Post Game Thoughts From Hofstra - Oregon State

It actually seemed like a hot summer night in November in Corvalis, Oregon as Oregon State hosted Hofstra  in a regional round TicketCity Legends Classic game.   The game was close throughout, but the Beavers held off the Pride 82-72 in a game that ended early after midnight New York time.  As I followed the game on the WRHU and Oregon State TV feeds, a lot of things stood out, both good and bad.

• Hofstra had good balance.  Four players scored in double figures with Mike Moore leading the way with sixteen points, David Imes had fifteen and seven rebounds and Nathaniel Lester and Shemiye McLendon each had twelve points.  Steve Mejia added nine points.
• The Pride shot well from the field, shooting 48 percent and were 5 of 10 from beyond the arc.  
• McLendon was particularly huge off the bench. With Lester in foul trouble in the first half, McLendon kept them in the game. 
• Despite scoring nine points, Mejia again struggled.  He had five turnovers with no assists and was 0 for 3 from the foul line.  The air ball on an one and one attempt with 6:52 left with Hofstra down 62-60 was a crucial moment in the game.
• Dwan McMillan again had a good game off the bench, playing twenty five minutes and managing to anger the Corvalis faithful with his tenacious play.
• The best team in free throw shooting in the CAA last season again struggled from the line.  The Pride shot 19 of 30 from the line.  Lester and Mejia were a combined 0 for 5 and Mike Moore, the second best FT shooter in the CAA last season was 5 for 8.  Definite room for improvement.
• A bigger concern though is the assists to turnover ratio.  The team that led the CAA last season in assists to turnover ratio had fifteen turnovers and seven assists.  It starts with Mejia, who needs to play like he did at Rhode Island.
• The Pride held their own on the boards vs. Oregon State.  The Beavers barely out rebounded the Pride 31-30.  Definitely an improvement so far from last season.
• Hofstra's bench outscored Oregon State's 20-9.  
• Still, Lester and Moussa Kone fouled out for the Pride and the bench got a little thin at the end.  I am hoping we might see Bryant Crowder soon.  
• Oregon State has a pretty good team.  They have a stud in Jared Cunningham.  He put in thirty five points against the Pride.  He went to the free throw line SEVENTEEN times.  That's Jenkinsesque.  
• But it's not a solo act for the Beavers.  Devon Collier gave the Pride fits, scoring twenty five points. Also, Jared Burton had an unusual double double with eleven assists and ten rebounds.  
• However, Oregon State could work on their free throw shooting as well.  26 of 40 is nothing to write home about. 
• As noted, the game was close throughout.  The lead changed five times. Oregon State's largest lead was ten points and that was with 1:10 left in the game (and of course the final score).  There was no shame in this loss for the Pride.

It was a good test for the Pride and though the final score doesn't indicate they passed the test, they played well.  As noted, there are things to improve on and the next chance for improvement is Saturday vs. Saint Francis.   The only way to find out if they improve is to Pack the Mack and see the game live for yourselves.

A Saturday Afternoon in New Rochelle

Yesterday was a busy day. First it was a Saturday morning pancake breakfast with my family to benefit our school here in North Bellmore.  Then it was raking leaves on a blustery day. But I only got the front yard and the side done.  There is still the backyard to do, because I made a promise to see my friend Tony Bozzella's Iona Lady Gaels take on Villanova for the championship of the Iona Tip-Off Tournament.

Iona got to the championship game by beating North Carolina A&T in the first round 85-69.  In that win, Kristina Ford had thirty four points, eclipsing the one thousand point total for her career.  Suzi Fregosi had her first ever career double with twelve points and ten assists.  Meanwhile, Villanova got to the championship game by upsetting #25 Michigan State in the first round, winning convincingly 75-64. 

Along the familiar drive to New Rochelle, I picked up my friend Mal from his house.  The Hoops Trifecta was only a duo yesterday, as our friend Tony Terentieff, aka Tieff, could not make it.  Mal, Tieff, and Coach Bozzella all went to high school together in Glen Cove.  I adopted them all when I became friends with Tieff in college. 

After getting stuck in the usual Cross County exit delay on the Hutchinson River Parkway, we got to the Hynes Center a few minutes into the game. As we walked into the gym, the Gaels' Danika Martinez drilled a three pointer to put Iona up 14-10.  Martinez is one of the Gaels' several freshmen on the team.  The Wildcats responded with eight straight points to go up 18-14.  But Iona would tie the game at twenty with seven and half minutes left in the first half on a jumper by Aleesha Powell, another of the Lady Gaels' freshmen. 

Iona stood toe to toe with their Power Six conference opponent for the next five minutes.  And despite three straight prior possessions ending in a turnover, another Powell basket, a three pointer, put the Gaels within two, 31-29 with 2:40 left.  Villanova though would score the last six points in the half to go up eight, 37-29 at the break.

Still, the Gaels were within range of a team that has been picked to finish in the top half of the Big East.   And Nova came out in the second half and validated why they deserved to be picked that high.  The Wildcats went on a 24-7 run over the first ten and half minutes.  Nova displayed excellent ball movement during this time.  The Wildcats shredded the Gaels' zone with crisp passes that either found someone out on the perimeter for an open three or one of their players underneath for an easy layup.  Villanova was up 61-36 with 9:25 left.  

But Iona kept fighting. Powell, Martinez and Ford, the three leading scorers for the Gaels continued playing hard.  Powell, the Philly native, scored a career high 13 points against a school in her hometown. Ford, the focus of the Wildcats defense the entire night, scored 12 points, while Martinez had 11 points and 7 rebounds. 

But Villanova would go on to win the Tipoff Championship 76-47.   Fregosi and Ford would be named to the All Tournament Team along with Villanova's Rachel Roberts, who took home the Tournament MVP. Fregosi is making her return back after sitting out last season due to injury.  Bozzella considers Fregosi the leader of his team and her point guard play is crucial to the Lady Gaels' success this season.

With the win, Wildcats coach Harry Perretta won his 600th career game, the 22nd Division I coach to accomplish that feat and only the seventh coach to do it for one team.  If you watched yesterday's game in person, you could see how Perretta's teams won 600 games, two Big East regular season conference championships and have had eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.  What stood out for me was that the Wildcats had nineteen assists and only eight turnovers.   It was truly an impressive performance by Villanova.

Iona presented Perretta with the game ball to signify the accomplishment, which he greatly appreciated with a thanks to Coach Bozzella, who happens to be Perretta's good friend.  In an AP recap, Bozzella stated  "Harry is everything that's right with women's basketball.  How could I not honor him? I'd want my daughter to play for him."

As for Bozzella, history has shown not only do his players want to play for him, they also want to coach for him as well.  Mandy Myers, Toni Horvath and current assistant coach Lauren DeFalco are former players who have coached under Bozzella at Iona.  His players also return to visit with the coach.  After the game, former center Anna McLean and former point guard Marissa Flagg visited with Bozzella.  Loyalty runs deep with Bozzella and the Lady Gaels.

The Lady Gaels are now 1-1 early on in the 2010-11 season.  But there seems to be great promise for this young team that was picked to finish fifth in the MAAC in the preseason poll.  Before Mal and I left the Hynes Center, I took this picture of the three WNIT banners hanging from the gym ceiling.  Before Coach Bozzella started at Iona, the Lady Gaels had never made a post-season appearance in the history of the program.  Now all he wants to do is add one NCAA Banner to those three WNIT banners.  With the talent the Lady Gaels have, he might just get it this season.

LIU Perspective Recap on Mid Majority Site

I posted a LIU perspective recap of last night's game for the 800 Games Project on the Mid Majority Site.  For the Hofstra perspective recap, look at the previous article listed below.

Hofstra's New Dynamic Duo Downs LIU

This was supposed to be a year of transition for the Hofstra Pride.  The first season of the post Charles Jenkins era is supposed to be a stop gap between last season's team and next season's team.  In 2012-13 much ballyhooed transfers Taran Buie and Jamal Coombs- McDaniel will be eligible and talented recruits Jimmy Hall from St. Anthony's and Dallas Anglin from Seton Hall Prep, both of whom just signed on Wednesday, will be part of a freshmen class that still has two scholarships available.

The 2011-12 version of the Pride is supposed to hold the fort until that new class takes over.  The Pride were picked anywhere from sixth to tenth in the CAA this season.  The biggest question with this season's team was how were they going to make up for the loss of Jenkins in the scoring department.  Jenkins just happened to be in attendance for last night's game vs. LIU.  What Jenkins and 3,586 other people saw might have been the answer to that question as Nathaniel Lester and Mike Moore combined for fifty six points as Hofstra rolled over LIU 89-71.

My son Matthew and I got to the Mack Center early last evening.  Hofstra was holding a FanFest at the Physical Education Center next store.  The Fanfest had free food, inflatables for the kids to play in and for Matthew, the ability to shoot hoops, one of his favorite things on the planet.   There was a pretty good crowd there, a mixture of Hofstra students, families and their children and long time season ticket holders.

My little partner in crime and I left the Fanfest early and got to our seats an hour before game time.  Before long, a good crowd started filling up the Mack Center.  The students did their part, filling up the Lions Den for the first game of the season.  Long before tipoff, the Lions Den started a "LETS GO HOF - STRA" chant.  It was an electric feeling to start the season.

