Sports – Page 14 – Nothing But NESCAC

5 Bold Predictions for the Rest of the Season

1. Williams wins the national championship

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

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

2. Hamilton wins the NESCAC championship

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

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

3. Bowdoin finishes third in the NESCAC

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

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

4. Colby leads NESCAC in scoring

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

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

5. Bobby Casey wins POY

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

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

New Year, New Pecking Order: Holiday Power Rankings

2019 Preseason Holiday Power Rankings

1.) #2 Williams (9-0)

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

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

2.) #5 Hamilton (9-0)

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

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

3.) Amherst (7-1)

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

4.) #24 Middlebury (8-2)

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

5.) Wesleyan (7-3)

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

6.) Colby (8-2)

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

7.) Trinity (7-3)

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

8.) Bowdoin (6-3)

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

9.) Tufts (4-5)

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

10.) Conn College (3-5)

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

11.) Bates (2-7)

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

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

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

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

Key Losses: None

Continentals Starting Lineup:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breakout Player:

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

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

Everything Else:

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

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

#YGTMYFT

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

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

Trinity College Bantams 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Trinity College Bantams

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

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

Key Losses:

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

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

Projected Starting Lineup:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everything Else

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

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

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

Conn College Camels 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Connecticut College Camels

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

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

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

Key Losses:

N/A

Projected Starters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

C Ryan Omslaer ‘22

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

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

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

Everything Else:

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

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

Tufts University Jumbos 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Tufts University Jumbos

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

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

Key Losses:

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

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

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

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

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Tyler Aronson ’22

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

G: Carson Cohen ’22

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everything Else

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colby College Mules 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Colby College Mules

2017-2018 Record: 11-13 (2-8 NESCAC)

Projected 2018-2019 Record: 13-11 (3-7 NESCAC)

Jefferson and the Mules are known for their electric celebrations.

Key Losses:

G Pat Dickert ‘18 (6.0 PPG, 4.8 REB/G, 1.3 AST/G)

Dickert was a solid role player, seeing at least 10 minutes of action in 23 of the Mules 24 games last season. He was extremely efficient in the preseason last year but when it came to conference play his numbers took quite a hit and subsequently so did his playing time.

F Dean Weiner ‘19 (10.8 PPG, 9.2 REB/G, 3.1 AST/G, 3.1 BLK/G)

Weiner, who was named Maine’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, does not return to the Colby basketball roster for the 2018-19 season. Despite missing a third of last season due to injury, Weiner still lead the Mules in rebounds and blocks while averaging nearly a double-double per game. This will be a huge loss for the Mules because when Weiner was in the lineup last year Colby had a completely different dynamic.

Projected Starting Lineup:

G Matt Hanna ‘21 (11.0 PPG, 3.7 REB/G, 3.3 AST/G)

After starting every game but one for the Mules in his freshman campaign, Matt Hanna returns to the starting lineup for another season. Hanna made his presence felt as a freshman, he finished first on the team in assists (76), second in steals (23), and third in points (253). Hanna was a consistent presence for the Mules, he was almost guaranteed to give you 10/3/3 every game and on a good day possibly some more. Hanna is the best ball distributor on this team and will be called upon to facilitate the Mule offense.

G Sam Jefferson ‘20 (15.4 PPG, 3.8 REB/G, 1.9 AST/G)

Jefferson is another returning starter on this Colby team. Jefferson was the leading scorer for Colby last season and that is due to his volume shooting from beyond the arc. Jefferson shot a respectable 36.1% from 3 last year, but he put up an average of 8.4 3-point shots per game, leading to a slight inflation of his scoring. Jefferson is the Mules greatest threat from 3 and when he gets hot it can be dangerous for other teams.

G Ronan Schwarz ‘20 (DNP)

Schwarz did not appear in any action for the Mules last year but nonetheless it appears as if he will work his way into the starting lineup for the 2018-19 season. Schwarz is not a threat from deep but is a consistent mid-range shooter and can work his way into the paint. He is also a solid defender who can record multiple steals per game. Due to the fact that we have not seen a lot of Schwarz in the past he will be a real wildcard in the Colby lineup.

