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Post by Non Alum Dave on Nov 4, 2021 12:04:50 GMT -5
First & foremost, I am really excited for the upcoming season. While the preseason previews and polls do not treat us too favorably, I believe this roster is finally approaching stability. While we can relitigate the past, I firmly sit in the camp that Nelson was handed an incredibly difficult hand in the summer of 2019 and the events that followed (ie. Transfers Out) will in turn expedite the turnaround of the program due to Nelson & staff getting "their guys". We were clearly talent deficient (Carmody left the cupboard bare) & relied on Butler & Faw to carry the burden (Good players, but not good enough for the roles they needed to fill). We're on the road to recovery & recruiting victories have filled the heart with hope. With all of that said, should we have won more than 8 games in the last 2 seasons? Yes.Am I frustrated by the collateral damage along the way in the "rebuild" (ie. Prigden)? Yes.Is Nelson the next Willard? Probably not. Are there a lot of unknowns heading into the 2021 - 2022 season? Yes.Do veteran heavy rosters tend to do better than young ones in the PL, in CBB in general? Yes.
Is that HC basketball currently? No. Anyways, here is why I am optimistic heading into the new season: Ballhandlers: RJ, Dorsey, Luc - I really like this trio of PGs. As a freshman, RJ took control of the O, shot the ball well from 3 (premium on this team) and played good defense. Dorsey, a New Mexico transfer and 6'5 PG, is a welcomed addition. Nelson had a reputation for being a "Transfer Whisperer" at Marquette. Given Gates success and Dorsey's pedigree by playing a year in the Mountain West, I am hopeful it translates immediately. From what I have seen, Luc is the most highly touted recruit in this year's class. Like others, I have seen the highlights and the kid looks electric. It may take time for him to gel, but love the upside. Personally, I don't think there is a more important position to your college hoops team than point guard. From Colgate to Zaga to Nova, I believe that to be the case. The last two years, we asked Butler to help in this department and it wasn't his game. Nelson has restocked the cupboard with natural playmakers to help the offense flow in transition and the halfcourt. Maybe this is the closest we have been to Meade & Thomas....to be determined. Oh and by the way...more help is on the way with Batchelder (hopefully) on his way next year. Wings:Jud, Bo, Bubba - Shooting is a premium and Jud may be the best shooter on the roster. While he may have his defensive deficiencies, it appears he is working on it to increase his versatility on that end of the floor (see recent HC podcast for more). I loved the kid coming out of Worcester Academy and firmly believe he will improve year over year. To me, I thought the unsung hero of the group last year was Bo. Just based on looking at the pictures the team posts, I think its pretty evident the kid hit the weight room. His length and frankly, his ability to take the ball to hoop, excite me. To me, he has much upside as anyone on the roster. Finally, based on Nelson's comments, the team likes how Bubba is shooting it during the offseason. Hope to see him take a step. Bigs:Gates, Rabinovich, Louth, Kenney - Gates is the best player on the roster - where Nelson's bread is buttered. I'm sure we'd all love him to extend his range, but the double-teams he draws will open up opportunities for others on the outside. Whether it's Jud hitting a 3 or Bo attacking a closeout, our offense will more often than not sing to the tune of Gates. With that said, Rabinovich, Louth, and Kenney are the greatest unknowns in my opinion. We've all been frustrated by our defense over the last few years and it won't get better until the "Big Department" develops. Rabinovich could be the go-to guy early on and has some range to complement the inside game of Gates. Louth may ultimately be Gates' like for like sub and occupy the "Dunker" spot in the flow of the