Tag: Shay Ajayi

NCAA Sweet 16 Preview: Bates College vs. Trinity College

Game Information: Bates (21-6) vs. Trinity (22-6)

Friday, March 13, 5:30 PM

Staake Gymnasium, Babson Park, MA

Live Stats  Video

In other words, there is work to be done.

It’s not unheard of for two NESCAC teams to be meeting this late into the NCAA Tournament. As a matter of fact, it happened just one year ago when Amherst and Williams duked it out in the national semifinals. What is unusual, though, is to see Bates and Trinity, two schools not known for their basketball pedigree, still alive and starting to believe that a National Championship isn’t that far-fetched of an idea.

Let’s take a moment and think about where these two teams came from. You might have heard already, but Bates College is playing in its first-ever NCAA D-III Tournament, which has brought Bates alums out of the woodwork to support the current team.

“I’ve heard from players from the 1950s right up to last season. You win a few games and people become very aware of your basketball program.” – Bates Coach Jon Furbush to the Portland Press Herald,

Also, consider this: Bates was 1-9 in the NESCAC last year, the worst record in the league. Now, just over a year later, they are one win away from being the last NESCAC team standing. And when they look back on this season, there will be plenty of highlights from their NCAA Tournament run to remember. Bates’ players hope to add a few more before it is all said and done.

On the other side, Trinity had some experience with NCAA Tourney basketball before the season began. The only problem was that none of that experience came from the players. Head Coach James Cosgrove led Adelphi University to the D-II Tournament four times and Endicott to the D-III Tournament once as head coach. Assistant Coach Tyler Simms played on back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams at Trinity in 2007 and 2008, but never advanced past the first round. Now, the Bantams’ players have almost as much NCAA Tournament experience as their coaching staff.

Last time they met: Jan. 16 at Trinity. Trinity 66 – Bates 59

From 1-5, including #21 Alex Conaway '15, Trinity can defend with the best of them. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
From 1-5, including #21 Alex Conaway ’15, Trinity can defend with the best of them. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

In a game that started a miniature two-game skid for the Bobcats that seems to have been the turning point for Bates, Trinity dominated the first half and held on for a six-point lead at home. It was an off shooting night for Bates’ two top scorers, Graham Safford ’15 and Mike Boornazian ’16 (6-21, 28.6 percent, combined). Meanwhile, Trinity spread the wealth, per usual, with three players in double figures, and played its patented shutdown defense.

“Trinity has proven all season long what a great defensive team they are and against us was no exception. They did a good job scouting us and identifying some of our tendencies, but we also didn’t shoot the ball anywhere near the level we’re capable of.” – Mike Boornazian

The game was incredibly evenly-matched statistically. The only differences came in the rebounding and free throw shooting departments, both of which Trinity dominated. The Bants outrebounded Bates 42-32, and hit 20-26 free throws, compared to 11-14 for the Bobcats.

A last bit of Trinity-Bates history to nibble on. Trinity leads the all-time series 31-13, dating back to 1947. The last Bobcat victory came in February 2013.

Storylines to Watch

1. Have student fan bus, will travel

Alumni Gym in Lewiston, ME gets pretty crazy sometimes for men’s basketball games. The Staake Gymnasium is going to feel a lot like Alumni on Friday night. The tiny Babson home court (650 seats, 1,000 capacity) will provide the ideal setting for the scores (dare I say, hundreds?) of Bobcats fans who will be traveling down via a school-organized fan bus. The bus seats 55 students, and the College sold an additional 50 for students who wanted to organize their own transportation. Trinity, meanwhile, goes on spring break starting on Friday, and many students have already taken off to enjoy better weather elsewhere.

Adding to the Bobcats’ home court advantage, potentially, is that Bates has already won two games at Staake, to open the season, at the Babson Invitational, including a three-point victory over the host Beavers.

“It’ll definitely be nice to get back on the court that got us off to a 2-0 start earlier this year. We all really liked the atmosphere that the gym provided, and we have a lot of Bates supporters in the area, as well as people who will be making the trip down.  It’s going to be a fun time and always nice knowing we have Bobcat Country supporting us.” – Mike Boornazian

Trinity center Georgios Papadeas ’15 doesn’t see Babson Park as presenting a home court advantage for Bates.

“I don’t believe playing in Babson gives Bates an advantage. They didn’t win against us at that court so I believe that those two wins are irrelevant to Friday’s game.” – Georgios Papadeas

2. Frontcourt physicality

There were 42 fouls committed the last time these two squads competed, 25 by Bates. Max Eaton ’17 even earned four in just 13 minutes! Bates alone has committed 40 fouls in their two NCAA Tournament games. Both Delpeche brothers fouled out late against St. Vincent in the first round. For Trinity, they’ve faced some foul trouble in the Tournament but have managed to keep everybody on the floor. The personal foul numbers will be important to monitor in this one, though, as both teams feature tough front courts.

“I think both teams are very talented in that department.  Trinity has an impressive front court, but I also think Malc and Marc [Delpeche] have consistently proven that they are two of the best big men in the conference. It’s going to be a great battle.” – Mike Boornazian

Statistically, both teams are similar in blocks per game (Trinity, 3.9; Bates, 3.3) and rebounds per game (Trinity 39.0; Bates, 38.4), but the Bantams had a significant margin in rebounding margin (7.3, compared to 4.9 for Bates). Nevertheless, Trinity recognizes the dangerousness of the Bates big men.

“The twins are a dynamic combo. I respect their toughness. From our part we will try to be physical and block them out. They are long and athletic and extremely dangerous. We can’t let them get going.” – Georgios Papadeas

Forward Mike Newton ’15 has a more aesthetic view of what makes the Delpeche duo so formidable.

“The best part is that  they aren’t scared to bang on anyone.” – Mike Newton

When you get this look from Marcus Delpeche '17, you know that you're in trouble. (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)
When you get this look from Marcus Delpeche ’17, you know that you’re in trouble. (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

That kind of protection at the rim allows Billy Selmon ’15 to pressure ball handlers on the perimeter and changes the offensive attack.

3. The efficiency of Bates’ guards

Even though Safford was an NbN All-NESCAC First Teamer and both he and Boornazian are 1,000 point scorers, no one would mistake the pair for a couple of Luke Westmans. Of NESCAC players that attempted at least 12.5 field goals per game (Safford has attempted exactly 12.56 FG per game, Boornazian approximately 12.7), Safford was the only player under 40 percent from the field, and Boornazian ranks fourth out of sixth. They’re both great players and among my first choices if I need to take a shot to win the game, but I think their below average shooting percentages will be particularly hurtful in this game where I don’t anticipate the Delpeches, Newton and Eaton grabbing many O boards.

4. The Trinity offense with Andrew Hurd ’16 on the court

Jaquann Starks '15 is comfortable with the ball in his hands, but Trinity's O runs smoother with Starks at the two-guard. (Courtesy of Hartford Courant/Peter Casolino).
Jaquann Starks ’16 is comfortable with the ball in his hands, but Trinity’s O runs smoother with Starks at the two-guard. (Courtesy of Hartford Courant/Peter Casolino).

Point guard Jaquann Starks ’16 gets all the press, but the Trinity offense is actually better when Hurd handles the ball and Starks shifts to the two-guard. I wish I had the advanced statistics to back up that claim, but keep an eye on this backcourt combination tonight and see for yourself. Starks isn’t much of a distributor and is probably Trinity’s best three point shooter. Hurd also brings some underestimated pesky defense to the floor with him, and can frustrate the opposing team’s point man. He gives up quite a bit of size and strength to Safford, though, so Hurd may be better suited to keep Selmon from making an impact on offense.  For Selmon’s part, he will be blanketing Starks all day, which means that the pressure is on Hurd to make an impact offensively.

