Men’s Basketball – Page 8 – Nothing But NESCAC

Bowdoin Polar Bears 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Chomping At The Bit: Bowdoin Polar Bears’ Men’s Basketball Season Preview

Jack Simonds has had a great career and it will be fun to see how it finishes.

Bowdoin 2017- 2018 Record: 15-9 (4-6), lost to Amherst in NESCAC Quarterfinals

Projected 2018-2019 Record: 13-11 (5-5)

Key Losses:

G Liam Farley ‘18 (10.1 PPG, 44.1% 3PFG)

Polar Bears Starting Lineup:

G Zavier Rucker ‘21 (7.7 PPG, 3.8 REB/G, 3.4 AST/G, 1.1 STL/G)

Rucker had an immediate impact for the Polar Bears, starting 22 of Bowdoin’s 23 games as a true freshman. The first thing I noticed when glossing over Rucker’s stats was how well he shot with such few attempts; despite averaging a meager 4.7 shots per game, Rucker posted a 57.4% clip from the field, including 41.7% from beyond the arc. I would imagine Coach Gilbride told Rucker he’d like to see his sophomore guard take on a more aggressive role in the offense, and through the first three games of the 2018-2019 season, he’s been absolutely superb. He’s averaging 19 PPG (a scorching 71% field goal percentage), to go along with a team-leading 6.0 AST/G. Rucker is also averaging more than four free throws a game, another indicator he’s attacking the rim frequently. One of the most improved players in the NESCAC so far, if Rucker continues to put up these kinds of numbers, the Polar Bears will be a dangerous opponent come league play.

F Jack Simonds ‘19: (15.0 PPG, 5.4 REB/G, 3.0 AST/G)

Simonds saw a slight decrease in offensive production after coming off fantastic freshman and sophomore seasons, but still finished as the Polar Bears’ second leading scorer and rebounder. The scoring numbers still aren’t quite up to par with years past (12.7 PPG), but the 6’6’’ senior has more than doubled his rebounding average from last season, securing more than 11 per game. While I don’t expect Simonds to continue averaging a double-double come season’s end, the emergence of a second rebounder is critical for the Polar Bears, who finished last season in the bottom half of the NESCAC in rebounding.

G/F David Reynolds ‘20: (15.4 PPG, 4.7 REB/G, 1.7 AST/G)

Through the first thirteen games of the 2017-2018 season, Reynolds served as the Polar Bears’ sixth-man, sans one non-conference tilt with Westfield St. He tallied double digits in eleven of those games off the bench, at which point Coach Gilbride inserted him into the starting five. Reynolds finished the season just ahead of Simonds as the team’s leading scorer, earning a spot on the 2nd Team All-Conference list in the process. At 6’5’’ and weighing 202 lbs, Reynolds is a rangy, athletic guard/forward hybrid who can use his height advantage to bully smaller defenders and his speed to blow by bigger ones. He’s not afraid to bomb away from beyond the arc either, averaging over nine 3PT/G this season, connecting on 42.9% of them. He’s scored 26, 24, and 26 through his first three games this season, and the latter two were done with less than 25 minutes spent on the court. Needless to say, this man can shoot the rock, and must to continue to do so once the games really start to matter.

C Hugh O’Neil ‘19: (9.6 PPG, 8.8 REB/G, 56.9% FG)

O’Neil is that energetic bruiser everyone likes to have on their team but hates to play against. The senior registered a team-leading six double-doubles last season, most notably a monster 22 point, 15 rebound performance against rival Colby. At 6’7’’, O’Neil certainly isn’t the tallest center in the league, but he is the main reason Bowdoin finished third in the ‘CAC in defensive rebounding. He’s currently averaging a double-double through the first three games of this young season (10.7 PPG, 10.0 REB/G), and it seems like he won’t have to worry about being the Polar Bears’ only source of rebounding, as Simonds seems to have accepted the challenge in assisting in that department.

G Jack Bors ‘19: 5.8 PPG, 82.4% FT

Last season, Bors started the first thirteen games before switching roles with David Reynolds. At the time, Bowdoin only had two starters averaging double digits, so Reynolds was added to the starting five to inject some life into the offense. Bors saw his minutes drop and with it, his production. This season, the senior is off to a rough start, averaging just 3.0 PPG and shooting an abysmal 16.7% from the field. Bors has the capability and the talent to turn it around quick, but the Polar Bears have other options off the bench as an alternative if he continues to struggle.