G Wallace Tucker ‘21 (12.4 PPG, 3.1 REB/G, 2.8 AST/G, 37.5% 3PT)

Tucker returns for his second season and cracks the Colby starting lineup for the second time as well. Tucker started 20 of the Mule’s 24 games last season and will look to make an even bigger impact with a year of NESCAC experience under his belt. He is a high percentage, efficient shooter who does not take a lot of shots but when he does they usually go in. He finished second in points for the Mules last year and first in steals. Look for him to continue to improve and develop his game this year.

G Noah Tyson ‘22

Tyson will be a first year starter for the Mules after an extremely impressive high school career. He lead his Rutland HS team to two straight Vermont D-I State Championships in his junior and senior year. After his senior season he was presented with the prestigious “Mr. Basketball” award for the state of Vermont. Similarly, he was named to the First Team of the USA Today All-Vermont Basketball Team. Tyson has been described as a leader, facilitator and relentless on the boards. He will contribute from the get-go for Colby and will hope that his high school success translates to the NESCAC.

Everything Else:

Matt Hanna is off to a hot start this season.

No you did not read that wrong, Colby will be starting 5 guards this year. Of the 14 players on their roster, 9 are guards and 5 are forwards. None are listed as centers although their tallest player (6’7” Sean Gilmore ‘20) could possibly be considered one. This will inevitable make it difficult for the Mules to compete against NESCAC teams that have dominant centers. Although this may detract from their abilities in that sense, it will also create a very fast paced dynamic on the court which other teams will need to be ready to deal with. The biggest positive for the Mules is that the only lost one starter and they have replaced him with high school phenom Noah Tyson. Tyson was a heavily decorated player in high school and it will be interested to see whether he can play at a similarly high level in college. They also are an extremely young team. None of their starters are seniors (2 juniors, 2 sophomores, 1 freshman) and they only have one senior on the roster. This young core may struggle initially but it could blossom into a dynasty in a year or two. The Mules lost quite a few close conference games last year and perhaps with more experience under their belts they will be able to more easily hold off and finish off their talented NESCAC opponents. I believe that this year will begin to move the Colby basketball program in the right direction. While they might not see success immediately, they are well set up for success in the future.

Williams College 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Williams College Ephs

2017-2018 Record: 23-6 (7-3 NESCAC), Won NESCAC Championship, Lost in NCAA Second Round

2018-2019 Projected Record: 22-2 Regular Season (9-1 NESCAC), Win NESCAC Championship, Lose in NCAA Final Four

Key Losses:

G Mike Greenman ’18 (7.9 PPG, 2.0 REB/G, 3.1 A/G)

Greenman was a big hustle guy for the Ephs throughout his career. He was banged up and bounced in and out of the starting lineup due to injury last season but ultimately ran the court with Bobby Casey and was a key part of the fast paced offense that Williams runs. He is replaceable but his leadership will certainly be missed this season.

G Cole Teal ’18 (7.8 PPG, 4.6 REB/G, 2.0 A/G)

Teal was a solid shooter from mid-range throughout his career and was a key part of Williams’ depth. His efficiency from beyond the arc should be a point that the Ephs can improve on as he barely eclipsed 25% last season. He played their ‘3’ position on the floor but was undersized and this year’s Williams team will likely we much tougher to defend.

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Bobby Casey ‘19 (15.8 PPG, 3.5 REB/G, 2.1 AST/G, 42.9% 3-PT)

Casey is going to bring the ball up for the Ephs this season, much like he has done the past three seasons. He is the best shooter on the Eph team and should continue to drain threes all season long like he did 3.1 times per game last season. He is a scrappy guard with good ball handling skills and should see an increase in his assist numbers this year with all the big men surrounding him. He could actually see an uptick in the amount of threes he takes per game with no need to penetrate to the rim with Scadlock back in the lineup.

