Power Rankings 1/30
Every week I closely follow the results of all the conference games, hoping that as each weekend passes we’ll be provided with more clarity on where each team falls relative to one another. Unfortunately, I haven’t once come away from a weekend this year feeling like I knew exactly where each team stood and how they would fare in the upcoming games. As a fan, this is exactly how I like it. I really hope the NESCAC is still working on that deal with ESPN 8 “The Ocho” because the entertainment value is off the charts. It’s a fool’s task to try and look through stats and box scores to decide who you think will win a given game because it’s more or less a crapshoot. This conference is a dream come true for a fan of the game, but as someone who has a horse in this race* it makes me but my nails to the nubs on a weekly basis. I guess you could call that fun. Anyways we’re a little over halfway through conference games, and there is still very little set in stone so take a look to see how far everyone has climbed or fallen in the rankings:
*If anyone from the NCAA is reading this I just want it on record that I have never involved myself with any sort of gambling or sports betting and I do not condone or endorse such behavior, this is merely a figure of speech; an idiom, if you will.
(3) 1. #6 Williams (18-2, 5-1)
Last week: W 86-50 vs. Trinity
This week: @ Colby, @ Bowdoin
The Ephs only had one game on the weekend, and they demolished Trinity by a score of 86-50. Four of five starters scored in double figures, with Bobby Casey ’19 contributing 20 points to lead the way. Williams was able to get out to an early lead and the Bantams completely folded, seeing their 24-point halftime deficit turn into a 36-point loss. It seems that the losses to Middlebury and Amherst are in the past because the Ephs are looking an awful lot like the dominant team they were to start the season. Questions still exist moving forward about their depth and what they can get out of their bench, but they really just have so many talented scoring options. Any of their guys can beat you on a given night, so even if one of their best players is off they’ve got another right there to pick up the slack. They lead the NESCAC in shooting percentage at 49.8% and average over 83 points per game, so they’re about as devastating a team as you can find. Matchups with Colby and Bowdoin this weekend should be interesting given that the two teams are trending in opposite directions. Colby surprised us last weekend, so Williams will have to be certain that doesn’t happen again.
(1) 2. Wesleyan (15-5, 5-2)
Last week: W 85-75 @ Bates, L 75-71 @ Tufts
This week: vs. Trinity
The loss to Tufts on Saturday is unfortunate, but I’m not down on the Cardinals just yet. They’ve already got wins over Middlebury, Hamilton, and Amherst, and a somewhat favorable remaining conference schedule. Austin Hutcherson ’21 has absolutely exploded in his second season, as he’s currently tied with Kena Gilmour for the league lead in points per game at 19.9. He does this while shooting over 45% from the floor and over 40% from behind the three-point line. Not all he does is score though; Hutcherson averages nearly 6 rebounds and over 3 assists per game, the latter a team best. Jordan Bonner ’19 and Antone Walker ’21 have also done a nice job in their secondary and tertiary roles, with Bonner chipping in 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and Walker adding 13.6 points per game. The Cardinals could still very well end up with the top seed, but they would need Williams to lose at least twice since they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two. It’s been a crazy year so far, so who knows what’s still in store.
(5) 3. Middlebury (15-5, 4-2)
Last week: W 75-38 vs. Trinity
This week: @ Bowdoin, @ Colby
Much like Williams, the Panthers took care of business in their only game of the weekend at home against Trinity. The Bantams simply couldn’t get anything to fall, and Middlebury remains one of the four 2-loss teams near the top of the standings. Max Bosco ’21 has continued to impress since he entered the starting lineup, and he led the way with 15 points and 5 assists on Saturday. His size isn’t particularly imposing, but Bosco is so quick and has so many different ways to score, obviously making him incredibly difficult to defend. The Panthers have so many guards in their lineup that sometimes they don’t have a ton of size on the court, but Matt Folger ’20 has done an outstanding job alongside big man Eric McCord ’19 to do the bulk of the work. The duo combines for 19.5 rebounds per game, and Folger averages 15.4 points per game as well. Middlebury will also take the trip to Maine to visit Bowdoin and Colby this weekend in a very important couple of matchups. Colby has been red hot and this could end up being a very exciting game, but Bowdoin has been struggling recently and this is a game that the Panthers need to win if they want to stay near the top. Lots of eyes will be on the results from Maine this weekend.