This was going to be a tough test for the Pride.  The Blackbirds were coming off a 27-6 season where they won the NEC championship on their home court, then gave #2 seed North Carolina fits for the first fifteen minutes of their first round NCAA Tournament game before losing only by fifteen, 102-87.   Six of their eight top players, including their top two leading scorers, Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere, returned for this season.

The game started out in LIU's favor as Boyd scored four quick points for a 7-2 Blackbirds' lead.  But then David Imes and Nathaniel Lester combined to score twenty five of Hofstra's first twenty nine points.  A Lester layup put the Pride up 29-20.  However, the Blackbirds would close the gap and a Michael Culpo three pointer would make the score 32-30 at the half.

It was a sloppy first half in many regards.  The two teams combined for twenty one turnovers in twenty minutes.  LIU struggled at the line shooting 6 of 13.  Hofstra only had two free throw attempts in the first half and Imes missed both of them.  Both teams shot well when they held onto the ball.  LIU shot nearly 44 percent while Hofstra shot 50 percent.

Another sign that it was a sloppy first half was that Moore struggled with only two points. Last season, Moore was the wingman to Jenkins that he so sorely lacked in his two previous seasons.  Moore averaged about 15 points per game.  But now, Moore is the top gun, not the wingman.  And two points in a half just wasn't going to cut it.

The second half started out like the first, relatively close.  It was 37-35 Pride with sixteen minutes left in the game when Moore caught fire.  He scored eight straight points to put Hofstra up nine 45-36.  The Blackbirds would only get as close as five the rest of the way, 47-42 on a three point field goal by Joey Rodriguez clone Jason Brickman.

Then Lester and Moore took over.   The Pride went on a 38-17 run with Moore and Lester accounting for twenty five of those points.   I can honestly say the crowd was stunned as Hofstra was up 85-59 with three minutes left.  No one and I mean no one expected to see the Blackbirds dominated like that.  Moore scored twenty one of his twenty three points in the second half.  But that was to be expected.  What Lester did was a revelation.

When Lester first came to Hofstra for the 2007-08 season, he was a much ballyhooed recruit from Canarsie.  It was going to be Charles Jenkins and Lester that were going to take the Pride to new heights.  While Jenkins more than live up to the hype, his good friend Lester struggled in his role under Tom Pecora.  He was sometimes a starter, sometimes a sixth man.  Often, to be honest, he seemed to be in Pecora's doghouse.

When Pecora took his ball and his recruits to Fordham, Lester had a new chance under new Coach Mo Cassara. Unfortunately, he tore his quad during off season workouts and was redshirted for the 2010-11 season.  He sat on the sidelines as his team and his dear friend, Jenkins, finished third in the CAA with a 14-4 record, their best since the 2006-07 season.  Lester graduated from Hofstra with his undergraduate degree and now has one last chance to fulfill the promise he came with back in 2007.

And last night he showed that promise.  Lester was aggressive and confident.  He consistently drained his three pointers (3 of 4 from beyond the arc) and drove with authority to the basket.  He used his strong frame to gain position and put in shots or get fouled.  Lester was 12 of 14 from the line last night and had five rebounds, three on the offensive end.  With Jenkins in the stands, Lester put on a performance worthy of Sir Charles himself, scoring a career high thirty three points on the night.

Lester wasn't the only revelation last night.  Dwan McMillan, who was injured for most of last season, came off the bench and had ten assists in twenty five minutes.  McMillan, who looks definitely quicker than last season, ran the offense extremely well.  The Pride shot a stunning 71 percent in the second half and 59 percent for the game.  Defensively, the Pride forced twenty turnovers and held LIU eleven points under their average from last season.  David Imes had ten points and seven rebounds while Steve Mejia had seven points and four assists.for the Pride.

LIU was led by Olasewere with thirteen points, while Brickman had eleven points, while Boyd finished with only nine points. The Blackbirds had a very off night from the line, shooting only 17 of 32 from the charity stripe and were only 8 of 21 from beyond the arc as well.

There were areas for improvement for Hofstra as the Pride committed eighteen turnovers.  Hofstra also shot an uncharacteristic 23 of 34 from the line.  But overall, it was a very successful, albeit surprising night for the Pride and their fans.

And thanks to the new dynamic duo of Lester and Moore, Hofstra's "year of transition" may be a lot more than that.

LIU vs Hofstra Preview - Things to Watch For Tonight

There is no better way to spend your early Friday morning (and when I mean early Friday morning, I mean 2:15 AM) then dividing up your Hofstra season tickets into three neat piles.  One for my friend Tony, one for my friend Mal, and two for my older son Matthew and me.  As much as I talked about the Queens - Hofstra exhibition game starting the season, tonight is the first home game of the season that actually counts.

This promises to be a very good game. LIU won the NEC championship on its home court in Brooklyn in March.  Then the Blackbirds proceeded to give North Carolina fits for a good fifteen minutes in their first round NCAA Tournament game (game was tied at 33 with five minutes left in the first half) before losing by only fifteen 102-87.  

Meanwhile, Hofstra is playing it's first regular season game in the post Charles Jenkins era.  It's the return of Nat Lester after missing a year due to a quad injury.  The Pride are coming off a fine 2010-11 season themselves, going 14-4 in the CAA, 21-12 overall and finishing third in a conference that had three teams make the NCAA Tournament (George Mason, ODU and of course VCU).  Second leading scorer Mike Moore returns with Lester as well to give Hofstra a good one-two scoring punch.

LIU is picked to finish first again in the NEC.  Meanwhile, Hofstra has been picked to finish somewhere in the middle of the CAA.   Then again, the Pride were picked around the same spot a season ago, and we all know what happened.

So now that I hopefully have drawn you all in for tonight's action, here are some things to look for in the game.

• Contrast of Styles? - LIU was fourth in the nation last season in points per game at 82.  They were also fifth in the country last season in possessions per game, 70.6.  The Blackbirds averaged 1.07 points per possession.  It's high octane basketball at its finest.  The Pride need to slow the pace down somewhat and keep the game in the 60s - low 70s.  If they try to run with LIU, it could be a long night for Hofstra.
• Old Dominion, Drexel, LIU.  What do they have in common?  Rebounding.  Amazingly, the Blackbirds were third in the nation in rebounds, 41.8.  Julian Boyd averaged 8.9 rebounds per game last season, while Jamal Olasewere averaged 6.8.   Rebounding was a weakness of Hofstra's last season. With the additions of Moussa Kone and Bryant Crowder, along with the returning David Imes, the Pride will need to keep the Blackbirds off the glass.
• Ball Possession - Very few teams were better at it than the Pride last season.  Hofstra was first in the CAA in assists to turnover ratio and third in the CAA in turnover margin.  It will be critical for the Pride to maintain ball possession against one of the best teams in the country in points per possession in the Blackbirds.
• Free Throw Shooting - It could come down to the little things.  Hofstra was first in the CAA in free throw shooting last season while LIU was 10th in the NEC.  Advantage Pride.
• Experience - LIU returns six of its eight top players from last season.  Hofstra only returns two starters, Moore and Imes.  However Lester was a starter/sixth man for the Pride over his first three seasons, while point guard Steve Mejia has two years experience playing for Rhode Island.   As Nick Bakay would say, "Push".
• Are you a Joey Rodriguez fan?  Do you miss him?  Well, Hofstra fans don't do a double take when you see Jason Brickman tonight.  He looks a lot like Rodriguez and he plays like Rodriguez.  Brickman averaged 5.5 assists per game last season.  Brickman vs. Mejia, who had one of the best assists to turnover ratio in the A-10 in the 2009-10 season,  should be an entertaining matchup

This promises to be an entertaining game tonight.  It's also Fanfest, so bring the kiddies early and let them romp around.  Pack the Mack and celebrate 11-11-11!

Additional Thoughts from St John's Win over William and Mary

If you are one of the few, the proud, the loyal readers of this site, you know my focus tends to be towards mid major teams.  However, I do try to do write about Power Six conference teams when I watch their games live.

Much has been made of St John's vaunted recruiting class, one of the best in the nation. Lately, it's been overshadowed by Steve Lavin's fight with prostate cancer.  Lavin was not coaching Monday night, but he had to be pleased with the results. Having been in attendance for Monday night's win over William and Mary, I made some notes about the Red Storm's play.

