson in particular taking the bull by the horns, averaging 17.8 PPG and 5.5 REB/G and putting his name into consideration for NESCAC Player of the Year. Amherst’s offense was much better once conference play kick-started, as they had the second-highest field goal percentage in conference play along with the most rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game. Robinson and Che (12.3 PPG, including 17.3 PPG in his last six games), were two of nine members who logged at least 10 minutes per game, and six of those nine averaged at least 8.0 PPG. But for all the improvements on the offensive side, it’s the defense that paved the way for Amherst to become NESCAC Champions. They were the league’s second-best defense in points per game allowed, suffocated opponents by allowing a league-best 40% field goal percentage, and had by far the best rebounding margin (+9.9 per game) in the NESCAC. They say defense wins championships, and if the Mammoths carry their high caliber defense into the postseason, they will most certainly be a tough out for even the most offensively savvy squads.

How They Lose:

More often than not, Amherst gets into trouble when the games they play become high-scoring affairs. Two of their three losses in league play came when Colby and Hamilton scored over 80 points, and Amherst does not have enough consistency on offense to get into shootouts. I’d liken them to a Virginia-esque squad in the sense that they have players who can take over a game and put up points, but they have much more success when the defense grinds down opponents and they slow the pace of the game to their liking. Another thing those two losses had in common was both Colby and Hamilton shot plenty of free throws; Colby attempted a ridiculous 41 free throws (converting 33), while Hamilton made 17 of their 21 free throw attempts. Because it is so hard to repeatedly convert shots against Amherst’s defense, the best bet for opposing teams is to take the ball to the rack and get to the line as often as possible. Amherst is also a poor three point shooting team (31.6%) and does not generate a ton of assists (just 13.4 assists per game) so opposing defenses should look to pack the paint and force the Mammoths to beat them from beyond the arc.

The Competition

Rosemont Ravens (15-12, 8-4, Conference Champions)

The Ravens won the Colonial States Athletic Conference for the first time in program history, defeating #1 seed Cairn and earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. It’s Rosemont’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, but similar to Amherst, the Ravens got hot late and are currently on an eight-game winning streak. This squad brings a dangerous plethora of offensive weapons (even with the loss of Basil Thompson ‘19 (16.1 PPG) early in the season due to unknown reasons) to test Amherst’s resilient defense; three Ravens average double figures, led by Keith Blassingale ‘20 (19.1 PPG), who averaged a ridiculous 31.4 points per game in his last five contests including a 45 point performance in Rosemont’s 113-79 semi-final victory over Wilson College. 6’6’’ forward Jaylen Myers ‘19 is an excellent scoring option as well, nearly averaging a double-double with 15.6 PPG and 9.6 REB/G. The Ravens like to get out and score, averaging 82.0 PPG, shoot close to 47% from the field, and are excellent free throw shooters at 75.4%. The ability to score plus the great free throw shooting numbers point directly to a potential upset, however the Ravens play in a much weaker basketball conference than the NESCAC where defense seems optional (none of the teams in the conference allow less than 77 PPG). They also struggle to rebound the ball, something Amherst does exceptionally well. It’s possible Blassingale and Rosemont come out hot and give the Mammoths a scare, but Amherst should be able to settle in and take care of the Ravens.

University of Rochester Yellow Jackets (20-4, 12-4, finished second in Conference)

The runners up in the University Athletic Association Conference and #23 in the D3 polls snagged one of the 21 at large bids handed out by the NCAA Tournament committee. The UAA doesn’t have a postseason tournament, but Rochester lost to Emory on the final day of the regular season in what was a de-facto Championship game. Like Amherst, the Yellow Jackets are a very good defensive team; the allow just 66.4 points per game and force opponents to shoot just 40.8% from the field. On offense, they are led by the UAA Player of the Year in senior guard Ryan Clamage ‘19 (16.2 PPG, 6.6 REB/G), and Jacob Wittig ‘19 chips in with 10.6 PPG and neary five AST/G. They’re a much similar team to Amherst in respect to their defensive strength and uncertainty on offense, but head-to-head the Mammoths have the stronger offensive unit from top to bottom. They key will be limiting Clamage and keeping the Yellow Jackets out of the paint as they get most of their offensive from inside the arc in addition to their solid free throw percentage (73.3%).

Farmingdale State Rams (20-7, 16-4, Conference Champions)

Farmingdale State earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament via winning the Skyline Conference. The Rams were the number one seed headed into the tournament with an impressive 16-4 record in conference play, and have won ten consecutive games. This is a unit similar to Rosemont where they have the ability to put points on the board (85.2 PPG), but possess an average defense, allowing 75.2 PPG. Surprisingly, the Rams only shoot 45.7% as a team but hold opponents to just 41% from the field, which doesn’t quite correlate to their strong offensive numbers and average defensive numbers. Where they get into trouble on the defensive side is when they continuously foul opponents and send them to the free throw line, which happens quite often. Farmingdale State is lead by a trio of seniors in Matthew Graham ‘19 (15.9 PPG), George Riefenstahl ‘19 (14.4 PPG, 11.0 REB/G) and Ali Mableton ‘19 (12.0 PPG, 3.2 AST/G, 1.7 STL/G). Junior Ryan Kennedy ‘20 is lethal from deep, connecting at a 40.6% clip. Just like Rosemont and Rochester, Farmingdale State is a very good free throw shooting team, hitting over 76% of their shots from the line. If they end up meeting in the round of 32, Amherst will have to force the Rams to beat them with long two’s and limit the amount of free throws in order to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Year of Destiny: Hamilton Regional Preview

