Pepin was sold out before Friday. Some sources said there were 'scalpers' in the pubs offering their wares by happy hour on Friday. While the Trustees might not look favorably on such practices, it certainly demonstrates that there are others besides those in the economics department that know how to apply the law of supply and demand. Further it illustrates how the success of JeffB.'s program has created this new fan base with both the campus and the 'townies' now buying in. By tip time the place was in a frenzy, and 'The Boys' did not disappoint.
Lead by 'TheBigDog', Ryan personally took the game on his shoulders (All-Americans will do that) at both ends, and Midd went from down 10-7, out to a 17-10 lead. The 'D' which had been torched up in the first meeting, made all necessary adjustments, and pretty much didn't give Williams any good looks from beyond the arc. If you rely on 3's the way they do, a 4 for 29 night means curtains! And Mayer's effectiveness was limited by Lynch, and 'LongJack' Roberts, who had his best game of the season. The G. rotation delivered its come-to-be-expected virtuoso performance and closed the Eph-Men out from the line, down the stretch.
The Panther Express will be pulling out for Amherst and the nescac finals. But before everybody gets too giddy with anticipation for the rematch with Toomey and the rest of the LordJeffNation, there's serious business to be attended to, namely Shasha Brown and his Wesleyan pals. This team has bought in to Joe Reilly's philosophy and continues to improve. That they are here doesn't surprise me in the slightest, because they've been pretty consistent in their efforts and have learned to win on the road, two characteristics of top teams. They've got 20 'W's already, and pretty much have locked up an at-large ncaa bid for their efforts. They are familiar with playing in this building since they're here every season, and Amherst only beat them by a bucket in their earlier visit. All that having been said, there are some adjustments that 'The Boys' can make that strengthen Midd's advantage. First time around, 'TheBigDog' only had 9 attempts (made 7). We need something on the northside of 16 in that area, since getting him the rock down low is a large positive. More minutes required from Lynch. If he's not in foul trouble, he gives us an inside punch with Ryan on 'O,' that Wesleyan can't match. Looking for the new #44's 'O'. Also in our favor is that this time we've got Nolan T. at full strength, which wasn't the case in the first meeting. Ditto for 'LongJack' who was just coming back from his knee rehab. Also a good place for the continued usage of Dylan and NateB. in spots, while both are appearing more comfortable on the floor. My take is Wesleyan is do-able, and in moving on, The Boys will have won the right to host in the ncaa first round.
That brings us to 'rematch Sunday'. No surprises here. This is a big game between the two best teams in the east. Riding on it for sure are the nescac title, and who gets the number-one slot in the eastern half of the ncaa's and maybe the country. It also will determine who gets to host in the first and second round of the ncaas which will have a lot to say about going back down the Blue Ridge, because it's my thought that no matter the outcome, we're going to have to deal with each other, one more time. Suffice it to say that we're rooting for the next one top be at Pepin. Same keys will be necessary on 'D', and figure that in a title game the officiating will match up to the moment. That should allow 'TheBigDog' a little more freedom to roam down low. If everything else is even, that ought to be enough, presuming good execution in other areas.
Let's go cut down their nets. In their building, can't think of anything much sweeter. Till next time, remember.."down LordJeff's snooty nose, off the wall of the Old Cage, a bounce over the nescac ticket table, nothin' but net." Be well. Clubbo.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
'the road to the top just got a little steeper...'
In front of the LordJeffNation, the Panther Faithful were served a double-dose of 'the reality of the road' last Saturday. Amherst opened hot, their joint was rockin', and the LJN was screaming itself hoarse when 'TheBoys' were 16 down, early. The Zebras thought their main job was to protect the purple and white at every turn. Amherst pounded on Big Ryan like he was a bass drum. Several times shots of his leaked out of his hand, like he had suddenly been overcome by palsy. But alas, no trips to the line. 'TheBoys' methodically worked their way back into it, and following a terrific block at the basket by Nate B., only trailed by four at half. They finally caught Amherst at 62-all, and down the stretch our 'D' was pretty terrific. The Zebra crew duly noted that, and rewarded Toomey and his pals with more bailouts than the banks got at TARP time.
In fact, after the Hixons went up 61-55 with 7:41 left, they only scored on Barrise's '3' at the 1:05 mark to tie it, and on the putback that sealed it in OT. Everything else was courtesy of those men in stripes. Don't be fooled by the team foul numbers. 'Brutal', but sometimes to be expected on the road. Usually not in games between top teams. 'Awful', probably more appropriate - it was a continuous hosing. The magnitude of the difference was in focus as soon as the scorer's ink was dry on the page, because Midd slips to #2 in the nescac and now gets to host Williams, absolutely the most dangerous conference 7-seed in the country. Toomey and his pals stay home, facing Hamilton, certainly the lesser task, and look forward to hosting the nescacs.
Having recently seen the Eph-Men give one of their best performances at Pepin, it's clear this is one of those times where full impact of the post-season looms. The road to the top just got significantly steeper for The Boys. The depth of the nescac is on display with teams like Bowdoin and Williams as 6 and 7 seeds. Thankfully, The Boys have been taught to take it one game at a time, have a guard rotation that knows that the possessions get a little bigger at this stage of the year, and use that knowledge and experience every night. For our 'nervous nellies' who point to what happened last time, my take is that JeffB. and company have probably already addressed those issues. The thought is that seeing a different alignment/match-up on 'D' is more probable than not. Meaning that you won't have 'TheBigDog' roaming around out on the arc, which takes him away from his effectiveness on the glass. Another soldier will be dispatched to keep track of Epley out there, sit on his left hand and try to get him to put it on the floor. Doubt with that scenario in mind he can match his career best. Controlling Robinson and Wang equally well as was done in game one would be acceptable. Both are well known commodities that won't be overlooked. Freeing up Big Ryan from his perimeter duties, also means he's available for Mayer-stopping. Also like that Lynch, who has shown growing, consistent inside strength this season, can put his body on Mayer. My take is that Mayer can be muscled around - having seen the Wesleyan 'Bigs' do that effectively in their blowout 'W' earlier. That might be a page to be taken from that lesson.
On offense, it's obvious we need 'TheBigDog' for more than the 23 minutes he got in game one. Don't think that Mayer or Emerson can remotely match up with him on the low blocks. If they don't, he can growl and bark with the best of them, giving us big positive results. And if they cover, he can trigger the inside-out response with good shooters getting good 'looks'. Also like that for our younger guys, this is a good spot to begin their post season course load. Having seen Williams up close, they'll have a better sense of focusing on what needs to be accomplished to get to the rematch with Toomey and his pals next weekend. Obviously a lot riding on the outcome - the nescac crown, ncaa bids and ncaa hosting. Although the 'nervous nellies' may overload the pre-game lamaze sessions, my take is that 'TheBoys' took Williams' best punch in game one and survived. Believe that our balance, 'D', depth and 'home-cookin' are all strong factors that Maker and his boys can't quite measure up to, so that Midd will move on, and the talk in the pubs on Saturday night will again be of the nescac finals.
Expect Pepin to be packed again - the Midd fans lead the nescac in attendance by a large margin- but unfortunately won't be in town to see this one live. Will have to survive by video, but looking forward to Amherst next week. And remember... "off 'The Pine Room' keg, down 'The Alibi' stairs, over Maker's best supporting-actor nomination letter, nothin' but net." Till next time. Be well. Clubbo.