5. Late game execution

Bates is looking for a shot at redemption against Trinity. (Courtesy of Portland Press Herald/Gabe Souza)
The Bobcats are looking for a shot at redemption against Trinity. (Courtesy of Portland Press Herald/Gabe Souza)

I would be shocked if this game turned into a blowout. Therefore, it will come down to which team executes better in crunch time, and who makes their free throws. Neither team was fantastic hitting free throws this season, but Trinity held a slight edge. When it comes to closing out ball games, the general perception is that Bates has the advantage because of the heroics of Safford and Boornazian. Sometimes nerves get in the way when players are unsure of what to do as the seconds tick away. That doesn’t happen with Safford.

“It’s amazing. There are times when I want to make a call in the game, and he’s bringing the ball up and before I even say it, he calls it. … He’s absolutely another coach on the floor. … I think what he does from a sheer leadership standpoint is the reason why we’re successful.” – Bates Head Coach John Furbush to the Sun Journal.

However, of the Bantams’ 22 wins, 10 have come by six points or less. And I don’t think that is because Trinity isn’t dominant. I think it’s because they enjoy playing in close games. When the going gets tough, the defense gets tougher, and teams have a brutal time getting buckets. Additionally, if Bates wants to put its best free throw shooting team on the floor, they’d have to take off a lot of the starters. Safford, is the only starter for Bates that shot over 80 percent from the stripe. Meanwhile, Trinity can put Starks (89.5 percent), Hurd (88.9 percent), Chris Turnbull ’17 (85.7 percent), Papadeas (78.1 percent) and Rick Naylor ’16 (77.8 percent) or Shay Ajayi ’16 (71.3 percent) on the court and not give up too much defensively.

Trinity X-Factor: Ed Ogundeko ’17

It had to be a big guy, right? Ogundeko was playing like a grown man down the stretch this season, putting up huge rebounding numbers and a couple of nice offensive performances despite not playing much more than 20 minutes per game. In the NCAA Tournament Ogundeko has played 24 minutes total. Coach Cosgrove has basically relied on his starting five plus Hurd to win ball games. But, in a matchup where both front lines go deep and I could foresee a flurry of fouls on either side, I think the time is ripe for Ogundeko to step back up. I don’t need big scoring out of him, I just need him to stop whichever Delpeche is feeling it at the time.

Bates X-Factor: Adam Philpott ’15

For Bates, it’s no secret that the starting five does most of the heavy lifting, but Philpott does a lot of the little things that make a team go. He can do a little bit of everything offensively, and fits right in with Coach Jon Furbush’s feisty defense. Boornazian called Philpott the best sixth man in the NESCAC. He’ll have to play like it to best the Bantams on Friday.

“For me embracing the role of sixth man with the talent that we have was very easy. … [Graham Safford’s and Mike Boornazian’s] ability to beat their defender and get into the lane creates a lot of open opportunities for me on the perimeter and it’s my job to knock them down.” – Adam Philpott

Prediction:

Before we go any further, let me say a big congratulations to both teams for making this unexpected run to the Sweet 16. That being said, I don’t think either squad would be content with calling it quits now. Both squads believe that they can win a national title for the first time in school history. And these have to be two of the toughest, grittiest teams in all of Division-III, which should make for some must-watch TV.

How is this one going to play out? Expect it to be back-and-forth all day. If Bates can grab some offensive rebounds that will lead to some easy buckets and make up for some of the guards’ missed jumpers. I don’t expect Trinity to shoot much better, though. This one could be ugly.

Don’t expect the crowd noise to get into the Bantams’ heads too much.

“As athletes though we have trained to focus on the game and block  all other factors that don’t contribute to the game.” – Georgios Papadeas

I really don’t think, even down the stretch, that 100-plus screaming Bobcats fans will change the outcome of this game. Whether the crowd is cheering for or against you, there are bound to be jitters when you’re in a single possession game as the clock ticks down.

All right, enough preamble. I’ve gone back and forth on this game all day, so let me just make a pick and stick to it. I’m going with the Bantams, partly because they’ve beaten Bates before, partly because they’ve given up just 51.0 points per contest in the NCAA Tournament. Partly because, as Sean Meekins reported, Bates basketball wears seat belts on the bus. I jest, of course. Everyone should wear seat belts all the time.

So there it is. We’ve picked against Bates twice now, and gotten it wrong both times. We’ve also picked in favor of Trinity, and gotten it right both times. Something’s gotta give.

Final Line: Trinity 59 – Bates 52

Not Playing Around: Bates vs. Trinity Email Chain

The Bates student body is ready to make the trip to Babson (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
The Bates student body is ready to make the trip to Babson (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

NothingbutNESCAC: In the lead up to the big game tomorrow night, we wanted to give everyone the chance to hear from some more, well, partisan viewpoints. We managed to get the student announcers for Trinity (Sean Meekins and Carson Kenney) and Bates (Connor Colombo and Rob DiFranco) on one email chain. We told them to lay out their arguments for why their respective team would win. All four also happen to play baseball, which added to the friendly banter back and forth.

Sean Meekins (Trinity): I honestly may not watch the game. If there is any chance of a college game being a shut out, it is this one on Friday night.

Connor Colombo (Bates): I completely agree with you man; Bates’ defense is that good that Trinity may be shut out. Good prediction on your part….

Carson Kenney (Trinity): What’s going on boys. Hope everyone is enjoying this Monday evening. Just want to clarify: is this the same Bates that Trinity beat by 7 earlier this year when Safford and Boornazian combined to shoot a glorious 6-26 from the field? Or is there another Bates in upstate New York or something?

Rob DiFranco (Bates): Remind us: Is this the same Trinity College Bantams that caught an L against a school called Merchant Marine who held a 2-11 record at that time?

CK (Trinity): ​Ahhh I knew this would come up. Let me take this Sean. That game actually was wild because somehow our women’s team showed up instead of the men’s team (classic mixup). Since it was our fault for the mixup, they decided to play the ball as it lies and count it as a real game.
Yeah I actually got nothing for that one. I was hoping neither of you two remembered that. Point: Bates, for that one. All sarcasm aside, Safford and Boornazian scare me since the generally accepted blueprint to winning March Madness is good guard play. So Starks/Hurd/Gliedman will have to step up. But I like our bigs over Bates bigs. Papadeas and Ogundeko will give Delpeche all he can handle. Plus Ajayi and Conaway typically cause match up problems at the 3/4

CC (Bates): College basketball is reliant on good guard play when it comes to the tournament as you said. Looking back to that match-up between Bates and Trinity earlier in the season, you mentioned that Bates lost by 7 with Boornazian/Safford shooting a poor 6-26 from the field combined. How have they fared in this tournament so far? Well, they are averaging 44 PPG combined, while Trinity’s leading scorers (Stark and Ajayi) have only averaged 25.5 combined, nearly a 20 POINT difference!! Not to mention the Delpeche twins and Boornazian have combined for 8 blocks down low while Trinity’s starting forwards have only combined for 4 blocks so far. So it seems Bates has the better offensive backcourt as well as the better defensive frontcourt right now….let’s just say that’s not a good thing for the Bantams as they are about to face a red hot Bobcat squad