#10 Hamilton (23-4, 7-3, Lost to #7 Amherst in NESCAC Finals)

The Continentals have been a clear cut choice to make the tourney since before week 1. With a preseason ranking of #9, Hamilton has maintained their top-25 status throughout the season. This alone ensured them entry into this year’s NCAA regionals. They have performed so well, in fact, that they have earned themselves hosting rights for the first two regional games.

Kena Gilmour is the best in the ‘CAC, but can he be the best in the dance?

How They Got Here:

Hamilton was fairly even keel all year long. They were poised for not only a NESCAC playoff run but an NCAA playoff run as well, and now they are presented with that opportunity. Hamilton was consistently successful all year long, all four of their losses coming to NESCAC teams. They started their season running, winning their first 13 straight contests. Leading the scoring for the Continentals during this time was Kena Gilmour. Gilmour was the leading scorer for Hamilton all year long and helped to create a dynamic offense which helped them to such a good season. After their hot start to the season, things got a little bit more shaky as they lost two of their next five to Colby and Wesleyan. The Colby loss was seemingly out of nowhere and was their first home loss of the year. After these two losses the Continentals continued to roll, only losing once more to Middlebury, garnering them the #2 seed in NESCAC play. After beating Colby in their quarterfinal rematch, Hamilton had to opportunity to host the remainder of the NESCAC playoff games after #1-seed Middlebury lost to #8-seed Tufts. Hamilton was able to hold off Tufts, 89-85, in the semi-finals but would then have to take on Amherst. The NESCAC championship was a close contest, but the Mammoths were able to hold off Hamilton until the final buzzer, but hey, nothing wrong with silver.

How They Lose:

One thing is consistent in each of Hamilton’s 4 losses this season, their 3-point shooting. On the season, the Continentals are shooting an impressive 35% from downtown as a team. When looking more closely at each of their 4 losses, we can see that these games do not stack up to those stats. In the NESCAC Final against Amherst, Hamilton put up 19 3s and was only able to convert 3 of them, shooting at a 15.8% clip. In their neck-and-neck battle with Midd at the end of the year where they lost by just one point, Hamilton was just 6 for 21 from downtown. Against Colby they were 4-16 and against Wesleyan they were 6-26. Point being that when Hamilton doesn’t shoot as they can, they put themselves in a much more difficult position. If Hamilton is able to keep up the shooting numbers that they have been putting up all year, they could make a serious run. If they have another 3-19 streak, it could be an early exit.

The Competition

Penn State – Behrend (23-4, 14-4, AMCC Conference Champs)

Penn State – Behrend comes in with an impressive record at the end of the season. The Lions were the #2 seed in The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference but were able to take down #1 La Roche in their conference championship. Very similarly to Hamilton, Penn State’s only losses have come from within their own conference. They have 3 All-Conference players on their roster: Andy Niland and Mike Fischer both earned First Team selections while Justin Gorney was selected to the second team. Niland is the best shooter on the Lions, shooting nearly 43% from downtown and 93% at the line so far this season. He is also the team leader, and all-time program leader, in assists with just over 6 per game. Similarly, he only needs 7 more 3-pointers to become the all-time program leader in 3-pointers made. Against bad teams Penn State – Behrend has shown that they are a lockdown defensive team, at times winning by a 30 or 40 point margin. Hamilton should certainly have the advantage in this game, but i wouldn’t sleep on the Lions.

Andy Niland poses a real shooting threat this weekend.

Keene State (20-7, 13-3, Won LEC)

Keene State enters this competition riding a 12-game win streak. They easily defeated Western Connecticut State by a 27 point margin in the LEC semifinals to advance them to a championship game against none other than Eastern Connecticut State. This was a much closer competition as Keene State was down by 1 at the half but managed to pull out a 72-69 victory to capture the conference title. Some NESCAC fans should be familiar with Keene State already as they have had 2 NESCAC opponents in their schedule, including Hamilton. Early in the season Keene State went to Middlebury and took a tough 93-88 loss. Keene State’s Ty Nichols was fantastic for them against Midd, putting up 26/14/7 for a monstrous near triple-double. Although his performance was noteworthy, it was still not enough to take down the Panthers. Their game at Hamilton was close as well, an 85-80 loss in which Ty Nichols once again lead Keene State in points. We’re beginning to see a theme here, and its name is Ty Nichols. Nichols lead Keene State in points, assists and rebounds, posting up a 27/5/7 clip on average. The Senior from Springfield, Mass is the heart and soul of this team and was recently named D3 Player of the Week as well as Player of the Year in the Little East Conference. The kid is a force to be reckoned with and has the talent to take this mediocre Keene State team much further than they should go.

