Nick Seretta – Nothing But NESCAC

Love (And Postseason Hope) Is in the Air: Weekend Preview 2/14

Friday

Hamilton (14-8, 2-6) vs. Conn College (4-18, 0-8), 7pm, Clinton, NY

Because of their loss last weekend to Bowdoin, Hamilton must win both their games this weekend in order to even possibly qualify for the postseason tournament; if Bates and/or Bowdoin wins one game, Hamilton will be eliminated regardless of their outcomes. The Continentals wouldn’t have been in this position had they not blown a 23-point lead in the second half of their game against the Polar Bears, but they’ll need to shake that one off and take the Camels seriously in order to move on to Saturday and keep their postseason hopes alive. It’s already been established that Kena Gilmour ‘20 is the heart and soul of this team as he’s the only player averaging double figures, but someone else really has to step up during these last two games as a reliable second scorer. Even if it’s the Gilmour show again, Hamilton can get away with it against Conn, although it won’t be as comfortable of a win as they’d like it to be.

Writer’s Pick: Hamilton 78, Conn 69

Amherst (16-6, 6-2) vs. Trinity (15-7, 5-3), 7pm, Amherst, MA

With both teams having already locked down postseason spots, this game remains crucial for seeding purposes. After last week’s impressive sweep of both Bowdoin and Colby, the Mammoths are just half a game behind the Mules and have an opportunity to leap them for the second seed. Conversely, a slip-up against Trinity would allow the Bantams to surpass them, so it’s safe to say this one will be a hotly-contested matchup. Trinity rebounded from their beatdown against Tufts by absolutely throttling the slumping Bobcats. Nick Seretta ‘20, Colin Donovan ‘21, and the rest of the Bantams’ bench ran the show, pouring in 65 points. It should be a tight and hotly-contested affair early, and while Trinity has had a slew of impressive victories during the course of the season, Amherst currently has the hotter hand and will deliver a huge win in front of their home crowd.

Writer’s Pick: Amherst 77, Trinity 68

#12 Colby (20-2, 7-2) vs. Wesleyan (13-9, 2-6), 7pm, Waterville, ME

The Mules have now lost conference games in consecutive weeks, officially eliminating them from obtaining the number one seed in the postseason tournament. Even in their close win against Hamilton this past Friday, the Mules struggled to put together a complete effort and record a convincing win. Most of their problems have (surprisingly) come on the offensive end in recent games, including their 72-61 win against Bates on Tuesday evening. The Mules shot just 39% from the field, with multiple major contributors struggling (Matt Hanna ‘21, Noah Tyson ‘22 and Alex Dorion ‘20 a combined 5-26 from three). Thankfully for Colby, their defense saved the day with fantastic perimeter defense. At 2-6 in conference play, the Cardinals would need to win out and have some help in order to steal that final seed. Having dropped four consecutive conference games, however, doesn’t instill much confidence in me to believe they can actually achieve this. We don’t know the status of Jefferson, but I expect the Mules to bounce back regardless and shake off those offensive woes.

Writer’s Pick: Colby 88, Wesleyan 75

#10 Middlebury (19-3, 5-3) vs. #18 Tufts (18-4, 8-0), 7pm, Middlebury, VT

Tufts has already secured the title of regular season champions, but this match-up poses real threats to their unblemished conference record. Similarly to the Mules, the Panthers like to spread opponents out; however, they have some more height to combat star big man Luke Rogers ‘21 with the duo of Matt Folger ‘20 and Ryan Cahill ‘21 (still waiting on the return of big man Alex Sobel ‘22). The defense has started to show signs of tightening things up, and the offense drained fourteen triples in their last game against Wesleyan. As for the Jumbos, don’t think that this game is meaningless because they’ve already wrapped up the top seed for the conference tournament. Despite having accomplished that in addition to a victory over the Mules, the Jumbos are slotted eighteen in the national polls, a distant third behind #12 Colby and #10 Middlebury. Tufts will surely feel disrespected and motivated to leave Pepin Gym with a resounding victory. It feels like we’ve been waiting for Tufts to finally drop a game in conference play, and I think we might just see it today as they venture outside the confines of Medford. Rogers and veteran guard Eric Savage ‘20 will surely make this a game, but I think the Panthers put together another well-rounded performance to give the Jumbos their first conference loss.

Writer’s Pick: Middlebury 83, Tufts 76

Williams (11-11, 4-4) vs. Bates (11-11, 3-5) 7pm, Williamstown, MA

Last week’s win against Wesleyan was significant because it locked down a top eight seed for Williams. Where they will finish, however, is anyone’s guess. Currently occupying the sixth seed, the Ephs are one game behind the four seed, and conversely are one and a half games ahead of Bowdoin for the eight spot. They’ve had their ups-and-downs this season, but this game might just come down to how effective our Nothing But NESCAC brethren Matthew Karpowicz ‘20 is. Coach App surely has seen the numbers Luke Rogers put up against the Bobcats and will try to recreate offensive sets for his big man similar to how the Jumbos featured theirs. For the Bobcats, it’s been tough sledding on offense end these past two games, and that’s not a great sign considering the Ephs are second in the NESCAC in points allowed per game. Bates needs just a single win in one of their next two games to automatically qualify for the conference tourney, but with the potential absence of sharp-shooter Kody Greenhalgh ‘20, another poor shooting night could derail those hopes.

Writer’s Pick: Williams 71, Bates 65

Saturday

Amherst (16-6, 6-2) vs. Conn College (4-18, 0-8), 3pm, Amherst, MA

Onto the Saturday slate, where Amherst really should have no problem dealing with a Conn team that seems primed to go winless in conference play for the third consecutive year. The Mammoths seem to have been motivated upon their disappearance from the Top 25 rankings back in mid-January; most notably, they’ve found a real groove on offense, averaging 84.8 ppg over their past five contests. That’s a scary statistic for the rest of the NESCAC given that Amherst also boasts the league’s top defensive unit.

Writer’s Pick: Amherst 83, Conn College 62

Hamilton (14-8, 2-6) vs. Trinity (15-7, 5-3), 3pm, Clinton, NY

Not to overlook the Conn game, but this match-up right here is essentially do-or-die for the Continentals. Under the presumption that Hamilton beats Conn, even if they win against Trinity, they may not make the conference tournament if Bates wins one game or if Bowdoin defeats Wesleyan. However, they surely don’t have a chance if they drop this contest against the Bantams, so they’ll need to rally together on Senior Day because everyone wants to see Gilmour work his magic in the postseason. Unfortunately for the Continentals’ faithful, I just don’t see enough consistency out of this team to merit a victory over a better caliber opponent. Take the over on Gilmour’s points, but the Bantams will grind down the home team and leave New York victorious.

Writer’s Pick: Trinity 77, Hamilton 72

Williams (11-11, 4-4) vs. #18 Tufts (18-4, 8-0), 3pm, Williamstown, MA

Whether they win or lose against Middlebury on Friday, the The Jumbos will be weary from their game against the Panthers as they hit the road again to take on the Ephs. This match-up pits the two best big men in the conference against one another in Rogers and Karpowicz. Karpowicz might have the experience, but Rogers has been more of a force on the glass and has the surrounding shooters to allow for more isolation plays. The Eph defense will keep this one close for a half or so, but give me the Jumbos to conclude their end-of-season road trip with a quality victory.

Writer’s Pick: Tufts 74, Williams 64

#10 Middlebury (19-3, 5-3) vs. Bates (11-11, 3-5), 3pm, Middlebury, VT

On paper this appears as if it could be a bloodbath given the way both teams are trending, but circle this one as a hangover game for the Panthers. I really do think they defeat Tufts on Friday, and if they do, then I fully expect a sluggish start against a Bates team that could very well be playing for their playoff lives on Saturday. That kind of desperation, coupled with a more relaxing vibe on Senior Day after an important home victory the previous night is a recipe for a bit of chaos. Key cogs in the offense such as Stephon Baxter ‘23 and Jeff Spellman ‘20, haven’t shot well recently, but with some added adrenaline it’s very possible the offense starts knocking down shots. I’m not saying Bates will win, but I believe this one will be much closer than most people believe. Middlebury scrapes by with a win, and Bates still makes the tournament with Hamilton’s loss to Trin.