CK (Trinity): No doubt Boornazian and Safford can play well. But as far as the Big Man block argument: Delpeche^2 and Boornazian have combined for 8 blocks but for Trinity, Ogundeko, Papadeas, and Conaway combined for 8 as well in both tourney games. Albeit, Ogundeko and Papadeas are rarely on the court at the same time, and Conaway, who’s a starter, has 4 of those 8.  Kid can jump out of the gym and guard just about anyone.
As far as scoring goes, no doubt that Bates is heating up at the right time and again, Boornazian and Safford are a two-headed monster that no team wants to face right now. But from what I’m seeing, and was the case against Trinity last time, their shooting efficiency is pretty tough. Against Stockton, the two combined for 32 points, yes. But they combined to shoot 32 percent (9-28) which isn’t great offensive efficiency. One of the Delpeche twins had 17 points and shot over 50 percent but I’m going to assume a handful of those points from the field came off of clanks from Safford or Boornazian since he had 4 O-Rebs that game. Not to say this is bound to happen, but looking at season stats, Safford, who is the team’s leading scorer, is eighth out of 11 in shooting percentage of players for Bates who have played in more than 15 games (37.9 percent). He shoots two pennies over 30 percent from beyond the arc. However he is second on the team (by 0.1) in field goals attempted per game.
Trinity also held opponents to 38.2 percent shooting from the field this season (32.1 percent from 3-pt land) so I have a feeling the Bates offense will slow down a bit on Friday.  For what it’s worth: Trinity faced a Colby-Sawyer team who had 2 players combine for 88 points in the two games leading up to their game against Trinity… they combined for 15 points against the Bants. Trinity also faced a Salisbury squad whose leading scorer put up 37 the night before against an Eastern Connecticut squad (that beat Colby this year by 21, the same Colby team that Bates beat twice by only a combined score of 11). Against Trinity, that player put up an earth shattering four (FOUR) points.  Point being: Trinity’s defense welcomes team’s leading scorers with open arms.
Also, Bates players hate snow days. *Drops the mic*

Jaquann Starks '16 driving against Salisbury last weekend. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Jaquann Starks ’16 driving against Salisbury last weekend. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

RD (Bates): As I take the microscope off of our All-NESCAC First Team PG and our most recent thousand point scorer (Boornazian as a junior) and their “poor” offensive efficiencies, I wanted to express some facts prior to this game. The game will be played at Babson College which might as well be in Lewiston, Maine. Bates has won two games on that court this season including against the nationally ranked Babson squad. Not to mention, carloads of intoxicated Bates students (driven by a designated driver) as well as local alumni will be filling up Staake Gym. Cat Country is notorious for getting rowdy and rattling opponents. That will definitely test the Bantams at the free throw line. In my eyes, Wellesley, Massachusetts looks a lot like home-court advantage for Bates and we know the Bobcats can do in their natural habitat (12-1 record at home). The Bants are going to have to look to their own team to gather some momentum because I don’t think there will be much in the bleachers.
On a less serious note, our team manager/supervisor of morale – Mike Tomaino – can beat your team manager one on one. Sent from night class, Spanks.

CK (Trinity): ​The one thing that jumps out to me on the Trinity side is the play of Shay Ajayi over the last month or so.  The last time the Bants faced Bates, Ajayi scored only two points on 1-4 shooting. However in the last eight games Trinity has played (dating back to January 31 against Colby) Ajayi has put up double digits seven out of the eight games, all above his season average.  This means he should have plenty of confidence coming into Friday night. If he plays like he has been lately, it will help spread the ball and give Bates more to worry about from an athleticism standpoint.

SM (Trinity): Bates basketball wears seat belts on the bus.

CC (Bates): Trinity basketball jumps from the free throw line.

CK (Trinity): ​Game, Set, Match: Connor Colombo. Also, I just saw Andre Drummond tweet at Boornazian? Can one of you guys explain that to me?

CC (Bates): Boornazian and Drummond go way back to the chain link net days in the backyard growing up. Both are good friends from Connecticut and still keep in touch very often. Mike has even lived with Andre during the summers and worked out with NBA stars like Kevin Love to improve his game. Yes, Andre has been to Bates before and yes, he did put on a show in Alumni during some pickup ball.

CK (Trinity): ​Since it’s the Sweet 16 and I’m feeling myself after predicting Trinity’s first round game point differential spot on and only being two off in the second round, I’m gonna say Trinity wins this one 76-73 in an overtime thriller. At which point I expect Mr. Colombo to write a hand written congratulatory note that can be delivered to the Larocque household where I will pick it up at Easter.
In all seriousness, this has all the makings for a great college basketball game. Wish we could be there. Best of luck to you guys this [baseball] season as well, except for the weekend of March 27.

SM (Trinity): Bates obviously has the home court advantage, which is garbage because Trinity is the higher seed. But I think the rest has helped Trinity recover after the battles this weekend. I think Trinity wins this one 64-59. I feel like their defense is going to come to play. It also helps Trinity that Bates wears ankle socks with black new balances, which is an absolute dusty look, and based on looks alone Trinity will pull this one off by five. It is unfortunate Trinity students will be on break because as the visiting teams know from hockey games, the fans are a major factor (Bates didn’t get the invite to the whole NESCAC hockey party). In other notes, mens’ hockey is going to the Frozen Four. If you want to throw that prediction into the mix, lock it up and throw away the key.

CC (Bates): Touché Carson. Although your score predictions may be straight out of a genie’s magic ball, I think putting this game into overtime is a bit of a stretch. I’m guessing Safford and Boornazian combine for a whopping 50 points and their three point shooting is above 45 percent. I don’t know what your relationship is with the Trinity basketball players, but us baseball players have a strong bond with the basketball team and I have never seen a more confident group than this one. Safford has done all he can this offseason and regular season to be ready for the position he is in now. The senior is ready to play the biggest game of his career. Philpott, Selmon, the twins, Newton, and Boornazian also know they all need to give their best efforts to push this team into the Elite 8. Final score: 72-65 Bates. Good luck to all the players participating in this ever so exciting NESCAC sweet sixteen matchup, and may the best team win.
Goodnight fellas… and no matter what the result, I’m sure we all want to see one of these NESCAC teams represent the conference in the Final Four. Connor Colombo, aka Bumbo, signing off.

SM (Trinity): Carson just said, “If they score 50 points, I will crab walk around campus for a week.” That’s how confident he is that this won’t happen.

RD (Bates): I’m gonna say Bobcats by six, 62-56, after cutting a halftime deficit. I don’t think Boornazian and Safford will combine for 50, but they’ll obviously contribute enough for Bates to win down the stretch. But if they do happen to combine for 50 I need some footage of this crab walk. Anyways, good luck fellas and hopefully a NESCAC squad will be represented in the Natty Ship. See you on the diamond.

CK (Trinity): Let the record show that I never actually said that…

NCAA Second Round Preview: Salisbury University vs. Trinity College

Game Information: Trinity (21-6) vs. Salisbury (21-7)

Saturday, March 7, 7:00 PM

Oosting’s Gymnasium at Trinity College, Hartford, CT

Live Stats  Video

What an amazing first round of NCAA Tourney games all across the country. It was only day one and we already know that there will be a new team cutting down the nets as Wisconsin-Whitewater lost on a three-pointer at the buzzer. Three NESCAC teams moved on to the Round of 32 as Wesleyan was the only team to fall last night. Trinity was able to muscle past a tough Colby-Sawyer team who was up 24-8 at one point. The Bantams survived thanks to gritty performances by senior center George Papadeas ’15 (Athens, Greece) and Alex Conaway ’15 (New Haven, CT). They move on to play a Salisbury team that beat Eastern Connecticut 66-54 in the evening’s first matchup. Salisbury rode the back of junior big man Wyatt Smith (Abingdon, MD) who put up a game high 37 points and brought down nine boards. These two teams have never met before and will square off tonight at 7:00 PM in Hartford, CT.

