Tag: Zander Wear

No Hart, No Linsanity; Who Will Guide the Continentals? Hamilton Season Preview

Jack Dwyer has taken over the point guard position for a young Continental team. (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Jack Dwyer has taken over the point guard position for a young Continental team. (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

Editor’s Note: Things can be a little confusing now that the season is underway. Consider the rest of our previews as season predictions based off of a compilation of conversations with coaches and players and observations from the first couple of games.
All statistics that appear next to players’ names are from the 2014-15 season.

Last season was a year of growth for the Hamilton Continentals, both for players new and old. With the decisions of Matt Hart to transfer to George Washington and incumbent senior Bradley Gifford to hang up the sneaks, Head Coach Adam Stockwell was unexpectedly left with a depleted roster for 2014-15. As a result, freshmen who weren’t expected to play very much earned valuable experience, and PG Joseph Lin ’15 played like one of the league’s elite until an injury towards the end of the season.

The Continentals must once again overcome the loss of their two most important players from a season before – this time to graduation – with Lin and sharpshooting forward Peter Kazickas ’15 on to greener pastures. Coach Stockwell is waiting for a veteran to emerge at the center of this unit, like Lin last season or his predecessors Hart, Greg Newton ’14 and Pat Sullivan ’12. The Hamilton basketball team is entering its fifth season competing in the NESCAC, with its best finish being a 5-5 conference mark in 2013-14. With a lack of experience on the roster, Hamilton will be hard-pressed to match that 5-5 record, but the program is moving in the right direction with a bevy of talented youngsters now on board.

2014-2015 Record:

14-10 overall; 2-8 NESCAC (10th); Did not qualify for NESCAC Tournament

Head Coach: Adam Stockwell, 5th season, 55-43 (.561)

Returning Starters: Four

PG Jack Dwyer ’18 (3.8 ppg, 3.6 apg, 32.0% FG)
G Jack Donnelly ’16 (8.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 43.2% 3PT)
G/F Joe Pucci ’18 (5.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 41.8% FG)
F Ajani Santos ’16 (10.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.7 bpg)

Coaches always say that the past is the past and players have to earn their stripes each new season, but they don’t always choose lineups with that philosophy in mind. This year, it’s very apparent that Coach Stockwell is giving nothing freely to his veterans. Santos and Donnelly, who started 23 and 22 games last year, respectively, are out of the starting lineup, while Dwyer and Pucci, who each started 12 contests a year ago, have apparently locked down starting spots. Donnelly is still racking up minutes and has seemingly embraced the sixth-man role, but Santos looks to be in the dog house right now with just 10.3 mpg through three games so far. Coach Stockwell hasn’t let on what’s behind the severe drop in Santos’ playing time, instead reiterating his confidence that the big man can get back on track, and citing some outstanding efforts from some younger big men. If I had to ponder a guess, I’d say that Santos’ constant foul trouble and temper have hindered him. That’s only a guess though – there is plenty of season left to see how things work out.

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG Jack Dwyer ’18

The Hamilton lineup is extremely fluid right now, with 11 (eleven!) guys seeing double digit minutes per game, but Dwyer looks the the closest thing to a lock for me the rest of the season. He’s a true point with great quickness and good strength, given his size (5’11” 175 lbs). His scoring binge over the weekend was impressive, but not surprising to those around the Hamilton team. Don’t expect quite that level of production (16.0 ppg through three games), because he doesn’t shoot the three ball at all, but he can hang in the low teens range in points. There are some great, if unproven, shooters on this team, and Dwyer is the man to get them the basketball.

SG Peter Hoffman ’19

Hoffman is obviously green as a freshman, but he’s immediately become a scoring threat and is second on the team with 11.7 ppg. Unlike Dwyer, Hoffman can light it up from deep, and at 6’5″ he complements the smaller Dwyer well. Classmate Tim Doyle ’19 started the first two games in this spot, but Hoffman started the last, and it’s going to be a constant battle to see which youngster can solidify his position, but both will continue to see minutes.

