For the first time ever, the Nothing But NESCAC will be crowning a baseball champion virtually. With no NESCAC baseball being played in 2020, everyone across the league is left thinking that this could have been their year. Fortunately, we have a way to bring some sort of satisfaction to those who are feeling this lack of closure. We’ve decided to hold the 2020 Nothing But NESCAC baseball tournament online via MLB the Show 20. For those of you who don’t know, MLB the Show has been the best baseball video game franchise on the market ever since Backyard Baseball stopped releasing new editions. This will allow us to have the most realistic tournament that we can possibly have, played over the weekend when the actual NESCAC baseball tournament was supposed to have been played. Each of the 10 NESCAC baseball teams have selected one member of their program to represent them for a chance to bring home the only baseball championship trophy that will be handed out this year.
The tournament format looks like this: -NESCAC East and NESCAC West will remain separate and each team will play everyone else in their division on Friday, May 8th and Saturday, May 9th to determine seeding and eliminate the 5th place team on each side -Remaining teams will be seeded 1 through 4 on each side based on pool play record with tiebreakers being head-to-head results followed by overall run differential (and a coin flip if still tied) -Bracket play will take place on Sunday, May 10th -The bracket will have two sides: on one side the top seed in the East will face the fourth seed in the West, while the second seed in the West will take on the third seed in the East…the other side of the bracket will look identical except the seeds will be flipped (i.e. 1 West vs 4 East, 2 East vs 3 West) -We plan to stream the bracket play games online so that anyone can tune in and follow what’s going on
Not only will this tournament let us recognize a champion for the season, but it is also intended to provide a platform for us to give as much help as we can to those who are most affected by COVID-19. We’ve started our own fundraising page through GlobalGiving (link below) to help get masks, ventilators, and other lifesaving medical supplies to hospitals and clinics, deliver essential items to struggling families and older individuals in quarantined cities and refugee camps, feed children that rely on school meals as their only source of nutrition, and much more.
Obviously we all would have liked to play baseball as usual this year (take it from me, a senior who lost his final season), but something much bigger than us is going on right now. The NESCAC is a family and I trust that our family understands the type of difference that we can make. If you like the idea of this tournament or if you’ve enjoyed our content here at NbN, please consider donating even just a few dollars because – as cliché as it sounds – every bit really does count.
Not having any spring sports played certainly makes our job difficult given that there isn’t much to write about, but we haven’t forgotten about the baseball that we typically cover around this time of year. In fact, this weekend was supposed to be the opening weekend of conference play for everyone, so we thought we’d honor that with an article recapping the opening day games as if they had actually been played. Please understand that these situations are all completely made up and somewhat dramatized so work with us a little bit. This article was co-written by Ryan Moralejo and Cameron Carlson, and we’re simply doing our best to keep people entertained during these tough times, so take our opinions with a grain of salt because we have no idea how these games really would have gone. We tried to keep lineups and situations somewhat realistic, but certain things were hyperbolized purely for entertainment’s sake. With that being said, let’s find out how each team did (or would have done) on Friday:
Williams @ Hamilton (Neutral Site @ Tampa, FL)
It’s pretty bizarre to have NESCAC play occur so far out of state, but it’s equally as awesome to have a venue like the New York Yankees Spring Training Complex host the beginning of league play. First up we have Hamilton, who (to be quite honest) has been pretty irrelevant in a division that is usually quite competitive and volatile in terms of the playoff hunt. Since 2013 (because that’s as deep as the Hamilton baseball website will allow me to dive into an archival list teeming with underwhelming seasons), the Continentals have finished below the .500 mark against their divisional foes; however, they did bring in some young talent a few years back such as the swiss army knife Matt Zaffino ‘21, SS Ethan Wallis ‘21 and RHP/celeb-shot hitter Gavin Schaefer-Hood ‘21, the 2020 season would (hypothetically) be the time in which Hamilton could surprise a few folks. For the Ephs, last year’s run to the NESCAC Playoffs was in large part due to their plethora of loud bats, and despite returning Preseason 3rd-Team All American Eric Pappas ‘21, a regression was absolutely on the horizon. LHP John Lamont ‘20, a freshman phenom who sadly lost his sophomore season to Tommy John and never fully returned to his dominant form, would seem to be in line to start opening day of league play.
Game Recap
Game one of the three-game series pitted Schaefer-Hood against Lamont. Pappas led off the game with a scorching double to left-center (no surprises there), and despite retiring the next two batters, Schaefer-Hood allowed a two-out single to Erik Mini ‘21, plating Pappas and giving the Ephs the early advantage. Lamont struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning, firing up both of Williams’ supporters in the stands. Schaefer-Hood settled down and delivered his best performance to date, allowing a total of four hits in seven innings of one-run ball with six punch outs. Lamont faced the minimum during the first three innings but began to struggle with control the second time through the lineup; after back-to-back walks to open the bottom half of the fourth, Zaffino barreled a ball that clipped the left-field line and rolled to the fence, scoring Wallis and moving Brady Slinger ‘22 90 feet away from taking the lead. Keeping the momentum going, Matt Cappelletti ‘21 (every time I read that last name I have to say it with an Italian accent) knocked a single through the right side to score both Slinger and Zaffino, giving the Continentals their first lead of the day. The southpaw found a way to exit the fourth without allowing further damage in large part due to a much-needed 6-4-3 double play with runners on the corners to end the frame.
Eric Pappas ’21 (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Hamilton added to their two-run advantage in the following inning; Sam Rowley ‘20 worked a ten-pitch walk to lead things off and after advancing to second on a wild pitch, Wallis dumped a flare into shallow left center that fell just out of reach for Mike Stamas ‘20. Lamont would again work out of a jam to keep Hamilton from tacking on, ending his afternoon with four runs in five innings of work, striking out seven while walking three. With the score remaining 4-1 through the seventh-inning, the Ephs began to feel the game slipping away and got loud in the dugout, but failed to do any damage in the top half of the eighth (Alexa, play Sweet Caroline). In the final frame, catcher David Driscoll ‘22 worked a two-out walk against RHP Jamie Hauswirth ‘22 (c’mon Jamie, two-out walks will kill you). Hauswirth beared down and induced a ground ball off the bat of Mini, but Slinger short-armed the throw and it got away from first baseman Graham McOsker ‘20. With runners at second and third and the dangerous Pappas on deck, Hauswirth again delivered in a pressure situation, forcing Jakob Cohn ‘23 to fly out to center. The victory was the Continentals’ first opening-day NESCAC win since 2011.
Final Score: Hamilton 4-1
Trinity @ Tufts (Medford, MA)
In a battle of the two preseason East Division heavyweights* (asterisk because we all know who Trinity’s Daddy really is in that Division), the Bantams head to Medford oozing with confidence; having notched a slew of quality wins, including taking two of three from Southern Maine and a sweep against Amherst, the Jumbos don’t scare the boys from Hartford. If you recall correctly, the Bantams should have taken the series last year until the pitching staff absolutely collapsed in the ninth inning, blowing a 6-2 lead that was capped off by a two-out, two-strike grand slam by JP Knight ‘20. While the Jumbos did lose a significant amount of talent, including 2019 NESCAC Pitcher of the Year RJ Hall ‘19 and First-Team All-Energy Casey Santos-Ocampo ‘19, they returned most of their pop in the lineup, including every single arm from their pitching staff with the exception of Hall. Coach Casey always has one of the most disciplined and hard-working teams in the league (most likely because they’re absolutely terrified of the man), so this series was sure to be one of, if not the most hyped regular season series of the year.
