Eight Point Halftime Leads Are Never Safe on CAAHoops Pillow Fight Friday (Recap of CAA Tournament Friday Games).

Friday night was my first time at North Charleston Coliseum.   Despite having lived in Columbia, South Carolina for four and half years, I never had an opportunity to see an event at that venue until the chance came to see my tenth CAA Tournament, which was being hosted at the North Charleston Coliseum this weekend.

I can tell you that parking was a breeze, perhaps partly due to three northern CAA teams playing in Charleston on a Friday night.   But I can also tell you, the North Charleston Coliseum is a much better venue than the Richmond Coliseum, home to the CAA Tournament for years.  It was nice not to have to wear two sweatshirts at my seat for a CAA Tournament game.

Going into last night's two CAA Tournament Play In Games, you had two teams, Hofstra and James Madison, who had swept their respective opponents, Delaware and Drexel.  Even though the seeds were relatively close, it stood to reason that the tournament games would play to regular season form.

But that's what makes college basketball conference tournament play so special; the unexpected.   There's a reason why it's called "March Madness".  And we got that last night in front of what was a sparse crowd of 1889 on what's known to CAAHoops fans as "Pillow Fight Friday".

In the first game, #8 Hofstra took on #9 Delaware.  The Pride had won both games against the Blue Hens, but both were close games; two points at the BOB (the Bob Carpenter Center) and eight points at David Mack Arena.  Neither game was particularly high scoring.  Hofstra won the first game 58-56 and won the second game 73-65.  We should have known we were in for a different style game.

The Pride wasted no time taking an early 6-0 lead thanks to good ball movement, a couple of nice outlet passes by Rokas Gustys and two drained threes by Deron Powers and Eli Pemberton.  The Blue Hens would answer with eight straight points, a three pointer by Ryan Daly, an old fashioned three point play by Darian Bryant off an assist from Daly and a layup by Daly.    Daly shredded Hofstra with seventeen first half points.

Both teams would have no problem scoring as Hofstra took a 26-25 lead at the under eight media timeout,   The kicker was Hofstra's leading scorer, Justin Wright-Foreman had been held scoreless for the first thirteen and half minutes of the game.  After the Blue Hens took a 27-26 lead, Wright-Foreman would awaken with a vengeance, as two of his threes started a 12-2 run and the Pride would take a 39-29 lead.    The score would eventually be 47-39 Hofstra at the half.

But in the second half, Delaware's offense turned it up a notch, or perhaps several.  They would shoot SIXTY FIVE percent in the second half, mostly due to working the ball inside the paint (the Blue Hens only attempted two three pointers in the second half, hitting both).  The Blue Hens quickly pecked away at the lead, tying the game at fifty four on a Daly three pointer.  Delaware would finally take the lead, 65-62 on a three point play by Eric Carter with eight and a half minutes left.

Hofstra would answer regain the lead twice, the latest on a Deron Powers jumper that put the Pride up 72-71 with 4:24 left.  But that man Daly, who had twenty seven points and eleven rebounds on the night, would give the Blue Hens back the lead on a jumper.  A Daly free throw on a later possession would give Delaware a 74-72 lead.   Gustys would be fouled while hitting a layup to tie the game at 74 with 2:38 left.  But Gustys would miss the potential go ahead foul shot and the game would remained tied.  From there, Delaware outscored Hofstra 7-2 the rest of the way.  Hofstra had a chance to tie on a three point attempt by Powers with nine seconds left, but it was short.  Delaware had pulled off the comeback, winning 81-76.  Delaware now plays #1 seed UNCW at noon today.

For Hofstra, it was a fitting end to a very disappointing season.  For the twentieth time this season, Hofstra gave up more than seventy five points.  Their record in those games - 5-15.   When they give up less than seventy five points, 10-2.  Simply put, you cannot win if you cannot play defense.

In the second game,  #7 James Madison took on #10 Drexel.  It was as if both teams decided that they had seen enough offense in the first game and they wanted to kick it #CAAHoops old school, with the Dragons playing Bruiser Flint Drexel and James Madison playing a Ron Hunter led Georgia State squad in a seemingly low scoring affair.

To say the first half was a grind it out, CAAHoops rock fight was an understatement.   Each team's first possession resulted in an offensive foul.   Then both teams couldn't complete a pass, let alone take a shot that couldn't hit the side of a barn.    At the under 16 media, it was 4-2 Drexel.  At the under 12 media, it was 9-2 Drexel.

James Madison finally scored some points and at the under eight media, it was 19-10 Drexel.   The Dukes made a run and cut the deficit to two points, 25-23 on a jumper by Joey McLean.  Then after an offensive foul on Ramone Snowden, JMU coach Louis Rowe lost it and received a double technical foul.  Rowe was ejected from the game and suspended for the team's next game (which, spoiler alert, will be later today).   Drexel's Kari Jonsson would hit all four technical free throws to give Drexel a 29-23 lead.  Eventually, the Dragons would go up eight, 33-25 at the half.

So here we had our second eight point halftime lead of the night.   And just like the first game, the lead would disappear quickly.   Perhaps Coach Rowe should get ejected more often, because JMU came out like a house on fire after halftime.   The Dukes would go on an incredible 32-7 run over the first nine minutes of the second half, moving the ball around quickly and burying shot after shot, as the Dukes got balanced scoring.   James Madison nearly shot as well as Delaware did over the last twenty minutes of their game, shooting sixty two percent from the field.

After scoring only two points in the first eight and half minutes of the game, the Dukes scored SEVENTY EIGHT points over the final thirty one and a half minutes to win the game 80-70.  Five JMU players scored in double figures, led by Jackson Kent's twenty points. With the win, JMU plays College of Charleston at 6;00 PM today.

Two eight point halftime leads went up in smoke thanks to strong second half shooting.   Proof that once again, no lead is safe in March.

Certainly not in the CAA.

CAA Tournament - Lovely To See You Again My Friend

When Hofstra moved to the Colonial Athletic Association starting in the 2001-02 season, the first CAAHoops tournament the Pride was in down in Richmond, I was sitting at home in Seaford, NY, listening to the games on WRHU radio.  Chelle and I were renting an apartment on the side of a house from my brother's long time friend Tom Graziose.

The 2001-02 Hofstra season was somewhat similar to the 2016-17 Hofstra season.  The Pride started out the season 4-2, including a win over an eventual Elite Eight team in Kent State.  Then the wheels came off the car, as Hofstra would lose sixteen of their next twenty one games, including their last seven regular season games in conference (Hofstra would start 9-5 this season before a rough stretch in CAA conference play).

Yet in the 2002 CAA Tournament, the #10 seed Hofstra remembered that it had some talent with Rick Apodaca, Danny Walker and others.   They pummeled the #7 seed Towson 72-52 in the first round play in game.  Then in a quarterfinal against Jerry Beach's all time favorite coach, Jim Larranaga, and #2 seed George Mason, the Pride pulled off a huge upset and knocked out a Patriots team that had won thirteen conference games, defeating them 82-76.  Hofstra would lose their semifinal game to VCU 70-54.

It would turn out to be only one of two times from 2002 to 2012 that I didn't attend the CAA Tournament in Richmond.  Starting in 2003, I would attend nine of the next ten CAA Tournaments. There are so many memories, including spending my last CAA Tournament on press row.  From the first tournament in 2003, seeing Woody Souffrant play the game of his life for Hofstra in a quarterfinal loss to eventual CAA champion UNCW, to the 2006 tournament where Hofstra proved it was the better team than George Mason in the CAA Semifinals, despite an underhanded punch to the groin by Tony Skinn, to the 2012 tournament and seeing George Mason nearly coming back from an early 32-4 deficit vs. VCU, the CAA Tournament always provided a signature moment with this college basketball fan.  You'll see pictures from several CAA Tournaments I have attended sprinkled throughout this blog post.

Then in the beginning of August 2012, I accepted a position with the University of South Carolina School of Law.  I would move down to Columbia, South Carolina in the middle of August and the rest of my family would join me six months later after we sold our house in North Bellmore, New York.    In February 2013, I would get involved in Little League down here, head coaching one team and assistant coaching another team, before eventually joining the Trenholm Little League Board.   As a result, I would not attend the last four CAA tournaments in Richmond and Baltimore respectively.

Then a funny thing happened.   Realizing that Baltimore was not drawing respectable size crowds (the 2016 championship game drew only 3000 fans), despite being a midway point between the farthest northern point in the conference - Boston - Northeastern, and the farthest southern point in the conference - Charleston - College of Charleston, CAA officials decided to go to where the crowds in #CAAHoops are (UNCW and CofC are the #1 and #2 teams in home attendance) and agreed to play in North Charleston Coliseum for the next few seasons.

So yes, despite North Charleston Coliseum being a "neutral site", College of Charleston will have a hometown advantage.  But at least it's a fifteen minute drive or bus ride from George Street to the North Charleston Coliseum, unlike the seven minute walk from VCU to the Richmond Coliseum, another #CAAHoops "neutral site".