G/F Joe Pucci ’18

Pucci is tall – 6’7″ – but has guard-like athleticism. Just a sophomore, he has the ability to become a leader for this young squad. He should be able to do a little bit of everything for the Conts – score some points, rebound and defend those tough wing players. With Pucci at the 3, Hamilton will be going against the NESCAC grain which seems to be trending towards three-guard sets. It’s a risky strategy, but one that could pay dividends if Pucci can defend his smaller match ups.

F Andrew Groll ’19

Another freshman expected to play big minutes, Groll is going to be counted on to be a physical presence at 6’6″ 240 lbs. Coach Stockwell has high hopes for the way Groll will develop, and he applauded the way Groll gets after rebounds on both ends of the floor. He might not be the most refined offensive player just yet, but with so many shooters around him and coming off the bench, Groll could stick in the starting rotation.

F Ajani Santos ’16

This is a gut call, because the early signs are that Santos is being passed over by the young forwards – Groll, Pucci, Kelan McConnell ’18 and Karl Koster ’18. Obviously, his league-worst 88 personal fouls and eight ejections for fouls last year were a big problem, but there has to be something else going on here. Unless a player gets in trouble or comes into camp completely out of shape – and I’m not saying either of these things are true, nor is there any evidence that either is the case –  you usually don’t see a team’s most used player ride pine early on the next season. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I think it has to be made right for Hamilton to be competitive. As talented as the Hamilton youngsters are, Santos will be needed to provide some senior leadership if this team is going to go far.

Breakout Player: G Peter Hoffman

It’s not often that a freshman comes into any college league with the talent and opportunity to be an immediate star. In this case, Hoffman has both. He’s got great size for a two-guard, can shoot from anywhere (including the free throw stripe), and is a great perimeter defender, according to his head coach. There is a lot of competition at the guard spot for Hoffman, and he probably won’t see much more than 20.0 mpg with Donnelly coming off the bench and playing an important role, but he can be an efficient scorer and make an impact on both ends of the floor.

Everything Else:

Backing up the shifty Dwyer at point guard is the more strategic Wes Wilbur ’17. They won’t both be on the court very often, but when they are Wilbur will shift to the two-guard spot. The disadvantage of having them both on the floor is that it takes away the three-pointer from the Continentals game, and even though they didn’t shoot the three much last year, they were the most efficient three-point shooting team in the NESCAC. Donnelly and Hoffman are excellent outside shooters, and I would expect most of the minutes to feature the threesome of Dwyer-Donnelly-Hoffman on the court. Kyle Pitman ’17 is the last guard in the mix, and he brings great range to the floor, too.

The frontcourt minutes are totally in flux with the expected return to relevance of Santos. Right now, Groll, Pucci, Koster and McConnell are taking up most of the time, but something will have to give if Santos is going to reemerge. Groll and Koster are Stockwell’s workhorses down low, banging bodies and getting rebounds. McConnell is undersized at 6’5″ but is another sharpshooter, while Pucci does a bit of everything, too, but as noted above, with him at the 3-guard, Hamilton might get run off the court by some quick and skilled back courts. The x-factor for the Hamilton frontcourt, once again, is 6’11” Zander Wear ’18. Wear came to Hamilton with a lower level of basketball experience than most freshman in the league, but has taken a big leap from a season ago. Still, with so much youth and talent amongst the Hamilton big men, it will be an uphill battle for Wear to break in.

Coach Stockwell is running with a deep rotation right now and allowing the cream to rise to the top. It’s a good strategy early on, and one that many NESCAC coaches employ, especially with a younger roster like Hamilton’s. The only worry is whether the Conts can build up enough chemistry with the guys who are going to be on the court come NESCAC time in January. Can they rely on freshmen and sophomores to lead them to the NESCAC playoffs? Or will Donnelly and Santos go out with a flourish in their final college season? Hamilton may be the toughest team to predict at this point this season. The good news for Hamiltonians is that youth and talent are aplenty in Clinton.

