CAA Pre-tournament Basketball Notes

CAA Men’s Player of the Week Matt Janning, Northeastern, So., G, 6-4, 175 Janning averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as Northeastern split a pair of tough league games last week. The sophomore guard scored 21 of his game-high 27 points in the second half as NU beat George Mason 70-59 and also had a […]

March 6, 2008; 12:28 AM • by FTRea

CAA Men’s Player of the Week

Matt Janning, Northeastern, So., G, 6-4, 175

Janning averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as Northeastern split a pair of tough league games last week. The sophomore guard scored 21 of his game-high 27 points in the second half as NU beat George Mason 70-59 and also had a team-best 14 points in a loss at ODU. Janning, who shot 53.6% from the floor, has scored double digits in a league-high 17 consecutive games and is third in the CAA in scoring at 16.4 ppg.

CAA Men’s Rookie of the Week

Ben Finney, Old Dominion, Fr., F, 6-5, 220

Finney averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in a pair of Old Dominion games last week. The freshman forward came off the bench to score a career-best 20 points in the Monarchs’ 70-58 win over Northeastern and contributed nine points off the bench in a loss at UNCW. For the week, Finney shot 50% from the floor and also dished out five assists.

Conference Notes:

VCU Claims CAA Regular-Season Title: VCU claimed the league’s regular-season title and the top seed for this week’s CAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the second year in a row after beating UNC Wilmington (72-58) and William & Mary (54-43) last week. The Rams, who have won four straight games and eight of their last nine, have compiled a 31-5 record in CAA regular-season play in their two seasons under head coach Anthony Grant.

Tournament Time: The Aeropostale CAA Men’s Basketball Championship tips off on Friday at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va. Tournament play begins with four first-round games on March 7 followed by four quarterfinal contests on Saturday. The semifinals are set for 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday with the title game at 7 p.m. on Monday. Tickets can be purchased through the box offices of all CAA schools or by calling TicketMaster at 804-262-8100.

Tournament Television Schedule: Fans will be able to watch all 11 games of the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship through various platforms. Friday’s first-round games will be videostreamed for free on the conference web site. The four quarterfinal games on Saturday and the two semifinal games on Sunday will be televised live by CN8 and other CAA television affiliates, and are also available on the web at CN8.tv. Monday’s championship game will be televised by ESPN.

CAA On Sirius Satellite Radio: The entire CAA Men’s Basketball Championship will also be broadcast nationally on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 119. Locally, the tournament can be heard on ESPN Radio 950 AM in Richmond.

CN8’s Out of Bounds To Preview CAA Tournament: CN8 will preview the CAA Tournament during its popular Out of Bounds show at 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. this week. Among the features will be an interview with George Mason’s Jim Larranaga as well as the Top 10 Plays of the Year.

Carter’s Free Throw Streak Ends At 37: UNCW senior guard T.J. Carter had his streak of consecutive made free throws reach 37 before missing one in the second half versus ODU on Saturday. The streak of 37 in a row is a Seahawks’ record and matches the second-longest run in CAA history, trailing only the 45 in a row by VCU’s Willie Taylor in 2001-02. Carter leads the CAA in FT percentage (85.9%).

Maynor Named Finalist For Cousy Award: VCU guard Eric Maynor is one of 16 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top collegiate point guard. Maynor, who was the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, ranks second in the CAA in scoring (17.8 ppg), first in assists (5.3 apg) and third in 3-point FG percentage (40.7%).

Dominant Defense: VCU leads the nation in 3-point FG percentage defense (26.6%), ranks fourth in FG percentage defense (37.9%) and is eighth in scoring defense (58.6 ppg) through games of March 2. The Rams have held seven opponents to less than 50 points and allowed only 57.2 ppg in CAA play. Only three teams have scored more than 70 points versus VCU this season.

VCU, George Mason Among Top 75 In Latest RPI Report: Two CAA teams are ranked among the top 75 in the latest RPI report produced by Collegiate Basketball News through games of March 2. VCU leads all CAA teams at #43 and George Mason is at #75. The CAA is ranked #13 among the 31 Division I conferences.