• The first half, the Red Storm struggled in half court offense.  It's to be expected in the first real game of the season.  I thought they played much better in their half court offense in the second half.
• St John's struggled from beyond the three point arc, shooting 4 of 15.  As the season progresses this obviously needs to improve for the Red Storm to be successful.  Especially with their quickness, opposing teams will play a lot of zone against St John's.  They have to keep those teams honest with better outside shooting.
• The Red Storm were 12 of 25 from the free throw line. Enough said.
• As I noted in my previous post, the tide turned when St John's went to a half court press.  The Tribe guards, notably freshman Marcus Thornton who had seven turnovers, really struggled against the press.  Don't be surprised if the Red Storm use the press a lot more as the season progresses.  It fits really well with their athleticism and opens up the transition game, which they are much more comfortable in than in half court offense.
• But it wasn't just their press that forced turnovers.  St John's half court defense was so much better than the first half.  Due to being so quick, they really got out on the William and Mary shooters.  The Tribe had only eleven three point attempts in the second half as opposed to twenty one in the first half.  
• For such a young team, to have a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio (thirteen assists, four turnovers) is very impressive.  If that continues, the Red Storm will win more than their share of games this season.
• Outside of Moe Harkless, no other St John's player was in foul trouble. That being said, William and Mary had no inside presence the entire night (in fairness, two of the Tribe's big men, Tim Rusthoven and Kyle Gaillard were injured and didn't play).  When the Red Storm play a team with an inside game, that will put more pressure on a seven man rotation. 
• This is my main concern with the Red Storm.  St John's doesn't have anyone taller than 6-8. And they were outrebounded 29-26 by a Tribe team that is not exactly Drexel when it comes to the frontcourt (for those of you not familiar with the CAA, look up Drexel's rebounding statistics). 
• I liked the Red Storm's balance a lot.  Four players scored in double digits and only Moe Harkless took more than twelve shots (he was 7 of 17). D' Angelo Harrison had 14, God's Gift Achiuwa, and Harkless each had 17, while Nurideen Lindsey had 19.   They distributed the ball well and in the second half they really worked it inside a lot.  

Overall, if you are a St John's fan, you have to be pleased by your team's performance.  To force twenty one turnovers on a William and Mary team that I believe is well coached, while only having four turnovers, that's a pretty good night.   The Red Storm just need to play to their strengths; pressure defense and run as much as an uptempo game if possible.  St John's fans will have to be patient with this team.  Considering their lack of depth and youth, this season may be a learning curve for them.  But if this team stays intact next season and gets a little more size, they will be really good.

Another Season Begins with St John's Defeating William and Mary

This recap is also on the Mid Majority Site here as part of the 800 Games Project.

Sometimes, I often don't decide to go to a basketball game until the last minute.  I wasn't sure if I was going to the William and Mary vs. St John's game last night, which was the first night of the college basketball season.  But I found out in the afternoon from my friend Mal that he and our friend Tony were going to the game.  You can't have the Hoops Trifecta without the third person.  So I told Mal I was in as well. 

I have known Mal and Tony for over twenty five years.  I went to college with Tony at Hofstra.  Mal was friends with him in high school at Glen Cove.  We all share a love of sports, especially college hoops.   The Hoops Trifecta has been going to college basketball games for years.  We have gone to countless games at Madison Square Garden.  They have been my partners in crime for Hofstra season tickets for years.  Mal, Tony and I all went together to the CAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007.   And in 2008, the Hoops Trifecta went to the NCAA First Round Regional in Raleigh.  Our last road trip together was a weekend excursion of Jets football, Atlantic City and Hofstra vs. Drexel in during New Year's weekend this past January.  

Mal had left for St John's earlier in the afternoon and Tony was coming in from the city to join up with him.  That left me driving alone to meet them there.  Once I got home, I changed and wolfed down two peanut butter granola bars, the first food I had all day.  Then I raced out of the house and headed off for the trip to Queens.  When I started my drive, it was 5:45 PM.  I figured I had plenty of time to get to St John's.  As usual, I was mistaken.

Living on Long Island, you are used to traffic, especially weekday evening rush hour traffic. Attempting to drive east or west during this time is often an act of futility.  Last night was no exception.  The Northern State/Grand Central Parkway was a giant parking lot from exit 28 to exit 19, the exit for St John's.  Ten exits took an hour to drive.  

Somehow I found a relatively close parking spot to the Carnesecca Arena and met Mal right at the entrance.  I got there a little after the game started.  William and Mary was up 7-4 and we headed to our seats where Tony and his friend Lawrence were there to greet us.  

The Tribe was taking on a young St John's team that featured six new players in their seven man rotation. Meanwhile, William and Mary returned their three starting guards from last season; Julian Boatner, Brandon Britt and Quinn McDowell, a second team All CAA player.  It was a contrast in styles. The athletic Red Storm vs. the perimeter based shooting of the Tribe.

When I last saw William and Mary play, it was in the CAA Tournament in March.  In the first round, McDowell set the all time scoring record for points in a game when he put in thirty five points in an upset win over James Madison.  For the Tribe to pull out a road win, McDowell would need another big game.

Early on, it was obvious what William and Mary and the Stache, Coach Tony Shaver, were trying to do against St John's.  They wanted to play a half court game and force the talented but inexperienced Red Storm to play a half court offense, negating St John's athletic advantage.  Meanwhile on offense, the Tribe was content to shoot the three.  Of their first twenty seven shots in the first half, William and Mary shot twenty one three pointers.  That wasn't a misprint.  Only six of their shots in the first half were two point shots.  

The Red Storm struggled from the field in the first half shooting barely over 30 percent and only hitting 2 of 9 from beyond the arc.  Shaver's plan was working to perfection as the young St John's team was frustrated by the slower pace.  

Midway through the first half, McDowell found his stroke, burying three shots from the outside, including two threes to help put the Tribe up 33-26 at the half.   He had ten points in the first twenty minutes as William and Mary basically silenced the St John's home crowd.  

As halftime started, on the advice of Mal, I went to the upper corner concession stand.  My first real meal of the day consisted of a hot dog and a pretzel braid.  As I sat back in my seat, a local fourth grade CYO team played a split squad game during the intermission.  The crowd was more enthusiastic during this brief period of time than for most of the first half.  They cheered loudest for number 20, by far the smallest kid on either of the CYO squads.  It was ironic to see a Power Six conference team's fans cheer for the little guy. 

At the start of the second half, McDowell continued his hot shooting, burying another jumper.  McDowell's long range two pointer gave William and Mary their biggest lead 35-26.  It looked like the Stache was going to pull off another upset.

Then St John's went to a press and everything changed.  The Red Storm hounded the Tribe's guards into numerous turnovers and as a result had numerous fast break attempts.  What had been a nine point lead for William and Mary quickly evaporated in the span of four minutes.  A D ‘Angelo Harrison three pointer put St John's up 39-37 with nearly fifteen and a half minutes left in the game.

With an energized crowd and the young Red Storm now playing to their strengths, the Tribe needed to regroup and at least slow down the momentum.  Julian Boatner's three pointer did that and cut the lead to one, 41-40.  But William and Mary was their own worst enemy as they continue to commit turnover after turnover and St John's seemingly cashed in on every opportunity.   Before long, the rout was on and St John's athleticism was too much on both ends of the court.

McDowell did what he could, as he would score another eight points to give him twenty on the night.  But the Tribe lacked an inside presence all evening and St John's limited William and Mary to only eleven three point attempts in the second half.  Boatner was the only other W&M player in double digits with twelve points.  Throw in twenty one turnovers and you had the recipe for the Red Storm outscoring the Tribe by twenty two in the second half.   St John's would win the game 74-59.

Towards the end of the game, the Red Storm cheerleaders were throwing t-shirts up into the crowd.  One of the cheerleaders tossed a high arc towards my section.  I perfectly laid out my arms for the throw and snatched it from the person in the row below me.  No over the back call here and my older son had another basketball t-shirt for his collection.   

As we headed out of the arena, Mal and Tony said goodbye to me as they were heading back together along with Tony's friend Lawrence.   However, we knew it wouldn't be long before we see each other again.  The Hoops Trifecta will be back together Friday night when LIU plays Hofstra at the Mack Center.  We wouldn't have it any other way.   

Higher Ground - Season 8 of the Mid Majority

If you are a dedicated reader of this site, you know that I am long time admirer of Kyle Whelliston's Mid Majority site.  For seven years, Kyle has written about mid major conference teams, otherwise known as "The Other 24".  Kyle has made it his goal to attend 100 live games every year and write about them.  Along the way every year, he writes essays, or as I like to think, short novels about life, basketball and the world around us.

I have often been amazed at how Kyle has been able to accomplish this for seven years.  Yes, it's through donors like you and me that allow Kyle to be able to write about college basketball.  But we are just his enablers.  The rest is all Kyle in his literary brilliance.  An example of his literary brilliance is the following two paragraphs describing loneliness from his prologue to begin Season Eight of the Mid Majority.

"It doesn't get much lonelier than sitting alone in an enclosed, locked, metal container in the middle of American Nowhere. It's a feeling that encourages a perspective of the universe as viewed through the spectral prism of one's navel. It helps reinforce the ridiculous illusion of the Self as a singular, special, unique entity on a planet of billions, a "me" adrift amongst an invisible "them." 

None of the colleges I visited offered classes in Loneliness Studies, and none ever advertised a Bachelor's or Master's degree in that or any related discipline. But there's no understating the power of loneliness as an unstoppable primal force. Our efforts to escape it explain just about everything we do. To stop running from loneliness is to face skull-crushing existential self-absorption, to confront the little-g god inside."

Kyle's wonderfully written stories are truly honest and once in a while tinged with sadness.  These stories have convinced me that I can never be a full time college basketball beat writer until at least my children are fully grown up (and out of college).  I would miss them and my wife too much being on the road all the time. Plus I dealt with a great amount of loneliness growing up from childhood all the way up through my early college years.  I like to think I am past those years of loneliness, and I don't ever want to go back to them.