Game Recap
Tufts opted to roll with RHP Aidan Tucker ‘22, who as a freshman impressed with a 7-1 record and a 50:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Trinity countered with fellow sophomore RHP Cameron Crowley ‘22, who adopts a pitch-to-contact type of mentality and led the Bantams with an 8-2 record and a 2.42 ERA in 2019. Tucker worked a quick 1-2-3 inning, but the same can’t be said for Crowley as a one-out hit by pitch quickly went awry when Peter DiMaria ‘22 launched a two-run moonshot to left. Crowley regrouped and retired the next two batters, but the damage was done and the Jumbos took a 2-0 lead into the second inning. After fanning Vincent Capone ‘21, A-Roid – I mean Alex Rodriguez ‘20 – smacked a double to right-center to get things going for Trin. 2B Robbie Cronin ‘21 kept the bats going with a single up the middle, putting runners at the corners; however, Tucker worked his magic and got the third baseman Patrick Dillon ‘23 to roll over on a 2-0 curveball into a 5-4-3 double play, stranding both runners and keeping the Bantams off the scoreboard. Crowley retired the first two batters in the second before hitting Ryan Daues ‘21 on what clearly seemed to be yet another traditional Tufts case of leaning into a pitch. Coach Adamski was irate and let the home plate umpire know his feelings on the matter but did not leave the dugout. Crowley stranded Daues at first base after fielding a comebacker.
Coach Casey and Kyle Cortese ’22 (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
The Jumbos stretched their lead in the bottom of the third; after SS Elias Varinos ‘20 singled through the left side with one out, Knight tattooed a ball off the left-center wall, easily scoring Varinos. After a groundout to second moved Knight over to third, Kyle Cortese ‘21 dropped a perfectly placed bleeder in right to give the home team a four-run advantage. Tucker continued to evade trouble until the fifth, when OF Matt Koperniak ‘20 launched a two-run shot to put the Bantams on the board and simultaneously cut the deficit in half. Crowley returned to the mound for the bottom of the fifth, and promptly plunked OF Justin Mills ‘20 on a 1-2 fastball on what this time was a clear indication of the batter leaning over the dish to take a HBP. Coach Adamski went absolutely bezerk on the home plate umpire and bellowed phrases that can not be repeated in this recap to the point where he is ejected from the game. Adamski got the last laugh, however, when after continuing his heated conversation with the field umpire, he promptly took first base and threw it into right field. Crowley managed to evade any further trouble in the fifth, and a fired up Trinity side came into the dugout ready to rake. The only problem is Tucker tossed a 1-2-3 sixth, staring down the Trinity dugout after catching Brett Stevenson ‘20 looking at strike three to end the frame.
Crowley ran into some trouble after giving up a pair of singles but worked his way out of the pickle in his final inning of work, and the score remained stuck at 4-2 heading into the seventh. Coach Casey decided to roll out Tucker despite his pitch count nearing 100; after allowing a leadoff single to Mack Lauder ‘20, a wild pitch moved him up 90 feet. Koperniak worked his magic again and singled to left to score Lauder, but was foolishly thrown out at 2nd trying to catch the left-fielder napping. Tucker was relieved after 6+ innings of solid work, and Steven Landry ‘22 came out of the bullpen to retire the next three hitters in order as the Jumbos now found themselves leading by just a single run. Tufts went to work against RHP Justin Olson ‘21, with DiMaria lacing his second double of the afternoon down the left-field line to open things off. After a sacrifice bunt from Mills, Knight once again came up clutch and clapped a ball way over the left fielder’s head for an RBI double. Olson was relieved by veteran Andrew DeRoche ‘20, but Daues rudely greeted him with a single back up the middle to score Knight and stretch the Jumbos’ lead to 6-3. With the eighth inning featuring virtually no action, the Bantams were left with three outs to score three runs off of closer Spencer Langdon ‘20. The senior didn’t bat an eye, fanning two consecutive hitters before securing the game with a weak infield popup.
Final Score: Tufts 6-3
Bates @ Bowdoin (Neutral Site @ Colby College)
With the Mules down in Florida and the typical Maine winters preventing either team from preparing their respective fields for game shape, both coaches agreed a neutral setting would be perfectly acceptable. The Bobcats came out of the gate in 2020 on a sluggish note, having dropped seven in a row after winning their opening game in the Sunshine State. If you look back at previous years, however, the ‘Cats have notoriously started on the slower slide and tend to ramp up their quality of play into another gear once conference play kicks in. For the Polar Bears, the 2020 season seems to be more of a rebuilding project with the loss of some key upperclassmen from both sides of the ball; however, the young roster no doubt possesses plenty of talent – in fact more than enough to take the series from the favored Bobcats if the latter comes into this series with a passive mindset.
Game Recap
Nolan Collins ’20 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
For the Bobcats, senior ace Nolan “Dirty 30” Collins ‘20 took the mound in his usual Friday role. The hard-throwing righty dominated the Polar Bears a season ago, tossing a complete game with eight K’s, allowing only one hit after his first inning of work. The Polar Bears countered with RHP Colby Lewis ‘20, an effective pitcher who traditionally fills up the zone and pitches to contact. Lewis started off the game with a casual 1-2-3 inning, successfully mixing in a slew of offspeed pitches and forcing the Bates’ hitters to chase out of the zone. Similar to last season’s opening game between the two, the Polar Bears struck first: Eric Mah ‘20 led off the bottom half of the first with a single to right, taking second on a passed ball. Following a sacrifice bunt, Brendan O’Neil’s fly ball to center was just deep enough to plate Mah from third, giving the Polar Bears a 1-0 advantage. Collins fanned his first victim of the day to end the inning, burying a slider in the dirt to get right-fielder Gavin Cann ‘22 check swinging (you could hear “It’s not a sword” echoing out of the Bates dugout). A few innings went by and the score remained unchanged; Lewis faced one over the minimum through three innings, while Collins settled in nicely and retired six in a row, four of those coming via the punchout.
The Bobcats finally got things going in the fourth, with senior catcher Jack Arend ‘20 (playing through a broken hamate bone) working a leadoff walk. Newcomer Henry Jameison ‘23 patiently smacked a get-me-over curveball into the right-center gap, scoring Arend and knotting the game at one apiece. After Bryan Gotti’s ‘22 deep fly ball to right moved Jameison up to third, Antonio Jareno ‘22 knocked a single just past the outstretched arms of Mah at short, giving Bates a 2-1 lead. The hit parade didn’t stop there, however, as Zach Avila ‘20 ‘21, Giovanni Torres ‘20 and Will Sylvia ‘20 each found barrels of their own. When all was said and done, the Bobcats scratched across four runs, which was more than enough for Collins to work with. The senior workhorse ended up going eight strong, allowing two runs (one earned) on just four hits with an impressive ten strikeouts. The Polar Bears attempted to claw their way back in the seventh, getting a run across on some defensive miscues in the seventh. They had an opportunity to cut into the lead further on a single to left from Stephen Simoes ‘23, but left-fielder Jon Lindgren ‘20 absolutely hosed a runner at the plate to keep the Bobcats’ advantage at 4-2. Bates responded in the top half of the eighth with some more offense of their own: facing RHP Peter Mansfield ‘20, Pat Beaton ‘20 (pinch-hitting for Lindgren) worked a leadoff walk. Beaton promptly stole second, and a beautifully-executed hit and run by Christian Beal ‘21 found a gap in right-center as he slid into third with a triple. Arend’s single up the middle would plate another run for the Bobcats, extending their lead to 6-2. After Collins finished off the eighth and RHP Ryan Winn ‘21 worked a quick ninth, Coach Martin called on senior closer Miles Michaud ‘20 to shut the door. After plunking OF James McCarthy ‘21 with a heater in the back, Michaud turned a comebacker into a 1-6-3 double play, taking the wind out of the Polar Bears’ sails. The man they call “Slenda” caught Nick Lam ‘22 looking on a slide-piece for strike three, ending the ballgame.
Final Score: Bates 6-2
Middlebury @ Colby (Neutral Site @ Orlando, FL)
It’s always nice to start NESCAC play in sunny Florida, particularly on the back end of a successful spring break trip. While this game may not officially count towards the NESCAC standings, it pits two interesting teams against each other with both teams trying to make some noise before they head back up north. For Middlebury this game represents an opportunity to show that they’re the favorites in this league, behind an impressive pitching staff with the dangerous 1-2 punch of RHP Michael Farinelli ’21 and LHP Alex Price ’22. They also return speed demon Justin Han ’20 and power-hitter Henry Strmecki ’21 who is a legit candidate for farthest ball hit this season with the ugliest swing. On the Colby side, Frank Driscoll ’21 is truly one of the best starting pitchers in the league, but they boast a relatively unproven lineup. Will Phillips ’21 and Will Wessman ’21 are important returning pieces, but it’s hard to know who would step up for the Mules this year.