Moravian (19-8, 10-4, Landmark Champions)

Rounding out our competitors we have our third conference champ in Moravian. Moravian defeated Susquehanna in their conference semis and then took down Drew in the finals to earn themselves a spot in the NCAA playoffs. NESCAC fans got a chance to look at Moravian earlier this year when they took on formerly #2 Williams. Moravian attempted a second-half comeback in this contest but it was not quite enough as the Ephs won 81-72. The leading scorer for Moravian in this contest was CJ Barnes who came off the bench to put up 21PTS, including 4 triples. Lots of triples seems to be another theme for Moravian. While their opponents have attempted 404 3-pointers against Moravian, Moravian have more than doubled that by putting up 832 3-pointers over their 27 games, that’s nearly 31 3s a game. While CJ Barnes is Moravian’s best shooter, their best player is O’Neil Holder, who is leading the team in PPG with 18.4 and rebounds with 6.6. Moravian is a clear-cut 3 and D team and those can always be dangerous in a tournament setting. Catch them at the wrong time and you could be going home early.

Wild, Wild West(ern Mass): Williamstown Regional Preview

Williamstown Regional Preview

#19 Williams (20-6, 6-4, at-large bid)

The NESCAC is always one of the best basketball conferences in Division III and the Ephs are always one of the best teams in that conference. This year was no exception as Williams finished 20-6, earning themselves a no. 19 national ranking and at least two potential home games in the NCAA Tournament. Senior forward James Heskett won NESCAC Player of the Year last season and classmate Bobby Casey was likely the first runner up for this year’s award behind Hamilton’s Kena Gilmour. These guys have about as much talent as you’ll find at the D3 level and they’re not looking to go home empty-handed in their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

How They Got Here

Kyle Scadlock has been a huge part of the three-headed monster for Williams

It’s been an interesting year for the Williams College Ephs. They spent the first half of the season on fire and holding on to a no. 2 national ranking. The trio of Bobby Casey ’19, James Heskett ’19, and Kyle Scadlock ’19 looked absolutely unstoppable and talented big man Matt Karpowicz ’20 was the perfect complement. Unfortunately things got a little rocky in the middle of the season when the Ephs were faced with some depth issues. They finished 4-5 in their last 9 regular season games, earning them the 4^thseed in the NESCAC Tournament. They took care of Trinity in the first round but fell to Amherst in the semifinals – the third loss of the year to their arch nemesis. A number of quality wins coupled with a strong strength of schedule was enough for the committee to select Williams as a host for the first two rounds where they (as always) look like the favorites to advance to the Sweet 16.

How They Lose

The only problem I see for the Ephs – and it’s a big one – is depth. Williams boasts one of the strongest starting fives in the nation and they have ridden those five guys all the way to the NCAA Tournament. In their six losses this year combined, the bench has accounted for 67 total points – about 11 points per game coming from non-starters. However, 28 of those points came in the Hamilton game, so in the other five losses the bench accounted for just 39 points. This simply won’t cut it on the national stage where they’ll be playing teams who go 8 or 9 guys deep. The Ephs need more out of Mickey Babek ’20, Marcos Soto ’19, and Michael Kempton ’19, who are really the only three guys they use off the bench. If these guys step up, they’ll go a very long way. If they don’t, it’ll be an earlier trip home than Williams is hoping for.

The Competition

Husson (17-10, 11-3, NAC Champions)

The Eagles come out of the North Atlantic Conference where they dominated all year. Having ten losses certainly doesn’t look great out of a tournament team, but Husson played a surprisingly tough non-conference schedule to make up for their cupcake conference opponents. They’ve actually matched up with NESCAC teams four times already this season – a win versus Bates and losses against Trinity, Colby, and Bowdoin. These results bode well for the Ephs who are 4-1 this season against those very same teams. The Eagles have been led this year by Justin Martin, who averages over 15 points and 9 rebounds per game. The 6’6” senior is on his way to earning a third consecutive all-conference appearance and does an excellent job bringing size and shooting ability to help spread the court. There’s no doubt that Williams is the favorite in this game, but don’t count out the Eagles who will scrap and claw right to the finish.

Plattsburgh State (20-6, 14-4, at-large bid)

Aside from the Ephs there’s no question that the Cardinals are the most likely team to come out of this region. They already have a win against Middlebury under their belt and they played Wesleyan very closely, so they’re no strangers to NESCAC opponents. Plattsburgh actually fell to Brockport in the SUNYAC semifinals, but was able to secure an at-large berth to make their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Jonathan Patron recently received his second straight SUNYAC Player of the Year award, leading the league with 23.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He has already posted a number of jaw dropping box scores, including a 32-point, 20-rebound effort early in the year. In fact, Patron has recorded a double-double in 15 of the team’s 26 games this season. It’s easy to see that this guy is a total stud and he’s capable of taking any team deep into the postseason. Patron is a force to be reckoned with and he’s here to make sure that everyone has heard of Plattsburgh State.

