Around the CAA Talk

[Hof_Judge99]

Early thoughts around the CAA:

Have to say I’m impressed with William and Mary winning @Wofford. Roland looks like he’s gonna have a monster year on NE. Towson gave Florida a game and Fobbs will be a problem. UDel looks good also. Have to say conference is wide open this year as there appears to be more balance.

[Wags]

Towson game was on ESPN2 - they looked pretty good at Florida. If the Towson team I watched being picked 6th is accurate, the CAA could be real tough for Hofstra to navigate this year even if they start putting it together a lot better than we've seen. Not sure why Roland was able to take SUCH a leap this year based on a quiet first two years and only a good (but not great) third year, but it's amazing the way he's tearing it up this season off of that. You don't usually see that kind of huge jump (it's usually more gradual year to year). But hey, credit to him.

Couple of matchups today involving old-school CAA vs. current CAA:

Old Dominion won at Northeastern, 76-69
James Madison tips at George Mason at 7 pm tonight.

[EvanJ]

For sudden improvement at Northeastern, here's what T.J. Williams did as a junior and as a senior:

Points per game: 6.8 to 21.4
Rebounds per game: 2.0 to 4.7
Assists per game: 2.7 to 5.3

George Mason won 83-70. The CAA is in a stretch of way over half of their games being away.

[Wags]

W&M gave Oklahoma a tough time on the road tonight. Led by 7 early in the second half, lost 75-70.

[triplec2195]

It's amazing how some of these CAA players have upped their game. As far as W&M they have a 7' transfer from Wisconsin who's eligible after sitting out last year and is averaging over 17 points a game and over 9 rebounds a game. Andy Van Vliet and he also shoots the 3 ball. Along with Nathan Knight who may be the best player in the CAA this team is going to be tough.

[Cards]

It's amazing how some of these CAA players have upped their game. As far as W&M they have a 7' transfer from Wisconsin who's eligible after sitting out last year and is averaging over 17 points a game and over 9 rebounds a game. Andy Van Vliet and he also shoots the 3 ball. Along with Nathan Knight who may be the best player in the CAA this team is going to be tough.

Will be a very tough matchup for HU. Both Knight and Van Vliet play about 30 min per game - so a 6'-10" and 7'-0" on the court together both shooting better than 50%, with VV hitting 40+% of his 3's. Combined they average 20+ reb per game. VV has already been named CAA player of the week. YIKES.

[triplec2195]

It's amazing how some of these CAA players have upped their game. As far as W&M they have a 7' transfer from Wisconsin who's eligible after sitting out last year and is averaging over 17 points a game and over 9 rebounds a game. Andy Van Vliet and he also shoots the 3 ball. Along with Nathan Knight who may be the best player in the CAA this team is going to be tough.

Will be a very tough matchup for HU. Both Knight and Van Vliet play about 30 min per game - so a 6'-10" and 7'-0" on the court together both shooting better than 50%, with VV hitting 40+% of his 3's. Combined they average 20+ reb per game. VV has already been named CAA player of the week. YIKES.

Yeah this is why being picked to win the CAA is crazy and puts so much pressure on Joe and the rest of the coaching staff not to mention the players. We're going to need major improvements to win this league this year.

[EvanJ]

Northeastern won 101-44 at Holy Cross. Three-point shooting was 16-29 (.552) to 2-27 (.076). Northeastern became the first team from 2010-2011 to the present to win by at least 57 and shoot threes at least .478 better in an away game.

[Polito]

Parity doesn't = good. This conf is pedestrian again at best, just a lot at the same level of average - below average.

Though I do agree it was not accurate for this team to be picked first (I had them 3rd), no issue whatsoever with relatively high expectations - why would I feel bad for them about that? They have talent, upper classmen, and have no excuse to not challenge for another watered down year in this league. Expectations should be fair of course, but literally every team lost a ton of capability this season, so HU should absolutely be squarely in the mix.