Writer’s Pick: Middlebury 83, Bates 78

Sunday

Bowdoin (8-15, 3-6) vs. Wesleyan (13-9, 2-6), 3pm, Brunswick, ME

Winners of two of their past three, the Polar Bears are currently holding onto the last remaining spot in the conference tournament. They must defeat Wesleyan, however, as a loss would in all likelihood bounce them out. A huge piece of Bowdoin’s run has been star David Reynolds ‘20. The senior poured in 33 points in their remarkable overtime comeback against Hamilton, and can get hot very quickly from just about anywhere on the floor. Wesleyan doesn’t really have a defined, go-to scorer like how Bowdoin has Reynolds, although Antone Walker ‘21 and Jordan James 21 form a nice duo. Still, it’s hard not to believe the Polar Bears will rise up on Senior Day in the most important game of their season, and behind David Reynold’s 25+ points, Bowdoin will finally secure a playoff berth in a thrilling win.

Writer’s Pick: Bowdoin 79, Wesleyan 76

Not Just a Football School: Trinity Men’s Basketball Preview 2019-2020

Trinity College Bantams

2018-19 Record: 17-8 (6-4 NESCAC, lost in NESCAC quarterfinals)

2019-2020 Projected Record: 17-8 (5-5 NESCAC)

Key Losses: F Connor Merinder, F Jared Whitt, G Anthony Kelley

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Christian Porydzy ‘20 (8.3 PPG, 2.6 APG, 35.2% 3PT)

An experienced veteran guard, Porydzy will likely play both point guard and off ball this year. While he has handled the ball more in past years, he is Trinity’s best three point shooting threat in the starting lineup and can knock down the deep ball from NBA range. Despite not being overly tall or athletic, Porydzy can set up teammates for open shots and score in bunches with long range shooting. He finished last season on a high note, with three long balls each against Bates, Tufts, and Williams. Trinity should have more guys who can bring up the ball this year, allowing Porydzy to move without the ball and find himself open looks. If he can create his own shot and continue to knock down the three at a high clip, Trinity’s offense will take a big step forward this season.

G: Colin Donovan ‘21 (5.9 PPG, 34.8% 3PT, 90% FT)

Donovan is another guy Coach Cosgrove hopes will increase his scoring output this season as the Bantams try to take that next step in the NESCAC. He has gradually played more and more as his career has gone on and his experience will help greatly when freshmen come into the lineup. Similar to Porydzy, Donovan can play the point or 2 guard with his shooting ability. They are both strong spot up shooters and could both help their team immensely if they can find other ways to score or set up teammates. Donovan was the Bantams’ top scorer on Saturday in a close loss at UMass Dartmouth, but we hope his two late missed free throws were a fluke as he is normally one of the NESCAC’s best FT shooters. If he can give Trinity a consistent 8-10 points every night this season, their offense will make great strides.

F: Nick Seretta ‘20 (9.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.5 APG)

Not many guys in this conference play harder than Seretta. He can frequently be seen getting in passing lanes, harassing ballhandlers, and getting on the hardwood for loose balls. At 6’3” and 207 lbs, he is the type of tough, athletic wing Coach Cosgrove loves to recruit. Seretta can look like an All-NESCAC player some nights, and the Bantams will need this to happen frequently if they want to make a deep run in this year’s tournament. He had 20 points against Hamilton and 16 points against Conn last season. He is again a workhorse again for Trinity this season, averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds a game. Similar to many of his teammates, however, Seretta will need to shoot more efficiently and pick up the scoring a little bit to take some pressure off the perennially strong defense. Expect him to get a bulk of the minutes this year (he played in every game last season) and be all over the stat sheet while also doing the dirty work on defense.

F: Kyle Padmore ‘20 (9.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.0 APG)

A captain and three year starter, Padmore is going to be a big factor this year in determining how Trinity’s season will go. Similar to Seretta, he is a long and athletic wing defender and will usually be matched up with the opponent’s top scorer in Cosgrove’s intense man to man defense. The same can be said here as for any of the other starters: a small jump in scoring production will go a long way towards the team’s success. Padmore has been one of the team’s top scorers for a few years now, but he needs to improve at the line (54.8% FT last season, 53.8% in 7 games this season) and avoid getting in foul trouble- he has been a constant piece in Coach Cosgrove’s rotation for a few years now. As one of three senior starters, Padmore and his classmates need to be more efficient on the offensive end if Trinity is going to take the next step and be more competitive with the NESCAC’s top teams.

C: Donald Jorden, Jr ‘21 (11.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 61.1% FG)

Jorden will likely draw a lot more attention in the post this season, as teams started to realize last year what he was capable of. At 6’6” and 200 pounds, Jorden used his athleticism and strong footwork to maneuver around defenders and dominate almost every one-on-one matchup under the basket. He is one of the league’s best rebounders and shot-blockers and became the Bantams’ best scoring option last season- he scored in double digits 18 times and started every game. This year, though, it will likely be tougher sledding. Jorden does not have 6’9” Jared Whitt to spell him for minutes, and he will likely be scouted much more seriously by NESCAC opponents whose bigs may be pushing 6’10”. He’s been looking good so far this season, averaging 11.1 RPG and shooting a phenomenal 66.1% from the field. Those are all-NESCAC numbers. If Jorden can continue to dominate the boards and get easy baskets and his teammates score at a higher clip, Trinity will overcome their injuries and make a splash in the conference this season.

Everything Else:

The Bantams have had a decent start to this season, but they have lost a few close games already that may end up coming back to bite them when they are looking for an at-large bid to the tournament late in the season. They have won the games they’re supposed to and their scoring can push triple digits on some nights, but their lack of ability to score in the clutch has hurt them in close games so far this season. We know that any James Cosgrove Trinity team will defend the ball voraciously and constantly be in passing lanes, but each of the starters will need to contribute a few more points per game for this team to compete with the NESCAC’s best. They ended last season on fire in conference play, winning their last four regular season games before losing a competitive battle on the road in the quarterfinals (it seemed almost unfair that they went from out of the playoffs all the way to the 5 seed only to run into Williams).

Being one of many NESCAC teams that have an at-large national tournament bid in their sights, the Bantams would love to go on a similar hot streak at some point this season to separate themselves from the middle of the conference make their case for a bid. Their defense led them to victory against the NESCAC’s weaker offensive teams, but their lack of a consistent top scorer was brutally evident in blowout losses to Amherst and Middlebury. While some of the starters have upped their scoring outputs from last season, Trinity would love to see a guy step up and average 15 a game to take some pressure off the defense. They unfortunately do not return as many of last year’s contributors as we originally thought, as Anthony Kelley ‘22 (buzzer beater to beat Colby last year) is not enrolled at the school this year and 6’9” Jared Whitt ‘22 tore his ACL in the preseason. This means that the non-starters who frequently see minutes in Cosgrove’s rotation- Joe Bell ‘20, Jadakis Brooks ‘20, Steven Lora ‘23 and DJ Smith ‘23- will be important in not only being fresh legs to come in and defend, but also in picking up the scoring.

Despite last season’s losses, this is still a veteran roster that should be excited about its freshman class and the losses its NESCAC foes have suffered. Coach James Cosgrove may be the league’s most intense coach and his players’ defensive energy reflects that attitude every game. While referees may dread games in the Coop due to his frequent disputes over calls, Cosgrove knows how to coach. Trinity has the NESCAC’s second best league record over the last five seasons. This statistic will look a lot better if they can add a deep run in the tournament and gain an at-large bid to the national bracket this winter. To make a bigger dent against the conference’s perennial powerhouses, the Bantams will need to be better at the free throw line and on the offensive end in general.