Game Recap
Justin Han ’20 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
The matchup of Farinelli vs. Driscoll proved to be quite an exciting pitcher’s duel. Working around a leadoff walk to Justin Han ’20 in the top of the first, Driscoll was able to strike out the side, stranding Han at second base. Farinelli responded by striking out the Colby side in the bottom half of the first, despite 3-hitter Dylan Nastri ’22 yanking a ball down the right field line that missed the foul pole by mere inches. Over the next 3 innings Driscoll worked his way out of a few jams, keeping the Panthers scoreless through 4. Farinelli put together 1-2-3 innings in both the 2nd and 3rd, but a leadoff triple by Will Phillips ’21 in the 4th put the Mules in an excellent position and forced Middlebury to bring the infield in. After inducing an Andrew Russell ’21 pop up to the infield, Nastri was able to draw a walk, putting runners on the corners with just one out. A Will Wessman ’21 fly ball was just deep enough to score Phillips, putting Colby ahead 1-0. However, Farinelli punched out Drew Miller ’23 to minimize the damage and end the inning. The Panthers were finally able to get to Driscoll in the 5th behind a gap shot from Alec Ritch ’22 and a two-out, bloop single from Alan Guild ’20 to even the score.
The game remained tied through 7, when Coach Leonard decided that Farinelli’s day was done. He handed the ball to known psychopath George Goldstein ’21, who worked around a walk in the 8th to keep the score knotted at 1 as they headed to the final frame. Driscoll, still in the game to start the 9th despite a pitch count at 117 and counting, surrendered a leadoff single to Justin Han ’20 and Coach Woods turned to Patrick Carbone ’21 out of the bullpen. After Han picked up his 4th and 5th stolen bases of the day to get to 3rd base, the floodgates opened for the Panthers. A Strmecki home run was followed by back-to-back-to-back doubles from Andrew Hennings ’20, Alec Ritch ’22, and Hayden Smith ’20 to make the score 5-1 without an out recorded in the top half of the 9th. At this point Coach Woods made another change, bringing Wessman in from first base to pitch, and he got two quick outs before allowing an RBI single to Gray Goolsby ’20, adding to the Panther lead. Wessman was finally able to retire the side, catching Brooks Carroll ’20 looking to end the inning. Goldstein allowed a one-out single to George Schmidt ’20, but was able to secure the win for Middlebury by striking out the final two hitters.
Final Score: Middlebury 6-1
Wesleyan @ Amherst (Amherst, MA)
Two teams perennially in contention; Amherst and Wesleyan both find themselves right in the mix again this year in a crowded West Division. The Mammoths suffer the loss of their top two starting pitchers from last season in Andrew Ferrero ’19 and Davis Brown ’19, along with closer Mike Dow ’19. They don’t lose much from their lineup, aside from breakout star Chase Henley ’19 and former Little League World Series hero Nick Nardone ’19. This leaves their pitching largely in question, however they bring back impressive lefty Andrew Nagel ’21 who will start game one. Wesleyan, on the other hand, loses key bats Andrew Keith ’19 and Danny Rose ’19, but not a ton of pitching. Former ace Mike McCaffrey ’19 sputtered out at the end of his career and relief man Ryan Earle ’19 didn’t really impress in his final season either. An important note is that Wesleyan lost LHP Kelvin Sosa ’21 after he left the school in the first semester for undisclosed reasons*. This game is sure to have great impact on playoff position in the west at the end of the year.
*While the reasons may be undisclosed, there are some pretty nasty rumors out there so it does not appear that Sosa left the school on good terms.
Game Recap
Jonny Corning ’20 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
While Amherst sent lefty Andrew Nagel ’21 to the hill, Wesleyan countered with funky right-hander Pat Clare who decided to put on the Cardinal uniform for his 5th year with the program. Wesleyan got on the board early in this one as Andrew Kauf ’20 crushed an 0-2 pitch into the left-center gap to score Adam Geibel ’22 from 1st, making it 1-0 Cardinals. Clare set down the Amherst side in order in the first, but doubles from Stephen Burke ’21 and Severino Simeone ’20, followed by a single from Will Murphy ’20 made the score 2-1 in favor of the Mammoths after 2 innings. Tanner Fulkerson ’20 led off the top of the 3rd with a single followed by a walk from Ryan Molinari ’23 put two runners on with nobody out. A throwing error by SS Stephen Burke ’21 allowed a run to score and put runners at 2nd and 3rd, still with no outs in the inning. Nagel then induced a weak pop up for the first out and followed that by walking Kauf to load the bases. A one-hopper by Wes Fritch ’22 was snagged at 2nd base by Daniel Qin ’22 and turned into a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame, keeping the score tied at 2. After two scoreless innings, Jonny Corning ’20 broke the tie in the top of the 6th with a solo shot deep to straightaway left, chasing Nagel from the game with just one out in the inning. Based on the recommendation from first-year assistant coach Kyle Bonicki, Coach Pyne turned to one of his senior captains Zach Horwitz ’20 to escape further trouble. A walk followed by a strikeout and a single from Fulkerson put runners on the corners with two outs, bringing up the top of the Cardinal lineup. A huge break for Amherst came at this point when Fulkerson tried to advance on a ball in the dirt but Seve Simeone ’20 picked it up and gunned down the runner at 2nd to get out of the jam.
Coach Woodworth – not known for his game management skills – decided to make a change and bring in Joe Mescall ’21 to pitch the 6th despite Clare having set down the last 8 hitters in order. Mescall immediately let up a bomb to Joseph Palmo ’21, proving that Coach Woody absolutely made the right decision with the pitching change. This was followed a few hitters later by a pinch-hit, 2-out, 2-run homer from Topher Brown ’20, making the score 5-3 in favor of the Mammoths. After a scoreless 7th inning, Coach Woodworth made another mind-boggling decision by pinch-hitting for Andrew Kauf ’20 – likely the team’s best hitter – in the top of the 8th. Miraculously, pinch-hitter/right-handed pitcher Nolan Webb ’20 delivered with a single to leadoff the inning. A double by Wes Fritch ’22 and a sac-fly from Jonny Corning ’20 brought the Cardinals within 1 with a man on 2nd and one out in the frame. Coach Pyne decided to hand the ball to sophomore Sachin Nambiar ’22 to relieve Horwitz, who did a nice job keeping Wesleyan at bay for 2+ innings. Nambiar allowed a seeing-eye single to Jake Alonzo ’20, plating Fritch and tying the game at 5 mid-way through the 8th. Alonzo was asked to relieve Mescall in the bottom half of the 8th and set down the side in order, sending the game to the 9th even at 5 apiece.
Things got a little crazy in the 9th as Ryan Molinari ’23 reached on an error and advanced to 2nd on a sac bunt. Alex Cappitelli ’20 then hit a soft line drive into right-center field that Kai Terada-Herzer ’21 laid out for and appeared to come up with a miraculous catch, however the umpires claimed that the ball hit the ground first and thus it was ruled a trap. Molinari had taken off on contact believing that there were two outs, so at first it looked like Amherst might have come up with an inning-ending double play. Because the ball touched the ground, however, Molinari was able to score with ease, giving Wesleyan a crucial 6-5 lead. Pinch-hitter Nolan Webb ‘20 delivered yet again, placing a ball perfectly down the right field line, scoring Cappitelli from first and scampering to 2nd for a double. Nambiar set down the side after this, but the damage was done. Alonzo retired the Amherst side in order in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Cardinals a wild victory in this one.
This was a bit of a different year for NESCAC Basketball with no one team looking dominant and the conference “only” getting three teams into the NCAA Tournament. Although they may not have won the NESCAC, it’s hard to argue that anyone else had a better season start to finish than the Mules. Colby raced off to an 18-0 start behind the excellent play of Sam Jefferson ’20 who looked like he might run away with the Player of the Year Award before he went down with an ankle injury in their game against Hamilton. This team only features one frontcourt player, so their strategy is basically to speed the game up to get out in transition and shoot a lot of three pointers. This has mostly worked for them, particularly since their lone big man Dean Weiner ’20 has really elevated his play recently, matching up against some of the conference’s elite bigs. Colby has never appeared in the NCAA Tournament, so we’re about to find out if they’re truly ready for the biggest spotlight.
