Delaware

CAA Quarterfinal Preview

CHN — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 07:34:14 -0800

Robert Canady is covering the CAA Tournament for CollegeHoops.net. His quarterfinals preview:

#2 VCU 25-6 vs. #7 Northeastern 14-16

This has the potential to be one of the more lopsided games of the day.

How They Got Here:

VCU earned 1^st round bye as the No. 2 seed.

Northeastern beat William & Mary 57-49 in the first round.

Key Players:

VCU - Senior guard Bradford Burgess 13.5 ppg and 5.2 rebounds, Juvonte Reddic 10.8 ppg and 7.0 rebonds, Troy Daniels 10.0 ppg

Northeastern - orward Quincy Ford 18 points in 1^st round win. Reggie Specer 10 rebounds in 1^st round win.

What They Do Best:

VCU - Rank 1^st in the country with 10.6 with 10.6 steals per game. 2^nd in the country with a +6.1 turnover margin.

Northeastern - Held William & Mary to .273 on 3-Pt shot and outrebounded them 42-27.

Previous Game: VCU won at home 59-56 in February.

Prediction: VCU 73 Northeastern 65

#3 George Mason 23-8 vs. #6 Georgia State 21-10

A matchup of teams that are strong on the inside and play very physical. Based on GSU’s route of Hofstra in the first round, it could be quite a battle to the end.

How They Got Here:

George Mason earned 1^st round bye as the No. 3 seed.

Georgia State beat Hofstra by a CAA Tournament record 35 points 85-50.

Key Players:

Mason - 2011-12 CAA Player of the Year Ryan Pearson 17.8 ppg and 8.5 rebounds, Sherrod Wright .521 from the field and .401 from 3-pt range.

Georgia St. - Eric Buckner 21 points 11 rebounds in 21 minutes in 1^st round victory over Hofstra, senior Jihad Ali 13.0 ppg.

What They Do Best:

George Mason-.463 shooting from the field.

Georgia St.-hold opponents to .382 FG% 1^st in the CAA and 8^th best in the country. 5.4 blocked shots per game, 1^st in conference and 15^th in the country.

Previous Game: George Mason won 61-58 in Fairfax in January.

Prediction: George Mason 61 Georgia St. 59

#4 Old Dominion 19-12 vs. #5 Delaware18-12

This could be the most anticipated matchup of the day. Delaware has won 9 games in a row and Old Dominion spent most of the season tied for first or second before a couple late season losses.

How They Got Here:

ODU earned a first round bye as a result of being the No. 4 seed.

Delaware beat Towson for the 3^rd time this season 72-65 in the first round.

Key Players:

Delaware - Devon Saddler averaging 18.7 ppg, Jamelle Hagins 12.7 ppg, Kyle Anderson 64 3-pointers on the season.

ODU Sr. Kent Bazemore 15.3 ppg and League Defensive Player of the Year, Chris Cooper averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.

What They Do Best:

ODU - Leads the conference in 40 rebounds per game. Chris Cooper is second in the league in offensive rebounds with 4.2 per game.

Delaware - Scoring, Delaware is second in the league with 69 ppg. FT% .725 is second in the league.

Previous Game: ODU won 68-66 in overtime at the buzzer on an offensive put back.

Prediction: Delaware 71 ODU 66

CAA First Round Preview

CHN — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:46:47 -0800

By Robert Canady: robert_canady@msn.com

The Colonial Athletic Conference tournament begins Friday in Richmond, VA. The conference’s top four teams, Drexel (regular season champions) George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion all have byes into the tournaments quarterfinals on Saturday. We will take a closer look at them later in the week. Here is a look at the first round matchups.

Game 1: #8 James Madison 12-19 (5-13) vs. #9 UNCW 9-20 (5-13) 12:00 pm

The two teams only met once in the conference season and that was a 69-61 JMU victory in Wilmington, NC on January 18^th. Senior guard Humpty Hitchens who had a career high 27 points in the win led the Dukes in scoring. Redshirt junior guard A.J. Davis also contributed 18 points and a career high eight rebounds. Kieth Rendleman the CAA’s fifth leading scorer (15.6) had 12 points to go along with 18 rebounds for the Seahawks.

While the teams may have finished in the lower half of the conference, the game could offer some good individual offensive performances. Four of the top league’s top 10 scorers will be in the matchup: JMU’s Davis 4^th and Hitchens 7^th along with UNCW’s Rendleman 5^th and Adam Smith 10^th.

Both teams finished season with an equal record in conference play. A key to the matchup may be determined from behind the 3-pt arc. JMU is second in the conference in three-point percentage. They are making a conference leading average of 7.8 per game and shooting .362 percent from 3-point range. UNCW on the other hand trails only Drexel and VCU in three-point defense, allowing only .314 percent.

Coaches: James Madison is coached by Matt Brady who is in his fourth year at the helm. Buzz Peterson, a member of North Carolina’s 1982 national championship team, is completing his second year as the Seahawks head coach. Pick: JMU 58 UNCW 52

Game 2: #5 Delaware 17-12 (12-6) vs. #12 Towson 1-30 (1-17) 2:30 pm

These two teams will be meeting for the third time this year and second time in the past nine days. Delaware won the first meeting of the year 62-43 in Newark. The Tigers played the Blue Hens much closer on February 22^nd in Towson before falling 76-69, a game that wasn’t decided until the last minute. In that game, Delaware freshman Jarvis Threatt scored a season high 29 points including 16 of 19 from the free throw line. Towson kept the result in doubt until the end, in part due to seven combined three-pointers from sophomore Marcus Damas (21 points) and freshman Kris Walden (18 points.)

There is a stat that no team that has played on Friday has made it to the final game of the tournament. Delaware is a team that is fully capable of pulling off that task. The Blue Hens enter the game on an eight game winning streak that started with a 65-60 victory over George Mason. They and Drexel are the only two CAA teams not to have lost during the month of February.

Delaware under head coach Monte’ Ross is loaded with offensive firepower. Threatt has been named CAA Rookie of the Week four times since January 23^rd. Sophomore Devon Saddler is second in the conference in scoring at 18.7 points per game. Junior Jamelle Hagins adds 12.7 points a game and guard Kyle Anderson leads the team and all freshman in the conference with 64 three pointers.

Coaches: Towson has begun rebuilding under first year head coach Pat Skerry. Despite the inexperienced roster that has only one scholarship letter winner, the Tigers have played very hard and taken a few of the league’s top teams down to the wire. Better days are ahead for the Tigers in the tournament, but this year most likely will not be one of them. Pick: Delaware 71 Towson 55

Game 3: #7 Northeastern 13-16 (9-9) vs. #10 William & Mary 6-25 (4-14) 6:00 pm

This may be the least intriguing game of the first day matchups. The two teams split the season series each winning at home, Northeastern prevailing 64-50 in January and William & Mary winning big 79-54 on February 11^th. Northeastern started the conference season with a promising 5-2 mark before losing six of their next eight games. They also had non-conference wins against, St. Johns, Boston University and Southern Illinois. In addition, Northeastern knocked George Mason out of a first place tie with Drexel in the second to last game of the season with an 85-82 Overtime victory at home.

