Labossiere just joined the career 1000 club and is the cornerstone of this team.
Key Losses:
N/A
Projected Starters:
F Dan Daffran ‘21 (14.1 PPG, 5.9 REB/G)
Dan Draffan ’21
Daffran appeared in all 23 of Conn’s games last season, starting in 10 of them. Daffran was second on the team with 325 points scored despite starting less than half of their games. He is also a solid rebounder who has the potential to average a double-double. Daffran’s development is key for the Camels as he has the talent to be one of the top NESCAC forwards.
F David Labossiere ‘19 (17.8 PPG, 5.3 REB/G)
David Labossiere ’19
Labossiere returns for his final season with the Camels and will likely be the heart and soul of their team. He lead the team in points scored last season along with being second in rebounds. It is likely that the Camels entire game plan will revolve around Labossiere as he has been one of the only consistent pieces that they’ve had in his tenure.
F Phil Leotsakos ‘19 (8.0 PPG, 5.0 REB/G, 2.2 AST/G)
Phil Leotsakos ’19
Leotsakos is another senior leader on the Conn team who will look to use his experience to improve upon Conn’s poor record last year. He is a solid role player who does his job but not all too much more.
C Ryan Omslaer ‘22
Omslaer will be contributing factor early on in his career at Conn. He is an absolute force on the court, listed at 7’0” 215. He will look to use his height advantage to dominate the boards as well as be an effective rim protector.
G Jack Zimmerman ‘21 (3.7 PPG, 2.2 REB/G 2.0 AST/G)
Jack Zimmerman ’21
Zimmerman will be in the starting lineup for the Camels for the first time in his collegiate career. Being the only guard in the starting lineup it is pretty clear that he will be the main ball handler for the Camels. He is an effective 3 point shooter and ball distributor who will be used to run the offense for Conn this year.
Everything Else:
Conn has had a rough go of it in the NESCAC in the past couple of years but it does not appear as if they have added all too much to change that this season. They do not lose any major pieces, which is a huge plus for the, but their roster overall leaves much to be desired. I believe that the simply don’t have the talent to match up with the majority of NESCAC teams and this may be yet another rebuilding year for the Camels.
If anything will allow Conn to break out from the woes of their past it will be the combo of Dan Daffran and David Labossiere. These two were the only Camels last season to average over 10 PPG and will both be returning to the starting lineup. The both have the potential to go off any given game but whether they have enough support to carry their team to victory is another question.
2017-2018 Record: 17-8 (6-4 NESCAC), lost in NESCAC Quarterfinals
2018-2019 Projected Record: 16-8 (5-5 NESCAC)
Key Losses:
G Thomas Lapham ’18 (7.0PPG, 2.3AST, 1.0STL/G)
G Everett Dayton ’18 (8.3PPG, 4.3REB/G, 44.9% FG)
G KJ Garrett ’18 (9.9PPG, 5.3REB/G, 1.2STL/G, 46.7% FG)
G/F Vincent Pace ’18 (18.3PPG, 8.3REB/G, 2.5AST/G)
Projected Starting Lineup:
G: Tyler Aronson ’22
Aronson found his way into the starting lineup right out of the gate in his freshman campaign. Listed at just 6’2” and 185lbs, Aronson makes his living as a scorer despite not being the biggest guy out there. He has a terrific jump shot and his high release allows him to get into the paint to score from mid-range rather than just live behind the three-point line. His outstanding athleticism makes him a very tough matchup on both ends of the court, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see him near the league lead in steals by the end of the season. Watch out for Aronson this year because he’s already in position to lead the next wave of elite NESCAC guards.
G: Carson Cohen ’22
The second of Tufts’ dynamic duo of freshman is Carson Cohen, who has served as a bit of a workhorse through his first four contests. Cohen is averaging 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists while playing 34 minutes each game thus far. These are some great numbers, and that includes two close victories and an overtime loss against #11 nationally ranked MIT. Playing a similar style to Aronson, Cohen has great handles and will surprise you with how quickly he can get to the basket. As his 5 assists per game would indicate, he has tremendous court vision and is serving as the facilitator the Jumbos need. He is also looking like an early rookie of the year candidate with his performance so far.
