Tag: Alex Conaway

Last Chance to Buy or Sell: Stock Report 2/22

The disappointment was evident for Adam Philpott '15 and Co. after the loss on Saturday, but Bates still resides on the Pool C bubble for the NCAA Tournament.
The disappointment was evident for Adam Philpott ’15 and Co. after the loss on Saturday, but Bates still resides on the Pool C bubble for the NCAA Tournament. (Courtesy of Daryn Slover for Bates College)

It was a wild quarterfinals Saturday in the NESCAC, and we laid out our initial reactions in this video Saturday night, but we’ve now had a bit of time to digest all the action and think about how those results will impact Championship Weekend. We had two games go as expected with #1 Trinity and #2 Bowdoin sealing victories, and two underdogs win on the road in hostile environments.

Stock Up

The NbN Team

I got so caught up in the excitement of Saturday’s games that I almost didn’t realize that as a team we went 4-0 in our predictions, and Adam’s snipe of the Wesleyan upset was really impressive. He almost pinned the score, too. Obviously, no one wants to read about us, they want to read about the players. But I thought we deserved a quick little pat on the back, so excuse our self-indulgence.

Amherst Center David George ’17

Back to business now. George was an animal on Saturday. I don’t know if the big man reads the blog, but maybe he got a little riffed that I called out his offensive game in my Amherst-Tufts preview. Well, touché, my friend. George went 6-13 from the field and 7-8 from the stripe for 19 points in addition to 10 rebounds and two rejections. He was able to stay out of foul trouble, as well, which shouldn’t go overlooked given the Twin Towers with which he was forced to match up (though Hunter Sabety ’17 was far below 100 percent). As I said in the game preview, a productive George arguably makes Amherst the favorite for the NESCAC Championship. He will need to play well against Bowdoin’s seven-footer, John Swords ’15, and if the Lord Jeffs get through that game he will have another tall order if he goes against the strong Trinity frontcourt. If Wesleyan were to pull off another upset and meet Amherst in the championship George will still be an x-factor because the Cardinals’ strength is the backcourt, meaning George would have the opportunity to dominate.

Class of 2016 Player of the Year Candidates: Lucas Hausman ’16 and Connor Green ’16

Adam wrote earlier this year about the talented junior class in the NESCAC this year when Green topped 1,000 points in his career, and the class of 2016 has not slowed down, especially not these two. I think writer Peter Lindholm described it best via Twitter:

Hausman has now claimed a commanding lead in the scoring race, and will almost definitely end up with the crown unless he goes ice cold this weekend. His point totals since January 24 at Colby: 24, 30, 19, 32, 21, 44, 16, 17 and 37. And he’s not a phenomenal outside shooter. He gets most of his buckets by getting into the lane, drawing contact and finishing contested shots. When he gets to the line he is nearly automatic (88.0 percent on the year). And he’s been Bowdoin’s only consistent scorer all season.

Green’s advantage is his size and ability to rebound. Johnny McCarthy ’18 and Dan Wohl ’15 are the only perimeter players with more rebounds than Green. Green also stretches the floor a little better as he’s knocking down over 40 percent of his trey balls.

Both of these guys are phenomenal players capable of taking over games, and I expect fireworks when they go at it on Saturday.

Wesleyan Forward Joe Edmonds ’16

Head Coach Joe Reilly has settled on a starting five that rarely leaves the floor. All fives of Reilly’s starters against Bates played at least 29 minutes, and for Edmonds, who has started 14 of 25 games this year, that was his third consecutive game starting and playing over 30 minutes. His two highest-scoring games have come over that stretch as well. The Cardinals essentially run out three point guards in Harry Rafferty ’17, BJ Davis ’16 and Jack Mackey ’16, so there are a lot of drive and kick opportunities, and Edmonds, as the best three point shooter on the roster, really has the ability to make an impact for the Cardinals. He did just that in the win over Bates, leading the Cards with 22 points and going 5-6 from deep.