 

The Trinity crowd is ready to cheer on the Bantams for one last time at Oostings Gym. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
The Trinity crowd is ready to cheer on the Bantams for one last time at Oosting’s Gym. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics) For more photos of the game, Trinity has a full gallery here.

How Did They Advance?

Trinity

Trinity had a terrible first half yet somehow managed to head into the locker room on a 15-6 run that cut the Colby-Sawyer lead to 30-23. Colby-Sawyer’s leading scorer and NAC Player of the Year Peter Donato ’16 (Portland, ME) scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds. He was helped out by Wol Majong ’16 (Manchester, NH) who had 11 points, but the rest of the Chargers didn’t contribute much. The Bantams opened up the second half with a flurry of baskets from Conaway, Papadeas, Shay Ajayi ’16 (Brooklyn, NY) and Jaquann Starks ’16 (Hartford, CT) and looked like a different team. Papadeas was all over the place with hustle play after hustle play, and a big dunk from Conaway got a once depleted fan section back in business.

Andrew Hurd ’16 came off the bench and provided major quality minutes for the Bants, moving Starks off the ball. Hurd finished with a very solid stat line of eight points, four steals and five assists. Four Bants finished with double digits (Conaway, Ajayi, Papadeas, Starks). Trinity had an uncharacteristically bad night from the free throw line going 15-23 (65.2 percent) but managed to hit some big ones late in the game to ice it.

Salisbury

This part of tonight’s preview could be completed in two words (Wyatt Smith) but let’s try and stretch this out a bit. Smith put up 37 and nine on 16-20 shooting. Guard Gordon Jeter ’17 (Easton, MD) helped put up his share of buckets tallying 14 points and nine rebounds, but past those two, the Sea Gulls got little to nothing from anyone else. Eastern Connecticut had two players put up 10 apiece but struggled from an offensive standpoint. The Warriors shot a dismal 31.7 percent from the field (19-60) and allowed Smith to have a field day in the paint.

Smith came into the game averaging a little over 12 points per game, one of only two Salisbury players averaging double digits. But Smith was a man among boys tonight against the Warriors. Anytime he touched the ball in the paint, he was going to get his and Eastern Connecticut didn’t have anyone to put up a fight against him.

Players to Watch

Trinity

C, George Papadeas, Senior, 6’8″ 228 lbs.: Ed Ogundeko ’17 (Brooklyn, NY) had an off night and was battling a foot injury all week. That didn’t matter last night because the Greek big man willed the team to victory. Papadeas is a high motor player and a very strong post presence. With Ogundeko banged up, Papadeas will have to play like he did in the second half for a full 40 minutes on Saturday night if the Bantams want to move on to the Sweet 16. As a fan though, it will be very fun to see him battle it out against Smith in the post all night.

F, Shay Ajayi, Junior, 6’6″ 203 lbs. Ajayi will cause issues for Salisbury simply because of his height. Smith is Salisbury’s sole talented big man and he will be occupied with Papadeas and Ogundeko all night so Ajayi will be able to get open and get to the basket if he so desires. Along with Ajayi, Conaway should play a pivotal role in this game as he is also a 6’6″ swingman and will be a problem for whichever Sea Gull he guards.

Salisbury

C, Wyatt Smith, Junior, 6’5″ 215 lbs. Smith’s back has to be hurting from carrying Salisbury on Friday, and if I were a betting man, I would lay the house on Salisbury feeding the Washington, DC native his share of the ball again on Saturday. Smith will no doubt be a force in the paint, but he will meet a more formidable pair of opponents in Papadeas and Ogundeko. Smith has very soft hands and great touch for a big man so he has a repertoire of moves to bring out against the Bantams.

G, Gordon Jeter, Sophmore, 6’5″ 175 lbs. Jeter needs to have a big game to help Smith out in leading the Sea Gulls on offense. The sophomore from Maryland’s Eastern Shore will cause issues for Trinity as he is a 6’5″ guard who can shoot the ball and drive the lane to create fouls. Jeter is averaging 8.2 points a game but will need to put up a lot more than that to see Salisbury get to the Sweet 16.

Prediction

This game has only two distinct scenarios that I possibly see happening. Salisbury beat a Eastern Connecticut team that struggled mightily and had its flaws, but it did so thanks to two players. Wyatt Smith is a beast; that is not up for discussion. He will score a lot of points on Saturday night. But will anyone else for the Sea Gulls? I feel like Trinity will come out firing on all cylinders now that they have that first win under their belt in front of their home crowd. Home court definitely played into their win on Friday as the team helped get the place going in the second half. If Trinity struggles to get things going on offense however, and allows Salisbury to stay in the game, anything can happen. That being said, I just don’t see how a Salisbury team with only two players averaging double figures can outperform a Bantams team that has so many scoring options. All things considered…

Trinity 68 – Salisbury 57                  

NCAA First Round Preview: Trinity vs. Colby-Sawyer

Game Information: Trinity College (20-6) vs. Colby-Sawyer (19-6)

Friday, March 6, 7:30 PM

Oosting’s Gymnasium at Trinity College

Live Stats  Video

The Bantams are excited to be playing on their home court for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. (Courtesy of Bantam Sports)
The Bantams are excited to be playing on their home court for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. (Courtesy of Bantam Sports)

We’re finally here folks. The most exciting time of the college basketball season is upon us. Even though there are still three-plus feet of snow on the ground in most of New England and green grass is nowhere to be seen, at least it’s finally time for some March Madness in the D-III world. For a Trinity team that hasn’t been to the dance since 2008, these are exciting times as they prepare to take on Colby-Sawyer who hasn’t tasted the post-season since 2002-03.

The last time these two teams met was also the first and only time these teams have met with Trinity beating the Chargers convincingly, 75-47 back in the 2001-02 NCAA Tournament. Coming into Friday’s match up, Trinity will be looking to bounce back after being eliminated from the NESCAC Tournament by eventual champions Wesleyan while Colby-Sawyer is riding a three-game winning streak after knocking off Castleton State and Husson to win the North Atlantic Conference Tournament. The winner of this game will move on to play the winner of Eastern Connecticut State and Salisbury the following day.

How Did They Get Here?

Trinity: At-Large Bid out of the NESCAC
Last Game: 55-52 Loss against Wesleyan

Defense, defense, defense. At least that’s what Coach James Cosgrove has been preaching to his team all year long, and it has shown. The Bantams led the NESCAC this season in points allowed, shutting down teams to the tune of 63.1 PPG. They also ranked second in the NESCAC in rebounding margin (+7.8) and tied for first in the league in field goal percentage defense, limiting teams to a measly 38.3 percent from the field. Ed Ogundeko ’17 (Brooklyn, NY) leads Trinity in rebounding, pulling down 8.1 boards per game, followed by Shay Ajayi ’16 (Brooklyn, NY) at 6.3 rebounds per game.

