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.

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.

The Panthers had Williams on the ropes, up eight with five minutes to go, and fell apart, ultimately losing by one, 64-63, after scoring only one basket in those last five minutes. The end of the game was in too many ways similar to the loss at Keene State last year, and — to a lesser extent — the close wins over Williams last year, and Tufts and Wesleyan this year. When Middlebury is up late in these big games, they start playing not-to-lose way too early, the offense becomes stagnant and clumsy, and the defense unwinds in step. It’s become so typical of this team that we have come to expect it. Something frustratingly obvious changes on the court and once it happens, we just watch and hope the buzzer goes off before the other team has taken full advantage. Whether it’s the hand-off offense or the no-penetration mindset of the guards or the timidness of the big guys down low, they become a different team and it doesn’t work and it wastes great performances. If the Panthers want to beat truly quality opponents down the road, from Keene State to Amherst to Tufts or Williams in the conference tournament, they will need to start closing aggressively and mercilessly, something of which they are capable.

On the game in general, it would be unfair not to mention the defensive performance of Nolan Thompson, who guarded forward Taylor Epley (19.8 ppg, 50% FG, 47% 3PT) and absolutely shut him down. When Epley ran around screens on the perimeter, Nolan stayed glued to his every step, usually stopping the pass altogether, and other times forcing a bad shot or a reset. When Epley went into the post, Nolan fronted him every time and the pass almost never came. Epley finished the game with 4 points (1-6 FG), 2 rebounds, 0 assists, and 3 turnovers in 35 minutes of play. The fact that Nolan can do this against a forward like Epley despite a height and size disadvantage (similar to Matt Vadas, on whom Thompson had the same effect), as well as against top point guards in the conference who are far quicker and smaller, is unbelievable. He is a special player and it’s hard to imagine a better perimeter defender will ever come through the program. (Note: Nolan was given a rest once in the game, after Epley checked out. Less than a minute after Nolan sat down, Epley was sent back into the game. Nolan got to the scorer’s table in time to come back in the game before the ball was passed in, and he never sat again. Again, special.)

James Jensen’s play also deserves recognition. He contributed 12 points (4-8 FG, 4-4 FT) on offense and was terrific on defense, forcing turnovers, hedging screens, covering ground quickly, and playing the best of any Middlebury forward against Mayer down low. Jensen brings intensity to big games, as we saw at Wesleyan, and it comes along with a dangerous combination of hustle, length, and athleticism on defense, as well as an ever-developing offensive game. He played starter minutes (31) today, as we predicted/hoped, and it would be surprising if that didn’t continue in big games down the road.

Finally, a reminder that Keene State (Tuesday night, Pepin) should not be overlooked. They beat Middlebury last year and can do it again. Hopefully we will have a post up previewing the challenges that the Owls present by Tuesday.

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

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.

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.

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.

Jan. 18: HAMILTON (15-10, 4-6)
Details: Friday, 6:00 pm (at Middlebury)
Last year: Middlebury 76-64
Hamilton lost top scorer Pat Sullivan and will have a hard time making up for his absence, but will look to rely on their tall senior big men, 6’6” Eric Benvenuti (7.2 ppg) and 6’8” Ken Click (7.1 ppg). Jack Roberts will be called upon to shut down Click, and from what we have seen in his man defense against bigs, he will come through. Guard Greg Newton is their top returning scorer, but his .488/.361/.833 splits from last year are unimpressive [Update: this is not unimpressive, but in fact a very good stat line. -1/18]. This game also comes at about the time of the year when Middlebury students start to really fill out Pepin gymnasium in J-term, so Hamilton could be in for a thrashing.
Prediction: W (4-1)
Jan. 18 Addendum: Hamilton is 8-8 on the season and looks like a .500 team across the board. The Continentals score just 66.8 points per game but limit opponents to just 67.1 points; they have grabbed one more rebound on the season than their opponents and have a turnover margin of just +0.5. Yet while their track record is decidedly average, they have played one of the tougher schedules of any NESCAC team, and have shown flashes of an ability to play up to top-level competition. In December, against undefeated national powerhouse Rochester, the Continentals were thrashed in the first half but outscored the Engineers over the last 20 minutes. A few weeks later, Hamilton beat Ursinus, a team that Middlebury had trouble with in their season-opener, and just last weekend, Hamilton almost beat Amherst (16th in the country), as the Lord Jeffs were lucky to escape Clinton with a two-point win. Hamilton does their damage with a combination of size and outside scorers, with Newton (11.3 ppg) and his backcourt-mate Matt Hart (15.3 ppg) leading the team in scoring and each shooting over 43% from the floor, and a frontcourt quartet of Click (6’8″), Benvenuti (6’6″), Bradley Gifford (6’5″), and Peter Kazickas (6’4″) complementing them to the tune of a combined 28.2 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Thus, this might be a game where Middlebury will miss Dylan Sinnickon’s defense, and we could see more Chris Churchill (who had the best game of his career last weekend vs. Wesleyan) along with heavy doses of Roberts and James Jensen, as a result. It seems just as likely, however, that Middlebury throws Thompson on Newton or Hart, and takes their chances with the rest of the team, as Hamilton lacks the individual dynamic scorers to warrant a gameplan adjustment. This strategy would result in more minutes for the offensively-minded duo of Peter Lynch and Hunter Merryman. Rotation questions such as these are becoming increasingly relevant as Jeff Brown seeks to replace the minutes of injured top reserve guards Nate Bulluck and Dean Brierley, so it will be an interesting sub-plot to monitor this weekend. Back to the big picture, as long as Middlebury avoids one of their signature slow starts, their offensive weapons will be too much for Hamilton to deal with and they should win somewhat comfortably.
Stat watch: Senior captain Nolan Thompson, reigning NESCAC player-of-the-week, is three points away from the 1,000-point mark for his Middlebury career. Hopefully Panther fans show up to give Nolan the ovation he deserves for the milestone accomplishment, as he has been one of the centerpieces of the greatest run Middlebury basketball has ever had.

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.