G: Justin Kouyoumdjian ’21 (4.7PPG, 2.4REB/G)
Kouyoumdjian is finding a nice role as the 3rdor 4thscoring option in the starting lineup. His shooting numbers are modest and certainly have room for improvement given his nice shooting stroke, but he’ll contribute a few buckets when the Jumbos need it. He’ll also grab a few rebounds and dish out a few assists, acting as a sort of glue for this team. In the early going he has turned the ball over at a bit too high of a rate (4 per game) so that’s something to focus on as the season progresses. For now, the southpaw serves as a complementary scoring option who will help keep everything running smoothly on the court.
Morris brings a bit of height to the starting lineup and he plays as a true sharpshooter with about as pure of a jump shot as you can find. Like the smaller guards in the lineup, he can score in a multitude of ways and helps spread the floor on offense. He is a key part of the lineup as he has the size and length to matchup with some of the bigger forwards in the league, which will be especially important against teams like Williams and Hamilton who are loaded with 6’4”-6’7” wings. Morris is a great piece to have in this lineup, and it’ll be a big year for him given that he saw very little action in his freshman season.
C: Luke Rogers ’21 (5.2PPG, 4.8REB/G, 60.5% FG, 39.5% FT)
The Massachusetts native is about as true a center as they come. Rogers is a skilled post player who is capable of having huge games (as evidenced by his 32-point outburst in the second game of the season). He’s going to be a rebound machine this year, especially since Tufts will often go with a relatively small lineup. He was in the rotation last season, but didn’t play a ton of minutes so keep an eye on his durability given that his 6’8” frame is lugging 230lbs up and down the court every night. He is really going to have to work on free throws because he shot an abysmal 39.5% from the line last year, and he’s at 41.7% through four games this year. Teams are going to take notice, so he better be staying late shooting foul shots after practice or else hack-a-Rogers could be in full effect.
Everything Else
Tufts lost a larger portion of their lineup from last season than any team in the league. Not only did they graduate 4 players who played key roles, but they also saw the departure of Vincent Pace ’18 who was a true NESCAC stud. This left them with a ton of minutes up for grabs, and only one senior on the roster. This year the Jumbos have an entirely different core filled with talented underclassmen – the only question is whether or not they can survive with so much inexperience against teams with much older lineups. Well, they’ve already begun to answer that question, plugging two freshmen into the starting five and seeing guys step up who were used in much smaller doses last year.
Patrick Racy ’20 has mostly been used off the bench in the first three games, although he started nearly every game in his sophomore season. He helps bring length to the court with his 6’6” frame, and he has already upped his rebounding totals from 3.8 per game last season to 5 per game through their first four. Eric DeBrine ’22 is another guy with size who can help the Jumbos matchup with some of the bigger teams, and he has been used as such in his first four career games. Given that Tufts starts 3 guys who are 6’2” or below, they’ll look to mix in these guys who can completely change the dynamic of the lineup with different sizes and skill sets. They also finished the 2017-2018 season tied for last in the league in blocked shots per game, so hopefully these bigger guys can get their hands on a few more shots.
Tufts will look to Will Brady to fill in important minutes off the bench
One issue that the Jumbos will look to fix from last season was their scoring inefficiency. They ended the year 3rdin the NESCAC with 78.7 points per game, but second to last in field goal percentage (42.6%) and third to last in 3-point field goal percentage (33.1%). What this really means is that they can be scoring A LOT of points. They’ve already improved their shooting numbers early into this season, and they’ve added some guys to their lineup who can really shoot. I talked about the four guards in their starting lineup that can knock down shots, but Will Brady ’21 is another who plays a similar role and shoots a very high percentage from beyond the arc. He will help bring some firepower to an already talented offense that is seeking to increase their efficiency, especially since their defense really isn’t anything special.
Eric Savage is serving as the team captain this year, so the Jumbos are eager to get him back as soon as possible
A big hole in the early going for the Jumbos is the loss of Eric Savage ’20. He has been out thus far with a concussion but yet his Jumbos squad is a team that has looked pretty good so far given how much they lost from last year. When he is healthy again, slot him into the starting lineup and make this Tufts team much tougher to face than they are currently. Tufts is already off to a good start, and that’s a very scary sight for teams that expected a down year with all the youth in Medford.
Jefferson and the Mules are known for their electric celebrations.
