The Middlebury men’s basketball team opened the season with a perfect weekend to win the Rotary Tip-Off Tournament hosted by Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster, Pa. on Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16. On Friday, the Panthers won their season-opener by defeating the 21st-ranked Alvernia Crusaders 81-71. Clutch free throw shooting down the stretch secured the victory for Middlebury in the championship over Baruch on Saturday. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, the Panthers stayed undefeated by blowing out Green Mountain State College 94-53 in Middlebury’s home opener.
Friday represented the coming-out party for sophomore forward Matt Daley ’16. After struggling through a personally disappointing season last year, Daley got his first career start and made head coach Jeff Brown look like a genius. Against a vertically challenged Alvernia squad, the 6’ 8” forward dropped a game-high 24 points and tacked on 11 boards, an assist and a block in just 25 minutes.
“After last season, I was definitely disappointed in my playing time,” Daley admitted. “But the team was so successful that it was hard to argue [with my role]. So it felt really good to get into the starting lineup and contribute to a win right away.”
Starting opposite Daley, 6’ 8” center Jack Roberts ’14 recorded a double-double of his own, scoring 10 points on five of eight shooting, while pulling down 13 boards and tallying three rejections.
The only Panther to play more minutes than Daley was captain and D3Hoops.com Preseason All-American Joey Kizel ’14. Though struggling from the field (4-14 shooting), Kizel managed 14 points, including a perfect 4-4 from the free throw stripe and 2-6 from deep, while also leading the team in assists (five) and steals (three).
Furthermore, Los Angeles native Hunter Merryman ’15 picked up where he left off last year, when he shot 43 percent from beyond the arc off the bench. On Friday, Merryman played 25 minutes in relief and netted two of four three-point attempts.
The championship was played on Saturday between Middlebury and Baruch. The Panthers led by just three with under 30 seconds remaining, but near-perfect free throw shooting late from the Panthers resulted in a 96-89 victory.
Like Daley on Friday, Dylan Sinnickson ’15 showcased his improved game after missing all of last season due to injury. The ultra-athletic wingman scored 22 off the bench on 8-14 shooting and 4-5 from beyond the arc while leading the squad with eight rebounds. Baruch failed to anticipate that Sinnickson could knock down jumpers at such a proficient clip.
“It feels great to be back in game situations filled with competition and adrenaline,” Sinnickson said. “My skills have definitely improved since the last time I was on the court my freshman year, but it definitely took time to rebuild myself after the injury.”
Kizel returned to form against Baruch, finishing with 24 points on 13-17 shooting from the line and tacking on nine assists and seven boards.
Head coach Jeff Brown hopes to allow Kizel to work off the ball more in the future, but for now realizes that the senior must take control of an otherwise inexperienced backcourt.
“Our backcourt is shaping up well,” Brown said. “Joey is an elite player and we do hope to allow him to play off the ball some [in the future].”
Merryman stepped into the starting lineup for the championship game and provided 34 efficient minutes, racking up 15 points on 6-11 shooting, including a pair of threes on four attempts
Daley was again effective, despite limited playing time due to foul trouble. In just 20 minutes, the forward scored 11 points on four of five shooting, including 3-4 from the line, and grabbed seven rebounds.
Vermont-native and two-time Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year Matt St. Amour ’17 — he of 2,064 career points for Missisquoi Valley Union, third in Vermont state history — started both games on the weekend, averaging 25 minutes.
“This weekend was a great learning experience for me,” St. Amour said. “It was great to start my career with two wins. Starting was a great honor and I tried to focus on the things that the coaching staff wanted to see, like playing defense, communicating and making the smart offensive plays.”
Though failing to find much consistency, shooting 5-17 on the weekend, St. Amour did net 3-8 shots from long range, and Coach Brown expects good things to come.
“I expect him to become more comfortable in our system with more time on the floor,” Brown said.
His teammates, too, have been impressed by St. Amour’s play early on.
“He is a shooter,” Daley said. “He has a bright future and he will hit clutch shots for us.”
The story of Tuesday’s game against Green Mountain College was the impressive debut of Jake Brown ’16. In 12 minutes off the bench, Brown scored four points and tallied four assists, but most importantly played tenacious defense and showed off his ball-handling ability and poise beyond his years.
Meanwhile, Daley was the game’s high scorer with 14 points on 6-8 shooting and 2-2 from the line. Additionally, Luis Alvarez ’14 recorded nine minutes in his first game since last December due to injuries.
After only three games, it is obvious that the Panthers’ depth will be a huge asset this year.
“We have a very balanced team and I expect to use some different lineups throughout the season,” Brown said. “We are looking at several options and combinations. We can have different looks as a team. We are looking to capitalize on our depth.”
The Panthers return to action this weekend in Owings Mill, Md. at Stevenson University for the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic. The Hoopsville Classic will feature two other 2013 Elite Eight teams, Cabrini and St. Mary’s (Md.). Three teams in this year’s field were ranked in the D3Hoops.com preseason top 25, including number 10 St. Mary’s, number 18 Middlebury and number 19 Cabrini. Middlebury’s first game will come on Friday, Nov. 22 against the host Mustangs, and the Panthers will play again on Sunday, Nov. 24 against St. Mary’s, their first of three scheduled meetings against top 10 teams in the country.
Men's Basketball Wins Tip-Off Tournament
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