Colonial Athletic Association 2003-04 Season Recap
Heading into the final week of play Colonial teams were tied for first, third, fifth and ninth place emphasizing one of the most balanced years in CAA history. VCU finished with the best mark at 14-4 in conference play, 20-7 overall. Led by Dominic Jones (Chesterfield, VA) the Rams tied a school record for most wins in CAA play largely in part because of an impressive five-game win streak they ended the season on. Unexpectedly Drexel finished as the runner-up with a 13-5 (18-9) record. Picked to finish fifth in pre-season polls, the Dragons ended strong with an 11-2 run clinching the two-seed in the CAA Tournament.
The George Mason Patriots finished 12-6 (19-8), good for third place. The 19 victories tied the largest amount in head coach Jim Larranaga’s seven seasons. GMU finished with regular season victories over UNC-Wilmington and fourth place Old Dominion. ODU finished 11-7, 16-11 overall making this the Monarchs first winning season in five years.
On the fence is the best way to describe Delaware’s season. Ten games were decided by three points or less and the Hens finished No. five with a 10-8 (16-11) record. Hofstra tied Delaware with a 10-8 conference record however they fell to sixth due to CAA tie-breaking procedures (see: http://www.caasports.com/sports/mbball/04tiebreak.pdf). The Pride finished with wins in four of their last five outings. UNC-Wilmington finished No. seven at 9-9 (13-14). The Seahawks have not finished the regular season lower than seventh since 1990. James Madison ended their run in the eight spot with a 4-14 (7-20) record. Towson was ninth with a meek 4-14 (7-20) record and despite their poor record, the Tigers ended their season on an upbeat note with a 74-54 win over JMU, their largest-ever margin of victory over a CAA opponent. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak. James Madison grabbed the accolades for finishing last. Coming right after the announcement that Sherman Dillard would not return next season, the Dukes ended the season with a 3-14 (7-20) record.
Conference Tournament
Richmond, Virginia is home to CAA “central intelligence” so it was fitting that the Richmond Coliseum, again, host the 2004 Pioneer CAA championship tournament. The Coliseum, just beyond the view of the VCU Siegel Center and home to the Richmond Spiders would host the tournament and feature some tremendous basketball. Game one featured No. eight William & Mary against No. nine Towson. The Tigers pulled off the 70-65 upset on 32 points from senior guard Jamaal Gilchrist (D.C.).
In the nightcap No. seven UNC-Wilmington sent No. 10 James Madison packing with a low-scoring 44-41 victory. The Seahawks shot a season-low 29 percent from the field while the Dukes were limited to just 31 percent from the field. The Seahawks would face No. two Drexel the very next day. U-Dub nearly multiplied their shooting percentage (46%) by two and pulled off the upset of the tournament knocking off Drexel 66-53. John Goldsberry (Vandalia, OH) led all scorers with 20 points including a three-for-four performance from three-point range. In the other quarterfinal games top seed VCU managed to hold off Towson defeating the Tigers 67-60. Rams senior center Troy Godwin (Suffolk, VA) had a big game inside with 15 points while Nick George (England) added 14 points and nine rebounds. No. four Old Dominion defeated No. five Hofstra 82-68 in the quarterfinals. Alex Loughton (Australia) finished with a double-double, 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Isaiah Hunter (Charlotte, NC) led four Monarch players in double figures with 19 points.
Delaware looked to keep the trend going with a hopeful upset over No. three George Mason in the remaining quarterfinal game. In overtime the Patriots staved an impressive battle from the Hens winning 65-58 advancing to the semis. GMU gave up a 13-point lead in the waning minutes of regulation forcing overtime. With 3:04 remaining in OT, Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, MD) put the Pats up for good scoring two of his game-high 17 points.
The first semifinal featured top-seed VCU against No. four Old Dominion. The Rams, playing in front of a hometown crowd, rolled to a 84-67 victory on five players scoring 12 or more points. They would await the winner of the second semifinal between No. three George Mason and No. seven UNC-Wilmington. Patriots sophomore guard Tony Skinn (Takoma Park, MD) scored a career-high 27 points landing his team in the CAA Championship title game.