Key Losses:
G Pat Dickert ‘18 (6.0 PPG, 4.8 REB/G, 1.3 AST/G)
Dickert was a solid role player, seeing at least 10 minutes of action in 23 of the Mules 24 games last season. He was extremely efficient in the preseason last year but when it came to conference play his numbers took quite a hit and subsequently so did his playing time.
F Dean Weiner ‘19 (10.8 PPG, 9.2 REB/G, 3.1 AST/G, 3.1 BLK/G)
Weiner, who was named Maine’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, does not return to the Colby basketball roster for the 2018-19 season. Despite missing a third of last season due to injury, Weiner still lead the Mules in rebounds and blocks while averaging nearly a double-double per game. This will be a huge loss for the Mules because when Weiner was in the lineup last year Colby had a completely different dynamic.
Projected Starting Lineup:
G Matt Hanna ‘21 (11.0 PPG, 3.7 REB/G, 3.3 AST/G)
Matt Hanna ’21
After starting every game but one for the Mules in his freshman campaign, Matt Hanna returns to the starting lineup for another season. Hanna made his presence felt as a freshman, he finished first on the team in assists (76), second in steals (23), and third in points (253). Hanna was a consistent presence for the Mules, he was almost guaranteed to give you 10/3/3 every game and on a good day possibly some more. Hanna is the best ball distributor on this team and will be called upon to facilitate the Mule offense.
G Sam Jefferson ‘20 (15.4 PPG, 3.8 REB/G, 1.9 AST/G)
Sam Jefferson ’20
Jefferson is another returning starter on this Colby team. Jefferson was the leading scorer for Colby last season and that is due to his volume shooting from beyond the arc. Jefferson shot a respectable 36.1% from 3 last year, but he put up an average of 8.4 3-point shots per game, leading to a slight inflation of his scoring. Jefferson is the Mules greatest threat from 3 and when he gets hot it can be dangerous for other teams.
G Ronan Schwarz ‘20 (DNP)
Schwarz did not appear in any action for the Mules last year but nonetheless it appears as if he will work his way into the starting lineup for the 2018-19 season. Schwarz is not a threat from deep but is a consistent mid-range shooter and can work his way into the paint. He is also a solid defender who can record multiple steals per game. Due to the fact that we have not seen a lot of Schwarz in the past he will be a real wildcard in the Colby lineup.
Tucker returns for his second season and cracks the Colby starting lineup for the second time as well. Tucker started 20 of the Mule’s 24 games last season and will look to make an even bigger impact with a year of NESCAC experience under his belt. He is a high percentage, efficient shooter who does not take a lot of shots but when he does they usually go in. He finished second in points for the Mules last year and first in steals. Look for him to continue to improve and develop his game this year.
G Noah Tyson ‘22
Tyson will be a first year starter for the Mules after an extremely impressive high school career. He lead his Rutland HS team to two straight Vermont D-I State Championships in his junior and senior year. After his senior season he was presented with the prestigious “Mr. Basketball” award for the state of Vermont. Similarly, he was named to the First Team of the USA Today All-Vermont Basketball Team. Tyson has been described as a leader, facilitator and relentless on the boards. He will contribute from the get-go for Colby and will hope that his high school success translates to the NESCAC.
Everything Else:
Matt Hanna is off to a hot start this season.
No you did not read that wrong, Colby will be starting 5 guards this year. Of the 14 players on their roster, 9 are guards and 5 are forwards. None are listed as centers although their tallest player (6’7” Sean Gilmore ‘20) could possibly be considered one. This will inevitable make it difficult for the Mules to compete against NESCAC teams that have dominant centers. Although this may detract from their abilities in that sense, it will also create a very fast paced dynamic on the court which other teams will need to be ready to deal with. The biggest positive for the Mules is that the only lost one starter and they have replaced him with high school phenom Noah Tyson. Tyson was a heavily decorated player in high school and it will be interested to see whether he can play at a similarly high level in college. They also are an extremely young team. None of their starters are seniors (2 juniors, 2 sophomores, 1 freshman) and they only have one senior on the roster. This young core may struggle initially but it could blossom into a dynasty in a year or two. The Mules lost quite a few close conference games last year and perhaps with more experience under their belts they will be able to more easily hold off and finish off their talented NESCAC opponents. I believe that this year will begin to move the Colby basketball program in the right direction. While they might not see success immediately, they are well set up for success in the future.
