NCAA Tournament – Page 3 – Nothing But NESCAC

A Terrific Trio: NESCAC Women’s Basketball Sweet Sixteen Preview

All three NESCAC women’s basketball teams crushed their opponents in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Amherst beat Becker by a score of 61-12 in the first round, an absolute slaughter. The going will inevitably get tougher as the teams keep advancing. Here’s a preview of the third round of the NCAA tournament:

#1 Amherst (27-0, 13-0) vs #22 Montclair State (23-3, 15-2)

Amherst’s victory over Becker was possibly the most decisive victory in NCAA history. Unfortunately, such a one-sided contest isn’t exactly a fan’s dream. Amherst’s offense has always been very solid, but its defense has proved why Amherst is the best team in the country. Becker was limited to 10% shooting, thirty turnovers, and zero second chance points. Strong defensive rebounding is one of the key characteristics of championship team. As opponents become stronger and stronger as new rounds come, limiting second chance points is crucial. Amherst has shown its strength of rebounding. They followed up that performance with only a six point win over St. Joseph’s of Maine. Amherst didn’t have a good day shooting the ball (34.6%), but they almost doubled St. Joe’s in second chance points.

Amherst proved they could grind out a win against St Joes, an important skill for a National Championship contender

Montclair State is a solid team. The contest will be close if they play Amherst like St. Joe’s. St. Joe’s made Amherst feel incredibly uncomfortable on the offensive end. However, if Amherst can keep rebounding efficiently, I don’t see how Montclair can beat them. Hannah Fox recorded a double double against St. Joe’s (18pts, 11rbs). She will need to play at that level or higher if Amherst wants to stay dominate.

Amherst: 62-51

#8 Tufts (25-4, 10-3) vs #15 Messiah (27-2, 15-1)

Tufts should have all the confidence in the world going into this game. They won decisively in each of their last two contests (Westfield State and Ithaca). As I said in an early season article, Melissa Baptista ’18 is the x factor for the Jumbos. If she plays well, they will be dominant. If her inside presence isn’t felt, however, Tufts will struggle to shoot above 40%. Against Ithaca, Baptista was dominant inside. She scored nineteen points. Her physicality and tenacity were too much for Itaca.

Melissa Baptista ’18 is Tufts’ key to a championship dream.

Tufts vs Messiah should be an interesting match up. Messiah is 27-2. Even though they don’t compete in the ultra-competitive NESCAC, their wins so far in the tournament all have been with a ten point or greater margin of victory. Tufts shouldn’t take them lightly. However, it’s incredibly hard to compare these two teams because they’ve played such different opponents so far. A 29-2 record is obviously an enormous accomplishment no matter what conference it occurred in. However, the NESCAC is such a strong conference that it’s almost impossible to pick against them in a game like this.

Look for coaching to play a major role in these final few rounds of the tournament. Jumbo coach Carla Berube has seen it all. A former player under Geno at the most dominant sports program in histrory, UConn, and now a successful coach in her own right. Tufts has battled the highs and lows all year. They lost decisively to Bowdoin early, and I thought the NESCAC would be a two team race to the finish—with Tufts being excluded. Anything can happen in these playoff games, but a good coach can make all the difference.

Tufts: 55-49

#5 Bowdoin (26-2, 10-2) vs # 10 Scranton (26-1, 13-1)

Out of all three games this weekend, I believe that this game will be the toughest for a NESCAC team. Bowdoin put up ninety-four points against Husson and seventy-nine against FDU. Bowdoin’s offensive potency is still nothing to be joked about. Scranton is a different animal than the first two opponents they’ve played thus far. Scranton is 28-1 on the season; they’re not afraid of Bowdoin. Again, Scranton doesn’t play any NESCAC schools, so Bowdoin has a strength of schedule advantage, but Scranton’s success this season is very impressive.

Bowdoin’s offense is their strength, but it could ultimately be their biggest weakness. This is because if they’re offense isn’t clicking, they may be unable to makeup for their usual output. The two losses that Bowdoin suffered this season were against Amherst and Tufts. Both teams understood that the key to Bowdoin’s success is its offense. When Bowdoin shoots lights out, the other team has to play from behind and on its heels. In those two losses, Bowdoin scored significantly under its average, and shot inefficiently from the field. Anything can happen in a playoff game. Some players can get really hot, while others are flat out cold. If Bowdoin has a cold shooting night like it did against Amherst and Tufts, Scranton could pull off the upset. Limiting Kate Kerrigan has to be a point of attention if Scranton has a shot at winning. She’s dominate both inside and out—posting a double-double in the playoff game against FDU. If Scranton can stop Kerrigan, however, look for Scranton to pull off the upset.

