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!
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