How They Got Here
Sam Jefferson ’20 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
As I just mentioned, the Mules got off to a blazing hot start at 18-0 and climbing as high as 5th in the national rankings. Losses to Tufts and Amherst late in the year dropped them to 2nd in the NESCAC by the end of the regular season, earning them a home game against 7th-seeded Bates in the quarterfinals. This game became an instant classic as the Bobcats failed to seal the win late and big shots by Alex Dorion ’20, Will King ’23, and Matt Hanna ’21 allowed Colby to walk away victorious. They followed this up with yet another thrilling matchup with Amherst, coming from behind to eke out a 4-point win to advance to their first NESCAC Championship. Although they ended up on the wrong side of yet another ridiculously exciting, double overtime contest against Tufts, the committee awarded their efforts with an at-large bid and a trip to Hoboken for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
How They Lose
I feel like I’ve been saying it all year, but the recipe for a Colby defeat doesn’t seem that complicated. They only have one true big man and they rely heavily on the three-ball, so you’d think that a team with a bit of size who slows the game down would be able to put the Mules to rest. That said, this strategy hasn’t exactly worked for everyone who’s tried it. Amherst employed this very technique in the semifinals but Colby was able to grind out a low-scoring win in come-from-behind fashion. The Mules also use about 7-8 guys per game and Coach Strahorn really rides his starters, so I can envision fatigue catching up to them a bit, particularly for Dean Weiner ’20 since he’ll likely be asked to play more minutes than he’s used to in order to matchup with opposing big men. These all seem like very likely ways for Colby to lose, but it really hasn’t been that easy this year. Only two teams all season have been able to defeat the Mules, so I don’t anticipate them being an easy matchup for whoever they go up against.
The Competition
Christopher Newport (21-6, 9-1, at-large bid)
(Courtesy of CNU Athletics)
The Captains earned at at-large bid out of the Capital Athletic Conference where they were pretty dominant all year. Their only conference losses were at the hands of York College, once in the regular season and once in the conference championship. York is also an excellent team that has a chance to make a run in the tournament, so these aren’t particularly bad losses. Their non-conference schedule was also pretty loaded, as all but one of their losses came to teams that are also in the NCAA Tournament. The scoring duties are led by junior Jason Aigner ’21 who’s averaging 13.9 points per game while shooting over 45% from beyond the arc. He’s aided by senior forward Dalon McHugh II ’20, who’s putting up 12.3 points and hauling in nearly 8 rebounds per game. CNU has some guys with size who could give Colby trouble, but they aren’t regular members of the rotation so it’ll be interesting to see if they stick with what they’ve been doing or if they decide to overpower the Mules with some size off the bench. Either way I think this will be a good matchup, but I don’t see Colby’s season ending tonight.
Writer’s Pick: Colby 86 – Christopher Newport 80
The Other Two
Stevens (23-4, 12-2, MAC Freedom Champions)
(Courtesy of Stevens Athletics)
Stevens is somewhat of an enigma given that they come from a relatively weak region, but there’s no doubt that this team can play. They blew threw the MAC Freedom Tournament, winning the title game in convincing fashion en route to becoming a host for the first two rounds of NCAAs. This team has some experience playing against the nation’s best, as they defeated #6 Johns Hopkins early in the year and battled to close defeats against #1 Swarthmore and #21 Middlebury as well. The Ducks are led by the trio of Spencer Cook ‘20, Alec DiPietrantonio ‘21, and Kevin Florio ‘20, each of whom average double digits in scoring. Cook shoots the three at a nearly 50% clip, so you can bet that teams will key in on him and make sure to always get a hand in his face. They’ve been tested before so you know they’ll be tough, but given that they haven’t played a particularly tough schedule since before the New Year, it’s hard to know exactly what we’ll see from them.
Nichols (20-8, 12-4, CCC Champions)
(Courtesy of Nichols Athletics)
The Bison are easily the weakest team in this region and I really don’t anticipate them getting past day one. They had a great run last season making it all the way to the Elite 8, but they lost quite a bit to graduation and really haven’t been the same team at all this year. They’ve got some experience with NESCAC teams as they took down Trinity and lost to both Tufts and Hamilton earlier this year, plus they earned a win early in the year over New England College who’s also an NCAA Tournament team. After finishing second in their conference during the regular season, Nichols defeated top-seeded Endicott in a thriller to earn the automatic bid into the tournament. DeAnte Bruton ’20 is as versatile a scorer as any, posting 22.3 points per game and big man Matt Morrow ’21 has been a beast this year, averaging a double double with 15.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Jaekwon Spencer ’22 chips in 12.6 points per game of his own, but outside of these three guys there isn’t a ton of damage to be done. They have the pieces to make some games interesting, but this is a tough region and I don’t think Nichols has the fire power to consistently keep up with some of these other schools.
It is a testament to the NESCAC and its strength year after year that Middlebury was able to finish in 5th in the conference, lose in the first round of the conference tournament, and still be considered a no brainer to make the NCAA Tournament. On the back of a 15-0 out of conference record, Middlebury spent a good portion of the season in the Top 10 of the national polls and hovering at the top of the Northeast regional rankings. An electric offense led by two-time all-league junior guard Jack Farrell ’21 (16.9 PPG) and junior transfer forward Tommy Eastman ’21 (18.6 PPG in conference play) have shown that they can score with anyone in the country, but injuries and inconsistent play have kept them from reaching the heights that some thought they could reach.
But that is largely where the guarantees for Midd end. This will be the 3rd straight year the Panthers enter the Big Dance with two weeks off, courtesy of yet another quarterfinal exit. It’s hard to say whether or not this has affected them all that much. Last year they did lose in the first round, but it was to Nichols, an Elite 8 team, by just three points. The year before, they were bounced from the Sweet 16, nothing to be ashamed of. The success of this Middlebury season now hangs largely in part on their ability to recover and try and play their best basketball at the right time.
How They Got Here
Jack Farrell ’21 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
As I already touched on, Middlebury flew out of the gates to start the season, winning their first 15 games, including a road win over nationally ranked Springfield, before losing at Amherst in their NESCAC opener. Despite finishing the season with a 20-5 record, it has been a year of up and downs for Panther nation. An already thin bench was depleted even further with the preseason season injury to G Joey Leighton ’20, before they lost sophomore C Alex Sobel (11.4 PPG, 6.8 REB/G, 1.5 BLK/G) for undisclosed reasons just 12 games into the season. Despite the 15-0 start, there were shaky performances in a largely uncompetitive schedule—a 4-point win against Bridgewater St., close games against Wentworth and Johnson St., and escaping in a 1-point win against New England College. A 6-4 record and a quarterfinal exit in NESCAC play did not do much to inspire confidence heading into the tournament either. However, if you’re a Middlebury fan, you have to feel pretty good about your draw, but we’ll get to that in a second.
How They Lose
Middlebury can score with anyone, there is no denying that. But when the shots aren’t falling, which every team is prone to, they don’t always have the defensive consistency required to stay in the game. In their 5 losses, they have allowed opponents to score 88.4 points per game, including 100 to Trinity (not a noted NESCAC offensive powerhouse) in their NESCAC quarterfinal loss. Middlebury’s lack of size at the wing position and lack of true defensive centers is an issue that is not going to go away, so it is really on their guards to prevent opposing teams from penetrating and getting to the rim. Despite their lack of elite team defense, they do have a couple players who put up some nice defensive numbers. Jack Farrell (1.9) was second in the NESCAC in steals per game, while F Matt Folger ’20 was one of two players in the NESCAC to average more than a steal and a block per game. His 1.4 steals per game was 4th, and his 1.5 blocks was 5th. Getting those types of contributions from both would be a welcome sight for Panther fans.