In fact, after the Hixons went up 61-55 with 7:41 left, they only scored on Barrise's '3' at the 1:05 mark to tie it, and on the putback that sealed it in OT. Everything else was courtesy of those men in stripes. Don't be fooled by the team foul numbers. 'Brutal', but sometimes to be expected on the road. Usually not in games between top teams. 'Awful', probably more appropriate - it was a continuous hosing. The magnitude of the difference was in focus as soon as the scorer's ink was dry on the page, because Midd slips to #2 in the nescac and now gets to host Williams, absolutely the most dangerous conference 7-seed in the country. Toomey and his pals stay home, facing Hamilton, certainly the lesser task, and look forward to hosting the nescacs.
Having recently seen the Eph-Men give one of their best performances at Pepin, it's clear this is one of those times where full impact of the post-season looms. The road to the top just got significantly steeper for The Boys. The depth of the nescac is on display with teams like Bowdoin and Williams as 6 and 7 seeds. Thankfully, The Boys have been taught to take it one game at a time, have a guard rotation that knows that the possessions get a little bigger at this stage of the year, and use that knowledge and experience every night. For our 'nervous nellies' who point to what happened last time, my take is that JeffB. and company have probably already addressed those issues. The thought is that seeing a different alignment/match-up on 'D' is more probable than not. Meaning that you won't have 'TheBigDog' roaming around out on the arc, which takes him away from his effectiveness on the glass. Another soldier will be dispatched to keep track of Epley out there, sit on his left hand and try to get him to put it on the floor. Doubt with that scenario in mind he can match his career best. Controlling Robinson and Wang equally well as was done in game one would be acceptable. Both are well known commodities that won't be overlooked. Freeing up Big Ryan from his perimeter duties, also means he's available for Mayer-stopping. Also like that Lynch, who has shown growing, consistent inside strength this season, can put his body on Mayer. My take is that Mayer can be muscled around - having seen the Wesleyan 'Bigs' do that effectively in their blowout 'W' earlier. That might be a page to be taken from that lesson.
On offense, it's obvious we need 'TheBigDog' for more than the 23 minutes he got in game one. Don't think that Mayer or Emerson can remotely match up with him on the low blocks. If they don't, he can growl and bark with the best of them, giving us big positive results. And if they cover, he can trigger the inside-out response with good shooters getting good 'looks'. Also like that for our younger guys, this is a good spot to begin their post season course load. Having seen Williams up close, they'll have a better sense of focusing on what needs to be accomplished to get to the rematch with Toomey and his pals next weekend. Obviously a lot riding on the outcome - the nescac crown, ncaa bids and ncaa hosting. Although the 'nervous nellies' may overload the pre-game lamaze sessions, my take is that 'TheBoys' took Williams' best punch in game one and survived. Believe that our balance, 'D', depth and 'home-cookin' are all strong factors that Maker and his boys can't quite measure up to, so that Midd will move on, and the talk in the pubs on Saturday night will again be of the nescac finals.
Expect Pepin to be packed again - the Midd fans lead the nescac in attendance by a large margin- but unfortunately won't be in town to see this one live. Will have to survive by video, but looking forward to Amherst next week. And remember... "off 'The Pine Room' keg, down 'The Alibi' stairs, over Maker's best supporting-actor nomination letter, nothin' but net." Till next time. Be well. Clubbo.
Friday, February 10, 2012
..Can you say Big Game?
The Panther Express continued to roll last weekend holding off a very hot and tougher-than-expected Bowdoin squad at Pepin. 'ThePolarBears' shot 66% in the second half (6 of 8 from 3-land) and made some from spots beyond the arc that have had little traffic since yours truly was firing them up from just over the horizon 40-plus years ago. They kept coming on late, and only a top performance from the free throw line kept them at bay. That illustrated two salient points about 'TheBoys' this season. Midd is now a much tougher out than even our recent editions, because they've shed the moribund (low-60's) FT percentage and are now in the mid-70's, and have learned to keep the ball in the hands of our best shooters with the game on the line. That means that down the stretch, 'TheBigDog', Ryan Sharry gets it down low where the result is usually a deuce or a visit to the line, Jake, or Joey, who has the stroke and requisite ice-water in his veins (he's at 90%) to be the closer.
The second key point is that we have enough offensive balance to offset a team that gets very hot. This is a necessity if The Boys are going to make a deep post season run. Although our team 'D' is solid - and we've got a lot of contributors, we haven't shown the knockout punch that the defense specialized in last year. All that having been said, it's my take that this group is more versatile, that Ryan is pretty much unstoppable down low, (especially when Peter Lynch, the new #44, is in the game), and that the G. rotation, particularly Joey, continues to improve, mature and mesh on both ends. That versatitlity, and our depth was on display in the Colby game. Colby tried hard, but was badly overmatched, and the 'D' rose up especially by the mid-second half as the lead stretched out to 64-36. Everybody got some minutes-nice especially for Winslow and Carl G. who have soldiered on, and played well. Also notable, was yet another good segment by 'The Smoothie', Dylan Sinnickson. In a group of frosh that makes the future bright, he is currently the leader, and from what I've seen, the best of the nescac. Dean B. is starting to find his way out there in 3-land, more comfortable,his release is improving as he transitions from being a high school '4' to a '3'. Also liked the way that Eamon Cuddy handled himself, think he'll be heard from. 'Winston' could've brought the house down with thunder dunk, didn't make up his mind before taking off, but left everyone with the realization that it's there. He did make a sweet back door pass to a cutter for a bucket.
Tonight Trinity will be scrapping and clawing as they try to hold onto the last playoff spot in the nescacs. Their frosh are now carrying a lot of the load, so they have a different look than The Boys have seen, but it's my take that most nights they don't score the ball well, and are inconsistent at best from the outside. We're better up front, our G. rotation has more working parts, and the depth down the bench give us recognizable advantages. But this is 'the road' and it is in a building where we've yet to take early control of a game. As always, counting on JeffB's preparation to focus on the business of the now against a team that is 'do-able'. Hoping that it's not a nail-biter so that our main guys don't have to go past 28 minutes, but that may be wishful thinking on the road.
Can you say Big Game? That's tomorrow in front of TheLordJeffNation. Number 6 hosting Number 2! More or less the season on the brink. The winner gets to host the nescacs -a huge advantage. The winner will be the undisputed #1 in the ncaa regional rankings, and that will have a serious bearing on who is #1 in the eastern half of ncaa brackets. 'TheBoys' have their work cut out for them. Amherst has firepower, solid G. play, 'Bigs' that can hurt you, and home cookin'. My take is that if we cover Barrise on the arc and don't let him get going from 3, that's a big plus. That means Toomey will have to try and do more on offense, which should be to our benefit. Workman, their '3', has not really shot the ball that well from outside this year and is more of a 'slasher that can be defended. Which Waller shows up may be the deciding factor. He has strung together several good outings of late, but has serious tendencies to be lazy on 'D', and reach, and thus is foul prone and which limits his minutes and them. My take is that as good as Toomey's press releases have been, Joey has an edge. And Jake and Nolan always show up, particularly in big spots -got to think this will be one of them. And 'TheBigDog' will be the best 'big' in the building. We've got to get him north of 18 attempts preferably down low, and his bark will keep TheLordJeffs off the porch. Slight edge - Panthers!
Of course for our newly minted fans, who think they might encounter breathing problems during the game, lamaze sessions are available on the Panther Express during the pre-game hours. If you think you can handle it, without the lamaze, the rest of us will be at The Pub in Amherst about 1:45 for burgers and beers. Hope you can make it- it oughtta be a helluva game. Remember, down LordJeffrey's snooty nose, off the wall of the 'cage', past Hixon's shoe, nothin' but net. bew ell. Clubbo.