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)
Jack Simonds ’19
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)
David Reynolds ’20
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)
Hugh O’Neil ’19
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
Jack Bors ’19
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)
Sam Grad ’21
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).
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.
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:
Grant Robinson ’21
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:
Josh Chery ’20
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.
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:
Eric Sellew ’20
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:
Joe Schneider ’19
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.
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.
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)
Henry Feinberg ’20
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.
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)
Kyle Scadlock ’19
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)
Matt Karpowicz ’20
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
Matt Folger ’20
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.
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.
Chipouras had a legendary career and leaves a void for the NESCAC to fill.
With the 2018 NESCAC football season officially in the rearview, all that is left to be settled are the awards. This year seemed to lack the typical depth of transcendent performers and producers, but there are still some things to straighten out. Who’s taking home some additional hardware at the end of the season?
Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney, Trinity
Coach Deveanney, Trinity
Under normal circumstances, giving the Coach of the Year award to the man who just led his team to their third straight league title with a historically great team would be pretty boring. But it wasn’t just that Coach Devanney cemented the three-peat, but how he did it that wins him this award. With QB Sonny Puzzo ’18 lost to graduation, the Bantams turned to transfer QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 to take the reins. Vazzano did just that, throwing for 1326 yards and 12 touchdowns in 5 games, leading Trin to a 4-1 and start. But his 43.8% completion percentage and some additional glaring holes that Williams exposed in their one loss left more to be desired, and a change was made in favor of QB Seamus Lambert ’22. Lambert exploded as the starter, leading the offense to 48 points in each of his first 2 starts, and leading them to a 27-16 win over Amherst in the de facto Week 8 championship game, and then marching into Middletown to clinch the league on the last day against Wesleyan. It takes a lot of guts to pull off a move like that, but it certainly worked for Coach Devanney.
Honorable Mention: Jay Civetti, Tufts
Rookie of the Year: QB Seamus Lambert, Trinity
Seamus Lambert ’22
Player A: 52-76, 68.4% CP, 184.3 YPG, 9 TDs, 1 INT, 4-0 record
Player B: 141-233, 60.5% CP, 149.1 YPG, 7 TDs, 5 INTs, 3-6 record
Which of these stat lines would you choose for your rookie of the year winner? Player A is Seamus Lambert, and Player B is Colby QB Matt Hersch, the two front runners for this award. Don’t get me wrong, Hersch’s play and Colby’s 3 wins—including a CBB title—is one of the feel-good stories of the year. The Mules have an answer at QB for the foreseeable future for the first time in a while and the future is looking bright, but when it comes to performance this award belongs to Lambert, whose breakout second half of the season we just covered. Lambert outproduced Hersch and led his team to a league championship, the only thing he didn’t do was play 9 games. If he played 9 games, we’d be talking about Lambert as Offensive Rookie of the Year, not just Rookie of the Year. Hersch might get the sentimental vote from the league but I’m giving it to Lambert.
Honorable Mention: QB Matt Hersch, Colby
Defensive Player of the Year: LB/DE Andrew Yamin ’19, Amherst
Andrew Yamin ’19
Yamin takes this award for the second year in a row, the best player on the best or second-best defense in the league. Despite not being able to reach his earth-shattering junior year numbers of 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, Yamin again led the league in sacks with 9.5, and was second in the league behind Wesleyan DL Taj Gooden ’21 (17.5) with 17 tackles for loss, sharing the lead with Gooden of 82 yards lost. While it obviously seems like a letdown year for Yamin, if you subtract the 5.5 sacks he had in Week 6 against Wesleyan in 2017, his week by week production was pretty much the same. His consistency every Saturday was staggering and it’s a shame neither of these seasons resulted in a ring for Yamin—but he’ll end his career as a back to back DPOY.