What we've seen from this team thus far is not ok, but that's certainly not the predictions fault, it falls on the shoulders of this coaching staff who are fully accountable for what trots out on the floor.

And they best get busy addressing the issues and a strategy to combat the , or the other contenders are gonna slap this presently poorly coached team silly with their size and actual D1 defense, and HU will be chucking their way to another year watching someone else cut nets. There's time to straighten things out...but not much.

[EvanJ]

As I posted on CSNBBS, yesterday was great with these scores:

Charleston won 76-66 at Marshall
Delaware won 79-64 at Saint Francis (PA) (the CAA didn't specify which Saint Francis)
UNCW won 113-53 hosting North Carolina Wesleyan
Northeastern won 101-44 at Holy Cross

The CAA Record Book doesn't have a margin of victory record. Northeastern broke their margin of victory record in their 2,360th game. The 57-point win was 1 above their previous record from a 128-72 win vs. Suffolk on December 3, 1984. geewizNU on CSNBBS said Holy Cross broke their 117-year-old margin of defeat record.

[HUSID74]

Sorry Polito but I must disagree on your assessment of the League so far in OOC...W&M has surprised, Delaware is off to an unbeaten start (relatively weak competition) Towson looks much better, Charleston is as expected and Northeastern always re-loads.
As of today, I was say we are going to be in a tough fight for a Four-Seed come March.

[Polito]

You may end up being right, but for right now your view seems highly skewed by comparing others to the crap we've seen HU put on the court thus far. This league lost a TON of talent... a TON, across the board. Presently, it is in no way shape or form as good as it was last year, and even that year was nothing compared to previously strong CAA years.

This is not a very strong conference right now, it's just a very even one. My opinion of course. Again, parity does not mean quality.

So far this league's best OOC wins are GW, Marshall, and Harvard, maybe. Not much to write home about - and any success thus far really speaks to the coaching in this league, which most would agree is pretty good. And the biggest achilles heel for HU quite frankly. But as far as quality play, the majority have beaten literally no one of substance. There are opps to still do so, but so far I see another very avg league, and HU is front and center in this department thus far.

But again, a lot left here, and we may end up seeing some jumps forward... sure hope so from HU.

[EvanJ]

So far this league's best OOC wins are GW, Marshall, and Harvard, maybe. Not much to write home about - and any success thus far really speaks to the coaching in this league, which most would agree is pretty good. And the biggest achilles heel for HU quite frankly. But as far as quality play, the majority have beaten literally no one of substance. There are opps to still do so, but so far I see another very avg league, and HU is front and center in this department thus far.

GW is in a better conference than ODU, but both this season and last season ODU (who JMU held on to beat last night*) was much in the Sagarin than GW. I'm not saying these teams will be good, but Delaware has neutral court wins over Southern Illinois from the Missouri Valley and Texas-San Antonio from CUSA.

The CAA was 18th in the NET and RPI last season. The NCAA hasn't made an NET yet (I don't know why), and the CAA is 9th in the RPI. The CAA was 19th in the Sagarin last season and is now 16th. Even if it doesn't look that way to you, formulas think the CAA is better than last season.

* Here's the final sequence:
ODU scored 2 to go down 3
JMU made 1 of 2 free throws to go up 4
ODU made a 3 go down 1
JMU made 1 of 2 free throws to go up 2
ODU made a 3, but it was reviewed and taken away because it was shot too late. The shooter beat the clock on the screen, which was wrong, but the shooter didn't beat the real clock. The screen said 0.1 left after the backboard red light went on. JMU's largest lead was 70-55 with 4:11 left, and ODU scored 23 in the last 3:45 to lose 80-78. ODU scored 13 in the last 1:01!

[Wags]

Watching the Charleston Classic on ESPN. This year's field is Xavier, UConn, Buffalo, Towson, St. Joseph's, Florida, Miami and Missouri State.

Next year, Charleston isn't just hosting, but playing in it the tourney along with Florida State, Houston, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Seton Hall, Tennessee and VCU (great field for any CAA team, especially on its home floor).

