Category: Connecticut College

Anything Can Happen in the Postseason: Men’s Lax Playoff Preview

Conference Tournament Weekend Preview and Predictions

The NESCAC Tournament is finally here.  Weeks of grueling conference play filtered out the weak, leaving the top eight teams to battle for the right to be crowned champion and earn an automatic trip to the NCAA Tournament.  Will the traditional powers of Amherst, Tufts and Wesleyan continue their dominance and roll to the semifinals, or will a lower seed play spoiler?

Usually there’s a matchup or two in conference tournaments where one team is significantly favored over the other; however, each of these bouts features teams in which their previous regular season encounters were decided by no more than three goals.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean every game will be close, it makes the matchups more enticing and increases the opportunity for upsets to occur.

Before dissecting the quarterfinal matchups, here’s how some of the playoff seeds were secured:

Here are the matchups for Saturday.

Jockeying for the top two spots: Wesleyan finished tied with Amherst and Tufts atop the conference at 9-1. All three share the same record against the top eight opponents in the NESCAC, so by rule the top overall seed was selected via a suspenseful name drawing from a hat. Amherst was awarded the second seed due to their head-to-head victory over the Jumbos.

Movement in the Middle: Conn College snagged the fifth seed due to their head-to-head victory over Middlebury.  The Panthers jumped up a spot to sixth with a huge victory over Williams, while Bowdoin’s loss to Wesleyan dropped the Polar Bears to seventh.

Bobcats Snag the Last Spot: In what came down to a winner-take-all matchup between rivals Bates and Colby, the Bobcats left Waterville victorious and secured their fourth straight trip to the conference tournament.

#1 Wesleyan (12-2, 9-1) vs. #8 Bates (8-7, 4-6)

 Regular Season Outcome: Wesleyan defeated Bates 13-11 

Wesleyan will be the deserving favorite in this matchup, but this isn’t your typical 1 vs. 8 seed.  The Bobcats were ranked in the top 15 in many pre-season polls, and while it’s fair to say they haven’t lived up to expectations, there’s no denying this team has the talent to upset the Cardinals.  In their regular season matchup, the Bobcats jumped out to a four-goal lead, but their offense sputtered (two goals in the entire second half) and Wesleyan battled back to win 13-11.  If the Bobcat duo of Clarke Jones ’18 and Matt Chlastawa ’20 can outperform Wesleyan’s Harry Stanton ’18 and Ronan Jacoby ’21, Bates has a very good chance to spring the upset; however, Wesleyan’s gritty defense has the capability to slow down even the most potent of players, and I see the Cardinals edging the Bobcats in a back-and-forth affair.

Prediction: Wesleyan 14-12

#2 Amherst (13-2, 9-1) vs. #7 Bowdoin (8-6, 4-6)

Regular Season Outcome: Amherst defeated Bowdoin 16-15

These teams seem to be heading in opposite directions; Amherst has rattled off five wins in a row since their 12-11 loss to Wesleyan, out-gunning the opposition with 108 goals in that span.  On the other hand, Bowdoin limped towards the finish with four consecutive losses, most recently at the hands of Tufts.  The Polar Bears’ defense limited the ‘CAC’s second-leading scorer Evan Wolf (’19) to just a single goal in their last matchup, but leading scorer Jon Coffey ’20 (3 goals) and Colin Minicus ’20 (6 goals) picked up the slack.  Bowdoin’s defense is solid, but they lack the offensive firepower to keep up with the Mammoths.

Prediction: Amherst 19-13

Tufts handled Midd just fine in the regular season, thanks to a big streak of goals.

#3 Tufts (13-1, 9-1) vs. #6 Middlebury (9-6, 5-5)

Regular Season Outcome: Tufts defeated Middlebury 13-10

Tufts and Middlebury played this past Saturday, where the Jumbos overcame a slow start to defeat the Panthers by three.  Although the result was not what the Panther faithful would have liked to see, their team did pick up a huge victory over Williams during the week and ended the year winning six of their final seven games.  The key for Tufts is to shut down Henry Riehl ’18 and force his teammates to beat them.  Riehl had half of Middlebury’s goals against Tufts, and he can give opposing defenses fits (just ask the Ephs, who this past Saturday allowed four goals and three assists to the senior).  In the end, however, the Jumbos are too talented to let the Panthers come into Medford and snatch a victory.  Andrew Seitzer ’18 and co. will break down the Middlebury defense, setting up a rematch with the Mammoths.

Prediction: Tufts 17-10

#4 Williams (6-4, 8-7) vs. #5 Connecticut College (10-5, 5-5)

Regular Season Outcome: Williams defeated Conn College 11-9

The Ephs had a forgettable performance against Middlebury in which they allowed a season-high 20 goals.  Fortunately for Williams, Conn doesn’t boast an electric offensive unit.  The Camels perform best when they slow the game down and let their zone-defense stifle the opposition.  They did so in their previous encounter with Williams, keeping it a one-goal game after three periods. Williams may have the better offensive unit, but the Camels boast the best face-off specialist in the NESCAC in Ben Parens ’18.  Expect a tight contest in which neither team can impose their will over the other; I praised the Ephs in my last article, but I’ll take the mini-upset here and say the Camels defense will dictate the tempo and steal a road win.

Prediction: Conn College 10-9

Rejoice, NESCAC fans, Lacrosse Coverage is Here! Playoff Push Power Rankings

Playoff Push: Men’s Lacrosse Power Rankings 4/14

Editor’s Note: I’m sure many Northeastern NESCAC fans are going to be excited about our debut piece on lacrosse, written by new contributor Ryan Moralejo from Bates. While this coverage won’t be as consistent as our three main sports, more is coming, so get stoked!

As the regular season comes to a close, no seeding position is safe.  At the top of the conference we have Amherst, Tufts and Wesleyan all battling for the regular season title and the prize that comes with it: home field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the middle of the standings, Williams, Conn, Bowdoin, Midd, and Bates are jockeying for seeding, waiting for someone to slip up and fall off the pack. Further down, a matchup of two Mainers looms in the distance with postseason aspirations on the line.  There’s a lot to cover in a short amount of time, so let’s get to it.

  1. #4 Amherst: 11-2, (7-1)

Last Week: 24-11 W @ Conn College, 20 – 16 W @ Tufts

This Week: vs. Bates

While Amherst’s decisive victory over Conn College was impressive, the Mammoths earned the top spot on the list due to their most recent victory over the previously undefeated Jumbos.   Led by Evan Wolf ’19 and Matt Solberg ’20, Amherst blitzed Tufts in the first half, jumping out to a 15-5 lead.  They boast four of the top 10 goal scorers in the ‘CAC, highlighted by Wolf’s league-leading 28.  Amherst’s high-octane offense has accounted for a mind-blowing 155 goals in eight conference games, and since their nail-biting loss on the road to Wesleyan, the Mammoths have rattled off three straight – all against top-tier conference opponents.  They will undoubtedly be favored next weekend versus Bates on Senior Day, but can’t afford to rest their laurels on Saturday’s performance.

The Mammoths hold the top spot in this week’s rankings.
  1. #6 Tufts: 10-1 (6-1)

Last Week: 12-11 W (OT) @ Endicott, 20-16 L vs. Amherst

This Week: vs. Bates, @ Middlebury

The Jumbos were riding high after their 14-10 victory over Wesleyan; however, their two most recent performances (a closer-than-expected overtime win against a 4-9 Endicott squad and a home loss to Amherst) brought Tufts back down to earth.  While the Jumbos don’t have a particular individual who excels offensively, they do have the second-most goals in conference play thanks to six double-digit scorers. Before Saturday’s dismal showing, goalie Mason Pollack ’20 was second in the ‘CAC in goals allowed per game (9.25); he’ll need to brush off his performance versus Amherst and right the ship quickly as the Jumbos head into Lewiston to take on the Bobcats.

  1. #5 Wesleyan (7-1)

Last Week: 11-6 W @ Trinity, 12-8 W vs. Bowdoin

This Week: @ Hamilton

Cardinals fans might be a little displeased to see their #5 nationally-ranked squad listed third in their own conference rankings.  Honestly, I almost bumped them ahead of Tufts, but the Jumbos own the head-to-head victory.  There’s a lot to like about this Cardinals team: they boast the league’s best defense in large part due to goalie Otto Bohan ’21, who ranks tops in save percentage and wins.  Their offense isn’t too shabby either: Ronan Jacoby ’21 totaled nine goals against Trinity and Bowdoin, adding to his scorching-hot rookie campaign.  Last year’s top goal scorer and point leader Harry Stanton ’18 has 23 goals to date, and Carter Hawthorne ’19 leads the league in assists.  Despite this three-headed monster, the Cardinals are middle of the pack in goals scored.  Saturday’s date with Hamilton should be fairly easy to maneuver around, but they’ll need to find another source for offensive production if they want to repeat as NESCAC champions.

 

  1. Williams 6-6 (5-3)

Last Week: 9-5 W vs. Hamilton, 16-12 W vs. Colby

This Week: @ Western New England, @ Bowdoin

While the overall record isn’t pretty, the Ephs are a gritty bunch and will be a tough outcome tourney time.  Their 5-3 record in conference play is solid, and they only lost to Wesleyan by one and Tufts by three.  They have the capability to go toe-to-toe with any team in the conference if I ignore their 19-9 shellacking against Amherst.  Offensively, Williams is run through Kevin Stump ’20 and James McFarland ’18 who both went to work this past Saturday against Colby. McFarland led the way with six goals while Stump added three of his own to go along with four assists.  Williams also has a solid goalkeeper in George Peele ’20, as the sophomore ranks second in save and win percentage.  The Ephs have a non-conference tilt with Western New England before a huge matchup with Bowdoin: a win could move Williams closer to solidifying the fourth seed for the conference tournament, but a loss could open the door to the likes of Conn College and/or the Polar Bears to move up from behind.