Gwynedd Mercy (19-8, 9-3, Atlantic East Champions)

The Griffins are definitely the biggest mystery in this region. The Atlantic East isn’t known for being a basketball powerhouse, but Gwynedd Mercy seemed to have some pretty competitive games. At their holiday tournament in December they lost to Tufts and beat Bates in two tightly contested affairs so they, too, have some experience with the NESCAC. The trio of Rich Dunham, Courtney Cubbage, and Clayton Wolfe do the heavy lifting, accounting for the vast majority of the team’s scoring and rebounding. None of those three guys are over 6’1” and the Griffins don’t really use anyone over 6’5” in their regular rotation, so size could be an issue for them. I don’t see Gwynedd Mercy making a lot of noise in this region, but once March rolls around we might as well throw every stat out the window.

Midd Madness: First Round NCAA Preview

Middlebury (18-7, 7-3), Lost in Quarterfinals to Tufts)

The Panthers looked like a definite NCAA tournament team after catching fire at the end of the regular season and clinching the NESCAC regular season title. However, after an early exit in the conference tournament to Tufts, they found themselves on the bubble of the at-large teams, sneaking their way in (which was no surprise) despite falling out of the top-25.

They surprised many teams this season with the play of their sophomore guards, who are the diamond in the rough and big surprise of the Middlebury 2019 season. While the play of Jack Farrell, Max Bosco, and Griffin Kornaker bode well for the Panthers’ future, they have an immediate chance to make an impact on this year’s run to a national championship. Despite a few ugly losses this season (Tufts twice and Plattsburgh) they still built up enough of a resume with wins against Williams and Hamilton to punch their ticket for the tenth time in the last 12 years to the dance.

How They Got Here:

Jack Farrell’s shooting is a key to a Panther victory.

After losing All-American guard Jack Daly ’18, All-American Matt St. Amour ’17, and All-NESCAC Jake Brown ’17 to graduation the last two years, it seemed that some of Midd’s magic from the past few years was gone. While those studs haven’t been replaced, the sophomore guards have ushered in a new era of Panther basketball and now have a strong foundation for years to come. Along with Bosco (25 G, 8 GS, 15.2 PPG, 35% 3-PT, 3.0 A/G), Farrell (25 G, 25 GS, 16.2 PPG, 35.9% 3-PT, 4.7 REB/G, 3.8 A/G), and Kornaker (25 G, 17 GS, 7.4 PPG, 3.7 A/G), the Panthers also boast one of the more athletic players in the conference in Matt Folger. Like Farrell, Folger started every contest in 2019 and average 15 PPG and 8.9 boards per contest. He has the most potential on the team and has been dominant each of the past two seasons. His season scoring high is 28 points and his defensive best is 16 boards. He can undoubtedly take control of any game but also had a few duds in some key losses (four points in a 80-77 L to Wesleyan and nine points in a 85-76 loss to Tufts). Their SF, Hilal Dahleh, had a quiet senior campaign, staying healthy and starting all but one game and put up 6.8 PPG in just 23 minutes. Eric McCord is the big man and a steady force down low, averaging 9.5 PPG and 9.9 REB/G, and a physical presence that should keep in check the other teams in their regional.

Folger is the most dangerous team on the floor this weekend.

How They Lose:

Midd turned in to a high-scoring team part way through the year and needs to have some shooting efficiency to knock out their competition. They play with a small lineup (three guards and a forward that often plays on the outside) and could get beat if they fail to make their way inside on offense given an opponent with elite perimeter defense. Inconsistency was the Panthers’ biggest foe this season, beating great teams and losing to poor ones. I chalk a lot of that trend up to inexperience which shouldn’t affect them as much in the tournament as they will likely play against teams with less postseason experience than them. Having said that, if they shoot 17% from deep like they did in the playoffs against Tufts, they will lose.

The Competition

#14 Nichols College Bison (25-2, 15-1, Commonwealth Coast Conference Champs)

Nichols obviously had an incredible season up to this point, losing only to Gordon and Salisbury. Gordon received votes in the last D3hoops poll and Salisbury was ranked at the time of their game against Nichols. Against NESCAC opponents, Nichols was 3-0 this year, knocking off Trinity, Tufts, and Wesleyan all by at least six points, showing that while they didn’t face many ranked opponents, they can play with teams that gave Midd a tough time. They have three double-digit scorers, with Marcos Echevarria leading the charge with 20.4 PPG and average nearly 90 PPG as a team. This will likely be a high scoring first round matchup that is by no means a cake walk for the Panthers.

Nichols is the on-paper favorite in this regional.

