Season Wrap Up – Nothing But NESCAC

Last Man Standing: Trinity Basketball Season Wrap-up

The Bantams hosted the first round of the NCAA Tournament, won both games and advanced to the Sweet 16, where they beat Bates. (Courtesy of Bantam Sports)

Season Record: 23-7 (9-1, Lost NESCAC Semifinal to Wesleyan, lost NCAA Elite Eight to #4 Babson)

It was the year of the “others” this season in the NESCAC, the “others” being anyone but the triumvirate of Amherst, Williams and Middlebury. While the Caesarian Amherst went through a rocky season but ultimately made it back to the NESCAC Championship game and made some noise in the NCAA Tournament, the Pompeian Williams and Crassī Middlebury (sorry for the Ancient Roman indulgences) fell well short of their own hopes and dreams. Therefore, the time was ripe for someone else to approach the throne, and this year no one did that better than a pair of Connecticut teams. While Wesleyan got the best of Trinity in the NESCAC Tournament and ultimately won the title, Trinity posted the best NESCAC record, earning the right to host the NESCAC Tournament, and forged through the NCAA field all the way to an overtime game in the Elite Eight.

The Bantams fought the perception all year long that they were an all-defense, no-offense squad, exploding for 80 or 90 points a few times. Jaquann Starks ’16 was a constant threat, and on any given night someone was bound to emerge and join Starks in the scoring binge – Rick Naylor ’16, Shay Ajayi ’16, Ed Ogundeko ’17, George Papadeas ’15, Alex Conaway ’15 or anyone else was liable to have a double-digit scoring night at any time. Meanwhile, the Bantams’ vaunted defense continued, allowing a league-best 62.7 points per game. In their three NCAA Tournament wins, Trinity allowed less than its average, permitting 55, 47 and 62 points over those three games.

High point: NCAA Sweet 16 win over Bates, 79-62, March 13

Losing in the NESCAC Semifinal had to be a big let down for the tournament favorites, but this mid-round matchup with the Bobcats served as a de facto championship as the Wesleyan Cardinals watched from home. Trinity dominated for the final 26 minutes of this ball game, putting to rest any doubts about the best team in the NESCAC over the course of the entire season. Yes, it would be nice to have that piece of NESCAC hardware in the trophy room in Hartford, but the excitement of the Bantams’ NCAA run can’t be matched.

MVP: PG Jaquann Starks ’16

Starks won't take anybody by surprise next season. He's one of the NESCAC's best point guards. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics) — Starks won’t take anybody by surprise next season. He’s one of the NESCAC’s best point guards. (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Trinity was one of those teams that really played team basketball. As I mentioned already, everyone on their roster could contribute offensively, and defense is by definition dependent on five guys playing well together. And yet, Starks rose above the rest, especially with his NCAA Tournament performances. Starks scored 80 points over those four games, looking more confident offensively than ever before, and improved as the tournament went on. As Trinity fans know, Starks is really a combo guard, and often Andrew Hurd ’16 will take over more of a point guard role, but especially in the Bantams’ last two games they were able to just give the ball to Starks and let him attack the basket. As you might have noticed, we snubbed the Hartford native for our NbN All-NESCAC Team. Have no worries, Mr. Starks, you will be on the shortlist of All-NESCAC Preseason candidates next season.

Player to Watch in 2015-16: G Rick Naylor ’16

Rick Naylor '16 (30) is known for his three-point shooting, but he can play some defense as well. (Courtesy of D3Photography.com) — Rick Naylor ’16 (30) is known for his three-point shooting, but he can play some defense as well. (Courtesy of D3Photography.com)

Naylor played a lot of minutes this season (19.8 per game) and had some solid performances, including a stretch of four games out of five in double digits in late January and early February, but his role should expand next season with the graduation of defensive whiz Hart Gliedman ’15. This is just a hunch, but Naylor is my pick to slide into the starting lineup, instead of Hurd. The strategy of bringing Hurd off the bench as the sixth man, moving Starks to the two-guard and giving either another guard or forward a rest worked so well for Trinity this year that Coach James Cosgrove shouldn’t toy with that formula. Naylor is a dead-red shooter who hit 36.3 percent of his three point attempts this season and shot more threes than anyone on the Bantams’ squad not named Starks. I think that Naylor’s scoring numbers (5.4 per game this season) could easily double in 2015-16.

