Looking Ahead to 2020-2021 season

[Polito]

I believe Monmouth will be one, just haven't seen it 'official' yet

Sure would love to see a UVA or a VCU to pair with UR while they're down that way! Or a UMD / Georgetown / GW / one of the NC P5's...

[EvanJ]

Media Day is tomorrow morning on FloSports. One place said 9:00 A.M. and another place said 9:30 A.M. The next day is Women's Basketball Media Day.

[EvanJ]

https://caasports.com/news/2020/11/10/h ... -year.aspx says we were picked first. In the 19 CAA Tournaments we've played in, three teams won consecutive tournaments, and no teams won more than two in a row. UNCW won the first two tournaments we were in in 2002 and 2003, ODU won in 2010 and 2011 albeit they got overshadowed in 2011 by VCU going to the Final Four, and UNCW won in 2016 and 2017. The Preseason Poll had 18 voters who ranked teams from 1 to 10 and 20 voters who could not rank their teams and ranked the other teams from 1 to 9. Just like last season, there wasn't a consensus. Four teams got first place votes, which is one fewer than last season. We got the most first place votes, which didn't happen when we were picked first last season. Here's the Preseason Poll with first place votes in parenthesis:

1. Hofstra: 290 (16)
2. Delaware: 270 (11)
3. Drexel: 242 (7)
4. Towson: 230 (4)
5. Elon: 215
6. Charleston: 196
7. Northeastern: 167
8. UNCW: 110
9. JMU: 101
10. W&M: 69

Other sources had Charleston and Northeastern second and third in either order and Delaware sixth. Without checking, I'm assuming it's the first time that every first place vote went to a team formerly in the America East, and the first time that Northeastern was picked to be the worst of those five. If Drexel finishes third, it will be the their best season in a while.

Jalen Ray, who got POY from the first source I saw, didn't even make the Second Team. They made a First Team, Second Team, and six Honorable mentions. Kante made the First Team, with Honorable Mentions for Ray and Coburn. POY Matt Lewis, Zane Martin who returned to Towson after averaging 19.9 points for them in 2017-2018, and teammates Camren Wynter and James Butler join Kante on the First Team. The Second Team only has guards, with teammates Ryan Allen and Kevin Anderson, Brevin Galloway who has a chance to lead his team after Riller, last season's ROY Hunter McIntosh, and Tyson Walker who has a chance to lead his team after Roland and Brace. The Honorable Mentions other than Ray and Coburn are W&M's Luke Loewe, UNCW's Jaylen Sims, Charleston senior Peyton Willis who averaged 8.9 points for Minnesota last season, and Elon sophomore Hunter Woods.

Drexel has never had two players on the First Team, and they return their top four scorers. That includes Zach Walton, who averaged 12.2 points and 4.4 rebounds last season. They have the CAA's second, third, and fourth leading returning scorers. 15 of the Top 30 scorers return, but only 4 of the Top 15. Ray is sixth, Kante is tenth, and Coburn is thirteenth. Only 6 of the Top 20 rebounders return, with Kante second and Coburn fifth. Butler averaged 11.7 rebounds last season, Kante averaged 7.7, and Coburn averaged 5.5. Only 5 of the Top 15 in field goal percentage return. Kante led at .655, and with second and third gone, the next highest is Loewe, who shot .544 last season to be fourth. Butler has .530 is the third and final returning player who shot over .500. Delaware's Anderson, who shot .485, and UNCW's Shykeim Phillips, who shot .459 as a freshman also return. 3 of the Top 14 free throw shooters return. Allen's .821, Coburn's .806, and Ray's .785 are the only returning players who shot free throws over .750. Only 5 players averaged at least 1 block last season, and the only who returns is UNCW's Imajae Dodd, who averaged 1.1 block in 15.9 minutes as a freshman. Since starting forward Marten Linssen transferred, Dodd could start. Wynter, Lewis, Anderson, and Allen are the returning players who were in the Top 10 in minutes.

https://gohofstra.com/news/2020/11/11/m ... mpion.aspx is titled "MBB: Hofstra Favored To Repeat As CAA Champion."

[Polito]

Tog dogs, as they should be, let's get it fellas. The pieces are there, and there is unfinished business - team should have a chip on their shoulder to get the reward they were stripped of last season.

I'm not sure Ray should be 1st team or POY, but he is def worthy of preseason all-conf - he will be the leader this season, and by accounts is stepping into that role well, along with Kante. Isaac was top 3 big last year, and IMO is the best big in the league this season - see the case for 1st team, but even if not he's easily a 2nd teamer depending on how much he used (which I believe will be a lot).