  1. Connecticut College 9-4 (5-4)

Last Week: 24-11 L vs. Amherst, 8-5 W vs. Hamilton

This Week: vs. Stockton

The Camels couldn’t bounce back from their collapse against Bates two Saturday’s ago, falling 24-11 to Amherst this past Tuesday.  Fortunately for them, they hosted Hamilton this past weekend (for those counting, this is the second time I’ve mentioned Hamilton in a negative manner before getting to their ranking, so you get the idea).  They did just enough to secure an 8-5 victory over the Continentals, shutting them out in the fourth quarter.

The Camels are all about defense, allowing fewer than ten goals a game; however, they really struggle on the offensive end and would be downright helpless without stud midi, Ben Parens ’18, dominating face offs.  Conn basically has three players capable of scoring: Jordan Foster ‘19, Maxx Trotsky ’20 and PJ Kelleher ’19 form a trio that compile 77 of Conn’s 83 total goals.  The Camels are off from NESCAC play this weekend and will need to solve some of their offensive woes if they want to shock Wesleyan in their season finale.

  1. Bowdoin 8-4 (4-4)

Last Week: 8-7 L vs. Colby, 12-8 L @ Wesleyan

This Week: vs. Williams

The Polar Bears dropped both their conference games this week.  On the road against Wesleyan is acceptable, but losing to Colby?  Most Polar Bear faithful would agree this was a disheartening performance against their inferior rival, and it could cost Bowdoin come seeding time.  The team’s leading scorer, Brett Kujala ’20, was a non-factor in Tuesday’s tilt, and the Polar Bears mustered up a mere eight goals against a Mule defense allowing nearly double that figure.  On the bright side, they improved their sturdy defensive stats, lowering their goals allowed per game to 9.63.  That figure trails only Wesleyan, and they’ll need their defense to be sharp come Saturday against Williams: a win would negate the Colby loss and keep the Polar Bears in the hunt for the #4 seed.

  1. Middlebury: 7-5 (4-4)

Last Week:  12-11 W @Springfield, 13-12 W vs. Trinity

Next Week: @ Endicott, vs. Tufts

The Panthers are on a nice four-game win streak: sure they barely squeaked by Colby and Trinity, but no victory is a given during NESCAC play (unless you’re playing Hamilton).  AJ Kucinski ’20 and Henry Riehl ‘18 lead a balanced offensive attack that features five players with at least nine goals.  The Panthers are still searching for their first marquee win of the season, as their victory over Bates represents their best win to date. Fortunately for Middlebury, they host Tufts on Saturday. The key for the Panthers will be to shore up the defense (11.25 goals a game, third-last in the ‘CAC) if they want to pull off the upset.

Bates has fallen a long way since 2017.
  1. Bates (7-5) (3-4)

Last Week: None

This Week: vs. Tufts, @ Amherst

Prior to this week’s hiatus from games due to Finals Week, the Bobcats had quite the emotional rollercoaster.  They fell to in-state rival Bowdoin on a last-second goal from Sam Carlin ’19 and were trailing Conn College 10-8 with just under three minutes to play.  Senior captain Clark Jones ’18 scored two goals to knot it up, and Andrew Small ’19 broke the deadlock in overtime to give Bates its biggest win of the season.  Clark sits tied for third in the ‘CAC with 23 goals, and Matt Chlastawa (LA-STAH-VAH, I think) is third in total points with 21 goals and 18 assists.  Bates’ defense ranks in the middle of the pack allowing fewer than 11 goals a game, and it will be severely tested against the two most dynamic offense squads in the league; the Bobcats welcome the Jumbos on Tuesday before traveling to Massachusetts in a matchup with the Mammoths. They’ll need production from their dynamic duo in order spring a potential upset or two.

  1. Colby: 4-6 (2-6)

Last Week: 8-7 W @Bowdoin, 16-12 L @ Williams

This Week: @ Maine Maritime, vs. Trinity

The Mules check in at #9 on the list after snagging a huge win over the Polar Bears this past Wednesday.  Colby’s defense, which had been a weak point all season, clamped down and allowed just seven goals, while junior midfielder Tucker Dietrick ’18 featured in five of the Mules’ eight scores.  Despite their most recent loss to Williams, Colby’s play has definitely picked up over the past three weeks, which is probably due to the selection of the “Wal-Mart Boy Remix” as their goal song.  Should the Bobcats lose both games this week, Colby will host Bates in what could be a doozy: in-state rivals battling for the last remaining play-off spot in the regular season finale.  Lose to Trinity, however, and a victory by the Bobcats over Amherst and/or Tufts would eliminate the Mules from playoff contention.

  1. Trinity 4-8 (1-7)

Last Week: 11-6 L vs. Wesleyan, 13-12 L vs. Middlebury

This Week: @ Colby

After picking up their first conference win of the season against Hamilton, the Bantams lost at home to both Wesleyan and Middlebury.  The latter fixture was particularly painful as Trinity fought to cut the lead to one with 9:47 left in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t find that last gear. The loss knocked the Bantams out of playoff contention; the best they could do is win out against Colby and Amherst, bringing them into a tie for 8th (the Bobcats own the head-to-head victory). Leading scorer Drew Kozub ’21 was limited to a single goal after firing in five against Hamilton.  He’ll look to get back on track and lead the charge into Waterville this Saturday.

It’s a good photo, but Hamilton doesn’t have too much else to be happy about here.
  1. Hamilton: 1-12 (0-9)

Last Week: 9-5 L @ Williams, 8-5 L @ Conn College

This Week: vs. Wesleyan

Yes, Hamilton played better this weekend against quality sides in Williams and Conn, but they’re still winless in conference play.  They’re nearly dead last in every offensive and defensive category, which is normally not what you want to hear if you’re a Continental fan.  Can they beat Wesleyan this weekend and avoid the winless conference campaign? It’s possible, but not very likely.

On the bright side, leading goal marksman Chad Morse ’19 had a hat trick against Williams, bringing his goal tally to 13. Also, I found this neat photo of him so I had to give him a shout out.

Entering the Belly of the Beast: Trinity @ Williams NESCAC Quarterfinal Preview

Trinity (15-9, 4-6) @ #9 Williams (19-5, 7-3), 7:00 PM, Williamstown, MA

Overview:

After a wild weekend of NESCAC basketball, Trinity limped into the playoffs as the #7 seed and Williams, like Middlebury, fell to the now #1 seeded Amherst Mammoths, dropping them in conference and in the national rankings. Obviously there is a big gap between Bowdoin and Trinity, the #7 and #8 teams in these playoffs and the top six teams. Bowdoin and Trinity combine for an 8-12 conference record (each 4-6 in conference), while the top six teams are all above .500. So, nabbing the #2 seed actually holds a lot of weight for the Ephs even though they missed out on hosting the NESCAC tournament (unless Amherst blows it against Bowdoin).

Kyle Padmore ’20 and his Trinity squad needs to play out of their minds to have a chance to win.

Trinity was on a bit of a hot streak entering last weekend, knocking off Wesleyan 73-60 and losing to Middlebury by just six (87-81), but fell flat against both Tufts (76-71)  and Bates (65-48) who is now in their offseason. The Bantams had 17 turnovers in their game against the Bobcats, five over their season average. They were outscored by 12 in the second half and were destined for defeat thanks to a 12-13 free throw shooting performance from their opponent. They will need to play more disciplined basketball and shoot how they did against Wesleyan (9-18 3-PT) to have a chance against Williams. Williams, similarly, had won five in a row and 7/8 games before they lost a game they were expected to win against Amherst. They lost by a score of 72-57 to the Mammoths and  shot just 27.6% from deep, much lower than their 35.8% season average that ranks third in the NESCAC. They shot just 33.9% overall in the game and didn’t have a single player haul in more than six boards. 

Donald Jorden ’21

Trinity X-Factor: Donald Jorden ‘21

Eric Gendron is going to need to play the game of his career for the Bantams to win—there is no denying that. But he can’t win the game alone. He will need members of his supporting cast, namely Donald Jorden, a first-year bench player, to come up clutch in a key situation to keep this Trinity team in contention. Although he only averages 4 PPG on the season, he has shot 16-19 in his last four games, tallying 16 points against Wesleyan in the Bantams’ best win of the year. If he can play an equally big role and everything else goes perfectly, then Trinity could have a chance to upset the #9 team in the country—if they don’t show up to play at all.

Williams X-Factor: Bobby Casey

Bobby Casey ’19

While James Heskett is a potential player of the year, Casey has been the MVP of their last two games. The senior has scored a combined 53 points in his games against Amherst and Hamilton, shooting 16-30 total and a blistering 10-18 from deep. He is averaging 16.1 points per game on the season but really broke out right before the playoffs. If he plays anything like he did against Hamilton (31 points, 7-10 3-PT), then the Ephs should control this game from start to finish.

Final Thoughts:

It is no secret that Trinity is the heavy underdog in this game as they already lost 75-58 in their meeting earlier this year. Williams is deeper, has played better against better teams, and obviously has a better record. They are playing at home and are comfortable with their position, hoping to snag a home weekend in the semis if Bowdoin can upset Wesleyan. Trinity should be weary but know that they have nothing to lose.

Williams has few holes, but Cole Teal’s shooting of late hasn’t made his teammates celebrate like they are in this picture.

Some things to note for this game are that Williams has a struggling player in their starting lineup and could lead to a double team on defense on either Bobby Casey or James Heskett. This flawed player is Cole Teal who has shot 1-17 in his last two games. You read that right. 1-17. That isn’t good and certainly contributed to Williams’ loss against Amherst. That kind of inefficiency led to many wasted possessions for the Ephs and if the Bantams are on fire—as they need to be—it could certainly play into an upset factor.