Three Players Climb CAA Career Charts: Hofstra senior guard Antoine Agudio ranks second on the CAA career 3-pointers list with 352. Agudio, who has hit 79 treys in 26 games, trails only UNCW’s Brett Blizzard with 371. ODU senior guard Brandon Johnson is fourth on the CAA career steals list with 233 and needs three more to pass Lester Lyons for third place. Johnson has 86 thefts this season, which is the second-highest total in league history. George Mason senior forward Will Thomas has moved up to eighth on the CAA’s career rebounding list with 951. Thomas, who is averaging 10.4 rpg, needs only three boards to vault into sixth place.

Delaware (13-16 overall, 9-9 in CAA)

The Blue Hens edged Hofstra 74-69 in their final home contest before losing 89-74 at Towson. Junior guard Marc Egerson narrowly missed a triple-double versus Hofstra with team-highs of 24 points, 11 boards and nine assists. Egerson is averaging 20.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg and 7.3 apg over his past three contests. Senior forward Herb Courtney contributed 16.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg for the week, including his second double-double of the year (17 pts/11 reb) at Towson. Courtney has moved into a tie for 11th on UD’s career scoring (1,258 pts) list and is 10th in career rebounding (634). Freshman Alphonso Dawson scored a team-best 18 points at Towson and averaged 14.5 ppg for the week.Sophomore guard Brian Johnson tallied 11.5 ppg and 5.5 apg for the week and has scored double digits in six straight games. Delaware’s 9-9 CAA record matches its second-best mark in its seven years in the league.

Drexel (12-19 overall, 5-13 in CAA)

The Dragons posted a 70-67 victory over James Madison in their home finale before falling 56-48 at Hofstra. Drexel shot 49.1% from the floor and had five double-figure scorers versus JMU but shot only 30.4% at HU. Junior guard Tramayne Hawthorne made 7-of-16 from 3-point range and averaged 14.0 ppg last week. He has tallied double digits in nine of his last 10 games and has hit at least three treys in 10 of his last 13 contests. Point guard Rob Hampton added 14 points and six assists against JMU, while freshman Jamie Harris came off the bench with career-bests of 10 points and eight assists. Senior center Frank Elegar struggled offensively but grabbed 19 rebounds last week. Elegar ranks 15th on DU’s career scoring (1,270 pts) and rebounding (672) charts. Senior forward Randy Oveneke scored 11 points on 5-of-8 FG shooting versus JMU while junior Scott Rodgers shared team-high scoring honors with 13 points at HU.

Mason (20-10 overall, 12-6 in CAA)

The Patriots reached 20 wins for the eighth time in school history by beating William & Mary 60-54, but lost 70-59 at Northeastern. Senior guard Folarin Campbell averaged 20.0 ppg for the week and has scored 16 or more points in 14 straight games. Campbell is averaging 20.3 ppg during the 14-game streak. Senior forward Will Thomas added 12.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg over the two games and is on pace to become the 7th player in school history to average a double-double for the year. Thomas is 10th in career scoring (1,498 pts) and fourth in rebounding (951) at Mason, while Campbell is 12th on the all-time points list (1,486 pts). Junior guard John Vaughan scored 15 points versus the Tribe and has tallied double digits in 19 of his last 22 games. Freshman Cam Long netted 12 points off the bench versus W&M, which was his top offensive effort since Jan. 12. Mason surpassed the 90,000-mark for attendance, setting a school record.