Emerson College Lions (16-11, 12-4, NEWMAC Champions)

It was a pretty confusing season for to analyze from the Lions as they had some brutal losses and impressive wins. They lost to both Amherst (85-62) and Tufts (87-70) by wide margins and got crushed towards the end of the regular season by #12 MIT. However, they also destroyed MIT midway through the season 84-65. After a high number of losses, the only way for Emerson to get into the NCAA tournament was to win their conference tournament which they accomplished without beating MIT, giving them an easy road to a ring. Upperclassmen guards Jack O’Connor and Geoffrey Gray both average 20.3 PPG and have the power to take this team to the promise land in any game and could be a dangerous opponent in the second round and an especially tough matchup for Midd’s young ball-handlers.

Rowan University Prof (21-6, 13-5, NJAC Champs)

Rowan does not have a particularly strong strength of schedule but did knock off Keene State that beat Midd in a midweek contest. They have a pretty balanced lineup with four players averaging over ten PPG but nobody averaging over 15.1 or any players averaging 6.4 REB/G. How exactly did this Rowan team end up hosting over Nichols? Well, my guess is that Nichols didn’t have the facilities to host so as the quasi-two seed in this pod of the bracket, Rowan gets the cake. I believe that home field will undoubtedly give Rowan an advantage in their game(s) this weekend as they’ll likely get a reasonable crowd. They had a margin of victory under nine points this season on average, a high number of assists (15.9 per game), and a low number of rebounds per contest (39.4 per game). They could easily lose to Emerson if the Lions bring their A-game, however, they definitely will reap the benefits of some home court advantage.

Synopsis:

Midd got screwed here by the NCAA selection committee. Not only do they have to go to New Jersey when it the regional should’ve just been in Mass., but they play the best team out of the three opponents in the first round. In reality, it doesn’t matter that they have a tough first round matchup since they’d have to face Nichols in the second round anyways, so the way I see it, if they win their first round matchup, they would be heavily favored to make it to the Sweet-16. However, at this point I’d say its 50-50 that they make it past Nichols. If they have a normal shooting day from their guards and Folger on Friday I think they make it out of this pod.

One Trophy Left: Stock Report 2/27

Stock Report 2/27

Congratulations to Amherst who won their 8^th NESCAC Championship with a 62-56 victory over Hamilton on Sunday. The Mammoths earned the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, while Hamilton, Williams, and Middlebury snagged at-large bids as well. Getting four teams into the tournament is basically common practice for the NESCAC, so it’ll be exciting to see if anyone can do some real damage this year. Each of the remaining teams have looked terrific this season and they are all capable of competing with anyone. We’ll just have to wait and see who is left standing in a few weeks.

Stock up

Chance for a run by a NESCAC team

The selection committee was relatively nice to the NESCAC this year, putting the four teams that earned bids in regions that are very winnable. According to the D3 Massey Ratings (the only available computer-generated rankings for Division III basketball), the highest ranked team in the Williamstown regional is Plattsburgh State at 58 and the highest ranked team in the Clinton regional is Keene State at 49. For these two teams in particular there really isn’t a reason that they shouldn’t find themselves in the Sweet 16. Things are a little bit tougher for Amherst and Middlebury who each have one very strong team in their region, but I still think that things bode well for the conference as a whole. By the time the Sweet 16 rolls around we could have some serious chaos – a possible matchup between Amherst and Middlebury looms as well as the chance for Williams to be matched up with Pomona-Pitzer or another school from out west. The good thing is that March is all about chaos so we’re in for quite an exciting month of hoops.

Duo of Grant Robinson and Fru Che

Fru Che is about as lethal a scorer as they come

Nobody is hotter right now than the Amherst Mammoths, winners of 9 out of their last 10 including their last 3 in a row to win the NESCAC Championship. They’ve got one of the deepest lineups in the league, but they certainly wouldn’t be here without their star power. Grant Robinson ’21 and Fru Che ’21 have been the team’s leading scorers all season, but they really upped their play when it mattered. In the conference tournament these two accounted for 60% of the team’s offense (116 of 194 total points), guiding the team to three victories. They’re only sophomores, but they’ve played well beyond their years as the season has progressed. It’ll be interesting to see how well they handle the spotlight playing in their first NCAA Tournament game against Rosemont on Friday.

Stock down

Whoever picks the regional sites

I’m not one to throw myself into the fire for Amherst, but how in the world are they not hosting a regional? When I saw that they weren’t hosting I was surprised, but I assumed that it meant the NESCAC didn’t have a team hosting a regional this year. Once I found out that Hamilton and Williams were hosting, I was truly shocked. Hamilton had a great year I understand having them host a regional, but how did Williams get to host over Amherst? The Mammoths won the conference championship and are currently ranked 7^th in the nation going into the tournament. I personally think that the NESCAC champion should automatically host a regional, but this case seems overwhelming. They say that sometimes more things are taken into account such as region, but Amherst and Williams are only about 90 minutes apart so I don’t see how that could be enough of a factor. In the end none of this really matters that much because each team has to win the same number of games, but I do think it was a very strange move by the committee.

Note: Had I done a pretty basic amount of research before writing this, I would have found that because the Amherst women’s basketball team is hosting a regional, the men cannot also host. In odd numbered years the women have priority for the first rounds, but the Amherst men’s team is in line to host the following two rounds this year should they get there.