It’s Almost February?!: Power Rankings 1/30

Power Rankings 1/30

Every week I closely follow the results of all the conference games, hoping that as each weekend passes we’ll be provided with more clarity on where each team falls relative to one another. Unfortunately, I haven’t once come away from a weekend this year feeling like I knew exactly where each team stood and how they would fare in the upcoming games. As a fan, this is exactly how I like it. I really hope the NESCAC is still working on that deal with ESPN 8 “The Ocho” because the entertainment value is off the charts. It’s a fool’s task to try and look through stats and box scores to decide who you think will win a given game because it’s more or less a crapshoot. This conference is a dream come true for a fan of the game, but as someone who has a horse in this race* it makes me but my nails to the nubs on a weekly basis. I guess you could call that fun. Anyways we’re a little over halfway through conference games, and there is still very little set in stone so take a look to see how far everyone has climbed or fallen in the rankings:

*If anyone from the NCAA is reading this I just want it on record that I have never involved myself with any sort of gambling or sports betting and I do not condone or endorse such behavior, this is merely a figure of speech; an idiom, if you will.

(3) 1. #6 Williams (18-2, 5-1)

Last week: W 86-50 vs. Trinity

This week: @ Colby, @ Bowdoin

The Ephs only had one game on the weekend, and they demolished Trinity by a score of 86-50. Four of five starters scored in double figures, with Bobby Casey ’19 contributing 20 points to lead the way. Williams was able to get out to an early lead and the Bantams completely folded, seeing their 24-point halftime deficit turn into a 36-point loss. It seems that the losses to Middlebury and Amherst are in the past because the Ephs are looking an awful lot like the dominant team they were to start the season. Questions still exist moving forward about their depth and what they can get out of their bench, but they really just have so many talented scoring options. Any of their guys can beat you on a given night, so even if one of their best players is off they’ve got another right there to pick up the slack. They lead the NESCAC in shooting percentage at 49.8% and average over 83 points per game, so they’re about as devastating a team as you can find. Matchups with Colby and Bowdoin this weekend should be interesting given that the two teams are trending in opposite directions. Colby surprised us last weekend, so Williams will have to be certain that doesn’t happen again.

(1) 2. Wesleyan (15-5, 5-2)

Last week: W 85-75 @ Bates, L 75-71 @ Tufts

This week: vs. Trinity

The loss to Tufts on Saturday is unfortunate, but I’m not down on the Cardinals just yet. They’ve already got wins over Middlebury, Hamilton, and Amherst, and a somewhat favorable remaining conference schedule. Austin Hutcherson ’21 has absolutely exploded in his second season, as he’s currently tied with Kena Gilmour for the league lead in points per game at 19.9. He does this while shooting over 45% from the floor and over 40% from behind the three-point line. Not all he does is score though; Hutcherson averages nearly 6 rebounds and over 3 assists per game, the latter a team best. Jordan Bonner ’19 and Antone Walker ’21 have also done a nice job in their secondary and tertiary roles, with Bonner chipping in 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and Walker adding 13.6 points per game. The Cardinals could still very well end up with the top seed, but they would need Williams to lose at least twice since they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two. It’s been a crazy year so far, so who knows what’s still in store.

(5) 3. Middlebury (15-5, 4-2)

Last week: W 75-38 vs. Trinity

This week: @ Bowdoin, @ Colby

*Matt Folger has been the man on the court this year, and that mustache tells us he has also been the man off the court*

Much like Williams, the Panthers took care of business in their only game of the weekend at home against Trinity. The Bantams simply couldn’t get anything to fall, and Middlebury remains one of the four 2-loss teams near the top of the standings. Max Bosco ’21 has continued to impress since he entered the starting lineup, and he led the way with 15 points and 5 assists on Saturday. His size isn’t particularly imposing, but Bosco is so quick and has so many different ways to score, obviously making him incredibly difficult to defend. The Panthers have so many guards in their lineup that sometimes they don’t have a ton of size on the court, but Matt Folger ’20 has done an outstanding job alongside big man Eric McCord ’19 to do the bulk of the work. The duo combines for 19.5 rebounds per game, and Folger averages 15.4 points per game as well. Middlebury will also take the trip to Maine to visit Bowdoin and Colby this weekend in a very important couple of matchups. Colby has been red hot and this could end up being a very exciting game, but Bowdoin has been struggling recently and this is a game that the Panthers need to win if they want to stay near the top. Lots of eyes will be on the results from Maine this weekend.

(4) 4. #11 Hamilton (17-2, 3-2)

Last week: W 77-42 vs. Bowdoin, L 86-78 vs. Colby

This week: vs. Bates, vs. Tufts

Things certainly didn’t go the way the Continentals had hoped this weekend after they earned a solid win on Friday, but were stunned by Colby on Saturday on their home court. They were simply outplayed by the Mules in nearly every aspect of the game, so once Colby took the lead late in the first half they never looked back. Kena Gilmour ’20 had a solid 24-point day, but no one else could really get anything going on the offensive end and Hamilton only shot 39.3% as a team. This was an unfortunate loss, but the Continentals are still very early in their NESCAC season since they had their game versus Amherst postponed. They’ve only got 2 losses in conference play and two winnable games in the weekend ahead of them. They finish the season with games against Middlebury, Williams, and Amherst, so if they want to host a first round game in the conference tournament then they’ll have to go 2-0 against Bates and Tufts. It’s hard to envision Hamilton winning more than one or maybe two of their final three games, so this weekend is a big one.

(2) 5. #23 Amherst (15-3, 3-2)

Last week: L 83-73 vs. Colby, W 86-62 vs. Bowdoin

This week: vs. Tufts, vs. Bates

Well Amherst is in literally the exact same position that Hamilton is in. They’re behind in games played so at 3-2 in conference they’ve still got a lot left to play. Their game with the Continentals still doesn’t have a date set, but you can obviously see the importance of that head-to-head matchup. They also have two games this weekend that are essentially must-win to stay in contention for a first round home game. The Mammoths are a pretty balanced squad, but Grant Robinson ’21 and Eric Sellew ’20 have put forward a good effort in leading the way. Robinson is averaging 15 points and 3 assists per game (both team bests), but he ups those numbers to 18 points and 4 assists in conference play. Sellew pitches in 11 points and 8 rebounds per game, bringing some size to the lineup and finding a place among the top forwards in the conference. Amherst is a very well coached team and they are loaded with talent as always, so this weekend shouldn’t be a challenge right? Tufts and Bates are two of the weaker teams in the NESCAC so surely the Mammoths should secure two home wins shouldn’t they? What makes this conference so fun is that we really have no idea what’s going to happen in those two games – NESCAC football could certainly take some notes from this kind of parity.

(10) 6. Colby (15-5, 3-3)

Last week: W 83-73 @ Amherst, W 86-78 @ Hamilton

This week: vs. Williams, vs. Middlebury

*Sam Jefferson has elevated the Mules to another level over the last few games*

Well I’ll be the first to admit that Colby shocked everyone over the weekend, going on the road to beat both Amherst and Hamilton (teams that previously had 3 combined losses between them) in convincing fashion. Neither game was a blowout, but the Mules were in control the whole way in both affairs, led by NESCAC Player of the Week Sam Jefferson ’20. Jefferson tied for the team lead with 24 points against Amherst on Friday, and then torched Hamilton to the tune of 29 points and 8 rebounds, while shooting over 56% on the weekend. This was a jaw-dropping effort from a team that has quickly changed the trajectory of its season. The Mules now sit at 3-3 in the conference with games left against Williams, Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Conn College. A win in at least one of those games likely gets them a spot in the postseason, but two wins secures it without a doubt. What Colby also proved is that they’re capable of winning big games on the road, a quality that will serve them well and terrify opponents come playoff time. They look like the hottest team in the NESCAC right so we’ll have to wait to find out who will be the first to slow down the Mules.