Even though on the season Williams is also ever so slightly better defensively than Trinity, racking up 0.2 more rebounds per game and 0.4 more steals per game on average than the Bantams. This is another reason that Donald Jorden could come in to be a key player as he racked up 10 rebounds in his big game against Wesleyan, as many as any Williams player has had combined in their last two games. Williams still has the edge by a large margin in this game, but Trinity could put up a fight in their best case scenario.

Writer’s Prediction: 79-64 Williams

The Home-Court Battle; Power Rankings 2/8

And after a long and exciting, up and down, confusing at times regular season, we are headed into the final weekend before the playoffs. With all teams only having either one or two more NESCAC games, Bates is the odd man out in the playoffs, looking in with a must win game against Trinity. They either need to beat Trinity and have the Bantams lose again to Tufts or need Bowdoin to lose out after a tough weekend against Conn and Wesleyan. That just leaves the matter of seeding. The top five spots could be completely flipped come playoff time as Middlebury, Hamilton, Amherst, and Williams all clash in some mix of games, with Wesleyan finishing their schedule out with some easier games. While Midd controls its own destiny, they are playing two locked in playoff teams that both want not only higher seeds, but a chance to host the NESCAC tournament. Time to lock in fans, March is coming quickly and everybody wants a ticket to title-town.

1. #5 Middlebury (19-3, 7-1)

Last Week: 72-70 W vs. Bowdoin; 75-56 W vs. Colby

This Week: @ Hamilton, @ Amherst

Although the end result of last weekend was of no surprise, the favored Panthers narrowly escaped with a victory against Bowdoin, relying on a last minute shot from Adisa Majors to break the tie. While Bowdoin’s players certainly aren’t chumps and are likely going to be a tough first round game for either Midd or Williams, Middlebury should be expected to play better the next time around. The Panthers, while rolling and climbing in the national rankings every week, are missing just one part of their game—three point shooting. They racked up just a 25.9% success rate against the Polar Bears, with no player shooting over 33% individually from deep. This is a glaring problem as they could struggle against sharp shooting teams like Williams later on in the season—winning their earlier matchup due to an explosion from Joey Leighton. The Panthers are still rolling and are the team to beat, but they could fall to Hamilton this weekend if they get out shot on the road.

Cole Teal and the Ephs are surging towards the playoffs

2. #8 Williams (18-4, 6-2)

 

Last Week: 77-49 W vs. Colby; 72-55 W vs. Bowdoin

This Week: @ Amherst; @ Hamilton

Another easy weekend has Williams getting closer and closer to Midd in these rankings. Their improving versatility, shooting diversity, and high margins of victory are convincing in how deserving they are to be considered the best team. They whooped Colby and shot well from the field and from deep, but against Bowdoin, like Middlebury, they were stifled from deep with Bobby Casey going just 1-10 from beyond the arc. This looks like more of an outlier and due to some good defense this past weekend from Bowdoin, but James Heskett can’t do it all himself in the playoffs. This weekend will bring out the best in these top two teams, revealing which is the strongest heading into the playoffs with each squad set to face the same opponents.

3. #15 Hamilton (19-2, 6-2)

Last Week: 57-74 W @ Tufts; 89-57 W @ Bates

This Week: vs. Middlebury; vs. Williams

A blowout win against Bates and another one against Tufts has me convinced that Hamilton has successfully rebounded heading into the playoffs. While they certainly put some doubt into my mind after losing two conference games in a row, their win against the Jumbos who knocked off Amherst shows that they are still a top notch team in the conference. Now, the switch isn’t flipping on and off every time the Continentals win or lose, and I don’t think they are as strong as Midd or Williams, but they are a top four team and have a shot to compete for a ring which is all any team can ask for. They kept it simple against the Jumbos, played aggressively, and shot their way to victory from the charity stripe, going 26-33, good for almost 80%. They played great defense, out-rebounded the Jumbos, and pushed them to shoot brutally from the field. Hamilton evenly dispersed their scoring and even saw a lackluster performance from star player Kena Gilmour, showing their depth and potential heading into a pivotal weekend against these top two teams. Time to see how the Continentals can compete against the top dawgs.

4. #22 Wesleyan (17-5, 5-3)

Last Week: 60-73 L @ Trinity

This Week: @ Colby, @ Bowdoin

Both good and bad came from this past weekend for the Cardinals. While they saw a disappointing loss against Trinity in an important game for their playoff seeding, they also saw the return of starting PG Kevin O’Brien, just in time for the playoffs. Although he needed to work back into the lineup slowly, going from 13 to 31 minutes played in the two games last weekend, he should be primed to get back to his usual role in these games that Wesleyan should win. The loss against Trinity resulted from a 5-26 three point shooting performance and a lights out performance from the Bantams. I don’t expect this to happen again, seen in their exclamatory win against the Mammoths, featuring more efficient shooting from Wesleyan’s three best shooters, and a strong near double-double from O’Brien.

Jordan Bonner and his teammates are happy to have Kevin O’Brien back.

5. Amherst (14-8, 5-3)

Last Week: 56-60 L @ Tufts; 80-61 W @ Bates

This Week: vs. Williams; vs. Middlebury

On the both sides of the surging Amherst team’s win against Bates were two bad losses. The Mammoths, looking like a championship contender of late, came up with two duds, one against a struggling Tufts team and the other to a strong Wesleyan team, but by a whopping 24 points. Against the Jumbos, albeit a close game where neither team pulled away, the Mammoths simply showed they weren’t exceptional. They were unable to distinguish themselves from a team that has been up and down all year and as a result are no longer in the top four championship contenders. Against Wesleyan in a non-conference mid-week game on February 6th, they shot terribly, going 21-76 (27.6%), and collected just 36 rebounds. Grant Robinson was the only starter to score double digit points and without some bigger performances, they won’t be able to best the star power of any of the top four teams.

6. Tufts (16-7, 5-4)

Last Week: 60-56 W vs. Amherst; 74-57 L vs. Hamilton

This Week: vs. Trinity

KJ Garrett has remained a non-factor in recent games, even in their much needed win against Amherst. Vincent Pace carried the Jumbos with his 27 points and eight rebounds, accounting for nearly half of their scoring. Without a similar performance against Hamilton, Tufts had no shot, shooting just 24.1% overall and a pathetic 15.4% from deep, lacking scorers, depth, rebounding, and enough oomph to make it past the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament.

7. Bowdoin (14-7, 3-5)

Last Week: 70-72 L @ Middlebury; 55-72 L @ Williams

This Week: vs. Conn, vs. Wesleyan

While I continue to reiterate how Bowdoin has a strong starting lineup with several star quality players, David Reynolds, Jack Simonds, and Hugh O’Neil weren’t able to carry the Polar Bears past the top two teams. They nearly knocked off the Panthers, showing how they could give teams fits in the playoffs and be an upset contender. They added in another solid performance from Liam Farley who shot 6-11 for 17 points against Midd. They do still lack a strong presence in the post, with none of their players racking up over eight rebounds in the close loss, outmatched by Eric McCord, Jack Daly, and Adisa Majors. They could pull it together in time for playoff weekend, and could climb up the rankings quickly if they can knock of Wesleyan this weekend.

Christian Porydzy ’20 and the Bantams are getting hot at the right time.

8. Trinity (15-7, 4-4)

Last Week: 82-65 W @ Conn; 73-60 W vs. Wesleyan

This Week: @ Bates; @ Tufts

An undefeated weekend all but secured Trinity’s place in the playoffs as they surged to an upset win against #22 Wesleyan. If they beat Bates, they clinch their place in the postseason and will be riding the hot hands of Donald Jorden, Eric Gendron, and Jeremy Arthur. The trio combined to shoot 16-24 in the contest and added 17 rebounds (10 by Jorden) to put them over the edge against the Cardinals. Four of their starters combined for 15 assists and they put together a balanced effort on all sides of the floor. Tufts should be weary of the Bantams this weekend, and so should the top seeds as they could pose a potential threat with their end of season momentum. They aren’t close to the level of the top teams, but they have to be happy with where they have come from a few weeks ago.

9. Bates (11-12, 3-6)

Last Week: 57-89 L vs. Hamilton; 61-80 L vs. Amherst

This Week: vs. Trinity

Two brutal losses all but ended Bates’ chances of securing any games beyond the regular season even though they have some promising tools. Jeff Spellman and Nick Lynch really didn’t show up against Amherst and didn’t do Bates any favors as they descended into obscurity. They now face a do-or-die situation against Trinity and need help to reach the playoffs. While unlikely, they better bring their A-game and hope that the home crowd can supply some extra juice as they will need it.

10. Colby (10-12, 1-7)

Last Week: 49-77 L vs. Amherst; 56-75 L @ Middlebury

This Week: vs. Wesleyan, vs. Conn

Once again, there aren’t a whole lot of positives here for the Mules, headed towards the offseason and a losing record. They have some promising youth and could head on a Hamilton-like path in the future, but have some serious work to do in the meantime. Luckily for the Mules, they should have a good shot to end their season on a win for senior night against the Conn Camels. It’s the little things.

11. Conn College (6-15, 0-8)

Last Week: 65-82 L vs. Trinity

This Week: @ Bowdoin; @ Colby

It seems the Camels have squandered a great season from David Labossiere and a recent surge from Dan Draffan. Labossiere averages about 17 PPG and Draffan is up to over 14 PPG and nearly six rebounds per game. While they might not win against any NESCAC teams, at least they tried.