The second key point is that we have enough offensive balance to offset a team that gets very hot. This is a necessity if The Boys are going to make a deep post season run. Although our team 'D' is solid - and we've got a lot of contributors, we haven't shown the knockout punch that the defense specialized in last year. All that having been said, it's my take that this group is more versatile, that Ryan is pretty much unstoppable down low, (especially when Peter Lynch, the new #44, is in the game), and that the G. rotation, particularly Joey, continues to improve, mature and mesh on both ends. That versatitlity, and our depth was on display in the Colby game. Colby tried hard, but was badly overmatched, and the 'D' rose up especially by the mid-second half as the lead stretched out to 64-36. Everybody got some minutes-nice especially for Winslow and Carl G. who have soldiered on, and played well. Also notable, was yet another good segment by 'The Smoothie', Dylan Sinnickson. In a group of frosh that makes the future bright, he is currently the leader, and from what I've seen, the best of the nescac. Dean B. is starting to find his way out there in 3-land, more comfortable,his release is improving as he transitions from being a high school '4' to a '3'. Also liked the way that Eamon Cuddy handled himself, think he'll be heard from. 'Winston' could've brought the house down with thunder dunk, didn't make up his mind before taking off, but left everyone with the realization that it's there. He did make a sweet back door pass to a cutter for a bucket.
Tonight Trinity will be scrapping and clawing as they try to hold onto the last playoff spot in the nescacs. Their frosh are now carrying a lot of the load, so they have a different look than The Boys have seen, but it's my take that most nights they don't score the ball well, and are inconsistent at best from the outside. We're better up front, our G. rotation has more working parts, and the depth down the bench give us recognizable advantages. But this is 'the road' and it is in a building where we've yet to take early control of a game. As always, counting on JeffB's preparation to focus on the business of the now against a team that is 'do-able'. Hoping that it's not a nail-biter so that our main guys don't have to go past 28 minutes, but that may be wishful thinking on the road.
Can you say Big Game? That's tomorrow in front of TheLordJeffNation. Number 6 hosting Number 2! More or less the season on the brink. The winner gets to host the nescacs -a huge advantage. The winner will be the undisputed #1 in the ncaa regional rankings, and that will have a serious bearing on who is #1 in the eastern half of ncaa brackets. 'TheBoys' have their work cut out for them. Amherst has firepower, solid G. play, 'Bigs' that can hurt you, and home cookin'. My take is that if we cover Barrise on the arc and don't let him get going from 3, that's a big plus. That means Toomey will have to try and do more on offense, which should be to our benefit. Workman, their '3', has not really shot the ball that well from outside this year and is more of a 'slasher that can be defended. Which Waller shows up may be the deciding factor. He has strung together several good outings of late, but has serious tendencies to be lazy on 'D', and reach, and thus is foul prone and which limits his minutes and them. My take is that as good as Toomey's press releases have been, Joey has an edge. And Jake and Nolan always show up, particularly in big spots -got to think this will be one of them. And 'TheBigDog' will be the best 'big' in the building. We've got to get him north of 18 attempts preferably down low, and his bark will keep TheLordJeffs off the porch. Slight edge - Panthers!
Of course for our newly minted fans, who think they might encounter breathing problems during the game, lamaze sessions are available on the Panther Express during the pre-game hours. If you think you can handle it, without the lamaze, the rest of us will be at The Pub in Amherst about 1:45 for burgers and beers. Hope you can make it- it oughtta be a helluva game. Remember, down LordJeffrey's snooty nose, off the wall of the 'cage', past Hixon's shoe, nothin' but net. bew ell. Clubbo.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
'..takin' it in stride..'
'The Boys' survived Maker's histrionics (which should land him a nomination for best supporting actor) and dealt with the hated EphMen at Pepin to the delight of the SRO crowd. But 'the road' proved more than an equalizer, to a team that already had rung up eleven tallies in unfriendly confines this season, when The Boys came up a point short at Keene State. This was one of those spots long ago marked with a 'danger' sign, but it looked like Midd would escape the ax man's blade when they pushed the lead out to ten with 6:16 remaining. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, as we managed to have more turnovers than points down the stretch. Although we got the last two shots, neither was great, and more importantly didn't go in.
In a way, getting nicked, especially late, may have a long term benefit to remind The Boys of their mortality and sharpen the focus for Bowdoin now, and for the Trinity-Amherst trip next week. The first goal is to secure the nescac season title. That creates a lot of good things. It means we get home cookin' through the nescac playoffs, and would give us a leg up on hosting come the ncaa's. But first things first. Russ Hanley, arguably the second best 'big' in the nescac, and his fellow PolarBears will visit Pepin on Friday. He is dangerous and can keep them in most any game, but his supporting cast has been underwhelming more than a few times this year. Even given that Hanley's an even match with 'TheBigDog', our trio of guards, backed by the inside punch of Lynch, who keeps coming on, and the bench support of Jensen, Dylan, and Dean B. gives The Boys a scoring, defensive and explosiveness edge that the rest of the Polar Bears don't come close to matching. Add in 'Long Jack' Roberts, maybe 'Winston' Churchill, (who is ready to get some minutes), and Nate Bulluck, in spots and you've got a depth that even a Polar Bear chasing a seal couldn't dive to. In my parlance Bowdoin is 'do-able'.
Saturday we have 'WhiteMules' on the menu, and while Colby is usually a tough foe, this is a down year for them. They lack firepower and 'bigs', not a recipe for success on the road against a major power. Certain, because of our ranking and the fact that they probably will have gotten torched at Williams on Friday, that they'll circle the wagons and try to put up a good effort. Just don't see that extra resolve will make up for the size, depth and explosiveness differential. It's 'senior day', and it should be noted that although Ryan gets the press because of his talent and career numbers, there are some other 'Boys' who have contributed their time and talent to this great run of the last four years. Winslow Hicks and Carl Gayle are two of the unsung who have worked just as hard and are solid teammates, although we only see them in limited spots. Every team needs those guys for their commitment and contributions to complete the chemistry that makes the program work. Also add to the fact that "Hank, the Tank", Henry Butler hasn't left the team and still is down there on the bench, even though he was taken down by a bad hip for two seasons.
Midd's run as Number One most likely is over, because of the way that some of the pollsters have viewed us all year. There are those, and it's clear from listening to 'Hoopsville' on Sundays or Thursdays, that have gone for the MikeMaker spin doctoring that Williams is still a great national power somehow arriving late to the scene this year, hook, line and sinker. Please! Five L's and currently 6th in the nescac. You are what your record says you are, per Bill Parcells. And that is not 16th in country. Nor were they the national third place team last year. There was no third place game or even a coin flip, so why is that b.s. on their website? It's all about the spin. And just another reason to have them lose as often as possible. The Boys did not play like they were 'deer in the headlights' at Keene, and may have a chance to redeem themselves in the future. But right now they need to finish the deal against Bowdoin, then Colby and move on. Till next time... 'down the Alibi stairs, off DicktheHealer's table, past Wendy's skates, nothin' but net'. Be well. Clubbo.
