CAA Notes: Men’s Basketball

CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK Trae Goldston, Georgia State, Jr., G, 6-0, 182 Goldston averaged 23.0 points and drained 10-of-19 from thee-point range in Georgia State’s two games last week. The junior guard scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half of the Panthers’ 69-66 victory over UNC Wilmington, including a game-winning 3-pointer […]

February 16, 2009; 11:54 PM • by FTRea

CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Trae Goldston, Georgia State, Jr., G, 6-0, 182

Goldston averaged 23.0 points and drained 10-of-19 from thee-point range in Georgia State’s two games last week. The junior guard scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half of the Panthers’ 69-66 victory over UNC Wilmington, including a game-winning 3-pointer with five seconds to go. He also poured in a career-high 25 points in an overtime loss at Towson. For the week, Goldston shot 53% from the floor.

CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Julius Wells, James Madison Fr., F, 6-5, 190

Wells averaged 13.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in James Madison’s two games last week. The freshman forward posted a double-double with team-highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds in the Dukes’ overtime loss at first-place VCU and contributed six points and a team-best seven rebounds in a 76-67 victory over William & Mary. Wells has scored double figures in 18 of JMU’s 27 games this season.

CAA Race Is Closest In The Nation: The race for the CAA regular-season title is the closest in the nation with seven teams packed within two games of the lead with three contests remaining. In fact, none of the other 30 Division I conferences has more than five teams within two games of first place as of Feb. 16.

History In The Making: Since the CAA began playing an 18-game conference schedule in 2001-02, there have never been more than six teams with at least 10 league victories in a season. With three games to go, four teams – Northeastern, VCU, Drexel and George Mason – have already reached double-figure win totals and three others – Hofstra, James Madison and Old Dominion – are just one victory away from joining them.

Magic Number: Northeastern and VCU are currently tied atop the CAA standings with 11-4 records. No team has claimed the conference’s regular-season title with more than four losses since 1996-97 when Old Dominion and UNC Wilmington finished tied for first at 10-6.

Key Games On Wednesday: With seven teams battling for the top four spots in the CAA standings and a first-round bye in the conference tournament, there are a pair of key games on Wednesday. The two teams tied for third – Drexel and George Mason – meet in Fairfax, while two of the three squads tied for fifth go head-to-head as James Madison travels to Hofstra. Co-leaders Northeastern and VCU are both at home against Georgia State and Delaware, respectively, while fifth-place Old Dominion visits UNC Wilmington.

Five Teams In Televised BracketBusters Games On Saturday: All 12 CAA teams will take a break from league action this weekend to participate in the 7th annual ESPNU BracketBusters. The CAA had five teams chosen for televised games, which was the most of any of the participating 17 conferences. VCU travels to Nevada on Friday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. in a contest shown on ESPNU. On Saturday, Feb. 21, Northeastern visits Wright State in an 11 a.m. game on ESPN2, while Old Dominion hosts Liberty at 11 a.m. on ESPNU. At 7 p.m., Hofstra at Fairfield will be shown on ESPN360.com, followed by George Mason at Creighton at 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU. In non-TV matchups involving CAA teams on Feb. 21, Delaware visits Bucknell, Drexel hosts Loyola (Md.), Georgia State travels to Eastern Michigan, James Madison entertains Gardner-Webb, UNC Wilmington is at home against Elon, Towson welcomes Morgan State and William & Mary hosts Manhattan.

Home Teams Get Hot In CAA Play: Home teams have gone 20-4 in CAA games over the past two weeks, but road squads have had some success this season. Home teams have won 61.1% (55-35) of the conference contests played thus far. Five teams have a .500 or better road record in CAA play and seven squads have at least three league road victories. Last year, home teams finished with a 71-37 (.657) record in CAA play and only two teams – VCU (7-2) and ODU (5-4) – had winning road marks in league action.

Streaking: George Mason’s 14-game home court winning streak is tied for the 10th-longest in Division I along with UAB. Kansas owns the nation’s longest home court winning streak at 37 games.

Five CAA Teams In Top 102 Of Latest RPI: Five CAA teams are ranked in the top 102 of the most recent RPI report released by Collegiate Basketball News through games of Feb. 15. George Mason tops the list of CAA squads at #57, followed by VCU at #67, Northeastern at #77, Hofstra at #89 and Drexel at #102. The CAA is ranked #14 among the nation’s 31 Division I conferences.