2017 NESCAC Championship Repeat? Power Rankings 2/1

While Pete was quick to point out my recent whiffs in predictions, he neglected to say how when I put Hamilton at the top of the power rankings two weeks ago, they were still undefeated and coming off of a win against a strong Wesleyan team. Did I account for the fact that Kevin O’Brien contracted an illness making him unable to play? No. They still had an undefeated record in mid-January, and despite their lack of credible opponents, I became a believer. I am not so certain anymore. Also, I talked about how Bates was a sneaky threat to compete against Wesleyan. After a big win against Tufts and some close games against other top teams, their arsenal of players had a shot to run the table. But I jinxed them. While my credibility is certainly in doubt at the moment, made clear thanks to some familial disloyalty on the website, here are this week’s rankings—Take ‘em or leave ‘em:

1. #6 Middlebury (16-3, 5-1)

Last Week: 87-81 W @ Trinity

This Week: vs. Bowdoin; vs. Colby

While Midd’s shooting has been a question as late as they are waiting for F Matt Folger ’20 to heat back up, Jack Daly ’18 has continued his dinking and dunking (not actual dunking) to grind out wins for the Panthers. While they lack a consistent outside shooting presence, Folger has shown signs of life of late in mid-week games, and Joey Leighton has been a diamond in the rough who came in as the player of the game against Williams a few weeks ago. This weekend provides a limited test in a Bowdoin team hot after knocking off the struggling continentals, followed by what should be a guaranteed win against Colby. They are hot and haven’t lost since the first conference weekend against Wesleyan and have earned this spot with quality wins and a reliable defense.

2. #13 Williams (16-4, 4-2)

Last Week: 75-58 W @ Trinity

This Week: vs. Colby; vs. Bowdoin

Following a valiant comeback effort against Middlebury two weeks ago, the Ephs took care of business against a struggling Trinity team—in more convincing fashion than the Panthers. James Heskett has emerged as a monster, valiantly replacing Kyle Scadlock, pitting him in the middle of the NESCAC POY race. He shot 12-15 against the Bantams, dropping 34 points to go along with four steals. He dominated the floor and made up for poor shooting from Bobby Casey  (4-15 FG). Henry Feinberg stepped in for Mike Greenman (out with injury) in the starting lineup this week and played well in the wake of a solid bench performance against Middlebury. Williams now has a big and athletic lineup that has impressive depth. Look for them to continue winning if Heskett keeps shooting like Steph Curry.

James Heskett ’19 may be the frontrunner for POY.

3. #17 Wesleyan (16-4, 5-2)

Last Week: 60-52 W vs. Tufts, 68-50 W vs. Bates

This Week: @ Trinity

Losing Kevin O’Brien to an illness has surely hurt the Cardinals’ starting lineup recently, but should feature its PG again soon. Two easy wins against Tufts and Bates—unranked mid-tier NESCAC teams, but not exactly chumps—leave them with a spot alone in second place in the standings with just three games to go. Jordan Bonner is starting to find his shot again, and the trio of Nathan Krill, JR Bascom, and Jordan Sears have been putting around 25 points and 25 rebounds per game, a balanced and deep defensive and supportive scoring effort that leaves Wesleyan in a great spot with a light weekend against Trinity. Look for them to climb back up the rankings when they get O’Brien back.

4. Amherst (13-6, 4-2)

Last Week: 75-60 W vs. Bowdoin; 82-77 W @ Colby

This Week: @ Tufts; @ Bates

Amherst is starting to roll late in the regular season as they put up a nice undefeated weekend against a Bowdoin team that looked great against Hamilton. This team also blew Hamilton out. Four of their starters scored double-digit points against the Polar Bears, ending the night at a 50.8 FG%, enough to win against any team. They have now shot at 47% FG or higher in their last three NESCAC games, which shows that are hot and ready to take on the Jumbos and Bobcats this weekend. The Mammoths are slowly returning to their former form, led by Johnny McCarthy ‘18, Grant Robinson ’21, and Michael Riopel ’18. The young and the old are slowly leading this team towards the top of the rankings and standings. Watch out up top.

5. #21 Hamilton (17-2, 4-2)

Last Week: 76-67 W @ Colby OT; 68-72 L @ Bowdoin

This Week: @ Bates; @ Tufts

I would like apologize to Hamilton fans for putting the pressure of the #1 spot in the power rankings in their court. They couldn’t handle it. Back to back losses to Bowdoin and Amherst (75-49!) are showing that perhaps these continentals aren’t as strong as their record appears. I’m not discounting their body of work in its entirety—they are still ranked 21st in the nation. They were simply outplayed against Bowdoin, shooting 36.5% from the field compared to Bowdoin’s impressive 45.2% clip. They also went to OT vs. Colby which is much more of a red flag than either of their losses. Their star, Kena Gilmour, went just 6-20 in the game shooting and is 9-31 in his last two conference games, not exactly carrying the team to victory. Tim Doyle, Michael Grassey, and Peter Hoffmann all have the ability to put up big games though, making their starting five deadly when they get hot. Time for a gut check.

Tim Doyle and the Continentals are struggling heading into the home stretch of NESCAC play.

6. Bowdoin (14-5, 3-3)

Last Week: 72-68 W vs. Hamilton, 60-75 L vs. Amherst

This Week: @ Middlebury; @ Williams

After a big win against the Continentals and a loss against the suddenly scary Amherst team, these Polar Bears have a brutal away weekend ahead of them. They are firmly pitted in the middle of the NESCAC, likely to make the playoffs, but also likely to play their first postseason games on the road. The trio of Jack Simonds, David Reynolds, and Hugh O’Neil are dangerous and capable of going off enough to challenge these top teams in Middlebury and Williams. This could be a preview of one of the early or semifinal playoff games, giving us a peek into how much of a contender this Bowdoin team is.

7. Tufts (15-6 ,4-3)

Last Week: 52-60 L @ Wesleyan; 86-54 W @ Conn

This Week: vs. Amherst; vs. Hamilton

The Jumbos are struggling and are looking less like a championship capable team after several weekends of mediocrity. Their losses to Bates and Wesleyan drastically diminished their overall ranking and raises some serious concerns for this weekend against Amherst and Hamilton. They might lose both but need to at least split to have a shot at a home game in the first round. Their overall lack of scoring depth give them a bleak outlook against most of the top teams. Vincent Pace and Patrick Racy were the lone Jumbos to score over five points against Wesleyan, still only shooting 12-29 between them (decent, but not enough from the two top scorers). For this team to win close games, KJ Garrett is going to need to step up (1-9 shooting against Wesleyan).

Vincent Pace has been trying to keep Tufts afloat, although he was unable to do so in a crushing recent loss to Bates.

8. Bates (11-10, 3-4)

Last Week: 69-56 W @ Conn, 50-68 L @ Wesleyan

This Week: vs. Hamilton; vs. Amherst

I don’t have a whole lot of positive things to say about the Bobcats after falling flat against a Wesleyan team missing its starting PG. 19-57 shooting was not nearly enough to compete, combined with a complete lack of defense. Bates hauled in just 26 rebounds compared to 53 from Wesleyan and basically gave themselves no chance to win. Their two star players Jeff Spellman and James Mortimer shot just a combined 5-14 on the night. For Bates to have any chance to make a run at the playoffs, those two are going to need to make more of an impact.

9. Trinity (13-7, 2-4)

Last Week: 81-87 L vs. Middlebury; 58-75 L vs. Williams

This Week: vs. Wesleyan; @ Conn

While they had a strong performance against Middlebury, a big loss against Williams earlier in the weekend kind of took away any of the positives from the weekend. They couldn’t guard James Heskett and Eric Gendron was the only player with any ability to score (7-13, 18 points). Against Middlebury, although they were losing, they had a ridiculous 32 fouls, leaving the result of the game up to Jack Daly’s free throw shooting ability (he went 18-20 and iced the Bantams). They have a tough test this weekend and need to win against Wesleyan to prove they can compete (I would be shocked if they pulled it off).

10. Colby (10-10, 1-5)

Last Week: 67-76 L vs. Hamilton OT; 77-82 L vs. Amherst

This Week: @ Williams; @ Middlebury

Taking Hamilton to OT was a solid game for a team that has little hope to have a posteason. Sean Gilmore, Sam Jefferson, and Matt Hanna all scored over 15 points in the game and gave the Mules a chance to win. While these three didn’t put their squad over the edge, their youth in the starting lineup—two sophomores and two first years—bodes well for their future success. Maybe not this year, but next year, the Colby team’s stock should rise.

11. Conn College (6-14, 0-7)

Last Week: 69-56 L vs. Bates, 54-86 L vs. Tufts

This Week: @ Wesleyan; vs. Trinity

The good news is that if I don’t say anything good about the Camels, there is nothing for me to jinx. While they finally lost a NESCAC game by less than 15 points (they lost by 13 to Bates), they also had two starters score zero points in the matchup, putting all the pressure on Dan Draffan, Ben Bagnoli, and David Labossiere. A three on five matchup for a team without league leading stars is not a recipe for success.

Halfway There: Men’s Basketball Power Rankings 1/25

What a week, what a week. Tom Brady and the polarizing Patriots calmly came back from down 10 in fourth quarter of the AFC championship and my very own Bobcats edged Tufts on a game winner with just seconds remaining. Life is good. Anyways, in what was a one-game week for every team in the NESCAC (besides Trinity who was idle), we actually got to see a decent amount of action. Williams and Middlebury clashed in another battle of the titans, Bates took down the suddenly struggling Jumbos, and Amherst either proved that Hamilton isn’t as good as we thought or that the Mammoths are better than we thought. Who knows. The upcoming week should tell a lot as we get past the halfway point in the season, but at the moment there is much to sort through.

  1.     #10 Middlebury (14-3, 4-1)

Last week: 70-66 W vs. Williams

This week: @ Trinity

As seen in this week’s stock report, Joey Leighton ‘20 and Hilal Dahleh ’19 were highlights in the huge win over Williams this past week. Jack Daly ’18 had another good game, but his 8 turnovers were a bit frightening. Anyone can beat anyone in this league, so he’ll definitely need to be a bit sharper as we move forward. Middlebury appears to be finding their identity, so the rest of the conference should be very, very afraid. The Panthers will likely take care of business this week against Trinity to remain on the throne, but stay tuned to see if the Bantams are able to give them a scare.