(9) 7. Tufts (10-10, 4-3)

Last week: W 91-87 vs. Conn College, W 75-71 vs. Wesleyan

This week: @ Amherst, @ Hamilton

Tufts is in an interesting position because they appear to be right near Colby and Bates in the middle tier of the conference standings right now, but having 4 wins under their belt puts them at a huge advantage. Usually having 4 wins gets you into the tournament, but they’ve still got a chance to add to their resume with games left against Amherst, Hamilton, and a struggling Trinity team. The Jumbos have already shown us that they’re capable of beating the best teams by knocking off both Middlebury and now Wesleyan. Brennan Morris ’21 led the way over the weekend, putting up team-leading totals of 16 and 20 points against Conn College and Wesleyan, respectively. What makes the effort by the Jumbos all the more impressive is the scoring balance that they’ve displayed. In both games this weekend Tufts had at least three guys in double figures and saw nine different players score at least one basket. This is the way that they’re able to compete with teams on the level of Wesleyan and Middlebury: Tufts doesn’t have one true stud player, but they have a deep rotation of guys that can score and they play good team basketball. A huge road trip lies ahead of them, but each of their opponents fell to Colby last week so truly everyone is vulnerable.

(8) 8. Bates (6-13, 3-4)

Last week: L 85-75 vs. Wesleyan, W 76-59 vs. Conn College

This week: @ Hamilton, @ Amherst

This might be a generous ranking given their 6-13 overall record, but I’m going with the hot hand. The Bobcats looked atrocious in non-conference play, but have looked like an entirely different team in the New Year. In NESCAC play, Bates is actually first in both shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage, first in assists per game, and they turn the ball over less than anyone. Kody Greenhalgh ’20 has come alive in conference play, averaging 12.6 points and a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Tom Coyne ’20 has helped provide another legit scoring threat since returning from injury and Nick Lynch ’19 has put up 3 consecutive 20+ point games while shooting over 60% from the floor. The Bobcats started very slow, but their recent emergence has made them a much scarier opponent to face. They surely aren’t the favorite in either of their games this weekend, but if they could find a way to steal one on the road then they’ll be in a terrific position to lock up a playoff spot. This team is a total wild card right now and I have to say it makes them very fun to watch.

(6) 9. Trinity (13-7, 2-4)

Last week: L 86-50 @ Williams, L 75-38 @ Middlebury

This week: @ Wesleyan, vs. Conn College

*Nick Seretta and the Bantams have some work to do if they want to play postseason basketball*

Trinity and Bowdoin both had horrendous weekends and have nearly identical records, so I’m going with the winner of the head-to-head matchup. In both of their games over the weekend Donald Jorden ’21 was the only Bantam to score in double figures, and he never got higher than 12. Losing by a combined 73 points is about as bad as a weekend could possibly go, and a deeper dive into the numbers doesn’t make things seem any better. Between the two games, Trinity shot 25% from the field and 19% from deep, they were out-rebounded by 17, they turned the ball over 9 more times than opponents, and they even committed 17 more fouls than their opponents. These are abysmal numbers by any standard, but especially not for a team that’s hoping to sneak into the NESCAC Tournament. Having two conference victories definitely keeps them in the conversation for the playoff race, but it’s an uphill battle from here for the Bantams. They’ve got 4 games left and would likely need to win 2 (maybe even 3 depending on tiebreakers) to clinch a playoff spot. They aren’t out of it, but they’ve got their work cut out for them.

(7) 10. Bowdoin (12-7, 2-4)

Last week: L 77-42 @ Hamilton, L 86-62 @ Amherst

This week: vs. Middlebury, vs. Williams

The same thing I said for Trinity applies here for the Polar Bears. They had a truly awful weekend that they’ll look to put behind them, and they’ll have to pull off an upset or two to find their way into the postseason. At this point it really looks as though Bowdoin only has four guys that actually do anything. David Reynolds ’20 and Jack Simonds ’19 score as much as anyone in the league, Zavier Rucker ’21 has a hand in the scoring and does a fine job running the point, and Hugh O’Neil ’19 grabs a ton of rebounds. No one else on the roster has an impact whatsoever on the game, and it’s really hurting the Polar Bears right now. They’ve got a good foundation with some valuable players in solid roles, but they simply need more production from their other guys. As Colby showed us, things can change a lot from week to week so who knows what to expect this weekend. Bowdoin isn’t out of the equation yet, but they do still have quite a bit left to prove.

(11) 11. Conn College (6-14, 0-7)

Last week: L 91-87 @ Tufts, L 76-59 @ Bates

This week: @ Trinity

It really does get challenging sometimes finding new things to say about a team that really hasn’t changed much. The Camels now run their losing streak in conference games up to 18 dating back to the very end of the 2016-2017 season. I’m not quite sure what needs to happen in New London, but things have been very bleak for a while now. David Labossiere ’19 and Dan Draffan ’21 continue to impress, but that’s about all they’ve got. It would be nice if they could be getting more out of the NESCAC’s tallest player, Ryan Omslaer ’22, who stands at 7’0” and weighs in at 215 pounds. You’d think a guy that much taller than everyone else would thrive, but I guess he’s still a work in progress. After all, he is only a freshman. Conn was almost able to steal their first conference win against Tufts on Friday, in an impressive effort fueled by David Labossiere who scored 26 points and hauled in 8 rebounds. At this point in the season their starters must be absolutely gassed because they pretty much only use 7-8 guys per game, and even the few guys that do come off the bench usually only see 10-15 minutes at most. They face Trinity this weekend and if there was ever a team that was struggling enough to lose to Conn this year, it could be the Bantams right now. Hopefully the action heats up on Sunday in Hartford.

Waist deep in NESCAC play: Power Rankings 1/9

Now we’re really in the thick of things. While it is still totally unclear what the pecking order is for the bottom eight teams in the NESCAC, there has been lots learned after the first weekend of games and here is our best guess (yes, a total guess) at where the rest of the teams fall after Williams and Hamilton, because, yes, they are really just that good.

1. #2 Williams (12-0, 2-0)

Last Week: 68-54 W vs. Wesleyan, 95-69 W vs. Conn College

This Week: @ Tufts, @ Bates

The only thing I am surprised by from Williams’ games last weekend is that they didn’t score more points against Wesleyan. They saw uncharacteristically poor performances from their stars Kyle Scadlock and Bobby Casey as the duo shot a combined 6-25 on the night. As we know, shooting at a 24% clip just won’t cut it for the Ephs…if they’re going to win a national championship. They still managed to knock off a good Wesleyan team despite a terrible shooting performance. Having said that, in the future, they might not fare so well on such nights as the Cardinals shot just 27.9% as a team, which is undeniably horrible. Was it the defense or just an off night for Wesleyan? Hard to tell, but the Ephs still came out clean in the opening weekend and will own this spot until a team knocks them down.

2. #5 Hamilton (13-0, 1-0)

Last Week: 72-70 W vs. Trinity

This Week: @ Wesleyan, @ Conn

Hamilton is barely holding on the the #2 spot in these rankings as I do not like their ugly game against Trinity. Trinity, a squad with lots of roster turnover in more of a rebuilding mode, should not have given the highly touted Continentals such a run for their money. This first conference game was incredibly even and came after an off night for Hamilton, giving me even more doubts as there wasn’t a clear reason why they were met by an equal competitor in the Bantams. Trinity got hot in the game and shot well, but that happens from time to time and shouldn’t be a source of failure for a Hamilton team with their eyes on making a deep run in the NCAA tournament. They’re still #5 in the country and undefeated, so that’s worth something, but I’m not sure they’ll be here for the long haul.

3. Amherst (11-1, 1-0)

Last Week: 84-55 W vs. Trinity

This Week: vs. Williams

I like what I’m seeing from this Amherst team. I didn’t have high expectations for them this season but Grant Robinson is doing a great job of leading a young team. Robinson scored 19 in their lone conference game and with him, Fru Che, and Eric Sellew, they have a talented core and are off to a hot start.

