It appears to be shaping up as "that year" for the CAA. You know, the one without the crooked number in parentheses when there is a conference run-down of the number of NCAA tournament bids. And while it may be blind love for All Things Colonial, I'm not giving in. Both VCU and George Mason harbor the "resumes" needed for inclusion. (Side note--who first used resume when talking about how a team performs for NCAA selection purposes? That used to be really good. Now it's really bad.)
But here's a dose of reality: Either team will have to run through the conference season at 15-3 or 16-2, and right now the CAA is the only conference in the nation--heck, in the world--in which every single team has at least one victory. Seven teams are 1-2. Look no farther than the top of the standings, where two teams (Delaware and JMU) who combined to go 7-29 last season are 5-1. It's any given night time in the CAA.
Just a little something to chew on, as you read:
BEST WEEK: Those aforementioned Fightin' Blue Hens of Monte Ross and the State of Delaware. Or is it Commonwealth? Only one team won both its games last week, and both Delaware victories were roadies. Impressive.
WORST WEEK: UNCW lost both its games, at Drexel and home to VCU. They didn't look good in either game. Head coach Benny Moss picked up two technical fouls and got the heave-ho from the officials for his heated review of their performance only six minutes into the VCU game. The wheels are a little wobbly right now and the Seahawks need its four seniors to be leaders.
MEDIOCRE WEEK: Each of the other 10 teams in the league went 1-1. Neither of us has the patience to run through the ups and downs. Next.
HOT STUFF: VCU regularly has nine players on the floor for at least 10 minutes per game. That gives the Rams seven options each night for the answer to the question: "Maynor, Shuler, and then who?" Also, JMU is for real. Above any on-court performance or statistic, Abdullai Jalloh gives the Dukes what they desperately missed: a leader with a swagger. Finally, Antoine Agudio has returned for Hofstra.
YOU MISSED A DOOZIE (IN THE ODD AND FUNNY MEANING): After slipping past VCU 62-61 on a Juwan James buzzer-beater, enthusiastic JMU coach Dean Keener picked up the Convocation Center PA microphone and issued a challenge to the Madison faithful about continuing to support the team the way they had that night. There was a scream, a screech, and then a slamming of the mic reminiscent of Arsenio Hall as the front man for Sexual Choclate in "Coming to America."
PLAYERS WE LOVE, NON-PRESEASON FIRST TEAM ALL CAA CLASS (THIS WEEK ONLY): Manny Adako, Northeastern; Leonard Mendez, Georgia State; Alphonso Dawson, Delaware; Junior Hairston, Towson; Dre Smith, George Mason.
GAMES TO WATCH
Never Thunk For First Place Bowl: George Mason at Delaware (Wednesday)
I've Been to the Crossroads: Hofstra at UNCW (Thursday)
Much Better Than You Think: Northeastern at George Mason (Saturday)
Standings Clogger Special: Old Dominion at Delaware (Saturday)
But here's a dose of reality: Either team will have to run through the conference season at 15-3 or 16-2, and right now the CAA is the only conference in the nation--heck, in the world--in which every single team has at least one victory. Seven teams are 1-2. Look no farther than the top of the standings, where two teams (Delaware and JMU) who combined to go 7-29 last season are 5-1. It's any given night time in the CAA.
Just a little something to chew on, as you read:
BEST WEEK: Those aforementioned Fightin' Blue Hens of Monte Ross and the State of Delaware. Or is it Commonwealth? Only one team won both its games last week, and both Delaware victories were roadies. Impressive.
WORST WEEK: UNCW lost both its games, at Drexel and home to VCU. They didn't look good in either game. Head coach Benny Moss picked up two technical fouls and got the heave-ho from the officials for his heated review of their performance only six minutes into the VCU game. The wheels are a little wobbly right now and the Seahawks need its four seniors to be leaders.
MEDIOCRE WEEK: Each of the other 10 teams in the league went 1-1. Neither of us has the patience to run through the ups and downs. Next.
HOT STUFF: VCU regularly has nine players on the floor for at least 10 minutes per game. That gives the Rams seven options each night for the answer to the question: "Maynor, Shuler, and then who?" Also, JMU is for real. Above any on-court performance or statistic, Abdullai Jalloh gives the Dukes what they desperately missed: a leader with a swagger. Finally, Antoine Agudio has returned for Hofstra.
YOU MISSED A DOOZIE (IN THE ODD AND FUNNY MEANING): After slipping past VCU 62-61 on a Juwan James buzzer-beater, enthusiastic JMU coach Dean Keener picked up the Convocation Center PA microphone and issued a challenge to the Madison faithful about continuing to support the team the way they had that night. There was a scream, a screech, and then a slamming of the mic reminiscent of Arsenio Hall as the front man for Sexual Choclate in "Coming to America."
PLAYERS WE LOVE, NON-PRESEASON FIRST TEAM ALL CAA CLASS (THIS WEEK ONLY): Manny Adako, Northeastern; Leonard Mendez, Georgia State; Alphonso Dawson, Delaware; Junior Hairston, Towson; Dre Smith, George Mason.
GAMES TO WATCH
Never Thunk For First Place Bowl: George Mason at Delaware (Wednesday)
I've Been to the Crossroads: Hofstra at UNCW (Thursday)
Much Better Than You Think: Northeastern at George Mason (Saturday)
Standings Clogger Special: Old Dominion at Delaware (Saturday)
2 comments:
Let me clarify the above statement under "Hot Stuff."
By rule, VCU only has five players on the floor at any given point in the game. They go four-deep on the bench.
Eddie Murphy was Randy Watson in "Coming to America". Arsenio Hall was the preacher. Nevertheless, seeing a college coach do that would have been insanely funny.
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