POY clarity

Bobby Casey looks to become the second straight Eph to win the award

Now that the NESCAC season has come to a close the league will hand out awards to the top performers during the season. As of right now it seems that picking a Player of the Year is going to be a very difficult job for the committee because there are seemingly three guys that are all equally as deserving. I have laid out the stat lines (only for conference play) for each player to prove just how tight the race is between the top three contenders:

Kena Gilmour – 19.8PPG, 5.6REB/G, 2.7AST/G, 48% FG, 39% 3PT, 91% FT)

Bobby Casey – 19.6PPG, 5.4REB/G, 4.6AST/G, 45% FG, 36% 3PT, 80% FT)

Grant Robinson – 17.8PPG, 5.5REB/G, 3.5AST/G, 51.3% FG, 41.4% 3PT, 87% FT)

There are a few different ways the committee can go to pick a winner. Last year by picking James Heskett over Jack Daly they showed that they valued winning the conference championship over (slightly) better overall statistics. This would lead me to believe that Robinson would take home the hardware, but I also don’t necessarily believe that will be the case. It’ll be interesting to see what the league puts an emphasis on this year through who they give the award to.

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble: NESCAC Championship Final Preview

For Amherst and Hamilton, their basketball season is hardly over as the two teams will most certainly earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Before they take a stab at the Big Dance, however, the Mammoths and the Continentals will duke it out for the right to cement their status as NESCAC champions. The two teams played an exhilarating game earlier this month, with Hamilton narrowly escaping with a win on their home court. The Continentals have the home court advantage given the fact that they are the highest remaining seed, but the Mammoths have revenge on their minds and will come in confident they can leave New York with a win after taking down Wesleyan and Williams.

Overview

While there is no such thing as an easy game in the NESCAC, the Continentals have undoubtedly faced weaker opponents in the tournament than the Mammoths. In their semifinal victory over Tufts, Hamilton trailed at halftime but quickly erased the deficit and did not look back. Star player Kena Gilmour ‘20 struggled mightily (9 points, 2-9 from the field), but seniors Tim Doyle ’19 (18 points) and Andrew Groll ’19 (16 points) picked up the slack. Hamilton also received a substantial contribution from their bench players, tallying 29 points. The Continentals shot well from the field (51.7%) and repeatedly attacked the rim, registering an impressive 35 free throw attempts; however, they converted only 20 of those attempts (57.1%). Defensively, the Continentals limited the Jumbos to just 43.1% shooting, but they did allow them to bomb away from three and connect on 14 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc. It seems as if the Continentals can’t get the entire squad to fire on all cylinders at the precise moment, yet fantastic individual performances by a couple of players per game is enough to keep adding to the win column. Individual performances will not be enough to knock off the stingiest defense in the ‘CAC, and Hamilton will need a more well-rounded performance if they want to secure their first ever NESCAC Championship.

Much like their football team, the Mammoths have a simple recipe for success: defense wins championships. This mantra was put on display against Williams, as Amherst secured their third win of the season against their archrival by limiting the Ephs to just 38.7% shooting and including 26.3% from downtown. The terrific trio of Bobby Casey ‘19, James Heskett ’19 and Kyle Scadlock ‘19 were stifled by the suffocating Mammoth defense, clanking shot after shot en route to a combined 14 for 42 shooting performance. Amherst didn’t have a fantastic offensive performance as a team on Saturday, but Grant Robinson ’21 single handedly willed his squad with a season-defining 32 points. The Mammoths did cash in at the free throw line, shooting 22-23 from the charity stripe. Fru Che had a quiet performance by his standards with just 10 points, but the sophomore has stepped up in big moments before and will look to help Amherst win their first NESCAC Championship since the 2014 season.

Hamilton X-Factor

Kena Gilmour ‘20

Who else can it possibly be in a moment like this? When he’s on, Gilmour is one of the most dynamic players in all of America; however, the probable NESCAC POY has struggled in the tournament thus far, shooting a paltry 32.1%. The Continentals cannot afford to have him struggle in their biggest game of the season to date, and Amherst’s relentless defensive pressure is not the most ideal matchup for Gilmour to bust out of his shooting woes (although he did tally 23 points in their regular season matchup). Hamilton must find ways to get their best player some easy buckets in order for him to get into the flow of the game and regain his confidence. They survived against Colby and Tufts, but if Gilmour fails to ignite the offense once again, Hamilton will very likely lose this contest.

Amherst X-Factor

Fru Che ‘21

I mentioned Che had a quiet performance against Williams, but in Amherst’s previous game against Wesleyan, the sophomore dropped a career-high 30 points. It was Robinson’s turn to carry the offense against the Ephs, but this game is critical for Che to get back on track. In their previous matchup with Hamilton, Che led the Mammoths with 18 points and knocked down four shots from three. Given Hamilton’s woes guarding the perimeter, Che should have plenty of looks to knock down some deep balls. Colby and Tufts had absolutely no problem tearing apart the Hamilton defense, so it’s critical that Che puts up some solid shooting numbers in order for the Mammoths to take home the championship.