Stock Down

Offense of the Trinity Frontcourt

Trinity was looking unbeatable recently, coupling a suddenly explosive offense with its usual lockdown D, but the Bantams put up a mediocre 66 points against a Colby team whose tallest impact player, besides Sam Willson ’16, is its point guard, Luke Westman ’16. The combination of Alex Conaway ’15, George Papadeas ’15, Shay Ajayi ’16 and Ed Ogundeko ’17 isn’t exactly known for its collective offensive skill set, and the big guys didn’t play badly on Saturday (combined 11-22 from the field), but each and every one of them had size and strength advantages over their defenders and didn’t dominate like they should have. Down the stretch Ogundeko made a big impact with 11 points in the second half, but he was the only one to make a difference. The defense is fine, and will still give the Bantams a chance to win it all, but they will need some low-post scoring to win two games next weekend.

Amherst Guard Jeff Racy ’17

Since exploding for 30 points on 10-14 three-point shooting at Conn. College on February 6, Racy is 9-27 (33.3 percent) from deep. For a 41.3 percent three-point shooter on the season, that is not so great. I had Racy as my x-factor in the Lord Jeffs’ matchup with Tufts. As it turned out they didn’t need much from Racy as the game was over before it even started, but going forward, Green and Racy are the only guys that scare opposing defenses when they rise up from beyond the arch, so Amherst needs Racy to get hot once again.

Wesleyan Point Guard Triumvirate

Mackey and the Cards pulled off the big upset against the Bobcats, despite poor shooting from the Wesleyan guards. (Courtesy of Daryn Slover for Bates College)
Mackey and the Cards pulled off the big upset against the Bobcats, despite poor shooting from the Wesleyan guards. (Courtesy of Daryn Slover for Bates College)

Mackey made it into our Stock Up section last week, and he had another fine game on Saturday against Bates (18 points, 7-18 FG, 4-12 3PT FG, 6 rebounds), but his running mates, Davis and Rafferty, were anemic on the offensive end. They’re both really quality shooters so to see them go so cold was a surprise. I have a lot of concerns for Wesleyan this weekend. They’re undersized on the perimeter, they rely on the three-point shot, they have little depth, and they don’t have a clear go-to guy that they can hand the ball to at the end of a game. Of course that’s not always necessary. I’m sure that any of the trio would be comfortable with the ball in his hands in the final seconds. But Coach Joe Reilly is leaning so heavily on this group that I doubt that they can sustain a high level of play for the 80 minutes that will be necessary to take home the crown this weekend. Furthermore, their games are too similar. Davis brings a bit more quickness and driving ability to the floor than the others, Rafferty is a lefty and a really smooth shooter with range and Mackey likes to shoot off the dribble, but when it comes down to it they are all point guards who want to score the basketball. The unconventional lineup can cause problems against some opponents, but when it doesn’t work out you can have stat lines like the combined 11-36 (30.6 percent) from the field that Mackey, Davis and Rafferty put together on Saturday.

Decision Time: Weekend Preview 2/13

This weekend is all about preparing for the playoffs. Trinity has the top seed under wraps, but otherwise no team has clinched a home playoff game. There is a scenario in which six teams, Bates, Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, Colby and Williams, could all finish 6-4. In that case, Amherst, Bowdoin and Williams would host playoff games. However, if Amherst loses on Sunday to Middlebury they could end up going on the road next weekend if Tufts and Williams both win out; Bowdoin will probably lose a top-four seed if they lose to Tufts; and Williams needs to sweep to have any chance of hosting next weekend.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the ladder, the Panthers likely need one win to carry them through to the tournament, but they play two of the league’s best in Trinity and Amherst. They hold the tie-breaker over Wesleyan, but the Cardinals also get a soft matchup in Hamilton before they play Williams. If Wesleyan wins both games, they will almost certainly be playing playoff basketball. What’s more, Williams, who as I just mentioned has a chance to host, could miss the playoff altogether if Middlebury pulls off two upsets, Wesleyan sweeps, Colby wins at least one and the Ephs collapse and lose to both Conn. and Wesleyan.

Suffice to say it will be a chaotic weekend. We are breaking up the weekend preview somewhat so check back in later today for our look at the most important players for this weekend. Here are the best games to watch over the next few days. With the added flair of a prediction for each.