  1.     #16 Hamilton (16-1, 3-1)

Last week: 75-49 L @ Amherst

This week: @ Bowdoin, @ Colby

We all knew it would happen. We just didn’t know when. The loss to Amherst was embarrassing (to say the least), but it was just one game. Everyone is bound to lose at some point, but it’ll be important to see how Hamilton responds this week against the bottom half of the league. Kena Gilmour ’20 has been a stud, but he needs to do more than the 7-point, 3-rebound effort he put up against Amherst if the Continentals are going to win in a league driven by star power. His supporting cast is there, but Gilmour has to lead the way. Their three-point shooting numbers have also taken a dip recently, which seemed inevitable, but we’ll see if Hamilton can regain their footing.

  1.     #15 Williams (14-4, 3-2)

Last week: 70-66 L @ Middlebury

This week: @ Trinity

James Heskett ’19 is making a strong case for best scorer in the league, as he still put up 19 against Middlebury despite a slow start shooting the ball. The Panthers were able to slow down the sharpshooting duo of Heskett and Bobby Casey ’19 just enough to pull off the huge win. Williams was held to just 35.9% from the field, which was really the best indication of how that game against Middlebury went. They simply weren’t hitting shots, and that’s not how you beat the best teams. I don’t believe there is much cause for worry despite the Ephs losing two of their last three NESCAC games. Look for Coach App to get them back on track with their only matchup this week on the road against Trinity.

James Heskett may well be the Player of the Year.
  1.     #14 Wesleyan (13-4, 3-2)

Last week: 89-51 W vs. Conn College

This week: vs. Bates, vs. Tufts

Wesleyan did what they needed to do in a trouncing of Conn College. This weekend will be very telling of a Cardinals squad that has been tough to get a read on. Bates is coming off a big win and have shown that they’re capable of competing, whereas Tufts is reeling after losing two of their last three. Kevin O’Brien ’19 hasn’t played in almost three weeks, and we don’t have word as to why, but this is a big blow. Wesleyan is very dependent on O’Brien both as an elite defender and as a point guard. Austin Hutcherson ’21 is doing a nice job filling in, but the Cardinals are hurting from the loss of O’Brien. They have a lot to prove this weekend, so keep an eye on the results from Middletown.

  1.     Tufts (13-5, 3-2)

Last week: 77-75 L vs. Bates

This week: @ Conn College, @ Wesleyan

Despite Vincent Pace ‘18 looking like frontrunner for POY, Tufts has struggled recently. They lost to Middlebury last week in an ugly game, and then were nudged by Bates, 77-75 this past weekend. Bates played well and has shown glimpses of outstanding basketball, but has been inconsistent, and that was a game that the Jumbos definitely should have won. Conn College should be a relatively easy win for Tufts, but Saturday they’ll be tested yet again versus a hard-to-read, but talented Wesleyan team. That matchup will help show who’s ready to take a leap, and who’s going to stay in the middle. There really is no rest for the weary in the NESCAC.

  1.     Amherst (10-6, 2-2)

Last week: 75-49 W vs. Hamilton

This week: @ Colby, @ Bowdoin

Amherst looked like the Goliath they always have been in a trampling of Hamilton. Johnny McCarthy ’18 put up a monster 12-point, 15-rebound double-double, providing the lead role, as he needs to for this Mammoth squad. There hasn’t been a ton of help from the supporting cast, however Eric Sellew ’20 has been provided a solid third option alongside McCarthy and Michael Riopel ’18. They are an absolute nightmare on defense as they showed against the Continentals, and this will be important to help keep their offense in games. If the Mammoths cruise to two victories this weekend, maybe it’s time for us to start giving them another look.

Michael Riopel ’18 has been one of the more efficient scorers in the league, and looks to bring Amherst back to the top tier.
  1.     Trinity (13-4, 2-2)

Last week: non-conference

This week: vs. Williams, vs. Middlebury

Trinity, much like Wesleyan, has been puzzling to figure out. A few weeks ago, they took down Amherst. More recently they dropped a game to Colby, only scoring 51 points. I guess what they have shown is that if they come to play, they’re capable of competing, but if they don’t show up, they roll over. This is an unfortunate outlook given that they’re taking on Williams and Middlebury this week. Regardless, they are a team with a lot of athleticism who has the ability to show up and give anyone a game. Things could get even more blurry in the NESCAC if the Bantams steal one this weekend, so fear the chicken.

  1.     Bowdoin (13-4, 2-2)

Last week: 83-77 W vs. Colby

This week: vs. Hamilton, vs. Amherst

Bowdoin has a promising overall record at 13-4, but they haven’t proven anything yet in conference play. They beat Bates and now Colby, but fell to Tufts and Trinity, which really doesn’t tell us too much. Reigning player of the week David Reynolds ’20 provides another go-to guy along with Jack Simonds ’19, and has now found his way into the starting lineup. He torched Colby to the tune of 29 points and 8 rebounds, while going 11-21 from the field, including 6-9 from deep. Reynolds adds to this potent Polar Bear offense that averages over 80 points per game. This will be a telling weekend, as Hamilton and Amherst each give Bowdoin a chance to prove something to the rest of the league.

With Jack Simonds ’19 struggling from the field, Reynolds has become the real star of the Polar Bears.
  1.     Bates (9-9, 2-3)

Last week: 77-75 W @ Tufts

This week: @ Wesleyan, @ Conn College

Bates picked up a signature win on the road at Tufts on a wild Nick Gilpin ’20 layup with 8 seconds left. This is the type of game that shows how dangerous Bates can be, and that they are a force to be reckoned with. The only reason they fall this week is because of a poor out of conference effort, and two losses to Bowdoin this season. Or maybe because I want my Bobcats to prove something with a few big wins. Either one. James Mortimer ’21 has found a spot in the starting lineup and has added a huge spark to this young Bobcat lineup. His size and shooting ability allow him to be tough on both ends of the court, and make him very versatile. If the Tufts game was any indication, we should see the Bobcats rise in the rankings as they have two big games in Connecticut this week.

  1.  Colby (10-7, 1-3)

Last week: 83-77 L @ Bowdoin

This week: vs. Amherst, vs. Hamilton

The Mules had a chance to move up when they traveled to Brunswick, but came up short and ultimately remain just above the basement of the league. Colby isn’t a bad team by any means, but they just lack the star power to compete with the top teams. They have good players (see Dean Weiner ’19), but they lack a pure scorer who can take over games. The win over Trinity is certainly a good one and a building point, but at the moment, the Mules have a long way to climb. They could make things more interesting this weekend by sneaking away with a win when they host the Mammoths and Continentals.

  1.  Connecticut College (6-11, 0-5)

Last week: 89-51 L @ Wesleyan

This week: vs. Tufts, vs. Bates

Nothing has gotten better for the poor Camels, who were housed by Wesleyan this past weekend. At this point, they’re planning for the future in New London, and we could potentially start to see different schemes and different guys getting involved for Conn College. Then again, the ‘CAC is weird and you never know what could happen on a given day. The best I can say is that Conn is a trap game, however they are yet to do any of this alleged trapping, so it is hard to even give them that. Bates and Tufts come to town this weekend, so hopefully things start to look up for the Camels.

NESCAC’S Most Wanted: Men’s Basketball Power Rankings 1/17

Finally the order of teams is starting to have some clarity. Hamilton finally saw their first ranked opponent in Wesleyan and took care of business, cementing themselves as the team to beat at this point without a blemish on their record. Middlebury knocked off Tufts who knocked off Williams, putting into question the 2-5 spots in these rankings. However, this weekend should bring more clarity as Williams’ true talent level without Kyle Scadlock will be tested against Middlebury. The teams in the bottom half have largely only played each other, with Trinity looking like the “best of the rest.”

1. #14 Hamilton (14-0, 3-0)

Last Week: 76-70 W vs. Wesleyan, 102-77 W @ Conn College

This Week: @ Amherst

And now they are legit. After knocking off Wesleyan at home, the Continentals are proven to be the real deal. While this spot at the top of the Power Rankings may be temporary, their spot in the D3 Top 25 is well deserved despite an easy preseason schedule. Wesleyan was the first difficult NESCAC opponent that Hamilton beat (Trinity and Conn are the other two), and with Wesleyan’s opening weekend win against Middlebury, Hamilton is further cemented as a real NESCAC contender. Their game against Amherst should be a high scoring win with a large margin of victory if all else remains the same with Kena Gilmour the centerpiece of Hamilton’s offense. He poured in 20 points in a defensive heavy game against the Cardinals despite only shooting 1-7 from deep.

2. #11 Williams (12-3, 3-1)

Last Week: 69-63 L vs. Tufts, 79-68 W vs. Bates

This Week: vs. Amherst, @ Middlebury

There is no doubt that Williams is weaker without Kyle Scadlock, however, they have managed to show their depth and remain afloat thus far in NESCAC play. They went from NESCAC favorites to just another team in the running for the title, seeing their first loss at the hands of Tufts this past weekend. In Scadlock’s place, Bobby Casey ’19 and James Heskett ’19 continuebear the brunt of the scoring load as Casey scored 11 and Heskett 21 in the loss against the Jumbos. Heskett added 23 against Bates in the following game, settling in as a reliable power forward that Williams will need down the stretch.