In a way, getting nicked, especially late, may have a long term benefit to remind The Boys of their mortality and sharpen the focus for Bowdoin now, and for the Trinity-Amherst trip next week. The first goal is to secure the nescac season title. That creates a lot of good things. It means we get home cookin' through the nescac playoffs, and would give us a leg up on hosting come the ncaa's. But first things first. Russ Hanley, arguably the second best 'big' in the nescac, and his fellow PolarBears will visit Pepin on Friday. He is dangerous and can keep them in most any game, but his supporting cast has been underwhelming more than a few times this year. Even given that Hanley's an even match with 'TheBigDog', our trio of guards, backed by the inside punch of Lynch, who keeps coming on, and the bench support of Jensen, Dylan, and Dean B. gives The Boys a scoring, defensive and explosiveness edge that the rest of the Polar Bears don't come close to matching. Add in 'Long Jack' Roberts, maybe 'Winston' Churchill, (who is ready to get some minutes), and Nate Bulluck, in spots and you've got a depth that even a Polar Bear chasing a seal couldn't dive to. In my parlance Bowdoin is 'do-able'.
Saturday we have 'WhiteMules' on the menu, and while Colby is usually a tough foe, this is a down year for them. They lack firepower and 'bigs', not a recipe for success on the road against a major power. Certain, because of our ranking and the fact that they probably will have gotten torched at Williams on Friday, that they'll circle the wagons and try to put up a good effort. Just don't see that extra resolve will make up for the size, depth and explosiveness differential. It's 'senior day', and it should be noted that although Ryan gets the press because of his talent and career numbers, there are some other 'Boys' who have contributed their time and talent to this great run of the last four years. Winslow Hicks and Carl Gayle are two of the unsung who have worked just as hard and are solid teammates, although we only see them in limited spots. Every team needs those guys for their commitment and contributions to complete the chemistry that makes the program work. Also add to the fact that "Hank, the Tank", Henry Butler hasn't left the team and still is down there on the bench, even though he was taken down by a bad hip for two seasons.
Midd's run as Number One most likely is over, because of the way that some of the pollsters have viewed us all year. There are those, and it's clear from listening to 'Hoopsville' on Sundays or Thursdays, that have gone for the MikeMaker spin doctoring that Williams is still a great national power somehow arriving late to the scene this year, hook, line and sinker. Please! Five L's and currently 6th in the nescac. You are what your record says you are, per Bill Parcells. And that is not 16th in country. Nor were they the national third place team last year. There was no third place game or even a coin flip, so why is that b.s. on their website? It's all about the spin. And just another reason to have them lose as often as possible. The Boys did not play like they were 'deer in the headlights' at Keene, and may have a chance to redeem themselves in the future. But right now they need to finish the deal against Bowdoin, then Colby and move on. Till next time... 'down the Alibi stairs, off DicktheHealer's table, past Wendy's skates, nothin' but net'. Be well. Clubbo.
Friday, January 27, 2012
...'Purple Cows' along the Otter Creek... and 'The Trap'
The Continentals threw their best punch at 'The Boys' last weekend, but they took it in stride, broke a 55-all tie on a steal by Jake who fed 'TheBigDog' for the easy duece. Joey followed with an assist to rising Dylan Sinnickson; Jake drained a 3-ball; and long Jack Roberts fininshed the run with a lay-in to push it out to 64-57. Then the G. trio nailed all 6 FT's to seal it. Eleven W's so far on the road speaks well to the preparation, intensity, depth and 'game' that 'The Boys' bring every night. They followed that with another solid effort, and cruised by Plattsburgh to set up the confrontation with the hated Purple Cows from Williamstown.
'TheMikeMakers' will be at Pepin tomorrow. The joint will be rockin' with an SRO crowd of Panther noisemakers fully expected. Having seen them up close recently, a couple of data points come to mind. Although they are dangerous on their best shooting nights, this group doesn't measure up to the recent teams that featured Snyder, Geohegan, Schultz and Whittington. Their 'Bigs' have been adequate at best. My take is that our 'Bigs' can get to the rim and control the paint on both ends. This should create two major positives for 'The Boys'. When Williams has the rock, there will be added pressure to score from beyond the arc. That plays into the Panther's 'D'. We can cover out there, so there shouldn't be good 'looks' (for Klemm, Wang or Epley), and against our strength inside they should have a real problem getting to the rim, since none have looked great off the dribble. Part of that lies in the fact that if they do penetrate there's no real force inside for them to drop it off to. More pressure for their main guys.
This game was one of possible bumps in the road, when the schedules came out. Different than the last two in season games is that The Boys are now the 'hunted', and now we are at full strength
for the first time in these recent match-ups. I was on record several blogs back that we were not going down in this game. If you're one who thinks that we can be jinxed by taking a stand, take heart. This one is 'do-able'. My take is that they will have to shoot north of sixty percent from 3's, get 'The BigDog' in early foul trouble, have our G.'s forget to cover on the arc, and have us get nothing out of our bench to take down the second-to-last of the 'Tall Trees' in the D3 forest, only us and Hope (whose only 'L' was to a D1) remain standing. That should be too tall an order. The game is pretty giant on several fronts- it keeps us in the nescac lead and pointing towards the growing chance of a showdown with TheLordJeffNation; and it will tag the EphMen with their third nescac loss. That is good. It also should eliminate them from the top 30 in the nation, since no amount of spin doctoring by the ever resourceful Williams' advocacy group will be able to justify their fifth loss. That is sweeter.
Beyond this, the trap lies in the New Hampshire forests. 'Williams' at Pepin, has been the chatter on campus, and in the pubs all week. Everybody wants it. Feels it. And that is just fine with the Keene State Owls, who love to press end to end for forty minutes, and get us into an up tempo game where their 'chaos' and crowd just might take down a Number One. Have seen them, know they won't quit and can score the ball. On the 31st, 'The Boys' will be in a very dangerous spot. The big plus is that JeffB. has been so solid in his one-at-a-time approach, that the nervous can go grab a quick Lamaze session (to regulate their breathing), on the Panther Express (it is resting on a siding this weekend), and let The Boys will deal with Williams first. Once that is taken care of, the road to Keene State will be here soon enough.
Pepin will have a celebration for BBall Alumni tomorrow, and a strong turnout of Midd alums from our recent ncaa teams, and others from the late 70's to the early 'double-ohs', and the late 60's and early 70's- my squad, 'the team that turned the corner', and finally two stars, Charlie Sykes and Zip Rausa, from the great Tony Lupien-coached, Midd teams of '56-'58, will be on hand. It should be fun to reconnect the eras. If you're an alum and still on the fence, the game is at 11:30, with an informal lunch at 1:00 at Up's to follow. Williams' tip is at 4p.m.with a reception immediately afterwards. Remember... "down the Alibi stairs, off DicktheHealer's table, nothin' but net". Clubbo.
'TheMikeMakers' will be at Pepin tomorrow. The joint will be rockin' with an SRO crowd of Panther noisemakers fully expected. Having seen them up close recently, a couple of data points come to mind. Although they are dangerous on their best shooting nights, this group doesn't measure up to the recent teams that featured Snyder, Geohegan, Schultz and Whittington. Their 'Bigs' have been adequate at best. My take is that our 'Bigs' can get to the rim and control the paint on both ends. This should create two major positives for 'The Boys'. When Williams has the rock, there will be added pressure to score from beyond the arc. That plays into the Panther's 'D'. We can cover out there, so there shouldn't be good 'looks' (for Klemm, Wang or Epley), and against our strength inside they should have a real problem getting to the rim, since none have looked great off the dribble. Part of that lies in the fact that if they do penetrate there's no real force inside for them to drop it off to. More pressure for their main guys.
