The best sports weekend of the year is the first two rounds (it will always be the first two rounds no matter what the NCAA tries to say) of March Madness. Last night felt like March because of a trio of fantastic finishes. Bates-Middlebury, Colby-Wesleyan, and Williams-Trinity all came down to the final minute, and the latter two games came down to the final seconds. We will wait until after the weekend is over to really go in-depth on any type of analysis or recaps of games because Saturday is sure to bring another heaping of crazy.
Bowdoin 77 over Conn College 48: The game became a runaway at the end, and Bowdoin was in control of the game pretty much the entire way. The rout is a very solid result for Bowdoin, of which you can read the recap of on the Bowdoin website.
Bates 57 over Middlebury 53: A very physical well-fought game saw Middlebury fight through a near team-wide stomach bug, but Bates was too strong on the interior. Both teams shot poorly from the field. The Bobcats held serve at home, something that they need to do. Here is the recap on Bates website
Amherst 93 over Hamilton 86: The Jeffs overwhelmed a very game Continentals team. It took a great shooting night from the outside and a career high 29 points from David George ’17 to secure a quality victory on the road. Joseph Lin ’15 had an incredible 16 assists and 1 turnover in the loss. Here is the recap.
Colby 82 over Wesleyan 80: A very enjoyable back and forth game saw Colby come back from 9 down in the second half to open up conference season with a big road win. After we said his matchup with Rashid Epps ’16 was a “mismatch”, Sam Willson ’16 made us look like idiots with a game high 26 points. Colby has a full recap up.
Trinity 71 over Williams 69: This was the game of the night as it took two overtimes to settle it. Williams rallied from 16 down in the second half to take the game to overtime. Jaquann Starks carried the Bantams with 21 points. A full recap on the madness that went down is here.
Alright so onto Saturday. Four games on tap today. Every single game has a 1-0 team facing off with a 0-1 team meaning that there is the possibility for either chaos if a bunch of those 0-1 teams win today. Here is the briefest of run downs on what you can expect from each one.
1. Williams is now in a hole 0-1 with Amherst coming to town. The Ephs short rotation will likely make the effects of their double overtime even more perverse. Hayden Rooke-Ley ’15 is out with an injury to his hand for three weeks. How the Ephs handle the first big Amherst run is huge. Besides that, everything we wrote about before the games Friday about this matchup also still holds.
2. Wesleyan knows they were in position to beat Colby, and they can’t afford to lose to both games at home this weekend. Now they need to beat Bowdoin who played their most complete game of the season last night. Both teams lean heavily on their starting five. This will be a much lower scoring game than the Wesleyan-Colby one yesterday.
3. Trinity at Hamilton may not scream excitement, but this is a mildly intriguing undercard. The Continentals were balanced and calm on offense yesterday against Amherst. They will not be fazed by the physical play of Trinity. The Bantams have to not have a let down game in Clinton, a place notoriously hard to win at. Hamilton went 4-1 at home in conference last season.
4. Colby opened conference play in 2013-2014 with a similar win over Wesleyan before stumbling and losing their next four conference games. Colby has to take care of business at Conn College. The Mules are unlikely to shoot 56.9% from the field like they did last night, but they also overcame 15 turnovers. Conn needs to shoot the ball better than the 4-20 performace they had last night.
The Bates bench is excited about the conference season beginning. So should you. (Courtesy of Bates College)
We only get five weekends of NESCAC conference basketball. Heck, I am only in session to watch my beloved Bowdoin Polar Bears for three home conference games, and the first one of those is not until February 8! Unlike most other conference schedules that see teams play each other twice, the NESCAC only gives you one shot at every team meaning every game takes on extra importance.
When all five games tip off at 7 PM tonight, it will usher in one of the most open conference seasons in years. Though we lack any official Las Vegas odds in the NESCAC, nobody should feel very confident about their chances right now. Which also means that almost everybody should feel at least a little bit confident about their chances right now.
This is going to be fun. Here is your weekend preview.
Three Players to Watch
1. Point Guard Mike Greenman ’17 (Williams): The sophomore has a knack for finding his way into the biggest moments on the court. Against Trinity and Amherst Greenman will have to initiate the offense and pressure the defense by getting into the lane. Often Greenman is not the person who ends up finishing plays but rather intends to attract defenders for others. When he drives to pass, he opens up space and driving lanes for star seniors Hayden Rooke-Ley ’15 and Dan Wohl ’15. The downside to Greenman’s ability to get into the lane is that he turns the ball over at the third highest rate in the NESCAC at 3.7 turnovers per game. Defensively, Greenman will likely not guard Jaquann Starks ’16 on Friday but rather match up with the other guard on the floor.