G/F: Henry Feinberg ‘20 (3.7 PPG, 2.4 REB/G, 41.6% FG)

Feinberg is a bit of a wildcard for the Ephs this season. He had a productive sophomore season starting when Greenman was out and coming off the bench as more of a defensive specialist for the rest of the season. He usually plays on the wings, but because of the size that Williams is likely to go with in their starting lineup, he will likely have more ball handling duties than he did in the past. He will be an oversized player at 6’5” compared to what most other NESCAC teams will put out on the court which gives the Ephs another advantage. He is a better outside and mid-range shooter than he is from around the rim and will compliment Heskett’s shooting ability well.

F: James Heskett ’19 (19.3 PPG, 3.7 REB/G, 1.6 A/G, 41.8% 3-PT)

The 2018 NESCAC POY and D3 All-American is back for more in his senior season. He is a mean, long sharp shooting machine with a skill set like Klay Thompson. He is nearly impossible to defend from the outside as no other shooters have his length at 6’8” and accuracy. He isn’t quite the defensive monster you would expect, but quite frankly, Williams really doesn’t need him to grab boards as they have two other more defensive oriented players on the floor at any given time. Look for him to have another incredible season.

F: Kyle Scadlock ’19 (18.0 PPG, 8.6 REB/G, 2.3 A/G, Missed 22 games due to injury)

The redshirt junior is back to prove that he is the real star of this team after missing almost all of last season with a torn ACL. Scadlock is undoubtedly the most athletic player on this Williams team and is the most exciting player to watch in nearly every contest. His length and athleticism are nearly unmatched among NESCAC opponents and his play around the rim and constant threat to dunk is difficult to defend. The 6’7” forward played in seven contests before going down with injury last season, averaging 18.0 PPG and 8.6 REB/G. He really looked like a candidate for player of the year before he got hurt and absolutely dominated in the playoffs when Williams made their run to the final four during his sophomore season. This lineup is starting to look scary now that he’s back in it.

C: Matt Karpowicz ’20 (9.0 PPG, 5.3 REB/G, 65.2% FG)

While Karp is the starter, Williams splits time between two big men most of the time. Michael Kempton ‘19 started most of the games here last year, but Karp has been starting so far in Williams’ first three games and has had better numbers per minutes played throughout his career. They bring in nearly a double-double combined per game and are some of the biggest bodies in the league. At 6’8” for Karp and 6’10” for Kempton, it will be tough to out rebound these guys. They are both well over 50% from the field and the Ephs will use that accuracy and their other outside shooting efficiency to dominate their opponents this season.

Everything Else

This is an intimidating roster to face. The Ephs are currently ranked #8 in the country, just ahead of Hamilton, but look to be nearly unstoppable on paper. Their average height in the starting lineup is over 6’6” which is undoubtedly the tallest in the NESCAC and probably one of the tallest in division III basketball. They are not just big though as several of their big time defenders can also play well offensively on the perimeter and as a result every range from inside the key to mid-range to beyond the arc is covered by a lethal shooter. They shouldn’t skip a beat with the departure of Greenman and Teal as Casey is fully capable of running the floor as he has been doing and simply dishing it out to the other guys down low or taking the deep shots himself.

I’d say that his team is undeniably the favorite to win the NESCAC, so the ball is in their court. Their most obvious competition is the Continentals who return all of their starters for the second year in a row and also have several athletic forwards. This team will really go over the edge talent wise if some of their younger guards can make an impact and rotate in to replace Feinberg when additional outside shooting is needed, potentially late in games. Spencer Spivy could be one of these guards to make an impact as he went 3-5 3-PT and 4-6 overall against MCLA on Tuesday. He’s also 6’5” so when he’s in their lineup really won’t shrink at all. Williams has won by an average of 42 points per game so far. Watch out, these guys know how to dance.