And about a year ago, I wrote an article on my site called "Deadlines and Committments vs the 24 Hours of College Basketball".   I consider that one of my favorite articles I have ever written.  In it, I talked about the choices I made in life, none that I will ever regret.  I also talked about the future of my site by saying "if the time comes due to greater priorities where I don't have the time or commitment to write this blog, it will end."

And this is true, I do see a time where it will be very difficult to maintain this site due to spending time following my children's activities.  Also, I have tried and failed miserably to maintain a baseball site called "Ninety Feet from Home", which is sad because there are some very good pieces on that site about baseball and road trips (I never said I was modest).  Plus, as much as I love major league baseball, it's not as fun as writing about live college basketball.

And that's the core foundation of this site; seeing live college basketball games and writing about them.  I learned that from Kyle. So for as long as I can, I will continue to run "Against the Wind" and keep writing about live college basketball games for as long as my life's commitments let me.

And that's what brings us to Season Eight of the Mid Majority and also a new chapter for my site.  Kyle has made season eight "The 800 Games Project".  With the help of his friend, who will be the editor for the site, the Mid Majority's loyal readers will be writing all the articles for the site this season.  The goal is to write at least 800 live game summaries.  Meaning, if you are attending a game, you will be writing a summary of at least 400 words (child's play for my site).

Kyle did several "practice runs" of the 800 Games Played Project last season and I wrote a live game summary for the one of the weekly practice runs.  It was a honor that Kyle chose my live game summary on the James Madison - Hofstra contest, another thrilling overtime game in the history of that series, for that week.

And these summaries have guidelines.  Here are two of the guidelines from the Mid Majority site that best describe how the summaries should be written;

5. A lot of us grew up believing that there were "right ways" to do sports journalism: dry Associated Press game recaps, super-inspiring athlete feature stories, cliché-ridden "expert" sportz analysis.Zzzzzzzz.  Screw all of those. Your perspective, from your seat, means everything.  Tell us how you got to the game, what it's like at the gym, introduce us to the person next to you and the people in your section, talk about how the experience felt. Weave in season context, team history, whatever seems appropriate. It's up to you to make that interesting, but play-by-play and ESPN catchphrases are inherently boring. So you have a head start on that crap. 

6.This is college, dammit.Tap into something bigger.Literary references, history and philosophy citations, and general academic posturing are encouraged and welcomed. It's okay to be smart. When people tell you that you're "pretentious," what they're really saying is "I didn't pay attention in class." The occasional music and film quotes are okay too -- however, remember the economies of scale inherent in referential humor. Popular selections play to the teeming many, but obscure ones impact a quality few more meaningfully. 

A lot of the site's supporters have signed up for the project. Over six hundred games have been wish-listed by the members, many of which are current college students. This means that they have pledged to write live game summaries for over six hundred games. That's a good start, but we have to follow through on that.

And that brings this to my site.  It's undergoing a slight change.  I will be writing mostly for the Mid Majority's 800 Games Played Project this year.  However, thanks to Kyle granting a Creative Commons License, I can and will post the recaps on my site as well.

However, this means my style of writing about live games (mostly Hofstra's home games) will be somewhat different from past years.   It's even more about talking about the surroundings of the live game itself, whether it's the Lions' Den with creative chants, or talking about Bruiser Flint at his foot stomping finest or trying to bring life the Bob Carpenter Arena barbecue concessions. This is what  I usually write about on this site, but it will be more focused towards that.  I have a goal to see and write about over fifty mid major games this season. I think if all works out well, I can accomplish this goal, probably for one of the last times that I can with my children getting older.  Last season I attended over 40 games, so this isn't that far of a stretch.

My first game is tentatively the LIU-Hofstra game for Friday, November 11.  This will also be a first for me. I am going to write two stories on the game.  One for will be the 800 Games Played Project from a LIU perspective.  The other will be a Hofstra based perspective for this site. Both will be posted on this site by sometime Saturday, November 12.  It's a challenge, but I am looking forward to it.

Now I have a challenge for you.  Are you a mid major college basketball fan?  Do you have a mid major college team you root for and would like to write about them?  Why not join the 800 Games Played Project (which you can follow on Twitter @800GP.  If you are not a Bally Club member of the Mid Majority site already, but want to join to write about the site, contact Kyle via the form here to get a free code.  But make sure to give a good reason why you want to write about live mid major college basketball games.

Kyle has offered all of us a challenge.  That all of us is greater than each of us and the Mid Majority faithful can join together and write eight hundred plus live summary games. If the project succeeds, it will then likely be how the Mid Majority site works from now on.   And think about that, a forum for college students to become budding young writers or college basketball loving alums to write about their mid major teams.  I don't think there is any other site like that.  

It's this idea of a great college basketball collective writing stories about mid major teams that don't get the press the power conference teams have in their corner.   Eight hundred games.  It's a goal that the Mid Majority readers, and now writers, can attain.  That time starts tonight as college basketball season begins.

It's time to reach for higher ground.

Back in the Saddle Again - The 2011-12 Hofstra Men's Basketball Preview

Last week was the Hofstra Season Ticket Holder Scrimmage and Reception.  As I entered the Mack Center, my son Matthew and I headed to an open seat.  There I saw my old friend, Mr. Defiantly Dutch himself, Jerry Beach.   Jerry was already there watching the scrimmage with his much better half Michelle.  As I walked up to the Dutchman, I started singing "I'm back in the saddle again".  Yes, I am old school and thanks to my country music loving parents, I got to know the classic Gene Autry ditty.   Thus in my sixth year of writing this blog, it's the perfect theme for today's post.

So when Hofstra hosted Division II Queens College yesterday in an exhibition game, even though it didn't officially start the college basketball season, it was the start of the season to me.  And the best way to give a preview of the Pride for the 2011-12 season was to base it around the game vs. the Knights.

A season ago, Hofstra was centered around Charles Jenkins, their three time Haggerty Award and two time CAA Player of the Year guard.   Jenkins led the Pride to a 14-4 conference record and a 21-11 overall record.  Based on statistical analysis, Jenkins was probably the most important player to his team in the country.  Due to the NBA lockout, Jenkins was on hand to watch Hofstra's exhibition game and spent a good part being interviewed by the WRHU radio announce team.

As you would expect for an exhibition game, the stands were lightly filled, despite free admission.  Only a few rows of students filled the Lions Den behind the east basket.   Hofstra had their cheerleaders, dance team and the pep band there as well.  The dance team was in fine mid-season form.  The pep band was also in midseason form.  Unfortunately that meant, as usual, they didn't sound good at all.

As for Hofstra's starting lineup, seniors Mike Moore and Nathaniel Lester, along with junior transfer Steve Mejia, comprised the backcourt.  Junior David Imes and freshman Moussa Kone started in the frontcourt.  

Moore was the second leading scorer on the Pride, averaging nearly fifteen points per game and is one of the top free throw shooters in the CAA.  He is no longer the wingman for Jenkins, but now one of the tri-captains of the team and the main scoring threat in his senior season.  Coach Mo Cassara is counting on Moore to fill the leadership void and also partly makeup for the scoring lost by Jenkins' graduation.

Lester is a redshirt senior, returning from a quad injury that sidelined him for the entire 2010-11 season.  In the 2009-2010 season, he played the sixth man under former coach Tom Pecora, averaging eight points per game. Lester is also another one of the tri-captains for Cassara and he is being counted on to average double digits in scoring.

Mejia is the transfer point guard from Rhode Island who sat out last season.  In his sophomore season with the Rams, he averaged 18 minutes, 3.5 assists and only 1.2 turnovers per game.  He now has a chance to play thirty plus minutes with the Pride and Cassara is counting on additional scoring from Mejia as well..

Imes, the most improved player from last season, is looking to improve again this season.  He averaged 7.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game.  Imes seem to struggle at times yesterday, but later in the game he found his rhythm as he scored two baskets in a row to keep the Pride up thirteen, 59-46.  Cassara will be counting on Imes to be a consistent inside scoring force.

Kone was a surprise starter for the Pride.  He is a 6 foot 7 freshman from the Bronx who has a nice lefthanded touch around the basket and has impressed during practices.  Kone is one of two new frontcourt players for the Pride, who need to sorely improve on their rebounding from a year ago.

The game started out very sluggish with Queens getting an early 5-0 lead.  The Knights actually still had a lead 14-13 with 10:40 left before the Pride took the lead for good.   It was two bench players who sparked the Pride over the final ten plus minutes of the first half.  Sophomore Shemiye McLendon, who often provided instant offense for the Pride off the bench last season, provided several points off the bench.  Also, JUCO transfer Bryant Crowder provided points as well as solid defensive work to propel Hofstra to a 33-22 lead.  In the second half, Crowder had a thunderous slam off an entry pass that gave the crowd their highlight of the game.

The halftime stats exemplified the Pride's probable strengths, weaknesses and improvements for the season.  Hofstra was 12 of 17 from two point range in the first half but 0 for 6 from beyond the arc.  Moore had 12 points in the first half, most coming from driving the lane.  The Pride held the Knights to 35.7 percent shooting in the first half.   Most of Queens' points came from Khalil McDonald, who scored nineteen points in the game.