So what will the CAA Tournament be like this year.  UNCW is the favorite, having finished first in the regular season with a 15-3 record, just like they did in the 2002-03 season.  College of Charleston is the #2 seed, having finished with a 14-4 record.   Both teams should bring a good number of fans and you figure the North Charleston Coliseum, which seats a little over 13,000, should be at least half full, which is a lot better than the 3000 attendance figure for the 2016 CAA Championship game between UNCW and Hofstra in Baltimore.

As I look at the matchups, the play in games favor the higher seeds.  #7 James Madison swept #10 Drexel during the regular season, as did #8 Hofstra against #9 Delaware.    If both of those games go to form, which they should, JMU will play #2 CofC and Hofstra will play UNCW in the second round.  CofC swept JMU, though the game at Harrisonburg was decided by only two points.  Meanwhile, the Seahawks swept the Pride, but both were close games throughout, with UNCW winning both by single digits.

I think the best chance for an upset is in the quarterfinals where #3 Towson split the regular season series with #6 Northeastern and John Davis, who will be missing the CAA tournament due to a truly sad incident while visiting his family in Philadelphia, played in both those games.   The most entertaining matchup will be #5 Elon vs. #4 William and Mary, as both teams can put up points (William and Mary is second in CAA in scoring offense at 81.7 points per game, while Elon is fourth at 75.4 points per game).

Honestly, I think UNCW has a very hard road to repeating as champion.   They will likely get Hofstra in the quarterfinal round, which is a rematch of the 2016 CAA Tournament Championship, won by UNCW in overtime.  UNCW won both games this season, but both were close games as UNCW won each game by single digits,  In their 84-76 home win, UNCW was only up by three, 75-72 with less than a minute left before C.J. Bryce hit a three pointer to put the game away.   In UNCW's road win over Hofstra, the Seahawks were only up one point, 77-76 with forty two seconds left before scoring the final six points in an 83-76 win.

Hofstra matches up very well for one main reason.  The Pride are third in the CAA in turnovers per game, only behind UNCW and Charleston, only averaging 10.8 turnovers per game.   Given Hofstra is second in the CAA in scoring, scoring 77.3 points per game, again only behind UNCW, the two games with UNCW have been predictably high scoring.

So here are my predictions.  In the Pillow Fight play in games on Friday, JMU takes down Drexel, Hofstra defeats Delaware.   In the Quarterfinals on Saturday, the afternoon session will see two exciting high scoring games.  UNCW barely holds off Hofstra, though I would not be surprised if Hofstra won that game.  In the other afternoon session quarterfinal, Elon squeaks by William and Mary.   In the evening session quarterfinals, College of Charleston handles James Madison, while Northeastern pulls off the upset against Towson.

In the semifinals, UNCW downs Elon in another high scoring game while College of Charleston ends Northeastern's run in the other semifinal.  In the final, I like College of Charleston, because a) they play excellent defense and b) the Cougars do not turn the ball over, which is what UNCW predicates their play on to win games, which they have done so well this season.  But the Cougars keep the mistakes at a minimum and CofC wins in a relatively low scoring affair in the high sixties, low seventies.

No matter what happens, it should be a lot of fun. It will be my tenth CAA Tournament.  My color analyst, aka my older son Matthew, my good friend Tieff and I will be in Section 113, Row A, seats 1-3.  Come visit us starting tomorrow night at 6:00 PM as Hofstra takes on Delaware.

March Madness.  Nothing like it and nothing like being back at the CAA Tournament.

CAAHoops - Lovely to see you again, my friend.

Five Years Ago Today: Dre Smith's Perfect Day Sets an NCAA Record

Five years ago today, in a game at James Madison, George Mason junior guard Dre Smith set the NCAA record for most made three-point field goals in a game without a miss, making all 10 of his attempts and smashing the old record of 9-for-9. (The NCAA record for made treys in a game is 15, and many have exceeded 10 makes, but no one else has done it without a miss).

Smith's perfect performance, on January 19, 2008, has always held a special place in my college basketball memories, as it was the first road game I ever attended as a George Mason student. There was a large amount of smack talk on Facebook and various message boards (particularly revolving around JMU's "Rock the Convo" slogan for the game) and a significant crowd of Mason fans made the two hour trip southwest to the Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Va. The smack continued upon our arrival, as many of the Mason students were seated just a few rows from the court, with only a corner separating us from one half of the Madison student section.

Immediately, almost everything went wrong for the Dukes, who fell behind 16-2 less than 4 minutes into the game. The near-capacity crowd was stunned. But JMU responded, hanging tight for the rest of the half, with only a late Patriots push extending the lead beyond 10 to 48-34 at the intermission. Dre Smith's halftime line consisted of 2 made three-pointers and 8 points total, barely gaining attention in what had been a furious half of scoring.

However, the second half was another story. Smith unloaded on three-point baskets at the 17:39, 17:01, and 15:13 marks as the visitors exploded to a 63-46 lead. The Dukes responded with a furious rally of their own, cutting the lead to 73-66 even as Smith bombed them twice more (9:56 and 8:50), at one point doing the only scoring for Mason over a 6-plus minute stretch.

Smith's eighth trey of the night, at the 6:02 mark, was the final straw, sparking a 10-0 run from which the Dukes never recovered. The hometown fans headed for the exits in droves, abandoning the building to a vocal, mocking chorus of "Rock The Convo," as chanted by myself and the other ecstatic Mason students.

Smith lined up another trey at 4:23 to tie the record, then broke it at the 1:30 mark. The final score was 96-75, led by Smith's 34 points. The Convo had definitely been rocked, although not in the way the hosts had intended. It wasn't just Smith who had a hot night, as the Patriots shot almost 66% as a team (for an astounding 1.50 points per possession), with John Vaughan scoring 20 points while Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell each added 16.

Some of us, myself included, were unaware of the history we had just witnessed until after the game. (Was it 7? 8? We'd lost track). The whispers started as we were filing out of the gym, as the word spread. No, we weren't crazy, he really hadn't missed a trey all night. Better yet, it was an NCAA record, someone asserted. The word spread. It wasn't 8. It wasn't even 9. He'd hit 10!

The next season, 2008-09, the NCAA moved the three-point line back one foot to it's current 20-foot, 9-inch specification. So can we call that the Dre Smith Rule? Not really, since the change was first announced in 2007, but if there were any remaining questions about whether the collegiate three-pointer needed a rule change, Smith erased them. And now, with the difficulty increased, it's a record that could last for a long, long time.

All ten three-pointers, from multiple angles:

A Tale Of Two Halves (Recap of James Madison vs. George Mason)

Traditionally, James Madison is George Mason's biggest rival in the CAA. However, with JMU routinely failing to be competitive for most of the last decade, and Mason having won 17 of the last 18 meetings in the series prior to last Tuesday night, there had been a sense, at least among younger Patriots fans, that VCU was becoming our true rival.

This burning passion was fueled by incidents like the Rams' repeated elimination of Mason from the CAA tournament (including Eric Maynor's incredible one-man comeback to beat Mason in the 2007 CAA championship), and Sherrod Wright's buzzer-beating three-pointer in a regular season match-up last year. But now that VCU has left the CAA for the Atlantic 10 (or 14, or 16), I believe we have to say JMU is once again Mason's primary rival.

The CAA schedule makers must not have seen things the same way, as they placed the Madison at Mason game on a weeknight for the first time in a decade, and compounded that by scheduling it on a Tuesday night in January, before the students had returned from break.

The first half was almost hard to watch. Erik Copes scored a quick two on the Patriots first possession, but then both teams got off to ugly starts from the field. A pair of Enoch Hood free throws gave the Dukes their first lead, 10-9, at the under-12 media time out.

Fouls and turnovers continued to be a theme, with more scoring done via the free throws than via field goals. Sherrod Wright, George Mason's undisputed leader, found no space to work in the JMU defense, failing  in his increasingly creative attempts to drive to the basket, but drawing numerous fouls. Wright would finish the game only 5 of 13 from the field, but he made 12 of 16 free throws.

Freshman Ron Curry finally provided a spark for the visitors, hitting three three-pointers in a three-minute span to give the Dukes a 29-22 lead with 4:27 remaining in the half. Taylor Bessick made it 31-22, and George Mason called time out. From there, the Patriots were able to contain the Dukes for the rest of the half, holding them to 1 for 4 from the floor, while cutting the deficit to 33-28, highlighted by a Corey Edwards steal and an emphatic Anali Okoloji dunk. Wright blocked Curry's three-point try at the buzzer.

Mason was not playing well, and despite the late spurt, it really felt like the Dukes could win. But with the deficit down to five, George Mason began to steadily chip away as the second half began. Complicating matters, starting center Copes, generally seen as the key to Mason's post defense, picked up his third foul less than a minute into the half.

The second half started slowly too, as the two teams largely traded baskets, before a Johnny Williams layup reduced the Dukes team to 41-38 at the 13:59 mark. Enoch Hood countered to make it 43-38, but then the Patriots began to push the pace and press full court, with Bryon Allen at point guard. Allen scored a layup when JMU failed to get back quickly enough on defense after Hood's basket. Then, Williams blocked a shot, and Paris Bennett passed ahead to Wright, to a cutting Allen, for a three-point play to tie the game.

