Panther Nation

Nolan Thompson was interviewed after the Bowdoin win, in which he had 19 points (7-13 FG, 5-9 3FG), 4 steals, and held Bryan Hurley to 3 points. If you don’t know Nolan Thompson, this is what he is always like: sincere, selfless, and team-first. We are lucky to have him.

Some quotes from the interview:

Asked about his 19-point effort:
“Team effort… credit Jake and Joey.”

Asked about his lock-down defense:
“It starts with the coaching staff… really a team effort… starts with the coaching staff and I have great guys around me.”

Asked about difficulty of Middlebury having “target on backs”:
“Yeah but so does Williams and Amherst.”

Asked about last season’s end and the coming postseason: 
“You think about that game, you think about that hurt all offseason. You don’t want to feel that again… We’ve all been thinking about it, we’ve all been really focused… We believe in ourselves, we believe in our teammates, our coaching staff, everyone, so we are looking forward to the postseason, but one game at a time.”

Assistant Coach Alex Popp told us once that he has never heard Nolan Thompson make an excuse. Nolan really buys in to what he is saying in this interview. He is the ultimate hard-worker, the ideal teammate.

Opponent: Keene State (11-7, 6-3)
Details: Tuesday, Pepin, 7pm

Last season, we drove down to Keene State to watch our 18-0, top-ranked Panthers fall to a talented Keene State team that was hungry for the upset. Middlebury never could pull away from the Owls, and blew a late game lead, failing to score a field goal over the last 6:21 and losing by a final score of 77-76. We came away from that game impressed with the matchup problem that Keene State had presented and the high-caliber basketball that they showed they were capable of playing. That year’s Owls team didn’t end up making the tournament, as they struggled down the stretch, showing a lack of consistency that has surfaced again this season.

Joey Kizel had a career game in last year’s loss to Keene State. Photo: WL.

Yet inconsistency in an opponent shouldn’t always foster confidence, because a team as volatile and capable as Keene State can play tournament-level basketball on any single night, as they proved last January. Thus, the fact that this year’s Owls team has struggled at times and is sitting at 11-7 on the season does not mean that they should be taken lightly. In fact, Keene State returns all five of its starters from last year’s team, has lost its seven games by an average of 4.6 points (try finding a team in the country that has lost seven or more games by a lesser margin), and has been playing better since moving star senior guard Anthony Mariano into the sixth man role a few weeks ago. This is the toughest non-conference opponent the Panthers will play all season and an upset could put Middlebury’s postseason chances in Jeopardy. The point being, this is a big game, and Middlebury needs to treat it as such.

The difficulty that Keene State presents starts at the five position, where 6’10″ Rashad Wright dominates with a combination of length, athleticism, and offensive game that is rare at the D3 level. Wright had 15 points and 9 rebounds in just 22 minutes of play during last year’s game, including the game-winning shot with just over a minute to go, and is averaging 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal per game this year, shooting 55% from the field. Keene State has depth in the frontcourt as well, as 6’6″ senior Eric Fazio (11.6 pppg, 4.7 rpg), 6’8″ junior Montel Walcott (4 ppg, 4 rpg), 6’6″ senior John Boyatsis (4 ppg, 3 rpg), and 7’0″ freshman Nate Howard (2 ppg, 3 rpg, 1 bpg) all earn minutes in the rotation. Rarely does Middlebury face such tall front courts, which is one of the reasons why they may struggle with Keene State.

The big guys are complemented by a group of capable scorers, starting with D1 transfer Ryan Martin, a 5’9″ guard who averaged 15.6 points per game and is putting up 50/47/86 shooting splits. Mariano is joined in the backcourt by sophomore Tom Doyle, a 6’3″ shooter who is averaging 9.3 points per game and shooting 45/38/90. Mariano, now coming off the bench, averages 15 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest, and is another efficient shooter at 45/41/87. Two talented 5’11″ freshmen round out the backcourt rotation, with Tre’ Tripton and Jesse Lacroix averaging a combined 6 points, 3.5 assists, and 32 minutes per game.

In order to stop the Owls, Midd will need Jack Roberts, Chris Churchill, James Jensen, and Peter Lynch to play strong, smart defense on Wright and co. (last year, foul trouble was a huge problem). Roberts will have a chance for redemption after a pretty up-and-down performance against Michael Mayer on Saturday, while Jensen will be counted on once again to step up and play big time minutes. Last season Joey Kizel went off against Keene State (7-11, 4-4, 6-6), and he will get his looks again. Keene State’s perimeter defense is mediocre, and Kizel, Nolan Thompson, and (recently slumping) Jake Wolfin will all be counted on to provide the offense. The outcome might hinge on whether or not they deliver.