4. Wesleyan (11-3, 2-2)

Last Week: 54-68 L @ Williams, 80-77 W @ Middlebury

This Week: @ Conn, @ Wesleyan

I won’t fault Wesleyan for their loss to Williams—it was inevitable and not nearly as ugly as it could’ve been for how poorly the Cardinals played. They are a deep, big, and athletic team, and showed that they are capable of explosive games like in their contest against the Panthers. Austin Hutcherson put up a whopping 36 points on 12-22 shooting while Jordan Bonner posted a double-double to lead his team with ten boards. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Cards knock off Amherst or Hamilton in the near future.

Hutcherson and the Cards are a dangerous group.

5. Middlebury (10-4, 1-1)

Last Week: 92-80 W vs. Conn, 77-80 L vs. Wesleyan

This Week: @ Bates, @ Tufts

I’m genuinely surprised by the Midd loss to Wesleyan. I’m not a very biased writer, but Midd always finds ways to win, especially at home. I’d like to chalk this one up to the student body not being at the game because of winter break, but that isn’t entirely fair to the efforts of the Wesleyan team. Midd got beat on defense and not one player had more than six boards on the night. Max Bosco has been great off the bench so far and bolsters a balanced lineup along with Jack Farrell, and Griffin Kornaker that spreads the ball out well but they just couldn’t quite get it done against Wesleyan and for the first time in a while find themselves outside the top four.

6. Bowdoin (8-4, 1-1)

Last Week: 72-57 W vs. Conn College, 79-87 L vs. Tufts

This Week: @ Trinity

This remains a team that performs below its potential. Jack Simonds, David Reynolds, Hugh O’Neil, and Jack Bors are a force to be reckoned with, however, they lost to a Tufts team that lost in turn to a young Colby Mules team. This is a team that has top four potential but need to be more consistent. In the loss against Tufts, O’Neil and Bors scored just 6 combined points (Bors had 0) and they allowed four Jumbos to score more than 14 points. Defense may be an issue going forward, but they can sure score.

7. Colby (10-3, 1-1)

Last Week: 103-93 W vs. Tufts, 71-81 L vs. Bates

This Week: @ Trinity

It was a pretty bizarre opening weekend for the Mules, taking down a perennial power in Tufts and losing to one of the worst teams in the league in Bates. They had already beaten Bates and an inter-Maine game will never be a rollover contest, but seriously? Bates? If the Mules are really here to challenge top teams, they need to have a consistent approach to games and score more near the rim. They really lived and died by the three last weekend and it came back to bite them. Having said that, when they are hot, they are hot, so they could represent a trap game for many top teams.

8. Tufts (6-8 1-1)

Last Week: 93-103 L @ Colby, 87-79 W @ Bowdoin

This Week: vs. Williams, vs. Midd

Like many teams, it was a mixed opening weekend for the Jumbos who find themselves below a team that they beat. They have a poor non-conference record which isn’t helping their ranking and a team that is not particularly deep. They will be out-talented by the top teams despite some scoring ability from all of their starters. Luke Rogers hauled in 16 boards against Bowdoin, but other than him, they really lack a rebounding presence at all and if he can get well-guarded, the Jumbos might be seriously deficient on defense.

9. Trinity (9-5, 0-2)

Last Week: 55-84 L @ Amherst, 70-72 L @ Hamilton

This Week: vs. Bowdoin, vs. Colby

I’m terming Trinity’s opening weekend as mixed as Tufts because they nearly knocked off an impressive Hamilton team, losing 72-70. Nick Seretta and Donald Jorden made a statement in this game, combining for 39 points and shooting 17-23 as a pair. Jorden added 11 boards and led his team to a halftime lead against the #5 team in the nation. Kyle Padmore had a quiet night, shooting just 1-5 for just two point on the night and as one of the veteran presences on this team, he will have to have a bigger impact going forward.

10. Bates (3-10, 1-1)

Last Week: 70-99 L @ Bowdoin, 81-71 W @ Colby

This Week: vs. Midd, vs. Williams

I don’t really expect much from this Bates team, but their win against Maine rival Colby had to feel good in their opening weekend after losing to Bowdoin the night before. Granted their performance against Colby might just be the ceiling for how well they can play. They shot 65% from deep (11-17) while the Mules who were hot against Tufts show just 29% from deep. In other words, it required the perfect storm for Bates to overcome Colby.

11. Conn College (4-8, 0-2)

Last Week: 80-92 L @ Middlebury, 69-95 L @ Williams

This Week: vs. Amherst, vs. Hamilton

As one of just two winless teams after the first weekend, it would’ve been hard to not put Conn at the bottom of the barrel. Dan Draffan and David Labossiere are the only two weapons that the Camels have and Labossiere is significantly more dangerous than Draffan. The duo could get hot and give some weaker teams a run for their money, but as seen in their 26 point loss to Williams, they will just get flat out beat by the top teams in the league. I don’t think they will go winless in NESCAC lay if that is any consolation.

New Year, New Pecking Order: Holiday Power Rankings

2019 Preseason Holiday Power Rankings

1.) #2 Williams (9-0)

This Williams team looks nearly unstoppable. They have three players averaging over 14 points per game and three averaging over five boards per game, dominating each of their nine opponents thus far. Bobby Casey has been lights out from deep, draining 47.7% of his threes, Scadlock has been electric from the floor, shooting over 60% from the field, and James Heskett has been doing his thing for the Ephs, following up his All-American season with some more balanced numbers among a more talented supporting cast with the return of Scadlock. Matt Karpowicz and Michael Kempton have been doing well all around as a big man unit, averaging a combined 14 PPG and over ten boards, equalling a dual double-double. No NESCAC team can match the size and big-game experience of this Eph team with the Continentals as the only real threat on their road to a second straight NESCAC championship.

Casey and the Ephs are not going to be a fun opponent this season.

2.) #5 Hamilton (9-0)

I’ve been a big fan of this unit that Coach Stockwell has developed for quite some time. They were set on a course for predestined greatness in this 2018-2019 season long ago when the group of Peter Hoffmann, Tim Doyle, Andrew Groll, and Michael Grassey joined forces in the 2015-2016 season. Those four along with the most athletic player in the lineup, junior Kena Gilmour, make up this team that could bring the Continentals their first major men’s sports championship in who knows how long. Gilmour and Grassey are doing most of the scoring in the perfect 9-0 start to the season, averaging 19.7 and 15.2 PPG, respectively. They are a balanced team and Gilmour, Grassey, and Groll all haul in over five boards per game. Their trusty point guard, Doyle, dishes out passes to the rest of the shooters and is the glue that keeps the gears turning and rounds out the deadly group that is, top to bottom, without any glaring weaknesses.

Gilmour’s Continentals are the biggest threat to the Ephs in 2019.

3.) Amherst (7-1)

This is a bit of a surprise for me as I figured that after losing some studs, the Mammoths would enter more of a rebuilding year. Their only loss so far was to the 2017 national champion Babson Beavers and they received votes in the last D3 Hoops rankings. Their big man, Joe Schneider, is their only senior, boding well for the future of this historically dominant program. Grant Robinson is leading the way on the scoring front with 15.8 PPG with Eric Sellew putting in 9.6 PPG, and sixth man-to-be and deep threat off the bench, Garrett Day, dropping 9.3 PPG in just 17.3 minutes per game. Five Mammoths average over four rebounds per game and while Robinson is the closest they have to a superstar, they are a deep team with many possible contributors and several wild card players who entered into new roles at the start of this season.