The other deficiency for Middlebury is rebounding. Their -0.2 rebounding margin was 2nd to last in the NESCAC, another factor of their lack of size. There are certain things that you can’t fix on a whiteboard, especially when you start 3 6’0 guards. They are just going to really have to give championship effort on the glass, especially if they want to make a run into the second weekend and beyond.
The Competition
Westfield State (20-7, 10-2, MASCAC Champions)
(Courtesy of Westfield State Athletics)
The Owls announced their presence to the rest of the NESCAC very early in the season, pulling off a shock 68-67 upset of then #3 Amherst just before Thanksgiving on a Jauch Green Jr. ’20 layup with 3.7 seconds left. As the year went on, it proved to be not nearly as much of an upset as fans of the NESCAC might have expected. Westfield St. captured the regular season MASCAC honors with a 10-2 league record and then proved it was no fluke by winning the conference tournament as well. Unlike Middlebury, who is coming into the tournament on a two-game losing streak, the Owls are peaking at the right time, winners of 13 of their last 15. They are led by the senior duo of Green (18.4 PPG, 7.6 REB/G, 3.1 AST/G) and G Vawn Lord (19.7 PPG, 6.7 REB/G), both of whom were named to the MASCAC 1st-Team. The gameplan for this team is pretty simple—keep them off the glass, and don’t let them get to the line. They might just be the best rebounding team in the country: 1st in total rebounds, 6th in offensive rebounds, and 14th in defensive rebounds. As just mentioned, this is a huge weakness for Middlebury. The other thing Westfield St. does really well is get to the free throw line. They took more free throws than any other team in the country (775) and were 3rd in makes, with 501. It is not so much the points themselves that might be concerning, but the fact that Middlebury is already running a very short rotation, playing just 7 guys right now, with Junior F Ryan Cahill ’21 still questionable with a foot injury. Upon closer inspection, this could be a nervy game for Middlebury.
Coast Guard (14-13, 6-8, NEWMAC Champions)
(Courtesy of Coast Guard Athletics)
One of the tournament’s true Cinderella stories this year, the Coast Guard bears entered the NEWMAC tournament with a losing record at 11-13 and needing to play in the 4 vs. 5 play-in game to earn the right to make the semifinals. They came from 10 down to knock off last year’s conference champions Emerson 80-78, then traveled to top seeded Springfield and bested them 88-82, before coming roaring back from 25 down early in the second half to knock off WPI 89-86 in overtime. It was one of the strongest years in recent memory for the NEWMAC with Springfield, WPI, and Babson all winning 20 games and spending numerous weeks in the d3hoops.com Top 25, and all securing at-large bids to the NCAA tournament. But it was Coast Guard who punched their ticket first. The Bears are led by a senior trio in G Packy Witkowski (17.7), F Noah Baldez (13.4), and F Justin Kane (13.0), who combine to score 44.1 of their 83.6 points a game. Offense doesn’t seem to be an issue, as they averaged those near 84 points a game on 45/37/74 splits, rather it is on the other end of the court where they struggle—allowing 82.6 points per game on 45.8% shooting a game. Those numbers would rank last and second to last in the NESCAC, to put it into perspective. The reality with this team is that you can throw the stats out the window and forget about them. The slipper has clearly fit so far and their potential opponents just need to hope they run out of magic this weekend.
SUNY Brockport (24-3, 17-1, SUNYAC Champions)
(Courtesy of Brockport Athletics)
The hosts this weekend, the number 1 ranked team in the East region, and one of the hottest teams in the country are the Brockport St. Golden Eagles. Winners of 17 in a row, the winners of the SUNYAC haven’t lost since January 10th. They were every bit as dominant as it appeared, averaging 85.3 points per game on the season, and holding opponents to just 70.9. Brockport is led by its three All-SUNYAC recipients, first team Sophomore G Jahidi Wallace (14.1 PPG, 4.9 REB/G) and second team seniors Tyler Collins (12.4 PPG, 3.8 AST/G) and Justin Summers (15.5 PPG, 6.1 REB/G, 1.7 BLK/G), the latter of which probably would’ve been a first teamer and a player of the candidate if he didn’t miss 9 games in the middle of conference play. While those individual numbers might not jump off the charts, it is safe to say this team is greater than the sum of its parts. Brockport’s gaudy conference success was fueled in part by their 16.6 assists per game, which led the conference, and their opportunistic defense, their whopping 10.9 steals per game was 8th in the entire country. Additionally, they do a terrific job of guarding the three point line (29.3%, also 8th in the nation), and believe it or not—are arguably second best in the country at getting to the free throw line, behind Westfield St., 2nd in the country in attempts and 4th in the country in makes. (Sidenote—if Westfield St. upsets Midd and plays Brockport, not going to be the easiest game on the eyes). The biggest question mark with a team like Brockport is really just its strength of schedule, having played 18 of their 27 games in conference. They seem like the clear favorite to advance, however.
Everything Else
If you’re a Middlebury fan, it might almost be pointless to read and digest any of this preview. I know that’s not the best marketing ploy in the world, but the reality is that the team that is best equipped to beat Middlebury is Middlebury. When they are clicking on all cylinders, we can see why they were considered to be one of the best 5-10 teams in the country. The offensive talent—Farrell, Bosco, Eastman, Folger—is to die for, but the consistency issues, coupled with overreliance on an already thin rotation, has boom or bust written all over it. If Middlebury makes it out of this weekend, they only have to beat Tufts, a team they beat before, to reach Fort Wayne and the Elite 8. But all signs point to this team being just as likely to lose to Westfield St. as they are of cutting down any nets.
Tufts secured their first NESCAC Championship in program history this past weeked, surviving a grueling double-overtime game against Colby in what will surely go down as an instant classic. Despite leading by as many as seventeen points late in the first half, the Jumbos simply could not put away the feisty Mules; maintaining a nine-point advantage with just under eight minutes remaining in regulation, Tufts allowed the visitors to surge ahead on a 15-2 run, capped off by Sam Jefferson’s three-ball with 2:51 on the clock. With the Jumbos trailing by one with eleven ticks left, a missed layup by senior leader Eric Savage ‘20 seemed to signal a potential sour ending in the team’s journey to capture a NESCAC Championship on their own floor. However, Savage was given an opportunity to redeem himself after Matt Hanna ‘21 calmly knocked down two free throws to stretch Colby’s advantage to three with six seconds remaining. The decision made by Coach Damien Strahorn to not foul was quite puzzling (although it is easier to say this behind a keyboard and not in the heat of the moment), but it nevertheless came back to bite the Mules as Savage drained a triple to send the game to overtime. The teams traded leads back-and-forth during the first few minutes, and Savage once again came up big with another three-ball to knot the game at 83 with 52 seconds left. The Mules answered thanks to Will King’s layup, but it was the Jumbos who once again refused to quit; Savage’s missed jumper was followed up by Dylan Thoerner ‘23, who was fouled with virtually zeros on the game clock. In arguably the most intense atmosphere the rookie had experienced in his playing career to this date, Thoerner cooly sunk both free throws to force double overtime. In the final five minutes, big man Luke Rogers ‘21 gave the Jumbos the lead for good with a layup followed by a successful three-point play, and with a plethora of converted free throws down the stretch, the Tufts’ players, coaches and fans erupted with joy as the seconds ran down, knowing they had finally emerged victorious.
How they Got Here
Luke Rogers ’21 (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
All roads to success for the Jumbos lead through the duo of Savage and Rogers, who averaged a combined 32.7 ppg during the regular season. The two compliment each other very well, as opposing teams are normally left with no choice but to provide help defense with whoever is guarding Rogers down low, allowing for extra driving lanes and an extended perimeter to shoot from for Savage and the rest of the Jumbos’ sharpshooters. The veteran leadership from Savage, the only senior on the Jumbos’ roster, is extremely impressive considering where the Jumbos are now compared to a season ago. Despite flashing glimpses of their potential such as their shocking upset against top-seeded Middlebury in the NESCAC Quarterfinals, the 2019 season saw Tufts finish just 12-14 with a 4-6 record in-conference. The maturation and focus that was required of this team in order to regularly compete at the highest level was met with open arms, and the reward is the team’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2016.