This game was one of possible bumps in the road, when the schedules came out. Different than the last two in season games is that The Boys are now the 'hunted', and now we are at full strength
for the first time in these recent match-ups. I was on record several blogs back that we were not going down in this game. If you're one who thinks that we can be jinxed by taking a stand, take heart. This one is 'do-able'. My take is that they will have to shoot north of sixty percent from 3's, get 'The BigDog' in early foul trouble, have our G.'s forget to cover on the arc, and have us get nothing out of our bench to take down the second-to-last of the 'Tall Trees' in the D3 forest, only us and Hope (whose only 'L' was to a D1) remain standing. That should be too tall an order. The game is pretty giant on several fronts- it keeps us in the nescac lead and pointing towards the growing chance of a showdown with TheLordJeffNation; and it will tag the EphMen with their third nescac loss. That is good. It also should eliminate them from the top 30 in the nation, since no amount of spin doctoring by the ever resourceful Williams' advocacy group will be able to justify their fifth loss. That is sweeter.
Beyond this, the trap lies in the New Hampshire forests. 'Williams' at Pepin, has been the chatter on campus, and in the pubs all week. Everybody wants it. Feels it. And that is just fine with the Keene State Owls, who love to press end to end for forty minutes, and get us into an up tempo game where their 'chaos' and crowd just might take down a Number One. Have seen them, know they won't quit and can score the ball. On the 31st, 'The Boys' will be in a very dangerous spot. The big plus is that JeffB. has been so solid in his one-at-a-time approach, that the nervous can go grab a quick Lamaze session (to regulate their breathing), on the Panther Express (it is resting on a siding this weekend), and let The Boys will deal with Williams first. Once that is taken care of, the road to Keene State will be here soon enough.
Pepin will have a celebration for BBall Alumni tomorrow, and a strong turnout of Midd alums from our recent ncaa teams, and others from the late 70's to the early 'double-ohs', and the late 60's and early 70's- my squad, 'the team that turned the corner', and finally two stars, Charlie Sykes and Zip Rausa, from the great Tony Lupien-coached, Midd teams of '56-'58, will be on hand. It should be fun to reconnect the eras. If you're an alum and still on the fence, the game is at 11:30, with an informal lunch at 1:00 at Up's to follow. Williams' tip is at 4p.m.with a reception immediately afterwards. Remember... "down the Alibi stairs, off DicktheHealer's table, nothin' but net". Clubbo.
Friday, January 20, 2012
'..at the Continentals.. and the divide'
'The Boys' had more trouble than expected with ConnCollege, and weren't able to coast before they took on much improved, and improving, Wesleyan. Wes was looking to cash their biggest trifecta in the JoeReilly-era, with Williams, the Panthers and the LordJeffNation in their building in a five day span. Having run Williams (then #12), halfway back to the Berkshires on Friday night, they were looking for another scalp with The Boys in their sights on Saturday. The game was hard fought all the way and with under three minutes, when it looked like Sharry, Kizel, Wolfin & Co. were about to get away, the refs decided that Wes needed some zebra intervention to find out if Midd was a legit numero uno. Although they had pretty much let it be rough 'n tumble (as expected on the road), a couple of moves that Callagahan put on Sharry hadn't been seen since the rodeo left Madison Square Garden. Of course the place was rockin', but Jake calmly drained one moving to his left with the clock going off, and TheBigDog kept Wes from getting to the rim, and Joey, per his usual icewater personna, calmly drained a pair of FT's to seal the deal. Nice to have guys that can deliver the big play every night.
In retrospect the 'W' earned looked even better by Tuesday night when Wes upended the LordJeffs, #4, to show that they will have to be reckoned with again. In recapping the game, it should be noted that the ball ought to get down to Sharry, because once he gets it, he's going to score and probably get to the line. The only critique is that 9 shots aren't enough. Unsung as usual down the stretch, was Nolan T. putting the cuffs on ShaSha Brown and keeping him under control.
The Boys are back on the road at Hamilton tonight. The Continentals have been a 'jekyll and hyde' group but hung in at Amherst recently for 30 minutes. At home they'll be tougher. My grapevine tells me that their frontcourt guys are on the slow side. That's a definite plus for our Bigs. And our G. rotation is getting stronger. Joey has emerged as big possession player and a go-to guy at crunch time. Add in the depth factor with Peter, Dylan, Dean B., long Jack Roberts, and others, and the Continentals ought to be 'do-able'. There will be a webcast covering the proceedings.
Presuming that The Boys survive another test with that big equalizer, the road, they will be at the divide of the nescac season at five and oh. Recognizing there is plenty of work remaining and goals to be accomplished, but in the one game at a time world of the post-season, they will have qualified for the nescacs. Whoop-de-do! Of course they qualified! Six or seven seasons back - like a time long ago, in a galaxy far away - everyone connected with the program would have been ecstatic. Shows how dramatic the leap forward has been, and how bright the spotlights have gotten. But I still like to keep tab on the reality of the day. The Panther Express should keep rollin', setting up a packed house for Wang and Pals, when the old Bball alums will be back to be honored and join in the festivities. Till next week, remember, "nothin' but net". Be well. Clubbo.
In retrospect the 'W' earned looked even better by Tuesday night when Wes upended the LordJeffs, #4, to show that they will have to be reckoned with again. In recapping the game, it should be noted that the ball ought to get down to Sharry, because once he gets it, he's going to score and probably get to the line. The only critique is that 9 shots aren't enough. Unsung as usual down the stretch, was Nolan T. putting the cuffs on ShaSha Brown and keeping him under control.
The Boys are back on the road at Hamilton tonight. The Continentals have been a 'jekyll and hyde' group but hung in at Amherst recently for 30 minutes. At home they'll be tougher. My grapevine tells me that their frontcourt guys are on the slow side. That's a definite plus for our Bigs. And our G. rotation is getting stronger. Joey has emerged as big possession player and a go-to guy at crunch time. Add in the depth factor with Peter, Dylan, Dean B., long Jack Roberts, and others, and the Continentals ought to be 'do-able'. There will be a webcast covering the proceedings.
Presuming that The Boys survive another test with that big equalizer, the road, they will be at the divide of the nescac season at five and oh. Recognizing there is plenty of work remaining and goals to be accomplished, but in the one game at a time world of the post-season, they will have qualified for the nescacs. Whoop-de-do! Of course they qualified! Six or seven seasons back - like a time long ago, in a galaxy far away - everyone connected with the program would have been ecstatic. Shows how dramatic the leap forward has been, and how bright the spotlights have gotten. But I still like to keep tab on the reality of the day. The Panther Express should keep rollin', setting up a packed house for Wang and Pals, when the old Bball alums will be back to be honored and join in the festivities. Till next week, remember, "nothin' but net". Be well. Clubbo.
Friday, January 13, 2012
'Lamaze for the rookies...Nutmeg State beckons..'
The Panther Express is so packed with giddy new fans that a car or two has been added for its run to the Nutmeg State. To acommodate some, who need time to acclimate to the thinner air up here near the top, a lamaze instructor will hold seminars at 3:00 p.m. daily to help them regulate their game time breathing. Thankfully for them 'The Boys' provided only a few anxious moments last weekend in cruising past Bates as expected, then handling a good Tufts team that we may see again at nescacs time. For his work in keeping everyone off the Midd porch, 'TheBigDog', Ryan Sharry was rewarded with a spot (one of five) on the D3Hoops weekly 'national team'. That's not 'terribly terrible', as one of my old golfing cronies used to say when you sunk a 45 footer for bird.