Breakout Player:

G Sam Grad 21’ (4.8 PPG, 57.5% FG)

Grad got some burn as a freshman last season, and I think he can really blossom into a solid two-way guard for Bowdoin. He’s already posted double figures twice in three tries, but it’s at the defensive end where he could pose a problem for opposing guards. Standing at 6’7’’, Grad is extremely tall and lanky for his position, which will most certainly help clog passing lates and disrupt shots. Bowdoin allowed opposing NESCAC teams to shoot nearly 36% from three this past season, and if they want to make some noise in the ‘CAC, they’ll need production from their bench on both sides of the ball. Grad looks like he could be that guy.

Everything Else:

While three of the five starters on Bowdoin are seniors, all but one of their bench players are underclassmen. I’d consider Sam Grad as the cream of the crop from the bench; however, there are others who can most certainly make an immediate impact. One such player is Taiga Kagitomi ‘22. The freshman from Tokyo played for Japan in the 2017 FIBA Junior World Cup, which featured college stars like RJ Barrett (Duke), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga) and Payton Pritchard (Oregon). Kagitomi might not have played a ton in the tourney, but gained valuable experience nonetheless. In fact, he’s already logged significant minutes for the Polar Bears, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see his raw talent reflected in the stat column as the season progresses.

David Reynolds and company have a lot of senior leadership giving them a distinct advantage over many other NESCAC teams.

Defensively, Bowdoin was average at best in total rebounding, but did lead the league in offensive rebounds allowed; however, they were last in blocked shots, ahead of only Conn in turnovers forced, and allowed conference opponents to shoot around 42% from the field. The Polar Bears will need to do more than just crash the boards in order to compete with the upper echelon teams in the NESCAC, and it starts with creating more havoc on defense.

Offensively, the one glaring issue Bowdoin has had thus far is turnovers. Despite the 2-1 overall record, the Polar Bears rank near the bottom of te NESCAC with a -7 turnover differential per game, (18 TO/G and only forcing 11 TO/G). In their 90-65 win vs. Worcester St., Bowdoin committed 21 turnovers, and it’s not just the young players who are the main culprit; two of the starters (Bors and Reynolds) are committing 2.3 TO/G. They’ll definitely need to clean up the sloppy ball handling before conference play, or else they’ll struggle to replicate their top-eight finish.

On the positive side, the Polar Bears are setting the nets ablaze. They lead the ‘CAC in 3PT% and sit second in FG%. Will Bowdoin continue to average 96 PPG? Probably not. However, this torrid offensive pace is especially good to build confidence, especially for the underclassmen. Additionally, the more inexperienced teammates can become acclimated to the pace of college basketball. I predicted the Polar Bears to finish one game better in-conference than last season’s record, but would not be surprised if they finish as good as 6-4 or as bad as 3-7. It mainly depends on the offensive production; will David Reynolds continue to put up prolific scoring numbers? Can Rucker and company consistently provide offensive reinforcement when facing teams like Hamilton, Williams, Amherst, etc.? I think the Polar Bears have an upset or two in them, but I also see them cancelling out those performances by losing a game they’re favored in. Nonetheless, this isn’t a team that you’d want to play come tourney time (just ask last year’s Amherst squad).

Amherst College 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Amherst Mammoths Basketball Season Preview

2017-2018 record: 16-10 (overall), 6-4 (conference)

Losing on a buzzer beater is never easy; losing to a Little Three rival in the playoffs on a buzz beater is even more devastating. It is a new year, however. The pain from last year may still be present in some of the veteran players, but each Mammoth comes into the season with a mindset that they’re going to win the league. Amherst, a perennial NESCAC powerhouse, is reloaded and ready to take revenge on Wesleyan and other rivals.

2018-2019 projected record: 17-7 (overall), 6-4 (conference)

Amherst has already demonstrated that they have the fire power to compete with anyone thus far. Three wins, and two of those in triple digits, illustrate the ease in which Amherst scores. These wins are impressive, but they’re against non-league foes. With official NESCAC basketball conference games starting in January, Amherst will have confidence going into January if they continue their strong November run into December.

The Mammoths are off to a hot start in their 2019 preseason.

Key losses:

G/F Johnny McCarthy

GP: 26

PTS/G: 11.9

FG %: 43.4

3PT %: 30.3

FT %: 65.1

REB/G: 7.7

A/G: 3.0

The 6’ 5” Nobles product capped off his Amherst career with a historic 2017-2018 season. McCarthy was a solid all around player, who was as active on the glass as he was scoring buckets. Even though the three point and free throw percentage don’t necessarily show such a significant impact, McCarthy’s willingness to scrap with big boys such as Wesleyan’s Nathan Krill and Jordan Sears shows how much he will be missed. The twelve points a game, second highest on the team, will be a void that will need to be filled by the squad this season.