The second half showed promise for Hofstra.  Kone and Crowder were able to get down the court pretty quickly.. It was alsio impressive to see the two big men play very fundamentally sound basketball on both ends of the court.   With sophomore Stephen Nwaukoni filling out the frontcourt rotation, the Pride actually have more depth up front than last season.  If this game was any indication, the rebounding looks to be much improved as Hofstra outrebounded Queens 40-26.

In the second half, Queens got no closer than ten points the rest of the way.  Hofstra was up by as many as nineteen, 67-48 before cruising to a 71-57 win over Queens.  Moore led all scorers with 20 points.  Lester added 13, Crowder 12 and Mejia 10.   The Pride shot 48 percent from the field and eight players played 13 or more minutes.  Senior Dwan McMillan, who impressed me during last week's scrimmage, sat due to an apparent injury.  Once he is healthy, he will fill out what seems to be a nine man rotation.

The game made it very apparent how Hofstra will have to play this season.  As shown by the scoring breakdown, it will be much more of a team effort to makeup for the loss of Jenkins on offense.  Against Queens, Hofstra made a concerted effort to drive the lane and work the ball inside.  Due to their height, Lester and Moore provide difficult defensive matchups for opponents. .It made sense, because based on a 3-15 performance from beyond the arc, the Pride may be lacking a consistent three point shooting threat.

On the defensive end, the Pride played with a lot of effort and Cassara was doing a lot of coaching with his players when they missed assignments or didn't have the correct positioning.   As noted earlier, Crowder and Kone seem to bring better athleticism and rebounding to Hofstra.  I was also impressed on how both of them played on the defensive end.  Also, having two 6 foot 5 guards in Moore and Lester will help in rebounding.

Finally, the key is Mejia.  Mejia had a very solid game with ten points and nine assists (though he had four turnovers).  He did a very good job driving the lane and finding the open man. Mejia also went to the free throw line nine times, though he needs to improve on his percentage, as he only he hit five of those attempts from the charity stripe.

Jenkins was obviously the main reason why Hofstra was so successful in conference.  But another important element was that Hofstra did an excellent job in ball possession and free throw shooting.  Hofstra led the CAA in assists to turnover ratio and free throw percentage and was third in turnover margin (VCU and George Mason were 1-2).  Hofstra needs to be as good in those categories again because the window of margin is now much less with Sir Charles gone.

The Pride get their first test against a very good LIU team this Friday, November 11.  The Blackbirds are the defending NEC champions who have six of their top eight players returning.   LIU's high scoring, uptempo game will be a serious challenge to Hofstra's defense.

Hofstra Pride - 21-11 last season, 14-4 CAA.  Lost in CAA Semifinals to ODU.  Lost at Evansville in first round of CBI.

Strengths - Veteran guard leadership in Moore, Lester and Mejia.

Improvements - More athletic big men.  Deeper nine man rotation (once McMillan is healthy).

Questions  - Scoring options to make up for the loss of Jenkins.  Consistent outside shooting threat.

Prediction  - Seventh in the CAA.

NBA Lockout Got You Down? How About Being A College Hoops Junkie?

With the lockout potentially canceling the entire season, NBA fans are looking for other avenues to fill their sports fix.  For those of you who want to see some quality hoops, it's time you joined the rest of us fans of the college hardwood (and I mean the sport, not my blog, though I certainly will gladly take more readers and followers on Twitter at gmoore21566).  Thus, for those of you pro basketball fans new to following college basketball, here are some suggestions for you.

1. Pick a Team to Follow - I certainly have no problems with people who love college basketball in general.  And of course, I will drop whatever I am doing if there is a good game to watch.  But what makes college basketball more fun is if you pick a team/college to root for whether it's live or on TV.  Now for those of you living in many NBA cities, you often have a lot of choices (especially for us in New York, more on that in a second), but some NBA cities don't have that many college basketball team alternatives (hello, Orlando!).
2. When Picking a Team, May I Suggest a Mid Major Team  - Now for many pro basketball fans in big market cities, many Lakers' and Clippers' fans likely will trend to USC or UCLA , while Knicks' fans will likely tend to veer towards St John's and Celtics' fans may go down the road to Chestnut Hill for Boston College.  However,  Bobcats' fans, you don't have to venture far to support the 49ers of Charlotte or Davidson, or even for those Bobcats' fans on the coast, UNCW over the more traditional staples of UNC and Duke.
   
   But if you are the supporter of a NBA team and have no particular allegiance to any big conference schools, there are plenty of mid major teams in your local area that you can support.   Pacers fans have Butler right down the road, or IUPUI, which is not the former mascot of the Expos, but the home of Michael Hadley's Jaguars of the Summit Conference.  Sixers' fans have plenty of choices besides Villanova.  There is Saint Joseph's, UPenn, Temple and my pick to win the CAA this season, Drexel.
   
   Nets' and Knicks fans have lots of mid major teams to choose from besides the usual duo of St John's and Seton Hall.   First, you have potentially the best mid major team in the country in New Rochelle in the Iona Gaels.   For those Nets' fans craving Brooklyn basketball, there are the entertaining Blackbirds of LIU- Brooklyn, the defending NEC champions who love to put the ball in the hoop.  If you are on Staten Island, the Hurley brothers are quickly turning Wagner into a contender. In the Bronx, there is Fordham and the underrated Rose Hill gym.  And out here on Long Island, you have two choices; Hofstra and Stony Brook, two programs definitely on the rise.
   
   And you have lots of other mid majors in NBA cities.  Detroit could be the favorite for the Horizon in Pistons' land, but UW Milwaukee might have a say about the Horizon in Bucks' land.  Jazz fans may finally have a chance to see the gem of a team Stu Morrill always has at Utah State.  Cavaliers' fans probably are glad to see the NBA lockout and now they can enjoy another good Xavier team this season.
3. Go to Live College Basketball Games -  Yes, watching college basketball on TV is fun. But it seriously pales in comparison to live games.  Live games are so much more fun.  You get a better appreciation for the skill level of talented college basketball players.   You have lively,often creative student sections and animated coaches like Bruiser Flint that will entertain you for two non stop hours.  It's also one of the most inexpensive outings you can find, plus some tasty food selections (see further down for Delaware BBQ).  Thus I recommend...
4. Bring a Friend or Better Yet, Bring Your Children to a Live Game -  There is never a better outing to hang out with a good friend or with your children than a college basketball game.  For almost ten years now, I have had Hofstra season tickets with my good friends Mal and Tony.  It's quality time with two longtime friends.  You can catch up on each other's lives, comment on the play of the game and throw in a good natured barbing of quality CAA officiating.
   
   But better yet, if you have a young son into sports, like my older son Matthew, college basketball is a very exciting sport to a child.  It also helps if your son's first game of the season with you is the game where Charles Jenkins ends up on SportsCenter....on your birthday no less.  There is no better bonding with father and son than a sporting event.  And a two hour college basketball game is the perfect sport for young children.  Matthew is now hooked on college basketball.
5. Take a Road Trip to See a Game  - One of my favorite things the past several years is taking a road trip.  Whether it was a pre-season tournament in Charleston, South Carolina, or a weekend trip to Atlantic City, then Philly for some good food and a Drexel-Hofstra Basketball game with Bruiser Flint at his foot stomping finest, a jaunt down to Newark for some bball and barbecue, or a long road trip to Dayton for a BracketBuster game and a terrific national museum, college basketball road trips with a good friend in support of your team are memories that you will treasure for years to come. But for the best college basketball road trip...
6. Go to a College Basketball Conference Tournament - Sans one year due to my younger son's surgery, I have been going to the CAA Tournament since the 2002-03 season.  Especially since 2005-06 when the Colonial became twelve teams, there is nothing better than seeing ten games in three days (alas, I have never been able to stay for the CAA Championship game).  I have also been to several Big East Conference Tournament games.
   
   There is nothing like a conference tournament live. The games are incredibly exciting, the atmosphere is often raucous and the level of play is tremendous.   I can't even begin to tell you the history I have seen at the Richmond Coliseum and MSG over the years.  You can not truly call yourself a college basketball fan if you have not gone to a conference tournament.
   
   And there are so many conference tournaments to choose from if you are a fan.  Especially for those in the Northeast/Atlantic in 2012, you have the MAAC Tournament in Springfield, Massachusetts, the CAA in Richmond, the Atlantic 10 in Atlantic City and yes of course, the Big East Tournament at the Garden.  You can't go wrong by attending any of those tournaments.
7. Go to a Mid Major Conference Tournament Championship Game -  Now what I mean by this is that several mid major conferences have their tournament championship game at the highest remaining seed's home court.   The America East, the Patriot League, the NEC and the Horizon are several conferences that have this in effect.
   