He had plenty of help. Dylan Sinnickson is playing with more confidence and gives us back some of the explosiveness that graduated with Jamal. Also positive were the cameo minutes by Jack Roberts, returning from injury, the steadiness of Peter Lynch, and the continuing progress of both Jensen (whose contributions are not always measured in the box scores) and Dean B. Likewise it is interesting to note that if it weren't for the injuries early to Ryan and Jack, 'Winston' Churchill wouldn't have yet been distinguishable from his famous namesake. We now know he can handle himself in a tough spot and contribute important minutes, and certainly will be a force in seasons to come. Also note that Eamon Cuddy finally got in the box, if only briefly, returning from a foot problem.
The Panther Express deposits The Boys in New London tonight. Although this is 'the road' and one has to be wary, it would be an upset of epic proportions (something like the Christians over the Lions in old Rome) if we were the 'tall tree' to fall. Size, talent, and depth are all on our side. Add that Nolan T. should be back, and on patrol, gives us back a major dimension that we have been lacking in the last four outings. Also that's bad news for Vadas, ConnCollege's big gun because Nolan essentially locked him down twice last year.
At Wesleyan tomorrow The Boys will be in one of the five spots remaining on our dance card where danger lurks. Wesleyan is playing as a more cohesive unit, not flinging 3's up from anywhere, and obviously hoping to have the biggest weekend of the Joe Reilly era. The bonus for us is they've got Williams tonight and are looking to avenge their loss earlier. My thought is that it won't be as big an upset as the national press might think it. Wesleyan was in the game with them here last year, so they feel now they're ready. I'll be at Silliman to keep track of the proceedings. From our side, if we control things early in New London, we should not only have fresher legs but limit the possibility of injuries. Despite their play, Wesleyan is do-able because we've got 'TheBigDog', and an able-bodied assistant inside in #44 (yes, another one), which gives us more size, and a stronger G. rotation. Add a deeper bench that can make major contributions and they'll be breaking out the champagne for the exhausted faithful on the Panther Express back to Vermont. It is interesting to note that we've had two 'stars' out for a total of six games, and kept growing, with new people stepping up, including three frosh. Exhilarating to say the least, but from here on out we'll need all hands on deck, to stay up here in the thin air, especially with the target on our backs.
Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at Silliman. Hope you can get there. Be well. #44.
He had plenty of help. Dylan Sinnickson is playing with more confidence and gives us back some of the explosiveness that graduated with Jamal. Also positive were the cameo minutes by Jack Roberts, returning from injury, the steadiness of Peter Lynch, and the continuing progress of both Jensen (whose contributions are not always measured in the box scores) and Dean B. Likewise it is interesting to note that if it weren't for the injuries early to Ryan and Jack, 'Winston' Churchill wouldn't have yet been distinguishable from his famous namesake. We now know he can handle himself in a tough spot and contribute important minutes, and certainly will be a force in seasons to come. Also note that Eamon Cuddy finally got in the box, if only briefly, returning from a foot problem.
The Panther Express deposits The Boys in New London tonight. Although this is 'the road' and one has to be wary, it would be an upset of epic proportions (something like the Christians over the Lions in old Rome) if we were the 'tall tree' to fall. Size, talent, and depth are all on our side. Add that Nolan T. should be back, and on patrol, gives us back a major dimension that we have been lacking in the last four outings. Also that's bad news for Vadas, ConnCollege's big gun because Nolan essentially locked him down twice last year.
At Wesleyan tomorrow The Boys will be in one of the five spots remaining on our dance card where danger lurks. Wesleyan is playing as a more cohesive unit, not flinging 3's up from anywhere, and obviously hoping to have the biggest weekend of the Joe Reilly era. The bonus for us is they've got Williams tonight and are looking to avenge their loss earlier. My thought is that it won't be as big an upset as the national press might think it. Wesleyan was in the game with them here last year, so they feel now they're ready. I'll be at Silliman to keep track of the proceedings. From our side, if we control things early in New London, we should not only have fresher legs but limit the possibility of injuries. Despite their play, Wesleyan is do-able because we've got 'TheBigDog', and an able-bodied assistant inside in #44 (yes, another one), which gives us more size, and a stronger G. rotation. Add a deeper bench that can make major contributions and they'll be breaking out the champagne for the exhausted faithful on the Panther Express back to Vermont. It is interesting to note that we've had two 'stars' out for a total of six games, and kept growing, with new people stepping up, including three frosh. Exhilarating to say the least, but from here on out we'll need all hands on deck, to stay up here in the thin air, especially with the target on our backs.
Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at Silliman. Hope you can get there. Be well. #44.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
...ready or not, time for the Maine Event...
Happy New Year! The Boys hung tough at Salem, and Joey and Jake exorcised any demons lurking from the absence of Nolan T., by drilling home the last 20 points in a game that called for big baskets. And they turned in a huge performance on 'O' surviving a shoot-out at RPI. None barked louder than 'TheBigDog' himself, who rang up 41 on the night on 19-23 from the floor (maybe a Midd record), and he had plenty of help from Lynch, Sinnickson, Bert Nasciemento, and others with DD efforts. Although our 'D' pride took a beating, the flip side is that The Boys debuted a high scoring ability that should be a cause for concern since we're about to raise the curtain on the 'Maine Event', the nescac season.
So far The Boys have figured out that if need be they not only can survive 'the road', but will adjust to not having major starters on the floor- Ryan Sharry early, and now Nolan T., out for an undetermined time. The Frosh have really stepped up. Particularly Dean B., Dylan, and 'Winston' Churchill. All have made significant contributions and big plays, on both ends. The upside looks so high, that it's a little scary. Time, and the crucible of hard fought nescac games, will tell us more. Think that this was touched on a few blogs back, but the nescac is the toughest league in the country (last 3 seasons), based on the members overall winning percentage vs.everybody else. And it won't be any different this time around. The Panther Express has so many new riders, that it's time to explain that every night will be a challenge- some bigger than others. It starts with Bates- who always plays tough at Pepin. They may be undermanned, but their recent efforts have been improved, so the need is to stay focused, get the ball inside to 'TheBigDog', and stay out of foul trouble at G., since Jake and Joey are going to get more minutes. The kids are still on break, so we'll have to rely on support from the townies who have been rooting in ever-growing decibels over the past few years. Tufts is up on Saturday, and I like that we're on the second half of their dance card -after they've had to deal with Williams, the night before. They are improved- gave (#4 -M.I.T.) a run for their money earlier, and remember that they lead us into the second half last year. From here it looks as if we're bigger and deeper inside, outside and everywhere. And B-to-B's on the road are always harder than they look. Both should be do-able this weekend, which will keep us among the last tall trees- only nine left as of this posting-standing.
That doesn't mean that Wesleyan, Bowdoin, the LordJeffNation, Trinity, or the EphMen wouldn't love to play the PaulBunyan character on Midd's season. Don't worry- they'll all get their swings in, starting with a much improved group for Joe Reilly next weekend on the road. Left out of the axe wielders are: Colby-who may be the weakest; Hamilton- who has been a jekll-and-hyde team so far; and ConnCollege, who doesn't have enough size inside to compromise our 'bigs', but they do have the advantage of home-cookin'. Nolan T.'s absence is sizable, since realistically he is the best 'lockdown' G. in the east. How 'The Boys' adjust to that fact will define the nescac season. It gives G.controlled, up-tempo teams (Wes., Wms., Amherst) something to cheer about. But first things first, take care of business against Bates and Tufts, and Midd will hold their premier ranking into next week. Be well. Clubbo.