G Michael Riopel

GP: 26

PTS/G:12.7

FG %:46.2

3PT %:43.0

FT %:74.2

REB/G: 5.3

A/G: 2.1

Similar to McCarthy, Riopel brought great length to the Amherst lineup. The 6’ 5” guard, sitting two hundred pounds of lean muscle, was the top Amherst scorer. The numbers, especially the field goal percentage from two and three, standout. Riopel was an efficient scorer who made tough shots in his phenomenal Amherst career. The veteran guard had a solid handle, and didn’t have a huge turnover problem. His leadership ability on and off the court will be sorely missed.

Projected starting five:

Grant Robinson:

GP: 24

PTS/G: 9.4

FG %3: 6.2

3PT %: 33.7

FT %: 69.6

REB/G: 3.4

A/G: 3.4

Grant Robinson came onto the scene last season as a young guard who was poised to lead a championship contending team. Sound familiar Austin Hutcherson fans? It’s tough to compare Hutcherson and Robinson beyond that, though. Robinson stands about three inches shorter, which makes him less of a threat guarding bigger guys. Hutcherson is definitely a better fit in Wesleyan’s switch happy pick and roll defense because of this. Robinson, however, obviously isn’t a Wesleyan Cardinal. He plays in an Amherst system that was led by Riopel and McCarthy last year. Robinson put up stats that makes you think he could be one of the NESCAC’s next elite guards. Amherst will always be one of the top dogs in the conference, and Robinson will be one of the reasons why

Josh Chery:

GP: 21

PTS/G: 4.8

FG %: 37.5

3PT %: 30.0

FT %: 51.5

REB/G: 3.6

A/G: 0.9

I feel like the following statement is the antithesis to everything I believe in (and the teachings of Michael Lewis’s Moneyball): Josh Chery’s stats don’t tell the whole story. Allow me to elaborate. His points per game, mediocre assists, rebounds, and poor free throw percentage don’t make you think he would be an impact player on an Amherst team. He averaged only fourteen minutes a game last year. He isn’t one of those guys that will wow you with his shot, but he physical presence will scare a lot of scorers. Chery, at two hundred and fifteen pounds, can defend any position. He’s got the athleticism to stay with guards, and has the strength to compete with any big man. I’m interested to see how this plays out.

Fru Che

GP: 26
PTS/G: 8.2
FG %: 48.7
3PT %: 34.4
FT %: 36.4
REB/G: 3.9
A/G: 0.8

Che, a Brooks School product, is another athletic forward that will help Amherst defensively this season. As a side note, Brooks seemed to always defeat Rivers, my high school, in league championship games during my time at Rivers. There is still salt in the wound. Che is an efficient scorer, as seen by his numbers from last season. His free throw shooting was a liability. Late in games, without McCarthy and Riopel, Amherst needs to have confidence in guys who will step the the line and make big buckets. Let’s see if Che is up to the challenge.

Eric Sellew:

GP: 21

PTS/G: 8.5

FG %: 48.6

3PT %: 21.4

FT %: 73.3

REB/G: 5.9

A/G: 1.4

Standing at 6’ 7,” Sellew is one of the tallest guy in the starting lineup for Amherst. He’s a solid big man. He has the strength to go one on one with Wesleyan’s JR Bascom or Jordan James, a highly anticipated matchup that we’re sure to see this year. With a league and a game that has transitioned from a half court set to more of transition offense, I’m interested to see how Sellew will fit this. He’s a positive player for Amherst without a question, and has good footwork both up top and in the paint. If Amherst wins the league crown this year, it’s because Sellew became one of the best rebounders in the conference, averaging around nine to ten.

C Joe Schneider:

GP:26

PTS/G:6.5

FG %:52.1

3PT %-

FT %: 61.3

REB/G:5.2

A/G: 1.2

I’m a rower, so I’m used to being around guys in the six-five to six-eight range. Joe Schneider is a giant compared to most of my teammates. Standing at six-ten Schneider is one of the biggest guys in the entire league. This length not only affects shots and shot selection, but can disrupt entire offenses who rely on half court pick and roll sets. Schneider can definitely move his feet at his size, but anyone that size will have difficulty staying in front of elite athletes. Schneider is a proven commodity in the Amherst system; he knows how to play and win effectively. Those long arms and blocking ability instill fear in some guards, but I’m not entirely confident that he will be able to stay in front of the quickest. We shall see.

Everything else:

Schneider and the Mammoths have a lot to prove without McCarthy and Riopel.