Kate Kerrigan ’18 is the most dominant single force left in the tournament, winning both POY and DPOY this year.

In the teams remaining, there are only two who can stop Kerrigan: Amherst and Tufts.

Bowdoin 75-63

It Takes a Village: Hamilton Men’s Basketball Sweet 16 Preview

Editor’s Note: Check out our Middlebury Preview here if you’re looking for more NCAA Tournament coverage. The games tonight are: Middlebury vs MIT @ Ramapo at 5:30 EST, and Hamilton vs Springfield @ Swarthmore also at 5:30 EST.

#13 Hamilton (24-4, 8-4, Beat Nazareth and #11 York)

For those of us (like myself) who weren’t completely sold on Hamilton this season, this weekend was an eye-opener. They’ve proven capable of winning when it matters, as they stand alone with Middlebury as the only two remaining NESCAC teams. They have the formula – a star in Kena Gilmour ’20, a brilliant coach in Adam Stockwell, a slew of role players who can score efficiently, and the size to matchup with anyone. Now they’ll head back to Pennsylvania to see if they can do what Wesleyan wasn’t able to this season: beat Springfield and beat Swarthmore.

How They Got Here

The Continentals continued their hot play into the NCAA Tournament with a first round win over Nazareth and a huge, 3-point victory at #11 York. Not to diminish the win over Nazareth, but their win over York was the biggest test of the season for this team. The Spartans already had wins this season over #18 Middlebury and #14 Swarthmore, two very strong opponents. Strong performances from Kena Gilmour ’20 (20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals) and Tim Doyle ’19 (16 points, 5 assists) helped propel them into the Sweet 16. However, in this matchup with York we saw a bit of a different Continental team. They proved themselves capable of winning a slightly lower-scoring, grind-it-out type of game that they hadn’t been able to do this year. Three of their four losses this season have come in games where they scored less than 70 points, and in fact, the win over York was the lowest point total they had all season in a victory. This is the type of adjustment that good teams have to make in order to win in the postseason. Hamilton wasn’t comfortable in a low-scoring affair, but they dug their heels in and came away victorious. This is a big step, but the Continentals still have a game plan they’d like to follow.

Kena Gilmour ’20 has been the star Hamilton needs for a deep tournament run.

X-Factor: G Tim Doyle ’19

As I mentioned before, the Continentals have an array of role players who take turns sharing the spotlight with Kena Gilmour ’20. Well this weekend it was Tim Doyle’s turn. He turned in the only noteworthy performance besides Gilmour in the York game, and has shown that he’s capable of exploding from time to time. Despite averaging 10.4 points per game, Doyle has had outbursts of 19 against Middlebury, 25 at Moravian, 26 against Eastern, and 21 at Western Connecticut. These aren’t just strong performances against bad teams, because all four of those teams had winning records, with Moravian making the NCAA Tournament. And we all know how great Middlebury is, just ask Pete. What Doyle has proven is that he is capable of having big performances, like he did against York in the second round. As they advance and play stronger teams, the Continentals will need to have another reliable scoring option, capable of getting hot at any time. It’s role players like Doyle that will make or break the tournament for Hamilton.

The Competition:

Springfield College Pride (lost in Conference Semifinal to WPI)

Jake Ross ’20 is one of the most versatile scorers out there, but he’ll need some help to get past Hamilton.

Springfield played their way to Swarthmore via the Cabrini University regional, where they had two very tight, high scoring wins over Albright College (88-86) and the host, Cabrini (96-88). They claim one of the most efficient players in the nation in Jake Ross ’20, a 6’4”, 200lb slasher whose jump shot is as pure as they come. He consistently puts up 20+ points per game (averaging 24.6PPG) and has put up six 30+ point performances including outbursts of 35, 37, and 39. He also averages 9.9REB/G and 4.0AST/G, and already has a triple-double under his belt this season. The Pride could be in trouble when they face Hamilton, however, because the Continentals have the size to matchup with Ross. They lack a consistent secondary scorer, and this could get them in trouble. Being from Massachusetts, they faced a number of NESCAC opponents this season. Early in the year they were dominated by Trinity and #5 Williams, and lost a tight contest with Amherst, before defeating #15 Wesleyan. Springfield has the capability of getting hot and knocking off anyone, but it all centers around Jake Ross ’20, because they go as he goes.