1. Trinity at Middlebury, Friday 7 PM

The Bantams are unlikely to rest on their laurels since the top seed is still unfamiliar to them, while the Panthers are fighting for their playoff lives. Trinity should be able to slow Middlebury down on the break, but Jake Brown ’17 and Co. will try to push the tempo nonetheless. Though Middlebury has been criticized for their defense recently, these are still the two top defenses by field goal percentage allowed, so it will be physical and could get ugly. These teams are also 1-2 in rebounding margin, but a large part of the Panthers’ success on the boards comes from Dylan Sinnickson ’15 out-jumping his matchups. Unfortunately for him, the Trinity forwards who will likely guard Sinnickson, Alex Conaway ’15 and Shay Ajayi ’16, are great at boxing out and will make rebounding difficult.

I think we see a lot of points but not necessarily great shooting numbers. These teams are going to be running up and down the floor a lot, so the benches could be a factor, which I actually think plays to Middlebury’s advantage, but it’s not enough for me to side with the Panthers.

Prediction: Trinity 79, Middlebury 75

2. Wesleyan at Hamilton, Friday 7 PM

I don’t think Wesleyan can handle the Ephs on Saturday, so if they want to make the tournament then they have to beat Hamilton. I hope Joseph Lin ’15 (assuming Lin returns from an injury sustained at Bates) and BJ Davis ’16 go at each other all game because they are both great penetrators who distribute well. Neither is too shabby at shooting the long ball, either. I think in some sense those two offset one another. So I think this comes down to inside play, and Wesleyan clearly has the edge. Hamilton does not rebound well, even with seven-footer Zander Wear ’18 getting more minutes lately, while Wesleyan has a few forwards who can bang on the boards. The Cardinals’ front court holds the advantage on both ends of the floor, and they just need this game more. If there is going to be a game where Hamilton can play at another level and win a big game it will be at the seniors’ last home game on Saturday against Conn.

Prediction: Wesleyan 73, Hamilton 64

3. CBB Battles: Bates at Bowdoin, Friday 7 PM and Bates at Colby, Saturday, 3 PM

The CBB is always full of drama. Technically, Bates won it back in December when the three matched up in non-conference play, but for a second suppose these game count towards the CBB as well. Colby has gone 1-2, dropping its first matchup with Bates and splitting with Bowdoin, Bates is 2-0 having beaten each team once already and Bowdoin is 1-2. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they all ended up tied.

Bates should still be favored in their matchup with the Polar Bears, though the return of Neil Fuller ’17 really strengthens their bench. Fuller is likely still shaking off some rust, but he was a 24.5 MPG starter for Coach Tim Gilbride before he went down with injury so he is a boost for a team that had been running out a pretty short rotation. We’ll have to wait and see if John Swords ’15 and Matt Palecki ’16 can handle the Delpeche duo. Last time these two teams met, Malcolm and Marcus combined for 21 points and 17 rebounds, but what’s even more impressive is that Swords had just five points and three boards.

Matt Palecki '16 will have his work cut out for him tonight. Not many players can out-jump the Delpeche brothers like Palecki did here. (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
Matt Palecki ’16 will have his work cut out for him tonight. Not many players can out-jump the Delpeche brothers like Palecki did here. (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

Prediction: Bates 62, Bowdoin 58

As for the Saturday tilt between Bates and Colby, Ryan Jann ’16 has been a man possessed recently. He’s taking a lot more shots in the absence of Chris Hudnut ’16, but somewhat surprisingly for someone who suddenly has to take on a lot more responsibility, they are mostly going in. In four games without Hudnut, Jann is 26-56 (46.4%) from the field and 12-21 (57.1%) from deep and his confidence just seems to be growing. I don’t think Jann alone is enough for me to pick Colby in this one, but he sure is fun to watch.

Prediction: Bates 80, Colby 71

Power Rankings 1/15

The first weekend of conference play gave us our best data points yet on teams. With that in mind, here are the Power Rankings.