Georgia St. (9-20 overall, 5-13 in CAA)

The Panthers closed the regular season with three wins in their final five games after topping Towson (79-63) and losing at JMU (70-60). Georgia State shot a season-best 59.6% from the floor against Towson, including 11-of-19 from 3-point range. Junior guard Leonard Mendez averaged 18.0 ppg for the week, highlighted by a team-best 21 points versus Towson. Mendez has reached double figures in 19 of his last 21 contests and has topped the 20-point mark 10 times. Sophomore Michael Moynihan added 13 points and six assists in the TU win and is averaging 13.8 ppg and 3.8 apg in five games as a starter. Sophomore guard Trae Goldston was 7-of-13 from beyond the arc last week and scored 13.5 ppg. Mendez and Goldston are both shooting better than 40% from 3-point range for the season. Forward Rashad Chase, who is fifth in the CAA in rebounding (7.7 rpg), returned to action after missing two games with a shoulder injury. State is on pace to set a school record for 3-point percentage (37.5%) in a season.
Hofstra (12-17 overall, 8-10 in CAA)

The Pride rebounded from a 74-69 loss at Delaware to defeat Drexel 56-48. Hofstra has won four of its last five. Senior guard Antoine Agudio averaged 18.5 ppg last week and became the Pride’s all-time leading scorer with 2,249 points, breaking Steve Nisenson’s 43-year old record. Agudio has reached double digits in 61 of his last 62 games and has topped the 20-point mark 16 times. Freshman Charles Jenkins scored 13.0 ppg on 11-of-17 FG shooting. Jenkins is averaging 17.7 ppg over his last four contests and has scored double figures in 14 straight games and 26 of his last 27. Freshman Nathaniel Lester hit 3-of-4 treys and scored 12 points off the bench at UD, which was his best offensive output since Jan. 28. Guard Greg Johnson scored seven straight points down the stretch to seal the win over Drexel. Junior Dane Johnson blocked seven shots versus Drexel as the Pride set a season blocks mark with 161.

JMU (13-16 overall, 5-13 in CAA)

The Dukes fell 70-67 at Drexel before topping Georgia State 70-60 in their home finale. Junior forward Juwann James averaged 19.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg for the week while shooting 72.2% from the floor. He led JMU with 22 points and nine boards at Drexel, which was his fourth 20-point effort of the year. Senior Terrance Carter netted a team-high 20 points versus GSU, which was his top scoring effort since Jan. 19. Junior forward Kyle Swanston averaged 11.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg last week. He is averaging 14.0 ppg over his last three games while draining 10-of-17 from beyond the arc. Junior guard Abdulai Jalloh scored 12 points at Drexel but had his streak of 11 straight games in double digits end versus GSU. Point guard Pierre Curtis made five steals at Drexel.The Dukes took only 38 shots from the floor versus GSU, but went 30-of-39 at the FT line. JMU’s 13 overall wins are the most since 2002-03.

UNC Wilmington (19-12 overall, 12-6 in CAA)

The Seahawks lost 72-58 at VCU but topped Old Dominion 72-64 to earn the #2 seed for the CAA Tournament. Senior guard T.J. Carter averaged 17.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg last week and has scored double figures in 12 of his last 13 games. Senior Todd Hendley poured in a team-high 20 points on 8-of-11 FG shootinga against ODU and is averaging 16.2 ppg over his last five games. Senior center Vladimir Kuljanin is 16-of-20 from the floor over the past four games and ranks second nationally (66.4%) in FG percentage. Freshman Chad Tomko averaged 11.5 ppg for the week, including 15 points versus ODU. Senior Daniel Fountain leads the CAA with 87 treys and is shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc. UNCW shot a season-low 36.5% from the floor at VCU, but topped the 50% mark (53.7%) for the 14th time this year versus ODU. The Seahawks went 12-3 at home this season, matching the school record for home victories.

Northeastern (13-16 overall, 9-9 in CAA)

The Huskies fell 70-58 at ODU, but snapped a four-game skid by beating George Mason 70-59 on Saturday. Sophomore guard Matt Janning averaged 20.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg for the week, highlighted by a 27-point effort on 10-of-15 FG shooting versus Mason. Janning has scored double figures in a league-best 17 straight games and has topped the 20-point mark nine times. Sophomore forward Manny Adako added 18 points on 9-of-13 FG shooting versus Mason, which was his top scoring effort since Jan. 2. Freshman guard Chaisson Allen contributed 11 points and four assists at ODU and made four steals versus Mason. It was the 12th game in double digits for Allen, who ranks second in the CAA with 60 steals. ODU was the first team to score 70 points on Northeastern since Jan. 26. The Huskies are holding foes to 61.1 ppg in league play. NU has finished .500 or better in the conference in each of its first three years as a CAA member.