4.) #24 Middlebury (8-2)

This is an unusual year for the Panthers as they are without a true leader on the court like they have had the past few years. Matt Folger is the most talented player on the floor for Midd and has been off to a hot start, putting up 16.0 PPG, shooting over 50% from the field and over 47% from deep which is going to need to be sustainable for the Panthers to have a shot to compete with Bobby Casey and the Ephs. My biggest concern for the Panthers this season was at the guard position as they lost Jack Daly and had a big scoring, passing, and rebounding hole to fill. Jack Farrell, Max Bosco, and Griffin Kornaker have all contributed surprisingly well so far this year, making up the next wave of elite Panther guards. Farrell is averaging 15.8 PPG, 4.9 REB/G, and 4.3 A/G while Bosco is scoring 13.8 PPG in 21 minutes per game off the bench. Kornaker is more of a distributor, averaging 4 A/G and spreads the floor well between Folger, Hilal Dahleh, and Eric McCord down low. While Folger hauls in boards in his own right, raking in 9.5 per game to nearly total an average of a double-double for himself. McCord and freshman forward Alex Sobel are the defensive specialists, grabbing 10.8 and 5.4 REB/G, respectively. The guards are going to need to continue to play lights out for the Panthers with Folger leading the way for Midd to compete in the postseason. Their early season conference match ups should provide a good indication of how this rather unpredictable teams competes against better competition.

5.) Wesleyan (7-3)

Contrary to Andrew’s (unsurprisingly) favorable preview for the Cardinals entering this season, this team has proven to be human in the early going despite their notable athleticism. They played a non-conference game against Williams and lost by 15—not such a bad result considering the prowess of the second-ranked Eph team. It actually was a poorly played game by the Cardinals, boding even better for their future games against the NESCAC’s top foes as they shot just 25% from beyond the arc. They also hauled in just 28 boards which was likely the main issue—allowing Williams to dominate on defense. Jordan Bonner, Austin Hutcherson, and Antone Walker are the big time scorers for this Wesleyan team, all averaging at least 14 PPG and represent a dangerous trio of shooters. This young team may be a bit inconsistent at times with Bonner as the only senior on the roster, but they should have a shot in some games that they are not favored in due to their athleticism and potential to score.

6.) Colby (8-2)

This young Mule team is coming out of nowhere to intimidate the other NESCAC competition in the 2018-2019 preseason. While I didn’t really expect them to compete without any seniors on the roster, they are quietly putting together wins with five players averaging double digit point in the early going. Matt Hanna (14.1 PPG, 5.7 REB/G, 3.5 A/G), Sam Jefferson (16.6 PPG, 4.0 REB/G, 40.3% 3-PT), Wallace Tucker (11.1 PPG, 3.7 REB/G, 2.0 A/G), Noah Tyson (11.8 PPG, 8.6 REB/G, 2.6 A/G), and Ronan Schwarz (11.9 PPG, 4.9 REB/G, 58.2% FG) round out a well-balanced, and deep starting five for the Mules. While it’s hard to determine the quality of their opponents, they knocked off Bowdoin pretty easily 83-70 and Bates 86-69.

7.) Trinity (7-3)

Trinity is a team much like Colby in that they lack a superstar or one player really performing above the rest of the team. Four of five starters (Kyle Padmore, Donald Jorden, Christian Porydzy, and Nick Seretta) average 10 PPG while Connor Merinder adds 8.3 PPG. Jordan and Merinder each haul in 8.1 and 6.4 REB/G, respectively and are the best rim defenders on the team. They lost to pretty badly 84-67 to 16th ranked Nichols but lost by less than five points in their other two hiccups thus far. This team still has a lot to figure out after losing key players last season, much like Middlebury and Amherst, but they seem to have a deep enough lineup so far to be dangerous and a match for many NESCAC foes.

8.) Bowdoin (6-3)

Despite a below average 6-3 record entering the break, including a loss to rival Colby College, the Polar Bears are boasting a modest four game win streak after staring the season just 2-3. While it often takes some time for younger teams to get going, I didn’t expect to see this from the rather experienced Bowdoin team. Jack Simonds, Jack Bors, Hugh O’Neil, and David Reynolds who represent a similar level of experience to the Hamilton team. In fact, I’d even go to say that similar to Hamilton, this is the year of hope and destiny for the Bowdoin team too. If there was ever a year for them to make a run at the whole thing, this is it. Now I’m by no means saying they’re as talented as Hamilton or Williams, but David Reynolds and Jack Simonds both have POY potential, making a run at the league’s scoring title, and Hugh O’Neil has DPOY potential, bringing down rebounds with the best of them for his entire career. They fall all the way down here to eighth on these first power rankings of the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get hot and make a run and host a first round playoff game.

9.) Tufts (4-5)

Nobody lost more key players than Tufts did at the end of 2018. They lost starters Thomas Lapham, Everett Dayton, and, most importantly, Vinny Pace, leaving them with just Miles Bowser and team leader Eric Savage remaining. Savage, however, is the only Jumbo left in the starting lineup from last season as Bowser is no longer on the roster. Tyler Aronson and Carson Cohen are two of the new starters and are freshmen looking to make a quick impact at the college level. Both highly decorated high school players, Aronson and Cohen should improve as the season goes along but likely, as seen in their early record, will be overmatched by against some better teams and will experience up-and-down shooting nights. Rounding out the starting five are sophomores Justin Kouyoumdjian (that is a mouth full), Brennan Morris, and Luke Rogers. Savage has been a bit banged up thus far, leaving room for Cohen to make an early impact, but expect Cohen to come off the bench in games that Savage plays in. Arguably their best game of the season was in a loss to #7 MIT that went to OT early in the season. While the Jumbos might be the last ‘good’ team in these power rankings, they still have the talent to knock off any team on any day, speaking to the depth of the NESCAC.

10.) Conn College (3-5)

And then there were two. Conn and Bates seem to be far below the rest of the NESCAC competition thus far. I hope they prove me wrong, but each program is in different places and will struggle for different reasons throughout the spring. For Conn, they have their star player, David Labossiere, leading the way but they lack a solid supporting cast to propel them into the fire of the NESCAC competition. Dan Draffan is another great player for the Camels, but Jack Zimmerman, Phil Leotsakos, and Ryan Omslaer need to step up their game for Conn to work to sneak into the playoffs. With that said, however, Labossiere could make a run for the NESCAC scoring title and could take over any game as he is shooting 40% from deep and averaging nearly 20 PPG so far. Draffan scores over 16 PPG and hauls in nearly 10 boards per game and if they can figure out how to score, this team could upset better NESCAC teams on their off nights.

11.) Bates (2-7)

Bates had an underwhelming but not abysmal 2017-2018 season, but lost one of their starters in Guards Shawn Strickland. They went into the holiday break with five straight losses, two to NESCAC teams (Colby and Bowdoin) which I think clearly makes them the worst team in Maine so far. They shoot from beyond the arc at just 27.8%, make under 60% of their free throws, and only have two players in Jeff Spellman and Nick Lynch scoring in the double digits per game. Lynch and Spellman are also the only Bobcats averaging over six boards per game and it looks as if, unless there is going to be a dramatic shift in the new year, this may be a long season for Bates. Tom Coyne should return after the break in time for NESCAC play, and while it’s been rough so far, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Bates make the playoffs and slowly climb up the rankings into the top eight.

Trinity College Bantams 2019 Basketball Season Preview

Trinity College Bantams

2017-2018 Record: 15-10 (4-6 NESCAC), lost in NESCAC Quarterfinals

2018-2019 Projected Record: 13-11 (2-8 NESCAC)

Key Losses:

G Eric Gendron ’18 (11.7PPG, 4.2REB/G, 3.2AST/G)

G Jeremy Arthur ’19 (11.3PPG, 4.1REB/G, 43.1% FG)

Projected Starting Lineup:

G: Christian Porydzy ’20 (8.9PPG, 3.6REB/G, 3.4AST/G)

Porydzy is the facilitator for this squad. He shares the ball willingly, he’s athletic enough to beat defenders off the dribble, and his jump shot is good enough that opposing teams have no choice but to respect it. Because Porydzy is such a solid all around player, he’ll have to do pretty much everything a littlebit better for Trinity to see more success this season. There’s no doubt that he’ll need to have an uptick in scoring given all the scoring they lost from last year, but the Bantams are also losing a lot of rebounding, which is an area that Porydzy excels in despite being a smaller guard. They also suffer the loss of the second team leader in assists, so Porydzy will have to pick up some of the slack from there as well. Through 7 games this season, we aren’t seeing Porydzy improve his production from last year, so keep an eye on the performance by the point guard in Hartford.