Junior guard Jonathan Lee leads the Huskies. Lee provides constant on court leadership, as he was second in the CAA this year with 35.7 minutes played per game. He is also the team’s leading scorer contributing 14.6 points per game. Junior Joel Smith, who is the Huskies second leading scorer with 12.9 points per game, compliments Lee in the backcourt. Both players are capable of taking over a game and putting up big numbers. Smith ended the regular season averaging 20.7 points a game over his last four games and had a season high 29 points in the victory over St. Johns. Lee was very consistent all season, scoring in double figures in all but three games and two of those he had nine points. Lee had a season high 27 points in the win over George Mason.

The Tribe has a combination of experience and youth. Senior Quinn McDowell leads the way with 12.7 points per game and freshman Marcus Thornton is close behind with 11.1 per game. Thornton seems to thrive on tough completion as he had a team season high 28 points against VCU on February 1^st and scored 23 on the road against George Mason in January. McDowell for his part had 27 points against UNCW and 26 on the road at Towson.

Coaches: Bill Coen is completing his sixth season as head coach at Northeastern. Tony Shaver is in his 9^th year at William & Mary. He took his team to the 2010 NIT and is a two time (2008, 2010) CAA Coach of the Year. Pick: Northeastern 64 William & Mary 50

Game 4: #6 Georgia St. 20-10 (11-7) vs. #11 Hofstra 10-21 (3-15) 8:30 pm

Because of the CAA’s unbalanced schedule, these teams only met once and that was not until the 13^th conference game of the season in which Georgia St. won easily on the road in Hempstead, NY. Georgia State has had a roller coaster season if ever a team has had one. After losing all three games in the season opening World Vision Classic in Seattle Washington, they won 11 games in a row. That included a 5 -1 mark to start the conference part of the season. They played a killer stretch of three games in five days against Drexel at home, then VCU and George Mason on the road. The Panthers hit a bit of a mid season swoon as they dropped four out of five games in late January, including a double overtime loss at Delaware. Speaking of overtime, Georgia St. might be the only team in the country that has lost three conference overtime games in the same season. The first two of those came against the Blue Hens of Delaware.

Hofstra finished 3-15 in the conference but had their most impressive outing of the year in the season finale, a 93-64 win at home over UNCW. Hofstra boasts the CAA’s leading scorer, senior guard Mike Moore. Moore averaged a league best 20.7 points per game and had three outings of over 30 points, including the win over UNCW. Moore finished third in the conference with 79 three-pointers on the season including six in the season finale.

Coaches: Ron Hunter is in his first year as head coach at Georgia St. and has garnered some talk as a Coach of the Year candidate in leading the Panthers to 20 wins after taking over a team that had an 11-18 campaign last year. Mo Cassara completes his second season as Hofstra’s coach. He had a very successful first season leading the Pride to a 21-12 record. Pick: Georgia St. 78-69

Quarterfinals Saturday March 3^rd

#1 Drexel vs. JMU/UNCW winner 12:00 pm

#4 ODU vs. Delaware/Towson winner 2:30 pm

#2 VCU vs. Northeastern/William & Mary winner 6:00 pm

#3 George Mason vs. Georgia St/Hofstra winner 8:30 pm

Semifinals Sunday March 4^th

Drexel/JMU/UNCW vs. ODU/Towson/Delaware winner 2:00 pm

VCU/Northeastern/William & Mary vs. George Mason/Georgia St/Hofstra winner 4:30 pm

Championship Game Monday March 5^th at 7:00 pm

Wednesday Recap: Lineup Changes Spark Nothing As UConn Falls

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:56:20 -0800

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun knew heading into Wednesday's game that his struggling team, losers of three straight, needed some kind of spark to get things going. That meant shuffling the lineup, with Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi being replaced as starters by Ryan Boatright and Roscoe Smith, and for a short time on Wednesday night the move paid off. UConn got out to a 13-7 lead at the first media timeout and generally played better basketball on the offensive end, which was likely the desired effect of the move.

But Georgetown went to their 2-3 zone defense, and against zones UConn has shown neither the confidence nor the basketball IQ needed to solve such a riddle. It didn't help matters that Boatright, who did a good job of facilitating the offense, picked up his second foul with just over ten minutes left in the half and the Huskies leading 15-14. It was essentially all downhill from there as the Hoyas woud outscore the Huskies 17-6 the remainder of the half, going on to beat UConn 58-44 and lead many to ask whether or not the defending national champs had what it took to turn things around.

"We come back from six [down] and somebody went for a steal, next thing you know we took a bad shot and now were down ten," remarked Calhoun of his team's struggles. "And you can't keep running up the hill for only so long and so that's where we picked up our fourth straight loss and should have lost all four games."

So how did the four players involved in the lineup changes respond? Not well, with Boatright having his performance short-circuited by foul trouble (zero points, four assists) being the biggest blow given how the flow of the contest changed when he had to sit. Napier, who earlier in the season lamented the lack of a response to his attempts to be a leader, shot 0-for-9 from the field and scored just one point while Oriakhi went scoreless. And Smith opened the scoring 33 seconds into the game...only to not score again.

Last year's team struggled in conference play, but the difference is that (in addition to having Kemba Walker) they were a lot tougher mentally than this group. Who steps up to change the path that this season is currently travelling? Jeremy Lamb's not the vocal type and while he scored 14 points it took 18 shots to do so (making four), and while Andre Drummond (18 points, seven rebounds) was UConn's best player on the floor it's tough to ask a freshman to become the team leader.

The truth of the matter is that Napier and Oriakhi should be the leaders for this team, and yet neither has shown the ability to do so. The teams that leave a mark in March will fight for everything in the face of adversity, pulling together to accomplish the common goal. That hasn't been a trait of this current edition of Huskies, as they either fail to respond or the "fight back" dissolves into guys trying to close the gap all by themselves.

Georgetown, a team picked to finish tenth in the Big East in the preseason, should be the story here given the play of Hollis Thompson (18 points, nine rebounds) and Jason Clark (11 points, five rebounds), and they're likely to improve even more as the season approaches it's defining month. Can the same be said for UConn? That's a tough question to answer at this point, but with a game against a Seton Hall team that's also struggling a lot will be learned about the toughness of both teams on Saturday.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan jumps out to a big lead and holds off Indiana's second half rally to remain undefeated at home.
There's no doubt that Tom Crean's Hoosiers can win big games at home, with the energy provided by the Assembly Hall crowd providing a needed boost to a program that's definitely improved. But what about on the road, where teams have to manufacture their own energy in the face of a hostile crowd? That question remains unanswered thanks to Indiana's slow start in Ann Arbor, as they trailed Michigan by as many as 20 points in the first half on the way to a 68-56 defeat. Indiana was able to get as close as two points (52-50) with less than four minutes remaining but they couldn't overtake the Wolverines, who were led offensively by Trey Burke (18 points, four assists), Zack Novak (13 points) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (13 points).