While the offense certainly had its moments, the defense was key concerning Tufts’ successful path to securing a regional host. The Jumbos boast one of the stingiest defensive units in the conference, allowing opponents to shoot just 41% from the field. They don’t force a ton of turnovers (12.4 per game) but rather grind down opponents by keeping them outside the paint, leaving defenses frustrated after forcing contested shot after shot. And despite the lack of turnovers as a whole, steals have not been a problem to come by; all the guards have very active hands, constantly pressuring the ball-handlers and making life as uncomfortable as possible for the opposition.
How they Lose
The Jumbos certainly have flaws on both sides of the ball. On the offensive end, poor free-throw shooting has plagued this team all season long. Quite frankly, it is a minor miracle they lost just six games while shooting 64% from the line as a team. Amongst the nine members of the team who average twelve minutes or more during a contest, only three of them (Brennan Morris ‘21 – 84.5%, Tyler Aronson ‘22 – 83.1%, and Thoerner – 78.3%) are reliable from the charity stripe. The other six? 56.3%. I have mentioned this in the past, but Rogers in particular can be exploited for his poor shooting efforts (79-171 from the free throw line this season, good for 46.2%) late in games as teams begin to foul intentionally.
Another common factor that seems to reoccur when the Jumbos drop a contest is the number of fouls the team picks up. As good as the defensive unit is, Tufts leads the NESCAC in fouls committed by a considerable margin with nearly 21 fouls per game. This essentially means that not only will the respective opponent experience a bonus opportunity in each half of the contest, but (more than likely) they will eclipse ten fouls and get to the double bonus. As Tufts heads to the Big Dance, opposing teams with deeper rosters will look to use the Jumbos’ aggressiveness against them and draw contact in order to pile up both the fouls on Tufts and the free throw attempts. Being in a familiar environment, however, should be beneficial for the NESCAC Champions, who have lost just one game in front of their faithful supporters this calendar year.
**Speaking of faithful supporters, shame on Johns Hopkins for hosting a regional and barring fans from partaking in the event. At the very least, the University should have notified the NCAA about their stance regarding the coronavirus and public sporting events sooner, so that the next highest seed could host and this type of situation would not occur. Cowards, all of you.
The Competition
Western Connecticut St. (20-7, 12-4, Little East Conference Champions)
(Courtesy of LEC Athletics)
The champs out of the Little East Conference started out slow, losing three out of four conference games in early January; however, they caught fire and closed out the season winning ten of eleven, including seven in a row. While the offense is nothing out of this world, the Colonials boast an extremely deep roster – thirteen players average at least eight minutes a game. Three players average double figures, led by senior forward Fenton Bradley ‘20 (16.1 PPG, 6.3 REB/G). Ahmod Privott ‘22 (10.6 PPG), Jaheim Young ‘23 (10.3 PPG), and first-team all name selection Legend Johnson ‘21 (8.6 PPG) round out the top scoring threats for Western Connecticut St. In all honesty, the Jumbos should have no problem taking care of the Colonials: after all, Bradley is the team’s tallest player at 6’7’’, and even if he were to limit Rogers in some fashion, the Colonials’ supporting cast severely lacks the height and size to continuously bang down low. I expect a bit of nerves from the Jumbos to begin, but by the second half, things should start flowing. Give me the Jumbos by 15+.
Writer’s Pick:Tufts 78 – Western Connecticut 62
The Other Two:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (23-4, 17-1, at-large bid)
(Courtesy of RPI Athletics)
If Tufts advances to the round of 32, Rensselaer looks like the odds-on favorite to be their next opponent. Prior to falling to Ithaca College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was previously the 24th-ranked team in the nation. After an 0-2 start to the season, RPI thoroughly dominated their schedule and only dropped two contests the rest of the way (both to Ithaca College). The tone-setter for this squad is most certainly their defense, allowing a mere 60.6 PPG. Tufts will most certainly have their work cut out for them on the offensive end, as the Engineers force over 16 turnovers per game. Similarly to Western Connecticut St., the offensive unit will not strike a ton of fear into Tufts’ hearts, but they do possess a slew of players that can create their own shots. Patrick Mahoney ‘21 leads all scorers on the Engineers with 15.1 points per contest and chips in with 5.7 rebounds/game. Mason Memmelaar ‘22 (13.2 PPG, 5.5 REB/G) and Dom Black ‘22 (11.4 PPG, 6.2 REB/G) round out the other two reliable scorers, while Johnny Angbazo (43.5% from three) ‘23 and Will Rubin ‘23 (9.2 PPG, 39.1% from three) will absolutely knock down shots if not given the proper attention.
New England College (21-6, 10-2, New England Collegiate Conference Champions)
(Courtesy of NECC Athletics)
The Pilgrims enter the NCAA Tournament in brilliant form, winners of ten straight (seven of those by double digits). What’s more is that they already own a victory over the Jumbos, a 59-56 defensive battle that saw Tufts turn the ball over 23 times. The game was quite uncharacteristic for both teams involved, but was especially so for the Pilgrims, who average close to 90 points per game. New England College features five different players who average double figures, led by Izaiah Winston-Brooks ‘20 (18.0 PPG, 5.3 REB/G) and Jamal Allen ‘22 (15.0 PPG). They love to drive into the lane and get to the free throw line, averaging right around 16 attempts per game. The defense is below average, allowing over 80 points a game and struggles to rebound the ball. It really is quite puzzling that Tufts fell to a team with this poor of a defensive unit, but upon realizing this was a non-conference meeting during the normal conference slate, the sloppy play is not totally surprising. If they meet again, Tufts should be able to re-enforce their defensive superiority and limit the Pilgrims’ talented weapons, but this is certainly a team to keep an eye on as a potential sleeper in this regional.
#2 Colby (23-2, 8-2) vs. #3 Amherst (18-7, 7-3), 7pm, Medford, MA
Overview
The Mammoths come into this game very hot, winning 7 of 8 games over the past month. Recently they have been led by emerging star Garrett Day ’21 who is averaging over 20 points per game during this stretch and has now found himself a spot in the starting lineup. Historically Amherst has made their living by playing fundamentally sound basketball, being careful with the ball and playing gritty, hard-nosed defense. Well, this year is no exception. Right now the Mammoths allow the fewest points of anyone in the league and they turn the ball over less than anyone besides Middlebury. In their first meeting Amherst held Colby – the league’s highest scoring team by a large margin – to just 69 points on 37.5% shooting, however they also turned the ball over 22 times. They also shot 58.9% from the floor in that game, which is their second highest single-game shooting percentage of the season. Last time around the Mammoths may have been able to shoot their way out of some carelessness with the ball, but I expect them to put extra emphasis on sticking to their game plan and not let the Mules speed the game up too much.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that Colby has struggled recently, but things definitely haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows over the past few weeks like they were at the start of the season. The Mules are still 5-2 over their last 7 games, but when you get off to an 18-0 start any loss makes it look like you’re slowing down. One of the biggest question marks in this game is the status of Sam Jefferson ’20, who went down with an ankle injury 3 weeks ago against Hamilton. Jefferson is one of the most efficient and talented players in the league and still has a realistic shot at winning NESCAC Player of the Year despite missing several games. He didn’t play at all over the 4 games after his injury, but last weekend Coach Strahorn tried sending him out there during the Mules’ triple overtime victory over Bates in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately Jefferson immediately had to go back to the bench because it essentially looked like he was playing on one leg. If Coach Strahorn thought that there was a chance Jefferson could play last week, perhaps an extra week of rest and healing is all it will take for him to at least be able to contribute a good chunk of minutes. Colby has an array of guards who can spread the floor and shoot the crap out of the ball, but Sam Jefferson ’20 is an important piece of the puzzle and they certainly haven’t been the same team without him.