If you have a chance to be at Pepin tomorrow night, Middlebury is going for a white-out from the fans. Last year, the energy that the fans at Keene State brought had a noticeable effect on the game, and it would be great for Panther fans to show that they can play that game too. Damon and I will be broadcasting online, so tune in if you can’t make it to the game.

Once again, we have accompanied our preseason preview with an updated follow-up, this one appropriately in depth considering the magnitude of the matchup. 

Jan. 26: WILLIAMS (5-5, 17-8)
Details: Saturday, January 26, 2012, 2:00 pm (at Williams)
Last year: Middlebury 80-79, Middlebury 73-61
It seems like a lot of NESCAC observers are down on Williams this year and we aren’t really sure why. We saw this team play twice last season and they are bringing back a lot of talent. Michael Mayer, the Ephs’ 6’9” junior center, is an absolute stud. His 13.6 points in 20.2 minutes per game last year were the best scoring numbers of any NESCAC big man after Ryan Sharry, and his athleticism and post game put him in a position to take a big leap going forward. He will be joined by the best frontcourt supporting cast in the NESCAC: 6’4” junior Taylor Epley (11.0 ppg) and 6’7” sophomore Boston College transfer Ryan Kilcullen. The fact that these three will develop for another year together in the forward-starved NESCAC should terrify opposing coaches. And while the frontcourt has talent, the backcourt has experience in senior guards Nate Robertson (9.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.2 apg) and James Klemm (12.4 ppg, 65 3pm). In order to win this game, Middlebury will need Roberts, Lynch, and Jensen to play elite defense, with Kizel scoring at will on the other end of the court. We’ll take the Ephs in what could easily be the first not-close Middlebury loss in over two seasons.
Prediction: Loss

JANUARY 25 EXTENDED ADDENDUM

Williams Forward Taylor Epley has emerged as one of the most dangerous scorers in the conference

Saturday represents perhaps the biggest game of the regular season for the Panthers who have their first real test of the year in the Ephs (16-2) of Williamstown, Massachusetts. Just 100 miles of Route 7 divide the two campuses, which hopefully will allow a number of students to travel down to the game. Middlebury will appreciate all the help they can get against a supremely talented Williams team. This is, perhaps, the first time in three years that Middlebury has played against a more talented, more complete opponent. Of course Amherst fans will argue that their NESCAC Championship team last season that beat Middlebury twice in Amherst last year was more talented — and they might, might be right — but the 2011-12 Lord Jeffs certainly weren’t a more complete team than Middlebury was last year. This Ephs team, however, has two of the top four scorers in the conference in Taylor Epley (19.8 ppg) and Michael Mayer (17.1 ppg) and can beat teams both from the perimeter and in the paint. Williams ranks second in the NESCAC in points per game, first in field goal percentage, and first in defensive field goal percentage. Currently the #9 team in the nation at d3hoops.com, Williams’ two losses were both to Top 25 opponents, the likes of which Middlebury (still ranked #3) has not yet faced this season. And although Williams is coming off of a loss to Amherst, we would be surprised if they aren’t at full strength in front of their home crowd Saturday. If that is the case, it looks to us like Middlebury might not have much of a chance of remaining undefeated.

Statistical Advantage
The statistic that everybody sees first is win-loss record, where Middlebury (16-0) has the advantage over Williams (16-2), making them the ostensible favorites from that limited perspective. Many statistics beyond wins and losses, however, are far more valuable for the purpose of forward projections, and happen to point overwhelmingly south down Route 7 for this season’s favorites. In addition to leading the conference in field goal percentage offense and defense, Williams has (albeit slight) advantages over Middlebury in most important statistical categories, including field goal percentage (.516 to .511), free throw percentage (.763 to .724), points per game (82.6 to 80.7), rebounds per game (38.6 to 37.2), assists per game (16.4 to 16.1), and steals per game (6.3 to 5.8). Williams has put up those numbers against a group of opponents who have a remarkable 53 more collective wins than Middlebury’s opponents. Additionally, against their eight common opponents, Williams has won by an average of 10.4 more points per game than Middlebury (24.4 to 14.0). In other words, Middlebury has been consistently worse against common opponents, and hasn’t played a team near the caliber of those to whom Williams lost, so there is very good reason to think that if their respective schedules to this point had been reversed (i.e. if you changed a completely incidental variable), Williams would be the clear favorites heading into this game.