There are teams, in any sport, that will put a quality product on the field or the court any year regardless of talent level. Coach David Hixon has been coaching the Amherst squad for forty-one years. He’s been a champion in more ways than one both in the league and on the national level. Is this one of the most talented Amherst teams to be assembled? No, not even lose I don’t think. They have talented players, yes, but I don’t believe they have a starting five that will wow you, or bench players that will make you think this is one of the great Amherst teams. Remember me saying, though, that Amherst will never be blown out. That’ll never happen. The program is too rich and seasoned to lose any game by double digits. Robinson will lead them, and they will be very solid. I personally can’t wait for the Amherst vs Wesleyan or Amherst vs Williams matchups this year. Those games are special to watch as a sports fan.

A conversation with Grant Robinson:

Andrew Martin: Which losses from the senior class last year will be felt the most, and what additions from this year’s freshman class will offset those losses?

Grant Robinson: Having lost Johnny McCarthy and Michael Riopel, we lose our two leading scorers from last year. Because of this, we need guys to step up and take initiative to score the ball more so than they may have last year. I think Will Phelan and Devonn Allen are two freshmen that can have an immediate impact for us this year and help offset our losses. They’ve already shown great improvement and ability early in the season.

AM: How will Amherst reclaim its spot as the best in the league?

GB: I think to reclaim our spot as #1 in the conference we have to continue to have a chip on our shoulder throughout the entire season. A lot of people don’t have high expectations from us this year, but as a team, we will use this to our advantage and push each other to prove that we can be even better than we were last year.

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.

Can’t Stay Young Forever: Bates Men’s Basketball Season Preview

Bates College Bobcats

2017-2018 Record: 12-12 (4-6 NESCAC), didn’t make NESCAC Tournament

2018-2019 Projected Record: 15-9 (5-5 NESCAC)

Key Losses: None

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Nick Gilpin ’20 (6.1PPG, 3.8REB/G, 2.8AST/G)

In his freshman season, Gilpin benefitted from having a pair of giants down low that took some of the pressure and attention away from him as the primary point guard. Last year he was tasked with quarterbacking an offense that really hadn’t found its identity for much of the season and he did a decent job, finishing with a very similar stat line to his rookie campaign. This season he’s really going to have to step up as one of the veteran ball-handlers on the team. He has never shot a particularly high percentage from he field, but his 90.2% clip from the free throw line last season indicates that there is potential there, so the Bobcats will look for Gilpin to expand his range and become a bit more of a scorer to keep them in games. This shouldn’t be too much of a challenge because of his sneaky athleticism and quick first step, so look for Gilpin’s scoring output to increase in 2018-2019.

G: Jeff Spellman ’20 (14.8PPG, 3.8REB/G, 43.4% FG)

There’s no doubt that Spellman is one of the best shot-creators in the conference and he has the quickness to get past almost anyone on the perimeter. The problem was Bates relied a little too heavily on his scoring prowess last year, because too many possessions ended with him in isolation having to force a shot. He’s definitely a stud athlete, but not so much that the Bobcats can abandon their offense and allow him to play hero ball all the time. He’ll benefit tremendously from having additional scoring threats around the outside to take some of the attention off of him because more often than not he’ll be guarded by the opposing team’s best perimeter defender. In order for Bates to improve their offense Spellman will need to stay within the system and take scoring opportunities as they appear, while sharing the ball and potentially even seeing an increase in his assist numbers. If he can remind teams that he isn’t the only option on this roster then he’ll start to get much higher-percentage chances to do the scoring himself, and in turn the offense as a whole will improve.

G: Tom Coyne ’20 (11.5PPG, 3.7REB/G)

Junior year is going to be a big one for the team’s second leader scorer from last season. Coyne averaged 11.5 points per game, but only shot 37% from the field while going 31.9% from beyond the arc. He got good looks and is very able to create his own opportunities to score, but the shots simply weren’t falling last year. The Bobcats need him to execute a higher percentage of his chances to increase their scoring output this year. The good news is, I think he will. Coyne has a terrific jump shot and benefitted greatly from seeing additional minutes in his sophomore season. If he can do this successfully, he’ll help draw some attention and open up lanes for other guys. His keen passing ability and court vision should allow him to see an increase in assist numbers as well. One question is whether Coyne will be able to defend larger guys because in this current starting lineup they only have one player over 6’4.” Being that Coyne is only 6 feet, he’ll often be matched up with a bigger guy so it’ll be important that he can slow opponents down and keep them off the glass despite the height disparity.