Amherst X-Factor
F Eric Sellew ’20 (13.3 PPG, 6.9 REB/G, 3.4 AST/G, 53.6% FG, 23 MIN/G)
(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
There’s no doubt that Sellew is the X-Factor for the Mammoths in this one. Colby’s number one problem is that they lack size, so the fact that Sellew is 6’7” means that he should feast on the glass all night. He’s also a versatile scorer and his long wingspan makes him very difficult to guard around the basket. A shoulder injury in mid-January sidelined him for a few games, but it seems as though he’s back to full health. In their first meeting with the Mules Sellew struggled a bit, turning the ball over 7 times and only grabbing 4 rebounds (he did score 15 points). Amherst still won that game, but they can’t expect the same result if Sellew isn’t at his very best. With his injury in the rear-view mirror, he’s ready to lead the Mammoths to yet another deep postseason run.
Colby X-Factor
G Will King ’23 (9.7 PPG, 4.6 REB/G, 5.8 AST/G, 50% FG)
(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
King could not have picked a better time to have his best game of the season, netting 32 points, hauling in 11 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists in the Mules triple overtime victory over Bates in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. This guy has been one of the most impressive rookies in the league all season, but if he’s able to elevate his play even more in the postseason then Colby is primed for a deep playoff run. King is the NESCAC leader in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, so we know he has great court vision and he’s careful with the ball. He’s also the tallest player in the starting lineup (albeit 6’5”), so he’ll need to continue hitting the boards to help with rebounding duties. His points per game average is a bit deceiving because he started the year off a bit slow scoring wise. Over the last 15 games he has reached double figures 10 times, most recently with his 32-point outburst last weekend. With everything else he does on the court, if King can increase his scoring totals then he’s going to really make an impact down the stretch.
Final Thoughts
Obviously the health of Sam Jefferson ’20 is a huge factor in this one, but I expect it to be a battle either way. NESCAC Tournament games have a flare for the dramatic and no one knows that better than these two teams who are both coming off overtime quarterfinal matchups. Garrett Day ’21 has emerged as the star over the second half of the season for Amherst and he’s been very hot as of late, but they’ll need guys like Fru Che ’21 and Josh Chery ’20 to step up as well if they want to keep up with Colby’s high octane offense. The Mules’ five-man backcourt of Jefferson, Noah Tyson ’22, Matt Hanna ’21, Alex Dorion ’20, and Will King ’23 can score on you in a hurry, but they had a season-low shooting percentage in their first go around against the Mammoths. Conversely, Amherst had their second highest field goal percentage of the season last time against the Mules. I wouldn’t bet on either of those happening again, particularly since they’ve each seen each other once and have made some adjustments heading into this meeting. Colby’s reliance on the 3-ball makes them really hard to trust in the postseason, even with a 23-2 record over the course of the season. Combine that with Jefferson’s status being up in the air, I think the third-seeded Mammoths are the favorites in this one.
#1 Tufts (19-6, 8-2) vs. #4 Trinity (17-8, 6-4), 5pm, Medford, MA
Overview
Tufts heads into this match off the heels of a comfortable 83-66 quarterfinal victory over Hamilton that saw four starters reach double figures. Led by veteran guard Eric Savage’s 20 points, the Jumbos blazed out of the gate with a 14-3 run to start the game and never looked back, knocking down 58% of their shots in the process. The regular season NESCAC champions put together as well-rounded of a first half performance as they have had all season (despite turning the ball over eleven times), shooting 64% from the field and stifling the opposition to the tune of just 32.3% and 2-14 from behind the arc. Keeping their foot on the gas, the Jumbos extended their lead as far as 24 points, taking a commanding 64-40 lead with twelve minutes remaining.
Joe Bell ’20 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
The Bantams have had quite the puzzling season, needing overtime to defeat lowly Conn College while beating the likes of Middlebury, Williams and Amherst to claim the tournament’s fourth seed. Despite having the seeding advantage over the Panthers, not many people would have expected Trinity to take down the nation’s 19th-ranked squad, and yet they not only did so for the second time this season, but the boys in blue and yellow did so in convincing fashion. The offense has been quite sporadic, but the Bantams reached the century mark for the fifth time in 2020, becoming the first team to hang 100 on the Panthers this season. Shooting a sizzling 56.5% from the field, Trinity took a twelve-point lead with Colin Donovan’s jumper with just over three minutes remaining in the first half; from that point onward, the Bantams never let the lead dwindle below a dozen, splatting six threes and converting twenty of their twenty-seven field goals in the second half.
Rogers is undoubtedly (and literally) the centerpiece of this squad, tallying eight double-doubles in ten NESCAC games thus far. The Player of the Year candidate led the ‘CAC with 11.9 rebounds per game and was fifth in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per contest. He had what would be perceived by his standards as a quieter effort in the quarterfinals against Hamilton, finishing with fourteen points and six boards; however, there is no doubt that his size and skill set in the low post attracts a multitude of helpside defenders, giving the rest of the team open lanes to drive and shots to knock down. In their emphatic, 30-point victory over the Bantams back in early February, the junior tallied sixteen points (6-11 shooting) and six boards in just 23 minutes. Rogers and the rest of the Jumbos know this semifinal game won’t be as easy as their regular season meeting, and he’ll have to be on his A-game in order to walk out of Cousens Gymnasium with a win. One area he’ll have to improve on is his free throw percentage: over his past four games, Rogers is shooting an abysmal 32% from the charity stripe. The big fella was not exactly phenomenal at shooting free throws to begin with, but Trinity will know this and use every chance they have to send Rogers to the line instead of giving up an easy bucket (or maybe even implement a hack-a-Rogers strategy).
Trinity is relatively well-rounded in the scoring department, but Donovan is one of the more pure shooters on this team and will certainly need to score aplenty Saturday afternoon in Medford. The junior rounds out the top-ten scorers in the NESCAC with 16.4 PPG and attempts around six threes per contest. He’s scored fifteen plus in each of his last four games, including dropping 24 on Amherst. Against Tufts in the previous matchup, however, Donovan was uncharacteristically shut down, failing to register a single point in seventeen minutes of action. We here at Nothing But NESCAC certainly don’t expect the same result this time around, but for Trinity to win this game, Donovan will have to take over this game and eclipse 20+ points. He’s certainly capable of doing so (reaching that mark on six occasions to date) and Donovan has had games where he can run up the numbers in the rebounding and assists department(s). Trinity will surely need him to have one of his best performances of the entire season in order to have a real shot at knocking off the Jumbos.
Final Thoughts
This game is especially perplexing because of how volatile the Bantams have been this season. Just in February alone, Trinity has played six games and only one of them was decided by single digits. The other five? Three victories by an average of (approximately) 20 points, and two defeats by an average of 24.5 points. The Jumbos entered conference play on the back end of two consecutive defeats, causing people to question if this team reached its peak too early in the season. Any such concerns were quelled after cruising past the Continentals, and now get the privilege of hosting a team that they embarrassed just a few weeks ago. At 17-8, Trinity probably needs a win against Tufts to join the conversation in securing an at-large bit to the NCAA Tournament and bolster their resume (although a sweep of Middlebury and a road win against Amherst looks pretty darn good). Tufts, despite dropping out of the top 25 rankings, should still be firmly locked into postseason play regardless of Saturday’s result.
Despite both defenses ranking in the top three in terms of defensive field goal percentage within the NESCAC, I expect both offenses to have their fair share of points in this one. The Jumbos know they have the size advantage with Rogers down low and should allow him to pound away and kick the ball out to open shooters. Furthermore, the Bantams allow over 81 PPG despite holding opponents to under 42% from the field, and a large part of that dilemma has to do with the fact that Trinity is ninth in terms of turnovers (13.4 per game). Nonetheless, the Bantams will be confident coming off such a strong performance against the NESCAC’s highest-ranked team in the national polls. In a tight first half where Trinity does just enough to keep the game within distance, give me Tufts to make a run in the last quarter of the game and hold off the boys from Hartford.
Hamilton (14-8, 2-6) vs. Conn College (4-18, 0-8), 7pm, Clinton, NY
Because of their loss last weekend to Bowdoin, Hamilton must win both their games this weekend in order to even possibly qualify for the postseason tournament; if Bates and/or Bowdoin wins one game, Hamilton will be eliminated regardless of their outcomes. The Continentals wouldn’t have been in this position had they not blown a 23-point lead in the second half of their game against the Polar Bears, but they’ll need to shake that one off and take the Camels seriously in order to move on to Saturday and keep their postseason hopes alive. It’s already been established that Kena Gilmour ‘20 is the heart and soul of this team as he’s the only player averaging double figures, but someone else really has to step up during these last two games as a reliable second scorer. Even if it’s the Gilmour show again, Hamilton can get away with it against Conn, although it won’t be as comfortable of a win as they’d like it to be.