Coach Brown and the Panthers are going to have their hands full with the Williams stars. Photo: Will Lones

Too Many Weapons
Williams’ impressive numbers are the product of the best starting five in the conference. For the Ephs, it all starts with Nate Robertson, the 6’3″ senior point guard who runs the offense with great vision and reliable ball-handling. Additionally, the senior is surprisingly athletic and can drive by defenders and finish around the rim. Robertson’s complete style of play is reflected by his 7.3 ppg-4.7 rpg-4.8 apg-1.9 spg stat line, making him the NESCAC’s version statistically of his elder namesake, Oscar. And while Robertson’s 47% field goal shooting is very good, he is just two years removed from a 58% field goal shooting campaign, a reminder of his scarily efficient offensive potential. Next to Robertson is 6’3″ fellow senior James Klemm, a pure shooter who contributes 11.2 ppg on .511/.449/.958 shooting splits. Klemm’s spot-up shooting makes him a perfect complement to the offensive abilities of his teammates, and when he heats up from deep he can take over a game, as he did at Wesleyan earlier this month (19 first half points) and at Springfield in December (20 first half points). Alongside the seniors is 6’6″ sophomore Daniel Wohl (9.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg), a long athletic wingman who can score inside and out depending on the matchup. Wohl’s size and quickness make him a dangerous dribble-penetrator, and he has the scoring ability to boot, shooting 55% from the floor and 42% from deep. Those three would be the centerpiece of most teams, but for Williams, they are almost an afterthought considering the dominance of the starting front court of Epley and Mayer, who average a combined 36.9 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Mayer stands at 6’9″ and has the best skill-set of any big man in the conference, with a combination of post-moves, driving, and spot up shooting that no other center in the conference can begin to resemble. Meanwhile he is often outshined by Epley (6’4″), the leading scorer, who has topped 30 points multiple times this season, and can score from everywhere on the court (50% FG, 47% 3PT). The junior lefty has a quick-release and range that extends several feet behind the three-point line, and Williams runs a lot of offensive sets that send him running around perimeter screens for a catch-and-shoot opportunities. Few teams have found a way to match up with him effectively this season. And while Williams depth has been a concern to some outside observers, they bring in three efficient big men in 6’6″ John Weinheimer (53% FG), 6’7″ Sean Hoffman (66% FG), and 6’7″ Ryan Kilcullen (53% FG), all of whom would likely start in most NESCAC frontcourts. When the season started, we picked this team to win the NESCAC because of their unmatched multitude of weapons, and their play this season has only reaffirmed that belief.

Roberts had four blocks against Hamilton, and will need to continue to play at that level against Michael Mayer. Photo: Will Lones.

Blueprint for the Upset
Williams is a great team, but Middlebury has been the best team in the conference for most of the last five years and isn’t ready to give that spot up quickly. The Panthers will have to play like an underdog (i.e. play aggressive, coach aggressive), though, to pull out a win in Williamstown. Middlebury’s biggest advantage is that it has three great defensive players in Nolan Thompson, James Jensen, and Jack Roberts, who, when matched up right, can significantly mitigate the effectiveness of Williams’ top offensive threats. The easiest matchup decision is to stick Jack on Michael Mayer and play him more than his usual minutes (assuming he can stay out of foul trouble). Roberts’ length, athleticism, and one-on-one defensive skills make him as good of a matchup as there is in the conference for Mayer, as he showed last season with a dominating 5 block, 1 steal, 6 rebound performance in the NESCAC quarterfinals game that ended Williams’ season. If Roberts can step up once again and block or alter shots inside without sending Mayer to the charity stripe, it will go a long way toward stopping the Ephs offense. Thompson, Middlebury’s best defensive player, guarded Robertson last year, and it seemed like a good game plan–when Robertson struggles to bring the ball up or receive resets it takes the whole team out of sync. However, after watching Epley recently, it seems that Nolan’s smothering off-ball defense, especially on perimeter screens, might be exactly what Middlebury needs to stop the leading scorer. With Thompson on Epley, Jensen, the 6’6″ wingman, would make a lot of sense to stick on Wohl, as he is the only NESCAC defender outside of Willy Workman who can match Wohl’s combination of height and athleticism. That would leave Kizel and Wolfin on Robertson and Klemm, at least in the base defense, and would mean Peter Lynch, a starter, would likely play reserve minutes matching up mostly with Hoffman after Jensen’s first appearance off the bench. Again, this is a game that needs to be coached aggressively and against this long, athletic Williams offense, Jensen’s defensive value is more valuable than what Lynch brings as a post scorer. With Lynch and Merryman coming off the bench, the offense will gain firepower for those stints, but their value decreases with starter minutes because of the matchup. If Middlebury goes with this matchup-dictated game plan, it will be on Kizel, Wolfin, and Thompson to carry the offense. The guards have had success driving against Williams in the past, and might look to do so again. If Williams goes zone, as they have been in recent games, that trio and Merryman must beat the zone with dribble-penetration and passing to find open threes. Finding and making threes against the zone will be necessary if the opportunity presents itself, so the Panthers will need to show up dialed-in. Finally, Middlebury can’t afford to play inconsistently, as they have for much of the season. A slow start or a late-game slip might not have been fatal against lesser teams earlier in the season, but it will almost certainly be in a tough atmosphere against the talent and discipline of Williams.