Next Year’s Cats Will Have Historic Shoes To Fill: Bates Basketball Season Wrap-up

The Bates faithful made Alumni Gym a tough place to play, and they travelled in droves to Babson College to watch their Cats face Trinity in the Sweet 16. (Courtesy of Mark Box/Babson College) — The Bates faithful often made Alumni Gym a tough place to play, and they travelled in droves to Babson College to watch their Cats face Trinity in the Sweet 16. (Courtesy of Mark Box/Babson College)

Season Record: 21-7 (7-3), lost in First Round of NESCAC Championship to Wesleyan, lost in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament to Trinity

It really was a magical season for the Jon Furbush-led Bobcats in 2014-15. The team won 21 games, topping the program’s previous record; won seven NESCAC games, also a record; hosted Bates’ first home playoff game since 2010; made its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division-III Tournament; won the CBB by sweeping Colby and Bowdoin in early December; and two guards, Graham Safford ’15 and Mike Boornazian ’16 joined the 1,000 point club. Unfortunately, all of those good vibrations did not result in a NESCAC or an NCAA Championship.

The Wesleyan Cardinals came into Alumni Gym and upset the host Bobcats in the NESCAC Quarterfinals, and the Cats fell short against Trinity in the NCAA Sweet 16. Nevertheless, the season ought to be considered a success for Coach Furbush. The question now becomes how Furbush replaces Safford, number 10 on the all-time scoring list, pesky guard Billy Selmon ’15, valuable sixth man Adam Philpott ’15 and fellow captain Cam Kaubris ’15. Luckily for Bates, Marcus and Malcolm Delpeche ’17 will be back to cause havoc yet again, and expect them both to spend a lot of time on their offensive games this offseason. The addition of a 10-foot jumper to the twins’ repertoire that already features high-flying dunks and stout rim protection would be scary for opposing teams. There will be a significant void in the backcourt that begs for a rising star to emerge.

High point: NCAA Tournament victories March 6-7

For a team that was very close to being left out of the tournament field, to best St. Vincent, a team with NCAA Tourney experience, and #17 Stockton was a monumental statement. The Sweet 16 game against Trinity has to be among the most important games in program history. If the Bobcats’ season had ended with a loss in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament it still would have been a nice year, but not the type of campaign that gets remembered. With the pair of NCAA victories, basketball players at Bates will be discussing and looking up to the 2014-15 squad for the foreseeable future.

https://twitter.com/M1KEYB23/status/576550683438157824

MVP: PG Graham Safford ’15

Graham Safford '15 in front of the list of 1,000 point scorers in Bates history, a club that he joined on Jan. 6, 2015 in a 60-55 win over Brandeis (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) — Graham Safford ’15 in front of the list of 1,000 point scorers in Bates history, a club that he joined on Jan. 6, 2015 in a 60-55 win over Brandeis (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

The work that NbN All-NESCAC First Teamer Graham Safford did this season and in his career transcended the stat sheet. Safford was like a coach on the floor, making life a bit easier for Coach Furbush. And he was pretty good statistically, too: first in the NESCAC in steals per game, third in assists per game, sixth in scoring, and he tallied 5.0 rebounds per game. It’s hard to explain what a player like Safford means to a program, and like the great point guards in the NESCAC from the 2014 class like Aaron Toomey ’14 and Joey Kizel ’14, they really are irreplaceable.

Player to Watch in 2015-16: PG Shawn Strickland ’18

Shawn Strickland '18 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics) — Shawn Strickland ’18 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

With Selmon and Safford departing, there is a significant need for someone to step up as the point guard for Coach Furbush next season. Expect there to be growing pains. Strickland didn’t play much this season, but neither did any underclassman guard not named Boornazian. Strickland doesn’t have the size that you’d like to see in a starting point guard at 5’8″ 160 lbs., so it might be too much to ask for him to replace Safford’s production from a scoring perspective, but Strickland displays top-notch quickness so he could be a problem for opponents’ point guards on both ends. He didn’t really take enough shots to put any stock in his percentages, but his 19.0 percent rate from the field and 20.0 percentage from deep does not inspire confidence. I’m not sold that Strickland is ready (or will be by next November) to run a NESCAC basketball team, but he very well could be forced into that role.

