Although the season is 13 games old, this weekend is in many ways a new beginning for the men's basketball team.
After compiling a 7-6 record in non-conference play, the Jumbos kick off NESCAC play at Williams tonight followed by an afternoon matchup with Middlebury tomorrow. While the non-conference schedule can help determine at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament, the NESCAC games are the focal point of the season. This year's Jumbos look to bounce back from last year's disappointing 1-8 NESCAC record, which came after a 9-4 non-conference record to start the season.
"Last year, we could never put together 40-minute stretches in conference play, other than the Williams game," junior co-captain Jon Pierce said. "This year, we want to try and be more focused on the little things. If you make a mistake against a NESCAC team, they're going to exploit you."
Williams, which Tufts defeated 93-68 last year, comes into the game with a 10-5 record in non-conference play. The Ephs are led by the three-prong scoring attack of guards senior co-captain Kevin Snyder and junior Blake Schultz and junior center Joe Geoghegan, who average 17.4, 17.2 and 14 points a game, respectively. At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Geoghegan has proven to be a tough matchup for opposing defenses so far this season. Along with his formidable point total, he averages a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per game.
"We're going to have to do good team defense and guys are going to have to be help-side and be conscious of their size to give some help down low," senior co-captain Aaron Gallant said.
Tufts will look to improve on its potent but sloppy offense that averages nearly 18 turnovers a game. Pierce leads the team with 21.8 points a game, while junior forward Dave Beyel and Gallant have been attacking the basket well, leading to point averages of 13.2 for Beyel and 12.5 for Gallant. Defensively, Williams has been stifling, holding its opponents to a shade under 63 points per game and 40 percent shooting from the field. But the Jumbos are confident that if they follow their offensive game plan, they should have success against the Ephs.
"Offensively, we're just trying to refine and fine-tune the things that we've been doing all season and get better at what we do," Gallant said.
The team will stop for the night shortly after leaving Williamstown and finish the rest of the journey through Vermont in the morning, arriving at Middlebury for a 2 p.m. tip-off. The Panthers will serve as an abrasive wake-up if the Jumbos are made weary by travel.
If Williams' defense has been good, then Middlebury's has been fantastic. Opponents have only managed to shoot 37 percent from the field against the Panthers and have averaged a mere 60 points per game. Behind this stout defense, Middlebury has burst out the gate to a 12-2 record their only losses coming without their senior co-captain Aaron Smith. This has garnered the team 29 votes in the nation's top 25 poll.
Offensively, Middlebury doesn't have any single prolific scorer, instead evenly distributing the scoring load. Six players average more than seven points per game, with senior guards Kyle Dudley and Co-Captain Ben Rudin leading the team at around 12 points per contest. The Panthers, however, have struggled with their shooting and have shot only 43 percent from the field. The inaccuracy increases from three-point range, where they shoot a meager 29 percent.
"It's almost harder to stop a team like that because it's so balanced," Pierce said. "It puts the onus on everyone to step up and do their job and stop their man. But on the flip side, if everyone does their job, they're going to struggle to find open looks."
Tufts will have another giant to deal with inside as sophomore center Andrew Locke, who measures a formidable 6-foot-10, figures to start for the Panthers. However, the real monster inside for Middlebury is the power forward Smith. Though Locke is four inches taller, Smith's 235 pounds provide the bulk that has enabled him to average 9.0 rebounds per game. The game figures to be a battle on the glass, as both teams rebound the ball well. The Jumbos, led by Pierce with 9.3 rebounds per game, hope to counter Smith with their impressive plus-7 rebounding differential.
"We feel confident that no matter what kind of size we're up against, we're still solid basketball players and our plays can work against anyone regardless of size matchups," Pierce said.
Though it's clearly too early to classify this weekend's games as must-win, the matchups against Williams and Middlebury will be crucial for building momentum for the NESCAC portion of the schedule.
"Every game is important in the NESCAC," Gallant said. "These games are important, and we want to make sure we do as best we can to come out with two wins."