2. Center Zuri Pavlin ’17 (Conn College): The Camels are one of the youngest teams in the NESCAC so it will be interesting to see how they fare in the first weekend of NESCAC play. Pavlin is a double-double machine and the best player for Conn. This weekend he gets to play two of the premier centers in the NESCAC in John Swords ’15 from Bowdoin and Chris Hudnut ’16 from Colby. Last season against those two teams Pavlin scored only 12 points combined. He will need to score way more points than that if there is any way for Conn to spring an early upset on two teams that have had some significant struggles so far.
3. Shooting Guard Lucas Hausman ’16 (Bowdoin): The Polar Bear offense often goes through long droughts within games. Hausman is the best player on Bowdoin at creating his own shot. While the 6’3″ guard is barely 170 pounds dripping wet, he can get to the basket because of his athleticism. He scored 28 points Tuesday at Bridgewater State and is now the leading scorer for Bowdoin with 15.6 points per game. That game Tuesday saw Bowdoin blow an 18 point first half lead and then a nine point lead in the final 4:59 of regulation. The Polar Bears are very thin after their starting five so they need their stars to come through every game. Hausman has taken up the mantle of the leading scorer, and he will need to score often and efficiently.
Top Three Games to Watch
There is not enough time or space for us to preview every single game that is going on this weekend. So while the depth of the league means almost every game is worth tuning into, every week we will go in-depth on the three most important games.
3. Friday 7:00 PM: Colby (7-5) at Wesleyan (10-2)
The NESCAC opener for these teams will tell us a lot about two teams that are part of that upwardly mobile NESCAC middle-class. Do not let Colby’s 7-5 record make you think that this is not a good team. All but one of their losses is a “good” one, if there is such a thing, and they have quality victories over Bowdoin and Husson. Wesleyan is coming in on a six game winning streak, and one of their two losses was in overtime to Williams.
The Colby offense revolves around Chris Hudnut ’16, the talented big man who has taken his game to yet another level this season. For Wesleyan the emergence of Joseph Kuo ’17 means that the Cardinals now have a player capable of matching up with Hudnut while Rashid Epps ’16 can shift to the power forward position. Epps could be primed for a big game one year after having Hudnut shut him down. He will have Sam Willson ’16 on him in what could be a mismatch for Colby because of Epps physicality.
Colby has had to battle injuries that has robbed them of much of their depth. Wesleyan has seen their roles sort themselves out into a clear starting five.
Matchup to Watch: Wesleyan Points in the Paint vs. Colby Defense
Let’s be clear that Colby’s weakness is their defense. They are allowing the second most points per game in the NESCAC. The weird thing about their defensive struggles is that they have occurred despite teams shooting only 26.7 percent from three. Overall teams are shooting 41.5 percent against Colby, the third highest percentage in the league. Opponents have been getting in the paint and scoring with way too much ease. Wesleyan has changed this season from a three point heavy team to a more inside-out oriented team around Epps and Kuo. They are going to look to get the ball into the paint early and often until Colby proves that they can keep Wesleyan off the boards.
2. Friday 7:00 PM Middlebury (9-0) at Bates (9-2)
These were the last two remaining undefeated teams in the NESCAC before Bates lost two games right before New Year’s. Bates is possibly the best team that Middlebury will have faced all year, and the Bobcats are lucky to get Middlebury at home. Last year Bates beat Middlebury at Pepin Gym in what turned out to be their only NESCAC victory. The loss came back to haunt Middlebury as it was a major strike against them for an NCAA at-large bid.
The point guard match-up between Graham Safford ’15 and Jake Brown ’17 will be fun to watch. Brown is difficult to stay in front of, and Safford will have to be careful not to get into foul trouble. Bates coach Jon Furbush is likely to ask Mike Boornazian ’16 to matchup with Dylan Sinnickson ’15. Boornazian has the size and quickness to give Sinnickson problems. Bates also likes to occasionally go to a 1-3-1 zone, but given the shooters that Middlebury has, it might be difficult to defend them with a zone. On the other end the trio of Safford, Boornazian, and Billy Selmon ’15 on the perimeter is dangerous. All three are capable of getting to the basket or spotting up for three.
Do not sleep on the impact that both benches could have. Adam Philpott ’15 and Mike Newton ’16 can be a steadying force off the bench for Bates. Philpott in particular was the difference Tuesday against Brandeis with 12 big points. No one player on the Middlebury bench has jumped out for most the season, but Nick Tarantino ’18 might be emerging at just the right time. He has averaged 9.5 PPG in the two games since break and could be a crucial big body for Middlebury (see below).
One crucial thing that benefits Middlebury is that Bates begins classes on Monday so not many students will be back for the game. A lot of Lewiston community members will likely be there, but the Panthers are not walking into the fearsome Alumni Gym we usually see.