Middlebury Basketball 2019 Season Preview

Middlebury College Panthers

2017-2018 Record: 21-7 (7-3 NESCAC), Lost in NESCAC Quarterfinals, Lost in NCAA Sweet 16

2018-2019 Projected Record: 18-6 Regular Season (7-3 NESCAC), Lose in NESCAC Semifinals, Lose in NCAA Sweet 16

Key Losses:

G Matt Daly ’18 (15.8 PPG, 8.4 REB/G, 8.5 AST/G)

The Panthers will miss Daly and his hustle this season.

Anybody who knows Middlebury basketball knows how important Jack Daly was the to program. When he wasn’t making highlight reel passes to Matt St. Amour or making off and-1 layups look easy, he was leading this team on the court and running the floor even when he didn’t have the ball. He was a classic DIII player—he made the shots he needed to, had great ball handling skills and fundamentals, but didn’t do anything that jumped off the page other than dish out dimes. He didn’t shoot well from the perimeter, shooting just 23.5% from deep, and those replacing him, namely Joey Leighton, should see a big jump in production.

F/C Nick Tarentino ’18 (7.2 PPG, 6.8 REB/G)

Tarentino was one of three big men that occupied the ‘5’ spot on the court for Middlebury. The Panthers retain just one of those three, Eric McCord, who should see a big increase in minutes per game. These three big men also split time relatively evenly, but Tarentino started each game. His production was quieter than McCords at times, but he added great defensive help and second chance baskets around the rim.

F Adisa Majors ’18 (7.6 PPG, 5.0 REB/G)

Majors was the third part of the group of big men and was the best shooter of the group. He shot well from around the elbows and was ice cold on the court. He was never phased by pressure and was a key veteran presence that will be missed with this young Panther team.

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Jack Farrell ‘21 (8.3 PPG, 3.0 REB/G, 1.6 AST/G, 36.4% 3-PT)

In his first year, Farrell took over a big role, replacing Jake Brown ’17. He performed well though and if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t have guessed he was a freshman. He plays a clean game and handles the ball well and should see a huge jump in assists this season after the departure of Daly ’18. He will bring the ball up court for the Panthers this season and should shoot in a similar way that Daly did, mostly scrapping to get to the rim and dishing it out to the better outside shooters—although he is more capable from deep than Daly was.

G: Griffin Kornaker ‘21 (3.3 PPG, 1.0 REB/G, 1.7 A/G, 43.4% FG)

This role will be split between Joey Leighton ’20 and Kornaker, although I see Kornaker starting most games due to his defensive ability. The two play very different styles of basketball and Kornaker isn’t much of a shooter. He, like Farrell should pass it out often on offense but is quick and competent from mid-range. I would imagine he and Farrell will lead the team in assists by a wide margin.

G: Hilal Dahleh ‘19 (7.9 PPG, 2.3 REB/G, 1.3 A/G, 42.6% 3-PT)

Daleh, a senior captain, is due for a breakout year. He was injured throughout his entire sophomore season and came back strong last year as a starter and put up solid numbers. Now, as a senior, after a healthy season behind him, he should be one of the elite shooters in the league from both mid-range and from beyond the arc. He is a smaller ‘3’ player at only 6’3” but moves well laterally and should be able to keep up on defense without issue. His 3-point efficiency was elite last year at over 40% and could only improve with more time on the court this season.

F: Matt Folger ’20 (13.7 PPG, 6.9 REB/G, 32.9% 3-PT)

Folger is the most important player on this Middlebury team. This is very much a win-by-committee roster that the Panthers have this season in that many players will shoot, pass, and rebound, not just the starting five like in the past few years. Folger, however, is their X-Factor. He is the most athletic player on the court, can jump well, dominate the rim, offensively and defensively, and can shoot on top of that. He could easily average over 18 PPG and push for a double-double in each contest. Fear him, NESCAC opponents.

C: Eric McCord ’19 (8.5 PPG PPG, 6.8 REB/G, 18.7 MIN/G)

McCord, like Daleh, should see a big uptick in his nightly averages this season. McCord has always performed well when on the court, threatening for a double-double in games where he plays far less than 20 minutes. One of the major keys for him this season is durability and discipline, as he will need to be on the floor more than in years past and often finds himself in injury and foul trouble. He is extremely physical on the court and could really dominate some of the other NESCAC big men with his 6’7” 250 lb frame.