offense. Either way, we'll need these guys to step up on the defensive end of the floor, control the glass, and defend a league that actually has some pretty talented bigs, which was discussed in the "Three-Man-Weave Patriot Preview". To name a few: Colgate: Records, Woodward BU: Mathon, Zink American: Alexander, O'Neil Loyola: Dike, Faure Lafayette: Quinn Bucknell: Screen The bottom line: The bigs need to develop in all departments if we're going to find success against some of these teams. Kenney has the makings of real find and his 7'3 wingspan and shot-blocking prowess may end up paying dividends sooner rather than later. In what will be another "bridge-year", I like the makings of the roster. Clearly, we need some seasoning, which will come with time & experience. The tall tale task will be keeping our core players following the season (the transfer portal always scares me these days), but that will in large part be down to the culture that Nelson has built 3 years into the project. Improvement in the Win column is needed. A pending AD hire has probably slightly warmed Nelson's seat a little more, but I can see the building blocks & foundation being laid. Better days are ahead and in two year's time if Nelson hasn't provided the program the jolt to the Win column that we need, we'll be on the look-out for a new leader. With that said, I believe the "rebuild" was necessary. I'd rather suffer a few years than spend a decade in mediocrity. Looking forward to the year, I hope you all are too! Thanks for the detailed observations, '17. I also am very interested in Dorsey and Kenney. Season shapes up to be very interesting at the least. My only quibble is I don't believe Carmody left the cupboard bare; he left kids who were recruited to play a style 180 degrees different from what Coach Nelson wants to do. If he chose to do so (was maybe a veteran coach with head coaching experience with different styles, ala Willard), he could have cobbled together a workable system with kids like Butler, Green, Grandison, Faw, Pridgen, Wade and Niego (I'll even leave Lowder out). As a new coach, he chose to go with what he's comfortable with (understandable), and now hopefully this is where we start to see it pay off.
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Post by bfoley82 on Nov 4, 2021 12:05:02 GMT -5
A single-day ticket will get you entry to all games for the entire day. 50 dollars HC is charging and 8 dollars on Ticketmaster
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Post by lou on Nov 4, 2021 12:07:54 GMT -5
A single-day ticket will get you entry to all games for the entire day. 50 dollars HC is charging and 8 dollars on Ticketmaster Keep looking. About $25 for sideline seats, one game. $8 behind the basket
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Post by hchoops on Nov 4, 2021 13:01:46 GMT -5
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Post by hc17 on Nov 4, 2021 13:11:54 GMT -5
First & foremost, I am really excited for the upcoming season. While the preseason previews and polls do not treat us too favorably, I believe this roster is finally approaching stability. While we can relitigate the past, I firmly sit in the camp that Nelson was handed an incredibly difficult hand in the summer of 2019 and the events that followed (ie. Transfers Out) will in turn expedite the turnaround of the program due to Nelson & staff getting "their guys". We were clearly talent deficient (Carmody left the cupboard bare) & relied on Butler & Faw to carry the burden (Good players, but not good enough for the roles they needed to fill). We're on the road to recovery & recruiting victories have filled the heart with hope. With all of that said, should we have won more than 8 games in the last 2 seasons? Yes.Am I frustrated by the collateral damage along the way in the "rebuild" (ie. Prigden)? Yes.Is Nelson the next Willard? Probably not. Are there a lot of unknowns heading into the 2021 - 2022 season? Yes.Do veteran heavy rosters tend to do better than young ones in the PL, in CBB in general? Yes.