Tune in and watch online if you can’t make the game. This is as good as it gets, Middlebury and Williams, two top-ten teams, huge conference and national implications, and great players at every position. It’s going to be fun.

Injury Watch
Dylan Sinnickson would have been a huge part of answering for Williams’ frontcourt talent, but he is still out with injury, as are Nate Bulluck and Dean Brierly. With none expected to play, it will make Middlebury’s bid for the upset that much tougher. Chris Churchill, Henry Pendergast, and Albert Nascimento will all likely be asked to play big roles in this one.

The all-injured team (L-R Bulluck, Brierly, Alvarez, Cuddy, Sinnickson)

This weekend Middlebury (11-0, 2-0) will host Connecticut College (5-8, 0-2) and Wesleyan (7-6, 1-1) to open the home conference schedule. Like last week, I’ve re-posted our pre-season notes on both of these games below, and added some new thoughts based on observations from the season thus far.

Jan. 11: CONNECTICUT COLLEGE (1-9, 8-16)
Date: Friday, 6:00 pm (at Middlebury)
Last year: Middlebury 72-56
Connecticut College is likely to spend the year in the basement of the NESCAC. Aside from junior star Matt Vadas, their rotation is inexperienced and untalented. Vadas would need to have a career night for his team to have a shot at winning this one, and his 5-24 career FG shooting against Middlebury (See: “The Thompson Effect”) does not bode well for him or the Camels.
Prediction: W (3-0)
Jan. 11 Addendum: Vadas now leads the conference in scoring at 22.2 points per game, showing improved shooting stats (43% FG, 40% 3PT, 82% FG) despite being the focal point of every opposing defense. He also leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per game and 1.8 steals per game, proving himself to be one of the best players in the conference in his junior season. Unfortunately for Vadas, his supporting cast remains weak: only freshman forward Aaron McBurnie averages double digit points, but he has not played yet in the new year, so his status for this contest remains a question. The poor depth contributes to Conn College’s weak defensive statistics, as the Camels allow 68 points per game, allowing a conference-high 37.4% opponents’ three-point percentage. Hunter Merryman, Nolan Thompson, Joey Kizel, and Jake Wolfin (who had the best shooting game of his career last season vs. Conn. College) should take advantage from the start. One thing to watch for will be whether Middlebury coach Jeff Brown puts Thompson or James Jensen on Vadas, as both are extremely well-suited for the one-on-one matchup against the combo wing scorer. Expect Middlebury’s conference home winning streak to continue in this one.
Where to listen: WRMC, coverage starts at 5:45 PM.
Stat watch: Senior Jake Wolfin is four assists away from becoming Middlebury’s all-time assists leader, a special accomplishment for a phenomenal passer.