Everything Else

Middlebury has a new era of guards who are going to start making their mark on the program in 2019. This is the first time since the 2014-2015 season that one of the big three (Matt St. Amour, Jake Brown, and Jack Daly) won’t be on the floor, and the Panthers have a lot of ground to make up here. Luckily for them they have an already experienced crop of sophomores in Jack Farrell, Griffin Kornaker, and Max Bosco who are all fully capable of running the floor. Those three, however, are not as good of shooters as some of the other guards in the league, and as a result, the Panthers are going to lean heavily on Joey Leighton for their sharp-shooting needs. Leighton was often brought in off the bench late in close games to drain threes and already started off hot, going 5-9 from deep in Midd’s opener against Vermont Tech. I’d guess that his efficiency from beyond the arc will spike to above 40% this year as he gets more consistent minutes in his junior season.

Folger and the Panthers are an athletic group.

Losing both Tarentino and Majors will really hurt the Panthers, not as much because of their playing ability which McCord could easily replace, but because of the depth and experience that each offered. McCord can’t handle the big man spot all by himself and will need a combination of youngsters to step up to cover the minutes when he is not on the court. Alex Sobel ’22 and Ryan Cahill ’21 look like the likely candidates to occupy the missing minutes as McCord probably won’t exceed 25 minutes on the court in any given night. McCord has exceeded 25 minutes on the court in just seven games in his 82 game career, reaching 30 minutes just once. His average over the past two seasons is just under 19 minutes per game, leaving a likely average of about 12-16 minutes per game this year that Cahill and Sobel will have to cover. Sobel and Cahill are both listed at 6’7” 210 lbs which suggests that they lack the physicality of McCord, fitting the mold of a player more like Tarentino ’18. Cahill played in just 11 games as a freshman and didn’t exactly shoot efficiently (18.8% FG). In order for Midd to compete for all 40 minutes in their difficult games, these two young big men will need to step up and improve around the rim and haul in boards while McCord isn’t on the floor.

Despite the graduation of Daly, Middlebury should still do what they always do—win basketball games. Coach Jeff Brown knows the NESCAC as well as any coach and he knows how to bring his team to the NCAA promise land, and this year should be no different for the #17 ranked Panthers according to D3 Hoops. It might take the Panthers a little while to find their groove, but they have enough veteran leadership and spark from deep into their bench that they should outlast most NESCAC opponents. Other than Folger, they don’t quite have the star power that they usually do, but expect them to have good fundamentals on the court and make few mistakes. They should have better outside shooting that last season and should play defense just as well. If they young guards can pass anywhere near as well as Daly, they’ll be tough to defend as they have shooters in each different part of the floor on offense. I don’t think they’ll have such an easy time in NESCAC regular season play as they have the past two seasons (15-5 from 2017-2018), but they could easily make a long run in the playoffs.

The Hardware That Really Matters: 2018 NESCAC Football Awards

Chipouras had a legendary career and leaves a void for the NESCAC to fill.

With the 2018 NESCAC football season officially in the rearview, all that is left to be settled are the awards. This year seemed to lack the typical depth of transcendent performers and producers, but there are still some things to straighten out. Who’s taking home some additional hardware at the end of the season?

Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney, Trinity

Under normal circumstances, giving the Coach of the Year award to the man who just led his team to their third straight league title with a historically great team would be pretty boring. But it wasn’t just that Coach Devanney cemented the three-peat, but how he did it that wins him this award. With QB Sonny Puzzo ’18 lost to graduation, the Bantams turned to transfer QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 to take the reins. Vazzano did just that, throwing for 1326 yards and 12 touchdowns in 5 games, leading Trin to a 4-1 and start. But his 43.8% completion percentage and some additional glaring holes that Williams exposed in their one loss left more to be desired, and a change was made in favor of QB Seamus Lambert ’22. Lambert exploded as the starter, leading the offense to 48 points in each of his first 2 starts, and leading them to a 27-16 win over Amherst in the de facto Week 8 championship game, and then marching into Middletown to clinch the league on the last day against Wesleyan. It takes a lot of guts to pull off a move like that, but it certainly worked for Coach Devanney.