#14 Swarthmore College Garnet (lost in Conference Final to #12 Johns Hopkins)

The Garnet rolled through the Wesleyan regional, winning both games in convincing fashion. After destroying New England College in their first game, Swarthmore had a heavily anticipated matchup with the host, #15 Wesleyan. The Cardinals proved to be no match for Cam Wiley and co. as Wiley ’19 put up 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, en route to a 97-75 victory. The sophomore duo of Zac O’Dell ’20 and Nate Shafer ’20 have provided all the help Wiley has needed, combining for 34 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots against Wesleyan. The Garnet are very hot as they head back to Swarthmore to fully utilize the home court advantage provided by their 1500 screaming fans. Plattsburgh State is no easy matchup for them, but they haven’t been really tested yet in the NCAA Tournament, so it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on Swarthmore when they face a bit more adversity in the later rounds.

#16 Plattsburgh State Cardinals (won Conference Championship)

Plattsburgh State is a bit of an unknown, at least for NESCAC teams. They were crushed back in December by Middlebury, but at a point in their season where they were struggling a bit. They proceeded to lose their next game, but haven’t lost since. That’s not a typo either. The Cardinals haven’t lost since December 8, winners of 21 in a row. Led by 6’2’, 245lb forward Jonathan Patron ’19, they ran through their conference in the regular season, only losing one game en route to the SUNYAC championship. Patron is averaging 24.3PPG, and 10.6REB/G proving that he is a matchup nightmare. He possesses the quickness to get past bigger guys, but also has the frame to demolish a smaller guard down low. A 39-point, 18-rebound outburst in the second round against Union gives us a glimpse of what he’s capable of, and that he’ll do whatever it takes for the Cardinals to advance (Editor’s Note: Patron is one of my favorite players in the country. A 6’2″ guy destroying everyone who comes at him in the post? He’s amazing.) There are other options on this team, but the key to stopping Plattsburgh State starts with slowing down Patron, which seemingly no one (besides Middlebury) has been able to do.

Plattsburgh St is maybe the hottest team in the tournament, winners of their last 21 games in a row after getting smacked by Middlebury.

How the Tables Have Turned: Middlebury Men’s Basketball Sweet Sixteen Preview

#18 Middlebury (21-6, 7-4, Beat Lebanon Valley and Eastern Connecticut)

The Panthers played their two most complete games of the season in their first two NCAA games. They simply overpowered Lebanon Valley and Eastern Connecticut, dominating the boards and (finally) hitting some open outside shots. And, as Colby brought up in the Stock Report, Middlebury’s path to the Final Four is clearer than one might expect at this point in the tournament. Thanks to some upsets in the earlier rounds, (namely Ramapo over Williams and MIT over Johns Hopkins,) Middlebury has a team ranked behind them and two unranked teams in their bracket this weekend. It’s impossible to dream up a more satisfying start to the tournament for Middlebury, especially after such a discouraging end of the regular season. And it has a chance to get even more satisfying after these two games.

How They Got Here:

The thing that made Middlebury’s performances last weekend so satisfying was that they were finally able to play their game. After months of playing a slowed down, offensively stagnant style of basketball that even the most passionate Middlebury fans had trouble watching, the Panthers finally got out and ran. This team was always meant to play fast; that’s why coaches Brown and Dudley brought in four guards in their recruiting class. And of course, Jack Daly’s greatest strengths are finishing and creating in transition. In the half court, it’s easier for teams to sag off him and dare him to shoot jump shots. When Daly is locked up, the whole team is in trouble, as their biggest weakness is their lack of a solid secondary ball handler. But when Daly is freed up to run (and when other guards are hitting their shots,) Middlebury truly can beat anyone in the country.

Jack Farrell ’21 looked ready to step into the lead guard role last weekend against Eastern Connecticut.