Hood got open in the lane for a dunk, but again the Dukes didn't get back fast enough, and Allen found Wright for a wide open three-pointer, to finally give Mason the lead, 46-45, with 10 minutes to play. Goins made one of two free throws, and, after a Patriots miss, converted a layup, but freshman Marko Gujanicic answered for the Patriots, hitting a three-pointer on another nice pass from Allen.

Goins got the lead back for JMU one more time at 7:47, but then the Patriots went on a 9-0 run, fueled by their full court pressure and some very poor Dukes shot selection. Gujanicic hit a second three-pointer from almost the same spot, and Vertrail Vaughns and Bryon Allen each scored again on the fast break. Rather suddenly it was 59-50 with under 5 minutes to play, and the Dukes never recovered.

A Rayshawn Goins layup made it 62-57, but the Dukes could get no closer, as the Patriots made 6 of 8 free throws to close out the win, 68-57.  Gujanicic finished with his first career double-double, scoring 10 points and collecting 10 rebounds. Wright led all scorers with 23 points, while Goins led the Dukes with 13 and Curry added 11.

After shooting 5 of 10 on three-pointers in the first half, often wide open, the Dukes were held to 0 for 8 in the second half, as the Patriots seemed to adjust to what has been a season-long struggle to defend the arc. Meanwhile, the Patriots were 3 for 9 in the second half, after a miserable 1 for 5 in the first half, with all 3 coming in a short span. The flurry of late three-pointers seemed to open the lane up for Bryon Allen and others to drive to the basket.

The CAA - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The events of yesterday beckoned the title of my article.  And I needed to add the above clip to feel better. You had good news for the CAA, bad news (the recent play of CAA teams in general) and you all by now know what The Ugly is as far as the CAA.

The Good

The College of Charleston Board of Trustees vote unanimously yesterday to join the CAA.  The Cougars are a nice get for the Colonial, having had a solid basketball program for years under John Kresse and Bobby Cremins.  Doug Wojcik, a proven winner at Tulsa, is a very solid addition to a good group of CAA coaches   His team is fresh off a big upset win at Baylor and looks to contend with Davidson for a NCAA berth in their last year in the Southern Conference.

Not only that, but already Charleston will be hosting the CAA baseball championships in 2015 and 2016.  It's also a wonderful city having been there just recently for CofC's win over Towson.  Schools will enjoy visiting Charleston and there is even talk of having the CAA Men's Basketball Tournament in the the TD Arena in the near future.

The Bad

With a fifth of the season gone by, CAA men's basketball could be described as best as mediocre, somewhat chaotic and a little disappointing (which might be kind).  The supposed top two teams in the Colonial coming into the season, Drexel and Delaware,  are a combined 4-9.  Only two of the eleven teams in the conference are currently above .500.  Four teams are at .500 and the rest of the conference is below .500.

Let's look at a few teams that are struggling.  I have already briefly talked about Drexel in my new weekly "Four on the Floor" segment on Thursday.

In their last season in the conference, Old Dominion is 1-5.  ODU hasn't had a losing record since the 2002-03 season.  They are still a great rebounding team as they are 33rd in the country averaging
41.3 rebounds per game and 11th in the country in offensive rebound percentage at 42.8 percent.

The Monarchs problem is they can't shoot.  They are 328th in the country in three point field goal percentage at 24.5 percent and 280th in the country in effective field goal percentage at 44 percent.  ODU is also struggling with turnovers, as they are 250th in the country in turnover percentage at 22.8 percent.

Delaware looked to be on the cusp of being a very good team entering the season.  They enhanced their stature by making into the Preseason NIT Tipoff semifinals after upsetting Virginia on their home court.  Then they gave Kansas State all they could handle in the Tipoff semis before losing 66-63.  But they have unraveled since then losing to Pitt by twenty six points, then losing a close game at Temple.  Finally, the Blue Hens lost at Lafayette, a team that had lost five straight and just had won one game on the season entering the contest.

For the Blue Hens, it comes down to a lack of defense.  Delaware's opponents outshoot them from the field 48.4% to 47.9%.  Also, the Blue Hens have a problem forcing teams to turn the ball over.  Delaware is ranked #300 in defensive turnover percentage at 17.4 percent.  And unfortunately for the Blue Hens, they turn the ball over too much, 295th in the country in offensive steal percentage at 12.7 percent.   Devon Saddler is averaging more turnovers per game, 3.7, than assists, 3.0

Finally there is James Madison, the perennial CAA Enigma.  They are 1-5 on the season, with that one win being a one point win over Youngstown State.  This team has a lot of talent, but never seems to put it together.

This season, the Dukes are struggling on the defensive end.  They are 320th in the country in rebounding average.  But that's not even their worst defensive statistic.  They are 339th in effective field goal percentage, at 57.1 percent.  They are 335th in three point field goal percentage defense at 41.7 percent and 310th in two point field goal percentage defense at 54.1 percent.  They give up nearly seventy six points per game.

The Ugly

Unless you have been under a rock or you're not a die hard college basketball nut, you should know by now of what happened at Hofstra yesterday.  Four members of the men's basketball team; Jimmy Hall, Shaquille Stokes, Dallas Anglin and Kentrell Washington were arrested on multiple counts of burglary.  Newsday reports that court papers show that they admitted stealing over $10,000 in laptop computers. The four players have been immediately suspended from the team, classes, residence halls and facilities.  All four players have also been removed from the team roster.   Three of the four are still in jail as of last night.  Anglin was released on $2,000 bail.

Hall said in a court paper "I did something real stupid".

You think?

Simply put, these students not only robbed students of their possessions, they robbed those students of their trust,  robbed the trust of their teammates, robbed their teammates of an improving season, robbed their coaches of their trust in giving scholarships to and robbed their fans of chance to see a young and upcoming team. They put a major black eye on a program that only two years ago was improving thanks in large part to Charles Jenkins, a man of utmost character, who I am sure is quite saddened about all of this.

But most importantly, they robbed themselves.  They robbed themselves of an athletic scholarship, robbed of a chance to better themselves, robbed themselves a chance of getting a degree for basically free and perhaps playing professional basketball overseas.  All that for several laptops.

Instead, three of the four sit in a Nassau County jail in East Meadow wondering what is in store next.  It's certainly not coming back to Hofstra. They are done there.   They may not get a second chance anywhere.

Ultimately, they robbed themselves of a future. They only have themselves to blame. That is truly ugly.

Link to James Madison - UNCW - CAA Tournament First Round Recap

I wrote a recap of the CAA Quarterfinal between James Madison and UNCW.  You can find it here on the Mid Maiority Site. Enjoy.

The Colossal Colonial Ratings (CCR) for the Week of February 6th

With three weeks and five games left in the CAA regular season, there is now a clear line of delineation between the top four teams in the Colonial and the rest of the teams that will likely be battling out on Pillow Fight Friday, as @VCUPav puts it.  Two games separate fourth place Old Dominion from fifth place Georgia State.  So with that in mind, lets go "Down on the Corner" to get this CCR started.

1. Drexel (19-5, 11-2 CAA) - There is a three way tie in the CAA standings but the Dragons have the tiebreaker having beat VCU and George Mason (they also don't play either team again this season).  Drexel's also seems to have the easiest remaining schedule; at James Madison, home to Hofstra and William and Mary, BracketBuster game at Cleveland State, home to James Madison and at ODU.
   
   The Dragons, the hottest team in the CAA with eleven straight wins, are there usual defensive selves; first in scoring defense, third in field goal percentage defense, first in three point field goal percentage defense with a scary 25.9% three pointers allowed and of course, first in rebounding margin.  But what has made Drexel so effective this season is their offense is so much better than last season.  They are second in field goal percentage, first in three point field goal  percentage, third in assist to turnover ratio and still first in free throw percentage at 73.7 percent.  
2. VCU (20-5, 11-2 CAA) - The Rams are the second hottest team in the CAA, winners of nine straight and are tied with the Dragons and the Patriots for first place.  However, their remaining schedule is the toughest of the three teams; home to Towson, then at ODU and George Mason, home BracketBuster game vs. Northern Iowa, at UNCW, then home to George Mason to finish the season.
   
   The Rams commitment to forcing teams to turn the ball over has been what's most impressive to me.  In the two games I saw them play vs. Hofstra and Delaware they won the turnover battle in both games by a combined +12 margin (31-19).  Not surprisingly, the Rams are first in the CAA in turnover margin at +5.44 per game.  They are also first in assist to turnover ratio.
3. George Mason (19-6, 11-2 CAA) - The Patriots fell into a tie for first place after losing at Delaware, but they bounced back at home to knock ODU out of a four way tie for first.  Their schedule is not the easiest as well; home to Hofstra, at UNCW, home to VCU, home BracketBuster game vs. Lamar, then at Northeastern and at VCU to finish the regular season.
   
