Middlebury plays for the first time in nearly a month today, traveling to Rhode Island to play Salve Regina (6-2). This will be the Panthers’ seventh road game in just nine games so far this season, before they play three in a row at Pepin to tip off the NESCAC schedule. The Seahawks, who have yet to lose at home this season, provide a formidable test for Middlebury, which must avoid a New Years hangover to improve to 7-2 on the season.
Salve Regina has not played a particularly impressive schedule thus far, with its two losses coming to Division II Bryant University and perennial powerhouse Rhode Island College, which has struggled out of the games, but is the only Division III team with a longer NCAA Tournament streak than Middlebury. The Seahawks have otherwise handled their schedule with relative ease, including an impressive blowout win over Connecticut College in which Salve Regina held the Camels to just 34 points. While that defensive performance is an outlier, it isn’t a fluke—the Seahawks hold their opponents to just 62.5 points per game (29th in the country). Salve Regina also holds a considerable rebounding advantage over their opponents, though that is aided by the fact that they hold their opponents to less than 41 percent from the floor. The Seahawks other notable victory (for Middlebury fans anyway) was an eight-point win over Wentworth, who are coached by former Jeff Brown assistant, Arlen Galloway.
Projected Starters
Barrett Hanlon, 5’10” sophomore guard — 16.8 ppg, 55/24/71 shooting, 5.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.6 spg
Patrick Dinneen, 6’2” senior guard — 14.6 ppg, 45/39/64, 1.4 spg
Jeff Bielefeld, 6’4” senior forward — 12 ppg, 55/–/61, 8.1 rpg
Josh Hohlfelder 6’5” senior forward — 7.8 ppg, 55/42/67, 3.9 rpg
Nicholas Bates 6’4” freshman forward — 5.4 ppg, 38/08/67 5.1 rpg
Much like other nonconference teams the Panthers have faced, Salve Regina has limited size—something the Panthers have been very effective at exploiting with Jack Roberts on the defensive end affecting shots and Matt Daley getting good looks at the basket on the other end. Defensively, the Panthers will need to slow down Hanlon and Dinneen, a pair of explosive guards. The matchup will test both Joey Kizel and Matt St. Amour on the defensive end and, given the guard heavy play, will likely mean considerable minutes for Jake Brown.
For Middlebury, leaving Rhode Island with a win, and their fifth road win in seven tries, will mean controlling the glass on both ends of the floor and dictating the tempo. The Panthers like to run—and will do so if they force turnovers—but should have a considerable advantage in their half-court sets. Turnovers or failure to execute, the latter of which has been an issue at times early in the season, will prolong the game and force Middlebury to work harder than necessary.
Some rust is expected following the winter recess, but Middlebury is too big and too talented not to put Salve Regina away convincingly. After a season-building win at Skidmore in their last game, road woes should not slow the Panthers who have just two more games remaining before the start of NESCAC play and must quickly rediscover the rhythm their form. Interior players like James Jensen, Jake Nidenberg, Daley and Roberts should see heavy touches in the post, opening up looks on the perimeter for Kizel, St. Amour and others.
After a long hiatus, it’s time to play basketball again with NESCAC play nearly upon us.
The lack of effort at Salve is a big concern. Hustle makes up for a lot of deficiencies and with “d’ can carry a team on an off night. That having been said, these are the positives to consider The bus trip was a problem. I’ve heard it was 7-plus hours when it should have been 5. The game was pushed back to a 5:30 start. TheBoys got there in time to dress quickly and unwind for a half hour warm-up. Having gone thru a couple of these rides from hell a long time ago, once you’re cooped up like that the mental preparation breaks down. Thought that might have been overcome with a decent half but if you saw the game, we were never in sync, and the game was always in doubt. Salve had one player- and he torched us. No doubt the ‘d’ wasn’t up to par. Going on the road you always have to overcome the road factor. Shooting 30% as a team and 20% from 3’s will not get it done -ever- even against a team like Salve who had few athletes and couldn’t make a foul shot down the stretch and no idea how to close out an opponent. Unfortunately Midd was so cold that they couldn’t dig their way out of a 14 point hole in the last 5:00. The end of the game was the only time there was the effort. It was like the lights finally came on but too much damage had been done. Salve’s record makes them seem like they might be too sticky for Midd to handle. They were, with the exception of Hanlon as unathletic as I expected, and we didn’t capitalize on that. No Daley. No Dylan. Either of which might have added enough to steal this one even with the snow and bus trip. Now the road to the post season and thru the nescac looks more ominous. There’s talent, leadership and now probably abouot 15 guys that are ticked they let the game get away. Hopefully that translated to hard, sharp practices this weekend, and will carry forward tomorrow against Plattsburgh. Platts is dangerous- with only losses to DickStockton (10-1)and Oswego St.(8-1). Both those L’s came on the road , so it’s a plus that finally TheBoys are at Pepin. If they can get by tomorrow, both Bates and Tufts are ‘do-able’ as well, and then it might be considered we’re back on track.
It also would be nice to see if we could get back to a ‘first seven’ like we had at Alvernia. Because of Daley’s illness and Dylan’s time off, and no Jensen till game 5, Midd’s been operating with a young patchwork group essentially on the road the whole time. In that light, where we are isn’t awful.
Remember the ’09 team went on a similar bad bus ride to St. Lawrence got shellacked (-18)and had their record at 4-2. Then they ran off 20 in a row only to lose in the ncaaa’s to a long 3 from Bridgewater. I wouldn’t have wanted to be in those practices these past few days. I’m pretty certain that it was gut check time, because thru all of this, JeffB., and part of the reason that there’s been 147 W’s the last 6 is Midd is always prepared, and he is not going down without a fight.
Tomorrow will tell a lot. My take is TheBoys know this and will deliver with their ‘A’-game. Be well. Clubbo.
Or, they could lose by 7.
Yeah, and I think we can agree that a team that hopes to compete for a NESCAC title should have put this team away comfortably. Salve Regina would be a middle of the road NESCAC team at best. That was atrocious.
Salve Regina should be a good test, and of course Middlebury could lose this game if they don’t play well. But I think if this is a NESCAC-title contender (and NCAA tournament team) they should convincingly demonstrate they’re the better team today. I think anything less than that would be concerning. Salve Regina looks vastly improved from a season ago, but they’re a CCC team that hasn’t won a tournament game in this century.
Disagree.
Salve is better than advertised. I can’t see the Panthers “putting them away convincingly” on their court.
I expect Middlebury to gel somewhat better defensively than they did previously and eke out an exciting win. Or, they could lose by 7.
Chris