The keys to Middlebury’s wins were transition offense, as I mentioned above, rebounding, and secondary scoring. Matt Folger ’20 spent much of the weekend in foul trouble, a situation that has often spelled trouble for the Panthers during their end of the season struggles. When Folger wasn’t playing well, Middlebury simply didn’t have enough perimeter scoring to keep up with NESCAC opponents. Their biggest wins came when they got contributions from guards other than Daly. Joey Leighton ’20, Hilal Dahleh ’19 Jack Farrell ’21 are all guards who have the capability of scoring double digits, but have been inconsistent for much of the season. But last weekend they all found their groove. Dahleh and Leighton both hit their open threes against Lebanon Valley, and then against Eastern Connecticut, Farrell and Dahleh went off. They combined for 35 points and hit four threes, making it so Daly could focus more on finishing at the rim and facilitating. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Middlebury played their perfect game against Eastern Connecticut, and they’ll have to play a couple more if they want a trip to Salem.

X Factor: G Hilal Dahleh ’19

Hilal Dahleh ’19 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

It says something that Middlebury’s two best wins of the season, at home versus Williams in the regular season and last weekend at Eastern Connecticut, have been Dahleh’s two best games of the year (16 points in each.) Dahleh missed all of his sophomore season with a back injury, so some of his early season struggles can certainly be attributed to rust. But he is still often too unselfish, passing up open shots in favor of more ball movement and drives into an already crowded lane. But when Dahleh is aggressive, he adds an entirely new dimension to Middlebury’s offense. He has a smooth outside shot, and might be Middlebury’s second best creator off the dribble other than Daly, depending on whether or not Farrell is on that night. His defense is also valuable. At 6’3″ with long arms, he is capable of defending forwards on switches or simply matching up with them, something Farrell isn’t great at yet. But if he isn’t an offensive threat, it’s harder to justify having him out there. I wrote above how important secondary scoring is to Middlebury, but Dahleh might be the most important one of those three guards due to his combination of floor spacing and defense. He will have to bring both against MIT on Friday.

The Competition:

#19 MIT Engineers (24-5, 10-4, Won Their Conference):

AJ Jurko ’19 was Defensive Player of the Year last year in MIT’s conference, and has stepped up in the absence of Bradley Jomard.

The Engineers decided to break from their homework (burn) long enough to upset Johns Hopkins last weekend to earn a Sweet 16 berth. They play the Panthers on Friday in a game that is neither team’s ideal matchup. MIT fits the profile of teams that give the Panthers fits, such as Bowdoin and Hamilton (I know, not exactly contemporaries, but hear me out.) They are deadly from three point land, shooting 41% as a team. They have four regular players who shoot over 43% from downtown; guards AJ Jurko ’19, Cameron Korb ’19 and Ian Hinkley ’21, and forward Hamilton Forsyth ’21. Middlebury has struggled when teams can stretch them out with shooters, and MIT seems to have that kind of depth. For much of the season these shooters surround the all around brilliance of Bradley Jomard ’19, who averages 16 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Incredibly, Jomard has missed their entire conference tournament and NCAA run with an injury. This article leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not he’ll play, but MIT is certainly capable of winning without him. They are dominant defensively, holding opponents to just 63 points per game, and have lots of long guards to throw at Daly (Jurko is 6’4″, as is Hinkley.) Middlebury should be ready for a dogfight.

Ramapo Roadrunners (23-6, 15-3, won Conference Tournament):

Ironically, last weekend most Middlebury fans were rooting very hard for the Roadrunners as they took down Williams. But now, Middlebury travels to Ramapo with the potential to face down the host time for a trip to the Final Four. Ramapo over Williams was certainly an upset. Williams entered the game ranked fifth in the country, while Ramapo was unranked. But Williams may have been guilty of looking past Ramapo, and specifically leading scorer Thomas Bonacum ’18.

TommyBonacumNCAA18 — Thomas Bonacum ’18 roasted Williams last weekend.

Bonacum’s shooting numbers entering the game weren’t mind-blowing (14.6 points per game on 42% shooting, 30% from three,) but it turns out he had another gear to reach. He lit up Williams for 33 points (half of their team total of 66) on 11-15 shooting, and added 13 rebounds. Bonacum has great size at 6’6″ and 230 pounds, and can step behind the arc, going 5-7 from downtown against Williams. Ramapo seems to rely mostly on him and a very strong defense, holding their opponents to just 38.5% shooting on the season. This defense masks a lack of outside shooting on their own team. Ramapo only shooting 32.4% from three as a whole, so teams should be able to focus a lot of energy on Bonacum and the paint. But they also have to score points themselves, something that Williams couldn’t do against the Roadrunners.