   George Mason has been equally as balanced as Drexel.  They are first in field goal percentage at 45.4% per game while second in field goal percentage defense at 38.6 percent.   But to me, here is the most impressive stat.  They lead the CAA in scoring at 70.7 points per game despite being tenth in three point field goals made per game with 4.6 per game. The Patriots are averaging over fifty percent on their two point field goals.
4. Old Dominion (15-10, 10-3 CAA) -  Despite the road loss to the Patriots, the Monarchs have won eight of their last ten games.  The rest of their schedule is not exactly easy; away at William and Mary, home vs. VCU, home to UNCW, road BracketBuster game vs. Missouri State, road game at Georgia State, home to Drexel.  The game against the Panthers  may very well have a #4 seed on the line.
   
   The Monarchs are second in the CAA assists and third in steals. So it's not surprising they they are third in turnover margin in the Colonial.  Those categories make up for the fact they are tenth in field goal percentage and allow them to be fifth in scoring margin in the CAA.
5. Georgia State (16-8, 8-5 CAA) - If there is any team that has a shot of breaking into the top four of the CAA, it would be the Panthers. Their remaining schedule favors them; home to Northeastern and Delaware; away at James Madison, home BracketBuster game vs Texas San Antonio, home vs. ODU and away at William and Mary.  As previously noted, that home game against the Monarchs may be huge.
   
   The Panthers were impressive in their win this past Saturday vs. Hofstra.  Georgia State, behind Eric Buckner's league leading 3.3 blocks per game, leads the CAA in blocks per game.  The Panthers also lead the CAA in field goal percentage defense, second in steals, second in turnover margin and assist to turnover ratio.  
6. Northeastern (11-12, 7-6 CAA) -  The Huskies were right in the thick of things until losing their last two games against two of the top tier teams, Drexel and VCU.  Their schedule makes it unlikely for them to finish any better than fifth; road games at Georgia State and William and Mary, home to Towson, then BracketBuster home game vs. Stony Brook, home to George Mason, then at Delaware.
   
   What also doesn't bode well for the Huskies is that statistically they are in the lower half of the CAA in most categories.  They are fifth in the CAA in field goal percentage, third in three point field goal percentage, yet the Huskies are tenth in scoring offense at 61.3 points per game.  Perhaps it's because Northeastern averages the second most turnovers in the CAA next to Towson (15.5 per game). 
7. Delaware (11-12, 7-6 CAA) - The Blue Hens have righted themselves, winning their last two games including a home win over then first place George Mason.  Delaware's schedule also favors them for a late season run; home to UNCW, then road games at George Mason and Hofstra; BracketBuster home game vs. Hampton, then a road game at Towson and home game vs. Northeastern.
   
   The Blue Hens are statistically strong in several CAA categories; third in scoring offense, fourth in free throw percentage, fourth in field goal percentage defense, third in blocked shots.  Unfortunately, they struggle in assists and creating turnovers.  They are dead last in assists and steals, tenth in turnover margin and eleventh in assist to turnover ratio. 
8. UNCW (9-14, 5-8 CAA) - The Seahawks ended a four game losing streak by defeating William and Mary at home.  Hopefully the win will give them confidence with a tough remaining schedule; road game at Delaware, home game vs. George Mason, road game at Old Dominion, then BracketBuster road game at Manhattan, home game vs. VCU and road game at Hofstra.
   
   UNCW is fourth in the CAA in field goal percentage at 42.5%, fifth in three point field goal percentage at 33.3% and third in three point field goal percentage defense. The problem is they are only eighth in field goal percentage defense as they allow teams to score fifty percent of their two point field goal attempts.  
9. James Madison (10-15, 3-10 CAA) - The Dukes have lost six of their last seven games. However, there may be two wins on the horizon since they play the Tigers twice. Their remaining schedule is home to Drexel, at Towson, home to Georgia State, BracketBuster road game at Detroit, road game at Drexel, then home to Towson.
   
   It's the same old problem for James Madison; lack of defense. The Dukes are fourth in the CAA in scoring offense, first in assists and fourth in assists to turnover ratio and turnover margin.  Yet JMU is  eleventh in scoring defense, tenth in field goal percentage defense, eleventh in three point field goal percentage defense, eleventh in rebounding margin and eleventh in block shots.
10. Hofstra (8-17, 2-11 CAA) - The Pride couldn't keep the momentum after defeating Towson as they lost at home to Georgia State.  The first two games on their remaining schedule are the hardest; road games at George Mason and Drexel, home to Delaware, home BracketBuster game vs. Siena, at William and Mary, home to UNCW.
    
    The best indicator of how many close games Hofstra has lost is scoring margin, as the Pride are -1.1.  Hofstra is third in free throw percentage, fourth in steals, fifth in turnover margin and fifth in offensive rebounds.  Where they are struggling is next to last in three point field goals made at 4.3 per game, field goal percentage, ninth at 40.9 percent and ninth in field goal percentage defense at 43.9 percent.
11. William and Mary (4-21, 2-11 CAA) - The Tribe have lost eight games in a row.  However, they have a chance to improve their record as they have four of their five remaining conference games at home; home games vs. ODU and Northeastern, road game vs. Drexel, road BracketBuster game vs. VMI, home games vs. Hofstra and Georgia State.
    
    Statistically, it's been a very bad year for the Tribe.  They are ranked in the 300's in the nation in several categories, 321st in points per game - 59.6, 322nd in rebounds per game 30.4, 329th in assists per game - 10.0 and 312th in field goal percentage at 40 percent.  However, they can shoot their free throws as they are 2nd in the CAA at 72 percent and they are third in the CAA in three pointers per game at 6.7.
12. Towson (1-24, 1-12 CAA) - The Tigers ended their NCAA record winless streak when they defeated UNCW at home.   It will be tough for them to get another win since four of their remaining six games are on the road; at VCU, home to James Madison, at Northeastern, at New Hampshire, home to Delaware and at James Madison.
    
    As bad as it has been statistically for William and Mary, it's been worse for Towson; dead last in the NCAA in points per game, 49.8, next to last in assists per game at 8.0, second to last in field goal percentage at 36.8 percent.  They also average about 19 turnovers per game.  The bright side is they can rebound their misses.  They are second in the CAA in offensive rebound percentage and 28th in the country in that category.

The Colossal Colonial Ratings (CCR) for the Week of January 16

Another week has gone by in the CAA and the standings are getting a little clearer.  There are now three teams with a 5-1 record; Georgia State, George Mason and Old Dominion.  Another three teams have a 4-2 record; VCU, Drexel and Northeastern.  There is the middle of the road; UNCW and Delaware both 3-3.  Finally, the bottom tier is becoming pretty apparent; William and Mary is 2-4, James Madison is 1-5, Hofstra and Towson are both 0-6.

The next eleven days are critical as Dave Fairbank points out in which CAA teams are about "to dive into the competitive equivalent of running around to multiple holiday meals at various in-laws, step-families and blood relatives who may or may not be playing with a full deck."  Most Coloinal teams will play five games in eleven days.  The only exceptions are William and Mary and VCU who will play five games in ten days, which includes their game on ESPNU Thursday night at the Siegel Center (Tribe=Sacrificial Lambs).

With all this in mind, "I'm Lookin Out My Backdoor" at the latest Colossal Colonial Ratings, aka the CCR.

1. Georgia State (13-4. 5-1 CAA) - Yes, we perfectly know that if the season ended today,  George Mason would finish first since they have beaten both Georgia State and Old Dominion.  However, the season doesn't end today, so we give the number one ranking to the Panthers.  They are the team that's first in the CAA in both field goal percentage defense and assists to turnover ratio, two categories statistically proven to be the mark of championship teams in the CAA.
   
   Plus, we have to give props to a coach, Ron Hunter, who, despite having his team hold the opposition (Towson) to forty two points, was so unhappy with his team's effort he tweeted "I love my basketball team, but tomorrow, practice will be epic. Bring your lunch pail."  I can't wait to see Georgia State in person when they play Hofstra on February 4th at the Mack Center.
2. George Mason (13-4, 5-1 CAA) - The Patriots finally suffered their first loss in conference at Drexel last week.  Based on their schedule, they may not lose another game until their last two games of the regular season; road games at Northeastern and VCU and they don't play Georgia State again.  The Patriots are first in the CAA in field goal percentage offense and second in field goal percentage defense.  They also lead the CAA in blocks per game (having Erik Copes and Mike Morrison helps) and assists per game.
   
   Interesting statistic;  George Mason is only one of four teams in the CAA with not a single player in the top ten in minutes played (the others are Old Dominion, UNCW and William and Mary).  Yet while averaging only 30.6 minutes per game, Ryan Pearson is third in the CAA in scoring at 17.4 points per game.  Both Mike Moore, 20.4 points per game and Devon Saddler, 18.6 points per game average 35.5 minutes per game, basically five minutes more per game than Pearson.
3. VCU (13-5, 4-2 CAA) -  I got to see the Rams live again at Newark this past Saturday and once again, I left very impressed.   The Rams are third in the CAA in scoring defense, allowing only 59.7 points per game.  Of course, "Havoc" plays a large part in their play, as they are first in steals in 9.6 per game.  Finally, in Shaka Smart's favorite category, turnover margin, VCU is again first in the CAA with + 5.67.
   