ODU (17-14 overall, 11-7 in CAA)

The Monarchs increased their winning streak to six with a 70-58 victory over Northeastern before losing 72-64 at UNCW on Saturday. Freshman forward Ben Finney averaged 14.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg for the week, including a career-high 20 points and six boards off the bench versus NU. It was Finney’s seventh double-digit effort in CAA play. Sophomore center Gerald Lee recorded his first double-double since Nov. 28 with 12 points and 12 rebounds against NU. Lee has scored double digits in 17 of his past 20 games. Senior guard Brandon Johnson made four steals at UNCW to increase his season total to 86, which is the second-highest total in CAA history. Johnson is fourth on the CAA’s career thefts list with 233 and needs three more to pass Lester Lyons for third place. Junior forward Jonathan Adams came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points at UNCW. ODU has averaged just nine turnovers in the past three games.

Towson (12-17 overall, 7-11 in CAA)

The Tigers bounced back from a 79-63 loss at Georgia State to beat Delaware 89-74 on Senior Day. Towson improved to 11-4 at home, which is its best home mark in 14 years. Sophomore guard Josh Thornton nailed 4-of-8 treys and poured in a career-high 24 points versus the Hens. Thornton has scored double figures in five of his last six games and is shooting 45.6% from beyond the arc in CAA play. Junior forward Tony Durant scored a team-high 14 points at GSU before posting his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 boards in the UD win. Senior guard C.C. Williams scored 14 points on 7-of-9 FG shooting at GSU and contributed 17 points, eight assists and four steals against UD. Williams is averaging 16.3 ppg and 6.3 apg over his last four games. Junior forward Junior Hairston sat out the UD victory with a back injury, but replacement Sean Raboin responded with a career-best 13 points.

VCU (23-6 overall, 15-3 in CAA)

The Rams captured their second straight CAA regular-season title after victories over UNCW (72-58) and William & Mary (54-43). VCU has won eight of its last nine and is 20-3 since Dec. 1. Junior guard Eric Maynor had a great all-around week, averaging 14.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 7.0 apg. Maynor, who has tallied double digits in 13 straight games, ranks fourth in career assists at VCU with 443. Senior guard Jamal Shuler scored 15 points versus UNCW and is 33 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Senior Michael Anderson tied a career-high with 18 points at W&M and averaged 15.0 ppg for the week. Freshman center Larry Sanders averaged 8.0 rpg last week. He tops the CAA and ranks 10th nationally with 3.0 blocks per game and his 86 rejections are fourth on VCU’s season chart. The Rams limited foes to 8-of-41 (.195) 3-point shooting last week. Anthony Grant became the fastest VCU coach to 50 wins.

Wm. & Mary (14-15 overall, 10-8 in CAA)

The Tribe fell to George Mason (60-54) and VCU (54-43) last week and slipped to fifth in the CAA standings. Sophomore guard David Schneider drained a career-best 5-of-9 from 3-point range and contributed a team-high 19 points, six rebounds and five assists at Mason. Senior guard Nathan Mann scored 16 points last week to become the 30th player in Tribe history to reach 1,000 career points. He and senior Laimis Kisielius are only the third pair of Tribe players to reach 1,000 points in the same season. Mann ranks second on W&M’s career threes list (212) and is six shy of the all-time record. Junior center Peter Stein tallied a team-high 15 points off the bench versus VCU. Sophomore Danny Sumner contributed 10 points at Mason and has reached double digits in nine of his last 13 games. W&M’s defense limited Mason and VCU to just 57.0 ppg. The Tribe has won 14 games in back-to-back years for the first time since 1985 and their 10 CAA victories are the second-most in school history.

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

March 6, 2008 12:28 AM 0