(4) 4. #11 Hamilton (17-2, 3-2)
Last week: W 77-42 vs. Bowdoin, L 86-78 vs. Colby
This week: vs. Bates, vs. Tufts
Things certainly didn’t go the way the Continentals had hoped this weekend after they earned a solid win on Friday, but were stunned by Colby on Saturday on their home court. They were simply outplayed by the Mules in nearly every aspect of the game, so once Colby took the lead late in the first half they never looked back. Kena Gilmour ’20 had a solid 24-point day, but no one else could really get anything going on the offensive end and Hamilton only shot 39.3% as a team. This was an unfortunate loss, but the Continentals are still very early in their NESCAC season since they had their game versus Amherst postponed. They’ve only got 2 losses in conference play and two winnable games in the weekend ahead of them. They finish the season with games against Middlebury, Williams, and Amherst, so if they want to host a first round game in the conference tournament then they’ll have to go 2-0 against Bates and Tufts. It’s hard to envision Hamilton winning more than one or maybe two of their final three games, so this weekend is a big one.
(2) 5. #23 Amherst (15-3, 3-2)
Last week: L 83-73 vs. Colby, W 86-62 vs. Bowdoin
This week: vs. Tufts, vs. Bates
Well Amherst is in literally the exact same position that Hamilton is in. They’re behind in games played so at 3-2 in conference they’ve still got a lot left to play. Their game with the Continentals still doesn’t have a date set, but you can obviously see the importance of that head-to-head matchup. They also have two games this weekend that are essentially must-win to stay in contention for a first round home game. The Mammoths are a pretty balanced squad, but Grant Robinson ’21 and Eric Sellew ’20 have put forward a good effort in leading the way. Robinson is averaging 15 points and 3 assists per game (both team bests), but he ups those numbers to 18 points and 4 assists in conference play. Sellew pitches in 11 points and 8 rebounds per game, bringing some size to the lineup and finding a place among the top forwards in the conference. Amherst is a very well coached team and they are loaded with talent as always, so this weekend shouldn’t be a challenge right? Tufts and Bates are two of the weaker teams in the NESCAC so surely the Mammoths should secure two home wins shouldn’t they? What makes this conference so fun is that we really have no idea what’s going to happen in those two games – NESCAC football could certainly take some notes from this kind of parity.
(10) 6. Colby (15-5, 3-3)
Last week: W 83-73 @ Amherst, W 86-78 @ Hamilton
This week: vs. Williams, vs. Middlebury
Well I’ll be the first to admit that Colby shocked everyone over the weekend, going on the road to beat both Amherst and Hamilton (teams that previously had 3 combined losses between them) in convincing fashion. Neither game was a blowout, but the Mules were in control the whole way in both affairs, led by NESCAC Player of the Week Sam Jefferson ’20. Jefferson tied for the team lead with 24 points against Amherst on Friday, and then torched Hamilton to the tune of 29 points and 8 rebounds, while shooting over 56% on the weekend. This was a jaw-dropping effort from a team that has quickly changed the trajectory of its season. The Mules now sit at 3-3 in the conference with games left against Williams, Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Conn College. A win in at least one of those games likely gets them a spot in the postseason, but two wins secures it without a doubt. What Colby also proved is that they’re capable of winning big games on the road, a quality that will serve them well and terrify opponents come playoff time. They look like the hottest team in the NESCAC right so we’ll have to wait to find out who will be the first to slow down the Mules.
(9) 7. Tufts (10-10, 4-3)
Last week: W 91-87 vs. Conn College, W 75-71 vs. Wesleyan
This week: @ Amherst, @ Hamilton
Tufts is in an interesting position because they appear to be right near Colby and Bates in the middle tier of the conference standings right now, but having 4 wins under their belt puts them at a huge advantage. Usually having 4 wins gets you into the tournament, but they’ve still got a chance to add to their resume with games left against Amherst, Hamilton, and a struggling Trinity team. The Jumbos have already shown us that they’re capable of beating the best teams by knocking off both Middlebury and now Wesleyan. Brennan Morris ’21 led the way over the weekend, putting up team-leading totals of 16 and 20 points against Conn College and Wesleyan, respectively. What makes the effort by the Jumbos all the more impressive is the scoring balance that they’ve displayed. In both games this weekend Tufts had at least three guys in double figures and saw nine different players score at least one basket. This is the way that they’re able to compete with teams on the level of Wesleyan and Middlebury: Tufts doesn’t have one true stud player, but they have a deep rotation of guys that can score and they play good team basketball. A huge road trip lies ahead of them, but each of their opponents fell to Colby last week so truly everyone is vulnerable.