Indiana shot a respectable 42.9% from the field in the first half but they turned the ball over eight times to just one for Michigan, and the Wolverines converted those miscues into eleven points (led 33-22 at the half). Michigan's now 13-0 at home this season while Indiana remains with just one conference road victory (Penn State) this season. While the Hoosiers are in a dogfight to remain in the top half of the league standings Michigan's bounce back from the loss at Ohio State shows that they remain a serious contender for the Big Ten crown.

2. UT-Arlington opens their new arena with a win over UTSA, increasing their lead in the Southland.
Wednesday night was a special night in the history of UT-Arlington, with the Mavericks playing in the new College Park Center for the first time. And they picked a good matchup for the debut, as defending Southland tournament champ UTSA was in town looking to move into a tie for first place with the Mavericks. But despite turning the ball over 23 times on the night UT-Arlington found a way to win, beating the Roadrunners 67-66 to expand their lead to two games. A pair of Kevin Butler free throws with 13.7 seconds remaining proved to be the points the Mavs needed to remain on track for the regular season crown in their final campaign before they head to the WAC in July.

LaMarcus Reed III scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the way while Butler added 21 and eight, and these two are a big reason why the Mavs were able to make up for their turnovers by out-rebounding the Roadrunners 46-33 and score 16 second-chance points to just seven for UTSA. Kannon Burrage led the Roadrunners with 21 points off the bench and Melvin Johnson III added 14, but with Michael Hale III and Stephen Franklin combining to shoot 2-for-18 UTSA wasn't able to take full advantage of their turnover margin edge. With these two meeting in the regular season finale UTSA essentially has to win out while hoping for some help, and with UT-Arlington having won 12 straight that strategy may not bear fruit.

3. Pierre Jackson and Quincy Acy make big plays late to lead Baylor past Texas A&M.
Scott Drew's Bears seemed to try their best to give Texas A&M the game in the second half as they shot 31% from the field while the Aggies made half their field goals. But thanks to big plays down the stretch from Pierre Jackson (14 points, five assists) and Quincy Acy (11 points, four rebounds) Baylor escaped College Station with a 63-60 win in what could be the last regular season meeting in the "Battle of the Brazos" for a long time. A Jackson three with 17 seconds remaining proved to be the push Baylor needed to get to the finish line, and his two free throws with just over a second remaining sealed it.

Those two free throws came as a result of a hustle play by Acy, whose quick move to tip Jackson's missed free throw out (which Jackson was able to chase down), gave the junior college transfer a second chance at increasing the Bears' lead and he cashed in. After a Ray Turner basket gave A&M a 49-44 lead it was Acy who scored six of Baylor's nine points in a 9-0 run that put them up 53-49 with 6:13 to go. While the lottery picks (Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller) will enjoy the majority of the attention the contributions of a player like Acy cannot be ignored. In fact, that may be what allows Baylor to go deep into the NCAA tournament.

Quick Hitters

1. While the Atlantic 10 has enough quality teams to warrant four bids to the NCAA tournament, the chances of that happening become slimmer when teams at the top of the conference don't take care of business as they should. Wednesday's results of note were UMass losing 81-78 in overtime at Rhode Island and Dayton losing 83-73 at home to Duquesne. Xavier nearly joined those two teams but Tu Holloway's layup with 30 seconds remaining capped a good night for him (21 points, seven assists, six rebounds) and pushed the Musketeers past George Washington 59-58.

2. In a battle for sole possession of first place in Conference USA, Southern Miss finally got over the hump as they beat Memphis 75-72 to snap an 18-game losing streak in the series. Darnell Dodson and Neil Watson combined to score 40 points off the bench for the Golden Eagles, who are now 7-1 in conference play.

3. Center Garrett Stutz has been outstanding in road games for Wichita State this season and that trend continued in the Shockers' 74-67 win at Missouri State as he scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on the night. Ben Smith added 21 for Wichita State, who remains a game behind first-place Creighton (102-74 win over Illinois State) as a result of the victory.

4. With seven freshmen and three sophomores on the roster many expected the first year of Mountain West play to be a tough one for Boise State and it has been. But they've also shown signs of growth, and if not for a missed Thomas Bropleh three as time expired the Broncos would have left San Diego State with a win. Leon Rice's team has the ability to scare some teams in the MWC, and with the likes of Bropleh and Anthony Drmic the future looks to be bright for Boise State.

5. There's now a three-way tie for first place in the CAA as Delaware beat George Mason 65-60 in Newark. Kyle Anderson shot 8-for-11 from the field and scored 21 points to lead the way for the Blue Hens, and as a team Delaware shot 7-for-14 from deep (Mason finished 3-for-16). Drexel and VCU both picked up victories on Wednesday, and with the league's profile being poorer than in seasons past the fight for the CAA crown should be even fiercer than it's been of late.

6. Huge news in the recruiting world was broken by ESPN's Dave Telep, who reported that Tilton School big man Nerlens Noel move back to the 2012 class. Noel, who counts Kentucky and Syracuse among his most vigorous suitors, returns to his original class and is now right there with Shabazz Muhammad for the honor of being the best player in the class.

7. Vermont held off a Boston University rally to beat the Terriers 68-67 in Boston to take over sole possession of second place in America East. Luke Apfeld scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Catamounts, who swept the season series as a result of the win.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Julian Mavunga (Miami (OH))
19 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the RedHawks' 62-57 overtime win over Eastern Michigan.

2. F Thomas Robinson (Kansas)
20 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in the Jayhawks' 84-62 win over Oklahoma.

3. F Orion Outerbridge (Rhode Island)
29 points and 11 rebounds in the Rams' 81-78 overtime win over Massachusetts.

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends" Interview Series: Delaware Great Mike Pegues

Jon Teitel — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 21:54:47 -0700

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Delaware great Mike Pegues, who led the Blue Hens to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and an NIT berth as well. Formerly part of the staff at reigning CBI champion Virginia Commonwealth, the all-time leading scorer in UD history is now back at his alma mater as an assistant coach.

Jon Teitel: Both of your parents (Mike and Sharon) played Division II basketball. Do you think that part of your success is due to genetics, and what did they teach you about the game?

Mike Pegues: I do think that a huge part of my success was due to my mom and dad both having played college basketball. Each of them loved the game with great passion and were really good players in their own right. They both had a great deal to do with my growth and development as a player through their teaching, support, and occasional chastising. My mother worked for the DC Department of Parks and Recreation for nearly 40 years, and this served as a huge advantage for me because I would go to work with her and play basketball pretty much all day long. She would even beat me in games of 1-on-1 as a youngster and help me repair my flaws. My dad and I would also play 1-on-1, and I did not beat him until I got to high school. On Sunday mornings I would play outdoors with him and his friends, and I really developed my competitive edge by playing against adults. Of course, they did not let me play until I had a mustache! Mainly, my parents taught me the importance of good sportsmanship, teamwork, discipline, hard work, and respect for the game.

JT: In 1992 you suffered 13 seizures and slipped into a three-day coma due to encephalitis resulting from chicken pox. How close did you come to dying, and what impact did that experience have on the rest of your life?