To Kill A King: Wesleyan Season Wrap-up

The Wesleyan Cardinals are NESCAC champions. (Courtesy of NESCAC.com)

Season: 19-9 (5-5), Won NESCAC Championship, Lost in First Round of NCAA Tournament to Skidmore

Wesleyan brought back a young and talented squad in 2014-15, but expectations, at least outside of Middletown, were low for a program that has been under .500 for the past two seasons. The Cardinals, though, were not surprised by their level of success.

“At the beginning of the season we talked about building a championship culture – something rarely associated with Wesleyan. The success of the 2012 20-win team served as confidence to get the program to the next level.” – Joe Edmonds ’16

Coach Joe Reilly relied heavily on a six-man rotation of underclassmen that featured three players capable of handling the point in Jack Mackey ’16, BJ Davis ’16 and Harry Rafferty ’16, a sharpshooting forward in Edmonds, a hyper-efficent power forward in Rashid Epps ’16 and a big rebounding machine in Joseph Kuo ’17. The impact and leadership of Chris “Air Canada” Tugman ’15, Tim “Dog Show” Gallivan ’15 and Bryan Galvin ’15 cannot be understated. Tugman and Gallivan each had crucial rebounds in the Cardinals’ first round NESCAC upset. PJ Reed ’17 and Jordan Sears ’18 provided high energy minutes and brought defensive length to the court in limited time.

Overall, Wesleyan did nothing more than make good on the tacit promises that its players made to themselves at the beginning of the season. Edmonds and his teammates talked about creating a championship culture. That was solidified when the Cards hosted the trophy.

High Point: Five-game win streak on the way to winning a NESCAC title

The Cards were 3-5 in the NESCAC on the morning of Friday, Feb. 13 and a long shot to reach the NESCAC Tournament. Wesleyan manhandled Hamilton that night and swept the floor with Williams the next day to finish at 5-5 and solidify its spot as the sixth seed. Then the Cards went on the road to the toughest gym in the NESCAC and squeaked out a W against Bates. The next weekend Wesleyan was in a hostile environment once again, but topped the Bantams in Hartford in the NESCAC Semifinals. The Cardinals torrid run culminated with an overtime win – just the second overtime game in NESCAC title game history – over three-time defending champion Amherst. The NESCAC title was the program’s first, and the first for any sixth-seed in the tournament, and the NCAA berth was also a first for Wesleyan.

MVP: Center Joseph Kuo ’17

Joseph Kuo '17 not only led the team in scoring and rebounding, but provided some highlight reel slam dunks and was a force inside defensively. (Courtesy of the Wesleyan Argus/Jonas Powell) — Joseph Kuo ’17 not only led the team in scoring and rebounding, but provided some highlight reel slam dunks and was a force inside defensively. (Courtesy of the Wesleyan Argus/Jonas Powell)

It’s damn near impossible to pick one player from the Wesleyan rotation to make Most Valuable Player, because the production was spread out so equally and the defense was a complete team effort. And, if you were to ask any of the Wesleyan players (oh yeah, we did), they would only reiterate that sentiment instead of singling out a single contributor. Nevertheless, if you’re going to pull my leg, I’ve got to hand the award to Kuo, who led the team in rebounding and scoring (though just barely). The Cardinals’ best depth came in the backcourt, with Mackey, Davis, Rafferty and Reed and Sears in reserve. Take one of them away and Wesleyan might not win the NESCAC, but the Cards would still be contenders. Take away Kuo, though, and Wesleyan probably doesn’t make the NESCAC.

Players to Watch in 2015-16: Guards PJ Reed ’17 and Jordan Sears ’18

PJ Reed '17 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics) — PJ Reed ’17 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Jordan Sears '18 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics) — Jordan Sears ’18 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Wesleyan will return its offensive punch next season, but this duo of athletic guards could be ready to make a major impact on the defensive end next season. Both players check in at 6’5″ and have the chance to be forces defensively.

“PJ Reed and Jordan Sears have the potential to be really big pieces for us next year,” Edmonds said. “Coach Reilly emphasizes defense and rebounding and both provide plenty of length and athleticism.”

That Wesleyan could add two more weapons to its arsenal is a scary thought for the rest of the NESCAC.