G/F: James Mortimer ’21 (5.7PPG, 2.3REB/G)

Mortimer is going to be a big X-factor this year. At 6’4” he’s one of the bigger players in the lineup so he’s going to have to hit the glass and pull in more than the 2.3 rebounds per game he was grabbing in his rookie season. He’s a capable scorer so the points will come, and he’ll likely put up more than 5.7 given that he’s going to see a large increase in minutes this year (he was only getting 17 minutes per game in 2017-2018). The place where the Bobcats will need Mortimer the most is on defense. Like I mentioned for Tom Coyne, the Bates lineup is usually on the small side so he’ll spend a decent amount of time guarding guys who are 2 to 3 inches taller than him. Defending the 4 will require a tremendous amount of toughness, so it’ll be a huge test for Morty now that the expectations are a bit higher in year two.

C: Nick Lynch ’19 (8.5PPG, 8.1REB/G, 45.8% FG)

Nick Lynch is the only guy in the starting lineup whose focus isn’t primarily on the offensive end. Lynch has size and experience, a rare combination for this Bates squad. He does an outstanding job guarding every team’s biggest player and he shoots an efficient percentage from the field. I guess you could call him the Al Horford of the team. He does a great job on the boards and in the word on the street is that he’s looking as springy as he did before he went down with an injury during his sophomore year. With his combination of size and athleticism, he has the potential to play at the same level as some of the elite bigs in the NESCAC. With the addition of Kenny Aruwajoye ’22, the Bobcats also have another big who can matchup with guys the size of Lynch, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two big men mesh during their one season together.

Everything Else

As you can tell from reading the player previews, the Bobcats need to get better on offense. In 2017-2018 they finished last in the NESCAC in field goal percentage (39.3%) and second worst in 3-point shooting percentage (32.4%). Frankly, those numbers need to be better. If they want to be able to keep up with offenses like Hamilton and Middlebury then they need to be scoring more points. The starters will be asked to step up, and fortunately they have a weapon in sharpshooter Max Hummel ’19 who finished second in the conference with a 45.9% mark from 3-point range. They also have versatile guard Kody Greenhalgh ’20 who will bring a super athletic spark off the bench in a similar role he had last year. They have the personnel to run a higher scoring offense; the question is whether or not guys will step up to take on more of the burden.

Kody Greenhalgh ’20 has a chance to be a force off the bench

Losing the Delpeche twins last season led to a completely new defensive strategy given that the Bobcats no longer had two monsters in the paint waiting to swat away anything in the vicinity. They had to go with much smaller lineups and these lineups were effective at times, seeing that they forced the third most turnovers per game as a team in 2017-2018. The issue was that Bates was allowing opponents to shoot at a 44.5% rate from the field, the highest in the NESCAC. On-ball defense is going to be a key area of focus this year because it’s often as simple as getting a hand in the face of a shooter to challenge and potentially change their shot. Brandon Galloway ’19 is going to be a huge part of this equation because he has the quickness and athleticism to defend some of the league’s best players. I don’t have a stat to prove it, but I’m pretty sure that Galloway was the league leader in charges taken last season, so he’ll look to continue this type of production on the defensive end since he’ll usually be matched up with the other team’s best player.

Nick Lynch ’19 will be asked to anchor the Bobcats down low

Likely the biggest challenge that the Bobcats were faced with after the graduation of the Delpeches was size. Last season they finished last in the conference in blocks and rebounds, while allowing the most rebounds to opponents of anyone. Nick Lynch was the only guy over 6’4” who saw legit time and the two guys who were exactly 6’4” in the rotation (Mortimer and Hummel) never got very extended minutes. They’re going to ask much more of Sunny Piplani ’21 who played sparingly in his freshman campaign. At 6’8,” Piplani has the size to be a difference maker in the paint, but he’s also very able to step back and knock down shots from deep with his soft shooting touch. Recognizing that height was an issue, Coach Furbush went out and recruited guys to bring some size to the lineup. First years Kenny Aruwajoye ’22 and Andrew Snoddy ’22 will definitely see minutes right away purely because of their sheer size. Aruwajoye stands at 6’8” and 220lbs, and he brings a high IQ to the post. His skill set is still a bit of a work in progress, but he has a very solid foundation to build upon. Snoddy is a 6’6” wing who will provide some much needed size and athleticism to a lineup that has lacked a true wing in recent years.

It was long overdue, but Bates finally renovated the floor in famed Alumni Gym

It looks to be a very promising year in Lewiston as the Bobcats return the bulk of their lineup and have added some pieces in areas where they needed it. Fortunately for the fans (and unfortunately for opponents), the conference schedule is much more favorable than it was last season when they were forced to play a number of games at home despite the students being on winter vacation. During the month of January, Bates will play host to Middlebury, Williams, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Conn College in consecutive games. They have a chance to really do damage (go Red Sox) during this stretch, especially given that they finished last season with the highest team free-throw percentage in the conference (77.1%) and had the second fewest turnovers per game (11.7). Combine these numbers with a raucous crowd sitting just inches away from the court and you have a recipe for winning close games. No matter who you are you can never take a visit to Alumni Gym lightly, and you can count on the Bobcat faithful to pack the house each and every time a conference foe comes to town. Watch out NESCAC, it looks like it could be the year of the Bobcat.