Offensively, the Bants are led by point guard Jaquann Starks ’16 (Hartford, CT). The junior is averaging a team high 13.5 PPG. Starks was recently named to the All-NESCAC First Team and has been the cog that keeps the Bantam’s offense moving this season. Before the team’s loss to Wesleyan where Starks struggled, scoring only 11 points on a 3-12 shooting performance, he averaged almost 17 points during the team’s six straight wins. Aside from Starks, Trinity’s scoring is spread out. Three or more players have scored double digit points 20 times this season. Both Ogundeko and Ajayi average just about 10 PPG (9.8 and 9.7 PPG, respectively), George Papadeas ’15 (Athens, Greece) is putting up 7.8 PPG, Alex Conaway ’16 (New Haven, CT) is averaging 6.8 PPG, and three more Bantams are averaging over five PPG. As a team, Trinity is averaging 70.0 PPG, good for seventh in the NESCAC, and led the conference in free throw attempts, something that will play a major factor in their success this postseason.

Trinity had won seven straight games before falling to Wesleyan in the conference tourney, an impressive end to the NESCAC regular season, good enough to win the regular season title. The Hartford Courant caught up with Coach Cosgrove upon hearing of their at-large selection and he had this to say: “We have to clean up some things. We hadn’t been playing great but had been winning. Sometimes you lose perspective of what got you there. Now you get back to watching film, looking at some blemishes, and working on details. … I think it’s fitting that the last game for members of this senior class will be an NCAA Tournament game.”

Colby-Sawyer: Automatic Bid (NAC Conference Champion)
Last Game: 86-73 Win against Husson

Offense. Scoring. Points. Anyway you put it, Colby-Sawyer has been somewhat of an offensive juggernaut this season averaging 79.4 PPG, one of the highest averages in the entire nation. They are led by the attack combo of center Peter Donato ’16 (Portland, ME) and guard Wol Majong ’16 (Manchester, NH). Donato collected both NAC Player of the Year as well as NAC Defensive Player of the year. The undersized big man (more on that below) puts up 14.7 PPG while bringing down 6.8 boards per contest and is flanked by Majong who is second on the team in scoring with 14.2 PPG. The Chargers as a team shoot pretty well from the field, shooting 44.5 percent, and hit about one out of every three three pointers they put up. Aside from Donato and Majong, Colby-Sawyer relies on 6’4” forward Mike Dias ’15 (Carver, MA) who averages 12.2 PPG, guard Zach Bean’15 (Scarborough, ME) averaging 10.2 PPG, and guard Koang Thok ’15 (Portland, ME) averaging 9.2 PPG.

Defensively the Chargers allow 66.4 PPG, good for second in the NAC behind Castelton. It’s tough to gauge Colby-Sawyer’s defense other than what their stats provide. The NAC only had four out of 10 teams finish better than .500 on the season so the Chargers defensive stats could be a bit misleading. Donato leads the team in rebounding, pulling down 6.8 boards per game followed by forward Jake Maynard ’15 (Shelburne, VT) who averages 5.7 rebounds per game.

The Chargers will enter the tourney riding a three-game winning streak as well as having won eight of their last nine due largely in part to their offense. They won the NAC title for the first time since joining the conference in 2011-12 and are looking to continue their winning streak into Saturday.

Trinity X-Factors

G Jaquann Starks ’16, 5’9″ 160 lbs. The Bantams floor general has come up huge for the Bantams this year more often than not but had a bit of an off game last time out against Wesleyan (11 points on 3-12 from the field). Trinity will need him to be firing on all cylinders if they are going to keep up with the Chargers offense.

C Ed Ogundeko ’17, 6’6″ 225 lbs. Note the height listing here. Ogundeko is a relatively undersized center but boy does he get his. He’s Trinity’s go-to-guy in the paint averaging nearly a double-double and will undoubtedly look to go to work against a small Colby-Sawyer team. He only had two points against Wesleyan but expect the big man from Brooklyn to bounce back for tourney time. More than anything Ogundeko is a force on the boards. In 10 conference games against strong competition, Ogundeko averaged 20.3 MPG but hauled down 9.5 boards per contest.

Ed Ogundeko '17 is among the best when it comes to cleaning up the glass. (Courtesy of Bantam Sports)
Ed Ogundeko ’17 is among the best when it comes to cleaning up the glass. (Courtesy of Bantam Sports)

F Shay Ajayi ’16, 6’6″ 203 lbs. Ajayi is Trinity’s second leading scorer but something tells me his impact in this game is going to be because of his height and length. The 6’6″ forward can stretch the floor on offense and is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. With Colby-Sawyer playing a guard-heavy lineup, most of which are no taller than 6’2″, whoever guards Ajayi is going to have their hands full.

F Alex Conaway ’15, 6’6 210 lbs. Another matchup problem for Colby-Sawyer comes in the form of Conaway who is a defensive workhorse and able scorer for the Bants. Conaway averages 6.8 PPG and contributes on the glass as well. Look for him to be an X-Factor in this game on defense.

Colby-Sawyer X-Factors

C Peter Donato ’16, 6’5″ 180 lbs. Colby-Sawyer’s go-to-guy. Donato was named NAC Player of the Year as well as Defensive POY and leads the Chargers in scoring (14.7 PPG). Donato is a hybrid center who causes all sorts of issues for opposing teams. He’s a freak athlete with an enormous wingspan which means he plays a lot bigger than his 6’5″ height may imply. He can be neutralized if sent to the line (54.9 percent FT), but can be dominant down low.

G Wol Majong ’16, 6’2″ 170 lbs. Majong is the Kobe to Donato’s Shaq (as far as Colby-Sawyer’s team is concerned). If he gets open, Trinity beware because he can shoot (.409 3-PT%, .860 FT%, 14.2 PPG). The Second Team All-NAC guard went off in the conference tourney putting up 27 against Castleton and 22 against Husson.

F Mike Dias ’15, 6’4″ 220 lbs. Dias is averaging 12.2 PPG, good for third most on the team, however this stat is extremely misleading. The Charger’s senior surpassed the 1,000 point total last season as a junior. He’s led the Chargers in scoring the two seasons before this one (16.3 PPG his sophomore year, 14.2 PPG last year) but for some reason has been wildly inconsistent this season. However he is getting hot at the right time dropping 18, 17 and 20 points in his last three games, as well as helping Donato on the boards averaging 5.2 RPG.

G Koang Thok ’15, 6’3″ 180 lbs. Thok is on this list because he’s a bit of an enigma. He averages 9.2 PPG this year but similar to Dias, has the potential to go off. He’s coming into this game off of 22- and 15-point scoring games respectively but he’s not a great shooter, especially for a guard (.263 3-PT%, .366 FG%). He is, however, a pest for other teams defensively as he plays a lot bigger than his 6’3″ height may suggest.

Three Storylines to Watch

1. Which Trinity team will come to play?

Will it be the gritty Bantams defensive squad that puts up around 55-60 points and still wins by eight-plus or will it be the huck and chuck Bants team that plays like they did against Middlebury towards the end of the regular season and puts up 90+ points but gives up 85? If the Bantams want to win this one, something tells me it’s going to have to be the tough defensive team that shows up. As mentioned, Colby-Sawyer puts up just about 80 points a game so the Bantams will be in trouble if this game turns into a barn burner. But it certainly is not going to be easy to do. Trinity will look to slow the game down when possible while Colby-Sawyer is going to look to run and utilize a very athletic starting five. But something tells me that Trinity will dictate the pace of this game, though whatever pace that may be is yet to be determined.