MP: I came very close to dying. It was a very sad time for my family. The financial burden for my parents in having to fly across the country to Yakima, WA was a huge strain on them for years afterwards. The funny thing is that my team managed to stay alive in the 14-and-under AAU national tournament, and as soon as I was released from the hospital I asked my mom if I could play...but of course she said no! Life becomes far more precious after something like that, and from that point on I really aspired to do everything to the best of my ability. I also cherished my teammates, family, and friends a great deal more than I had before.

JT: At DeMatha HS you played for legendary coach Morgan Wootten, even though you began school as a 6'5", 280-pound freshman. What did you learn from Coach Wootten, and how were you able to get in shape after being so out of shape?

MP: The first thing I learned from Coach Wootten was that I would never play for him if I did not get into shape. Ironically, Joe Wootten (the coach's son) weighed me in, and from that point on he and the other assistant coaches (including Pat Smith) helped me immensely in my quest to lose weight. They would run with me in the neighborhood and really encourage me to get in shape so that I could become a good player. Coach Wootten was huge for my development, particularly with my fundamentals. I felt that I had a good feel for the game because of my parents and the time I spent around basketball coaches and playground legends in DC. However, Coach Wootten took my understanding of the game to new heights with the various drills and skill work that he taught; being around his basketball camp was a huge plus as well. To get in shape, I simply stopped eating fast food and would try to run in some form nearly every day. Whether on the court, on the track, or running through the streets of Hyattsville, MD, from 1992-1996 you could find me running somewhere!

JT: In 1996 you were one of two DeMatha players who were named to the private school WCAC First Team (future NBA player Keith Bogans was a 2nd-team pick). How good was your team if Bogans was only the third-best player on the team?

MP: We had a very good team my senior year. I believe that Greg Harris (who went on to play at Mount St. Mary's) was our other first team performer. In addition, Brian Westbrook (of the Philadelphia Eagles) was our back-up PG, and Joe Forte (future NBA first round pick) played on the JV team, so we had a very talented program. However, I still believe that we could have been even better.

JT: After high school you went to Delaware to play for Coach Mike Brey (a fellow DeMatha alum). Why did you choose Delaware, and what did you learn from Coach Brey?

MP: I went to Delaware because they chose me. Coach Brey did a great job convincing me that I was their #1 priority, and at the time I was not interested in waiting to play, even if it meant that I would not be going to a high-major school. Coach Brey was a great coach for me. He knew how to push my buttons and motivate me into competing at a high level everyday, no matter the circumstances. He knew how good I could be and refused to let me take shortcuts. What I learned most from him was how important it is to be focused, prepared, and ready to go for practices and games no matter who your opponent is.

JT: From 1998-2000 you were a three-time First Team All-CAA selection (the only such performer in Delaware history). How did you make the leap from freshman year, and how were you able to continue to dominate throughout the rest of your college career?

MP: Greg Smith (the school's all-time leading scorer before I broke his record) was absolutely huge for me because I wanted to be better than him. He would abuse me a lot of times in practice, and I wanted nothing more than to return the favor. I worked really hard that year to get better, and I put in a lot of work during the summer before my sophomore year. I was also fortunate to play with some really great players who made me look good. Looking back, I can remember just wanting to be better than everyone else, especially the guys that played my position. I did not even want it to be close.

JT: What are your memories of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in Chicago (Pegues scored 17 points in a loss to Purdue, who was led by Brad Miller's 15 points on 7-11 FG)?

MP: What was great about that year was winning the America East title when no one gave us a chance. I still remember that feeling of knowing that I was going to play in the NCAA Tournament, which was something that I had dreamed of doing as a kid. Playing in the same arena as the Chicago Bulls was a tremendous feeling...until the referees tossed the ball up in the air and Purdue jumped all over us with a 17-0 run! I still remember Coach Brey's words at halftime after being down 53-17, "Fellas: we ain't gonna get this one, but let's try to go out there and win the 2nd half." It was a crushing feeling to say the least, but no less a great experience overall. I just felt bad that it was the last game for my close friend Keith Davis, who was a senior on that team.

JT: In 1999 you scored a career-high 38 points (16-19 FT) against Hartford. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone"?

MP: I had a good shooting game that night, but I made a ton of free throws as well. It was one of those games where I felt like nobody could guard me.

JT: In 1999 you were the first Delaware men's basketball player to be named conference Player of the Year. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were?

MP: Not really. I knew that I scored a bunch that year, but winning games was the most important thing to me. Had we not won the league that year, I would have been immensely disappointed. We had a great team that year. I was surrounded by great shooters, and we had an experienced point guard in Tyrone Perry, so they did a great job of making things easy for me.

JT: What are your memories of the 1999 NCAA Tournament (Pegues had 23 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Tennessee)?

MP: Along with the city championship during my senior year of high school, that is one of the two games that I look back on and wish that I could have back. We should have won that game. I never told this to anyone, but I sprained my ankle pretty bad in the America East title game against Drexel, and I was just not healthy enough to really explode the way that I planned to. Nonetheless, we still had our chances and simply did not do enough to get it done; that was one we should have got!!!!!

JT: In the 2000 America East Tournament final you had 19 points and nine rebounds in a seven-point loss to Hofstra (Speedy Claxton had 24 points and eight assists to earn tournament MOP honors). What was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards, and could you tell at the time that Claxton was going to become a star?

MP: The mood was somber to say the least. I honestly felt like we had some tough calls go our way, and in spite of those calls we did not do enough to overcome adversity. It was a hostile atmosphere that year, after we had played the two previous championship games at home. Speedy was tremendous. One of the best players I have ever played against. I knew he was good, but I did not realize that he was going to play in the NBA at that time, nor his teammate Norman Richardson. Both of them were great players and true competitors.

JT: What are your memories of the 2000 NIT (Pegues had 24 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to Villanova)?

MP: I cried for about 30 minutes after that game, and so did just about everyone else in that locker room, including Coach Brey. We knew it had finally come to an end, and it hurt. That game was a testament to the guys I played with as well as our coaching staff. We were down big early in that game and were on the verge of getting blown out, but then we made a great comeback and nearly surprised Nova, but just came up a little short.

JT: In 2000 you were named an Academic All-American. What role did academics play in your life, and how rigorous were your classes?

MP: I was a Mass Media Communication major. I had ambitions of sports broadcasting at the time and wanted to be like one of my idols: James Brown. My major was rigorous. We wrote a lot of papers and did a great deal of research in those Communication classes. Academics have always played a huge role in my life; just as in basketball, I always wanted to have the highest test score and write the best paper. Writing was 1 of my favorite things to do, and I took great pride in it. More than anything else, I wanted to do well in school and graduate with honors, because from the time I was born my parents always told me that academics were far more important than basketball and were the gateway to my future.

JT: In 2000 you played one season in the CBA, but after suffering a knee injury you moved overseas to play basketball in Italy, New Zealand, England, and Argentina. What did you learn from those experiences, and how did they compare to college basketball?