So far The Boys have figured out that if need be they not only can survive 'the road', but will adjust to not having major starters on the floor- Ryan Sharry early, and now Nolan T., out for an undetermined time. The Frosh have really stepped up. Particularly Dean B., Dylan, and 'Winston' Churchill. All have made significant contributions and big plays, on both ends. The upside looks so high, that it's a little scary. Time, and the crucible of hard fought nescac games, will tell us more. Think that this was touched on a few blogs back, but the nescac is the toughest league in the country (last 3 seasons), based on the members overall winning percentage vs.everybody else. And it won't be any different this time around. The Panther Express has so many new riders, that it's time to explain that every night will be a challenge- some bigger than others. It starts with Bates- who always plays tough at Pepin. They may be undermanned, but their recent efforts have been improved, so the need is to stay focused, get the ball inside to 'TheBigDog', and stay out of foul trouble at G., since Jake and Joey are going to get more minutes. The kids are still on break, so we'll have to rely on support from the townies who have been rooting in ever-growing decibels over the past few years. Tufts is up on Saturday, and I like that we're on the second half of their dance card -after they've had to deal with Williams, the night before. They are improved- gave (#4 -M.I.T.) a run for their money earlier, and remember that they lead us into the second half last year. From here it looks as if we're bigger and deeper inside, outside and everywhere. And B-to-B's on the road are always harder than they look. Both should be do-able this weekend, which will keep us among the last tall trees- only nine left as of this posting-standing.
That doesn't mean that Wesleyan, Bowdoin, the LordJeffNation, Trinity, or the EphMen wouldn't love to play the PaulBunyan character on Midd's season. Don't worry- they'll all get their swings in, starting with a much improved group for Joe Reilly next weekend on the road. Left out of the axe wielders are: Colby-who may be the weakest; Hamilton- who has been a jekll-and-hyde team so far; and ConnCollege, who doesn't have enough size inside to compromise our 'bigs', but they do have the advantage of home-cookin'. Nolan T.'s absence is sizable, since realistically he is the best 'lockdown' G. in the east. How 'The Boys' adjust to that fact will define the nescac season. It gives G.controlled, up-tempo teams (Wes., Wms., Amherst) something to cheer about. But first things first, take care of business against Bates and Tufts, and Midd will hold their premier ranking into next week. Be well. Clubbo.
Friday, December 16, 2011
'before the fruitcake...'
Seven and zero into the holidays has given 'The Boys' time to adjust, coalesce and define this edition's personality. Gotta like what you see. Sans 'TheBigDog', for five games, proved no problem. The depth just kept on comin'. Especially big for the Panther Faithful was the play of Peter Lynch, the 'Frosh' (as a collective), and James Jensen, heretofore unheralded. All have been top shelf. People found new roles that they had instantly grown into. Yikes! Of course, all was made easier by the Guard play- they distribute and score, they stop people, and they control tempo early and late- and with Joey K. holding the rock come crunch time, we've gotten to the point where people don't want to put us on the line. Right now, hovering at 75%+, we're about 14 ticks over where our foul shooting had us in the last 3 national runs (don't do the math, St. Thomas wouldn't have survived).
Now Ryan Sharry, 'TheBigDog' on our porch, and a legit All-American, is almost back. While he was wowing the media with his return stats, it'd be my take that he'll be stronger and fitter come time The Boys are ready for the 'WitchMen' at Salem. Knowing they're going in there with the biggest target in Midd BBall history on them can be considered an honor. Curry is seriously overmatched, and only an overdosing of the pre-game fruitcake with 'lunesta' might keep them around past the half. Of course Salem State will be salivating because they've already taken Williams down at Chandler. This corner cautions because 'the road' is the great equalizer, but there are major differences between The Boys and this group of 'Ephs'. It starts with balance, because on 'O', the nightly contributions come from many different angles. Again, it goes back to Jake, Nolan T. and Joey. Don't think I've over-assessed them as the best trio in the east. They run the show, control the flow, and lock big scorers out. Add Luis Alvarez, itching for a big debut off finger surgery, there's a new serious ingredient in the mix. That is where Salem might find itself between a rock and a hard place. Think our 'D' won't allow their 3-game to get going (like when it torched Williams), and parsing their box scores, indicates that they are susceptible to strong inside efforts, giving up percentages in the 50's. Hello, Ryan Sharry, and Peter Lynch! Don't forget that Jack Roberts, already having proved himself a factor, particularly on the 'D' boards, is re-habbing a troublesome knee, and hopes to be back by the time they get on the bus for the Wesleyan weekend. 'Do-able' comes to mind, as does nine and oh at the New Year.
RPI is the last blip on the radar before we get to the 'Maine Event' ... the nescac season. They look average at best, but took Williams to the wire, so they're deemed above capable. Again the road is the equalizer, but the game is more like being at a neutral site, because their fans will still be home on break, which leads one to think our 'D' can control. Add that they will be coming off a road trip to the Manhattan area the night before, and The Boys face them on the second night of a back-to-back. That's not awful, and it is thought here that we should remain as one of the last tall trees.
Speaking of 'the tall trees' - a reference to the undefeated teams in the ncaa forest each year- there is no 'taller tree' than the Midd Bball 'Boys' of 1917-18. They were a hearty seven and oh, and at the top of whatever then constituted the eastern championship team. Have not gone back through the records of The Rutland Herald to flesh further info out, but it's safe to say that they were the 'tallest tree' in their time. Needless to say, The Boys have a ways to go before they can make the same claim, but I'm starting to think, with all bodies intact, that come late March, this might well be 'do-able'. One Christmas present, to rile up any detractors- is that come 28 January, in our building, The Boys will make short shrift of any predictions (now 43% of the d3hoops poll) that the numero uno status will last till the Williams game. Unless they know a guy with an elephant gun, how are they going to stop 'TheBigDog'? Obviously, a rhetorical question. Just wanted to be on record, early! Hope everybody's holiday is great! By the way, I hate fruitcake (and mince pie)! Be well. Clubbo.
Now Ryan Sharry, 'TheBigDog' on our porch, and a legit All-American, is almost back. While he was wowing the media with his return stats, it'd be my take that he'll be stronger and fitter come time The Boys are ready for the 'WitchMen' at Salem. Knowing they're going in there with the biggest target in Midd BBall history on them can be considered an honor. Curry is seriously overmatched, and only an overdosing of the pre-game fruitcake with 'lunesta' might keep them around past the half. Of course Salem State will be salivating because they've already taken Williams down at Chandler. This corner cautions because 'the road' is the great equalizer, but there are major differences between The Boys and this group of 'Ephs'. It starts with balance, because on 'O', the nightly contributions come from many different angles. Again, it goes back to Jake, Nolan T. and Joey. Don't think I've over-assessed them as the best trio in the east. They run the show, control the flow, and lock big scorers out. Add Luis Alvarez, itching for a big debut off finger surgery, there's a new serious ingredient in the mix. That is where Salem might find itself between a rock and a hard place. Think our 'D' won't allow their 3-game to get going (like when it torched Williams), and parsing their box scores, indicates that they are susceptible to strong inside efforts, giving up percentages in the 50's. Hello, Ryan Sharry, and Peter Lynch! Don't forget that Jack Roberts, already having proved himself a factor, particularly on the 'D' boards, is re-habbing a troublesome knee, and hopes to be back by the time they get on the bus for the Wesleyan weekend. 'Do-able' comes to mind, as does nine and oh at the New Year.