All will rely on how well Cowart/Burgess run point - if they can effectively lead the O, this team has the weapons to produce at another dangerous level. Then it will be a matter of who else rises to the occasion... Coburn will be a key piece and will be called upon to take his game up a notch this Sr season - who else, does Cramer make the splash we hope? One of the other new guys show stud early out of the gate? Does the light finally go on for Omar?

This team is talented, seasoned, and will be well-coached. Despite the difficulty of the situation, Farrelly should be ready - he's earned it and paid his dues. It's a LOT on his shoulders, so this team will mirror his approach to the year - have sent him lots of support, recommend all do the same! HU will need him to be a stellar HC in Joes place - he's not new, this isn't his first rodeo, but it's the first time he's ever dealt with this at the D1 level. Go get em Mike!

As for the rest of the league, man the middle group is really a crapshoot - it's all upside down with transfers, COVID, minimal time to practice, get into game shape, establish systems, gel, etc. I think this gives the teams with returning talent a big leg up on the rest. We'll likely see things shift late in the year as teams figure themselves out.

I think the W is just a couple of years away still, but we'll likely see the foundation building this season. Drexel has some talent and will be a tough out, I'm just not there yet on them being the team to beat. UD I think will still be well-coached, but their roster took an absolute beating, I just don't see them recovering this year.

Elon I think is going to surprise any unsuspecting people - seasoned, well coached, and have at least some pretty serviceable talent. Charleston is an odd one, couldn't get it done with one of the best in the league, but neither did HU. Do they have a weird better season this year? Always tough, physical, and well-coached, so if their young/new talent steps up they could be something.

NU got decimated - Cohen will have them better by year end, but they just don't have the talent or depth this year. Towson will be Zane, and that's about it IMO - not enough. JMU is a bit of a mystery to me, will be watching them to see what's brewing there. W&M is likely setup to really struggle.

Let's go HU, there is one mission and it's REPEAT or BUST!

[The Shadow]

According to the Richmond athletics website, HU at UR, Tuesday, December 22nd. The Iona athletics website has the IC at HU game on Wednesday, December 23rd. I guess one of these is to be rescheduled.

[EvanJ]

Isaac was top 3 big last year, and IMO is the best big in the league this season - see the case for 1st team, but even if not he's easily a 2nd teamer depending on how much he used (which I believe will be a lot).

Charleston is an odd one, couldn't get it done with one of the best in the league, but neither did HU. Do they have a weird better season this year? Always tough, physical, and well-coached, so if their young/new talent steps up they could be something.

Excluding Butler's 5 rebounds for Navy, he had 261 as a freshman and 387 as a sophomore. If he has two more seasons of 387, he would finish with 1,422 to shatter David Robinson's CAA record of 1,314. Gustys came up one game short with 1,309. Butler started graduate school, and he convinced the NCAA to not count his season at Navy, after which he had a redshirt transfer season, so he's in his third of four seasons from Drexel. I wonder if top teams will want him as a graduate transfer after this season. After he averaged 13.2 points and 11.7 rebounds, I consider him the best big until proven otherwise. He and Kante could compete for that this season and next season, and if they both stay in the CAA it would be one of the best pairs of bigs to graduate from the CAA at the same time. The Butler family is great at rebounding. His sister broke the Women's Division I season rebounds record as a senior for George Mason. In addition to graduates, the CAA had four bigs transfer out. They were Northeastern's Maxime Boursiquot, Delaware's Justyn Mutts, JMU's Dwight Wilson, and UNCW's Marten Linssen.

Charleston graduated Chealey, then Brantley, then Riller. Charleston's last season should be compared to our last season. Charleston doesn't return anyone nearly as good as Buie and Pemberton, so it's not a good comparison to us last season. They have Payton Willis, who averaged 8.6 points for Minnesota last season. Willis was teammates with Alihan Demir, who transferred from Drexel to Minnesota. They graduated three starters in Riller, Sam Miller, and Jaylen McManus. The last time we graduated three starters was Green, Tanksley, and Koon after 2015-2016.

Not surprisingly, our Women were picked last. Jaylen Hines made the Second Team. The CAA likes having players named Jaylen including both genders, and Jalen Ray is the only one who doesn't have a "y" in his name.