So many on this Amherst defense deserve recognition, but Yamin was just that much better than the rest.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Max Chipouras ’19, Trinity
Max Chipouras ’19
This race, of the four, is the closest in my opinion. As I wrote about earlier in the season, the quarterback play in the league was really down this year. Last season, 6 quarterbacks threw for more than 200 yards a game—this season, it was one. Last year, 4 quarterbacks threw 15 or more TDs—this season, it was one. And both of those individual stats from this season belong to Tufts QB Ryan McDonald ’19, who was outstanding all year for the 7-2 Jumbos. He was head and the shoulders the best passer all year (sorry Seamus Lambert), and that’s before you factor in the 50 rushing yards per game and 9 rushing touchdowns he added with his feet. But I’m going with Max Chipouras, who you could argue wasn’t even the best offensive player on his team alongside Lambert and WRs Jonathan Girard (1005 yards, 8 TDs) and Koby Schofer (763 yards, 11 TDs). Chipouras rushed for 1143 yards and 11 scores, both league highs. Of those 1143 yards, 203 of them came in an all-time great performance against Amherst in Week 8 to decide the NESCAC, including a 70-yard touchdown run that will live in Bantam lore forever to put the game away. And all of those numbers could’ve been even higher if Trinity wasn’t blowing everyone out so badly that they pulled the starters so early—look no further for proof than RB Spencer Lockwood ‘22’s 425 yards (7th in the league in YPG) and 5 TDs in relief. Chipouras had a historic career, and this award is as much for all 4 years as is it is for this one. But this one was pretty darn good.
Honorable Mention: QB Ryan McDonald ’19, 1811 Passing Yards, 26 Total TDs
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)
Nick Gilpin ’20
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)
Jeff Spellman ’20
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)
Tom Coyne ’20
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)
James Mortimer ’21
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 ’19
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.
Now that the season is officially over, we can talk about how this season was a microcosm for NESCAC football in recent years. Trinity won, Amherst wasn’t far behind, and Tufts, Wesleyan, Williams, and Middlebury were all right there as well. Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, and Hamilton might as well be in a completely different league because they really don’t look anywhere near ready to compete with the top tier. Nevertheless, it was a fun year that had some very exciting moments, so take a look at the final power ranking of the 2018 football season:
(1) 1. Trinity (8-1)
It’s always sad to see the end of a career as great as that of Max Chipouras ’19
We’ve all heard this one before: the Trinity Bantams are your NESCAC football champions. There’s no doubt that they earned this one, securing the title with a horribly ugly 9-0 victory over Wesleyan in Week 9. Led by RB Max Chipouras ’19, the Bantam offense saw a quarterback change in the middle of the season and still finished first in the league in total points, total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. Their defense also finished first in points allowed, total yards, passing yards, and rushing yards. I’d call that a pretty complete team. Coach Devanney continues to prove that as long as he’s at the helm, there’s no such thing as a “down year” in Hartford. These guys are already the clear favorites to take home a 4th consecutive championship in 2019.
(2) 2. Amherst (8-1)
The Mammoths were right there every step of the way but a visit to the Coop in Week 8 proved to be a bit too much, so they’ll have to settle for another second place finish. The story for this team all year was defense, because they finished second in nearly every category that I mentioned where Trinity finished first. LB Andrew Yamin ’19 terrorized opposing offenses, ending the season first in the league with 9.5 sacks and second in the league with 17 tackles for a loss. The offense wasn’t quite as eye-popping as that of Trinity, but it was still in the top half of the league and was good enough to keep them in every game. The focus for Amherst at this point should be on how to beat Trinity, because the Bantams are currently the gold standard for NESCAC football. If you can beat them, there’s no reason you shouldn’t take home the title. (Sorry Williams)
(3) 3. Tufts (7-2)
Though they didn’t take home any hardware, 2018 was a good season for the Jumbos. They beat everyone except for the top two teams and battled admirably in those two losses. QB Ryan McDonald ’19 is looking like the frontrunner for offensive player of the year as the only quarterback averaging over 200 passing yards per game with a league-leading 17 passing touchdowns, while adding another 9 touchdowns and 50 yards per game on the ground. By almost every measure Tufts had the third best defense in the league, which certainly makes sense given where they finished the season. Coach Civetti continues to prove why he is one of the NESCAC’s premier coaches and as long as he’s around, Tufts will always be in the hunt. The only question now is what they’re going to do in the post-Ryan McDonald era.
(4) 4. Wesleyan (5-4)
RB Sean Penney ’21 is already excited for the 2019 season
If you take away the Cardinals’ fluke loss to Hamilton in Week 3, they actually had a pretty solid year. D-lineman Taj Gooden ’21 had an excellent second year, leading the league with 17.5 tackles for a loss and coming in second with 9 sacks. He looks like the only man challenging Andrew Yamin for DPOY at this point. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 didn’t have the year they were hoping for as he threw for just over half the amount of yards he threw for last year, and the offense never really got going this season because of it. Wesleyan is another team that has a very big hole to fill under center next season, but aside from the quarterback position they have all the pieces in place for another strong year.