   I have been fortunate to see two of these games.  In 2001, I saw Hofstra defeat Delaware in the Mack Center in Hempstead for the America East Championship (in what would also be the swan song for both teams in the America East).  And this year, I was fortunate to see LIU win at home over Robert Morris to win the NEC Championship.   Talk about an incredibly amazing atmosphere in front of sold out, mostly partisan crowds.  And of course, you have fans storming the court at the end of the game.  Now that's fun.  But if you really want an event to remember...
8. Go to a NCAA Tournament Regional - In 2008, my friends Mal, Tony and I went to Raleigh for the first round regional.  It was the experience of a lifetime.  This was of course where Stephen Curry became a national star for his performances vs. Gonzaga and Georgetown.  You also had North Carolina basically playing home games as well in the same regional.  Talk about raucous. When the Wildcats made their historic comeback vs. the Hoyas, the place was rocking.   A NCAA Regional is definitely something a fan should see for themselves.

Now you have eight reasons to become a college basketball junkie. You can start by looking at various team's schedules.   The best place to go for that is Basketball State and click on Schools.  There you will find "Schedule/Results" on the left hand side.  And if you really want your fill of hoops, like me, you can plan out an entire year's schedule around several teams (that's my assignment for this weekend).

And if you follow my advice and pick a mid major team to follow, you can share your experiences by tweeting them.  You would be surprised on how few tweeters there are of mid major teams or of the CAA in general.  By tweeting some of the action, you will gain followers, trust me on this.

So NBA fans, do not despair.  You can get your fill of hoops by joining us in the world of the College Hardwood.  And yes, this time, that was a plug.

Miscellaneous Notes and Thoughts

I gave my RSVP for the Hofstra Men's Basketball Season Ticket Holder Practice and Reception on October 27th.   Can't wait for my first taste of college basketball season.  Last year's Hofstra Fanfest gave me a good first look at a much improved David Imes.  Looking forward to see who will surprise me in my first look at Hofstra for the 2011-12 season.

Today, the ESPN/USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll was announced.  North Carolina was voted the #1 team in the poll with 30 out of 31 first place votes.  Kentucky was ranked second.  If you are looking for a  mid major team in the poll, well depending on how you view Xavier and Gonzaga as mid majors, the Musketeers were picked 15th and the Zags were picked 23rd.

What I found most humorous was that the top rated CAA team in the Coaches Poll was George Mason who received 12 votes while Drexel received only 2 votes.  Anyone with significant knowledge of the CAA (Mike Litos, Brian Mull, John Templon, hell even dumb old me) has picked Drexel to finish first.  This is due to the fact that Drexel returns four starters, while Mason has lost three starters; Cam Long to graduation, Luke Hancock transferring to Louisville and Andre Cornelius due to suspension.  Goes to show you how much the Preseason Coaches Poll is really worth in the grand scheme of things .

For a while, I was wondering what was going to occur first, my younger son Jonathan's fourth birthday (November 17) or the NCAA's ruling on granting Momo Jones a waiver to play for Iona this season.  Well, it finally happened today, as the NCAA granted Jones a waiver to play for the Gaels this season.  Needless to say this makes the Gaels the prohibitive favorite in the MAAC.  But more importantly, the Gaels with Jones, Michael Glover and Scott Machado could possibly be one of the best mid major teams in the country.   Better get your tickets now for games at the Hynes Center.  I see lots of sellouts up in New Rochelle this season.  By the way, circle November 28th on your calendar.  Iona is home vs. LIU in what promises to be a very high scoring game.

I know I didn't talk about this in my CAA preview, but if you held a gun to my head, my picks for All First Team CAA this season would be Bradford Burgess (VCU), Quinn McDowell (W&M), Samme Givens (Drexel), Kent Bazemore (ODU)  and Ryan Pearson (George Mason).   If Bazemore's foot doesn't heal properly, then pick one from the following; Devon Saddler (Delaware), Mike Moore (Hofstra) and Chris Fouch (Drexel).  

By the way, I am very upset at the CAA schedule makers this season.  How dare they have Hofstra playing at Delaware on a weeknight?!  I need my fill of Blue Hen Barbecue!!  I guess I will have to go to a different Delaware Saturday home game.  I am targeting January 14 when they host VCU.  VCU and barbecue.  That rhymes!

Speaking of Hofstra, there is a lovely road trip I plan to take Thanksgiving weekend up to Rhode Island to see the Pride play in the Legends Classic along with Rhode Island, Cleveland State and Boston University, three teams who also made the postseason last season.   It will be my first ever road trip alone with my six year old son, Matthew, the college basketball maven.  Father and son bonding while watching college basketball in Rhode Island.   Should be memorable.

Three weeks from tomorrow is Hofstra's first home game vs. LIU.   It's just around the corner.  Thank god!

The 2011-12 CAA Preview - What Will the Colonial Do for an Encore?

The 2010-11 Colonial Men's basketball season will go down as the most historic in conference history.  Three teams in the NCAA Tournament, its second team ever in the Final Four, the first team ever to go from First Four to Final Four and for the third year in a row, a CAA player taken in the NBA Draft.  It was an absolute pleasure seeing the seeds sown throughout the season and being at the CAA Tournament for the eighth time in the last nine years.  The CAA was truly "Fun for the crowd" last season.

So what's in store for the CAA in 2011-12?  Well, the top four teams lost significant starters from a year ago either due to graduation or transfer (or, sadly, were arrested).   It's going to be asking a lot for the Colonial to have a multiple bid NCAA Tournament season, let alone another three team bid season. 

Teams in Predicted Order of Finish

The Top Five (And Yes, I Know Full Well Only Four Can Get a First Round Bye in the CAA Tournament)

1) Drexel - Could this be finally the year that the Dragons break "The Curse of the America East"?   For those of you who don't know, no former America East team has won the CAA Tournament since the core four - Delaware, Drexel, Towson and Hofstra joined in the 2001-02 season (Northeastern joined in 2005-06).  Drexel should be the team to beat since it returns four starters from the fifth place conference team in 2011-12.

The Good - The Dragons return guards Chris Fouch, Frantz Massenat and Derrick Thomas.  Fouch is Drexel's top scorer and by far, their best outside shooter.  Thomas will probably be the third starting guard and should increase his productivity.  The Dragons' strength though lies in their frontcourt.  Double double machine Samme Givens, up and comer sophomore Dartaye Ruffin and mammoth Daryl McCoy provide scoring, but more importantly to Coach Bruiser Flint, great rebounding.  Drexel was sixth in the country in rebounds per game.   The Dragons' physical style of play tends to lead to low scoring games, often ugly.  But also often effective, as Louisville found out the hard way at the Yum Center, as Drexel upset the Cardinals early in the regular season.

The Bad - Drexel had little depth last year, playing a seven man rotation. Gerald Colds was the only player who graduated out of that seven man rotation.  However, the Dragons need to hope that Bruiser's Flint recruiting class of five freshmen step up to add a few players to the rotation.   If Drexel wants to go from fifth to first in the rugged CAA, increased depth is a must.   Another shooter besides Fouch would also be a big help.  Freshman Damion Lee could be that guy.

The Key Player -  Dartaye Ruffin - If Ruffin continues to blossom and becomes a starter, the Dragons will be really tough to beat. 

The Likely Outcome - Of all the teams in the conference, the Dragons have the most experienced and most talented players returning.  Ruffin is my sleeper player of the year in the CAA.  I think he is going to be terrific.  Add him with Fouch and Givens, and I believe Drexel finally ends the "Curse of the America East".  If they make the NCAA Tournament, the Dragons can definitely win a first round game. It would be great to see Bruiser at his foot stomping finest on national TV in March.

2) VCU - The Rams incredible run in the NCAA Tournament was due in large part to four players - Joey Rodriguez, Jamie Skeen, Brandon Rozzell and Ed Nixon.   All of those players are gone.  But "Big Time" Bradford Burgess and some talented players who were very important reserves a year ago are now likely starters.  The Rams went ten deep in their rotation last year and five of those players, including Burgess return.  Also, Shaka Smart is a terrific recruiter and has added some talented new freshmen.  

The Good - Burgess is now the man at VCU and he can certainly handle the leading role.  But he is not alone.  Darius Theus will take over the point after backing up Rodriguez, Rob Brandenberg will take over for Rozzell, while Juvonte Reddic and D.J Haley will take over the frontcourt roles.  The question will be who becomes the second and third scorers from this group.  Look to Brandenberg to become the sidekick to Burgess.   Also look for Teddy Okereafor, one of the top 50 incoming freshman point guards in the country, to become one of the key reserves.

The Bad - After Burgess and Brandenberg, scoring could be an issue for VCU.  The only experienced true forwards that are back are Reddic and D.J. Haley, though Burgess certainly can play forward.  The Rams have six freshmen in the mix.  Who pans out and provides important minutes remains to be seen.

The Key Player - Juvonte Reddic.  With the lack of depth in experienced forwards, Reddic will need to step up in his sophomore season.

The Likely Outcome - Coach Smart is a terrific motivator and the fact that he went ten deep with his rotation last season bodes well for the reserves who are now starters.  The Rams, with their aggressive defensive style of play, will be in the hunt in the CAA all season.  It may take them a little while to get used to all the new starters though, so they may struggle during the non conference schedule.  But look out in March.