Honorable Mention: Jay Civetti, Tufts

Rookie of the Year: QB Seamus Lambert, Trinity

Player A: 52-76, 68.4% CP, 184.3 YPG, 9 TDs, 1 INT, 4-0 record

Player B: 141-233, 60.5% CP, 149.1 YPG, 7 TDs, 5 INTs, 3-6 record

Which of these stat lines would you choose for your rookie of the year winner? Player A is Seamus Lambert, and Player B is Colby QB Matt Hersch, the two front runners for this award. Don’t get me wrong, Hersch’s play and Colby’s 3 wins—including a CBB title—is one of the feel-good stories of the year. The Mules have an answer at QB for the foreseeable future for the first time in a while and the future is looking bright, but when it comes to performance this award belongs to Lambert, whose breakout second half of the season we just covered. Lambert outproduced Hersch and led his team to a league championship, the only thing he didn’t do was play 9 games. If he played 9 games, we’d be talking about Lambert as Offensive Rookie of the Year, not just Rookie of the Year. Hersch might get the sentimental vote from the league but I’m giving it to Lambert.

Honorable Mention: QB Matt Hersch, Colby

Defensive Player of the Year: LB/DE Andrew Yamin ’19, Amherst

Yamin takes this award for the second year in a row, the best player on the best or second-best defense in the league. Despite not being able to reach his earth-shattering junior year numbers of 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, Yamin again led the league in sacks with 9.5, and was second in the league behind Wesleyan DL Taj Gooden ’21 (17.5) with 17 tackles for loss, sharing the lead with Gooden of 82 yards lost. While it obviously seems like a letdown year for Yamin, if you subtract the 5.5 sacks he had in Week 6 against Wesleyan in 2017, his week by week production was pretty much the same. His consistency every Saturday was staggering and it’s a shame neither of these seasons resulted in a ring for Yamin—but he’ll end his career as a back to back DPOY.

So many on this Amherst defense deserve recognition, but Yamin was just that much better than the rest.

Honorable Mention: DL Taj Gooden ’21, Wesleyan—9 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 17.5 TFL

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Max Chipouras ’19, Trinity

This race, of the four, is the closest in my opinion. As I wrote about earlier in the season, the quarterback play in the league was really down this year. Last season, 6 quarterbacks threw for more than 200 yards a game—this season, it was one. Last year, 4 quarterbacks threw 15 or more TDs—this season, it was one. And both of those individual stats from this season belong to Tufts QB Ryan McDonald ’19, who was outstanding all year for the 7-2 Jumbos. He was head and the shoulders the best passer all year (sorry Seamus Lambert), and that’s before you factor in the 50 rushing yards per game and 9 rushing touchdowns he added with his feet. But I’m going with Max Chipouras, who you could argue wasn’t even the best offensive player on his team alongside Lambert and WRs Jonathan Girard (1005 yards, 8 TDs) and Koby Schofer (763 yards, 11 TDs). Chipouras rushed for 1143 yards and 11 scores, both league highs. Of those 1143 yards, 203 of them came in an all-time great performance against Amherst in Week 8 to decide the NESCAC, including a 70-yard touchdown run that will live in Bantam lore forever to put the game away. And all of those numbers could’ve been even higher if Trinity wasn’t blowing everyone out so badly that they pulled the starters so early—look no further for proof than RB Spencer Lockwood ‘22’s 425 yards (7^th in the league in YPG) and 5 TDs in relief. Chipouras had a historic career, and this award is as much for all 4 years as is it is for this one. But this one was pretty darn good.

Honorable Mention: QB Ryan McDonald ’19, 1811 Passing Yards, 26 Total TDs