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| Michael Mayer has been huge
for Williams this season, but the last time Williams beat Amherst
was so long ago that Mayer didn't even play. Williams athletics photo |
By Rob Knox
D3sports.com
The Williams College men’s basketball team is confident underdogs heading into its national semifinal showdown against rival Amherst College on Friday night at the Salem Civic Center. It’s unusual that a preseason top five team enters a weekend as a heavy underdog, but it’s a rare position that Williams (27-4 overall) is embracing.
This will be the fourth meeting of the season and the 214th all-time between the two powerhouse New England Small College Athletic Conference programs. Reigning national champion Amherst has won all three contests by an average of 11.3 points. One statistic working in Williams’ favor is it is 4-0 all-time against Amherst in the NCAA Tournament, picking up wins in 1997, 2003, 2004 and 2011. The 2004 win was an 86-81 triumph in the national semifinals at the Salem Civic Center. But the 2011 win was the last time Williams has beaten Amherst in men's basketball.
The winner advances to Saturday’s national championship game against the winner of the earlier game between Illinois Wesleyan and UW-Whitewater.
“We are going to enjoy the experience as much as possible,” Williams head men’s basketball coach Mike Maker said. “Amherst is very talented and well coached. We’re in unfamiliar territory because we are the clear cut underdog this weekend. I don’t think anybody outside of Willamstown is giving us much of a chance. All four programs have proud basketball traditions. We’re going to relish our new role and hope we can play our best basketball this weekend.”
Williams as an underdog is like a Kevin Hart movie not being hilarious. Almost laughable and unfathomable.
It’s hard to imagine Williams as a clear-cut underdog especially after the way it marched through the Mary Washington sectional like General Sherman stormed through Georgia as the Ephs won their two games last weekend by an average of 25.2 points. The Ephs have been rolling in the NCAA tournament by shooting a lights out 51.8 percent (115-for-222) in their four games.
In addition, to being undefeated against Amherst in the NCAA Tournament, the Ephs are also 5-0 in the Commonwealth of Virginia this season having defeated Washington College (at Washington and Lee), Washington and Lee, Hampden-Sydney, Albertus Magnus and Mary Washington.
Another reason it’s hard to imagine Williams as underdogs is because of the towering presence of 6 foot, 9 inch senior Mike Mayer, one of the best players in the nation. Not many teams have the all-around threat that he has become on its team. The math major who wants to be an environmental engineer relating to clean energy was named first-team All-NESCAC, first team D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region for the second consecutive year and was a preseason All-America selection.
“There’s nothing he doesn’t do well on the court,” Maker said. “He plays and thinks like a guard. He can handle the ball, pass, and rebound. He has an array of moves and is an outstanding teammate. He’s one of the best players to ever play at Williams. While he’s a very good player, he’s an even better person who comes from a great family. He represents our program well and we appreciate what he’s done for our program.”
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Mayer, who is from Durham, N.C., had a rare opportunity to play in front of his family last weekend at the Mary Washington sectional in Fredericksburg, Va. Playing in front of his aunts, uncles, cousins and more, Mayer dazzled by scoring 27 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a 110-92 win over Albertus Magnus and posting 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 79-48 win over the host Eagles. The best part of the entire weekend experience for Mayer, aside from leading Williams to its seventh Final Four appearance, was being able to have his grandparents watch him play in person for the first time in four years.
Mayer averages 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. With eight double-doubles this season, including one in each of the four NCAA tournament games, Mayer has raised the level of his play during the money month of March. He is averaging 19.7 points and 14.5 rebounds in this year’s tournament. All-time at Williams, Mayer ranks 10th in points (1,424) and sixth in rebounds (697).
“We’re working hard this week and treating it like any other game,” Mayer said. “It’s less pressure on us. We’re excited to be in the national semifinals again and looking forward to the opportunity we have in front of us. I love playing here because every game is real important and we get great support from the community. We always hang around until the end of March and that’s fun. It’s really cool and see the All-Americans walk around and it’s really nice to hang out with them when they’re here.”
Mayer is dominating for Williams because former Eph Matt Hunt recognized the potential and talent in him while coaching against him in Durham. Following a rivalry game between Mayer’s Riverside High and Northern High, Hunt mentioned Williams to him and shared his wonderful experiences he had playing in Williamstown.
“I had never heard of Williams College before he came up to me,” Mayer said. “My dad was excited when I told him about it and I started doing research on the school and I was intrigued by the fact that I would be able to go to a great school and play basketball at a high level.”
Mayer received the best on-court education during his freshman year, playing behind Williams All-American Troy Whittington. He came into Williams wanting to play right away, but after two open gyms, he knew his opportunity to perform consistently for Williams would happen at a later time. Playing for a program like Williams is like playing for basketball royalty so Mayer patiently waited his turn.
Mayer enhanced his game by watching You Tube clips of Kevin McHale, Hakeem Olajuwon and Larry Bird, his Mount Rushmore – minus one – of his favorite players. That would explain why Mayer ties defenders in knots with his smorgasbord of moves around the basket. Thanks to his dad’s love of ’80s NBA, Mayer developed into a student of the game as well. Mayer can pretty much do whatever he wants on the basketball court. He can pass like John Stockton, rain jumpers like Bird, rebound like McHale and score like Olajuwon.
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“Mike is unbelievable with his consistency,” NESCAC Rookie of the Year Duncan Robinson said. “It’s been a lot of fun for us to throw the ball into him and watch him to go to work. He draws so much attention and is so unselfish. He’ll throw it back out to us. I know we wouldn’t be here without him. I am really happy for everything that he’s accomplished because he’s worked hard it.”
Robinson appears to be the next big-time performer for the Ephs. He had an immediate impact in his first year. He was named second team All-NESCAC and third team D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region. Robinson leads the Ephs in points scored with 501 and he is the first Eph freshman to tally 500 points in a season. Robinson averages 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds a game.
He also leads the Ephs in minutes played (1,036), 3-point field-goal percentage among players with two made per game (44.6), blocks (36), steals (35) and is tied for team high in 3-pointers made (75) with Taylor Epley, who has tallied 1,433 points in his career and he has 394 points (13.6) this season. All-time at Williams, Epley ranks ninth in points. Senior guard Hayden Rooke-Ley missed nine games this season due to injury, but is back to health and is averaging 11.1 points a game. Another key contributor this season has been guard Daniel Wohl, who averages 13 points per game.
“It’s been exciting for me to come here and contribute right away,” Robinson said. “I had the chance to start from day one, which has been great. We’re hoping for a better finish to our season. We’re playing our best basketball of the season. It’s always nice to have an opportunity to play our rival. I didn’t quite know the magnitude of the rivalry until I got here. It’s an incredible rivalry and being able to play in it has been great.”
The strength of the Williams brand and its amazing tradition is not only in reflected with Mayer’s connection to the school, but also Robinson. His AAU coach with the Middlesex Magic was Michael Crotty, who was a point guard on the Eph 2003 NCAA national championship team in 2003. Crotty was the first Eph named NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2001.
“I am really proud of the team,” Maker said. “We have high expectations every year. We’re grateful to get to Salem because it’s not easy to do. It’s a great tradition that we have here at Williams. Playing and going here isn’t for everybody because our student-athletes are challenged on and off the court. I feel blessed to be here. Participating in a Final Four never gets old. We have a lot of confidence that we can play with anybody. We’re very fortunate to be here and looking forward to the challenge.”