 

Maynor Named Cousy Award Finalist: VCU senior guard Eric Maynor has been named one of 17 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top collegiate point guard. It’s the second year in a row that Maynor has made the list of finalists, which also includes Davidson’s Stephen Curry, UCLA’s Darren Collison, Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague and North Carolina’s Ty Lawson.

Delaware’s Egerson Leads In Double-Doubles: Delaware senior guard Marc Egerson has recorded a league-best 12 doubles-doubles this season. Egerson leads the CAA in rebounding with 10.4 per game and is seventh in the conference in scoring (14.9 ppg). Egerson is one of 19 players nationally to be averaging a double-double for the season and he and Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin are the only players in Division I to be averaging at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Three CAA Teams In Mid-Major Top 25 Poll: Three CAA teams are ranked in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 poll released by CollegeInsider.com on Feb. 16. VCU leads the CAA teams at #11, while George Mason is ranked #18 and Northeastern is ranked #19. The CAA is one of only three conferences with three squads among the top 20 along with the Missouri Valley and Horizon.

Maynor Ranked Nationally In Scoring And Assists: VCU’s Eric Maynor is ranked 11th in Division I in scoring (22.6 ppg) and 19th in assists (6.0 apg) according to the latest NCAA statistics through games of Feb. 15. In other individual categories, Delaware’s Marc Egerson is 15th nationally in rebounding (10.4 rpg), UNCW’s Chad Tomko is 32nd in steals (2.2 spg) and VCU’s Larry Sanders ranks 16th in blocks (2.6 bpg). A complete listing of CAA teams and players in the NCAA stats is on page 4 of this release.

Dynamite Defense: Defenses have been dominant in CAA play thus far, with six teams allowing less than 63 points per game. Northeastern is giving up only 56.0 ppg and has held 10 conference foes to under 60 points. Five teams are also holding their opponent under 40% FG shooting in CAA competition.

Fabulous Freshmen: James Madison’s freshman trio of Julius Wells (303 pts), Devon Moore (264 pts) and Andrey Semenov (214 pts) have scored the most points ever (781) by a Dukes’ freshmen class at the Division I level. It’s also the first time that JMU has had three freshmen with more than 200 points in a season.

Coaches Teleconferences Each Monday: Members of the media are invited to participate in the CAA weekly telephonic press conferences, which take place from 10 a.m.-Noon each Monday morning through March 2. The phone number to participate is 866-809-6768. A list of the coaches’ teleconference times is included on page 4 of the release. Comments from the call are also available on the web (www.caasports.com) each Monday afternoon after 1 p.m.

Maynor Moves To Third On CAA Assists List: VCU senior guard Eric Maynor moved past Delaware’s Mike Slattery (607) into third place on the CAA’s career assists list with 619. Maynor, who became the Rams’ all-time assists leader on Jan. 24, trails only Navy’s Doug Wojcik (714) and ODU’s Brion Dunlap (680) on the CAA chart. Maynor is on pace to join Slattery as the only players in CAA history to lead the conference in assists for three straight seasons.

DELAWARE (11-16 overall, 5-10 in CAA)

The Blue Hens beat George Mason (66-58) before having a four-game home win streak snapped by Hofstra. Senior Marc Egerson posted his league-leading 12th double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds versus Mason. Egerson has grabbed 10 or more boards 14 times and has scored 20 or more 10 times. Junior Brian Johnson averaged 13.5 ppg and 6.5 apg last week, including a team-high 16 points against Hofstra. Johnson, who has scored double figures in four straight games, moved into fourth place on UD’s career assists list with 422. Sophomore Jawan Carter, who tops the Hens in scoring (15.3 ppg), scored seven of his 19 points in the final three minutes against Mason. Guard D.J. Boney moved into the starting lineup last week and averaged 8.0 ppg. Five different UD players combined to make 11 treys versus Mason, which was its highest total since Dec. 30.