Is that HC basketball currently? No. Anyways, here is why I am optimistic heading into the new season: Ballhandlers: RJ, Dorsey, Luc - I really like this trio of PGs. As a freshman, RJ took control of the O, shot the ball well from 3 (premium on this team) and played good defense. Dorsey, a New Mexico transfer and 6'5 PG, is a welcomed addition. Nelson had a reputation for being a "Transfer Whisperer" at Marquette. Given Gates success and Dorsey's pedigree by playing a year in the Mountain West, I am hopeful it translates immediately. From what I have seen, Luc is the most highly touted recruit in this year's class. Like others, I have seen the highlights and the kid looks electric. It may take time for him to gel, but love the upside. Personally, I don't think there is a more important position to your college hoops team than point guard. From Colgate to Zaga to Nova, I believe that to be the case. The last two years, we asked Butler to help in this department and it wasn't his game. Nelson has restocked the cupboard with natural playmakers to help the offense flow in transition and the halfcourt. Maybe this is the closest we have been to Meade & Thomas....to be determined. Oh and by the way...more help is on the way with Batchelder (hopefully) on his way next year. Wings:Jud, Bo, Bubba - Shooting is a premium and Jud may be the best shooter on the roster. While he may have his defensive deficiencies, it appears he is working on it to increase his versatility on that end of the floor (see recent HC podcast for more). I loved the kid coming out of Worcester Academy and firmly believe he will improve year over year. To me, I thought the unsung hero of the group last year was Bo. Just based on looking at the pictures the team posts, I think its pretty evident the kid hit the weight room. His length and frankly, his ability to take the ball to hoop, excite me. To me, he has much upside as anyone on the roster. Finally, based on Nelson's comments, the team likes how Bubba is shooting it during the offseason. Hope to see him take a step. Bigs:Gates, Rabinovich, Louth, Kenney - Gates is the best player on the roster - where Nelson's bread is buttered. I'm sure we'd all love him to extend his range, but the double-teams he draws will open up opportunities for others on the outside. Whether it's Jud hitting a 3 or Bo attacking a closeout, our offense will more often than not sing to the tune of Gates. With that said, Rabinovich, Louth, and Kenney are the greatest unknowns in my opinion. We've all been frustrated by our defense over the last few years and it won't get better until the "Big Department" develops. Rabinovich could be the go-to guy early on and has some range to complement the inside game of Gates. Louth may ultimately be Gates' like for like sub and occupy the "Dunker" spot in the flow of the offense. Either way, we'll need these guys to step up on the defensive end of the floor, control the glass, and defend a league that actually has some pretty talented bigs, which was discussed in the "Three-Man-Weave Patriot Preview". To name a few: Colgate: Records, Woodward BU: Mathon, Zink American: Alexander, O'Neil Loyola: Dike, Faure Lafayette: Quinn Bucknell: Screen The bottom line: The bigs need to develop in all departments if we're going to find success against some of these teams. Kenney has the makings of real find and his 7'3 wingspan and shot-blocking prowess may end up paying dividends sooner rather than later. In what will be another "bridge-year", I like the makings of the roster. Clearly, we need some seasoning, which will come with time & experience. The tall tale task will be keeping our core players following the season (the transfer portal always scares me these days), but that will in large part be down to the culture that Nelson has built 3 years into the project. Improvement in the Win column is needed. A pending AD hire has probably slightly warmed Nelson's seat a little more, but I can see the building blocks & foundation being laid. Better days are ahead and in two year's time if Nelson hasn't provided the program the jolt to the Win column that we need, we'll be on the look-out for a new leader. With that said, I believe the "rebuild" was necessary. I'd rather suffer a few years than spend a decade in mediocrity. Looking forward to the year, I hope you all are too! Thanks for the detailed observations, '17. I also am very interested in Dorsey and Kenney. Season shapes up to be very interesting at the least. My only quibble is I don't believe Carmody left the cupboard bare; he left kids who were recruited to play a style 180 degrees different from what Coach Nelson wants to do. If he chose to do so (was maybe a veteran coach with head coaching experience with different styles, ala Willard), he could have cobbled together a workable system with kids like Butler, Green, Grandison, Faw, Pridgen, Wade and Niego (I'll even leave Lowder out). As a new coach, he chose to go with what he's comfortable with (understandable), and now hopefully this is where we start to see it pay off. That's certainly fair, but I tend to believe Grandy & Green had one foot out the door no matter who was behind the bench that season. Perhaps, that's unfair and shades my view of the Carmody/Nelson transition. With that said, that core (Green, Grandy, Butler, Faw, Niego, Prigden) could have achieved a ton more in their Junior & Senior seasons. Either way, onward and upward! Genuinely feel the talent on this roster, if given the time to develop & keeping them at HC in the years to come, will surpass those aforementioned names. Ideally, if we can get to a place where we are regularly playing upperclassmen, we won't have as many transfers out of the program and allowing for the underclassmen to actually develop more behind the scenes like at any other D1 program. As I said previously, it will largely come down to the culture that Nelson & staff have built, which I tend to believe is heading in the right direction. Perhaps, I'm placing too much stock in Nelson's comments, but I like the staff he has assembled. A guy like RJ Evans can connect with our players and those relationships are important. As Nelson puts it, "Relationships over Championships".