Jan. 12: WESLEYAN (20-6, 7-3)
Details: Saturday, 2:00 pm (at Wesleyan)
Last year: Middlebury 65-62, Middlebury 74-52 (NESCAC Tournament)
Wesleyan is primed to make a run this year as seniors Shasha Brown (17.1 ppg), Mike Callaghan (12.6 ppg) and Derick Beresford (11.7 ppg) look to cap off their impressive careers on a high note. Brown and Beresford, both undersized guards, make for the best slashing-scoring duo in the conference, and Callaghan is a consistent force in the paint with good touch in the mid-range game, as well. But while Brown is considered by many to be one of the best players in the conference (and better than Middlebury’s Joey Kizel), he shot a lackluster 10-25 from the field in their two matchups last season, and in both games he looked outmatched. Wesleyan’s middle-of-the-conference point differential from last season is another reason to think they may be overrated headed into 2012-13. As long as Middlebury can limit Callaghan with Lynch, Jensen, Roberts, and co., the Panthers should get the win on their homecourt.
Prediction: W (4-0)
January 12 Addendum: After a near NCAA Tournament berth last year and returning three senior starters including 1st-Team All-NESCAC guard Shasha Brown, Wesleyan generated more buzz than any other NESCAC team during the offseason. Somewhere between then and now, the wheels came off. Last night Wesleyan lost for the seventh time, falling back to .500 and eclipsing their loss total from last season after just 14 games. Though the Cardinals have the firepower to turn their season around, at this point, they appear to be what Bill Simmons coined a “Good Bad Team” — a team that finishes at or above .500 because they beat all the bad teams on the schedule, but lose consistently to superior teams. Thus far, that has been the case for Wesleyan, who have just one win against a team with a winning record, a 70-59 win over Westfield State on December 5th, over a month ago. Wesleyan’s six other wins have come against teams with a combined record of 25-46, while the team’s seven losses have come to opponents with a 74-20 record. If it’s any consolation for the Cardinals, they’ve yet to lose to a team with a losing record and have only lost twice at home with losses to Williams and Amherst, two top-20 opponents. There is, of course, time for Wesleyan to regroup and make a strong second half run, and winning on the road at Pepin Gymnasium — somewhere the Cardinals haven’t won since 2004 — is a great place to start. Unfortunately for Mike Reilly’s squad, toppling the Panthers, who currently hold a 30-game regular season unbeaten streak at home, seems unlikely. Wesleyan does not appear to be a team primed for a turnaround. While the Cardinals are shooting a respectable 45% from the floor, good for fifth in the conference, the team has struggled shooting the three (32%, T-9th) and making free throws (69%, 9th) — both areas of heightened significance for teams that rely heavily on guard play, as Wesleyan does. Perhaps the most surprising stat of the early season for the Cardinals, however, is their terrible assist-to-turnover ratio. Wesleyan ranks 8th in the NESCAC in both assists (12.4) and turnovers (14.4) per game. Brown and Beresford — the latter in particular — have struggled this season, regressing when many expected the dynamic pairing to form one of the most formidable back courts in the country. While both average double-digit scoring, Brown is shooting just 44% from the floor (down from 51% last season) and Beresford is shooting a putrid 35%. And though neither guard has a reputation for being a real threat from three, they are managing to shoot just 28% from beyond the arc. This is a particular problem for Beresford, who has jacked up an alarming 91 threes this season. For comparison’s sake, Middlebury, which shoots 43% as a team has attempted 204 treys, led by Nolan Thompson who has attempted 57 on the season and made the same number (25) as Beresford in 34 fewer attempts. One of the few bright spots for Wesleyan this season has been the play of forward Mike Callaghan who picked up this season where he finished last year; Callaghan is averaging 17 and eight while shooting better than 53% from the floor. If the Cardinals upset the Panthers today, Callaghan and front court teammate Glen Thomas will have to wreak havoc in the post — an area Middlebury has struggled to defend this season. Thomas will present a significant challenge for the Panthers — he would currently lead the conference in rebounds per game if he qualified statistically and is a force on the offensive glass, grabbing 11, yes 11, offensive rebounds yesterday against Williams. Thomas and Callaghan, therefore, will be the difference makers in this game, not Brown and Beresford, though both will need to score efficiently and set up their teammates while limiting turnovers.

The Panthers traveled to Bates and Tufts to begin conference play this weekend and came away with two wins by a total of 4 points, beating the Bobcats 59-56 and the Jumbos 70-69, and maintaining an undefeated record on the season.