1. Bates (11-2)

So far the Bobcats have been able to live up to and surpass the pre-season hype that surrounded their team back in November. The leadership and play of Graham Safford ’15 along with the production of his his right-hand man Mike Boornazian ’16, averaging 15.8 and 14.2 point per game, respectively, has propelled Bates to the number one spot in this week’s power rankings. Although they are 11-2, and seemingly in a good spot, they have only played one in-conference opponent, beating Middlebury 57-53. Their next opponent resides in Hartford Connecticut, a team that has been nipping at their heels all season. The Trinity/Bates game will be a good benchmark to see how dangerous this Bobcats team really is.

2. Trinity (12-3)

After the Bantam offense went through a stretch of four 70+ games, all manifesting in a win, the ability to score has begun to fall. Putting up only 60 point against Hamilton and then 56 against Merchant Marine, it seems as though the offensive augmentation has come to an end. While this may be the case, it has been the Bantam defense that has put them in a position to be ranked number 3 this week. So far they allowed their opponents a stingy 61.3 points per game., ranking second only to Bowdoin in team defense in the ‘CAC. As it stands now, juniors Shay Ajayi and Jaquann Starks are the consistent scorers for Trinity, but they will need more consistent production from players like senior forward Alex Conaway, as conference play heats up.

3. Middlebury (10-2)

The Panthers dropped to number three in this week’s rankings in large part due because of their 80-63 loss to Tufts (5-7) earlier this week. As the former No. 1, this defeat could be seen as solely a fluke loss, seeing as they followed the loss with a 94-56 onslaught against Castleton State. What keeps Middlebury towards the top is their ability to score points leading the league with 78.5 per game. Dylan Sinnickson ’15 continues to lead the offensive charge for the Mids top ranked offense as well as with his league leading 11.3 rebounds per game. Already 0-2 in the conference does not help as they will be facing a physical Wesleyan team later this week, defensive consistency has to be at the forefront of attention for the Panthers.

4. Amherst (10-3)

The Lord Jeffs are consistently in the mix for a NESCAC title, and this year is no different. Offensively Amherst is putting up decent numbers ranking fourth in points per game. Although they did lose to Williams 71-70, I remain adamant in my decision to put them above the Ephs, for now. Amherst’s next two games are against a Tufts team that embarrassed Middlebury, followed by a Bates team that seems to have everything working for them. The play of Johnny McCarthy ’18, who leads the league in steals per game (2.0) has enhanced  the Amherst defense. That being said, the Jeffs still have plenty of room to improve in the coming weeks.

5. Williams (11-4)

The Ephs sit directly below an Amherst team in this weeks rankings, despite beating the Lord Jeffs 71-70. Why then, are the two rivals not flip flopped? Defense. Williams has struggled to protect its own hoop this year, allowing a last place 71.8 points per game. The defensive struggles have been countered by a second ranked offense, led by Daniel Wohl ’15 and Hayden Rooke-Ley ’15. It has been well documented that a strong defense is key to making a playoff run. In the Ephs case, a defense that even ranks in the middle of the pack would be enough to support this team, given that they continue the offensive prowess that is ranked second in the league right now.

6. Wesleyan (11-4)

The Cardinals are middle of the pack in a lot of ways, but one area where they stand out is from beyond the arc. As a team, they are ranked second in three point field goals shooting 36.7 percent. The production is in large part due to play of Jack Mackey ’16 and Harry Rafferty ’17. The fact they have been so good from three makes their 2-15 shooting performance as a team against Amherst on Tuesday all the more frustrating. The athleticism of Joseph Kuo ’17 has made itself apparent with his team leading 13.3 points per game. Not everything has fallen into place thus far, but the skill is there to claim a spot in the conference playoffs.

7. Colby (9-5)

Although Colby was able to edge out Wesleyan last week in a close 82-80 game, they have not showed me enough so far to be above the Cardinals. The part of the Mules’ game that is worrying is their defense, giving up 71.0 points per game. It’s no secret that allowing 70+ points each game is not a winning formula. Sure, their offense is ranked third with 76.8 ppg, but that’s not enough for me to join the Mules’ bench personalities in celebration.