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Post by longsuffering on Nov 4, 2021 14:09:01 GMT -5
The $8 ticket is for all day, but two eight buck tickets are $33.15 on Ticketmaster after fees. I couldn't see the details without registering so maybe there is a way to lower the fees a little.
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Nov 4, 2021 14:21:41 GMT -5
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Post by bfoley82 on Nov 4, 2021 15:07:16 GMT -5
The $8 ticket is for all day, but two eight buck tickets are $33.15 on Ticketmaster after fees. I couldn't see the details without registering so maybe there is a way to lower the fees a little. Show up at the gate and go to the box office day of....Saves you the ™ fees. The Tickmaster fee is 4.50 and a facility fee of two dollars on an 8 dollar ticket. LOL I don't think those schools are selling out a facility which holds 8,020 fans the week before Thanksgiving.
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Post by purplehaze on Nov 4, 2021 17:23:45 GMT -5
Attendance will be in the hundreds, IMO
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Post by longsuffering on Nov 4, 2021 19:11:06 GMT -5
"It's so Rational... Worcester County National"
Why can't we get holiday tournaments at the Centrum like the Worcester County National Bank tournament anymore?
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Nov 4, 2021 19:18:56 GMT -5
Uh - because HC has been bad for years and no interest from any other schools that would draw coming.
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Post by sader1970 on Nov 4, 2021 19:29:14 GMT -5
Uh, so that means in 2-3 years when Nelson turns the program completely around, we'll have them beating down the doors to Worcester, right?
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Post by longsuffering on Nov 4, 2021 22:08:44 GMT -5
Worcester has colleges playing in all three divisions. How about a multi-division holiday tournament at the DCU with four Worcester teams (HC, Assumption and two D-3 teams) and four regional opponents the Worcester teams don't play in their leagues. If all eight teams can bus to the games and back it would keep expenses down and make tickets affordable. An exception might have to be made for D-2. No nearby non-league opponent I can think of.
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Post by timholycross on Nov 4, 2021 22:32:07 GMT -5
"It's so Rational... Worcester County National" Why can't we get holiday tournaments at the Centrum like the Worcester County National Bank tournament anymore? The four team tournament at some school's home gym/arena are a thing of the past.
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Post by bfoley82 on Nov 4, 2021 23:24:38 GMT -5
"It's so Rational... Worcester County National" Why can't we get holiday tournaments at the Centrum like the Worcester County National Bank tournament anymore? The four team tournament at some school's home gym/arena are a thing of the past. Clark is hosting a Women's Basketball Tournament Friday and Saturday this week with Nichols, WPI, and Worcester State. (Nichols is the replacement for Becker) This tournament used to be held for the Men also but that went by the waysides. WPI Men host a tournament next weekend with St. Joes (ME), Colby and New England College. Plenty of them happen at the D-3 level.
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Post by bfoley82 on Nov 4, 2021 23:29:34 GMT -5
Worcester has colleges playing in all three divisions. How about a multi-division holiday tournament at the DCU with four Worcester teams (HC, Assumption and two D-3 teams) and four regional opponents the Worcester teams don't play in their leagues. If all eight teams can bus to the games and back it would keep expenses down and make tickets affordable. An exception might have to be made for D-2. No nearby non-league opponent I can think of. Plenty of D-2's close by that aren't in Assumption's conference with Bridgeport U, Post U., St. Thomas Aquinas, etc...None of them are going to draw any sort of crowd.
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Post by hc87 on Nov 5, 2021 12:56:41 GMT -5
"It's so Rational... Worcester County National" Why can't we get holiday tournaments at the Centrum like the Worcester County National Bank tournament anymore? I believe the jingle actually went: "What could be more rational? Worcester County National." The commercial had Steve Allen playing the piano I believe
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Post by longsuffering on Nov 5, 2021 15:28:46 GMT -5
"It's so Rational... Worcester County National" Why can't we get holiday tournaments at the Centrum like the Worcester County National Bank tournament anymore? I believe the jingle actually went: "What could be more rational? Worcester County National." The commercial had Steve Allen playing the piano I believe You are correct, sir. I did hear a rumor that Paul Shaffer was set to reprise the role right before WCNB was bought by Shawmut, which was bought by Fleet, which was bought by Bank of America. Shawmut had purchased the naming rights to the new Boston Garden to be known as the Shawmut Center and that's why it opened as the Fleet Center. If Shawmut, the Algonquin name for the Boston area had survived until today, no doubt protesters would at least want them to change their logo, a stylized bust of Sachem Obbatinewat, if not their name.