G: Nick Seretta ’20 (7.5PPG, 2.8REB/G)

One of the biggest issues last season and so far this season for the Bantams is the lack of a playmaker. They need a guy who wants the ball in his hands at the end of a close game and can execute in those big spots. A guy who consistently puts up 15 points and grabs 6-8 rebounds per game. Seretta should be that guy. He’s got the size and athleticism to be one of the league’s premier players, yet his stats don’t reflect that at all. In fact, he hasn’t really seen an improvement in his numbers at all, despite Trinity losing their top two scorers and two of their top rebounders from last season. In their two losses thus far, Seretta scored 16 points on 5-16 shooting including 1-7 from beyond the arc. He followed those two games by putting up a goose egg in 23 minutes in the two-point victory over Southern Vermont. Seretta needs to be better moving forward because Trinity will only be able to go as high as he can take them.

G: Kyle Padmore ’20 (5.3PPG, 2.3REB/G, 52.6% FG)

Padmore is another guy who could fill the “best player” role simply based on his physical attributes. He has height and length, and he is a very efficient scorer as you can see based on his 52.6% field goal percentage from last season. In the early going he has already doubled his scoring average as well as largely increasing his rebounding and assist averages. This is exactly what the Bantams are hoping for from a guy who is seeing an increase in minutes. Because of his size he’ll likely be tasked with defending bigger guys, so it remains to be seen if he can bang around with some of the larger bodies that he’ll see come conference play. He’s still figuring out how to take a bigger role, but it appears Padmore is up for the challenge at a time when Trinity really needs it.

F: Donald Jorden, Jr. ’21 (4.2PPG, 4.4REB/G, 67.9% FG)

The Tampa, Florida native is off to an incredibly efficient start in his sophomore campaign. He, too, has nearly doubled his scoring and rebounding averages through 7 games and continues to shoot an eye-popping percentage from the field. Granted he’s playing over twice the amount of minutes he was playing last season, so the numbers make sense. Regardless, this kid is playing really good basketball and he is doing everything that Coach Cosgrove could ask. Jorden will face a similar challenge to Padmore in that he’s a bit undersized for the “4” position, but his length and athleticism should surely close the gap in terms of height and weight. He should pose a number of matchup problems, so look for Jorden to continue the outstanding pace he is setting for himself.

F: Connor Merinder ’19 (5.5PPG, 4.7REB/G, 49.6% FG)

Merinder represents really the only big body that Trinity puts on the court in the starting five. His rebounding and scoring numbers are respectable, but his main duty is defending opposing bigs and doing what he can to eliminate the size disparity between the Bantams and most other NESCAC starting lineups. Nearly every team at this point has one or two guys between 6’7” and 6’10” that act as a true center, like Matt Karpowicz of Williams or Luke Rogers of Tufts. What I like about Merinder is that although he doesn’t do a ton of scoring, he shoots a high percentage which will at least force other teams to respect the inside game enough to open up options for other guys. Merinder isn’t going to be the most standout player on the roster, but his value is unmatched and he’ll do his best to compete with some of the other bigs around the league.

Everything Else

This season will certainly be an interesting one for the Bantams, who lost two of their top players from last year. The main focus for them will be on the offensive end where they struggled at times last season. In five of their ten losses they failed to even reach 60 points, and they ended they year 3^rdto last in the conference with 71.1 points per game. It would appear that the main reason for this was that shots just weren’t falling. Trinity plays good defense and don’t turn the ball over very much, but their field goal percentage was middle of the pack and their 3-point shooting percentage was only two spots away from dead last in the league. This second stat is especially concerning given that their lineup is very guard-heavy. These guys won’t be able to compete very much if they aren’t hitting shots from the outside, because we know their strength is not in the paint.

Colin Donovan ’21 is going to be one of the only weapons off the bench this year

Another key focus for Trinity this year is depth. So far this season the Bantams have not looked particularly deep, and it seems as though their rotation really just consists of 7 guys. They like to bring Joe Bell ’20 and Colin Donovan ’21 off the bench, the latter of the two being a solid scoring threat. Again the issue of size resurfaces. Neither of those two role players off the bench is over 6’3” so it’ll be a challenge for Trinity to match the size of some of the stronger teams in the conference. With this being the case, they simply need to be hitting more shots. Hopefully Coach Cosgrove has stolen a page out of Tom Izzo’s book, because with their lack of size, they need to be taking and making better shots. If they can spread the floor, speed up the pace of the game, and be a bit more efficient in scoring then they have a real shot at stealing a few wins. If they aren’t able to do these things, it’ll be a very long year in Hartford.

Can The Bantams Follow In Their Football Team’s Footsteps?: Trinity Basketball Season Preview

Jeremy Arthur has had a hot start for the Bantams so far, and they will need him to keep it up in order to challenge for the top spot in the NESCAC this year (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).

Editor’s Note: While 99% of the work on these previews is done by the writers, the projected records for all NESCAC Men’s Basketball teams were decided upon by the editors collectively, not decisions of the writers themselves. So, if you want to be mad at someone about the record projections, be mad at us. Also, now that the season is under way, treat this as our thoughts on what we’ve seen so far, not just a regular preview.

Trinity suffered a heartbreaking loss to Middlebury in the NESCAC finals. After a nearly perfect regular season in conference, only losing to Amherst on January 30th, the Bantams, hampered by injuries, fell in the final 70-58. They were pretty much the best team in the conference all year, completing the 1-2 NESCAC punch with Amherst at the top, but didn’t perform quite as well at the tail end of the season. They were an experienced, well seasoned, and dynamic team. However, four out of the five of Trinity’s starters graduated and moved on to the real world. Their only returner is Ed Ogundeko ’17. For most teams this would leave a bleak outlook for the year and a plan for rebuilding, however, Coach James Cosgrove and the Bantams have other plans. Ogundeko is no ordinary player. He led the league in boards and is plenty to build a team and a season around.

The Bantams still stare down several holes in their lineup left by the class of 2016 at the guard and forward positions. Shay Ajayi, Rick Naylor, Jaquann Starks, and Andrew Hurd combined to average 37.3 PPG and 9.5 assists/game, making up most of the Bantams’ production. However, the four only averaged 13 REB/G combined, which barely bests Ogundeko’s 10.6 REB/G, leaving less of a hole down low. Trinity’s Coach Cosgrove clearly planned out the transition from one era to the next as he brought in six first year players to aid in adding depth and production that will help the returners cope for the holes in the lineup. Joe Bell, Kyle Padmore, and Nick Seretta should be the major contributors from the class of 2020, offering help to returners Jeremy Arthur ’19, Eric Gendron ’18, Langdon Neal ’17, and Chris Turnbull ’17 who are likely starters for the Bantams. These inexperienced players have struggled so far, as Trinity has struggled to a 1-3 start. The Bantams need some production outside of Ogundeko in order to continue to be a top tier NESCAC team.