Wesleyan Cardinals Basketball 2019 Season Preview

Wesleyan Cardinals

Austin Hutcherson was lock down on defense last year and won the D3hoops Northeast Rookie of the Year award. Expect big things from him in 2019.

2017-2018 record: 22-7 (overall), 7-3 (conference)

With a healthy mix of veteran experience and talented underclassmen, Wesleyan basketball proved to the rest of the NESCAC why they’re a top three team in the conference. Winning all three games against rival Amherst, including a game-winner in the playoffs against them, illustrates the Cardinals’ ability to make plays in big games. Two losses, including a playoff loss, to the other purple rival, Williams, is one of the many motivating factors for Coach Reilly and the rest of the Birds to win it all this year.

2018-2019 projected record: 22-5 (overall), 7-3 (conference)

Wesleyan is set to play this week in the Herb Kenny Tip-Off Tournament and will embark its revenge tour early against Williams this season on December 1st in a non-conference game. Any NESCAC game is normally ultra competitive, so there’s not necessarily a roll over opponent for the Cards.

Key losses:

G Jordan Sears

PTS/G: 5.8

FG %: 53.8

FT %: 60.2

REB/G: 5.2

Sears’ general stats don’t wow you, but earning the 2017-2018 NESCAC Defensive player of the year award shows how much of an impact player he was. As an avid Dirty Bird fan, I watched the six foot five guard seemingly come out of nowhere and fly to make ridiculous blocks. He will be missed in the Cardinal defense and transitional game.

F Nathan Krill

PTS/G: 12.2

FG %: 42.2

3PT %: 38.2

FT %: 73.3

REB/G: 8.6

A/G: 1.3

In an offense that possessed a venerated transition offense, Krill’s ability to dominate in the half court was fun to watch. His 12.2 point per game will surely be missed as the season goes on, but I know Coach Rielly will figure out ways to compensate for that loss.

Projected Starting Lineup:

G Austin Hutcherson ’21

PTS/G: 12.0

FG %: 41.8

3PT %: 44.3

FT %: 82.6

REB/G: 3.7

A/G: 2.7

The 6’ 6” guard took the NESCAC by storm last year, winning Rookie of the Year honors. Hutcherson never looked like a freshman on the court last year: he looked live a seasoned veteran. His rare combination of towering height, athleticism, talent, and IQ for a guard makes him a candidate for even more league honors this year. He will dominate smaller guards on both offense and defense. Look for his assists to go up as he becomes more comfortable in the offense in his second year. Simply put, he’s a fun player to watch, and will be one of the center pieces of Wesleyan basketball for years to come.

G Jordan Bonner ’19

PTS/G: 15.5

FG %: 40.6

3PT %: 34.8

FT %: 84.9

REB/G: 4.7

A/G: 1.4

Bonner had another tremendous 2017-2018 campaign as he was named to second team all-NESCAC. He’s a creative, athletic scorer with a variety of moves to get to the basket. The confidence his teammates and coaches have in him to seal the game at the free throw line shows how talented he is in more than simply scoring. I expect him to shoot a little better from three than he did last year, but like Paul Pierce, he doesn’t rely on the three since he’s a talented scorer is so many ways.

F JR Bascom ’19

PTS/G:8.4

FG %:61.4

3PT %: 0.0

FT %: 69.5

REB/G: 5.6

A/G: 1.0

Bascom is one of those guys you love to have on your team. He communication on defense, calling out screens, switches, or rebounds, is infectious. Wesleyan has been known as one of the league’s best defenses primarily because of forces like Sears, but Bascom should be put in that conversation as well. He’s lengthy and thick, but there’s no question that he can move his feet well to reasonably stay in front on any guard on a switch. With Krill’s departure, look for Bascom to feel the burden of every big man in the NESCAC. It may physically take a toll on him banging with the biggest of the big boys every play, but he has the intensity to do so.