Matchup to Watch: Delpeche Brothers vs. Middlebury Frontcourt
The clear weakness of Middlebury is their front-court. Connor Huff ’16 has done a wonderful job filling in at center. However, expecting the 6’4″ Huff to stop one of the Delpeches is foolish. Six-foot eight Matt Daley ’16 is back after missing Middlebury’s first seven games. Yet he only played five minutes Tuesday night so it would be surprising if he played extensive minutes tonight. Sinnickson will be crucial in keeping Bates off of the offensive boards, a place where the Bobcats have feasted on opponents. Malcolm Delpeche ’17 enjoyed his best game of the year against Middlebury last season with 17 points and nine rebounds. Now both he and his brother Marcus are in the starting lineup. Unless they get into foul trouble, Middlebury might have a hard time keeping the Delpeches from making plays like this dunk Marcus had against Emory.
1. Amherst (8-2) at Williams (9-3)
We already went in-depth on this game in our look at preview so go take a look there for our analysis.
2013-2014 Season: 14-11 (4-6), tied seventh in the NESCAC, reached quarterfinals of NESCAC tournament
Head Coach: Damien Strahorn (Colby ’02), 28-45 (.384)
Starters Returning: 5
G Luke Westman ’16
G Ryan Jann ’16
G/F Connor O’Neil ’15
F Patrick Stewart ’16
F/C Chris Hudnut ’16
Breakout Player: Luke Westman ’16
The entire Colby rotation returns so it’s a little misleading to say that one player will breakout. A lot of players should see their numbers see a subtle uptick, but Westman gets the nod because he might be uniquely capable of taking Colby to the next level. The point guard was loathe to look for his own shot and averaged 9.5 points on 5.3 shots per game. He did not make a three pointer all season but hit 78 percent of his foul shots.He was incredibly efficient for a guard, and in fact the only non-big man to shoot over 60 percent from the field in the NESCAC. If Westman can score more points without sacrificing a lot of his efficiency the Colby offense will be hard to stop.
Projected Starting Five:
PG Luke Westman
The junior is a quiet leader on and off the court (and will join the senior, O’Neil, as captain this season), but when he steps on the court he is always in control. His defense is an underrated part of his game. He led the team in steals and tied with Hudnut for second in blocks. His blocking ability is similar to Dwyane Wade as a guard that can go up and get.
SG Ryan Jann ’16
The smooth shooting guard enjoyed a quality sophomore campaign and finished the season second in scoring on the team. He shot a low percentage from the field in large part because he takes difficult shots most of the time. Some of that is because the shot clock is running down and Jann is the best Mule at creating his own shot, but he will have to improve his shooting percentage this year.
G/F Connor O’Neil ’15
A player who has been an integral part of the program since the day he stepped onto campus will be a senior leader on a team made up mostly of juniors. His improvement was a big reason why the team saw an uptick in wins last year. He is also the best perimeter defender in the starting five and will be tasked with taking on the top scorer on most teams.
F Patrick Stewart ’16
He works greatly next to Hudnut down low as a more athletic and dynamic defender. He is no slouch on the offensive end as he was third on the team in scoring. He actually made the most threes and shot the highest percentage from deep. An underrated part of the starting five, Stewart is a big part of what makes the Mules so difficult to guard on offense.
F/C Chris Hudnut ’16
Nobody would describe Hudnut’s game as flashy, but the results are impossible to ignore. The big man expanded his range all the way out to the three point line giving Colby four players who can shoot from deep on the floor at once. Still the most impressive part of his game is down in the post where he has a polished offensive game and made strides on defense. Though he is not a big shot blocker, he fights hard for positioning and rebounds the ball well averaging 8.4 boards per game.
Everything Else:
Last year the Mules managed to sneak up on teams a little bit, but this year teams will go into games ready for a battle. The bench remains the same with Shane Rogers ’15 a vital cog off the bench. He is a solid two way player who hit over 40 percent of his threes in 2013-14. Sam Willson ’16 is the main front court player off of the bench. He brings a similar skill set to Stewart in that he can put the ball on the floor and make threes from the power forward position.
The big area where Colby has to improve is on the defensive side of the ball. Opponents in NESCAC play had some of their best games against Colby. Defending the three point line in particular is of importance given that teams shot 37 percent last year. Look for the Mules to amp up their ball pressure on the perimeter as well.
With an energetic young coach and a core that has had another year to grow together, the potential is there for Colby to jump into the top echelon. Their improvement as the year went along was clear even though they lost a couple of tough games at the end of the year.
As for the bench mob? Some of the integral parts have graduated so it is unclear whether the end of the bench will again engage in such elaborate shenanigans . The idea for the celebrations originated with the players and the coaching staff is content with allowing the team to decide whether to continue or not.