Projected Record: 7-3

2015-2016 Record: 19-8, 9-1, Lost in NESCAC finals, Lost in first round of NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: James Cosgrove, 7th year, 90-67

Returning Starters:

Center Ed Ogundeko ‘17 (19.5 PPG, 5.2 REB/G, 2.3 A/G, 40.1% 3PT)

Key Losses:

Forward Shay Ajayi ’16 (13.9 PPG, 7.3 REB/G, 48.3% FG)

Guard Rick Naylor ‘16 (5.6 PPG, 1.2 AST/G, 30.1% FG)

Guard Jaquann Starks ‘16 (11.7 PPG, 2.2 REB/G, 2.4 AST/G)

Guard Andrew Hurd ’16 (6.1 PPG, 4.8 AST/G, 2.1 REB/G)

Projected Starting Lineup:

Guard Langdon Neal ‘17

Langdon Neal (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Neal enters his senior season as the clear replacement for Andrew Hurd ’16 as he played in all of the Bantams’ 27 contests and averaged 14.1 minutes/game in 2016. He shot 39% from the field last year en route to a modest 3.7 PPG, 1.6 REB/G, and 1.6 A/G. Neal, a former walk-on player at American University, transferred to Trinity last year and should find his groove after one year in Cosgrove’s system. His D1 talent should translate over well to a starting position after sitting behind Hurd last year and one of four major contributors off of the bench a year ago. The Bantams will look for him to improve from beyond the arc as he shot just 1 of 4 from three-point range in 2016. Hurd had incredible 3-point efficiency as he shot 46.9% from deep and was a threat, whereas Neal’s range was limited. If Neal can become more of a shooting threat, it should open up the court for Ogundeko, who should be the clear target for opposing defenses.

Guard/Forward Eric Gendron ’18

Eric Gendron (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Gendron enters as pretty much a lock to start this year after finishing fourth on the team last year with 8.2 PPG. He led the team in free-throw percentage and 42.2% from 3-point range last season, good for 7th in the NESCAC. He will likely play at the 2 position after Jaquann Starks’ departure (three guards in total graduated last year) leaving Trinity with a bigger lineup than most teams. At 6’4’’ Gendron should be one of the bigger shooting guards in the league, but has the ability and touch from deep range to back it up. The junior averaged 20.2 minutes a game last year and was a clear sixth man on a team that was dominated by upperclassmen. His 92.7% clip from the charity stripe led the team, and his eight double-digit point performances suggest that he could easily become the second leading scorer behind Ogundeko.

Forward Chris Turnbull ’17

Chris Turnbull (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Senior captain, leader, and four year player Turnbull looks to transition into the starting lineup as he was another major contributor off of the bench a season ago, averaging 16.5 minutes per game. His 3.8 REB/G and 5.7 PPG were solid for the time he got, especially considering Ogundeko’s ability to grab nearly every rebound in a game. The 6’4’’ player should fit well into the small forward position as he is backed up by plenty of bigger players down low. This should give him some opportunity to shoot as he showed flashes of big game capabilities after raining down 14 points twice last season. His veteran and experienced presence should offer the generally young Bantam team some guidance and an example of how to stick out the bench for a few years and earn a captainship and a spot in the starting five. Turnbull isn’t going to make or break the Trinity season, but he should still play as a staple and consistent contributor in the lineup, offering reliability and a solid amount of rebounds, probably coming in right behind Ogundeko on the team’s leaderboard, in a lineup that is filled with questions and intrigue heading into 2017.

Forward Jeremy Arthur ‘19

Jeremy Arthur (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Arthur is one of the aforementioned question marks headed into this winter. Arthur transferred to Trinity last year from Westchester Community College and because of his late arrival didn’t make his debut until January 7th against Elms College. Coach Cosgrove played Arthur sparingly, averaging just 10.3 minutes in the games he played, but he performed well towards the end of the year and scored nine points against Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinal game. He is a big 6’4’’/210lb. and should be able to handle himself well down low with the help of Ogundeko. Arthur’s consistency will be a major factor in how much he helps out the Trinity offense, but he should be able to rack up the boards with the big men. Someone needs to replace Ajayi, who grabbed 7.3 boards per contests last season, creating a big gap in the Bantams defense. Arthur might just be that guy.

Center Ed Ogundeko ‘17

Ed Ogundeko (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

This guy is a beast. There’s nobody in the league who is even close to as good as him down low. His ability to get rebounds outperformed all other competitors by over 2 REB/G, an incredible difference. I’ve already mentioned him in most of the other blurbs and that’s because the team is going to rely on him to have any chance to compete this year. Sure, there are some solid newcomers and pretty good returners from the bench last year, but Ogundeko is the clear shining star on this squad. Without him, the Bantams just don’t have much of a chance. Lucky for them, he should be able to carry the team as much as one player can – Ogundeko will likely lead Trinity in points and rebounds, getting close to the NESCAC league lead in both too. His double double capabilities will be nightmarish to opposing centers who have to deal with the 6-6 230 pound beast down in the front court. This preseason All-American, captain, and center was the NESCAC defensive player of the year and should increase his rebound totals without a major defensive presence in the lineup with Ajayi gone. His season high of 22 points last year against UMASS-Boston should be eclipsed in nearly every contest and he should also score well over 50% of the time from FG range. Opponents’ game plans will center around how to stop Ogundeko, and for good reason. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t at least 1st team All-‘CAC at the end of the year.

Diamond in the Rough: Guard Nick Seretta ‘20

Nick Seretta (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

I’m not going to lie here, I’ve been pretty lazy about writing this article. It took me a while to find a time to interview Coach Cosgrove and I kind of put the preview on hold for a while with football season wrapping up. On top of that, as many college students could agree, going home for Thanksgiving had me feeling some type of way [Editor’s note: and then I slacked pretty hard on the whole editing part of the process, pushing back the publishing date even further]. On the bright side though, this has allowed me to see what Trinity’s playing time distribution looks like after their first two games, and it’s evident that Seretta should be a major contributor from his contributions early in the young season. The 6’3’’ swingman from Middlesex, CT is averaging a huge 24 minutes per game and scored 11 points against Southern VT in his first collegiate contest. Since then, he is averaging 7.5 PPG and 3.3 rebounds per contest too. The high flying first year can dunk with the best of them too, and he should be a big playmaker and an exciting weapon down the road for the Bantams. Cosgrove highlighted how Seretta should be one of the major first year players to make an immediate impact at the college level, especially considering Trinity’s lack of guards. Youth is in quantity in Hartford, and Seretta is just one of many young guns Cosgrove looks to unveil in 2017.

Everything Else:

Between Neal, Gendron, Arthur, and Turnbull, Trinity looks to have a solid lineup as they will be led by senior sensation Ogundeko. However, the four replacements from last year’s NESCAC regular season winning team might not be up to the task. Yes, they have experience and great coaching, but none of them really standout as big playmakers and guys who can go off during a game the way that Ajayi or Starks could. Arthur in particular has had some big games, but other than Ogundeko, the Bantams have struggled to score during their 1-3 start.

This hole will hopefully lead to big impact seasons from several of the first years, including the aforementioned Seretta as well as Joe Bell ‘20 and Kyle Padmore ‘20. Bell has struggled thus far, only playing in 8.3 minutes per game and going 2-14 shooting, but his time will come as the season progresses. Padmore should have a bigger role at the guard spot evidenced by some early big minutes off of the bench. So far he is averaging 14.3 minutes per game. Padmore has shot efficiently, but only has 5 points so far this season, a number I suspect will rise as the season progresses. He has racked up a total of four boards in the first two contests though and should only increase his production as he finds his role and gets comfortable at the college level.

The 6’4’’ guard saw the opening in the lineup from a season ago and is hungry to take minutes away from the returners, as any competitive player should be, but drastic improvement throughout the course of the season is not out of the question here. He drilled a three pointer against Southern Vermont in a tough overtime loss, and should only drain more as the season goes on. Guards for the Bantams will be flying in and out of the game as they don’t have any clear stars taking the ball up the court, but they might be fine with a dribble-by-committee approach.

There are a lot of things up in the air for Trinity in this young season as they look to repeat as NESCAC regular season champs and overcome upset losses last year to win some rings. They have a long road ahead of them with ample transition into what is a new era in Hartford. Ogundeko is going to do everything he can to end his college career with a bang, and the seasoned Coach Cosgrove shouldn’t roll over easily either. Regardless of how they stack up, Trinity won’t go down easily; they are always a player in the title race, and if the young Bantams can adjust to the college level and complement the elderly Trinity ballplayers, they will be dangerous.