3. #16 Middlebury (11-3, 3-1)

Last Week: 82-76 W vs. Bates; 78-63 W vs. Wesleyan

This Week: vs. Williams

Jack Daly ’18 continues to dish and drive to the rim as Middlebury’s balanced offense before was too much to overcome for both Bates and Tufts. While the Bates game ended up only being a six point win—closer than expected—Daly dropped 26 points, nine boards, and eight assists, a stat line we are becoming all too familiar with. Matt Folger is a lengthy player who can shoot from deep, accompanied by Joey Leighton and Hilal Dahleh on the perimeter. Nick Tarantino, Eric McCord on fire in the paint of late, and Adisa Majors all play down low and bring in the boards evenly, while G Jack Farrell ’21 is playing a lot like Jake Brown ’17 from a season ago, distributing and opening things up on the wings and for Daly. Middlebury will need to find some three point shooting from somewhere, however, if they want to continue winning.

Jack Daly ’18 had another game winner last night against Albertus Magnus, and is carrying the panthers despite struggling with his outside shot.

4. Tufts (12-4, 3-1)

Last Week: 69-63 W @ Williams, 78-63 L @ Middlebury

This Week: vs. Bates

Their win against Williams put them in a position to surpass Wesleyan in the rankings, beating what was previously the best team in the conference. Tufts’ size and athleticism are their greatest strengths, led by Vincent Pace ’18, Eric Savage ’18, and KJ Garrett ’19 who was all over the floor against Middlebury. Pace slipped a bit last weekend, shooting 5-21 against Williams and 1-9 against Middlebury. Lucky for him, Garrett emerged as a potential force going forward, scoring 20 and bringing down nine boards against the Panthers in just his fourth game of the season. After increasing his workload to 24 minutes last Saturday, he should play an even bigger role against Bates this coming weekend.

5. #19 Wesleyan (11-3, 2-2)

Last Week: 76-70 L @ Hamilton, 70-66 W @ Amherst

This Week: vs. Conn College

Austin Hutcherson
Austin Hutcherson ’21 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Wesleyan is in danger of falling in the rankings after an 1-1 weekend which dropped them farther down in the national rankings. While they lost to a team ranked above them now, they needed to beat Hamilton to cement themselves as a real championship contender. They should roll over Conn College this weekend, but after narrowly beating the falling Amherst Mammoths, they should be a bit worried going forward. Jordan Bonner ’19 still hasn’t quite found his shot, shooting 3-9 against Amherst, and despite first year Austin Hutcherson’s 19 points and solid shooting, Kevin O’Brien did not play and needs to make it back into the lineup quickly for the Cardinals to have a chance.

6. Amherst (9-5, 1-2)

Last Week: 72-57 W vs. Conn College, 70-66 L vs. Wesleyan

This Week: @ Williams, vs. Hamilton

A sub .500 conference record at this point with their only win against the lowly Camels is not a good start for a formerly great Amherst team. Johnny McCarthy ’18 and Michael Riopel ’18 are still leading the way in scoring, but they need more depth in order to compete against the likes of Middlebury, Williams, and Middlebury as Riopel is the only Mammoth with the ability to shoot the deep ball. While they rank second in the conference in rebounding per game, they are in the bottom half in scoring and need to improve going forward.

7. Trinity (11-4, 2-2)

Last Week: 73-68 W @ Bowdoin, 61-51 L @ Colby

This Week: Non-Conference

The bottom half of these rankings get pretty confusing as Trinity’s overall record helps them out here, however, a loss to Colby certainly dampens their overall legitimacy as any sort of contender. They had some terrible individual performances in the road game last weekend as Jeremy Arthur put up a complete dud, going 0-10 shooting, Eric Gendron 2-8 FG, and Kyle Padmore 0-3 FG. There isn’t a whole lot else to say, they need to make more baskets to win games and 31.3% overall in the contest isn’t going to cut it. They should press the reset button this weekend without a NESCAC game and look to bounce back the following weekend.

8. Bates (8-6, 1-1)

Last Week: 82-76 L @ Middlebury, 79-68 L @ Williams

This Week: @ Tufts

James Mortimer
James Mortimer ’21 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

Bates put up two decent performances against the NESCAC’s best teams, narrowly losing to Midd and competing against the Ephs. James Mortimer ’18 and Jeff Spellman ’20 are a great 1-2 punch, combining for 41 points against the solid Panther defense. Max Hummel added 13 off the bench, and despite not doing well the next game against Williams with just three points in 15 minutes, has shown some promise. Spellman is the leader of this team and a work horse, putting up 24 the next day against the Ephs and playing over 30 minutes in four games straight. He has the ability to win this team enough games to make it to the playoffs, and in March, anything can happen.

9. Bowdoin (10-4, 1-2)

Last Week: 73-68 L vs. Trinity

This Week: vs. Colby

Losing to a reeling Trinity team certainly won’t aid the Polar Bears going forward. Jack Simonds ’19, as always, can put up huge scoring numbers, supported by David Reynolds’ shooting and Hugh O’Neil’s impressive defense in the paint (17 rebounds against the Bantams). The Polar Bears have good overall numbers as a team and were really hurt by poor three point shooting numbers against Tufts (sub 25%) and heavy turnovers against Trinity—15 compared to the Bantams’ six. Look for the weapon heavy Bowdoin team to start climbing the rankings soon.

10. Colby (10-5, 1-2)

Last Week: 61-51 W vs. Trinity

This Week @ Bowdoin

Colby got a huge win against Trinity to put themselves on the board and in the conversation of relevance for the NESCAC playoffs. While it was a low scoring affair, featuring some awful shooting from Trinity, some of that had to be attributed to the Mule defense, right? Double-doubles from both Dean Weiner ’19 and Sam Jefferson ’20 are a great sign going forward, giving the Mules reason to believe that they can compete with some of the stronger teams.

Sam Jefferson ’20 is putting up a very solid season for the gritty Mules.

11. Conn College (6-10, 0-4)

Last Week: 72-57 L @ Amherst, 102-77 L @ Hamilton

This Week: @ Wesleyan

Conn College is beginning to look like a guaranteed win for other NESCAC teams after several blowout games to begin their 2018 conference campaign. In their most recent game, allowing more than 100 points to Hamilton, they clearly had little defense and were nearly out of the game from the beginning. David Labossiere ’19 is doing all he can to prevent the Camels from remaining in the cellar, dropping 18 points and seven boards in that loss, although he is pretty helpless after four losses by over 20 points in NESCAC play.

Hot Seat/Cool Throne: Women’s Basketball 1/12

Hot Seat:

1). Non-League Games: I remember every high school baseball season we would play a few 4:45 non-league games against a teams that weren’t in our league, so they basically had nothing to lose. To this day I question why we would play these games; the 4:45 start time was later than most of our games were, and we would start pitchers who could barely touch seventy-five in order to save our best for the league games. I know coaches schedule these games for more competition, but the talent gap is normally large in either direction. Amherst defeated Lehman College on Saturday by a score of 79-26. Why schedule this game? For Amherst, the only gain is giving bench players some time against some sub par competition (I apologize for possibly offending any Lehman College alumni). However, Amherst’s starters are so good that the best competition for the bench players stems from scrimmages against starters in practice. It just seems like a complete waste of time to play a game that yielded a fifty-three point differential. I know there’s a need for non-league games, but there has to be a smaller talent gap in these contests because it doesn’t seem like anything’s being accomplished with such blowouts. Amherst versus Lehman is only one of the many examples of non-league demolitions this season.

 

2). League Competition: The impending arrival of NESCAC games brought excitement to me, and the entire sports community. I expected close games with juggernauts such Tufts, Bowdoin, and Amherst. I was wrong. The first weekend provided less than stellar competition. There was only one game with a five point or fewer score differential. Williams versus Wesleyan finished 69-64 in the Ephs’ favor. I have two confessions here: first, I wrote in power rankings last week that Williams wasn’t playing very well. To my credit, they weren’t. Like I wrote, when the going gets tough, Williams always pulls through; it’s inevitable. Williams’ bench dominated Wesleyan’s—outscoring them 20-6. Championship teams have great benches, and Williams has proven that they’re here for the long haul. My second confession is I thought once NESCAC games began, we’d see more nail-biters. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet, but hopefully we will this weekend  (Game of the Week will appear later in the article).

3). Road Teams: The road teams during the kickoff weekend for NESCAC women’s basketball posted a stellar 2-8 record. The average fan might wonder why this is the case.  It’s not like teams are playing against the Seahawks’ 12th man, or facing the diehard, rabid Tampa Bay Rays fan base (please note my sarcasm). But as any high school or college athlete understands that playing on the road affects his or her routine. The bus ride has an effect; the visitors’ locker room feels different; the playing condition inevitably is alien. The two road victors were Connecticut College over Williams and Tufts over Colby. The Tufts’ win shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Jumbos shot 45% to Colby’s 28%. Jac Knapp, who shot 100% from the field, set the tone  capitalizing off of Mule turnovers. The squad scored twenty-two points from Colby turnovers. Conn’s victory over Williams is more of a shocker. I think Conn could be poised to make a playoff run with a conference record of 1-1, and should be in the mix for the long haul because of its mental toughness from winning in enemy territory.

Conn College pulled out a very impressive road win last weekend, knocking off Trinity 74-63.

Cool Throne:

1). Must-Wins This Early in the Season (Game of the Week): Williams at Tufts should be an intriguing matchup this weekend. Williams really has nothing to lose in this one. They’re traveling to face a favored Tufts team. I don’t think many people expect Williams to win especially on the road. Tufts, on the other hand, symbolically can’t afford to lose this game. Coming off a beat down at the hands of the Bowdoin Polar Bears, the Jumbos come into this weekend with a 1-1 conference record. What has to concern Tufts head coach Carla Berube is the lack of points scored in the paint. Bowdoin outscored Tufts 32-16 in the paint, which shows that Tufts needs to get better at driving to the basket, and converting high percentage shots. A loss this weekend— causing the Jumbos to move to 1-2 in the conference— would lengthen the gap between the second and third seed in the conference. Tufts plays Middlebury the following day, so the ‘Bos have a lot to prove going into this weekend.