DREXEL (14-10 overall, 10-5 in CAA)

The Dragons vaulted into a tie for third place after victories over first-place Northeastern (62-58) and Towson (78-65) last week. Drexel has won nine of its last 11. The Dragons trailed NU 31-18 early in the second half, but went on a 15-0 run to grab the lead. Senior Scott Rodgers scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half at NU and added 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the Towson win. Rodgers has eight double-digit efforts in the past 10 games Senior Tramayne Hawthorne hit 5-of-8 from 3-point range and scored a team-best 23 points versus TU. It was his first 20-point effort since late December. Sophomore Jamie Harris scored 12 points at NU and dished out seven assists against Towson. The Dragons handed NU its first home loss in CAA play and improved to 5-2 in CAA road contests. Drexel shot a season-best 51.9% against Towson and dished out 21 assists.

GEORGE MASON (17-8 overall, 10-5 in CAA)

The Patriots fell 66-58 at Delaware, but rebounded for a 64-53 victory over first-place Northeastern. Mason has won 14 in a row at home, but has dropped five straight on the road. Senior forward Darryl Monroe posted his eighth double-double of the season at UD with a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Monroe, who leads the CAA in FG percentage (60.9%), made 17-of-22 from the floor last week. Senior John Vaughan scored a team-high 16 points versus NU and is averaging 15.3 ppg over his last four games. Sophomore Cam Long recorded his second double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 boards against NU. Long is among the CAA’s top 20 in scoring, rebounding and assists. All eight Mason losses have been by eight points or less. The Patriots have won their 12 home games by an average of 17.1 ppg. Mason is shooting 48.4% from the floor in CAA play.

GEORGIA STATE (8-18 overall, 6-9 in CAA)

The Panthers split a pair of nailbiters, losing in OT at Towson before edging UNCW (69-66). State has won three of its last five and has earned its most CAA victories since joining the league four years ago. Junior Trae Goldston poured in a career-high 25 points at TU and followed with 21 against UNCW, including a game-winning 3-pointer with five seconds left. Goldston, who made 10-of-19 from three for the week, is averaging 19.0 ppg over his last four games. Junior Joe Dukes added 16 points at TU and dished out a career-best 10 assists versus UNCW. Senior Rashad Chase, who grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds at TU, ranks third on State’s career rebounding list with 660. Senior Leonard Mendez netted a season-high 22 points versus UNCW and needs six more to enter the top 10 on the Panthers’ all-time scoring list. State has shot better than 50% in three of the last four games.

HOFSTRA (17-9 overall, 9-6 in CAA)

The Pride has won three straight and seven of nine after victories over ODU and Delaware. Sophomore Charles Jenkins averaged 20.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 5.5 apg for the week, highlighted by a 26-point, 8-assist effort at UD. Jenkins, who has tallied double figures in 12 straight games, is 88 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Sophomore Nathaniel Lester posted his first double-double of the year versus ODU (11 pts/10 reb) and added 12 points and nine boards at UD. He is averaging 12.7 ppg over his last six games. Senior Zygis Sestokas hit 6-of-11 threes last week and became the 15th player in Hofstra history with 100 career treys (104). Sophomore Greg Washington scored 10 points in 13 minutes at UD and became the fourth player at Hofstra with 100 career blocks (101). The Pride is 10-0 when shooting at least 40% from the floor and has won eight times after trailing at the half.

JAMES MADISON (17-10 overall, 9-6 in CAA)

The Dukes lost in OT at VCU, but came home to beat William & Mary for their fourth victory in the last five games. JMU has clinched its first winning season since 1999-2000 and has its most CAA victories in nine years. Freshman Julius Wells posted his third double-double of the season at VCU with team-highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Wells has scored double figures 18 times and his 57 treys are the second-most ever by a JMU freshman. Junior Dazz Thornton has tallied double figures in three straight games and is averaging 12.7 ppg during that stretch. Sophomore Ben Louis tied a season-high with 11 points off the bench at VCU. Senior Juwann James returned to action against W&M and had 14 points in 21 minutes. JMU has 10 wins (7 road, 3 neutral) away from home, which is its most since 1991-92. The 17 victories for Matt Brady are the most-ever for a first-year JMU coach.