F Jordan James ’21

PTS/G: 3.8

FG %:68.2

3PT :%-

FT %:58.8

REB/G:2.9

A/G: 0.1

Filling the shoes of Sears and Krill will be a tough task, but the two gentlemen replacing them already have a year under their belts in the Rielly system. Jordan James, with limited playing time in freshman year, will be called upon to step up in the starting line up. Standing at six foot seven with a massive wingspan, Jordan has the potential to be one of the most versatile defenders in the NESCAC. He’s very good defensively in transition, similar to Sears, and has very good basketball IQ. As a forward, however, he may have trouble hanging down low with opponents who are more filled out than he is. Krill definitely has the advantage in offensive skill and strength, but like I’ve said above, James is a different player in a good way. His wingspan will help him corral rebounds, and make it tough on smaller guards or big men to get a clean look. He’s poised to be a positive contributor in the lineup.

G Antone Walker ’21

PTS/G:7.6

FG %:34.0

3PT %:31.1

FT %:65.6

REB/G:1.2

A/G:1.3

Antone Walker is likely to be the other new addition to the starting lineup this season. The sophomore guard showed flashes of greatness last season with prolific scoring at times. The 7.6 points per game doesn’t do Walker justice with limited playing time from last season. He averaged about nineteen points per forty minutes last year. He’s a solid on ball defender as well with quick hands looking for steals. Wesleyan in recent years always put five guys on the floor with great length. Walker is an exception. Standing at six feet, Walker will have to work hard on switches, and avoid a much taller, thicker opponent utilizing the size mismatch on him.

Everything else:

Wesleyan showed last season that they’re far more than a defensive team. Even though they struggled in the half court at times, the combination of Hutcherson and Bonner provided enough scoring on the outside. That was last year, however, and the inside presence of Krill is gone. Will David Dixon be the guy to step up off the bench, and fill Krill’s shoes? It’s tough to say given the limited minutes Dixon played the past few seasons. Communication on defense has always been a strength of the Cardinals, so switches have always favored the length and IQ of the Birds. It’s going to be interesting to see how Coach Reilly will use the newcomers. The defense for Wesleyan is never really a question mark. Sears’ departure will be felt, but I believe that Wesleyan will figure out a way to make up for it.

Jordan Bonner and the Cardinals are maybe the most athletic group in the conference.

A conversation with Jordan Bonner:

Andrew Martin: Which losses from the senior class last year will be felt the most, and what additions from this year’s freshman class will offset those losses?
Jordan Bonner: Both the loss of Jordan Sears and Nathan Krill will be felt the most this year. Their defensive presence and intensity were a huge part of our identity and they will be missed this season. With that said, I think the freshman and rest of the team have stepped up tremendously in the pre-season and know that we have big shoes to fill. This does not mean that we are trying to replicate our success or players from last year because that will guarantee that we are not successful but we do understand that we all need to step up. The freshman are extremely talented and I think that they all can help us win.
AM: Is there one particular game that you guys have circled on your calendar?
JB: Nope. Our preparation will be the same regardless of who we play. I’m excited to play whoever steps on the other side of the court.
AM: How will Wesleyan go from one of the best teams in the conference to the best one in the NESCAC?
JB: The best teams treat every game the same. While it is true that some games are perceived as being bigger than others, at the end of the day we have 40 minutes every night to get a W against a really good team. The elite teams approach every game the same and focus solely on dominating and so I believe that this will take Wesleyan to the next level in being the best team in the NESCAC.
AM: Any message to the Cards in the crowd who will be rooting for you guys all year long?
JB: I think that we will be really fun to watch. We have size, athleticism, quickness and grittiness and I think that that will make watching our games entertaining. I think that it will be a great and successful season. I know that we play better when we have a large crowd cheering us on and so we want to thank everyone for their support in advance.

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.

There’s a First Time for Everything: Wesleyan NCAA Tournament Preview

#15 Wesleyan (21-6, 7-3, Lost in Final to Williams)

The Cardinals looked like a borderline tournament team at the conclusion of the regular season, but played their way to the title game of the NESCAC tournament in part thanks to some heroics from Nathan Krill ’18 in the semifinal against Amherst. This made them a lock to not only make the tournament, but they were selected to be a host for the first two rounds of games. The Cardinals have never won a national tournament game, and this looks to be their best chance.

Wesleyan finished 2nd in the NCAA regional rankings (behind Williams) and 15th in the D3hoops poll, which concluded a solid season for a team who lost two impact underclassmen before the school year. They have made the tournament twice in recent years with Coach Reilly at the helm, but failed to make it past the first round either time. In fact, they have never made it past the first round as a program, so they will surely be tested in their opening round matchup with Southern Vermont.