Coach Berube should be able to use her experience at UCONN under Geno himself to keep Tufts dominant. Click this image for a link to a great ESPN article on the connection.

2). Bowdoin’s Clutch Gene: Bowdoin dominated the entire second half against Tufts last weekend. The first half was close, but Bowdoin really pulled away in the second. I wrote last week that Bowdoin strives to break into the upper tier of the league with Tufts and Amherst. The second half of the game proved to me that Bowdoin has the clutch gene. I don’t know in years past if Bowdoin could’ve put Tufts away in the second half. Just mentally facing squads like Tufts and Amherst is daunting, but Bowdoin proved they can not only compete, but win at the highest level. They’re now the team that has the NBC Sunday Night Football time slot; they’re primetime. Bowdoin will visit Amherst on January 27th. Bowdoin’s insane eighty-six points per game is obviously an impressive stat (more points are generally better in basketball) but it also raises a red flag for me. Bowdoin is used to playing fast, so if Amherst slows the game down and controls the tempo, Bowdoin will have a lot of trouble adjusting. There’s a lot of time between now and the 27th, however, so we’ll see if Bowdoin and Amherst remain undefeated in the league.

 

Who Wants It?: Men’s Basketball Power Rankings 1/10

It’s never easy to rank teams. The CFP committee (despite being paid professionals) couldn’t do it, and now we have two schools celebrating national championships in Division I football. When it comes to NESCAC basketball, it isn’t any easier. We’ve had just one weekend of conference play, and there weren’t too many surprises, but there were some big results like Williams over Wesleyan and Wesleyan over Middlebury. In these rankings I am almost entirely looking at conference games, as these are the best indication of where teams truly stand when compared to each other. Look for these rankings to change a ton in the coming weeks, before we start to get some real shape to the standings come February.

#4 Williams (11-2, 2-0)

Last Week: 76-68 W @ Wesleyan, 91-57 W @ Conn College

This Week: vs. Tufts, Bates

It was a huge weekend for the Ephs as they snuck away with a win in Middletown – avenging one of their two losses on the year – and defeating the Camels in convincing fashion to finish 2-0. It looks like for now, they are finding ways to win without Kyle Scadlock ’19. The win over #14 Wesleyan was a huge win because the Cardinals are looking very dangerous after taking down Middlebury on Saturday. Bobby Casey is one of the most dangerous sharpshooters in the league, scoring 24PPG this weekend on 78% shooting and 75% from behind the arc. Alongside him, James Heskett ’19 is scoring 17.5PPG and putting up 5.5 assists, but at 6’8” we should expect to see Heskett putting up a bit higher rebounding numbers if Williams is going to stay hot.

Tufts (11-3, 2-0)

Last Week: 94-83 W vs. Colby, 87-65 W vs. Bowdoin

This Week: @ Williams, @ Middlebury

Well here we are in NESCAC play and we find ourselves saying that yet again, the Jumbos are among the best. They are scalding hot, winners of 8 in a row including convincing conference wins over Colby and Bowdoin that are what is expected of a top tier team. Vincent Pace is loudly making his case for POY, averaging 19PPG, 12REB/G, and 4.5AST/G in their wins over the Maine schools. It should also be noted that although KJ Garrett returned to play in the games out in California, he did not play in either of their NESCAC openers. If he is able to return soon for league games then Tufts has another very deep lineup

#18 Hamilton (12-0, 1-0)

Last Week: 78-55 W @ Trinity

This Week: vs. Wesleyan, vs. Conn College

Hamilton continues to do everything they can do to prove that they have what it takes to be in the top of the league with a statement win in a 78-55 drubbing of Trinity. Kena Gilmour ’20 still looks like one of the NESCAC’s best, pouring in 23 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in the victory. We’ll wait and see if the high-scoring strategy used by the Continentals continues to prove effective in conference play. The win over Trinity was a start, but Hamilton has a chance to make some noise when the Cardinals and Camels come to town this weekend.

#14 Wesleyan (10-2, 1-1)

Last Week: 76-68 L vs. Williams, 80-70 W vs. Middlebury

This Week: @ Hamilton, @ Amherst

It’s still hard to get a good read on this Wesleyan team. They are definitely good, having already beaten Williams in a non-conference game and now Middlebury in a game where they played very well. A loss to Williams may simply prove to us that Williams is better than we thought, but the Cardinals had a chance to really do some damage, and they couldn’t finish a hard fought game at home. Wesleyan’s strength is their balance. Jordan Bonner ’19, their leading scorer, scored 28 points on a poor 10-33 shooting against Williams. Then in the win over Middlebury, he scored just 7 points on 1-5 shooting, allowing the shots to be attempted more evenly. Wesleyan doesn’t have a true “star,” but their efficient style still puts them in the top of the league.

#16 Middlebury (9-3, 1-1)

Last Week: 82-60 W @ Conn College, 80-70 L @ Wesleyan

This Week: vs. Bates, vs. Tufts

The Panthers are good, but how good are they? Well, they had a chance to make a statement against Wesleyan but couldn’t, and did what they needed to do in taking care of Conn College. Time will tell for the Panthers but for now I’ll give them 5th. Jack Daly consistently shows why he is among the conference’s best, putting up 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists despite the loss against Wesleyan. They will get another chance to prove themselves in a matchup to watch when they host Tufts this weekend.

Trinity (10-3, 1-1)

Last Week: 69-63 W vs. Amherst, 78-55 L vs. Hamilton

This Week: @ Bowdoin, @ Colby

Trinity is another team that I’m not completely sold on. A win against Amherst looks good, although the Mammoths have been trending in the wrong direction as of late. They then traveled to New York and were destroyed by an impressive Hamilton team. A poor effort like the one against Hamilton is not a good step as Trinity looks to force their way to the top. Eric Gendron had the best game in the win over Amherst, posting 6 assists and 5 rebounds to go along with 15 points. It is still unclear who the “go-to” scorer is in West Hartford, as the Bantams will get a chance to prove that they’re out of the cellar of the league.

Bowdoin (10-3, 1-1)

Last Week: 71-50 W @ Bates, 87-65 L @ Tufts

This Week: vs. Trinity

Things went very well for the Polar Bears last Friday as they kept Bates to a cold shooting night from the floor. Tufts is a good team, but Bowdoin is not making a great case for themselves losing by 22. Bowdoin’s leading scorer, David Reynolds ’20, actually comes off the bench, but puts up 15.4PPG, as well as 5.2REB/G and 2.1AST/G. Zavier Rucker ’21 is looking like one of the most steady point guards in the league in just his first year, and helps maneuver a quiet but dangerous Polar Bear offense. They welcome the Trinity this weekend in a game that will certainly tell us a lot about each team.

Amherst (8-4, 0-1)

Last Week: 69-63 L @ Trinity

This Week: vs. Conn College, vs. Wesleyan

After the game against Trinity there have been whispers about Amherst not being as good this year. And most of those whispers came from me. Trinity is not one of the best teams in the NESCAC, and Amherst wasn’t able to pull out a close win, a game that they have traditionally won over the years. They didn’t play poorly by any means, but the fact that they didn’t play poorly and still lost to a middle-of-the-pack team shows that they are down this year. They could turn things around this weekend by stealing a win against Wesleyan.

Bates (8-6, 1-1)

Last Week: 71-50 L vs. Bowdoin, 83-76 W vs. Colby

This Week: @ Middlebury, @ Williams

This week made it difficult to judge a Bobcat team because they really showed both sides of who they are this year. Against Bowdoin they simply couldn’t score, and they had no offensive threats at all. Against Colby the shots were falling, and Nick Lynch ’19 looked like the type of big man they need in Lewiston when he posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. It really looks like Jeff Spellman ’20 and Tom Coyne ’20 are the only scorers in this Bates lineup and if they have off nights, the rest of the lineup can’t provide the firepower they need. They would really impress this weekend if they were able to steal a win from either the Panthers or the Ephs.

Colby (7-5, 0-2)

Last Week: 94-83 L @ Tufts, 83-76 L @ Bates

This Week vs. Trinity

Colby played well at times against Tufts, but lacked the star power to be a team as good as the Jumbos. They were hoping for a bounce-back win against Bates, but were denied at the hands of Nick Lynch and the Bobcats. Dean Weiner ’19 is having an outstanding junior campaign. He is a double-double machine, posting 17 points and 10 rebounds against Tufts, followed by a 19-point, 11-rebound effort against Bates. He isn’t getting a ton of help, so the Mules have struggled. They’ll look to turn it around this weekend against the Bantams.

Conn College (5-8, 0-2)

Last Week: 82-60 L vs. Middlebury, 91-57 L vs. Williams

This Week: @ Amherst, @ Hamilton

Things look bleak in New London. As we’ve mentioned, David Labossiere ’19 is having a breakout junior season and Dan Draffan ’21 is making a case for Rookie of the Year, but they don’t really have much else. They defeated Fisher in a non-conference affair on Tuesday. They’ll face a struggling Amherst squad and then Hamilton, so hopefully that win is just the spark they were looking for.

Chaos at the Top: Men’s Basketball Power Rankings 1/5

The last week has been a fascinating one from a power rankings perspective. The preseason top two teams, Middlebury and Williams, both suffered losses in which multiple pervasive problems were revealed. Amherst has also been struggling, while surprise teams like Bowdoin and Hamilton have continued to play well. The league is very hard to read heading into NESCAC play, and that’s definitely a good thing. Let’s get to the rankings.