In a much-anticipated championship title game more than 9,000 fans got their moneys worth. With 1.6 seconds to play Jesse Pellot-Rosa (Richmond, VA) made one of two free throws clinching a 55-54 victory and with it the championship trophy and a birth in the NCAA tournament. The win marked the first championship title for the Rams since their 1996 inaugural year in the CAA. Tony Skinn hit a fade-away three-pointer with nine seconds remaining to tie the score by 54-54. Pellot-Rosa was then fouled driving the lane with 1.6 left on the clock allowing the Patriots enough time to get off a pass and quick shot. The Patriots Jai Lewis caught the ball at the baseline but missed the jump shot as time expired. Skinn finished with 17 points for GMU, all coming in the second half.
NCAA and NIT Appearances
Three CAA teams received invitations to postseason action. After winning the championship title game Virginia Commonwealth received the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. In the East Rutherford Region Chris Paul (Lewisville, NC) and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons were waiting for the No. 13 seed Rams. In spectacular fashion Dominic Jones scored 22 points but fell one point shy of victory losing 79-78. Jones was one of four Rams to score double figures but Paul would take complete control over of the game in the waning minutes.
Drexel and George Mason were also offered invites to the NIT. The Dragons would visit inter-city rival Villanova in the first round. Sean Brooks (Bladensburg, MD) led all scorers with 24 points but the Wildcats prevailed with a second half rally defeating the Dragons 85-70. Drexel finished the season 18-11 overall while the Wildcats made a run up until an NIT quarterfinal loss.
Meanwhile GMU was the only conference team to pick up a postseason victory. Playing host to Tennessee in their opening round NIT game the Patriots won their first post-season game in 18 years defeating the Volunteers 58-55 at the Patriot Center. The win propelled GMU to another first-round match against Austin Peay in which Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill, MD) dropped 18 points including a monstrous tie-breaking three-pointer with just over one minute to play. The Pats’ went on to win 66-60 and marked a school record for most wins in a season (23).
GMU Continued its postseason NIT run with a visit to Oregon. The second round match on ESPN showed George Mason had clearly run out of fuel losing 68-54 to the Ducks. Terry Reynolds paced GMU as the only player scoring double figures with 14 points.
All-Conference Team:
G – Dominic Jones, Virginia Commonwealth (MVP), 16.3 ppg
G – Phil Goss, Drexel, 13.6 ppg, 1.7 spg
F – Alex Loughton, Old Dominion, 16.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg
F – Adam Hess, William & Mary, 20.3 ppg
F – Kenny Adeleke, Hofstra, 13.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg
F – Jai Lewis, George Mason, 14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg
Freshman of the Year
Second only to Adam Hess, Tribe forward Corey Cofield (Wellesley, MA) averaged 13 points per game leading all CAA rookies. The 6’6″ forward from William & Mary scored season-highs of 24 against George Mason and 21 against Hofstra. The Massachusetts product finished top-five in numerous CAA stat categories including fifth in rebound (6.6rpg), and fourth in field goal percentage (56.3). Cofield scored 19 points in a first round loss to Towson in the conference tournament.
Coach of the Year
Bruiser Flint now has some metal to go along with the ostentatious suits he sports during games. Flint was named Coach of the Year for the second time after finishing the season with an impressive 13-5 mark in conference play, 18-11 overall. After losing a dominant Robert Battle and Eric Schmeider to graduation Drexel wasn’t turning any heads in Colonial action but Flint’s team overachieved. During the months of January and February the Dragons put together a 12-2 win streak grabbing the second-best regular season record.
Defensive Player of the Year
The Drexel Dragon’s success depended largely in part on the defense of freshman guard Bashir Mason. Mason (Jersey City, NJ) was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year and becomes the first-ever freshman to earn the accolade. Mason finished the season with a league-best 66 steals at an average of 2.2 in 30 minutes per game. Mason also drew a crucial foul while protecting the ball in a key game at the end of the season, nailing free throws to put the game away.
Virginia Commonwealth Rams
VCU finished the season 14-4 in conference play, 23-8 overall and captured the 2004 CAA regular season and tournament championship titles. They ended the season with a heartbreaking one-point loss to Wake Forest in the NCAA tournament. Senior guard Dominic Jones carried the torch for the Rams averaging 16.3 points per game on 67 percent field goal shooting. Troy Godwin led the team on the glass averaging 7.0 rebounds per game to go along with 11.8 ppg. Starting guard B.A. Walker led the team in dishes with 2.7 apg.
The Rams take a big hit in losing starters Jones and Godwin to graduation as well as 6’10” center Kevin Moore. The Rams proved that the loss of a star player (Willie Taylor) means very little to them. With Jones gone rebuilding will depend largely in part on the productivity of Nick George and a very, very young starting five.