(5) 5. Middlebury (5-4)
By Middlebury standards, a 5-4 season is nothing to write home about. They started the year with a crushing 52-21 loss to Wesleyan and suffered from very poor quarterback play by senior Jack Meservy. Eventually they made the switch to sophomore Will Jernigan and their offense began to find its identity. Even with the switch they were shutout by both Trinity and Amherst, which is a very bad look from a team who is usually competing for a championship. While they might be able to build around Jernigan’s slightly more run-oriented style, they are also supposed to get a couple of transfer QBs who should keep things interesting in Vermont, perhaps creating a Jared Lebowitz 2.0. I expect a bounce back season from the Panthers in 2019.
(6) 6. Williams (5-4)
It really was the tale of two halves of the season for the Ephs who started 4-0 and handed Trinity their only loss, then followed that up by going 1-4 in their final 5 games. Injuries certainly didn’t help, as they saw stud LB TJ Rothmann ’21 and stud QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 each go down with injury late in the year. Last year’s fairytale run was a tough act to follow, and the freshman that took the league by storm last year went through a bit of a sophomore slump in year two. Fortunately for Eph fans, these sophomores will soon be juniors and Coach Raymond will bring in another outstanding recruiting class beneath them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Williams take home the crown in one of the next two years.
(8) 7. Colby (3-6)
And now we get to the bottom tier. No disrespect to Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, and Hamilton, but they’re simply not as good as the top six teams. This season honestly went about as well as it could have for the Mules. Yes, they took their lumps, but beating the bottom three teams is a huge step in the right direction for a new coach who is trying to resurrect this program. They have a promising young quarterback in Matt Hersch ’22 who looked excellent at times leading an offense that is certainly not as talented as some of the teams they were up against. It’ll be interesting to see how Colby will fare in the run game with the departure of RB Jake Schwern ’19, who had a terrific career in Waterville. The defense actually finished the year allowing the second fewest passing yards per game, but also the most rushing yards per game so they have areas of focus as they head into next season.
(7) 8. Hamilton (3-6)
I really hoped to see more out of Hamilton this year. I thought they could potentially be in the mix with Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Williams in the middle of the conference. Overall on defense they were relatively average, but their pass defense was atrocious. Nearly every team they faced could air it out at will against their secondary and they couldn’t do anything to stop it. I was disappointed with the effort put forth by QB Kenny Gray ’20 because I really thought this would be his breakout year. He has put up some big numbers in the past and he returned his top targets, but he threw for just 177 yards per game and posted a TD:INT ratio of 13:12. They have a lineup of capable players, so the Continentals just need to put everything together to see more success in the future.
(9) 9. Bowdoin (1-8)
Nate Richam ’20 is one of the most explosive running backs returning to the league next year
It’s all about progress for Bowdoin. They came into the year riding a 17-game losing streak and they finally put that streak to bed. It wasn’t an amazing year, but Bowdoin had some flashes of very strong play, like RB Nate Richam’s 288-yard outburst against Middlebury. QB Austin McCrum ’20 didn’t have the year they were hoping for and he actually led the league with 17 interceptions. He’ll have to seriously increase his level of play in order for the Polar Bears to be competitive next season. LB Joe Gowetski ’20 finished second in the NESCAC in tackles, while LB Franny Rose ’21 and DB Nick Leahy ’21 finished sixth and eighth respectively. With some individual performances to feel good about and a win under their belt, Bowdoin can feel much more confident heading into 2019 than they were in 2018.
(10) 10. Bates (0-9)
What a tough year for the Bobcats. They had been competitive in recent years and hadn’t lost the CBB outright since 2012, but this was definitely not their year. A new coach and new offense felt promising heading into the season, but the wrong personnel combined with a few poorly timed injuries made the year spiral out of control. DB Jon Lindgren ’20 followed up a strong sophomore year with an excellent junior year in which he led the conference in tackles, but aside from him there really weren’t any outstanding individual performers. Williams showed us that a new coach doesn’t always mean immediate success when they hired Coach Raymond and went 0-8, then followed that up by going 6-3. Hopefully Coach Hall will be able to work some magic because there wasn’t a whole lot of it in Lewiston this season.