Final Thoughts

These two teams are the exact opposite from one another, as Amherst likes to grind down its opponents with defense, while Hamilton seems perfectly content with its run-and-gun style of trying to outscore its opponents. In their regular season matchup, Hamilton won the pace-of-play battle and was able to put up 81 points on the highly touted Mammoth defense. They didn’t shoot particularly well at 42.4%, but they shot 21 free throws and converted 81% of those attempts, a bit of an anomaly for the Continentals. In contrast, Amherst only attempted eight free throws, and despite shooting at a higher field goal percentage than Hamilton, the Mammoths averaged a pedestrian 31.8% from beyond the arc against a team that has not guarded the deep ball well in recent games. This time around, I think Amherst is the better prepared team. They know they have to control the pace of the game, and have shut down two very good offensive opponents in Wesleyan and Williams on their way to this rematch. I do believe Gilmour will bust out of his mini slump and score north of 20 points, but Amherst will connect on more threes than they did in their last outing, and the defense will come up with some big stops late. The Continentals will have to wait another year to see if they can snag that first ever NESCAC Championship.

Final Score: Amherst 77 – Hamilton 73

Purple Rain: Amherst v. Williams Semifinal Preview

Overview

Amherst clearly has the momentum coming into this game and it’s theirs to lose. While nobody expected this game to be played at Hamilton several weeks ago or after the NESCAC seeding came out, each team now has an uphill battle to claim the conference championship. Williams has looked weak of late but should be healthy after a week off, giving James Heskett enough time to recover from his ankle injury. Additionally, maybe some time off is exactly what the Ephs needed, seeing some tough shooting performances from star guard Bobby Casey. In their quarterfinal victory over Trinity, it looks as if they finally figured something out: balance. During their three game losing streak to Bowdoin, Amherst, and Hamilton, Casey went 9-31 from three-point-range, not on par with his normal standards. He took a ridiculous amount of shots while uber-athlete and maybe the Ephs best weapon, Kyle Scadlock, was underutilized offensively. However, in their 88-77 win against Trinity last weekend, all five starters scored in double-digits and Scadlock finally entered the picture as an offensive threat. He only took five shots, making all of them, but executed well at the free throw line, scoring another 10 points there. Hopefully he is a bigger part of the Ephs’ game plan this weekend like during the 2017 playoff run where he emerged as a legitimate superstar before getting hurt last season. With a big and experienced starting lineup, this Williams team has unlimited potential, but needs to play up to as they are close to seeing their destined playoff run come to an end. In fact, they can hardly view their performance against Trinity as comforting as they were handed a gift of a first round matchup given their low seed. Trinity played well at the end of the year but didn’t have the talent of a fifth seed in the NESCAC and the Ephs took advantage of it. This will be the first real test for the Ephs to see if they’ve adjusted since their skid to end the regular season.

Amherst, on the other hand, has plenty of positives to look at heading into this game: They beat Williams at the end of the regular season, they have been consistent all season, and they haven’t had any injury issues of late. They did, however, lose to Hamilton in the final game of the regular season, losing the #1 seed in the NESCAC tournament, but could have an opportunity for redemption if they beat the Ephs. The Mammoths had a much more difficult first round playoff matchup than Williams, knocking off Wesleyan 63-56, led by a career performance from Fru Che who dropped 30 points. Grant Robinson and Che provide a lethal 1-2 attach for the Mammoths. The duo averages a combined 26 PPG, 9 REB/G, and 4 A/G. Eric Sellew also throws in over eight boards and 11 points per contest too, giving the Mammoths a three-headed offensive attack. Che poses the biggest threat to Williams, however, as the shooter-happy Eph team could be equalized by Che’s 37% efficiency from deep. Amherst also boasts the league’s best defense, allowing under 64 PPG to opponents while Williams is close behind at 65.4 PPG allowed.

Amherst X-Factor

C CJ Bachmann

The senior big man averages 6.7 PPG and 4.6 REB/G but was the key to the Mammoth victory the last time these two teams played. He dropped a double-double off the bench and along with Joseph Schneider, will need to shut down the powerful Williams lineup down low. In order for the Mammoths to have a chance, they will need to hold the rebounding advantage. Williams shoots the long ball better and Bachmann’s play will help keep the ball away from Bobby Casey and into the hands of Che who is Amherst’s most potent offensive threat.

Williams X-Factor

F Kyle Scadlock

I’ve always been a big fan of Scadlock and think that his multi-faceted game is almost impossible to defend. He has touch from anywhere on the floor and is athletic enough to post up down low and compete for boards. He has a way with the playoffs, often finding an extra gear in the limelight, and I can only hope that Coach App includes him heavily in their game plan. If Casey gets cold shooting, Scadlock and Heskett are the Ephs best shot to keep pace with the Amherst offense. Also, Scadlock is a rebounding presence that needs to match up with Eric Sellew and slow him down.

