Around the CAA

[bean-pie]

Has anyone else noticed the top two teams of the CAA hasn’t really faced anyone? I just scrolled UNCW and Charleston’s schedule and there’s no real quality wins I can see. Kudos to Speedy for putting this squad together and scheduling the games we have. Feeling better and better going into CAA play here.


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[dutchPride86]

Has anyone else noticed the top two teams of the CAA hasn’t really faced anyone? I just scrolled UNCW and Charleston’s schedule and there’s no real quality wins I can see. Kudos to Speedy for putting this squad together and scheduling the games we have. Feeling better and better going into CAA play here.


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You're not wrong about their schedules, but dont underestimate either of these squads. Have to remember both were missing preseason 1st team CAA players for the entirety of non conference. Duggan just came back for Charleston and is rounding into form, had 17 pts in their win over W&M the other day (which is as many pts as he scored in his first 2 games combined). Meanwhile CJ Luster still hasnt even played for UNCW, and Jahnathan Lamothe, who averaged nearly 14 ppg for NC A&T last yr, just played his first game of the season for UNCW.

Hofstra has certainly risen to these teams level, but imo it would be a mistake to assume we're now the favorite. In fact, the version of our team that played against Drexel last Saturday would lose handily to both of these schools. Let's see if we bring an A effort today

[Wags]

Hofstra was definitely tested the most out of conference but Charleston was impressive in beating another top CAA team (W&M) on Monday night and UNCW will probably show that as well (especially when at full strength) as we go through CAA play.

UNCW, Charleston, Hofstra, and William & Mary will probably remain the top tier of the CAA, with everyone else below them, over the course of CAA play. That could certainly change for one or more of those four teams, but right now, I don't see it. Then it's a matter of jockeying for position and making a statement as being the top team or one of the two top teams to beat, and how it might line up best with seeding and the bracket in DC.

[Wags]

Stony Brook scored 37 points in an 18-point loss at Drexel last game. Today, they have 43 at halftime vs. UNCW and are up 22. Typical CAA.

[bean-pie]

Stony Brook scored 37 points in an 18-point loss at Drexel last game. Today, they have 43 at halftime vs. UNCW and are up 22. Typical CAA.

Good god. That’s bananas.


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[Wags]

Stony Brook scored 37 points in an 18-point loss at Drexel last game. Today, they have 43 at halftime vs. UNCW and are up 22. Typical CAA.

And now, 24-2, UNCW to start the second half, and it's tied. Yup, typical, crazy CAA.

[Jojogunne]

Don't look now, but W&M has lost three in a row (Charleston, Monmouth and Drexel). Is someone on the Tribe injured, or have teams started to figure them out?

[dutchPride86]

Don't look now, but W&M has lost three in a row (Charleston, Monmouth and Drexel). Is someone on the Tribe injured, or have teams started to figure them out?

Nope theyre healthy. 3 road games, and team shot under 30% from 3 in all of them. Scored 79 and lost, gave up 64 and still lost. But Drexel yesterday really the only bad loss of the 3, no shame losing at Charleston or even at Monmouth now that we've seen them.

[dutchPride86]

Now that we have a 4-5 game sample size for everyone, some team stats I found interesting in CAA only games. Hofstra has been very strong in some traditionally weak areas, and vice versa:

- Again just for conference only games, we lead the CAA in total rebounds and rebounding margin, and are 3rd in offensive rebounds.
-We lead the conference in FT %, and after yesterday are up to 4th in both FT made and attempted
-At the same time, we're 2nd worst in turnover margin, 3rd worst in ast/TO ratio, 3rd worst in assists/g, and despite our solid defense dead last in steals.

So clearly plenty to clean up despite the great start

[Polito]

This conference is wide open and ripe for the taking. Frankly, it hasn't been much better than it is right now. This is our time, and we need to carpe diem.

[Wags]

This conference is wide open and ripe for the taking. Frankly, it hasn't been much better than it is right now. This is our time, and we need to carpe diem.

Everyone has flaws, everyone is beatable, as UNCW showed against Howard and in the first half at Stony Brook yesterday, as we've seen from Charleston at times (although that was more OOC and when injury-plagued), as Towson showed, and as W&M has showed recently after playing better earlier.

It's going to take a lot more work and continuing to progress through the rest of January and February, but I think they have the pieces, they all know their roles, they seem to be listening to Speedy and his staff more than last year's team did, and if they play with confidence and trust, and execute, it's definitely there for the taking this year.

It's a three-team race for the moment. I was already sold on W&M being that fourth team to get the bye, but with them losing their last three and falling to 8th, I obviously called that one too soon. It'll be interesting to see who fills that spot. Right now, it's Elon. They can score and share the ball better than anyone in the conference at the moment. Or could it be Campbell? Monmouth? Could Towson get back in the mix later? That'll be something to watch unfold by the end of next month, for that potential 1/4 semifinal matchup. Not to take ANYTHING AT ALL for granted, and it's a bit ridiculous for me to mention this only four games in, but if Hofstra keeps TCB, it'll probably be a matter for them whether they end up as the 1 in the 1/4 matchup or which uniform they wear in a possible 2/3 matchup.

[triplec2195]

It's a bit early to think about the CAA tourney but good food for thought. I like to take one game at a time and first let's beat SB who played UNCW tough then see how we do against Elon who will be our biggest CAA test so far. If we win both games then we can start to think about March but in reality we haven't even played COC or UNCW who more then likely will be the teams we will have to beat in march depending how the pairings go!

[EvanJ]

With us picked tied for 8th, and Elon picked 12th, us hosting Elon was not expected to be a big game, but CBS Sports Network will start their Saturday with our big name at Noon. To remain with 1 loss before playing us, Elon must win at Northeastern. If Elon and us win on Thursday, and Elon beats us, Elon will be 5-1, tied with us, and have the head-to-head tiebreaker because we play them once.

[Wags]

6th ROW award for Edmead today.

This is the least drama ever for the ROY award. He'll likely finish with double-digit more ROW awards than the next closest ROY contender. Four others have one each so far, so he's halfway there with a 6-1 lead on each of them.

[Jojogunne]

Not that Preston doesn’t deserve all this recognition, but there are probably very few freshmen getting as many minutes as he does.

[bean-pie]

Doesn’t this tie a record for Hofstra, alongside Agudio?


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[Wags]

Not that Preston doesn’t deserve all this recognition, but there are probably very few freshmen getting as many minutes as he does.

That's to his credit though. He wouldn't get those minutes if he couldn't be trusted and if he hadn't produced as he has when getting them.

[Wags]

Doesn’t this tie a record for Hofstra, alongside Agudio?

Edmead will likely break that record, but he's not there yet. Aguido had eight of them (consisently, two per month for four straight months, Nov-Feb).

[EvanJ]

Not that Preston doesn’t deserve all this recognition, but there are probably very few freshmen getting as many minutes as he does.

His 33.3 minutes are fourth among freshmen. Joel Foxwell of Portland is first, Kevair Kennedy of Merrimack (who scored 10 points against us) is second, and Ebuka Okorie of Stanford is third. The players who might be considered the top freshmen are Duke's Cameron Boozer with 32.3, and Brigham Young (BYU)'s AJ Dybantsa for 31.7. In the ACC, Boozer has six rookie of the weeks, and Okorie has one. In the Big 12, Dybantsa has two rookie of the weeks.

[Wags]

Stony Brook beats Charleston, 111-106, in 2OTs today. By one point, it was the highest-scoring game in CAA history (Geroge Mason 115, American 102, in 1994).

All of a sudden, the Seawolves are a game behind Hofstra after a 1-4 start and a 4-0 start for Hofstra.