3) George Mason - After the NCAA Tournament ended, the Patriots were originally my pick to finish first in the CAA this season.  Despite All First Team CAA Cam Long and sixth man Isaiah Tate graduating, Mason Nation was returning four other starters.   But suddenly, the roof on the Patriot Center caved in.  Jim Larranaga left Fairfax for the fun and the sun in Miami, Florida.  Then Luke Hancock transferred to Louisville.  Finally, Andre Cornelius was arrested on the charge of credit card fraud and suspended indefinitely.   Cornelius may never return to the team.  What was a first place team with four starters returning is maybe now a third place team with only two starters returning.

The Good - The Patriots have one of the best frontcourt tandems in seniors Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison.  Pearson is a handful in the post with his unorthodox left handed post moves and can shoot the occasional three.   Mason does have some talented guards returning in sophomore Vertrail Vaughns and redshirt sophmore Sherrod Wright to fill the void.  Former Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt replaces Larranaga, so the Patriots will have a new scheme on offense. Highly touted freshman forward Erik Copes will provide defensive intensity off the bench.

The Bad - With Long and Tate graduated, Hancock's transfer, Cornelius' status up in the air, and reserve forward Johnny Williams likely redshirted due to a shoulder injury, depth is now suddenly a problem for the Patriots. Who fills the fifth and final starting spot for Mason?  How deep is Hewitt's rotation?  How good of a coach is Hewitt?

The Key Player - Sherrod Wright.  Wright showed some major flashes as a freshman before he was redshirted last season due to injury.   How he progresses early on in the non conference schedule may determine how successful Mason will be this season. Wright will need to fill a huge void at scoring guard.

The Outcome -  Something tells me that this is going one of two ways.  Either Hewitt rallies the troops, Vaughns and Wright prove to be more than adequate replacements for Long and Cornelius and Pearson is the big horse that rides Mason to at least the CAA Semifinals.  Or, due to lack of experienced depth, the likely loss of Cornelius and Vaughns and Wright not filling the void, this team will implode in a very big way and lose in the CAA Quarterfinals or even earlier. Your guess is as good as mine.

4) William and Mary - This is my sleeper team.  I love their Ghidorah guard trio (look up Ghidorah on Youtube) of Julian Boatner, Brandon Britt and my pick for CAA player of the Year, Quinn McDowell.  Plus they have one of the best coaches in the CAA in Tony Shaver.  No one gets more out of his players than Shaver.

The Good - As noted, McDowell is an elite player.  What he did vs. James Madison in the first round of the CAA Tournament was downright dominant.  He can shoot, he can drive and at 6 foot 7, he is a really tough matchup.  Boatner and Britt are only going to get better. Boatner scored in double figures in eight of his last twelve games last season and is deadly from three (37 of 79 from beyond the arc in those last twelve games).  Add shooting guard freshman Marcus Thornton, who is getting a lot of early publicity, and the Tribe frontcourt is dynamite.

The Bad - OK, who starts in the frontcourt?  Their best big man, Marcus Kitts, graduated.  Thus frontcourt minutes will be divided between Tim Rusthoven, Kyle Gaillard and JohnMark Ludwick.  At least one of those three needs to become a legitimate post scorer.  Tom Schalk, an incoming freshman who has the ability to hit the three as well as score inside, seems to fit well in Shaver's scheme.  He was highly recruited (Wichita State, Northern Iowa and Cornell also recruited him) and may see a lot of minutes

The Key Player - Julian Boatner.  Boatner was such a weapon for William and Mary in the second half of the season.  If he continues to progress in his three point shooting, it forces teams not to double team McDowell, who is a matchup nightmare (ask James Madison).

The Likely Outcome - With so many teams having lost a lot of experienced talent, the playing field has leveled for the Tribe.  With such a good coach as Shaver, McDowell being such a terrific scorer and especially William and Mary being the Achilles heel for Drexel last season, I could see the Tribe finally breaking their NCAA curse this season.  The only thing that could keep them from it is a middling frontcourt.  Someone in that group of forwards needs to step up.

5) James Madison - There is a reason why I call the Dukes "The Enigma of the CAA".  They have so much talent and they can be an absolute handful, but then they disappoint in a huge way.  Take their first round CAA Tournament game against William and Mary.   I never saw a team with such talent come out so flat, and stay flat for an entire game.  Now Denzel Bowles has graduated and Coach Matt Brady has to try to re-energize his group.

The Good -  The Dukes have four returning starters (Devon Moore, Humpty Hitchens, Julius Wells and Rayshawn Goins, plus talented sixth man Andrey Semenov.  Moore has always been a personal favorite of mine (and not because we share the same last name). Returning from injury, Moore was the second leading scorer on the team and increased his assists to turnovers ratio significantly from his first season (4.2 assists per game vs. 2.3 turnovers per game).  Wells, Hitchens, Goins and Semenov should all average around double figures in scoring, which should give Madison very good balance. A.J Davis, a transfer from Wyoming, is getting a lot of love this preseason.

The Bad - Who replaces Bowles as JMU's size up front?  Goins is wide, but not very tall.  Former Hokie Gene Swindle, part of the Matt Brady Transfer machine, fits the bill at six foot eleven. He was highly recruited by several teams besides Virginia Tech (South Florida, Nebraska and Penn State), but played in only one game before transferring.  Freshman Enoch Hood is another potential solution.

The Key Player - Julius Wells.  This kid has a boatload of talent, but he is the E in the Enigma that is James Madison.  His scoring average dropped by nearly six points per game from the season before, though his FG percentage did improve. Wells can shoot 7 of 14 in one game (23 point effort vs Hofstra), then go 2 of 9 in the next game (13 points vs. Drexel).  Wells needs to be more consistent if Madison wants to finish in the top four of the conference.

The Likely Outcome - Flip a coin.  Then flip it again.  Then one more time.  And you still won't have the answer.  A lot of it depends on whether the Dukes play as a team, or everyone on their own tries to replace Bowles.  Also, Moore is out for the fall semester due to academic eligibility  issues.  Can Swindle and Hood provide size?  Does Davis live up to the hype?  Can Julius Wells be consistent night in and night out?  Tune in to "As the Dukes Turn" to find out.

Next Four, Or, Four Teams You Can Throw Into A Blender And See Which Order They Come Out In

6) Old Dominion - I love Blaine Taylor.  I really do.  But, I am sorry, I miss the Lou Brown/Evil Henchman Cowboy look.  Please bring back the stache. Now.  Taylor wishes he could bring back his four starters from his terrific team of last season.  But Frank Hassell, Ben Finney, Keyon Carter and Darius James all graduated.  That leaves Kent Bazemore as his lone starter.  The problem is that Bazemore is out until at least December as he recovers from foot surgery.  Ruh Roh.

The Good - When healthy, Bazemore is truly one of the elite players in the CAA.  Not only can he score, but he is terrific on defense.  Just a very talented player.   A lot of Taylor's key reserves are back.  Chris Cooper and Nick Wright are the returning big men for the Monarchs, while Trian Iliadis and Marquel DeLancey are the returning guards.   All four played significant minutes last season and are now likely starters.  There is no better game manager though than Blaine Taylor  His team will always play hard and especially physical.

The Bad -  For the first time I can ever remember, ODU has rotation depth concerns.  Clemson transfer Dante Hill and Richard Ross will eligible in the spring semester, so Blaine's boys will be without three vital players for a good part of the beginning of the season.  Taylor has to hope freshmen like Jason Pimentel step up.

The Key Player - Chris Cooper.  I talked about this in last season's CAA preview. Taylor's offense ALWAYS has a major inside scoring threat.  See Alex Loughton, Valdus Vasylius, Gerald Lee and last season, Frank Hassell.   Cooper has to step up and claim that as his own.  If Taylor doesn't have a frontcourt scoring option, it could be a long season for the Monarchs.

The Likely Outcome - This team will struggle in non-conference to start the season.  It would be expecting a lot for ODU to be successful without three significant contributors and just nine scholarship players for the fall semester.  But once Bazemore is back in December and Hill and Ross return in January, I look for this team to be much better.  How much better depends on Cooper becoming a legitimate post scoring presence.  If Blaine can coax 20+ wins out of this team, it will be his best coaching effort ever.  And that's saying something about someone who has four NCAA Tournament appearances and six 20+ win seasons since 2005.

7) Hofstra - I have seen a couple of pre-season previews that have Hofstra tenth and eighth.  Both are too low.  Yes, Hofstra lost the two time CAA player of the year in Charles Jenkins, along with two other starters - guard Brad Kelleher and center Greg Washington.  However, the Pride got most of  of their minutes from their non seniors (and of that group, only reserve guard Yves Jules transferred). Highly regarded Rhode Island transfer Steve Mejia replaces Kelleher as the starting point guard.  Nathaniel Lester returns from being out for the 2010-11 season due to injury and will fill Jenkins spot.

The Good - Second leading scorer Mike Moore (14.9 points per game) returns as does junior forward David Imes.  A starting four of  Moore, Lester, Mejia and Imes is not bad at all.   The junior Mejia, who Coach Mo Cassara loves, is a talented point guard who averaged 3.5 assists and 1.3 turnovers in 18 minutes per game as a sophomore for the Rams.  Lester averaged 8.0 points per game off the bench as a junior.