Photo credit: William Lones

In Lewiston on Friday, it was Bates’ defense keeping the game close, especially early, as Middlebury was held to 26 first half points. Bates played very physical in the paint, and the referees weren’t calling anything (first foul on either team was fifteen minutes in), making it tough going for Peter Lynch (4-9 FG) and company down low. On the other end, Middlebury’s guards had trouble sticking with Luke Matarazzo and Graham Safford on isolation drives to the hoop (with so few bigs, Bates often spreads the floor, taking away help defenders). The biggest concern, however, was that Middlebury was outrebounded 42-24 by a smaller Bobcats team, including 14-3 on the offensive boards. We knew Middlebury would regress on the boards without Ryan Sharry, but it has been worse than anybody expected. It’s on Jensen, Lynch, Roberts, and Merryman to turn this around.

Middlebury was able to maintain their slim lead in large part because of the play of their two star guards, Thompson and Kizel. Both were 5-9 from the field, scoring 13 and 17 points respectively. One of the most encouraging signs of the game was Middlebury’s final half-court possession of the game, when they needed a basket and Joey Kizel went isolation on his man and hit a step back jumper. We have discussed it here before, but Kizel is as good as it gets with the game on the line. Jake Wolfin (12 points) was the only other Panther in double figures, and hit some key free throws in the final minute. Hunter Merryman, who had been averaging nearly 13 points per game, was shut out in a lackluster seven minutes of play. Bates was led in scoring by Safford (14 pts) and freshman Mike Boornazian (12 pts).

Saturday’s game was even tighter, with Middlebury losing for most of the game. Middlebury’s offense was out of sync again early, putting up a 39% field goal percentage in the first half. While Nolan Thompson played great defense on Tufts’ leading scorer Ben Ferris (Ferris had four points today, the same total as last season; he has two career made field goals vs. Midd), the rest of the Middlebury defense struggled immensely. Tufts’ starting frontcourt–Tom Palleschi and Scott Anderson–combined for 23 points on 10-18 shooting in the first half. Midd’s bigs didn’t make up for their poor defensive showing either:  Lynch, Roberts, and Churchill (who got significant minutes early) combined for 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 turnovers in 29 first-half minutes. The Jumbos stretched their lead to 37-24 at one point in the first half before a pair of Middlebury threes shrunk the lead to seven heading into the break.

The second half started with more struggles for the Panthers, as the lead was extended to 43-30 in the first two minutes. Palleschi, the 6’8″ freshman, continued to pile on points in the second half, finding the basket in a variety of ways on his way to a game-high 27 points. Palleschi was able to score with post moves from six to eight feet away from the basket, hitting a few lefty hook shots and using his length to find shooting angles around the Middlebury defenders. He could make Tufts a much more complete team in the future.

Middlebury finally pulled together at about the 13-minute mark, down 52-39. A Nate Bulluck layup followed by a Jake Wolfin (13 points, 5-9 FG) three cut the lead to single digits before CJ Moss responded with a layup of his ownto bring it back to ten. In the next two minutes, Hunter Merryman scored eight points on 3-3 shooting as a part of a 10-6 Middlebury run. Middlebury finally started to score inside after that, hitting six layups and four free throws in the next two minutes, making it 70-65 visitors with two minutes to play. Tufts then made two unanswered field goals before Middlebury turned it over with under twenty seconds to go (a long pass from Wolfin to Jensen was errant), giving the Jumbos a chance for the outright win in regulation. Kwame Firempong drove to the hoop as the clock ticked under five seconds (Why wait? If you’re losing, you should shoot game-winner at :10 so you can foul and get another chance if you miss) and could not get a good shot off in traffic. Middlebury secured the rebound and won the game, slipping away from an ugly weekend with a still-perfect record.

When we predicted a Tufts win, we said it was because the Jumbos had the talent to beat a top-tier team, and that was evident Saturday. They have a lot of pieces and although they struggled to come together early in the season, their ceiling in any one game is high enough that they could be the sort of team that upsets one of the big three and makes a NESCAC tournament run this year.

Although the biggest concern this weekend was the post play, a more puzzling statistic was Kizel’s 2-6 showing from the free throw line Saturday, since he shot 91% from the stripe last season. Joey made up for it by leading the team in rebounds (9), assists (5), and steals (2). Here’s a telling statistic relating back to the struggles in the post: Middlebury’s starting backcourt (Kizel, Wolfin, Thompson) finished the game with 23 rebounds, while the rest of the players combined for six.

With the win, Middlebury now has a 40-game winning streak against NESCAC teams outside of Williams and Amherst. The Panthers host Connecticut College and Wesleyan next weekend and J-term should bring a strong crowd to Pepin as the Panthers look to remain undefeated.