Franklin and Marshall Diplomats (22-6, 14-4, lost in Conference Semifinal to Johns Hopkins:)

Brandon Federici ’18

The final team in this mini-bracket, Franklin and Marshall joins Middlebury as a team that has come back from an early exit in their conference tournament. They have had a somewhat easy path in NCAA tournament so far, beating two also unranked teams in Emory & Henry and Chris. Newport. But the Diplomats are dangerous (note: dangerous diplomats is a good screenplay idea.) They are led in scoring by senior guard Brandon Federici ’18, who averaged 19.5 points per game. Federici is something of a volume scorer, shooting just 41% from the field and 38% from three, but he can heat up and change a game all by himself. Alongside Federici is PG Matthew Tate ’18, who averages 14.0 points per game and 4.1 assists. Tate also shoots 40% from three. This team would seem to be an ideal matchup for Middlebury. The Panthers lock down guards as well as anyone in the country, and Franklin and Marshall is not a very big team, allowing the Panthers to own the boards. But a lot of things have to happen for this matchup to occur. Well actually, only two things. Franklin and Marshall has to upset the hosts, and, more importantly for this article, Middlebury has to take care of MIT on Friday night.

Stock Report 3/6: Just Staying Alive or Dominating the Dance?

Stock Up

Jack Daly and Middlebury’s Rebounding

While Daly might not be able to change his position in the Player of the Year race anymore, he is doing everything he can to keep his senior season going. He put up a triple-double in Midd’s opening round win over Lebanon Valley with 13 points, 14 assists, and 11 boards. The Panthers won 83-63 and continued their dominance by dominating the regional host, Eastern Connecticut, 83-58. The Panthers handed the Warriors just their fourth loss of the season and did so in convincing fashion, simply outplaying and out rebounding their opponents. We know Midd likely won’t shoot over 40% from beyond the arc, so their front court, which includes Daly, their PG, is the key to winning games. They more than doubled Eastern Conn’s board totals (54 to 26) and have a lethal combination of Eric McCord, Adisa Majors, Matt Folger and Nick Tarantino playing as forwards. They actually have a favorable path to the final four too. #19 MIT is a tough opponent, but is still missing top player Bradley Jomard, and regardless of whether he returns or not, he likely won’t be at 100% (to learn more about Jomard and MIT, check out this article by d3hoops.) In a potential elite-8 matchup, the Panthers would see either unranked Ramapo (who upset Williams 66-62) or unranked Franklin and Marshall.

Daly was on his game last weekend, and has Middlebury with the Final Four in their sights.

Hamilton’s Chances of Advancing

Hamilton breezed by their opening round opponent, Nazareth, 86-72, and then struggled to knock off #11 York 69-66. York was ranked higher than Hamilton and higher than any opponent of any of the other NESCAC teams, and was a great test for the Continentals. Now, they play unranked Springfield in a sweet-16 matchup and would likely follow that up against sectional host, Swarthmore, who is ranked 14th by d3hoops. Springfield went 1-3 against NESCAC opponents this year, only beating Wesleyan in a game where the Cardinals shot just 3-25 from three—something Hamilton won’t do. Swarthmore lost to York earlier this year but also beat Middlebury handily 91-75. But let’s not forget that Hamilton also demolished Middlebury 102-83. They also went 2-1 against #12 Johns Hopkins, but lost in their conference tournament like Hamilton. With their starting lineup’s balance and shooting potential, the Continentals just might make a run to the Final Four. Check back later for a more in depth preview of Hamilton’s sectional.

Kena Gilmour ’20 and Hamilton are making the selection committee looking silly for not giving them a home game in the first round.

Stock Down

Second Round Success:

While both Wesleyan and Williams were able to breeze by their opening round opponents, they each suffered defeats to Swarthmore and Ramapo, respectively. Wesleyan was trounced 97-75 against the team ranked just ahead of them nationally (14 compared to 15). While they shot over 35% from the field and from deep, their fouling and Swarthmore’s unbelievable execution from the charity stripe (21-22) led them to victory over the Cardinals. Williams, on the other hand, had an easy draw in their first two rounds and lost to a Ramapo team that didn’t have a tough strength of schedule on their home court. James Heskett had a tough day from beyond the arc, shooting just 3-12 and the NESCAC champions now need to look towards next season.