   Briante Weber makes the most of his minutes played.  Weber averages twenty minutes per game, yet leads the CAA in steals at 2.5 steals per game.  The other top fourteen players in the steals category rounded off average thirty or minutes with the exceptions of Quincy Ford (twenty six minutes) and Josh Micheaux (nearly twenty nine minutes).
4. Drexel (12-5, 4-2 CAA) -  The Dragons have rebounded nicely winning three games in a row against good competition; VCU, George Mason and UNCW.   Damion Lee, Frantz Massenat, Chris Fouch and Samme Givens usually get the most attention, but Derrick Thomas has played well of late.  In his last three games, Thomas has averaged twelve points a game and has shot thirteen of twenty five from the field and seven of nine from the free throw line.
   
   Perhaps this is "The Year of the Dragon" because Drexel is first in the CAA in free throw shooting percentage at 73.1 percent.  Yes, the team that's since it has been in the CAA has never finished shooting from the line higher than 68.3 percent (2006-07 season) is shooting 73.1 percent on the season.
5. Old Dominion (10-8, 5-1 CAA) - The Monarchs have played only two teams above .500 in conference so far and they have split those games; won at Northeastern and lost at George Mason.  Still ODU is winning with its trademark defense as the Monarchs are fourth in the CAA in scoring defense at 62.9 points per game, third in steals at nine per game and second in rebounding margin.
   
   Trian Iliadis has stepped up his game for the Monarchs.  Once considered mainly a three point shooter, Iliadis has added to his game. He averages 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and is one of the leaders in the CAA in steals at 1.7 steals per game. Strangely, he is only shooting twenty five percent from beyond the arc this season.
6. Northeastern (8-8, 4-2 CAA) - The Huskies had a nice week, winning both their games over Hofstra and William and Mary.   The most impressive stat is the team averaging the second most turnovers in the CAA at nearly sixteen per game had only one turnover in the last fifteen minutes versus the Pride.   They also create turnovers as they are fourth in the CAA in steals, averaging eight per game.
   
   Jonathan Lee has been huge the past four games for the Huskies.  Lee is averaging nearly eighteen points per game and has shot twenty five for forty three from the field (fifty eight percent).  Lee is also averaging nearly five rebounds per game.  Lee is only six foot two inches tall.
7. UNCW ( 7-9, 3-3 CAA) - The Seahawks faced stiff competition the past week which saw both opponents score in the mid to high seventies and the Seahawks lost both games handily.  UNC Wilimington defends the three pointer well as the Seahawks are second in the CAA in three point field goal percentage defense.  It's been their two point field goal percentage defense that has been a problem.  Opponents are shooting two point field goals at a fifty two percent clip.
   
   Adam Smith gets most of the press of the UNCW freshman class, but K.K. Simmons is having an impressive rookie season as well.  Simmons has averaged thirteen points per game over his last four games.  Simmons also shoots eighty two percent from the line and has hit eighteen of his last twenty one free throws.
8. Delaware (7-9,3-3 CAA) - The Blue Hens were another team that went 0-2 for the week. Delaware lost two games at home; in overtime to Old Dominion and by thirteen to VCU.  The Blue Hens have been successful largely due to their field goal percentage defense, third in the CAA at 38.4 percent.  The Blue Hens' problem has been turnovers as they are tenth in the CAA in turnover margin at -3.5.
   
   Jamelle Hagins and Devon Saddler are the two main reasons why Delaware has been competitive in the CAA this season. But Josh Brinkley has been a force lately. Over his last three games, Brinkley has averaged fourteen points and ten rebounds per game.  He is shooting fifty five percent from the field on the season.
9. William and Mary (4-14, 2-4 CAA) - The Tribe went 1-1 last week as part of their three game road trip that concludes at VCU tomorrow night.  Yes, their win was over Towson, but they were ahead early against Northeastern before the Huskies rallied.   W&M is at the bottom of most CAA categories sans free throw shooting.  The Tribe are fourth in the CAA at 71.9 percent.
   
   I am starting to really wonder if Quinn McDowell is playing hurt.  After his record setting performance in the first round of the CAA Tournament last season, McDowell has struggled since.   His average points per game is down three points from last season. McDowell's field goal percentage is way down ; it was 47.5 percent last season, this season it's 39.4 percent.  His shooting from three point range is also significantly down; 45.5 percent last season, this season 37.2 percent.  The Tribe need the re-emergence of the Mighty Quinn.
10. James Madison (8-9,1-5 CAA) - The Dukes went 0-2 last week. They were drubbed at VCU and outscored at home by George Mason.   They dug themselves holes in both games.  The Dukes were down nine at the half to the Rams and down by fifteen at the half at home to the Patriots.  Part of that has to do with rebounding. They were outrebounded 42-26 to VCU as the Rams had fourteen offensive rebounds.  JMU is tenth in the CAA in rebounding margin.
    
    A.J. Davis is doing his best to help out the Dukes.  Davis has averaged seventeen points and three steals in his last three games.  He is also sixteen of twenty one from the free throw line in his last three games.
11. Hofstra (6-11, 0-6 CAA) - The Pride had leads in the second half of both of their games against Northeastern and Old Dominion last week, only to lose both games.  Offensively, the two halves were completely dissimilar.  Hofstra shot sixty percent against Northeastern in the second half, but only shot twenty seven percent vs. ODU in the second half.  What was consistent was their lack of defense in the second half.  The Huskies shot fifty eight percent in the second half while the Monarchs shot fifty percent in the second half.
    
    Nathaniel Lester has played much more consistently lately.  In his last three games, Lester has averaged nineteen points per game and has shot twenty of twenty four from the line.  Lester has scored in double figures in ten straight games and has three double doubles in those ten games.
12. Towson (0-18, 0-6 CAA) - The Tigers played quite respectably in both their losses last week. Towson actually had leads against both William and Mary and Georgia State before losing.  Ron Hunter commended the Tigers on their play saying that Towson came out with more effort than his own team.
    
    Robert Nwankwo continues to play hard for Towson.  Against the big front line of Georgia State, Nwakwo had seventeen points, thirteen rebounds, six blocks and four steals. He also had eleven points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals against William and Mary.   Nwankwo is doing everything he can to help Towson find that elusive first win.

The Colossal Colonial Ratings (CCR) for Week of January 9 - Post Gauntlet

So,  CAA gauntlet week ended with Drexel's come from behind win at home over VCU on Sunday night.   There's only one undefeated team left in CAA conference play, George Mason.  Then there's a whole bunch of surprises at 3-1 and also surprises at 2-2.  Finally there is the back of the pack and one of those teams has as many losses in conference as they did all of last season.

So with the all the voodoo going on in the Colonial, it's only fitting that our Colossal Colonial Ratings, aka CCR, this week should be accompanied by the CCR song "I Put A Spell on You".  Remember the ratings are based on my rankings of how good the teams are, not necessarily their current standings in the league.  Over time though, the CCR will generally reflect their standings in the league.

1. George Mason (12-4, 4-0 CAA) - The Patriots pulled off one of the two sweeps by a team during a gauntlet week. First, they struggled with but eventually overwhelmed William and Mary.  Then the Patriots won impressively at Old Dominion.  Finally, in a dogfight in Fairfax, Mason held onto beat Georgia State.
   
   Mike Morrison was huge for Mason during gauntlet week.  In the three games, he averaged nearly thirteen points and ten rebounds per game.  He had a double double, fourteen points and fifteen rebounds vs. the Panthers stout front line.  Impressive.
2. Georgia State (11-4, 3-1 CAA) - The Panthers were only a few seconds away from pulling off an almost impossible task of sweeping Drexel, VCU and George Mason, the last two games on the road.  Still, a 2-1 showing was quite impressive for Georgia State.
   
   Jihad Ali was an important factor in the Panthers' success.  In the last three games, Ali has averaged fifteen points per game and was a perfect twelve for twelve from the line.  Ali has increased his free throw percentage from forty six percent last season to seventy three percent this season, which is an amazing improvement. 
3. Old Dominion (8-8, 3-1 CAA) - Rumors of the Monarchs demise have been greatly exaggerated.  The Monarchs had a solid 2-1 week   It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. They rallied to force overtime at James Madison, then beat the Dukes in overtime.  After struggling at home in a loss to Mason, the Monarchs completely crushed Towson, winning by thirty seven points.
   
   Chris Cooper has become the latest member in a long line of solid ODU forwards. Cooper is averaging a double double this season with 10.4 points and 10.3 rebounds.  Last season, Cooper only had 154 field goal attempts on the season.  This season, he already has 148 field goal attempts.
4. Drexel (10-5, 2-2 CAA) -  Things looked a little bleak at the start of the week for the Dragons.  They lost convincingly at Georgia State.   But then came the lock down of Towson at home,.60-27.   Then in a typical classic VCU-Drexel rockfight, the Dragons rallied to beat the Rams in what was a must win for Drexel.
   