How They Got Here:

Going into this season, we had absolutely no idea what to expect from Wesleyan. They lost two key players in Salim Green ’19 and Andrew Gardiner ’19 who left the school, as well as the graduation of Harry Rafferty ’17, who was the star from last year’s team. They got off to a hot start with big early season wins over #21 Nichols and #5 Williams (pre-Scadlock injury mind you), before falling to Springfield and then Williams in their second meeting for the official NESCAC season. Their loss to Trinity midway through the season was a bit surprising, but the NESCAC is tough and it was Kevin O’Brien’s first game back from illness, so that’s not a particularly bad loss. The focus for Wesleyan is on the three point shot because they have been very streaky this season from deep. Their defense is excellent, so if their offense can keep up they have a chance to make a run. Something to focus on is that Wesleyan has very solid senior leadership in JR Bascom ’18, Jordan Sears ’18, and Nathan Krill ’18. This is the third NCAA Tournament appearance for these guys, so they certainly don’t lack experience. Jordan Sears ’18 took home the Defensive Player of the Year Award this weekend (both from us at NbN and officially, from the NESCAC) Nathan Krill ’18 has already proven that he can step up when they need it by knocking down a very deep, game-winning 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left to cap off a 29-point, 10-rebound night. This is a team that is ready for the postseason, under the excellent coaching of Joe Reilly.

After downing Amherst, let’s see if Nathan Krill ’18 has any magic left.

How They Lose:

Wesleyan has some solid scoring threats (see Nathan Krill ’18, Jordan Bonner ’19, Austin Hutcherson ’21), but they are a defensive-minded team. They’ll get themselves into trouble if they get into a shootout with someone, so they need to elevate their defense even more in the tournament. This isn’t helped by the fact that Southern Vermont, New England College, and #14 Swarthmore are all pretty high scoring teams. With this low-scoring approach, the Cardinals will need to be efficient with their shots. They only average 13.8 assists per game, which is second to last in the NESCAC, only ahead of Conn College. Devoid of a star player who can take over games, they’ll have to pay extra attention to sharing the ball and working for the best shot they can get.

The Competition

Southern Vermont College Mountaineers (22-5, 12-2, Conference Champs)

The Mountaineers won the Northeast Collegiate Conference championship to earn their program’s third ever bid to the NCAA Tournament after a very solid 22-5 season. They boast the conference’s player of the year, senior Mike Pierre ’18 who averages 19.1PPG, 6.5REB/G, 2.5AST/G, and shoots a solid percentage from the field. They also claim the conference’s defensive player of the year, Daemond Carter, who helped them hold conference opponents to an astounding 66 points per game. The Mountaineers will likely look to shoot a lot and keep their games at a fast pace, especially since they struggle with rebounding at times. It will be tough for them to matchup with Nathan Krill on the rebounding side, with their tallest player only being 6’6”. They will look to push the ball in transition, staying ahead of the Wesleyan shot blockers. The size of Wesleyan combined with their disciplined approach puts them in great position to win their first ever NCAA Tournament game.

#14 Swarthmore College Garnet (22-5, 15-3, Lost in Final to #12 Johns Hopkins)

Does Cam Wiley ’19 have the star power to lead the Garnet deep into the playoffs.

The Garnet return to the NCAA Tournament this year after being sent home in the second round of last year’s tournament. They sit at #14 in the nation and 3rd in their regional ranking, receiving at at-large bid after losing to #12 Johns Hopkins in the Centennial Conference championship game. The Garnet play one of the toughest non-NESCAC schedules out there, with notable wins over #18 Middlebury (when they were as high as 2nd in the nation), #12 Johns Hopkins, and Franklin & Marshall. They don’t have any standout scorers, although they’re lead by point guard Cam Wiley ’19 who averages 15.8PPG, to go along with 4.4REB/G and 3.2AST/G. What the Garnet have going for them is that they rebound very efficiently, and have the size to matchup with just about anyone. They also shoot at a 47.6% clip as a team, which is outstanding and very hard to keep up with. This is a very tough team to beat, and a potential matchup with Wesleyan in the second round makes this region very interesting.

New England College Pilgrims (21-6, 15-3, Conference Champs)

Last but not least we have the North Atlantic Conference champions: the New England College Pilgrims. This is another team that lacks true size (tallest player is 6’6”) so they’ll look to spread the floor and try to stay out of half court sets. They’ve got two reliable scoring threats in Ricky Leonard ’19 (17.3PPG) and Izaiah Winston-Brooks ’20 (16.7PPG) so they are a team that could potentially play spoiler if they get hot. They don’t have a senior on their roster so the inexperience could hurt a bit, however the game plan is very simple if they’re going to beat a team as talented as Swarthmore: the shots need to be falling. The Pilgrims need to be very efficient with their shots and will have to shoot a very high percentage to keep up with the Garnet. They are definitely an underdog, but who doesn’t love an underdog in March?