The Bad - Can JUCO transfer Bryant Crowder provide quality minutes as the likely starter at forward/center for Hofstra?  After Crowder and Imes, the only other experienced forward is sophomore Stephen Nwaukoni.   It remains to be seen how freshmen Moussa Kone and Jordan Allen will contribute.  Also, will Moore, Lester and Imes make up for most of the scoring lost by the graduation of Jenkins?

The Key Player - Steve Mejia.   Yes, Jenkins was the main reason why Hofstra was so successful in conference last season.  He definitely improved his already excellent play as a senior.  But another important factor was better ball possession.  The Pride were one of the top teams in the CAA in assists to turnover ratio and turnover margin last season.  It starts with a good point guard and Mejia must live up to the hype.

The Likely Outcome -  Contrary to what some think, the Pride will do better than expected this season.  They have depth at guard as Dwan McMillan and Shemiye McLendon, both who saw significant minutes last season, will be coming off the bench.  Depth wise, the frontcourt is suspect.  Then again, it was last year as well.  If Mejia is as good as advertised, Crowder provides a presence in the middle and Moore, Lester and Imes all step up, which I think they will, this team will surprise.  For now, I am putting them here, but I think they might finish higher.

8) Delaware - This is another team that lost a good chunk of their rotation.  Leading scorer Jawan Carter and third leading scorer Alphonso Dawson are gone, plus two key bench contributors Brian Johnson and D.J. Boney.   However, CAA Rookie of the Year Devon Saddler returns as does the dominant inside presence of Jamelle Hagins.  The Blue Hens have talent and played ODU quite tough in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament before losing.

The Good - Saddler looks to be a star and Hagins is not far behind.  Josh Brinkley, Kelvin McNeil and Hakim McCullar round out a strong frontcourt.   Monte Ross brought in a group of five talented freshmen in Marvin King-Davis, Larry Savage, Khalid Lewis, Jarvis Threatt and Kyle Anderson.  Brinkley is now healthy and looks to resume his impressive play from January.

The Bad - The Blue Hens only experienced guard is Saddler.  So Lewis and Threatt will be thrown to the wolves early.   With the losses of Carter and Dawson, Hagins and Brinkley now have to step up and become consistent scoring options every night. We have been waiting for the Blue Hens' play to finally match their talent.  Is this the season?


The Key Player - Josh Brinkley.  Saddler and Hagins look to be a dynamic duo.  Brinkley needs to stay healthy and give them a third option.  The talent is there, ask George Mason and James Madison about Brinkley from last season.

The Likely Outcome -  Not sure if this team is as good as people think.  It's still a very young team and it now has to make up for the loss of four significant guards.  Saddler is terrific and the front court could be the second strongest in the CAA, outside of Drexel's front line.  But the rest of the guards are young and inexperienced.  This could be a team that suffers through a lot of sloppy play early on in the season.  Another team that will be better in February than it will be in November and December.  I think this team is a year away from being really good.

9) Northeastern -  The Huskies lost star guard Chaisson Allen and reserve forward Vinny Lima to graduation.  Talented freshman guard Alex Harris transferred to Cal State Fullerton.  However they return most of their main contributors from last season.   The starting five looks to be Joel Smith, Jonathan Lee, Alwayne Bigby, Ryan Pierson and Kauri Black.

The Good - Joel Smith and Jonathan Lee make a deadly combo from the outside.  Lee shot 47 percent from the beyond the arc while Smith was 42.5 percent from three. Black scored in double figures in four of his last eight games. Bigby and Pierson are talented frontcourt players who should get better.

The Bad - The Huskies defense was swiss cheese for a lot of last season.  The frontcourt did a very bad job in rebounding as they ranked 338th in the country in rebounds (that's pretty bad).  After the likely starting five, the Huskies have no experience on the bench.  Coach Billy Coen has brought in four freshmen, the best being forwards Quincy Ford and Reggie Spencer.

The Key Player - Ryan Pierson.  Pierson was a highly thought of recruit when he came in last season.  He showed flashes of it at times during the season.  Now is the time where he shows improvement on the defensive end. 3.7 rebounds per game will not cut it this season against the likes of Drexel, ODU and Delaware.

The Likely Outcome - The Huskies will be competitive in a lot of ball games due to Lee and Smith.  But Black, Pierson and Bigby have to give them other options and more importantly better defense in the frontcourt.  How it all works out, well it remains to be seen.

The Final Three Teams or Some Teams Have To Finish At the Bottom of The Conference

10) UNCW - The Seahawks lost their best player, Chad Tomko due to graduation.  The Wilmington Tasmanian Devil was Mr. Everything - first in scoring, first in assists and second in rebounding.  UNCW also lost fourth leading scorer Ahmad Grant and reserve Darryl Felder to graduation.   However, second leading scorer Keith Rendleman, another Moore favorite, returns along with eight talented freshmen.

The Good - Rendleman is on the verge of being a star. He can jump out of the gym, brings endless amounts of energy and is a handful underneath.  Trevor DeLoach, Tanner Milson, Donte Morales and Matt Wilson all return as well.  The key is the highly recruited freshmen class.  Based on Brian Mull's always insightful nuggets, Cedrick Williams has been the most impressive of the freshmen so far during workouts. Luke Hager was the most highly thought of recruit.  The Seahawks won't lack for size anymore. Hager and Williams are among the four freshmen who are 6 foot 7 or bigger to go along with Rendleman and the seven footer Wilson.

The Bad - Well, eight freshmen means eight freshmen.  In other words, this is a very young team and it's going to take time to mesh.  Coach Buzz Peterson will have to find a couple of scorers in his highly recruited group to go with Rendleman.  Who replaces Tomko as point guard?

The Key Player - Keith Rendleman.  With Tomko gone, this is his opportunity to step forward and become an All CAA caliber player.  Down the stretch last season, Rendleman scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games, along with grabbing at least eight rebounds in half those games.  He has the ability to average a double double on the season. Now is the time to do it.

The Likely Outcome - Another team that will be much better in February than in November.  It's going to take a good part of the season for this team to gel.  But if all reports are correct about this Great Eight group of freshman, this team will be a tough out come tournament time.  And a year from now, this will be an upper echelon team.  Just be patient Seahawks fans.

11) Georgia State - Ron Hunter left the friendly confines of IUPUI for the farthest most southern outpost in the CAA.  Since joining the CAA in the 2005-06 season, the Panthers have had only one season where they won more than six regular season games in conference (2008-09, the Panthers were 8-10).  Rod Barnes and his band of JUCOs could not turn around Georgia State's fortunes.  Now it's Hunter's turn to try to repeat his success at IUPUI.

The Good - Well at least Hunter was able to bring in his highly recruited son, R.J. But that's for next season.  But Hunter brought in for this season Tony Kimbro Jr., one of the top shooting guard recruits in the country.  The Panthers four leading scorers, Eric Buckner, Brandon McGee, Jihad Ali and Josh Micheaux all return.

The Bad - None of the leading scorers averaged in double figures last season.  Simply put, you can't win, if you can't score.  And you can't score, if you can't hit free throws.  Of the top five returning scorers, the highest free throw percentage was 62.9 percent (James Fields).

The Key Player - Tony Kimbro Jr.  It's asking a hell of a lot for a freshman to take the reins early. But considering there are not many scoring options, Hunter may give Kimbro Jr the opportunity to become the main scoring option for Georgia State.

The Likely Outcome - Hunter's team will play hard and they will be tough on the defensive end. Kimbro is a legitimate talent and my pick for CAA Rookie of the Year.  But unless Buckner steps up and this team learns to hit free throws, scoring will still be a struggle for the Panthers.  As I said earlier, you can't win, if you can't score.  Hunter needs a couple of seasons to bring his own talent in.  Give him two years and I think the Panthers will be on the right track.

12) Towson - New coach Pat Skerry takes over for what's left of the Tigers after Pat Kennedy decimated the program.  Towson went 0 for the season in 2011-12.  So things would have to be looking up, right?  Well, the Tigers' two leading scorers from last season, Isaiah Philmore and Braxton Dupree have transferred.  Two other Tigers' starters, Josh Brown and Brian Morris graduated.  However, Towson still has RaShawn Polk and welcome back Robert Nwankwo, who sat out last season due to academic issues.

The Good -  Polk is a solid scorer and a legitimate threat from three.  In 2009-10, Nwankwo averaged about 10 points and 9 rebounds per game and had eight double doubles.  He could average a double double this season.  Not bad for someone who was a walk-on for the Tigers.  Deon Jones is a top recruit who can help immediately.

The Bad - Well, Skerry has to replace four starters.  Getting Nwankwo back helps.  But with only two other players who saw any playing time returning (Polk and Enrique Gumbs), Skerry has to rely on six freshmen.

The Key Player - Robert Nwankwo.  If he can average a double double per night, then the Tigers will at least have a legitimate threat inside.

The Likely Outcome - It's a shame Philmore and Dupree didn't stick around.  They would have been a part of a terrific foursome.  The six freshmen will see significant time and they can't be any worse than last year's team that had Philmore and Dupree.  Or can they?  Skerry already has four top recruits coming in next season, so things will get much better.  It just won't be getting much better this season.

So there you have it.  Another season.  Another CAA preview.  In less than a month, the season starts.

Can't Wait!