MP: I had some great experiences overseas. I met some great people, saw some great things, and had some great times. However, playing college basketball was no comparison to playing overseas. I valued the friendship and camaraderie of my college teammates far more than when I was overseas. It felt more like family in college and less like business.

JT: You were the video coordinator for the VCU basketball team. What did you do in that role, and what do you hope to do in the future?

MP: Let me first say that I am grateful to have finally gotten into college basketball once again after trying for the last three years. It has definitely been an uphill battle. Currently, I assist our team with video editing (including self scouts, opponent scouts, and film exchange), community outreach, and a range of other duties. I also spend a lot time with our players, not only teaching them but also helping them gain a clearer understanding of what it takes and what it means to be a D-1 student-athlete. I enjoy spending time with our players a great deal and shedding some light on this process. In the future, I would like to become an assistant coach (and possibly a head coach) at the Division I level.

*Note: at the time of this interview Mike was at VCU; as noted above he's now an assistant at Delaware.

Mike is also on Jon's list of best fantasy players in CAA history.

Delaware: Mike Pegues (2000) 2,030 PTS (#1), 785 REB (#5), conference Player of the Year

Drexel: Michael Anderson (1988) 2,208 PTS (#1), 724 AST (#1), 341 STL (#1), All-American, two-time conference Player of the Year

George Mason: George Evans (2001) 1,953 PTS (#3), 953 REB (#4), 218 STL (#1), 211 BLK (#1), 57.3 FG% (#3), All-American, three-time conference Player of the Year

Georgia State: Rodney Hamilton (1998) 1,515 PTS (#1), 535 AST (#1), 212 STL (#1), 83.8 FT% (#1)

Hofstra: Bill Thieben (1956) 2,045 PTS (#5), 1,837 REB (#1), two-time All-American

James Madison: Steve Stielper (1980) 2,126 PTS (#1), 917 REB (#1), All-American

UNC-Wilmington: Brett Blizzard (2003) 2,144 PTS (#1), 371 3PM (#1), 249 STL (#1), two-time All-American, two-time conference Player of the Year

Northeastern: Reggie Lewis (1987) 2,709 PTS (#1), 964 REB (#3), 226 STL (#2), 155 BLK (#3), three-time conference Player of the Year

Old Dominion: Odell Hodge (1997) 2,117 PTS (#3), 1,086 REB (#3), 286 BLK (#3), 55.5 FG% (#4), All-American, two-time conference Player of the Year

Towson: Devin Boyd (1993) 2,000 PTS (#1), 438 AST (#1), 264 STL (#2), All-American, conference Player of the Year

VCU: Eric Maynor (2009) 1,953 PTS (#1), 674 AST (#1), 168 STL (#4), 79.5 FT% (#3), two-time conference Player of the Year

William & Mary: Jeff Cohen (1961) 2,003 PTS (#2), 1,679 REB (#1), conference Player of the Year

Jon Teitel's Interview Series: Former Delaware Head Coach Steve Steinwedel

Jon Teitel — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:11:58 -0700

Next up on Jon Teitel's interview series of the best coaches by school is former Delaware head coach Steve Steinwedel, who led the Blue Hens to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and two conference titles. His 1991-92 outfit, which finished 27-4, is considered to be the best team in school history.

Jon Teitel: You played at Mississippi State in the early 1970s. How good were you in college and how did you make the transition from player to coach?

Steve Steinwedel: I was not a great player but I was okay. We had a decent team in the SEC and I started a few games and came off the bench in a few games. My sophomore year I switched from a business major to an education major because I wanted to go into coaching. I started networking with other college coaches while still in school, and I learned that the best way to get your foot in the door was to become a volunteer coach or graduate assistant.

JT: In 1978 you became an assistant coach at Duke after their loss to Kentucky in the title game the previous year. What was it like to be in Durham at that time, and how did Mike Gminski compare to the best players you have ever coached?

SS: We had a team full of very good players, but Gminski was one of the best. We also had Gene Banks and Jim Spanarkel. My first full-time job was at West Virginia and Bob Huggins was there as a graduate assistant, where we first became friends.

JT: In 1982 you were an assistant coach at South Carolina when you had to take over for Coach Bill Foster after he suffered a heart attack in a game vs. Purdue. How close did he come to dying, and how were you able to keep the team from falling apart?

SS: It was unbelievable because it was a nationally-televised game early in our season. Right before halftime Coach Foster asked me if I was feeling sick, because he was worried that he might have eaten something bad during the pre-game meal. I took over for him on his post-game radio show, and we got him to a hospital for quadruple-bypass surgery at 5AM, while Purdue coach Gene Keady and his wife sat with us in the waiting room of the ER. We ended up having a good year, and Coach Foster got better.

JT: In 1985 you were named head coach at Delaware after being one of over 130 applicants. What did it mean to you to finally become a head coach and how did you beat out so many applicants?

SS: It was a dream come true for me. The job I wanted most was at Delaware, but I thought I had a better chance of getting a job elsewhere. It is in a tremendous location as it is so close to so many big East Coast cities.

JT: Instead of a team GPA you set a minimum GPA for each individual player. Why did you do that, and what role do you place on academics?

SS: Academics were the highest priority for me, and the players knew that, even if they did not enjoy the fact that I was a taskmaster. I felt that each player had their own individual potential, and I wanted them to reach that potential both on and off the court.

JT: Your 1992 team went 27-4 including a school-record 20-game winning streak to end the regular season that was the longest in the nation. How were you able to turn a high jumper, a sprinter, and a cricket player into such a dominant team, and was that the best team you ever coached?

SS: It was certainly a unique group, as well as the best team I ever had. We were in the process of building the state-of-the-art Bob Carpenter Center and moving into it the following year. Delaware graduate/ESPN announcer Tom Mees had a lifelong dream of working a Delaware game in the NCAA tourney, but we were not able to make it come true.

JT: What are your memories of the 1992 NCAA tourney (Nick Van Exel had 18 points and nine rebounds in a win by Cincinnati for your old friend Bob Huggins)?

SS: I wish Van Exel had not played, as he was unstoppable. It was a tremendous experience for all of us, so we could have been more prepared. I went to high school in Cincinnati and the game was Dayton.

JT: What are your memories of the 1993 NCAA Tournament (Anthony Wright scored 17 points in a six-point loss to Louisville in Indianapolis)?

SS: I grew up in Indiana and was friends with John Cougar Mellencamp's family, but you would have thought that I was the biggest celebrity in the state. The experience from the previous year's tourney benefited the core of our team a lot, and we felt that we could compete; close but no cigar.

JT: You wrote your doctoral dissertation on the phenomenon of "life coaching". Why did you choose that topic and what is your philosophy about the importance of coaching?

SS: I took a counselor's view of this phenomenon, so I interviewed some people about executive training. There are many parallels between athletic coaching and life coaching.

JT: You are an Adjunct Professor in Community Counseling at Wilmington College and Counselor at Delaware Technical and Community College. How do you like those jobs, and what do you want to do in the future?

SS: I have been at DTCC for 15 years and I really enjoy it. I love the connection with the students, and I see many of my former players who live in the area. I am at the point of my career where I might be ready to step into a new profession: maybe life coaching and continuing to teach at the college level.