   Frantz Massenat.has improved his games by leaps and bounds.  The sophomore has more than doubled his scoring from last season to 12.7 points per game. His three point field goal percentage is a very impressive 47 percent and he has increased his free throw shooting percentage from 61 percent last season to 73.5 percent this season.
5. VCU (11-5,.2-2 CAA) - The week started off promising for the Rams. They soundly defeated Hofstra.  But they ran into two defensive struggles and came out on the losing end both times; at home to Georgia State and at Drexel.  The second best free throw shooting team in the CAA shot an uncharacteristic 9 of 20 from the free throw line against the Dragons.
   
   Troy Daniels has become a major weapon off the bench for VCU.  In his last three games, Daniels has hit twelve three pointers while averaging thirteen points per game.  After only averaging four plus minutes per game last season, Daniels is averaging twenty one minutes per game this season, while shooting forty percent from three.
6. UNCW (7-7, 3-1 CAA) -  The Seahawks were the only other team besides the Patriots to successfully run the gauntlet last week.  They won at home over Delaware, then traveled to Boston and beat Northeastern.  Finally they held on at Trask to defeat Hofstra. And they did it with offense, averaging seventy nine points per game.
   
   Freshman Adam Smith has created a lot of buzz with his outstanding play so far this season.  But my favorite Seahawk has been for a while Keith Rendleman.  Rendleman was a horse last week for UNCW.  He averaged twenty points and twelve rebounds in those three wins while shooting 19 of 31 from the field and 22 of 26 from the line. Definitely all first team CAA material.
7. Delaware (7-7, 3-1 CAA) - Imagine you're 3-1 in conference and that only gets you seventh place in these ratings.  That's not a knock on the Blue Hens, just speaks of the depth of this conference.  They got off to a bad start losing a tough game at UNCW. Then they barely just held on beating Hofstra at home 67-66.  Delaware then toughed one out beating William and Mary on the road.  All in all a good week for the Blue Hens.
   
   We love double double machines here at the College Hardwood.  Thus we have to give a lot of love to Jamelle Hagins.  Hagins averaged eighteen points and twelve rebounds in the three games last week.  He also shot an impressive 21 of 35 and is shooting 56.6 percent from the field this season.  And oh yeah, he averaged three blocks per game last week.
8. Northeastern (6-8, 2-2 CAA) - The Huskies had a good week overall, going 2-1.  They won at Towson, then lost a close game at home to UNCW, then had another road win at James Madison.  The Huskies seem to like the road, as five of their six wins have come away from home. Perhaps they should check into a hotel when playing in Boston.
   
   Mike Litos loves Quincy Ford, another talented freshman in the CAA this season.  And why not, because Ford stepped up his game during gauntlet week. He averaged nearly fourteen points per game while shooting 16 of 31 from the field.  Ford also had ten steals in those three games.
9. James Madison (8-7, 1-3 CAA) - The Dukes were one of three teams that got swept last week. It was how they got swept that was so agonizing.  JMU had ODU beaten but missed several key free throws down the stretch.  The Monarchs forced overtime and eventually won.  Then they rallied in the second half vs. William and Mary, only to fade down the stretch and lose to the Tribe.  Finally, a depleted Dukes roster lost at home to Northeastern.
   
   A.J. Davis has been a solid addition to JMU.  In his last three games, including a win over Hampton last night, Davis has averaged eighteen points, six rebounds and four steals.  Davis though might want to work on his three point shooting.  In his last five games, he is 1 of 19 from beyond the arc.  No, that's not a misprint.
10. Hofstra (6-10, 0-4 CAA) - Talk about a complete reversal from a season ago.  Last season, Hofstra swept through gauntlet week, which helped catapult them to a third place finish in the CAA.   Last week, Hofstra got swept.  First, VCU outclassed them at the Mack Center.  Then the Pride lost a heartbreaker at Delaware by a point, when they missed three free throws in the last twenty two seconds in the game.  Then Hofstra lost at UNCW by six. The Pride have now lost as many games in conference this season, four, as they had all last season.
    
    If there is any silver lining to an 0-3 week, it has been the play of Stephen Nwaukoni.  Nwaukoni has earned a starting role due to his tireless work on the boards. He averaged nearly ten rebounds per game during gauntlet week. 
11. William and Mary (3-13, 1-3 CAA) - The Tribe did their best this past week.  They gave Mason fits at the Patriot Center, leading for most of the first half before losing.  Then they knocked off JMU at home.  Finally, they held their own for most of the game at Delaware before losing to the Blue Hens.
    
    W&M has their own talented freshman in Marcus Thornton.  In the three games last week, Thornton averaged nineteen points and shot 16 of 20 from the free throw line.  Over his last four games, he is eight of seventeen from beyond the arc.
12. Towson (0-16, 0-3 CAA) - The Tigers gauntlet week received a lot of negative publicity due to their record tying and record breaking losses.  First, Towson played respectably at home, losing to Northeastern by nine points.  Then it got ugly.  First was the 70-27 loss at Drexel, where only one Tiger had more than one field goal in the game and had eight baskets for the entire game.  Then Towson set the NCAA Division I mark for most consecutive losses with thirty five in a row as they got pummeled at ODU 75-38.
    
    It's hard to find a bright spot on a winless team that has scored sixty or more points only twice this season.  But Robert Nwankwo was a stat sheet stuffer against Old Dominion.  Nwankwo had eleven points, seven rebounds, five blocks and two steals vs. the Monarchs. Nwankwo on the season averages eleven points and eight rebounds per game.

Another New Year, Another Gauntlet Week for CAA Teams

I always love the New Year as far as CAA play goes.  God bless Tom Yeager and the folks at the Colonial Athletic Association.  They give you a brief one game taste of conference play in December, then hit their fans with a full force smorgasbord of basketball the first week of January.  Six days, three games (with one exception, VCU at Drexel Sunday night).  Now that's starting off the new year right for legions of CAA basketball fans.

Gauntlet week can often be a springboard to a team's overall success in conference play.  The most recent example of this is Hofstra from last season.  The Pride had to play two games on the road, at Drexel and at Northeastern, with a sandwiched home game vs. George Mason in between.  No easy task for an CAA team.  But the Pride swept that first week and it played a part in Hofstra going 14-4 in conference play last season.

Let's take a look at the twelve teams' gauntlet schedules based on their overall rankings in my new COLOSSAL COLONIAL RATINGS, otherwise known as CCR.  Why CCR? Well it also is the initials for one of my all time favorite bands, Credence Clearwater Revival.  And I thought some John Fogerty "Travelin' Band" would be appropriate for the kickoff of these ratings, since all the teams will be "traveling" at some point during this gauntlet.

1. VCU (10-3, 1-0 CAA) - The team that went to the Final Four last season struggled out of the gate this season, losing three of its first six games.  But it just took a little while for the young reserves of last season to flourish as starters. The Rams have won their last seven games, including a drubbing of UNCW. And of course that's due in large part to their "havoc" style of play. They are ranked third in the country in Ken Pomeroy's defensive effective turnover percentage at 28.3 percent as they average over ten steals per game.  
   
   And "havoc" has helped in the second best scoring margin in the CAA at +8.7 (only Georgia State at a ridiculous +13.7 is better).  The Rams have a tough schedule this week - at Hofstra tonight; home to an up and coming Georgia State team, then at Drexel next Sunday.  No cupcake schedule for defending Final Four teams.
2. Georgia State (9-3, 1-0 CAA) - By far, the biggest surprise in the CAA heading into gauntlet week.  The Panthers have drunk the Ron Hunter Kool-aid.  Winners of nine straight games, seven of the wins by sixteen points or more. It simply comes down to defense as William and Mary found out the hard way (66-34 loss to the Panthers)  If you purchased a subscription to Pomeroy's ratings, you would see a solid wall of green for Georgia State in all defensive categories (and remember, green is good).  The Panthers are best in defensive steal percentage, tenth, and defensive block percentage, eighteenth.
   
   But Georgia State can score as well, first in the CAA in scoring offense at 72.6 points per game. We'll find out if they are for real as the Panthers host Drexel tonight, then they are at VCU on Wednesday, then finish at Georgia Mason on Saturday.  Win two of those three games and Georgia State's bandwagon will start getting bigger.
3. George Mason (9-4, 1-0 CAA) - The Patriots are coming off two impressive wins over the College of Charleston and Manhattan.  They are second in the CAA in scoring offense and first in FG percentage defense.  Still, George Mason has struggled at times and there is one reason why - turnovers.  The Patriots' offensive turnover percentage is 22.2 percent, which is 240th in the country.  Last season, their turnover percentage was 16.2 percent, which was 20th in the country.  They basically commit as many turnovers as they force.
   
   Mason starts off their schedule with a home game vs. William and Mary, then a road trip to Old Dominion, then a home game vs. Georgia State.  We'll get to see quickly how Paul Hewitt's transition offense philosophy plays in the Colonial.
4. Drexel (8-4, 0-1 CAA) - The Dragons struggled at the start of the season, losing four of their first six games, including a conference game at Delaware. But Bruiser's boys have "rebounded" winning their last six games.  And that best describes how they are winning; sixth in the country in defensive offensive rebound percentage at 23.8 percent.  They are also very good at defending the three, nineteenth in the country at 27.4 percent (tied with UNCW).
   