NCAA Selection

Hamilton had great success in the regular season, had a high national ranking, and ridiculous thanks of schedule (thanks to the NESCAC’s four NCAA tournament team), but didn’t get to host any playoff games. The result of their opening rounds was a proverbial middle finger to the haters who paired them up with a great York basketball team. They proved that they were deserving of a home game and might legitimize their position and their program for future years.

Second Chances: Middlebury NCAA Opening Round Preview

#18 Middlebury (19-6, 7-3, Lost in Quarterfinals to Wesleyan)

After some short-but-very-real sweating over whether or not the Panthers would even get an NCAA bid, Middlebury now faces a long road trip to scenic Willimantic, Connecticut. Willimantic is the hometown of Former US Senator Chris Dodd, and, more relevantly for this tournament, the Eastern Connecticut Warriors. As most NESCAC fans probably know, Middlebury ended the season on a three game losing streak, including a loss in the NESCAC quarterfinals to Wesleyan. This was pretty incongruous with the rest of their season, which was a huge success. Middlebury was 19-3 heading into the final weekend, and climbed as high as fifth in the national rankings. There’s no reason that Middlebury can’t reach those heights again.

How They Got Here:

For most of the season, Middlebury was the consensus best team in the league, thanks in large part to recently crowned All-League Jack Daly ’18. Daly carried a ridiculous (and it turns out, unsustainable) burden on both sides of the ball for Middlebury, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. But Middlebury’s ideal offense have come when Daly is able to sit back, pick his spots to drive and create shots for others. The Panthers’ best win of the year was at home over now #5 Williams. In that game, guards Hilal Dahleh ’19 and Joey Leighton ’20 combined for 32 points, allowing Daly to play a game more suited to his skill set. He finished with just seven points, but had 11 assists and four steals. Middlebury led the Ephs by double digits for pretty much the entire game, before Bobby Casey ’19 spearheaded a furious final minute comeback. Middlebury is at their best when they can get contributions from players other than Daly and Matt Folger ’20, and for much of the season, they did just that.

Middlebury needs role players like joey Leighton ’20 to hit some shots in order to take pressure off of the stars.

How They Lose:

This may seem obvious based on the previous paragraph, but Middlebury loses when they don’t get any secondary contributions. Daly is not a shooter, therefore teams, especially elite NESCAC defenses, have had success packing the paint and forcing him to finish over size. The obvious solution to that would be for him to kick it out to shooters, forcing the defense to spread out and giving him more open lanes to the basket, and the big men more room to finish. Unfortunately, for those who watch Middlebury consistently (like me) it feels like Middlebury hasn’t hit a three point shot in about a month. The Panthers have struggled shooting the ball to such an extent that it shouldn’t even really be called “struggling” anymore; they just aren’t a good shooting team. This was the problem in all three of the losses that ended their regular season prematurely. Middlebury couldn’t hit any shots, therefore teams could lock in on Daly and make him finish difficult layups. He had 20 against Wesleyan in the quarterfinals, but many of them were very difficult shots and he was blocked several times at the end of the game.

Unfortunately, there are no real solutions here for the Panthers other than “somebody hit some shots.” After a long slump, Folger seems to have come around a little bit towards the end of league play, but Middlebury still needs more. Leighton and Dahleh are the chief candidates; they have to view the NCAA tournament as a new season and come out aggressive. There have been too many games of late where one of them misses their first shot and then hesitates the rest of the game. First years Jack Farrell ’21 and Griffin Kornaker ’21 also must be factors, at least as ball handlers to take some pressure off Daly. Middlebury has the tools to make an NCAA run. They showed it over their first 22 games of this season. But they can’t do that if they can’t score.