On the Outside Looking (L)in: Hamilton Season Wrap Up

Hamilton fell short all too often this season. The Conts nearly knocked off Bates on the road in early February, but eventually lost 73-71. (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)
Hamilton fell short all too often this season. The Conts nearly knocked off Bates on the road in early February, but eventually lost 73-71. (Courtesy of Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College)

Season Record: 14-10 (2-8), missed NESCAC Tournament

For a team that lost the NESCAC’s top scorer, Matt Hart, to transfer and a couple of critical players to graduation, to start this season 7-0 and then 10-2 seemed a miracle to some, which I’m sure was some motivation to the Continental players. All they heard all of season was about how the program was going to take a major step back with the departure of Hart, and yet the Conts came out firing, something that wasn’t missed by their former teammate.

Unfortunately for Hamilton, it all came crashing down after the first NESCAC game of the season. At the time, it seemed like a small hiccough because the Continentals played Amherst so tightly, and the play of captain Joseph Lin ’15 was a hot topic, as well.

Hamilton dropped its first four conference games, burying itself in a hole that it would not recover from. A 67-64 win over Williams kept the Continentals’ hopes alive, and two subsequent out-of-conference wins got the team’s confidence up, but after that four more conference losses put the nail in the coffin. Hamilton was able to end its season on a high note, though, with a fairly drama-free victory over Conn. College that began in a very unorthodox way. But more on that later.

High Point: 46-44 win at Hobart Sunday, January 4

Hamilton played five teams this season who made it into the final public NCAA Regional Rankings, which are used to determine at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament. Trinity, Amherst, Bates and Bowdoin all got the best of the Conts, but Hamilton was able to squeak out a win against East Region Hobart, which finished the season at 18-8 and now is hoping for an at-large bid that is unlikely to come. Still, to win a back-and-forth, ugly game on the road against a team that is on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament seemed like a statement win at the time for Hamilton.

Joseph Lin (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Joseph Lin (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

MVP: Joseph Lin ’15

This is an easy pick. If there was such an award, Lin would likely garner the Most Improved Player in the NESCAC award. Lin came off the bench mostly last season, and played 21.8 minutes per game, tallying 5.6 PPG on 40.2 percent shooting, 24.5 percent from deep and 66.7 percent from the line, 2.6 RPG, 1.8 APG and a 1.4 A/TO ratio. In 2014-15 those numbers improved drastically: 29.2 MPG, 13.5 PPG, 45.5 percent FG, 38.5 percent 3PT, 74.7 percent FT, 2.7 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.3 A/TO.

Lin worked his way into the starting lineup a few weeks before conference play began and became a mainstay in the starting five, distributing well to shooters Peter Kazickas ’15 and Jack Donnelly ’16 and inside to Ajani Santos ’16, earning a Player of the Week Honor along the way. Sadly, Lin’s season ended on crutches after he went down at Bates on February 7. In a nice gesture, Lin was able to grab one last basket in a Continentals uniform in his final game.

Player to Watch in 2014-15: Zander Wear ’18

Santos and Donnelly are known commodities at this point, but the real wild card for Hamilton will be the improvement of the near-seven-footer Wear. Listed at 6’11”, 245 lbs., Wear has better size than any big man in the NESCAC next season. The youngster appeared in 20 games, though he didn’t see very many minutes, and really didn’t do much in his short stints on the court. However, there is plenty of time for him to work on his footwork and skills before next season, and the kid is not afraid of contact, if his high school recruiting video is any indication:

How often do you see highlight tapes start with a player taking a bunch of charges?

A la John Swords ’15 for Bowdoin, Wear is a rare commodity that few teams can boast of and could single-handedly make the Continentals a contender next season.