2. A Matchup Nerd’s Heaven

This games biggest subplot is how these two teams matchup and there are a couple different angles one could take on this. Let me lay them out for you:

–Trinity’s guards vs Colby-Sawyer’s guards: Starks is Trinity’s biggest offensive threat as far as scoring is concerned and is a lot to handle no matter whom he’s playing. He can shoot, drive and pass and is generally fearless. However on the other side of the ball, Majong is the exact same thing for the Chargers. He can shoot the lights out of the gym, get to the basket and is a strong player physically. The Bantams will need contributions from Hart Gliedman ’15 (New York, NY) and Chris Turnbull ’17 (Ridgewood, NJ), who are capable of getting hot from the three-point line, in order to keep up with the Chargers backcourt and the Chargers will need Thok to compliment Majong and take some of the scoring pressure off of the bigs. Speaking of which…

–Trinity’s two-headed monster vs. Colby-Sawyer’s two-headed monster: Ogundeko and Papadeas vs. Donato and Dias, WWE style, 10 rounds. Wait that’s not it … Trinity is capable of putting out a variety of lineups and I’m sure Coach Cosgrove has something up his sleeve with this one. Generally speaking, Ogundeko and Papadeas are rarely on the floor at the same time as they are both the same type of player. Both are very polished down low with great rebounding ability. Ogundeko plays a lot bigger than his height and Papadeas is tenacious in everything he does. On the other side, Donato is a Center who can run and pass like a guard and uses his quickness to get other team’s bigs into foul trouble early and often. Dias is a strong, prototypical post player who plays with his back to the basket, has a nice jumper from 15 feet in and is a menace on the boards as well. There’s only so much room in the paint on a basketball court and with these four bigs set to battle it out, make sure to put the kids to bed early on game day.

Can Wol Majong '16 and Co. topple the Bantams on Trinity's home turf? (Courtesy of Colby-Sawyer Athletics)
Can Wol Majong ’16 and Co. topple the Bantams on Trinity’s home turf? (Courtesy of Colby-Sawyer Athletics)

–Everybody else: This is where there is a bit of a gap between the two teams and very well could be the deciding factor on Friday. Trinity has seven players capable of scoring double digits on any given night. Colby-Sawyer is somewhat thin after you get past their first six with no one averaging more than 3.9 PPG. This means that the Chargers live and die by their starters, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you have starters as capable as they do, but they won’t be playing the entire game so when they’re out, the scoring is going to have to come from someone else. Look for guys like Conaway, Ajayi, Gliedman and Rick Naylor ’16 (Sudbury, VT) to take advantage of a weak Charger’s bench.

3. Home Court Advantage

I’m glad we were able to get Trinity Days out of the way. With the school administration sending out an email blast about the big weekend and Trinity not having ever hosted an NCAA Tournament, campus is buzzing and Oosting’s Gymnasium should be packed this weekend. I do think this will play a factor on Friday. The Bantams are looking to rebound after a tough loss against Wesleyan on their own court last weekend and Coach Cosgrove will certainly have his squad ready to go. Not to take away from Colby-Sawyer’s great season, but they have not been challenged too often, especially not on the road. That will certainly change on Friday at 7:30 in Hartford when they face a Trinity team that has been receiving Top-25 votes consistently to end the regular season and is currently ranked second in all of New England.

Prediction

This is tough. I have been going back and forth on this game every couple of hours and it’s twice as tough because I have to be as objective as possible, and for those who know me, it’s nearly impossible for me to be objective when it comes to my teams. That being said, I truly think these two teams matchup extremely well. Donato and Dias down low are a force and Majong balances out the attack on the perimeter. However, Trinity has four regular players who are 6’6″ or taller and I think that is going to cause Colby-Sawyer some issues outside of Donato and Dias. I see Ajayi guarding Donato since they both match up from an athleticism stand point even though Ajayi isn’t a center. I see Ogundeko and Dias going back and forth all game with Papadeas coming in and holding it down as well. I see Conaway having his way with whoever guards him, as he’s just too athletic and big for any of the Chargers’ smaller players who will most likely be on him. I see Turnbull, Gliedman and Naylor dropping three’s early and often. I have a gut feeling that Starks, in front of a crowd in the city he grew up in, goes off. That being said, Trinity will be in trouble if they get down early because Colby-Sawyer is too good offensively for teams to come back from big deficits. All things considered…

Trinity 76 – Colby-Sawyer 71

NESCAC All-Tournament Team

In case you hadn’t heard, March Madness has already begun. If you missed any of this past week’s NESCAC Tournament you missed some incredibly dramatic basketball games. You almost couldn’t script it any better. Wesleyan, a team that squeaked into the playoffs in the final weekend, sixth seed in a field of eight, had to travel to in-state rival Trinity and play on hostile territory. Not only did they defeat the host Bantams and cause a rare road team court storming, but they then shocked the NESCAC world for the second day in a row and knocked off the thrice-defending NESCAC Champion Amherst Lord Jeffs for the program’s first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Amidst all of this, there were some impressive individual performances, and not just from the eventual champions. Two Bowdoin players made our squad, even though the Polar Bears got bounced emphatically in the Semifinals. There weren’t too many big men that put up great stat lines during the Tournament, contributing to the decision to put the Bowdoin big man on the team. As for Wesleyan, it really was a team effort from the Cardinals, but one player made it onto our All-Tournament team. Read on to see who joined him.

First Team All-Tournament

Jayde Dawson-Gordon (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
Jayde Dawson-Gordon (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

PG Jayde Dawson ’18

Now that’s the player that we thought Dawson was going to be when he transferred from Division-I Fairleigh-Dickinson. Dawson has often made these pages for his disappointing play this season, but there is nothing negative to say about the transfer guard today. Dawson played a limited role in the Jeffs’ Quarterfinal matchup with Tufts, but exploded in the Semis and Finals for 35 points, seven assists and five boards. He showed off his athleticism on defense by disrupting passing lines and getting out in transition. We’ll find out later today if Amherst will be in the NCAA Tournament field. If they are, expect Dawson to take on a larger role, even if he continues to come off of the bench.

Jack Mackey '16 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Jack Mackey ’16 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Guard Jack Mackey ’16

Mackey’s numbers weren’t the prettiest over the course of the whole tournament, especially a 2-10 performance in the Semis, but Mackey was clutch for the Cards, and provided the highlight of the Tournament when he chucked a bounce pass through Malcolm Delpeche’s ’17 legs to Joseph Kuo ’17 for a monster slam dunk. Mackey also banged home a big-time three to open the scoring in overtime against Amherst. As we know, Mackey, BJ Davis ’16 and Harry Rafferty ’17 are all capable of handling the basketball, but from watching the Cards this weekend it just feels like Mackey is the emotional leader among the group, and he earns this nomination in part for that intangible factor.

Lucas Hausman '16 (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
Lucas Hausman ’16 (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

Guard Lucas Hausman ’16

This was about as easy of a choice as exists in this business. On Twitter, we praised Johnny McCarthy ’18 for handling Hausman well at halftime in the teams’ Semifinal game. Hausman ended up with 21 points on 8-16 shooting, this after he torched Williams for 37 on 11-20 shooting in the Quarters. Hausman is really good. He won three-straight Player of the Week awards this season, the first time that has happened in NESCAC history. And he’s on the shortlist (a very, very short list), for NESCAC Player of the Year.

 

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

Forward Shay Ajayi ’16

Ajayi had an all-around solid tournament. He drew some favorable matchups and took advantage. Against Colby, a team known for its lack of height, Ajayi posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards. The junior then tallied another 10 points and added six boards against eventual champion Wesleyan. Trinity will likely be playing some more basketball in March, so look for Ajayi to build on his performance in the NESCAC Tournament.