8. Bowdoin (9-4)

The Polar Bears hit the ground running at the beginning of the season, but their conference play has been dismal, losing to Colby, Bates, and Wesleyan (Colby and Bates games do not count towards conference records). Defensively the Polar Bears have been able to hold opponents to a league leading 60.3 ppg, led by the big man John Swords ’15 underneath. For the Bears to make a serious push into the tournaments more offensive rhythm is going to be key. Transition offense has been lacking thus far, but if they can get the big men running the floor, Bowdoin may have more time to set up and execute offensively.

9. Hamilton (10-4)

Hamilton, like Bowdoin, was hot out of the gate winning its first seven games. Since then they are 3-4, two of those coming against conference opponents Amherst and Trinity. At 10-4 this isn’t the time for the Continentals to hit the panic button, but if their offensive struggles continue, this fast start could turn into a disappointing end.

10. Conn (7-6)

Conn’s stuggles are apparent in their record, and as we mentioned earlier, the Camels are a young but promising team. Look for the rest of this year to provide players like Lee Messier ’18 and Isaiah Robinson ’18 with time to develop their skills at a collegiate level. Losing to Bowdoin and Colby by 29 and 9 points, respectively, put Conn in a tough position in conference play. Stranger things have happened, but it does not look this is the year for the Camels.

11. Tufts (5-7)

Tufts rounds out this week’s rankings but with less negativity than you’d think. Yes, the Jumbos are 5-7 this year, and their schedule will only get tougher as they’ll play Amherst, Trinity, and Bates over the course of the next two weeks; however, a ray of hope cast down on Medford when they easily took care of previously top-ranked Middlebury 80-63, led by Tarik Smith’s big 20 point game off the bench.

Trinity Ready for the Limelight

The Bantams have started off the season strong producing a 10-2 record to begin the year. While other teams like Bates and Middlebury have gotten most of the press, Trinity is currently riding an eight-game winning streak heading into league play beginning on Friday. This is the best start in Coach Cosgrove’s five years at the helm and it is about time this team starts getting some love.

Offensively, the Bantams are making strides. Last year Trinity’s biggest problem was putting the ball in the hoop as they only averaged 61.4 points per game but are up to 72.6 so far in 2014-15. Guard Jaquann Starks ’16 and forward Shay Ajayi ’16, classmates both averaging double-digit points, lead the Bants. Those two have done a phenomenal job getting to the charity stripe, and as a team Trinity is tops in the NESCAC in free throw attempts and makes per game. But it’s not just this experienced duo that is doing the work. Coach Cosgrove has gotten contributions from multiple players. This has been the biggest difference in Trinity’s success this year. The defense remains near the top of the league, but this year the offense has picked up the slack and has given Trinity reason to believe that it can contend for a NESCAC title.

Starks has elevated his game and become one of the NESCAC's top point men. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Starks has elevated his game and become one of the NESCAC’s top point men. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Let us not forget, though, that this team builds its identity around defense and rebounding. If you are playing against the Bantams you are going to have a difficult time finding a clean shot. The Bantams lead the league in the rebound margin at 10.8 per game. The large front line highlighted by George Papadeas ’15, Ed Ogundeko ’17, Alex Conaway ’15 and Ajayi has swarmed the backboards. Rebounding and defense is just effort and intensity, and that mentality has been instilled in the Bantams this season as it has in years past. They also lead the NESCAC in forced turnovers with 16 per game. This ability to get steals leads to easy buckets in transition on the other end. NESCAC play will be a tough test for the Bants, who are just 2-2 against teams that currently have a winning record, but if they continue to swarm opponents on defense, they will put themselves in a good position to win.

Two players that have elevated their games this season are ones that were not highlighted heavily this year in the preview. Guard Steve Spirou ’15 and forward Alex Conaway have been major x-factors for the Bantams. These two stood out in the Bantams’ impressive win over Springfield College on December 3. Both these players are leaders for Coach Cosgrove and how they have helped the Bantams most has been through the gritty nature of their play. Conway and Spirou will not fill up the stat sheets in terms of points, but their intensity both on the defensive and offensive ends have given their team so much needed life to get out to their most successful start in a while.