Injuries Derail Mules: Colby Season Wrap-up

Ryan Jann '16 emerged as one of the best shooting guards in the NESCAC (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics) — Ryan Jann ’16 emerged as one of the best shooting guards in the NESCAC (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

Record: 13-12 (4-6), lost to #1 Trinity 66-63 in NESCAC Quarterfinals

Colby entered the season hoping to jump up into the higher echelon of the NESCAC because they returned everybody from their 2013-2014 team. Yet, even before the season started, the Mules lost their starting power forward Patrick Stewart ’16 for the season due to a back injury. Despite that, the Mules started the NESCAC season 3-0 before losing two consecutive close games. Then center Chris Hudnut ’16, who was having a NESCAC POY-type season, suffered a knee injury before the Amherst game that ended his campaign. Without their projected starting frontcourt, the Mules went 1-4 in the final weeks of the conference season, but they got into the NESCAC tournament by virtue of a big victory over Middlebury. They almost overcame their big size disadvantage at #1 Trinity and had a chance to win the game in the final seconds. Though injuries ended up cutting short Colby’s season, the Mules saw their starting backcourt of Ryan Jann ’16 and Luke Westman ’16 progress a good deal. Those two combined are the best duo of guards returning next year except for maybe Jack Mackey ’16 and BJ Davis ’16 of Wesleyan.

Season High Point: Victory over Hamilton 75-70 on January 16

The Colby student section came out in force during parts of the season. (Courtesy of CentralMaine.com)

After beating the Continentals, Colby was in sole possession at 3-0 of first place in the NESCAC for about twenty hours before they fell to Williams the next day. The Mules played a favorable schedule early, but any three game winning streak in the NESCAC this season was an accomplishment. The hot start to the conference season saw Hudnut score over 20 points in every game while Westman shot an absurd 88 percent from the floor and averaged 15.3 PPG. The winning streak also caught the attention of the Colby student body who began to be more of a presence at home games. Unfortunately for Colby, the fall from this point was swift as the Mules finished the season 3-7 over their next 10 games.

Team MVP: Point Guard Luke Westman ’16

Westman wins MVP because he was the most consistent player for the Mules, but he was never the most dominant player for them. Hudnut would have won this award easily if he had stayed healthy all year, and Jann was the team’s most important player after Hudnut went down. Westman was the steady hand that kept Colby moving in the right direction. The biggest difference for Westman from a year ago is that he scored nearly four more PPG while somehow increasing his already ridiculous field goal percentage. He finished the season with 13.1 PPG on 73.2 percent shooting which would have been the best percentage in the country if he had made 0.2 more field goals per game in order to qualify for the NCAA statistics. At this point, it looks like Westman will never develop an outside shot, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a valuable player for Colby.

Player to Watch for 2015-16: Power Forward Patrick Stewart ’16

Though he missed all of this season, reports are that Stewart will be back next season ready to make an impact. Sam Willson ’16 stepped up and played very well in replacing Stewart, but the Mules still missed the presence of their second leading rebounder and best three point shooter from last season. Stewart shot 43.3 percent from three a season ago while making nearly two three-pointers a game. Having Willson, Stewart and Hudnut all healthy will be a boon for Head Coach Damien Strahorn. He will be able to fashion some three-way rotation to keep each of them fresh during games. Since the Mules will lose perimeter contributors Connor O’Neil ’15 and Shane Rogers ’15, Colby might even go big and play all three for short stretches. Stewart is just one part of an incredibly deep class of current juniors who will be hungry to end their Colby careers on a high note next season.

A Tale of Two Seasons: Middlebury Season Wrap Up

Coaches Jeff Brown, Kyle Dudley and Russ Reilly have some coaching up to do if Middlebury is going to return to the NESCAC tournament next season. (Courtesy of Kyle Finck/Middlebury Campus)

Record: 17-7 (4-6), missed NESCAC Tournament

The last time there was a NESCAC basketball tournament that didn’t feature the Middlebury Panthers, JT was bringing sexy back, “Brokeback Mountain” got snubbed from the Best Picture trophy, and I was still leaving games to read Harry Potter in the athletic director’s office because the timeout buzzer scared me. Lots of things have changed since then, chief among them the expectations surrounding the Middlebury team. In 2006, Middlebury’s absence wasn’t given a second thought save for a loyal core of fans; now it’s one of the main casual conversation topics in the town.