Charleston has been hosting this tourney every year since 2008. It's not even in the larger North Charleston Coliseum, it's in their regular home arena (TD Arena) which only seats 5,100 (roughly the same capacity as The Mack).

So, if Hofstra's CAA rival can pull this off each year, then instead of going down to Flordia to play the likes of Holy Cross, Mercer or Canisius, why can't Hofstra host its own tournament like Charleston does, whether at The Mack or if necessary, the Coliseum, and get the same exposure on ESPN in a good field like Charleston is doing?

[Wags]

While Hofstra is hanging right there with UCLA in the second half, Stanford just finished crushing William & Mary, 80-50, tonight.

[Polito]

There is no excuse Wags, glad you see it too. It's ridiculous, and their lame excuses are tired and complete baloney. HU's scheduling is weak. Other CAA programs put HU's home slate to absolute shame, seeming to have no issue getting P5's on their floor on a near yearly basis. HU can't get one. Just a poor job by the staff.

BUT, I have to come back here to say that HU own's the biggest OOC win in the CAA at the moment - so there's at least that!!

[Wags]

There is no excuse Wags, glad you see it too. It's ridiculous, and their lame excuses are tired and complete baloney. HU's scheduling is weak. Other CAA programs put HU's home slate to absolute shame, seeming to have no issue getting P5's on their floor on a near yearly basis. HU can't get one. Just a poor job by the staff.

BUT, I have to come back here to say that HU own's the biggest OOC win in the CAA at the moment - so there's at least that!!

Could this UCLA win make it easier to host something like that because it puts HU on the map a little more? Could also work the other way, that bigger teams see tonight's game and don't want risk coming here to lose. But they're not coming here anyway right now. If Charleston can do it every year in its 5,100-seat arena, Hofstra has to be able to.

[Wags]

HU own's the biggest OOC win in the CAA at the moment

I cannot recall the last time we had the pleasure of being able to say this. That's how great this win is.

[EvanJ]

So, if Hofstra's CAA rival can pull this off each year, then instead of going down to Flordia to play the likes of Holy Cross, Mercer or Canisius, why can't Hofstra host its own tournament like Charleston does, whether at The Mack or if necessary, the Coliseum, and get the same exposure on ESPN in a good field like Charleston is doing?

How much does it cost to rent Nassau Coliseum for four games a day for three days than an eight-team tournament has? Taking major conference, American Athletic, and A10 teams like next season's Charleston Classic, how many people would go to a doubleheader Hofstra wasn't in? Let's say Providence vs. Wake Forest and Illinois vs. Richmond.

Do you think any teams would be interested in a tour of the area tournament? Let's say four teams play a round-robin of three doubleheaders with one at MSG, one at Barclays, and one at Nassau Coliseum. There could be an off day in between one or both doubleheaders so players could do things in NYC. For example, play on Thursday or Friday, Saturday, and Monday. Players could have free time on Saturday night and Sunday if their team's let them. Would a Big East, a P5, and an American Athletic or A10 team be willing to come and play Hofstra and the other two? A round-robin may or may not produce one winner, but that's not important. Convincing three teams to come to make four would be easier than convincing seven teams to come to make eight. Convincing teams to come might be easier if they would play other top teams as opposed to playing at Hofstra and nobody else in the area. The downside is that if the opponents are too tough, Hofstra would go 1-2 or 0-3 most of the time. Playing round-robin guarantees you play every team, as opposed to the Holiday Festival or what we're doing in Florida where each team plays two of three opponents.

The only time I remember two other teams playing at Hofstra in Men's Basketball was the NIT Season Tip-Off. On November 24, 2009, I saw us lose to Charlotte 80-72. I got there in time for the end of the first game of the doubleheader, which was Yale vs. Elon. At that time nobody knew that Elon would end up in the CAA.

[Flying Dutchmen]

I think we hosted a tournament back in '03, with Lehigh, Quinnipiac and UT Pan American. I think our best odds to host a serious tournament would be to get it at Nassau Coliseum.