RPI is the last blip on the radar before we get to the 'Maine Event' ... the nescac season. They look average at best, but took Williams to the wire, so they're deemed above capable. Again the road is the equalizer, but the game is more like being at a neutral site, because their fans will still be home on break, which leads one to think our 'D' can control. Add that they will be coming off a road trip to the Manhattan area the night before, and The Boys face them on the second night of a back-to-back. That's not awful, and it is thought here that we should remain as one of the last tall trees.
Speaking of 'the tall trees' - a reference to the undefeated teams in the ncaa forest each year- there is no 'taller tree' than the Midd Bball 'Boys' of 1917-18. They were a hearty seven and oh, and at the top of whatever then constituted the eastern championship team. Have not gone back through the records of The Rutland Herald to flesh further info out, but it's safe to say that they were the 'tallest tree' in their time. Needless to say, The Boys have a ways to go before they can make the same claim, but I'm starting to think, with all bodies intact, that come late March, this might well be 'do-able'. One Christmas present, to rile up any detractors- is that come 28 January, in our building, The Boys will make short shrift of any predictions (now 43% of the d3hoops poll) that the numero uno status will last till the Williams game. Unless they know a guy with an elephant gun, how are they going to stop 'TheBigDog'? Obviously, a rhetorical question. Just wanted to be on record, early! Hope everybody's holiday is great! By the way, I hate fruitcake (and mince pie)! Be well. Clubbo.
Monday, December 5, 2011
"the great oxymoron, ...revisited"
Last year 'The Boys' put to rest that great oxymoron, 'Midd BBall and The Final Four' being included in the same sentence. If things break right tomorrow, Midd will be Numero Uno! in the D3Hoops poll which should hit the airwaves by noon. And certainly, if that happens older Midd alums, both BBall and otherwise, will think that it is better than cool, and another great oxymoron will bite the dust. For that limited group of "NIT-73"-ers (and there were quite a few that were live in Salem), it truly will be another special moment, and one that most never thought would come to pass. But don't worry, 'The Boys' can be out-politicked by the promo machine of TheLordJeff Nation, who have been on fire and own a road W. over a decent Springfield squad. My call is that Midd, at #2 last week, attended to business, and may have a bit more equity with the pollsters at this stage of a new season. Meanwhile yours truly knows the only real #1 is far down the road in the Blue Ridge, but anything that makes it tougher for the Ephs or The LJN to swallow is fine by this audience.
The Boys were saddled with injuries to Ryan Sharry before the season opener, but stepped up and met the challenge thrown out by Gwynned-Mercy (late) and then Ramapo on their own floor and then some. Jack Roberts was effective both nights and has come a long way in just a year. Jake, Nolan and Joey are as good a triumvirate (ah! the value of a Middlebury education) in the backcourt as anybody has in the nation. But the big news early has been the dominating and tough play by Peter Lynch, who in 5 games has grown proverbially from an ugly duckling to a swan. He always had it, to my mind, but clearly, in the spotlight now has figured out that it's his ball. Nice to get these kinds of guys. Think the preseason assessment of the frosh was right on. This is a good (already) and deep group with excellent contributions by Dean Brierly and Dylan Simmickson in the forefront. And they've got an untapped upside. Also noteworthy was a timely contribution by 6'9 Chris Churchill at crunch time in securing the W. at Ramapo. Hunter Merryman chipped in good buckets and boards off the bench in his latest outing. Eamon Cuddy's debut has been delayed by a stress fracture but he says soon.
But tomorrow, The Boys turn the page and 'The BigDog' comes back to meet Lamont Thomas (perhaps) and his J&W crew, and then Friday they're on the road at Skidmore. Both were NCAA partygoers last year. Lamont may be injured (not in the last two boxes), and if so, we're better and deeper everywhere. Saw him last year. Pretty impressive in controlling the tempo and his team. Averaged 31 ppg.'s last time around, and although he's got the rock all the time, he's not a ball hog or a gunner. One of the two best individual G's, I've seen the last 7 seasons. Of course he hasn't met Nolan T., and doesn't have a 'BigDog' of his own, so he's at a disadvantage. Presuming we get some rehab minutes by Ryan S., both foes are do-able and should keep us in the 'Land of the Tall Trees'. The Boys then go on exam and holiday break before the Salem State tourney.
Speaking of 'Tall Trees', many have already fallen ,and right now by my count there's less than 30 (of the 403 in D3) remaining nationally with unblemished records, two weeks into the season. Nice to be in that group. My take is we're not facing the woodsman's axe, but Skidmore will be the tougher out because the road is the great equalizer. That's where JeffB. and his preparation comes into play. Won't be in Saratoga on the weekend, but will get The Boys via the small screen. But if you're in the Boston area, get up to Salem State for the live action on December 29th and 30th. Best wishes to everyone for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays filled with laughter, family and peace and health. Talk soon. Clubbo.
The Boys were saddled with injuries to Ryan Sharry before the season opener, but stepped up and met the challenge thrown out by Gwynned-Mercy (late) and then Ramapo on their own floor and then some. Jack Roberts was effective both nights and has come a long way in just a year. Jake, Nolan and Joey are as good a triumvirate (ah! the value of a Middlebury education) in the backcourt as anybody has in the nation. But the big news early has been the dominating and tough play by Peter Lynch, who in 5 games has grown proverbially from an ugly duckling to a swan. He always had it, to my mind, but clearly, in the spotlight now has figured out that it's his ball. Nice to get these kinds of guys. Think the preseason assessment of the frosh was right on. This is a good (already) and deep group with excellent contributions by Dean Brierly and Dylan Simmickson in the forefront. And they've got an untapped upside. Also noteworthy was a timely contribution by 6'9 Chris Churchill at crunch time in securing the W. at Ramapo. Hunter Merryman chipped in good buckets and boards off the bench in his latest outing. Eamon Cuddy's debut has been delayed by a stress fracture but he says soon.
But tomorrow, The Boys turn the page and 'The BigDog' comes back to meet Lamont Thomas (perhaps) and his J&W crew, and then Friday they're on the road at Skidmore. Both were NCAA partygoers last year. Lamont may be injured (not in the last two boxes), and if so, we're better and deeper everywhere. Saw him last year. Pretty impressive in controlling the tempo and his team. Averaged 31 ppg.'s last time around, and although he's got the rock all the time, he's not a ball hog or a gunner. One of the two best individual G's, I've seen the last 7 seasons. Of course he hasn't met Nolan T., and doesn't have a 'BigDog' of his own, so he's at a disadvantage. Presuming we get some rehab minutes by Ryan S., both foes are do-able and should keep us in the 'Land of the Tall Trees'. The Boys then go on exam and holiday break before the Salem State tourney.
Speaking of 'Tall Trees', many have already fallen ,and right now by my count there's less than 30 (of the 403 in D3) remaining nationally with unblemished records, two weeks into the season. Nice to be in that group. My take is we're not facing the woodsman's axe, but Skidmore will be the tougher out because the road is the great equalizer. That's where JeffB. and his preparation comes into play. Won't be in Saratoga on the weekend, but will get The Boys via the small screen. But if you're in the Boston area, get up to Salem State for the live action on December 29th and 30th. Best wishes to everyone for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays filled with laughter, family and peace and health. Talk soon. Clubbo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)