1: #14 Wesleyan (9-1)

The Cardinals have two of the best wins in the league, over #11 Williams in a non conference game and over #21 Nichols. Wesleyan’s defense has always been dominant, but in recent years they have lacked the outside shooting (and scoring overall) to compete with the elite NESCAC teams like Middlebury, Williams and Amherst. This season, they have been able to score when they need to. Jordan Bonner ‘19 (16.8 PPG) has had a lot to do with this, but Austin Hutcherson ‘21 has emerged lately as the kind of X-Factor that could carry Wesleyan to the top of a wide-open league. In a three game stretch that featured wins over Vassar, Brandeis and Fitchburg State, Hutcherson had 14, 27 and 14 with 12 three pointers. However, he was held to zero points during Wesleyan’s loss to an inferior Springfield team on Tuesday night. That loss featured many of the scoring woes that have plagued the Cardinals in recent years, so it seems that Hutcherson will be a crucial factor in determining whether their success will continue in NESCAC play. A back-to-back home matchup with Williams and Middlebury this weekend will be the best possible test of Wesleyan’s legitimacy.

Austin Hutcherson ’21 could throw his name right into the ROY race with some strong NESCAC performances.

2: Tufts (9-3)

Don’t look now, but Tufts is figuring it out. They’ve won five games in a row, and are the hottest team entering league play outside of undefeated Hamilton. Cam wrote a good deal about them in the Stock Report, but the return of KJ Garrett ‘18 makes the Jumbos dangerous again as contenders for the league crown. An electric athlete who can score in bunches and defend multiple positions, Garrett is the kind of player who can swing games all by himself on either end of the court. And he did just that in their tournament. Garrett had 30 points in the two games (18 in a Game One win over Pomona) and added 12 rebounds and five steals. With Vinny Pace back in form and Eric Savage making a big leap (15.6 PPG,) Tufts is as deep on the perimeter as anyone. And there aren’t too many big men in the league who can really exploit their lack of size, so Tufts is right back in the top tier.

3: #4 Middlebury (7-2)

The Panther’s ride to a three-peat has hit a classic New England speed bump. The Panthers have lost two of their last three games, the last one a blowout at home, something that has happened maybe once or twice in the last five years. It must be noted, however, that the losses were to #12 York and #13 Swarthmore. Middlebury has played the toughest non-league schedule of anyone, and they just paid for it. However, Middlebury should still be able to win those games, especially at home. The culprit has been scoring, particularly from the perimeter. Middlebury was relying a great deal on relatively unproven quantities like Jack Farrell ‘21, Joey Leighton ‘20 and Hilal Dahleh ‘19 to aid Jack Daly ‘18 and Matt Folger ‘20 in scoring. And honestly, no one has been hitting and outside shots. In this rough three game stretch, Middlebury is just 16-69 (definitely NOT nice) from three. That’s about 23%. As a result of this, teams are throwing all their defenders at Daly, who is trying to do a little too much against that pressure due to his own struggles from three. Middlebury still has a lot of talent, and should benefit from this early exposure to high level competition. But they have to hit more shots this weekend, especially in their marquee Saturday matchup with Wesleyan.

4: #24 Hamilton (10-0)

First of all, congratulations are in order. Hamilton is nationally ranked for the first time since 2004. And yet, they can still claim that they’re underrated. 10-0 and fourth in the power rankings? Tough break for the Continentals, who have been by far the most impressive team in preseason (albeit with a bad schedule.) Hamilton’s offense is firing on every cylinder right now. They average nearly 100 points per game on 50% shooting and 39% from three. They have four players averaging over 13 points per game, and none of them are seniors. However, their defense will need to improve if they are to buck their recent trend of fading in NESCAC play. Hamilton’s big starting lineup (the smallest starter is athletic Kena Gilmour ‘20 at 6’3”) should lead to versatility, but their forwards are undersized and they often get killed in the paint. Hamilton is last in the NESCAC in opponents field goal percentage at 44%. They will not be able to simply outscore NESCAC teams.

Tim Doyle ’19 had 25 points against Moravian, and is one of Hamilton’s many weapons on offense.

5: #11 Williams (9-2)

The Ephs may be finally starting to notice that Kyle Scadlock is not on the court. Their 73-71 loss to 4-5 Hamline is the worst one of the recent rash of top tier NESCAC losses. Williams has a real problem with finding a secondary scoring option alongside the rising star of James Heskett ‘19. Heskett has done a terrific job taking on the go-to-guy mantle, averaging nearly 23 points per game on over 50% shooting in their last three games. But other players who had been scoring well, such as Bobby Casey ‘19, have recently fallen off. Obviously, one game is no reason to panic. But league games are looming, and Williams starts off on Friday with a road game at Wesleyan, the toughest opening game of any team. Teams will be on notice now about Heskett’s emergence, and Wesleyan (and Tufts and Middlebury for that matter) have plenty of athletes on the perimeter to throw at Casey. As always, I think Williams should up the minutes of Matt Karpowicz ‘20. He’s a scoring threat down low and could force defenses to move around more instead of sitting on the three pointer. We’ll see how they handle Wesleyan on Friday.

6: Amherst (7-3)

 Amherst is entering league play on a decidedly downward trajectory. They’ve lost two in a row with opposite problems contributing to each loss. In a 76-65 loss to Southeastern, Amherst shot only 37% from the field, including a 2-13 showing from Johnny McCarthy ‘18. And then in their next game, a 95-92 loss to Eastern Connecticut, Amherst shot 57% from the field and got 25 points from McCarthy and 22 from Michael Riopel ‘18. However, those two players combined for over half of their points, and they still gave up 95 to the other team. Amherst’s offense goes as McCarthy goes, and like McCarthy, they are struggling for consistency. They still lack a third scoring option that can be trusted every night, just as they did last season. Every year people are waiting for Amherst to turn it on. Their success rightfully makes them a perpetual sleeping giant. But it might be the case that they just don’t have enough talent this season.
7: Trinity (9-2)

I feel like no one, especially us, has said a single word about Trinity yet this season. But as quietly as possible, the Bantams are 9-2 and have won five games in a row. They’ve done it, as is their way, with defense. They are second only to Wesleyan in opponent’s field goal percentage and points per game. Additionally, they absolutely handled Springfield (the team that recently handed Wesleyan their first loss) earlier this season 71-54. Like the Cardinals, Trinity’s strength on defense is balanced out by struggles on offense. In the preseason, Trinity has gotten fairly consistent scoring from Jeremy Arthur ‘19 (13.7 PGG) and Eric Gendron ‘18 (10.3 PPG.) However, Gendron only shoots 22% from three, and Trinity as a team only shot 31% from downtown. Their offense will need to be more versatile in NESCAC play.

8: Bowdoin (8-2)

The Polar Bears have rebounded nicely from their two game losing streak,

Zavier Rucker ’21 has been a great find for Bowdoin this season, and become even more valuable as the season goes on.

winning their last two in impressive fashion. This mini-streak including a non-league win over Bates. Bowdoin has been shooting the ball very well lately, hitting over 50% of their shots in both of those wins. Despite having only started one game, David Reynolds ‘20 has taken over for Jack Simonds ‘19 (who is struggling mightily from the field at 39.5%) as the go to scorer. But the key to Bowdoin’s league success may well end up being a first year. PG Zavier Rucker is still shooting 66.7% from the field in 31.1 minutes per game. He has also shown tremendous maturity in running the offense, especially for a first year. His assist to turnover ratio is 2.5, fifth best among players with over 30 assists. And his size (6’2”, 187) and strength have made him an elite defender already. He averages 1.5 steals per game, and will be essential in guarding the variety of excellent guards in the NESCAC. Bowdoin has the talent to reach heights they haven’t seen in years, and Rucker is a huge part of that chance.

9: Colby (7-3)

The best big man you haven’t heard about plays for the Mules, and his name is Dean Weiner. Yes, I know he sounds like the bad guy in a raunchy college comedy, but he is quietly putting up one of the best stat lines in the league. He averages 10.3 PPG, and leads the league in rebounds (9.4) and blocks (2.8.) But what really sets him apart is his passing. He averages four assists per game, with an A/TO ratio of 2.5. That’s better than many guards. In a league somewhat devoid of star big men, Weiner could be a problem for many teams come league play. His versatility could give traditional big men like Williams’ Karpowicz and Middlebury’s Nick Tarantino ‘18 problems, and he’s good enough around the rim (58.3% from the field) to punish smaller players in switches. Colby may not have enough shooting around him to be really dangerous, but they’ve got a star, the first key to NESCAC success.

Dean Weiner ’19 has done it all this season for the surprising Colby Mules.

10: Bates (7-5)

Bates still simply cannot shoot. They are shooting 39% from the field as a team, and 29% from three, both far and away the worst marks in the league. And this is in non-conference play: they still have to face the elite defense of the NESCAC. Jeff Spellman ‘20 carries the most offensive burden of any player in the league, and as a result, defenses are throwing everything they have at him. He’s only shooting 30% from three, and that is simply because he is forced to take many tough shots. Given this trend, it is surprising that Max Hummel ‘19 doesn’t play more. He is far and away Bates’ best shooter (indeed, one of the best in the league) at 45.5% from three, and yet he only plays 17 minutes per game. In league play, Hummel might and should be forced into a sixth man or even starting role, in order to find some shooting and free up Spellman.

11: Connecticut College (5-6)

The Camels have lost four of their last five games, and it’s kind of unclear as to why. Their teams shooting numbers are excellent (second in the league in three point shooting at 37%,) they have a star in David Laboissiere ‘18 (17 PPG on 45% shooting from three) and a strong secondary scorer in Dan Draffan ‘21. For more on Draffan, check out Colby’s (the writer, not the college) Awards Preview. Generally speaking, the culprit behind the Camel’s struggles is defense, but it seems more that they have a lack of toughness. All of their losses have been by at least 9 points, suggesting that when they get down, they are not good at managing runs by opponents. However, their shooting ability means that they could be a problem if they get hot. They have a good chance to turn it around on Friday night when the shaky Middlebury Panthers come to town.