Steinwedel is on Jon's list of best coaches in CAA history

Delaware: Steve Steinwedel (1985-1995) 163-121, two NCAA Tournaments, two conference titles, one-time conference Coach of the Year

Drexel: Bill Herrion (1991-1999) 167-71, three NCAA Tournaments, five conference titles, four-time conference Coach of the Year

George Mason: Jim Larranaga (1997-present) 229-142, four NCAA Tournaments, one Final Four, three conference titles, one-time conference Coach of the Year

Georgia State: Lefty Driesell (1997-2003) 103-59, one NCAA Tournament, four conference titles, one-time conference Coach of the Year

Hofstra: Jay Wright (1994-2001) 122-85, two NCAA Tournaments, two conference titles, two-time conference Coach of the Year

James Madison: Lou Campanelli (1972-1985) 238-118, five NCAA Tournaments

UNC Wilmington: Jerry Wainwright (1994-2002) 136-103, two NCAA Tournaments, three conference titles, two-time conference Coach of the Year

Northeastern: Jim Calhoun (1972-1986) 248-137, five NCAA Tournaments, five conference titles, one-time conference Coach of the Year

Old Dominion: Blaine Taylor (2001-present) 188-103, three NCAA Tournaments, two conference titles, one-time conference Coach of the Year

Towson: Terry Truax (1983-1997) 202-203, two NCAA Tournaments, four conference titles, two-time conference Coach of the Year

VCU: JD Barnett (1979-1985) 132-48, five NCAA Tournaments, four conference titles, two-time conference Coach of the Year

William & Mary: Bruce Parkhill (1977-1983) 89-75, one conference title

College Basketball Odds & Predictions: Tuesday

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:14:01 -0800

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the day's lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

February 2nd: College Basketball Lines & Predictions

- listed are the day's 6 most popular/intriguing games. I only predict games from this pool due to fan interest.

7:00

Michigan
at Northwestern

Favorite

Northwestern by 1.5

Over/Under

125

7:00

Providence
vs Syracuse

Favorite

Syracuse by 15

Over/Under

168.5

7:00

Mississippi
vs Kentucky

Favorite

Kentucky by 11

Over/Under

150.5

7:00

Seton Hall
at Villanova

Favorite

Villanova by 10

Over/Under

166.5

7:00

Miami-Florida
at Wake Forest

Favorite

Wake Forest by 6.5

Over/Under

142

9:00

Michigan St
at Wisconsin

Favorite

Wisconsin by 2

Over/Under

123.5

- Lines as of 11:30 am (from BetUS) - Check out the day's full set of odds as the day progresses. Predictions below:

CAA Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:55:50 -0800

With four teams legitimately battling for the CAA title, and top-notch players like Charles Jenkins and Chad Tomko on lesser teams, the CAA season should be one to remember.

Conference Rank: 13th

10 year average: 14th

CAA Conference Page

All-CAA Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Charles Jenkins	Hofstra	Jr
G	Chad Tomko	UNC Wilmington	Sr
G/F	Matt Janning	Northeastern	Sr
F	Gerald Lee	Old Dominion	Sr
F	Larry Sanders	VCU	Jr

Player of the Year - Charles Jenkins Freshman of the Year - Luke Hancock (George Mason)
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
CHN All-Americans Larry Sanders Mid-Major All-Americans Charles Jenkins (2nd Team) Larry Sanders (2nd) Matt Janning Gerald Lee		Best Scorer Charles Jenkins 19.7 Best Rebounder: Larry Sanders Assists: Darius James

CAA Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

48	Old Dominion	Colonial	1	NCAA
66	George Mason	Colonial	2	NIT
83	VCU	Colonial	3	NIT
102	Northeastern	Colonial	4	CBI/CIT
125	James Madison	Colonial	5	CBI/CIT
162	Hofstra	Colonial	6
172	Drexel	Colonial	7
229	Georgia State	Colonial	8
244	William & Mary	Colonial	9
251	Towson	Colonial	10
278	Delaware	Colonial	11
292	UNC Wilmington	Colonial	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the CAA?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the CAA?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:01:36 -0700

CAA Championship: Preview & Prediction

Evan Dorey — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:10:49 -0800

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Colonial Athletic

The CAA Tournament gives semifinal byes to the top 4 teams, and all games are hosted in Richmond; not in VCU’s home arena, but only a few minutes away. For that reason, I’ve decided to treat the games as semi-home games, giving a partial bonus to VCU’s chances.

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Virginia Commonwealth	100.00%	94.56%	83.70%	58.63%
2	George Mason	100.00%	83.28%	52.85%	22.67%
3	Northeastern	100.00%	70.20%	33.03%	11.76%
4	Old Dominion	100.00%	65.32%	10.70%	2.94%
5	Hofstra	89.78%	34.02%	3.86%	0.74%
6	Drexel	86.17%	28.77%	9.19%	2.16%
7	James Madison	76.07%	15.00%	4.62%	0.85%
8	Georgia St.	46.20%	2.32%	0.69%	0.08%
9	Delaware	53.80%	3.12%	1.03%	0.14%
10	William & Mary	23.93%	1.72%	0.22%	0.02%
11	Towson	13.83%	1.03%	0.08%	0.00%
12	NC Wilmington	10.22%	0.66%	0.01%	0.00%

VCU is indeed the favorite, as we’d expect from the hosts and champions, but I was rather surprised just how good its odds are. Both GMU and Northeastern will provide tough potential challenges, while ODU are primed for an early defeat, and Drexel could be a bit of a Cinderella.

#1 – Virginia Commonwealth Rams (21-9, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.165

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (2^nd Round)

With the tournament being hosted in Richmond, VCU will be heavily favored to back up its regular season crown with a CAA tournament title. The Rams are the conference’s best defenders, holding opponents to just 38% shooting, and leading the league in forcing turnovers. They also don’t commit many turnovers themselves, and are very good three point shooters, but their rebounding leaves something to be desired.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Eric Maynor, 22.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG,6.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 52.3 eFG% - There aren’t many conferences in the country where the player of the year is quite this clear-cut, but I don’t think anyone could make a reasonable argument that there’s been any CAA player better than Maynor. He leads the conference in scoring and in assists, and manages to shoot an excellent percentage despite taking almost a third of his team’s shots. His assist total is pretty good, but his rate is even better, one of the very best in the nation, and he manages to distribute the ball while rarely turning it over. When he was the ‘Dagger’ against Duke, he was a good player, but now he’s stepped up to be one of the very best scorers in the country.

6-9 SO Larry Sanders, 11.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 51.5 eFG% - There’s not a lot of space to be a great player with Maynor on your team, but Sanders has managed to do it, one of the conference’s best rebounders and shot-blockers. He’s a pretty solid offensive contributor; a good inside foil for Maynor, but he often struggles with foul trouble, and without him the Rams are a lot more vulnerable inside.