The Competition:

Lebanon Valley (18-9, 10-6, Conference Champs)

Sam Light ’18 (Courtesy of Lebanon Valley Athletics)

Middlebury’s Friday opponent, the Dutchmen earned their NCAA berth by way of a thrilling 70-68 win in the MAC Commonwealth Championship game. Lebanon Valley is led by senior guard Sam Light ’18, who led his conference in scoring with 23.3 PPG and poured in 35 in the championship game. Light is a gunner, shooting a ridiculous 47.6% from three on the season. Second on the team in scoring is Andy Orr ’18, a forward who pours in 18 points a game along with 9.9 rebounds. Other than those two, the Dutchmen are very thing, with no one else scoring more than 8 points per game. As a team they shoot well from three at 36.5%, but are exploitable on the boards, only out-rebounding their opponents by three per game (low for a conference champion.) On paper, this seems like a good matchup for Middlebury. The Panthers defend guards very well (ask Bobby Casey,) so Light should see a heavy dose of Daly and Farrell. And Middlebury crashes the offensive glass hard, and has a definite size advantage in this game (Orr is the only player in the rotation over 6’4″.) Middlebury should be able to win this one playing their game.

#10 Eastern Connecticut (25-3, 13-1, Conference Champs)

This is the team that makes this a tough draw for the Panthers. The home team in this round of the tournament, the Warriors are tenth in the country and ended the season third in the regional rankings, sandwiched right between Wesleyan (2) and Hamilton (4) and have been a popular NESCAC non conference opponent in recent years. This season they went 3-0 against NESCAC teams, although those teams were Connecticut College, Trinity and Amherst before Amherst got good. The Warriors are a transition-minded team. They shoot very well from three, making nearly 10 per game on 37.5% shooting, and they pick nearly ten steals per game as well, which translate into fast break baskets.

Tarchee Brown ’18 is one of the best players in the region.

Like Middlebury, they rely a great deal on their star guard. Tarchee Brown ’18 was the Player of the Year in the Little East Conference, averaging over 19 points per game with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. He is the kind of Player that Middlebury has trouble with, as his length and athleticism make it hard for Daly to match him, but his quickness makes Folger not the right call either. Eastern Connecticut also boasts their conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in G Carlos Gonzalez ’20. Gonzalez averaged over 3 steals per game, as well as 5 assists. The Warriors lack size and depth in the middle, however. Their tallest starter F Leonal Hyatt ’19 at 6’6″, 210, and they only have one forward who is in the rotation off the bench. Should they match up, this is an area for Middlebury to exploit on an otherwise dominant team.

Johnson and Wales (19-9, 13-3, Conference Champs)

Brian Hogan-Gary ’19 (Courtesy of Johnson and Wales Athletics)

Annnnnnd in this corner, from the GNAC, we have the Johnson and Wales Wildcats. The Wildcats have a balanced scoring attack; all five of their starters average at least 10 points. They are led by G Brian Hogan-Gary ’19, who averaged 17.5 points per game on over 50% shooting. He also came with two assists of having a quadrouple-double against Anna Maria, putting 17 points, 10 rebound and 10 steals(!) to go along with 8 assists. The rest of the team follows Hogan-Gary’s lead. They win with a combination of timely shooting and tenacious defense, making up for a lack of serious outside threats. Their only player who shoots more than 35% from three in G Jarrell Martin ’18, who shoots exactly 35% (although they have shot better in league play than their overall numbers.) Like many non-NESCAC conference teams, they are very undersized, with no players over 6’5′. They should run into the buzzsaw that is Eastern Connecticut at home. But it’s March now, and in March, anything can happen.

Not a Bracket Buster: Williams NCAA Tournament Preview

Williams (22-5, 7-3, NESCAC Champions)

These newly crowned NESCAC champs just got one of the few things that escaped them in 2017. They are hosting the opening two rounds of the NCAA tournament in Williamstown, MA against Bridgewater State and either Ramapo or Moravian. The #8 Ephs are in control of their own fate here as a home crowd and favorable schedule could lead them right back to where they were last year; namely, the Final Four. The road hasn’t been easy, but with the guidance of Coach Kevin App and the recent return of NESCAC Player of the Week G Mike Greenman, the Ephs are in better shape than they have been the last few weeks heading into the big dance.