This was an all around strange season for the Panthers, mirroring the craziness of the NESCAC at large. Following a 9-0 start and a big road win against Plattsburgh State, the Panthers went just 8-7 the rest of the way, with a 4-6 league record (0-5 on the road). Lead to the Panthers’ decline were a lack of interior presence and inconsistent outside shooting, allowing teams to clog the paint and prevent Middlebury’s deadly transition attack from gelling. Inconvenient injuries to Matt Daley ’16, Jack Daly ’18 and Matt St. Amour ’17, as well as a strange team-wide gastro outbreak that affected the Bates-Tufts weekend, also contributed to the Panthers’ inconsistent season.

High Point

Middlebury’s best performance of the year was their 97-60 shellacking of Wesleyan at home, a loss which, in a cruel twist, seems to have propelled Wesleyan to a strong finish and inspired them to beat Williams on the final weekend, knocking Middlebury out. However, the high point of the year, (in my bitter, vengeance-crazed eyes, at least) was the 82-69 win over hated rival Amherst and their coach David “Dracula” Hixon on senior night in Pepin. Although Middlebury had already been eliminated from the tournament, the Panthers played with an intensity and team focus that had been lacking from many big games, including the must win game two nights before against Trinity. Hunter Merryman ’15 had one of his best games of the season with 24 points, including 4-5 from three, and the two Matts flashed some of what Panther fans can hopefully expect next season with 14 and 18 points respectively. Most importantly for the players themselves, it was the first win for a senior class that had gone 0-4 against the Lord Jeffs, including two losses their freshman year by two points each, one in overtime, the other for the NESCAC title; an incredible triple-overtime loss at home two years ago in which Willy Workman ’13 had to make his first free throw and intentionally miss his second, grab the rebound and finish a lay-in to force the third OT, which Aaron Toomey ’14 then sealed with a three-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining; and a blowout 84-67 loss on the last NESCAC regular season game day last year that seemed to suggest that Middlebury had fallen from its once-elite level. The game against Amherst, while melancholy in some respects, was a feel-good end to a difficult and somewhat star-crossed season, and the same can be said for this senior class, and was a reminder that Middlebury is a tournament program team that shouldn’t be absent from postseason proceedings for long.

Team MVP: Dylan Sinnickson ’15

At times this season Dylan Sinnickson was a one-man show for the Panthers, even though his scoring slipped down the stretch. (Courtesy of Michael O'Hara/Middlebury Campus) — At times this season Dylan Sinnickson was a one-man show for the Panthers, even though his scoring slipped down the stretch. (Courtesy of Michael O’Hara/Middlebury Campus)

One of the great thrills of watching Middlebury this season was seeing the breathtaking athleticism of Sinnickson finally manifest itself into a starring role. Sinnickson finished the season with 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, good for fourth and second in the league, and teamed with Jake Brown ’17 for a couple of alley-oops that shattered several crusty old Vermonters’ carefully maintained indifference about dunks. Even when he struggled with his jump shot, his voracious rebounding was essential for Middlebury in some tough games where their other rebounders were non-existent. Sinnickson was asked to carry a very heavy load this season on the perimeter due to the outside shooting struggles of Brown and St. Amour (and Merryman for a stretch) and this caused his numbers to drop in league play, but his intensity, passion and absurd highlight potential were never questioned and always admired. Interestingly, Sinnickson has another year of NCAA eligibility left stemming from an arm injury that caused him to miss his entire sophomore season. I’m sure I could raise enough money in town to buy him a Hummer to get to and from classes if he stayed, but let’s keep that between us.

Player to Watch: Matt Daley

Matt Daley has the potential to dominate the NESCAC next season. Wait, where have we heard that before? (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

Several players for Middlebury will need, and seem poised, to make leaps next season. Brown needs to develop a more threatening jump shot, Nick Tarantino ’18 (happy birthday, by the way, Nick) will assume much heavier rebounding duties, and sophomore guard St. Amour (who averaged nearly 20 points per game over the last five games) can and has to continue to develop as an all-around threat. However, Middlebury’s success next season hinges on junior center Matt Daley. When fully healthy, Daley offers a combination of size and nimbleness that screams First Team All-NESCAC. Fans saw this potential in that glorious final game against Amherst, when Daley put up 14 points, 11 boards and three blocks and basically took David George’s ’17 soul like the monsters in the live action Scooby Doo movies. However, Panther fans have never seen a fully healthy season from Daley, and for most of this season he was either hurt or tentative in his recovery. If Daley can remain healthy for all of next season the balance of power in NESCAC could shift back to Middlebury, making this year a one-time break from the tournament and starting another decade of success.