 

John Swords '15 (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
John Swords ’15 (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

Center John Swords ’15

As always, Swords’ impact doesn’t translate completely to the box score. When Swords is in the paint there are no easy shots for the opposition. That being said, Swords’ numbers were pretty good over the course of Bowdoin’s two games. Swords tallied 37 points on 17-25 shooting (10-10 in the Quarterfinals), 20 boards and six blocks. The only knock on Swords this weekend is that opposing big men, namely Ryan Kilcullen ’15 and David George ’17, actually had pretty solid offensive games. Nonetheless, Swords was the most valuable center in the NESCAC all season.

Honorable Mentions: 

Guard Connor Green ’15, Forward Sam Willson ’16, Guard Hayden Rooke Ley’15, Center Joseph Kuo ’17 and Guard Hart Gliedman ’15

Think we missed somebody? Let us know. And good luck to all of the Pool C bubble teams today as the NCAA Tournament field is decided.

#1 Trinity vs. #6 Wesleyan – NESCAC Semifinal Preview

The Wesleyan defense stepped up big in the Cards Quarterfinal win against Bates. (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)
The Wesleyan defense stepped up big in the Cards Quarterfinal win against Bates. (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

This Connecticut rivalry, dubbed by some “The Battle of 91”, referring to the main highway that connects Middletown to Hartford, pits two teams that seemingly have overachieved and that have vastly different strengths against one another for the 190th time in history. Firstly, the Bantams host their first NESCAC Finals weekend since 2002, and will be looking to lean on their deep front court and hometown hero Jaquann Starks ’16 to bring just the second NESCAC Championship of the modern era (i.e. dating back to the inauguration of the NESCAC Tournament in 2000-2001) to Hartford. On the flip side, Wesleyan’s three-headed backcourt monster will look to outshoot the Bantams and move on to its first Finals in school history.

Anyone who knows anything about NESCAC basketball knows that defense is the calling card of the Trinity Bantams. This season to date, Trinity ranks first in the NESCAC in points per game allowed, first in offensive rebounds allowed, second in rebounding margin and second in field goal percentage defense. Ed Ogundeko ’17 in particular has developed into a beast on the defensive end, averaging 8.3 rebounds per game (sixth in the NESCAC) and 1.4 blocks per game (tied-fifth in the NESCAC), despite playing just 19.8 minutes per game due to the depth of big men that Trinity possesses. Tri-captain George Papadeas ’15 is one of the biggest bodies in the NESCAC and a strong defender himself, but Ogundeko has been so good this season that Papadeas has seen his minutes diminish as Ogundeko’s have grown. The other two members of the Bantams’ frontcourt, Shay Ajayi ’16 and Alex Conaway ’15, are no slouches, either. Ajayi turned in a double-double with 12 and 11 in the squad’s Quarterfinal win against Colby, and Conaway has been a consistent player all season long. The suffocating defense doesn’t stop once you get outside the paint, though. Tri-captain Hart Gliedman ’15, who dealt with a minor foot injury earlier this year but is now at 100 percent, might be the toughest perimeter defender in the NESCAC, bringing the quickness to guard point men and the size/strength combo needed to guard twos and smaller threes, as well as a wealth of experience. Gliedman spent a year at Div-I Liberty University in Virginia before transferring to Trinity, where he has made his mark as a leader on and off the court.

Captain Hart Gliedman '15 has a reputation for taking away an opponent's best scorer. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Captain Hart Gliedman ’15 has a reputation for taking away an opponent’s best scorer. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

As for the Cardinals, all year long they have lived and died by the three-pointer, taking 21.7 treys per game, a number surpassed in the NESCAC this season only by Williams and Amherst. In their eight losses Wesleyan has shot an abysmal 29.2 percent (57-195) from deep, though they’ve managed a 38.1 percent mark on the season. The point guard trio of BJ Davis ’16, Jack Mackey ’16 and Harry Rafferty ’17 run the show for Wesleyan, but forward Joe Edmonds ’17 is the team’s best three-point shooter, and the sophomore blew up for 22 points in the Cards Quarterfinal win over Bates, the second time in three games that Edmonds had eclipsed 20 points, something that he hadn’t done before this season. The biggest concern for Wesleyan is its depth. Beyond the top six in the rotation, Tim Gallivan ’15 averages 10.9 minutes per game and Chris Tugman ’15 averages 10.4 minutes per game. Beyond that, no one hits double digits in that regard, and in Wesleyan’s Quarterfinal game Joseph Kuo ’17 was the starter with the least amount of minutes played with 29. What’s the point here? That Head Coach Joe Reilly apparently doesn’t have much trust in his bench beyond Rashid Epps ’16, who has started 18 games this year but has recently come off of the bench, often in favor of Edmonds. Rafferty praised some of the role players after Wesleyan’s win over Bates. “Jordan Sears [’18] was unbelievable in the minutes he gave us, just wearing out [Bates point guard] Graham [Safford ’15]….I thought one of the other biggest difference makers was Chris Tugman. It was just such a dogfight on the boards, such a physical game, and when he came in as a big body with some huge rebounds, it was perfect energy off the bench. He completely changed the flow of the game.” Certainly, players like Sears and Tugman will have to make an impact yet again if Wesleyan is to knock off the top seed and clinch a NESCAC Championship, because it is probably too much to ask for all five starters to go beyond 30 minutes on back-to-back days.

Last time they played:

It was not long ago that these teams went head-to-head on Wesleyan’s home court in a game that the Bantams edged out 65-61 on Friday, February 6. Rick Naylor ’17 was in the midst of some of the best shooting of his life at that time, and torched the Cards for 17 points on 5-6 shooting from beyond the arch. It was an ugly shooting day for the Cardinals. Davis, in particular, struggled with a 2-10 showing from the field, but he was able to get to the line and sink 7-8 free throws on his way to 12 hard-earned points. Mackey kept Wesleyan in the game with four three pointers, but Edmons was a total non-factor. Kuo had some success inside amongst the trees, posting a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards.

The game was tight throughout with nine lead changes, eight of which came in the second half. Wesleyan was within one in the game’s final minute, but two three-point attempts clanged off of iron and the Bantams headed home with the four-point win.

Harry Rafferty '17 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Harry Rafferty ’17 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Jack Mackey '16 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Jack Mackey ’16 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Wesleyan X-Factors: Guards Harry Rafferty ’17 and Jack Mackey ’16

Gliedman is going to make Saturday Hellish for one of these two talented guards, leaving the other one with a potential quickness advantage over his defender. Trinity often has three big men on the floor, but something has to give because Wesleyan usually has three point guard-like players on the court at once. There’s no way Ajayi, despite his athleticism, can stop Mackey or Rafferty on the perimeter. This could mean more minutes for Naylor, Andrew Hurd ’16 and Chris Turnbull ’17. Will they be up to the challenge of stopping passes like this from Mackey (we had to get this in here somewhere)?

Andrew Hurd '16
Andrew Hurd ’16

Trinity X-Factor: Point Guard Andrew Hurd ’16

I get the feeling that the opposing strengths of these two teams leans in favor of Wesleyan, and for that reason it will be crucial for Hurd to step up and play big for the Bantams. Starks gets a lot of credit for leading the Bantams offense, but Hurd is actually the team’s top assist man with 3.0 per game. He will often replace Starks on the court, but when they are on the floor together Hurd does most of the initiating of the offense, and they figure to be active together for a lot of this game in order to matchup with Wesleyan’s guards. Hurd will have to play solid basketball on both ends of the floor for the Bants to hold off the visiting Cardinals.