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Post by Tom on Nov 5, 2021 15:40:58 GMT -5
I believe the jingle actually went: "What could be more rational? Worcester County National." The commercial had Steve Allen playing the piano I believe You are correct, sir. I did hear a rumor that Paul Shaffer was set to reprise the role right before WCNB was bought by Shawmut, which was bought by Fleet, which was bought by Bank of America. Shawmut had purchased the naming rights to the new Boston Garden to be known as the Shawmut Center and that's why it opened as the Fleet Center. If Shawmut, the Algonquin name for the Boston area had survived until today, no doubt protesters would at least want them to change their logo, a stylized bust of Sachem Obbatinewat, if not their name. Going a little farther down this banking tangent, even though the acquisition timeline above is correct, Worcester County National Bank never became Bank of America. Bank of America had a pretty good presence in Worcester County via a couple of prior acquisitions (WCIS and Mechanics) and the banking regulators thought that was too much monopoly in central MA, so as part of the Fleet buyout, all the Worcester County National Banks were spun off into a new bank called Sovereign later renamed Santander
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Post by longsuffering on Nov 5, 2021 15:46:57 GMT -5
You are correct, sir. I did hear a rumor that Paul Shaffer was set to reprise the role right before WCNB was bought by Shawmut, which was bought by Fleet, which was bought by Bank of America. Shawmut had purchased the naming rights to the new Boston Garden to be known as the Shawmut Center and that's why it opened as the Fleet Center. If Shawmut, the Algonquin name for the Boston area had survived until today, no doubt protesters would at least want them to change their logo, a stylized bust of Sachem Obbatinewat, if not their name. Going a little farther down this banking tangent, even though the acquisition timeline above is correct, Worcester County National Bank never became Bank of America. Bank of America had a pretty good presence in Worcester County via a couple of prior acquisitions (WCIS and Mechanics) and the banking regulators thought that was too much monopoly in central MA, so as part of the Fleet buyout, all the Worcester County National Banks were spun off into a new bank called Sovereign later renamed Santander Good memory. For a while I was conducting an informal survey of which entity got the more attractive branches. Sometimes you'd drive into a town center and BOA would have the beautiful brick bank building right on the Town Common and Sovereign would have a storefront in a class B strip mall, but I believe it all evened out as I got to more places.
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Post by hchoops on Nov 5, 2021 15:48:42 GMT -5
Back to hoops Our schedule now says that the BC game one week from tonight is on the ACC extra channel. Well, I have the ACC network, but I have never heard of ACC extra.
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Post by longsuffering on Nov 5, 2021 15:54:43 GMT -5
Back to hoops Our schedule now says that the BC game one week from tonight is on the ACC extra channel. Well, I have the ACC network, but I have never heard of ACC extra. ACC Extra is a streaming only option offered exclusively through ESPN Watch on the ESPN app. Hopefully our ESPN+ subscriptions include that or if you have ESPN cable it's included on the watch anywhere app that Spectrum and other cable companies have.
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Post by lou on Nov 5, 2021 16:47:27 GMT -5
Our BC game is listed in the usual ESPN streaming app on your TV. Search 'boston college' to find it
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Post by crusader1970 on Nov 6, 2021 11:13:56 GMT -5
Here's a great site for most college hoop games that can be seen on cable or streaming:
HC vs BC is listed as both ACC Extra and ESPN+
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Post by trimster on Nov 7, 2021 17:29:52 GMT -5
Today’s Worcester Telegram had a story on the Worcester Academy duo of Martindale and Rabinovich. The latter’s eye injury was either a detached or torn retina suffered in practice. It is fully healed although he will wear goggles this season.
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