   Still, they need offense to win.  After only scoring more than sixty points in two of their first six games, they have scored at least sixty four points during their six game winning streak.  The Dragons get tested early tonight at Georgia State, then two straight home games, hosting Towson Wednesday night, then VCU on Sunday.
5. James Madison (7-4, 1-0 CAA) - The Dukes have won five of their last seven games, including a two point win at Hofstra.  JMU loves to shoot three, as they are first in the CAA in three point FG percentage at 39.1 percent and only VCU has hit more three pointers in the Colonial.
   
   The Dukes have struggled on the glass as they are next to last in the Colonial in rebounding margin at -2.5 (only William and Mary is worse).  This is due to being tenth in the CAA in both in rebounding offense and rebounding defense.  They will need to work on cleaning the glass quickly as they host Old Dominion tonight.  Then JMU travels to  William and Mary on Wednesday before it hosts Northeastern on Saturday.
6. Old Dominion (6-7, 1-0 CAA) -  After a 5-3 start, the Monarchs have struggled, losing three of their last four games.  In fairness to ODU, two losses were on the road to 10-3 UCF and Richmond, while the other was a close loss at home to the undefeated #8 nationally ranked Missouri Tigers.  When the Monarchs are successful, it's due to what else, their defense.  ODU is 21st in the country in steal percentage and 26th in the country in turnover percentage defense.
   
   The main reason ODU has struggled this season is putting the biscuit in the basket.  The Monarchs are next to last in the CAA in field goal percentage at 39.1 percent and next to last in free throw percentage at 63.2 percent.  Old Dominion gets three opportunities to improve on those percentages when they travel to JMU tonight, then host Mason on Wednesday then another game at the Ted on Saturday as they host Towson.
7. Hofstra (6-7, 0-1 CAA) - The Pride started out the season 3-3, then lost four straight, including a two point loss at home to JMU.  Then they won three in a row in convincing fashion, though all three games were at home.  Outside of Mason's road win at Charleston, the Pride have the two other best non conference wins, neutral site vs. Cleveland State and home to Iona.  Hofstra is strongest shooting the three, second in the CAA at 37.9 percent, though they have shot the second least three pointers in the CAA (only Towson has shot less three pointers than the Pride). They are also second in rebounding defense at 33.2 rebounds allowed per game and fourth in free throw percentage at 70.9 percent.
   
   Other than those three categories, Hofstra is basically in the middle of the pack in the CAA in all other categories such as field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, turnover margin, assist to turnover ratio etc.  They get three chances to improve on all those categories as they host VCU tonight, then take a two game road trip, first to Delaware on Wednesday, then UNCW Saturday.
8. Delaware (5-6, 1-0 CAA) -  The Fightin Blue Hens have been very up and down this season.  Lose two, win two.  Lose two out of three, then win two in a row, then lose two in a row.   It might have something to do with turnovers and specifically, the inability to create them.  Delaware is tenth in the CAA in turnover margin at -3.55.  Even worse, the Blue Hens are dead last in the country in defensive steal percentage at 4.8 percent as they average only 3.3. steals per game.
   
   The Blue Hens are very good in rebounding, first in the CAA in rebounding offense at 39 rebounds per game and are third in the Colonial at three point field goal percentage at 43.1 percent.  This week starts out with an afternoon tilt today at UNCW, then a home game with Hofstra on Wednesday, then  finishes in Williamsburg against William and Mary.
9. Northeastern (4-7, 0-1 CAA) - Noreaster came out strong winning three of its first four games.  Then they lost six in a row before a tough win at Vermont last week.  The Huskies have no problem creating turnovers.  The problem is they create them on the offensive end as they are 341st in the country in offensive steal percentage at fourteen percent, thus a turnover margin of -3.0, good for ninth in the CAA (imagine, there are three WORSE teams than that in the Colonial).
   
   The good news for Noreaster fans is that the Huskies are capable of big wins, such as their road wins over St John's and Vermont.   That's because they can play defense; fourth in the CAA in rebounding margin, fourth in blocks and fourth in steals.  Northeastern will try to improve on their record as they travel to Towson today, then host UNCW Wednesday night before traveling to JMU on Saturday.
10. UNCW  (4-7, 0-1 CAA) - The Seahawks are a very young team with seven freshmen playing in their rotation.  So it's no surprise that they lost their first five games.  However, UNCW has grown up a lot  having won four of its last six games, with their only losses at VCU and at Wake Forest, no shame in either loss.
    
    The Seahawks guard the three very well, first in the CAA in three point field goal percentage defense.  And they are pretty good offensively, fifth in the CAA in field goal percentage and fifth in assists.   They actually have a favorable schedule - home to Delaware this afternoon, at Northeastern on Wednesday, then home to Hofstra on Saturday.
11. William and Mary (2-11, 0-1 CAA) - There's not much to write home about if you are a Tribe fan.   W&M has one Division I win on this season, a one point road win at Liberty.  Other than that, it's been ugly for the Tribe.  How ugly?  Well outside of free throw percentage, William and Mary's Ken Pomeroy statistics are all red.  In fact, they are dead last in defensive turnover percentage at 13.3 percent.
    
    The Tribe are next to last in the CAA in scoring offense (59 points per game), scoring defense (73 points per game), turnover margin (-5.69), steals (4.2), tenth in assist to turnover ratio, and dead last in offensive rebounds (the only team under ten offensive rebounds per game).  The bright side is that the only way is up as they travel to Mason today, then host JMU on Wednesday and Delaware on Saturday.
12. Towson (0-13, 0-1 CAA) - Where to begin with the Tigers. How about last in the country in assists per game (7.5)?  How about last in the country in offensive turnover percentage (30.3 percent)?   Does last in the country in free throw percentage, 55.5 percent work for you?  How about last in offensive steal percentage at 16.5 percent?   I won't even get into details on how Towson is dead last in most CAA categories.
    
    The bright side is that sooner or later Towson will get a win in large part to their heroic effort at #24 UVA, which was close the entire game.  The Tigers lost 57-50 to the Cavaliers, a definite moral victory. They'll try to finally get a real victory this week as they host Northeastern tonight, then travel to Drexel on Wednesday and then onto the Ted for ODU on Saturday. 

The holidays may have passed.  But for CAA fans, this is the most wonderful time of the year.  The gauntlet starts today.  Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Humpty Causes Hofstra a Great Fall

Sometimes, there are long stretches where one team has another team's number.  When Hofstra first joined the CAA in 2001, they lost their first three games in conference with James Madison and had lost four in a row overall to JMU.  But starting in 2004, the Pride have gone on a twelve game winning streak vs. the Dukes.

Though the series record indicates one team's dominance over another, the results have been quite close.  During Hofstra's streak vs. JMU, nine of the twelve games were decided by seven points or less.  Three of the games went into overtime; a 92-90 win in January of this year, a 99-96 double overtime game in February 2009 and the all time gem, a 95-88 triple overtime game in February 2005.

So when the Dukes made the all familiar trip to Hempstead yesterday to face the Pride in the conference season opening game for both teams, it seemed one thing would be certain. It would be a close game.  And sure enough, the game lived up to that billing.

My older son Matthew was looking forward to yesterday.   For not only was there a basketball game, but Saturday was the long awaited day for putting up the Christmas decorations outside our house.  Now for me, I actually enjoy decorating for Halloween, not so much for Christmas.  But to placate a six year old boy and his four year old brother, I took down the decorations from the garage and spent the better part of the late morning and afternoon hanging Christmas lights and getting out several decorative inflatables.  Needless to say I was happy to leave for the basketball game when it was time.

The game started out with JMU's leading scorer on the season, A.J. Davis picking up two quick fouls in the first five minutes. But Madison hung in there, thanks in large part to their offensive rebounding. In the first half, the Dukes had eleven offensive rebounds which led to eleven second chance points.  JMU took a 22-17 lead with 7:45 left in the first half on a three pointer by Armon Marks, which was their only successful three point shot at that time.  The Dukes, the best three point shooting team in the CAA, would be only two of eleven from beyond the arc in the first half.

While JMU's leading scorer was on the bench with as many fouls as points, two, Hofstra's leading scorer for the season, Mike Moore, was basically unstoppable.  Moore hit four three pointers in the first half  (Hofstra was 5 of 10 from beyond the arc in the first half) and scored twenty of Hofstra's thirty one points.  After the Dukes had taken that five point lead, the Pride would go on a 14-2 run, with Moore scoring half those points.

However, JMU coach Matt Brady made a critical decision with a minute left in the half.  He went for a two for one possession.  The Dukes would miss two three pointers on their first possession and a Moore jumper would be the final points for Hofstra in the first half.  But due to the two for one possession, the Dukes got the ball back and called timeout.  Off the timeout, Humpty Hitchens, another transfer from Akron, hoisted a sixty foot prayer right before the buzzer.