Three Questions:

1. Is Joseph Kuo ’17 ready for a bruising?

Ogundeko and Papadeas are two of the strongest big men in the NESCAC, and maybe in all of D-III. Ogundeko has really evolved as player since NESCAC play started. Kuo is the only real big man that Wesleyan rolls out on a regular basis. Expect Tugman and Gallivan to get some extra minutes in order to give Kuo a breather, but the sophomore is going to have to play big to keep Wesleyan in this one.

2. Which game does Trinity decide to play?

The one where they score in the 80s and 90s and just outshoot their opponents, or the one like the 71-69 win over Williams where the teams shot a combined 37.1 percent from the field, 25 percent from deep and 54.8 percent from the stripe?

The beauty for the Bantams is that they know they can win both ways, but I don’t think they want to get into a shootout. As a rule, Trinity likes low-scoring games.

As Starks put it in an interview with contributor Carson Kenney, “As usual we have been focusing on defense. We know that Wesleyan is a good shooting team. So our game plan is simply make them take tough, contested shots and don’t give them anything free and easy. If we take away their three point shooters I feel it will be tough for them to beat us. If we don’t do that then we will have a tough time beating them.”

3. What the heck are Trinity Days?

Well since we fancy ourselves journalists we went ahead and found out. Trinity students get two days off each semester around a weekend (how the College decides those days is beyond me) and it just so happened that Thursday and Friday of this week were off for all students. So, a lot of students are home for a long weekend. How many will come back early to cheer on their Bants is an important question. A lot of alums should still make Oosting pretty full, but there’s nothing better than a student section at a college basketball game.

What to Expect

Expect the game that the Bantams want to play; slow, tough and physical. Wesleyan is going to be hard-pressed to get any points in the paint, which will mean a lot of three-pointers and long jumpers, but Trinity won’t allow for many offensive rebounds. The Bantams will then look to chuck the ball into the paint and let the big men work.

The matchup will really come down to how well Wesleyan shoots the ball, and Wesleyan Head Coach Joe Reilly agrees. “[The reality of the NESCAC tournament is it’s going to be a team that shoots the ball well from the perimeter,” Reilly said. My mind is saying Trinity will win this one. They’ve beaten Wesleyan before, they’ve been the best team all year and they’re at home. But they’ve also won a lot of close games and barely squeaked by #8 Colby in the Quarterfinals. They haven’t been a dominant top seed, and with the Cards flying high I think they have a good shot at the upset. Damn the mind, my heart is going with Wesleyan. And isn’t heart what the playoffs are all about?

Prediction: Wesleyan 75 – Trinity 70

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.

NESCAC Quarterfinal Preview: #8 Colby at #1 Trinity

In a normal NESCAC basketball season, the one seed versus the eight seed would be a guaranteed blowout for the top team, and I would have written this preview in fifteen minutes with Twitter open on three different Apple devices to see if the Celtics had traded for Goran Dragic. But 2014-2015 has been anything but normal for NESCAC basketball, and therefore even this weekend’s Trinity versus Colby matchup has upset potential.

Last time they played – 88-79 Trinity:

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

Much like Trinity’s final performance against Middlebury, the game was uncharacteristically high scoring for a team that had struggled to score early in the season. After a back and forth start, the Bantams used a 19-5 run, highlighted by 11 points from Jaquann Starks ’16, to take an 11-point lead into the half. The lead reached a height of 23 points in the second half at 66-43, and, while Colby did claw their way back down to single digits, the game was simply not close. Starks ended the game with 25 points and five assists, while Shay Ajayi ’16 and Ed Ogundeko ’17 added 12 points and five rebounds and 13 and five, respectively. For Colby, Ryan Jann ’16 led all scorers with 27 points, while Luke Westman ’16 finished with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Trinity X-factor: Offense/Intensity

The regular season meeting against Colby, while it was certainly an impressive win for the Bantams, also brings up some issues that further manifested themselves against Middlebury, and could be a problem in the tournament. After seemingly putting the game out of reach against both Colby and Middlebury, the vaunted Trinity defense took a snooze, allowing huge second half point totals and letting the opponent back into the game. The same sort of streakiness can be seen in their offensive performance. In their early season struggles, Trinity struggled mightily offensively, often scoring under 60 points and relying on stifling defense to get by. They have recently been putting up high point totals, but sometimes turning off the jets for periods of time. Starks’ game is symbolic of these sometimes-lackadaisical tendencies. He has a penchant for disappearing for long stretches and then reappearing in a blaze of glory, like a comet, or the McRib. However, if he doesn’t return, like he didn’t in the second half against Middlebury, then Trinity’s offense can become stagnant, especially against a team with solid interior defense. Trinity may be able to get by in this game with streakiness, but at later levels of the tournament they’ll have to get more consistent, and Colby will certainly be on the watch for lazy streaks to attack on Saturday.

Colby X-factor: Ryan Jann

Ryan Jann '16 has become one of the NESCAC's most explosive scorers with multiple big games in the absence of Chris Hudnut '16. (Courtesy of Dean Denis Photography/Colby Athletics)
Ryan Jann ’16 has become one of the NESCAC’s most explosive scorers with multiple big games in the absence of Chris Hudnut ’16. (Courtesy of Dean Denis Photography/Colby Athletics)

Jann was having a solid junior season before the injury to Colby’s POY candidate Chris Hudnut ’16, but since Hudnut went down, Jann has raised his game. In addition to the 27 he poured in against Trinity, Jann had 26 in the Mules’ big win over Middlebury, and 26 against Tufts as well. The Mules’ offense has changed since Hudnut’s injury, with a lot more room for perimeter players like Jann to drive and cut through the line, which has also provided Jann with chances for open jumpers when other players drive and kick. For Colby to have any hope in this game, Jann will need to continue this strong play and then some.

Three Questions

1. Will Trinity sleep on Colby?

Trinity could almost not be faulted for looking past the eight seed to either Tufts (their only league loss) or Amherst (the most talented team in the league on paper.) However, given the volatile nature of this iteration of NESCAC, any team can beat any other team on a given day, and it is vital for both teams that they keep that in mind.

2. Can Colby get interior stops?

While Colby and Middlebury both solved Trinity’s defense in the second halves of their respective matchups with Trinity, they were stuck trading baskets for a while, as neither team could keep Trinity’s forwards out of the paint. If Colby can handle the three-headed forward creature of Ajayi, Ogundeko and George Papadeas ’15, then they will be much more equipped to take advantage of Trinity’s streakiness on the perimeter.

3. Are Trinity’s high scores legit?

Trinity’s offense in league play has been putting up huge numbers, with 88 against Colby and 90 against Middlebury, as two examples. However, my cousin’s Catholic elementary school team could put up 80 against Middlebury these days, and Colby without Hudnut is certainly lacking in some toughness. It remains to be seen whether Trinity has really changed into an offensive juggernaut.

What to Expect:

Also imperative in Colby’s upset hopes is Westman, he of the absurd 74.2 percent shooting percentage. The point man got some love on Twitter earlier this month.

(Currently, Westman is still just shy of qualifying for the NCAA lead in field goal percentage. Players must average five made field goals per game played.)

Westman has had a fantastic season, and he and Jann coupled with Hudnut would be a formidable big three. But without the man in the middle, Westman will need to continue playing well, and even go beyond his solid 13.3 points per game average, to lessen the load on Jann’s shoulders. Expect solid performances from both of them, but ultimately not transcendent enough to pull the upset.

Prediction: Trinity 84 – Colby 63 

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.