How They Got Here:

Williams has had their ups and downs, including F Kyle Scadlock’s torn ACL, a lengthy absence from starting G Mike Greenman, and a host of players entering and leaving the starting lineup. While they Ephs never really stumbled along the way, they certainly had doubters throughout the season. Four of their five losses came to NESCAC teams, and two were against Tufts and Amherst which is surprising given the rest of their track record. They have had some shooting streakiness as G Bobby Casey has had some ups and downs, hitting a hot streak recently while G Cole Teal may have just gotten over the hump of an ice cold streak. They also saw the emergence of a star this season in F James Heskett, who was recently named NESCAC Player of the Year. He averages 19.5 PPG, although his presence as more of a back court player with his side takes away from Williams’ rebounding chops. Their leading rebounder is C Matt Karpowicz who comes off the bench to average 5.5 REB/G. Between their core of F Heskett, G Casey, G Teal, G Greenman, and C Kempton/Karpowicz, they still have depth and are well rounded on perimeter defense, distribution, and shooting.

Matt Karpowicz ’20 has been a powerful inside presence for the Ephs, and was arguably the MVP of the championship game, putting up 14 points on 6-8 shooting.

How They Lose

While Heskett and Casey have been great all season, they have their share of streakiness which leaves Williams vulnerable. In their 69-63 loss to Tufts, their four deep shooting threats (all of their starters but the centers) went just 4-26 from beyond the arc. Even in their championship win over Wesleyan, Heskett went 1-10 from deep and the Ephs were outrebounded 47-40. These were two things that hurt them in their regular season loss to Middlebury as well. The Panthers dominated the boards and were able to lock up Heskett and Casey until the last two minutes, when the Ephs made a furious run. Had Wesleyan been just a little better offensively, Williams would have been in trouble. Great coaching, athleticism, and experience should take the Ephs over their early round opponents here, but in their worst games, these teams at their best can compete with them. They need to distribute the shooting if one of their starters hits a dry streak and they will likely find a hot hand. And, as usual, Karpowicz and Kempton have their work cut out for them on the glass.

The Competition

Bridgewater State University Bears (18-9, 9-3)

Williams’s Friday Opponent, the MASCAT champions earned an automatic bid to the big dance after playing a season free from NESCAC opponents. The Bears have three common opponents with Williams and in those games they are 6-1 against those teams. Bridgewater lost to Salem St. 88-73, an opponent that Williams beat easily 80-68. They aren’t ranked nationally or regionally and relied on their conference championship to qualify for the NCAA tournament. They don’t have too much size, with their two biggest starters listed at 6’7,” which is advantageous to a Williams team lacking the size to rebound. They are balanced overall in terms of production, with four starters averaging over 12 PPG, three averaging over 4 REB/G, and five averaging over 2 assists per contest. However, lacking any real strength of schedule, they should be overmatched by a superior Eph team.

Rayshon Ward ’20 is one of three Bridgewater St players who average over 15 PPG.

Moravian College Greyhounds (20-7, 10-4)

The Greyhounds also were recently crowned conference champions, earning the auto-bid from the Landmark conference, losing seven games along the way, but only one to a regionally ranked opponent. They played Hamilton in their preseason and lost by just four points during a dominant run from the Continentals. The fact that they competed closely with this squad shows that at their best, they would at least give Williams a run for their money. Now, six other losses to worse opponents than Williams lost to all season certainly lowers their chances of knocking off the Ephs, and the rest of their body of work is underwhelming. They shoot a respectable 37.8% from three point range, but that is the best statistic they own. They only have one player above 4 REB/G and had nine players start games this year without any injuries. This means they couldn’t exactly find the winning formula, and as a result relied on the conference championship to get to the tournament. They are a shooting team, averaging 86 PPG, and would need to be red hot all game long to run with the Ephs.

Ramapo College Roadrunners (21-6, 15-3)

The Roadrunners are ranked second in the Atlantic region and have been ranked as high as sixth nationally during the season, but find themselves currently outside of the top-25. It’s tough to see how they fell out of the national rankings on the surface, but they look much weaker given a closer look at their strength of schedule. Unlike the NESCAC, where as many as six of the teams saw national rankings throughout the season and those six were all regionally ranked, Ramapo faced just one ranked opponent all year. That game came against formerly #14 and currently unranked Ohio Wesleyan University on December 28th where the final score was 98-69 in favor of OWU. This crushing defeat surely contributed from the fall from grace for Ramapo as with just six losses, they appear to be much stronger on the surface. They have just two players averaging double digit PPG, two over 5 REB/G, and drain their threes just 32% of the time. They shouldn’t be able to keep up with a far superior Williams team and they round out what looks to be a weak regional, favoring the Ephs who have a great shot to reach the Sweet-16 for the second year in a row.