As the buzzer sounded...nothing...but...net.

The officials reviewed the play to make sure the shot came before the buzzer, which it clearly did from our vantage point.  The officials confirmed that it was good.  And due to the Dukes second only successful three pointer in the half, instead of Hofstra going into the half up seven, they were only up four, 31-27.  Hofstra coach Mo Cassara was none too pleased, as if he knew that shot might come back to haunt the Pride.

At half time, there was your classic youth basketball game for entertainment.  But Matthew was pleading for me to get him a pretzel.  And since I can't say no to my cute six year old son, we waited on a long concession line while I tweeted updates on the game.

It was clear at the start of the second half that Coach Matt Brady told his team "Whatever you do, don't let Mike Moore beat us."  And the Dukes took him out of the game.  For the better part of the last twenty minutes, Moore barely touched the ball.  He would only have five shot attempts in the second half, hitting only one of those.

But early on, it didn't seem to affect the Pride.  Hofstra actually extended it's lead using a 10-2 run.  After Nathaniel Lester hit his first three pointer since the first game of this season, the Pride were up 43-33.   The lead was still ten, 47-37 after a Stephen Nwaukoni layup with a little more than eleven minutes remaining in the game.  JMU looked off in their shot selection and the rest of the Hofstra players were chipping in despite Moore being held scoreless.

But twice already in this early season, Hofstra had similar leads, only to see them evaporate and lose the game.  Against Florida Atlantic, the Pride were up 36-27 before going on a three for eighteen shooting drought and lost 62-60.  Against Boston University, the Pride were up 42-35 before shooting two of fifteen for the rest of the game and lost 68-61.  

Unfortunately for Hofstra, history would repeat itself yesterday.   With Moore being held scoreless, the Pride would shoot one of eight from the field over the next seven minutes. Meanwhile, JMU's vaunted three point shooting came to life.  Hitchens nailed two three pointers and Julius Wells added one as well.  The Dukes went on a 13-3 run and tied the game at fifty on Alioune Diouf jumper with six and half minutes left.

The Pride would retake the lead in large part to guard Shemiye McLendon.  First McLendon gave a pretty feed to forward Moussa Kone for a resounding dunk.  Then McLendon channeled his inner Vinnie Johnson (they wear the same jersey number, 15), and buried a slightly off balance eighteen foot jumper.  Hofstra was back up 56-52 with three minutes left.

After the teams traded turnovers and Hofstra's Dwan McMillan missed an open jumper, Davis came alive for James Madison.  First, he buried a three pointer to cut the lead to one, 56-55.  Then after a turnover by McLendon, the Dukes called timeout.  My friend Mal predicted that they would call a play for Davis.  Sure enough, off the inbounds play, they got it to Davis, who hit a layup and was fouled by Kone.   He would hit the free throw for the three point play. James Madison was up for the first time since four minutes remaining in the first half, 58-56 with a minute left in the game.

But Hofstra finally got Moore involved after JMU's imposed nineteen minute sabbatical.  Moore hit two free throws for his first points of the second half and the game was tied at fifty eight.  But Hitchens, the proverbial thorn in the Pride's side, nailed a jumper to put Madison up two, 60-58 with thirty nine seconds left.

To Hofstra's credit, they didn't waste time with the ball and went after a good shot immediately. That good shot was a Moore layup that tied the game at sixty with twenty six seconds left.   JMU wound down the clock and with about three seconds left, Hitchens hit another jumper over McMillan's outstretched hand.  The Dukes were up 62-60, but Moore had one last chance.  He hoisted a sixty footer from almost the same exact location Hitchens hit his three pointer at the end of the first half.

As the buzzer sounded...nothing...but...backboard.

James Madison had won 62-60.  Hitchens' sixty footer at the end of the half did come back to haunt Hofstra.  He led JMU with twenty points, while Davis had ten of his twelve points in the second half.  Moore had twenty four to lead all scorers, but the Dukes holding him in check in the second half was huge.  David Imes was the only other double figure scorer for Hofstra with ten points.

For once, a Humpty caused someone else's great fall.  All the Hofstra players and all the Hofstra fans couldn't keep the streak alive again.   After twelve straight losses, the Dukes finally had a win against the Pride.

James Madison vs. Hofstra Preview

As noted in my previous post, it's the first day of CAA conference play.  Outside of VCU and UNCW, all ten other teams are playing against each other today.  And in Hempstead, we have a rematch of the classic overtime thriller from last season where Hofstra rallied in regulation against James Madison and won in overtime 92-90.  When the Pride joined the CAA in the 2001-02 season, the Dukes won the first three games in the series.  Since then, Hofstra has won twelve straight.   Here are seven things to look for in today's game.

1. Expect a High Scoring, Close Game - First you have JMU who leads the CAA in scoring and is next to last in scoring defense.  Second, you have Hofstra who is third in the CAA in FG percentage at 44.3, but is also next to last in the CAA in FG percentage defense at 46.6 percent.  The Pride are allowing a stunning 54.6 percent of two point field goals attempted.
   
   Third, when the Dukes and the Pride get together at the Mack Center, there is a history of high scoring, overtime games.  There have been three overtime games in the past six years where the winning team, Hofstra, has scored in the 90's; the aforementioned game from January, a 99-96 double overtime game in February 2009 and the all time gem, a 95-88 triple overtime game in February 2005.
2. JMU Star Transfer Part Deux - Matt Brady has lots of success with transfers.  First Denzel Bowles, now A.J. Davis. Davis, a transfer from Wyoming, is averaging 22 points per game. Hofstra's best player, Mike Moore will likely be responsible for guarding Davis.  Should be an interesting matchup.
3. Rise and Fire - Two of the top three point field goal shooting teams in the CAA play today.  The Dukes hit as many three pointers, ten, as the Pride attempt in a game (sixty nine three point attempts in seven games).  James Madison leads the CAA, shooting nearly 47 percent from the field, while Hofstra is second at 43.5 percent.  The Dukes have four of the top ten three point percentage shooters in the Colonial; Davis at a ridiculous 59 percent, Humpty Hitchens at 51.7 percent , Andrey Semenov and Julius Wells.
   
   Mike Moore is third in the CAA in three point FG percentage, shooting 48.4 percent (15 of 31). But, as noted by John Templon earlier this week, Hofstra should try attempting more three point attempts.  In fact, the Pride are averaging seven less attempts per game than last season. Hofstra is actually very good at defending the three, allowing only 32 percent of three point field goals attempted.
4. Charity Begins at the Line - As mentioned in my CAA Notes from earlier today, Hofstra is averaging twenty nine free throw attempts per game, more than double what Drexel averages per game.  The Pride have 204 free throw attempts.  Georgia State is next with 161 free throw attempts.  When you are hitting seventy percent of those attempts, you tend to stay in games.
   
   Meanwhile, James Madison is only ninth in the CAA in free throw attempts, with one hundred less attempts than Hofstra. This may be due in large part to their three point shooting prowess.  The advantage goes to Hofstra in this category.
5. Paging Nathaniel Lester - In two games vs. LIU and Rhode Island, Lester scored a total of fifty five points.  In his other five games combined, Lester has scored a total of forty five points. Though he is averaging a respectable 14.3 points per game, he is struggling from the field, shooting 36 percent from the field and 21 percent from beyond the arc.  In fact, after going 3 of 4 from three against LIU, he has missed his last ten three point attempts.  Against Florida Atlantic and Boston University, in the two games combined, he only hit one field goal in twenty two attempts.  Simply put, Lester has to be more consistent.
     
6. Ball Possession - James Madison is first in the CAA in assists, averaging 14.2 per game with Hitchens leading the CAA at 6.0 assists per game, as well as assists to turnovers per game at 2.1.  Hofstra's Dwan McMillan is third at 4.0 assists per game and fifth with .6 assists to turnovers per game.  The problem is Steve Mejia is the starting point guard for the Pride and he is not in the top fourteen in either category in the CAA.  In fact, Hofstra is tenth in the CAA in assists per game at 9.9.  Advantage James Madison.
7. Pride Must Avoid a Shooting Drought - The Pride had two substantial leads in their games vs. Florida Atlantic and Boston University.  In both games, they went cold from the field in the second half and lost both games.  Against the Owls, after being up 36-27, the Pride shot 3 of 18 from the field over an eleven minute period in the second half.  Against the Terriers, after being up 52-45 with ten minutes left, the Pride shot 2 of 15 from the field for the rest of the game.  They can't afford that against the Dukes.

How willl this game turnout?   Well, using lines from TV shows and movies: 

• If Hofstra Coach Mo Cassara yells "THEM DUKES! THEM DUKES!" like Boss Hogg from "The Dukes of Hazzard", it's a good day for James Madison.  
• If  James Madison Coach Matt Brady yells "Come on Julius, get in front of the damn ball! Don't give me this "olé" bulls___" like Lou Brown from "Major League", then it's a good day for Hofstra.

Either way, expect a very close, high scoring game.  History often repeats itself in this series.