Trinity opens conference play with Williams this Friday, but for me the biggest game on the Bantams’ schedule will be a January 16 meeting with Bates at home. Bates appears to be for real, and both of these squads have strong front lines, so it will be a collision of two immovable forces. If Trinity can come out on top they will prove to spectators around the league that the Bantams are here to stay.

Trinity Team Preview: The Bantams Are Back

Trinity College Bantams

2013-2014 Season: 15-11 (5-5 NESCAC) fifth in NESCAC, reached semifinals of NESCAC tournament

Head Coach: James Cosgrove, fifth season, 48-52 (.480)

Starters Returning: 5

G Jaquann Starks ’16

G Hart Gliedman ’15

F Edward Ogundeko ’17

F Shay Ajayi ’16

C George Papadeas ’15

Breakout Player: G Andrew Hurd ’16

Hurd arrives in Hartford as a transfer from Central Connecticut State, where he played in only eight games last season. The Bantams have four guards back who played at least 17 minutes a game last season, but Hurd will be in the hunt for minutes right from the jump. Hurd will help out Steve Spirou ’15 and Rick Naylor ’16 as the main guards off the bench. Trinity’s biggest weakness is on the offensive end, and Hurd should help an offense that struggled last season.

Projected Starting Lineup:

Jaquann Starks '16 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Jaquann Starks ’16 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

G Jaquann Starks

Starks is returning after starting for two seasons. He has been able to man the point guard position pretty well, leading the team in scoring in 2013-14 while also tallying nearly 100 assists. The Bantams would like to see him take care of the ball just a bit better and get that assist-to-turnover ratio over 2:1, but he’s clearly the engine that makes this team go.

 

 

Hart Gliedman '15 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Hart Gliedman ’15 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

G Hart Gliedman

Gliedman is entering his senior year and needs to continue to be a factor for the Bantams. The Bantams need him to continue to thrive on the defensive end. He’s not much of a scorer, but at 6’3″ 200 lbs, he’s a strong, physical guard that fits right in with the Trinity system.

 

 

 

Ed Ogundeko '17 (Trinity Athletics)
Ed Ogundeko ’17 (Trinity Athletics)

F Edward Ogundeko

Trinity’s success on the boards last season is due directly to Ogundeko and the next two names on this list. Ogundeko’s freshman debut was a very successful one as he was pretty close to averaging a double-double (9.2 points per game and 7.5 rebound per game). Ogundeko is particularly good at creating second chances. He averaged 3.5 offensive boards per game last season.

 

Shay Ajayi '16 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Shay Ajayi ’16 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

F Shay Ajayi

Ajayi was the Bantams most consistent player last year. The 6’5″ junior was nearly as proficient on the boards as Ogundeko, but brings the added weapon of the three point shot to his game, as he shot nearly 40 percent from deep last season.

 

 

 

George Papadeas '15 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
George Papadeas ’15 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

C George Papadeas

The Bantam’s big man from Greece is going to have to play like he did in the second half of the season. He’s had a lot of experience in his time in Hartford. There is a lot of height in the NESCAC right now, and Papedeas is going to have to play big for the Bantams to win.

Everything Else:

The Bantams look to control the rebounding battle again this year. Rebounding and defense wins championships, as they say, and the Bantams led the NESCAC in rebounds last year, averaging 43.2 rebounds per game. What’s more, Trinity’s +9.7 rebound margin per game was the second highest in the nation. The Bantams also held the teams to under 62 points per game last season, second in the NESCAC and 13th in the country. As mentioned, Gliedman is critical to the Bantams’ defense, but so is 6’6″ swingman Alex Conaway ’15 who can guard both smalls and bigs. Needless to say, the Bantams are a team that has built its identity around defense.

On the other hand, Trinity struggles offensively. They were last in both points per game and three-point percentage in the NESCAC last year. In order for the Bantams to win games and get their defense recognized they are going to need to score some points. They didn’t lose a single senior from last year, so Trinity fans will have to hope that individual players can make strides offensively and that another year together will mean better chemistry on offense. Starks, Gliedman, Naylor and the sporadically used Chris Turnbull ’17 can shoot the three and stretch opposing defenses, while the starting trio of big men and Conaway will battle for points down low.