[fiftiespride]

Thanks Evan for all your continuing input. Having won just 3 or 4 games and none in conference it is indeed not surprising our ladies have been picked last. However that will be our most improved program over the next 3 years or so and is unlikely to finish in the bottom 2 or perhaps 3 this year and will be top half next year. Coach is upgrading our talent significantly and meaningful progress is ahead. Simons' womens soccer team is poised to continue to be our top program. Two coaches that get little recognition but who are doing terrific jobs with limited resources are tennis and CC.

[triplec2195]

Thanks Evan for all your continuing input. Having won just 3 or 4 games and none in conference it is indeed not surprising our ladies have been picked last. However that will be our most improved program over the next 3 years or so and is unlikely to finish in the bottom 2 or perhaps 3 this year and will be top half next year. Coach is upgrading our talent significantly and meaningful progress is ahead. Simons' womens soccer team is poised to continue to be our top program. Two coaches that get little recognition but who are doing terrific jobs with limited resources are tennis and CC.

I used to watch the women’s team often when they had made the NIT and they were a pleasure to watch very competitive. Last year I did watch a few games and admittedly it was tough watching them. Fifties pride I wonder specifically who u r referring to when u say our talent is being upgraded? Not doubting you just curious who to look for. I know we have a few transfers. As for the women’s soccer team Simon has done an incredible job here and has never had a losing season. I had the pleasure of meeting him recently and didn’t realize that he runs in the same place where I walk everyday. We spoke for quite a while and what a down to earth humble person he is. He says they’re favored to win again and bring back everyone except one player.


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[cactus]

In a bad sign of possible things to come, ivy league has cancelled winter sports. I realize they are not scholarship sports but history is not kind to the second wave of pandemics.

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[Jojogunne]

https://www.zagsblog.com/2020/11/12/ion ... ovid-test/

[fiftiespride]

Yes, the pandemic numbers are horrific and things look shaky, we can only hope. Triple c, our 2 transfers from Pit. were both top 100 recruits on 1 or more lists. Peacock will add more size and athleticism at guard. The frosh from Xavier was a stellar defensive player but lost her sr. yr. to a torn ACL so we'll have to see how that impacts her. The 6 3 frosh from Jersey looks like she can help defensively and on the boards; not much offensively. Since I share my time between Minneapolis and Fl. these are obviously impressions I have gathered from reading and rare conversations.

[triplec2195]

Thanks Fifties yes we do have some good looking transfers and I don’t think we could be any worse then last year,


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[EvanJ]

In a bad sign of possible things to come, ivy league has cancelled winter sports. I realize they are not scholarship sports but history is not kind to the second wave of pandemics.

All the pro leagues have played and had postponements but nothing catastrophic. FBS coaches have gotten coronavirus at a much higher rate than coaches and managers in MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS. The Ivy League was the first to end their season last winter because of coronavirus. We'll see. If things get back to normal in 1.25 to 1.5 years after coronavirus started, some sports will have been impacted for one season and some sports for two seasons.

[Polito]

Eh... people thought the same with college football - there WILL be a hoops season, mark my words, just like football. And just like football, a mid major conf backing out is not going to send the whole thing down. Keeping positive vibes and hopes up for HU to safely and in good health play the season in full , and prayers up for all of us around the world that this damn thing is completely destroyed as fast as possible.

[Cards]

Just checked the CAA website to see what other teams OOC schedules look like. There are 3-4 teams that already have listed 8 to 9 OOC games and others with a few less. There are some very impressive opponents listed. CAA teams are playing North Carolina, Duke, Georgia, Virginia, NC State, Miss, as well as next level down like Umass, Richmond, Mason, Rhode Island, Bonnies.

Love that we are playing Richmond and Iona, but would love to see the rest of our OOC schedule. Hoping for at least one big opponent or several more "A-10 type" games.

[budman]

We will be playing Monmouth Nov. 25 at Monmouth

[HUSID74]

Wonder when we will announce our complete OOC schedule.

[triplec2195]

Yeah it’s getting a little late in the game. What’s going on behind the scenes??


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[triplec2195]

Neither Curtin or Speedy were forthcoming with any new info. Nor Mike Neely for that matter.


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[Polito]

I like this season opener a LOT, really good first game on the road against a top half MAAC team with a skilled sr leader guard in Hammond - this will be a solid tough game 1 vs a solid local mid - I like the matchup, MU has some talent in the backcourt, will be a nice challenge against a well-coached squad - HU should be able to get some high productivity from the 4 /5 spots in this game, start to tune up the post game for what's to come - just one more week folks!