#2 – George Mason Patriots (20-9, 13-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.143

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

The Patriots played fairly poorly on the road all season, and a couple of bad losses left them short of the conference title. They actually won every game they played on their home floor, but a 2-4 stretch in the middle of the conference season was a killer to their chances. George Mason has had the CAA’s best offense, shooting over 52% from inside the arc and avoiding turnovers, and its defense has also been solid: the Patriots cause opponents a lot of problems on long-range shots.

Players to watch:

6-7 SR Darryl Monroe, 10.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG,1.2 SPG, 57.9 eFG% - Monroe may be a senior, but he’s a Ju-Co transfer who arrived the year after the run to the Final Four. After redshirting last season, he’s looking for his first NCAA appearance, and has been a big player for the Patriots, leading the team in rebounding while shooting a stellar 58% from the field.

6-4 SO Cameron Long, 11.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 54.0 eFG% - Long is the team’s leading scorer, and one of the few Patriots who is a serious three-point threat. He’s also a solid inside shooter who can chip in with some assists, and while he often doesn’t score a whole lot, he can easily break out for 15-20 points.

#3 – Northeastern Huskies (18-11, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.112

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1991 (1^st Round)

Northeastern looked like it would have the inside track for a conference title when it sat at 10-1, with just one game left against the other top contenders. The Husky offense came unravelled down the stretch, though, and a few bad losses dropped it to third. They are the only team that looks like challenging the top two, but may not have the form to get to the final. It’s tempting to say that Northeastern has an excellent defensive team, but that’s mostly due to its slow pace; the Huskies have been better on the offensive end, decent shooters who earn a lot of points at the free throw line. They do force a lot of turnovers, but aren’t great rebounders and allow opponents to shoot 34% from behind the arc.

Players to watch:

6-4 JR Matt Janning, 14.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 47.4 eFG% - Janning leads the Huskies in scoring, but hasn’t been a particularly effective player, just barely making a third of his threes and well south of 50% on his two-pointers. He doesn’t contribute too much in other areas of the box-score, and in the last few games has seen his scoring fall off.

6-4 Chaisson Allen, 9.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 44.9 eFG% - Allen is a pretty weak shooter, and doesn’t score much, but leads the Huskies in rebounds, assists and steals, though a lot of this has more to do with how much he plays, as his rates in those areas are fairly pedestrian.

#4 – Old Dominion Monarchs (20-9, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.032

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

From sitting at 5-5 with a month to go in the season, the Monarchs put together as good a run as any team in the conference, losing just once the rest of the way. Old Dominion takes the ball inside a lot, and while it doesn’t make a huge percentage of shots, it does crash the offensive glass really well. Its free throw shooting may be a liability down the stretch, among the worst in the league. While the Monarchs are good at attacking inside, their defense isn’t nearly as good on the interior, though it does defend the outside well; forcing a lot of turnovers and rarely fouling.

Players to watch:

6-10 JR Gerald Lee, 15.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 57.0 eFG% - It’s rare to find a 6-10 player at this level who isn’t a great rebounder, but that’s exactly what Lee has been. The Finnish national’s strength is in his offensive game, as he’s a 57% shooter who sees a lot of the ball.

6-5 SO Ben Finney, 10.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 53.6 eFG% - Finney may be five inches shorter than Lee, but he has out-rebounded him on the season, and has easily been the team’s best player on the offensive glass. He’s also a pretty efficient scorer, having a decent three-point touch to go with good scoring ability inside. His 58% free throw shooting is a big problem, though.

#5 – Hofstra Pride (20-10, 11-7) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.010

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2001 (1^st Round)

Hofstra has the honor of being Ken Pomeroy’s luckiest team in the entire country, as it’s been outscored by an average of two points in conference play, and yet finished fifth in the standings. The Pride lucked out with a weak draw, but don’t look likely to challenge the better teams. They have one of the conference’s weakest offenses, as they are both terrible shooters (including 43% from two) and turn the ball over a lot. The one bright spot is rebounding, but when you miss as often as the Pride do, it’s not that much of a benefit. Hofstra has some serious defensive problems as well, committing a lot of fouls and allowing opponents to score pretty easily from behind the arc.

Players to watch:

6-3 SO Charles Jenkins, 19.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 42.9 eFG% - Jenkins is second in the CAA in scoring, though this is more about the sophomore’s role in the offense than his ability to shoot. His percentages are decent but not great, though an 81% showing at the stripe sure helps. Still, he’s an excellent distributor of the ball who can potentially go off for a big number, and has twice put up more than 30 in the month of February.

6-10 SO Greg Washington, 5.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 49.6 eFG% - Washington doesn’t score much, but he doesn’t need to, as the core of his game is rebounding, where he leads the team despite often playing less than 20 minutes, and shot-blocking, where he puts up one of the best rates in the country. Watch out for the Dragons in two years, when both Jenkins and Washington are seniors.

#6 – Drexel Dragons (15-13, 10-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.050

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (2^nd Round)

If you want to pick a team outside the top 4 that could cause a surprise, Drexel might be worth a shot, though a 2-5 finish to the conference season doesn’t give much hope to its chances. The Dragons managed to break the .500 mark despite being one of the country’s worst shooting teams. There are two reasons: they are good offensive rebounders, and their opponents have been just about as bad making shots as the Dragons have. It’s very rare to see a team lead the conference in two-point defense and finish last in two-point offense, but somehow Drexel manages it.

Players to watch:

5-10 SO Jamie Harris, 8.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 48.0 eFG% - Harris is Drexel’s most efficient player, and when you consider that he turns the ball over a fair amount and shoots just 41% from two-point range, this is something that should really concern the Dragons. He’s the team’s only three-point shooter who hits more than a third of attempts, but his role in the offense is too small to really help the team.

6-3 SR Scott Rodgers, 13.7 PPG,5.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 39.0 eFG% - Rodgers is a little better than his pathetic eFG% would suggest, leading the team in assists and putting up a pretty good percentage at the free throw line, but he still wastes a lot of possessions on missed shots.

#7 – James Madison Dukes (18-13, 9-9) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.022

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1994 (1^st Round)

James Madison is a deserved .500 team, finishing pretty close to even in EM over the course of the conference schedule. It’s a pretty good shooting team that turns the ball over a lot, and it also manages to hold opponents to a conference-best 28% from behind the arc. The Dukes’ problem has been defending the inside, as their inability to stop shots or get a lot of rebounds has held them back.

Players to watch:

6-3 JR Pierre Curtis, 8.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 52.9 eFG% - Curtis doesn’t tend to take a lot of shots, but has a good percentage on the ones he does take, and manages to get to the free throw line a lot, where he’s an 81% shooter.

6-6 SR Juwann James, 15.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 59.7 eFG% - James missed much of the month of November, but on his return he brought an excellent dimension to the Dukes’ offense, shooting nearly 60% from the field and doing a great job on the offensive glass. He’s averaged 20 points in the month of February, and is the team’s best offensive threat.