Power Rankings 12/12

First and foremost, I want to thank all of our readers who followed us so faithfully during the fall and early on here in the winter. We know that most of you are just like us, NESCAC students with a love of sports and a desire to see their classmates, peers and friends compete and succeed on the field. If you’ve been reading the blog closely these last couple months, you will know that I had the pleasure of spending this past semester in Sydney, Australia.

Yours truly crushing some surf down under. (Courtesy of Surf Camp Australia)
Yours truly crushing some surf down under. (Courtesy of Surf Camp Australia)

As a consequence, I could only follow the football and basketball action from afar and only contribute sporadically to the blog’s content. But I’m back now, ready to bring you even more analysis and opinion right here on Nothing but NESCAC, as the dramatic ‘CAC basketball season unfolds. Again, thank you for reading, and we hope you continue to do so.

Let’s get on to this week’s power rankings.

1. Bates (7-0)

It pains me to slot the Bobcats ahead of my very own Panthers, but Bates has simply been the most impressive team so far. They took down a Babson team early in the season that just dismantled the suddenly reeling (is that too strong a word?) Amherst Lord Jeffs and has wins over Bowdoin and Tufts as well. They’ve already shown that they are the team to beat in the CBB with two wins by a combined 26 points. And both Delpeche brothers have taken steps forward and become solid compliments to the likes of Graham Safford ’15, Mike Boornazian ’16 and guard Billy Selmon ’15. What’s more, the ghost of that Safford three to win the game at Middlebury last season still haunts my dreams. This team has it all. Experience, height, three point shooting (though Safford and Boornazian have started off slow in that regard), and something to prove after going 1-9 in the NESCAC last season.

2. Middlebury (7-0)

Middlebury has had some close calls already against questionable opponents (UNE and Skidmore), but they’ve found a way to win and that’s all that matters. This is a team that I believe will get better as the year progresses, as Jake Brown ’17 becomes even more comfortable as the point man, Matt St. Amour ’17 gets further removed from his knee surgery, Jack Daly ’18 gains more experience and, fingers crossed, Matt Daley ’16 gets healthy and realizes the potential that he has flashed the past two seasons. Dylan Sinnickson ’15 and Hunter Merryman ’15 are doing their part, but the team is lacking an inside presence on both ends, something we knew would be a question mark before the season started.

3. Bowdoin (5-3)

This might surprise some, as there are two teams with only two losses, but there is a method to the madness. Two of the Polar Bear’s losses came to very strong teams in Bates and Babson, which are a combined 15-1, and as we know the only loss between them came when the Bobcats topped the Beavers. The loss to Colby isn’t a great one, but I believe it was just a hiccup. Remember, this was an NCAA tourney team last year that brought back an MVP candidate in the seven footer John Swords ’15. The health concerns we had now look foolish, as Swords is playing upwards of 29 minutes per game. With him on the floor, Bowdoin has a chance against anyone.

4. Williams (7-2)

Seven straight wins is a good way to start turning heads. With all the departures and two losses to open the season, this team could have gone into panic mode quickly. But then the Ephs proceeded to launch an offensive assault, scoring at least 82 points in the next six games. However, they allowed 69+ in five of those six games. I think it’s clear that this team is going to be fine offensively, but like Middlebury the biggest question is an inside presence on defense that can discourage shooters in the lane. That’s something that all the teams above the Ephs (with the exception of Middlebury until Daley gets healthy) all have.

5. Amherst (5-2)

Three days ago, Amherst might have had a claim to the top spot on this list, but I’m not here to talk about the past. The Lord Jeffs are still among the most talented squads in the NESCAC, but they are struggling to put it all together right now. Against Brandeis their perimeter defense was mediocre. The Judges were able to run a simple three-man weave at the three-point line until one of their guards was able to catch a defender napping and drive the lane (they also shot nearly 60 percent from deep, but a lot of those were way too wide open). Coach David Hixon will likely make sure that doesn’t become a trend, but for now it’s a concern. What’s more, defensive star David George ’17 barely saw the floor down the stretch of that game as Amherst needed to score points quick. George is a great rim protector, but he can’t be a liability on the offensive end if this team is going to be next-level.