NORTHEASTERN (16-9 overall, 11-4 in CAA)

The Huskies stayed tied for first despite dropping back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 3 to Drexel and George Mason. NU shot under 40% from the floor in each game and fell to 0-7 this season when not cracking the 40% mark. Junior Baptiste Bataille came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points versus DU and made his first career start at Mason. Junior Matt Janning averaged 14.0 ppg last week and extended his double-figure scoring streak to a league-best 14 games. Janning has reached double digits in 70 of 87 games in his career. Junior Manny Adako was limited to 12 minutes at Mason due to the flu and didn’t have a FG attempt for the first time in his career. Senior Chris Alvarez scored a season-high seven points at Mason. NU has clinched its first winning season since 2005-06 and is one victory shy of its most CAA wins ever. The Huskies shot 74% at the FT line last week.

OLD DOMINION (16-9 overall, 9-6 in CAA)

The Monarchs were beaten at Hofstra, but rebounded for a victory over rival VCU (69-65). ODU has won five of its last six. Junior Gerald Lee contributed 20 points and seven rebounds at HU and 18 points in the VCU win. Lee, who is 36 points shy of 1,000 for his career, is averaging 21.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg over his last six games and ranks among the top 11 in the CAA in scoring, rebounding, FG percentage and FT percentage. Sophomore  Ben Finney added 16 points against VCU, including a clutch trey with 1:25 to go. It was his first double-digit effort in the past four games. Sophomore Keyon Carter scored 15 points off the bench at Hofstra, which was his second-best offenisve effort of the season. The Monarchs committed only eight turnovers in each game, which tied a season-low. ODU, which out-rebounded VCU 43-37, leads the league in rebound margin (+6.2 rpg).

TOWSON (9-18 overall, 4-11 in CAA)

The Tigers topped Georgia State (82-72) in OT, but suffered their fourth loss in the past five games at Drexel. Towson shot a season-high 55.1% from the floor against GSU and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor in overtime. The Tigers also had five players score double figures for the first time all season. Sophomore Jarrel Smith tallied a team-high 18 points in the win despite not attempting his first shot until 9:32 remained in regulation. Sophomore David Brewster averaged 13.0 ppg last week, including a career-high 16 points at Drexel. Senior Junior Hairston scored 14 points in both games and is averaging 17.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg in his past three contests. Junior Josh Thornton, who missed the Drexel game, nailed four treys against GSU and and has 70 three-pointers this season. Guard Brian Morris netted 10 points and dished out a career-high tying nine assists versus GSU.

VCU (18-8 overall, 11-4 in CAA)

The Rams edged JMU in OT and fell at ODU last week, but moved into a tie for first place in the CAA. Senior Eric Maynor scored 22 points in each contest, including 13 in the final three minutes of regulation and overtime in the JMU win. Maynor, who ranks second on VCU’s all-time scoring list (1,781 pts), has scored 20 or more points 18 times this season. He also took over 3rd place on the CAA’s career assists chart (619). Sophomore Larry Sanders posted his sixth double-double of the year at ODU (10 pts/14 reb). Sanders is averaging 11.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg over his last four contests. Sophomore Brandon Rozzell added 13 points off the bench versus JMU and has five double-figure outings in the past nine games. Freshman Bradford Burgess, who is averaging 10.8 ppg over his last five games, hit 4-of-5 treys and scored a career-high 16 points at ODU.

WILLIAM & MARY (8-17 overall, 3-12 in CAA)

The Tribe rolled past UNCW (69-40), but was beaten at JMU last week. W&M shot 63.3% from the floor in the second half versus UNCW and hit 6-of-10 treys. The Tribe defense limited the Seahawks to 22.7% FG shooting, which was the lowest ever by a league opponent in W&M’s 25 years as a CAA member. Junior Danny Sumner posted a double-double (19 pts/10 reb) versus UNCW and added 12 points at JMU. He is the first W&M player since 2004-05 to have multiple double-doubles in a season. Junior guard David Schneider averaged 16.0 ppg last week and now has 10 double-digit efforts in his last 12 games. Freshman Quinn McDowell poured in a career-high 20 points at JMU and also led the team in rebounds (6) and assists (4), becoming the first player this season to top the team in all three categories. Sean McCurdy had eight assists with only one turnover in 51 minutes.

– The information above was provided by Rob Washburn, CAA Associate Commissioner/Communications

February 16, 2009 11:54 PM 0