#8 – Georgia St. Panthers (11-19, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.058

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2001 (2^nd Round)

Now that we’ve reached the #8 seed, the teams begin to head south, with all sporting fairly large negative efficiency margins. All the teams previously discussed had defended at at least a point-per-possession or better, with Georgia St. being the first to fall short of that standard. The Panthers are a decent shooting team from the field, but have hit under 60% from the free throw line, and have been poor offensive rebounders. Defensively, opponents take a lot of long distance shots against Georgia St., which probably works out for the best, given how weak its interior play has been.

Players to watch:

6-1 SR Joe Dukes, 12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.8 SPG, 47.3 eFG% - Dukes leads the team in points, assists and steals, but his shooting has been somewhat spotty, and his role has gradually shrunk over the course of the season.

6-0 JR Trae Goldston, 11.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 50.9 eFG% - Goldston’s overall numbers have been pretty solid, but he’s tended to be very inconsistent, with periods where he’s a big scorer sandwiched between stretches where his shot hasn’t been going. If he’s on, he can put up 15-20 on any team in the tournament, but that’s a pretty big if.

#9 – Delaware Blue Hens (13-18, 6-12) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.046

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1999 (1^st Round)

Delaware may sit towards the bottom of the conference standings, but it certainly has the potential to cause some upsets, as it is the only team outside the top four to have beaten both George Mason and VCU this season. The Blue Hens put up a lot of threes (something we’ll see often towards the bottom of the conference), and make them at a pretty good clip, but have little interior presence, especially in terms of rebounding. They tend to give opponents a big possession advantage, through the dangerous combination of not grabbing misses and forcing few turnovers.

Players to watch:

6-6 SR Marc Egerson, 15.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 48.5 eFG% - The conferences’ leading rebounder, Egerson is the only man in the CAA to average a double-double, but doesn’t do it in the way you might expect, as he’s an excellent defensive rebounder who gets a lot of offense from behind the arc.

5-10 JR Brian Johnson, 10.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 53.6 eFG% - Johnson has been a very solid guard for the Hens, especially down the stretch, averaging nearly 15 points in his last eight games. He’s a 40% three point shooter who gets a lot of assists, while controlling turnovers fairly effectively.

#10 – William & Mary Tribe (10-19, 5-13) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.075

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

The Tribe enter the tournament on what is for them a roll, having crawled their way back to respectability after a 1-10 start. Frankly, you wouldn’t expect very much out of a team that takes most of its shots from behind the arc, but shoots just 31% from there. They’ve been an OK defensive team, but have allowed opponents to shoot pretty well from long-distance. The change in William & Mary’s recent positive stretch has been putting together better shooting with control of turnovers; they’d occasionally done each thing for the first part of the season, but getting them to happen in the same game was uncommon until the last month or so.

Players to watch:

6-3 JR David Schneider, 14.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 44.7 eFG% - Schnieder is an ugly shooter, just 35% overall and 30% from behind the arc, but he puts up a good assist rate while committing few turnovers (just 43 all season), which ends up making him a pretty efficient player despite his problems.

6-5 FR Quinn McDowell, 9.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 57.8 eFG% - McDowell doesn’t play a huge role in the offense as a freshman, but when he does takes shots, he usually hits them, putting up the highest three-point shooting numbers on the team and hitting 57% of his shots inside.

#11 – Towson Tigers (10-21, 5-13) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.107

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1991 (1^st Round)

Towson has had a difficult season, and are deserved 11^th place finishers after having a lot of trouble of the defensive end. Teams have been able to exploit the Tigers inside , shooting 52%, and they don’t do anything else well enough to make up for those troubles. Their offense has been respectable, not making a lot of shots, but getting a lot of chances by limiting turnovers and picking up a good number of rebounds.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Junior Hairston, 12.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.9 BPG, 47.1 eFG% - If Hairston took less three-pointers, he’d be one of the conference’s better players overall, but with his 30% shooting serving as an anchor to his efficiency, he’ll have to settle for excellent rebounding and block rates. He also holds onto the ball pretty well, and his shooting is the only serious weakness in his statistical profile.

6-7 JR Jarrel Smith, 11.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 46.4 eFG% - Smith doesn’t have any particular area in which he’s that strong, but he’s a decent shooter who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, which is a relative rarity on this team.

#12 – NC Wilmington Seahawks (7-24, 3-15) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.075

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

The Seahawks have easily been the worst team in the league, ranked at the bottom of the conference on both ends of the floor, and their win over VCU stands out as their only half-decent result. They allow opponents to shoot a absurd 58% from two-point range, and aren’t much better outside the arc. A lot of this can be linked to their pace of play, the conference’s fastest. This creates a lot of turnovers, but NC Wilmington pays for it by getting badly outrebounded, and is unable to create for itself the same high percentage chances it gives up.

Players to watch:

5-11 SO Chad Tomko, 15.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 46.6 eFG% - Tomko takes a lot of shots when he’s on the floor, and while he doesn’t shoot a great percentage, he makes up for it with excellent assist and steal rates.

6-3 JR Johnny Wolf, 13.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 50.6 eFG% - Wolf takes most of his shots from behind the arc, and is one of the rare Seahawks that manages to hit more than a third of these attempts. The most interesting thing about Wolf may be how infrequently he fouls; since fouling out twice in the first three games, he has committed just 21 in the next 27 games.

My statistical all-Colonial team:

Virginia Commonwealth SR G Eric Maynor, 22.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG,6.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 52.3 eFG%

Delaware SR G Marc Egerson, 15.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 48.5 eFG%

Hofstra SO G Charles Jenkins, 19.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 42.9 eFG%

George Mason SR F Darryl Monroe, 10.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG,1.2 SPG, 57.9 eFG%

Old Dominion JR F Gerald Lee, 15.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 57.0 eFG%

2009 CAA Tournament: Schedule/Seedings Announced

Press Release — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:20:49 -0800

The pairings are set for the 2009 CAA Men's Basketball Championship, which will be held March 6-9 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va.

First-round tournament action tips off on Friday, March 6 as #8 Georgia State (11-19, 8-10 in CAA) meets #9 Delaware (13-18, 6-12 in CAA) at Noon, followed by #5 Hofstra (20-10, 11-7 in CAA) against #12 UNC Wilmington (7-24, 3-15 in CAA) at 2:30 p.m. In the night session, #7 James Madison (18-13, 9-9 in CAA) takes on #10 William and Mary (10-19, 5-13 in CAA) at 6 p.m., followed by #6 Drexel (15-13, 10-8 in CAA) versus #11 Towson (10-21, 5-13 in CAA) at 8:30 p.m.

In the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 7, #1 VCU (21-9, 14-4 in CAA) faces the Georgia State/Delaware winner at Noon, followed by #4 Old Dominion (20-9, 12-6 in CAA) against the Hofstra/UNCW winner at 2:30 p.m. In the night session, #2 George Mason (20-9, 13-5 in CAA) meets the JMU/William & Mary winner at 6 p.m., followed by #3 Northeastern (18-11, 12-6 in CAA) against the Drexel/Towson winner at 8:30 p.m.

The semifinal contests will take place at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 and the CAA men's basketball championship game is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 9.

Tickets are $21 per session and $70 for a tournament book that includes all 11 games. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.