6. Wesleyan (6-2)

The Cardinals have won handily in most of their victories, and competed in both losses, losing in OT to Williams and by eight to Curry. This team’s strength is a defense that ranks third in the NESCAC, but Wesleyan suffers from a lack of depth. Six players are averaging over 20 minutes per game, and after that no one tops 11 minutes. On the flip side they do have great balance in that group with four players in double digits scoring and a fifth, Jack Mackey ’16, averaging 9.9 points per game. Besides that OT loss against Wesleyan, we do not have much to go off of for this team.

7. Trinity (7-2)

The Bantams have a defense that has been just slightly more successful than the Cardinals, and because of their stinginess last season there’s reason to believe that the D will once again be very legit. On offense, the Bantams feature a lot of solid but unspectacular pieces. Their best strategy will be to milk clock and trust that they can shut opponents down. But will that be enough against the high-powered attacks of Middlebury, Williams and Amherst?

8. Colby (6-3)

As expected, Chris Hudnut ’16 is playing at an All-NESCAC First Team level, averaging a double-double thus far. What is surprising is how far teammate Luke Westman ’16 has raised his game. Last year, Westman was quiet but deadly, averaging 9.5 points per game on 65 percent shooting while tallying a 1.75 assist-to-turnover ratio. The junior point guard has upped the ante, however, becoming more efficient and taking better control of the ball, averaging 12.2 points per game (second on the team) on 68.2 percent shooting (incredible for a guard) and posting a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. This team is loaded with offensive weapons, but are sort of the anti-Trinity, as they are allowing the second-most points in the league. Defense wins championships, fellas, and as fun as the Mules are to watch, they haven’t yet figured that out.

9. Conn College (5-3)

It’s been a bumpy start for the Camels, but the St. Joseph’s win was a good one and with three straight W’s, hopefully the team can get on track. Bo McKinley ’16 is doing a good job running the point and shooting the three, and Zuri Pavlin ’17 is a beast, as expected, averaging a double-double. But two exciting freshmen have come on and made this team dangerous. Six-foot-five Isaiah Robinson ’18 tops the teams in minutes and provides another big body in the Conn frontcourt, while Lee Messier ’18 has proven to be a sharpshooter from deep and leads the team in scoring. This young duo should only get better, making the Camels a candidate to play spoiler either late in the season or possibly in the first round of the NESCAC tourney.

10. Hamilton (7-2)

Hart who? The Continentals are 7-2! Hope abounds in Clinton. But wait, not so fast. Not only is Hamilton on a two-game skid, but only one of those seven wins came against a team that currently has a winning record, and the competition doesn’t get much better before the Continentals open up conference play against Amherst. As I predicted before the season started, Ajani Santos ’16 has really elevated his game, leading the team in scoring and and shooting almost 57 percent from the floor, but Zander Wear ’18 has not mad the immediate impact that we hoped he would, and overall there’s just a gap between Hamilton and the top tier of the NESCAC.

11. Tufts (3-6)

Despite all the optimism with the return of Tom Palleschi ’17 and the promise of a healthy starting five that couldn’t get on the court at the same time last year for very long, we were skeptical before the season started about whether this team would be as good on the court as it was on paper. Unfortunately, in the past few seasons the Jumbos have just been one of those teams that can’t match its talent with its performance. As the only team in the NESCAC with a losing record right now, Tufts was a default choice for the bottom spot in these rankings. They still have the talent to rise quickly through the ranks, and two former NESCAC Rookie of the Years, as well as one of the league’s most dynamic big men in Hunter Sabety ’17, but for right now they look doomed to another disappointing season.