Writer’s Pick: Hamilton 78, Conn 69
Amherst (16-6, 6-2) vs. Trinity (15-7, 5-3), 7pm, Amherst, MA
With both teams having already locked down postseason spots, this game remains crucial for seeding purposes. After last week’s impressive sweep of both Bowdoin and Colby, the Mammoths are just half a game behind the Mules and have an opportunity to leap them for the second seed. Conversely, a slip-up against Trinity would allow the Bantams to surpass them, so it’s safe to say this one will be a hotly-contested matchup. Trinity rebounded from their beatdown against Tufts by absolutely throttling the slumping Bobcats. Nick Seretta ‘20, Colin Donovan ‘21, and the rest of the Bantams’ bench ran the show, pouring in 65 points. It should be a tight and hotly-contested affair early, and while Trinity has had a slew of impressive victories during the course of the season, Amherst currently has the hotter hand and will deliver a huge win in front of their home crowd.
Writer’s Pick: Amherst 77, Trinity 68
#12 Colby (20-2, 7-2) vs. Wesleyan (13-9, 2-6), 7pm, Waterville, ME
The Mules have now lost conference games in consecutive weeks, officially eliminating them from obtaining the number one seed in the postseason tournament. Even in their close win against Hamilton this past Friday, the Mules struggled to put together a complete effort and record a convincing win. Most of their problems have (surprisingly) come on the offensive end in recent games, including their 72-61 win against Bates on Tuesday evening. The Mules shot just 39% from the field, with multiple major contributors struggling (Matt Hanna ‘21, Noah Tyson ‘22 and Alex Dorion ‘20 a combined 5-26 from three). Thankfully for Colby, their defense saved the day with fantastic perimeter defense. At 2-6 in conference play, the Cardinals would need to win out and have some help in order to steal that final seed. Having dropped four consecutive conference games, however, doesn’t instill much confidence in me to believe they can actually achieve this. We don’t know the status of Jefferson, but I expect the Mules to bounce back regardless and shake off those offensive woes.
Tufts has already secured the title of regular season champions, but this match-up poses real threats to their unblemished conference record. Similarly to the Mules, the Panthers like to spread opponents out; however, they have some more height to combat star big man Luke Rogers ‘21 with the duo of Matt Folger ‘20 and Ryan Cahill ‘21 (still waiting on the return of big man Alex Sobel ‘22). The defense has started to show signs of tightening things up, and the offense drained fourteen triples in their last game against Wesleyan. As for the Jumbos, don’t think that this game is meaningless because they’ve already wrapped up the top seed for the conference tournament. Despite having accomplished that in addition to a victory over the Mules, the Jumbos are slotted eighteen in the national polls, a distant third behind #12 Colby and #10 Middlebury. Tufts will surely feel disrespected and motivated to leave Pepin Gym with a resounding victory. It feels like we’ve been waiting for Tufts to finally drop a game in conference play, and I think we might just see it today as they venture outside the confines of Medford. Rogers and veteran guard Eric Savage ‘20 will surely make this a game, but I think the Panthers put together another well-rounded performance to give the Jumbos their first conference loss.
Writer’s Pick: Middlebury 83, Tufts 76
Williams (11-11, 4-4) vs. Bates (11-11, 3-5) 7pm, Williamstown, MA
Last week’s win against Wesleyan was significant because it locked down a top eight seed for Williams. Where they will finish, however, is anyone’s guess. Currently occupying the sixth seed, the Ephs are one game behind the four seed, and conversely are one and a half games ahead of Bowdoin for the eight spot. They’ve had their ups-and-downs this season, but this game might just come down to how effective our Nothing But NESCAC brethren Matthew Karpowicz ‘20 is. Coach App surely has seen the numbers Luke Rogers put up against the Bobcats and will try to recreate offensive sets for his big man similar to how the Jumbos featured theirs. For the Bobcats, it’s been tough sledding on offense end these past two games, and that’s not a great sign considering the Ephs are second in the NESCAC in points allowed per game. Bates needs just a single win in one of their next two games to automatically qualify for the conference tourney, but with the potential absence of sharp-shooter Kody Greenhalgh ‘20, another poor shooting night could derail those hopes.
Writer’s Pick: Williams 71, Bates 65
Saturday
Amherst (16-6, 6-2) vs. Conn College (4-18, 0-8), 3pm, Amherst, MA
Onto the Saturday slate, where Amherst really should have no problem dealing with a Conn team that seems primed to go winless in conference play for the third consecutive year. The Mammoths seem to have been motivated upon their disappearance from the Top 25 rankings back in mid-January; most notably, they’ve found a real groove on offense, averaging 84.8 ppg over their past five contests. That’s a scary statistic for the rest of the NESCAC given that Amherst also boasts the league’s top defensive unit.
Writer’s Pick: Amherst 83, Conn College 62
Hamilton (14-8, 2-6) vs. Trinity (15-7, 5-3), 3pm, Clinton, NY
Not to overlook the Conn game, but this match-up right here is essentially do-or-die for the Continentals. Under the presumption that Hamilton beats Conn, even if they win against Trinity, they may not make the conference tournament if Bates wins one game or if Bowdoin defeats Wesleyan. However, they surely don’t have a chance if they drop this contest against the Bantams, so they’ll need to rally together on Senior Day because everyone wants to see Gilmour work his magic in the postseason. Unfortunately for the Continentals’ faithful, I just don’t see enough consistency out of this team to merit a victory over a better caliber opponent. Take the over on Gilmour’s points, but the Bantams will grind down the home team and leave New York victorious.
Writer’s Pick: Trinity 77, Hamilton 72
Williams (11-11, 4-4) vs. #18 Tufts (18-4, 8-0), 3pm, Williamstown, MA
Whether they win or lose against Middlebury on Friday, the The Jumbos will be weary from their game against the Panthers as they hit the road again to take on the Ephs. This match-up pits the two best big men in the conference against one another in Rogers and Karpowicz. Karpowicz might have the experience, but Rogers has been more of a force on the glass and has the surrounding shooters to allow for more isolation plays. The Eph defense will keep this one close for a half or so, but give me the Jumbos to conclude their end-of-season road trip with a quality victory.
On paper this appears as if it could be a bloodbath given the way both teams are trending, but circle this one as a hangover game for the Panthers. I really do think they defeat Tufts on Friday, and if they do, then I fully expect a sluggish start against a Bates team that could very well be playing for their playoff lives on Saturday. That kind of desperation, coupled with a more relaxing vibe on Senior Day after an important home victory the previous night is a recipe for a bit of chaos. Key cogs in the offense such as Stephon Baxter ‘23 and Jeff Spellman ‘20, haven’t shot well recently, but with some added adrenaline it’s very possible the offense starts knocking down shots. I’m not saying Bates will win, but I believe this one will be much closer than most people believe. Middlebury scrapes by with a win, and Bates still makes the tournament with Hamilton’s loss to Trin.
Writer’s Pick: Middlebury 83, Bates 78
Sunday
Bowdoin (8-15, 3-6) vs. Wesleyan (13-9, 2-6), 3pm, Brunswick, ME
Winners of two of their past three, the Polar Bears are currently holding onto the last remaining spot in the conference tournament. They must defeat Wesleyan, however, as a loss would in all likelihood bounce them out. A huge piece of Bowdoin’s run has been star David Reynolds ‘20. The senior poured in 33 points in their remarkable overtime comeback against Hamilton, and can get hot very quickly from just about anywhere on the floor. Wesleyan doesn’t really have a defined, go-to scorer like how Bowdoin has Reynolds, although Antone Walker ‘21 and Jordan James 21 form a nice duo. Still, it’s hard not to believe the Polar Bears will rise up on Senior Day in the most important game of their season, and behind David Reynold’s 25+ points, Bowdoin will finally secure a playoff berth in a thrilling win.