Final Thoughts

The last time these two teams met, Che, Robinson, and Sellew all scored in double-digits to lead the Mammoths to victory while CJ Bachmann and Garrett Day came off the bench to add a combined 24. Because so many players in the Eph lineup have a high ceiling for points, Amherst will need to see a similar shooting efficiency around 50% to take this game. The Ephs didn’t play poorly last time these teams met either, but were painfully outrebounded 44-33 on the night. Scadlock was the only player to collect seven boards while Amherst’s Bachmann had ten off the bench. These two talented teams should duke it out in a close contest, and I don’t see Amherst having such a lopsided defensive effort like they did before. Williams will narrow the gap on shooting percentage (they shot 41% FG compared to Amherst’s 50.8% FG last time) and ride on to the finals against Hamilton.

Writer’s Pick: Williams 78 – Amherst 73

Stock Report: Championship Weekend

Stock Up:

Can Gilmour bring it home on his own court for the Conts this weekend?

Hamilton’s Chances at a Title

Last week the Continentals were able to take care of business on their home court against the 7-seeded Colby Mules. While this may not seem that surprising, as the Continentals were heavy favorites, it was only a few weeks ago when the Mules stormed into Hamilton territory and stole a game right out from under their noses. The Mules were able to keep it close, but lightning did not strike twice for them. Hamilton played a clean, team game in which all 5 starters were able to amass double digit scoring. Kena Gilmour lead the way for the Continentals, putting up 19 points which includes a perfect 5/5 from downtown. Overall this team played as a cohesive unit, which should allow them to make an even bigger playoff push. Another advantage that Hamilton now possesses is that they now have home court advantage for the remainder of the playoffs. While other teams have to take the long ride to upstate New York, Hamilton can sit back and relax and wait for the competition to come to them.

UMBC… I mean Tufts

After sneaking their way into the playoffs over Bowdoin, the Tufts Jumbos are here to stay. Obviously the story of the weekend was #1 Midd going down on their homecourt to a team they had no business losing to. The Panthers did not look like their usual selves all game, but this section isn’t about bashing Midd, it is about celebrating the underdog. Everyone loves an underdog, and Tufts usually doesn’t get to feel that love. See the reason is that Tufts is never the underdog is because they have more than twice as many students as the rest of the NESCACs. When you have that many enrollment spots, it can be much easier to compete. This year though, their basketball program is flipping that narrative on its head. It’s underdog Tufts taking on all the big bad schools like Hamilton, Amherst and Williams. With the #1 seed out of the way who says they can’t make a run?

Stock Down:

The State of Connecticut

After Wesleyan and Trinity exit the tourney in the first round with losses to Amherst and Williams, respectively, all 3 of the Connecticut NESCACs have been eliminated. The first Connecticut elimination was the earliest in all the NESCAC when Conn finished their season still searching for a conference win. It was a tough season all year long for the Camels but they have another year of rebuilding to look forwards to next year. Trinity proved themselves to be a playoff-quality team as the season progresses but they were still not able to finish the job against a very well organized Williams team. Joe Bell had a great performance for the Bantams off the bench, leading Trinity with 17 points, but the skill gap between the two teams was still too much to overcome. Connecticut’s best chance had to be Wesleyan. They had been ranked at multiple points throughout the season and really looked as if they could bang with the big dogs when push comes to shove. They dropped down to the 6-seed entering postseason play and were not able to top 3-seed Amherst. It was a disappointing year overall for the Connecticut NESCACs but now they can sit back, relax and join their buddies up in Maine as they watch Massachusetts and New York bang it out for a championship.

CACs in the NCAAs

The chances for five NCAA berths are gone, but will the NESCAC get four?

At one point or another this season it seemed as if it were possible to have up to 5 NESCACs make the tournament. As the playoff picture winds down, that number is getting smaller and smaller. First with the givens: from day 1 of the season it was pretty clear that Hamilton and Williams will be in the tournament no matter what. They were slated very high in the top-25 to start the season and while they are not as highly ranked as they have been at the moment, even without a championship I would be in disbelief if these two are not at-large selections. Amherst lies just behind Williams and Hamilton in stature. They were first able to break the top-25 mark in just week 2 of the season. Since that they have bounced in and out of the top-25 but find themselves all the way up at #11, right behind Hamilton, in the latest poll. It wasn’t as obvious throughout the season that this squad would be able to hang with the the Continentals and Ephs but they have more than proven themselves at this point as a lock for NCAAs. Next we come to Midd who is very much “on the bubble” of making the tournament. They had everything going for them. They jumped into the top-25 right at the end of the season after taking the CAC by storm, earning them a 1-seed in the NESCAC tourney. If Midd had made it even to the semis and lost to a ranked team, I believe that they would’ve had great chances to crack into the NCAA tourney. Unfortunately this is not what happened. Midd blew it to the 8-seed on their home court for what must have been quite the embarrassing upset. I do, however, still believe that the odds favor the Panthers to sneak in to the tournament as the twitter account “D3bubble,” researching D3 bracketology, named the Panthers as a “definite lock” entering the NESCAC tournament.