Hamilton Team Preview: The Continentals Had Their Hart Ripped Out

Hamilton College Continentals

2013-2014 Season: 14-11 (5-5 NESCAC), tied fifth in the NESCAC, reached quarterfinals of NESCAC tournament

Head Coach: Adam Stockwell, fourth season, 41-33 (.554)

Starters Returning: 2

G Jack Donnelly ’16

F Ajani Santos ’16

Breakout Player: F Peter Kazickas ’15

With NESCAC leading scorer Matt Hart gone to Division-I George Washington and crunch time finisher Greg Newton ’14 having graduated, Hamilton will require leaps forward from many players to be as successful as last year. However, their departures will also create an opportunity for other players to step up. Kazickas is one of those players. Splitting time between the bench and the starting lineup last year, he averaged eight points and four rebounds per game in just under 20 minutes per game of playing time. He shot 54 percent from the field and 42 percent from three last year, showing a smooth stroke that will be crucial in replacing the explosive outside ability of Hart. His solid rebounding for his size (6’4″ 193 lbs) will also be important, as Hamilton will have to play much larger than they are to battle on the boards with the multitude of solid big men inhabiting the NESCAC this season. Kazickas is representative of Hamilton’s universal need for breakout seasons from their players, but he also has an impressive skill set that could set him apart from his teammates.

Projected Starting Five:

Joseph Lin (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Joseph Lin (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

PG Joseph Lin ’15

Lin should move into the lineup full-time in his senior campaign. He didn’t do too much scoring last season and will probably continue to try to distribute this year. He needs to take better care of the ball (34 turnovers) if he’s going to be the primary ball handler, but he also provides some value defensively, as he garnered 23 steals last season.

 

 

Jack Donnelly (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Jack Donnelly (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

SG Jack Donnelly ’16

Donnelly started 17 games last season and averaged 6.2 points per game, the majority of which came off of threes. Seventy-five of Donnelly’s 142 points came from deep. That was far and away the highest percentage on the Continentals. He and Kazickas represent the only real threats from three-point land.

 

 

Peter Kazickas (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Peter Kazickas (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

SF Peter Kazickas ’15

As mentioned above, Kazickas is able to chip in with points and rebounds and stretch the floor a bit with some efficient three-point shooting.

 

 

 

Ajani Santos (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Ajani Santos (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

PF Ajani Santos ’16

Santos put up numbers similar to Kazickas last year, but he’s much bigger at 6’7″ and doesn’t stray too far from the hoop offensively. With that in mind, he should be counted on to haul in a few more rebounds this season and create second chances for his teammates.

 

 

 

C Zander Wear ’18

Wear is huge for the NESCAC (6’11” 245 lbs), so he could be an immediate boon for the Continentals. He’s young (17 years old to start the year), so maturity will be a question, but just from his brief highlight tape one can see that he brings a multi-faceted offensive game to Clinton. He’s not afraid to play pick-and-roll basketball away from the basket. He won’t be able to just reach over big men in the NESCAC though like he did in high school and will need to use his body to block out his opponents. Check out his high school tape below:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2wS45u8gSU&w=560&h=315]

Everything Else:

The offseason was not very kind to the Continentals. The graduations of Hart, Newton and crowd favorite and emotional leader Matt Dean ’14 leave several voids in the Hamilton lineup. However, the Continentals should also benefit from an experienced roster. Junior captains Santos and Donnelly return in the starting lineup, and seniors Lin and Kazickas should push into the starting lineup full time. The experience and chemistry of this core is the key to Hamilton overcoming their major offseason losses.

The best case scenario for the Continentals is that these four mesh together well and take a collective step forward. The arrival of the 6’11” freshman Wear provides Hamilton with size and toughness inside that it didn’t have last year that could make Hamilton a silently dangerous team which can threaten the top tier teams. However, the more realistic scenario is that Hamilton simply lacks the offensive firepower and depth to stay with the rest of the league, and ends up locked in a struggle to get into the NESCAC tournament. The Continentals had some tight conference losses last year, including the NESCAC tournament at Middlebury, but at this time the losses (i.e. Hart, Newton) seem to outweigh the gains (Wear, experience). Barring marked improvement from individual players, it could be a tough year in Clinton.