(8) 8. Bates (6-13, 3-4)
Last week: L 85-75 vs. Wesleyan, W 76-59 vs. Conn College
This week: @ Hamilton, @ Amherst
This might be a generous ranking given their 6-13 overall record, but I’m going with the hot hand. The Bobcats looked atrocious in non-conference play, but have looked like an entirely different team in the New Year. In NESCAC play, Bates is actually first in both shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage, first in assists per game, and they turn the ball over less than anyone. Kody Greenhalgh ’20 has come alive in conference play, averaging 12.6 points and a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Tom Coyne ’20 has helped provide another legit scoring threat since returning from injury and Nick Lynch ’19 has put up 3 consecutive 20+ point games while shooting over 60% from the floor. The Bobcats started very slow, but their recent emergence has made them a much scarier opponent to face. They surely aren’t the favorite in either of their games this weekend, but if they could find a way to steal one on the road then they’ll be in a terrific position to lock up a playoff spot. This team is a total wild card right now and I have to say it makes them very fun to watch.
(6) 9. Trinity (13-7, 2-4)
Last week: L 86-50 @ Williams, L 75-38 @ Middlebury
This week: @ Wesleyan, vs. Conn College
Trinity and Bowdoin both had horrendous weekends and have nearly identical records, so I’m going with the winner of the head-to-head matchup. In both of their games over the weekend Donald Jorden ’21 was the only Bantam to score in double figures, and he never got higher than 12. Losing by a combined 73 points is about as bad as a weekend could possibly go, and a deeper dive into the numbers doesn’t make things seem any better. Between the two games, Trinity shot 25% from the field and 19% from deep, they were out-rebounded by 17, they turned the ball over 9 more times than opponents, and they even committed 17 more fouls than their opponents. These are abysmal numbers by any standard, but especially not for a team that’s hoping to sneak into the NESCAC Tournament. Having two conference victories definitely keeps them in the conversation for the playoff race, but it’s an uphill battle from here for the Bantams. They’ve got 4 games left and would likely need to win 2 (maybe even 3 depending on tiebreakers) to clinch a playoff spot. They aren’t out of it, but they’ve got their work cut out for them.
(7) 10. Bowdoin (12-7, 2-4)
Last week: L 77-42 @ Hamilton, L 86-62 @ Amherst
This week: vs. Middlebury, vs. Williams
The same thing I said for Trinity applies here for the Polar Bears. They had a truly awful weekend that they’ll look to put behind them, and they’ll have to pull off an upset or two to find their way into the postseason. At this point it really looks as though Bowdoin only has four guys that actually do anything. David Reynolds ’20 and Jack Simonds ’19 score as much as anyone in the league, Zavier Rucker ’21 has a hand in the scoring and does a fine job running the point, and Hugh O’Neil ’19 grabs a ton of rebounds. No one else on the roster has an impact whatsoever on the game, and it’s really hurting the Polar Bears right now. They’ve got a good foundation with some valuable players in solid roles, but they simply need more production from their other guys. As Colby showed us, things can change a lot from week to week so who knows what to expect this weekend. Bowdoin isn’t out of the equation yet, but they do still have quite a bit left to prove.
(11) 11. Conn College (6-14, 0-7)
Last week: L 91-87 @ Tufts, L 76-59 @ Bates
This week: @ Trinity
It really does get challenging sometimes finding new things to say about a team that really hasn’t changed much. The Camels now run their losing streak in conference games up to 18 dating back to the very end of the 2016-2017 season. I’m not quite sure what needs to happen in New London, but things have been very bleak for a while now. David Labossiere ’19 and Dan Draffan ’21 continue to impress, but that’s about all they’ve got. It would be nice if they could be getting more out of the NESCAC’s tallest player, Ryan Omslaer ’22, who stands at 7’0” and weighs in at 215 pounds. You’d think a guy that much taller than everyone else would thrive, but I guess he’s still a work in progress. After all, he is only a freshman. Conn was almost able to steal their first conference win against Tufts on Friday, in an impressive effort fueled by David Labossiere who scored 26 points and hauled in 8 rebounds. At this point in the season their starters must be absolutely gassed because they pretty much only use 7-8 guys per game, and even the few guys that do come off the bench usually only see 10-15 minutes at most. They face Trinity this weekend and if there was ever a team that was struggling enough to lose to Conn this year, it could be the Bantams right now. Hopefully the action heats up on Sunday in Hartford.