Drexel Dragons
A surprise second place finish in the CAA regular season schedule turned many heads. Drexel finished 13-5 in conference play, 18-11 overall. The Dragons had three players scoring in double figures on a nightly basis. Sean Brooks had 14.4 ppg including a team-high 5.9 rpg, Tim Whitworth dropped in 14.1 ppg and Phil Goss averaged 13.6 ppg. Bashir Mason led the league in steals with 66 and finished with a team high 129 assists.
Drexel is in promising shape for 04-05 losing just one player to graduation. Unfortunately for them that player just happens to be Whitworth but this will allow the other scorers to flourish. Brooks, Goss, and Mason will try and keep this team in contention.
George Mason Patriots
Picked to finish first in the preseason CAA poll GMU ended the season 12-6 in conference and 23-10 overall setting a record for most wins in a season in its 38-year history. Head coach Jim Larranaga lost his son Jon and star player Jesse Young to graduation in 2003 but a trio of returning starters would carry the load. Junior forward Jai Lewis led the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg. Mark Davis did not live up to the hype though he had a decent season averaging 12.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Junior guard Terry Reynolds averaged 5.1 apg.
The Patriots will lose out big time with the loss of starters Davis and Raoul Heinen but Lewis still has two years remaining along with his classmates Lamar Butler and Reynolds.
Old Dominion Monarchs
After starting the season with losses against North Carolina and St. Josephs the Monarchs appeared to be in for a bumpy ride. ODU finished 11-7, 17-12 overall. With the loss of Ricardo Marsh, the Monarchs need answers to their problems. They found them with the coming of junior forward Alex Loughton. The Aussie native led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals with averages of 16.6 ppg to go along with 8.7 rpg. Junior guard Isaiah Hunter had 13 ppg while fellow starter John Waller had 12.6 ppg. The Monarchs lost to eventual tournament champions Virginia Commonwealth in the CAA semifinals, 84-67.
ODU loses one non-starter while everyone else is returning. Loughton should have a huge season while Hunter and Waller will compliment him well.
Delaware Blue Hens
The Fightin’ Blue Hens finished the season 10-8 in conference play, 16-12 overall. Mike Ames (Phoenixville, PA) led all scorers with 15.3 ppg while the flashy guard Mike Slattery (Philadelphia, PA) averaged 11 ppg to go along with a team-leading 47 steals. Harding Nana (Cameroon) led the team on the boards with 8.5 rpg plus 12.6 ppg. The Hens have struggled over recent years and this season was no different. With 10 freshmen and sophomore Delaware was extremely young and had little camaraderie. Mike Ames is graduating and will not be back which could give head coach Dave Henderson and his young squad more issues.
Hofstra Pride
The Pride finished the season 10-8 in CAA play and 14-15 overall. The Pride had many question marks surrounding their program this year with the loss of star guard Ricky Apodaca and a poor season from a highly touted Kenny Adeleke (Queens, NY). Wendell Gibson (Far Rockaway, NY) surprisingly led the team in scoring with 14.3 ppg while pulling down 6.3 rpg before an unfortunate season-ending injury put him on the sidelines. Adeleke had a solid junior year and finished as the team’s leading rebounder with 9.2 rpg to go along with 13.6 ppg. An acrobatic Loren Stokes (Buffalo, NY) finished the season with a team-leading 82 assists and averaged 12.9 ppg.
The Pride lose a key big man in power forward Danny Walker. With the exception of a couple of transfers everyone else will return which will give the Pride some depth. Adeleke and Gibson, barring any injury bug, will provide the necessary size in the frontcourt. Woody Souffrant and Mike Radziejewski must be guarded outside the perimeter. Hofstra may have a strong showing in 04-05.
UNC Wilmington Seahawks
The defending conference champion U-Dub finished the season in seventh place, neutral at 9-9, 15-15 overall. The Seahawks struggled severely on the road posting a 4-10 record. After losing 2003 CAA Player of the Year Brett Blizzard Brad Brownell did not see one single player this season average double figures. Ed Spencer (Kansas City, MO) averaged 8.7 ppg while John Goldsberry, who was an expected leader this season averaged just 8.5 ppg. Goldsberry had team high in assists (124) and steals (50). Also starter Anthony Terrell, who arguably is the most athletic player in the Colonial, averaged 8.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg.
Joel Justus started eight games and Andy Gunn started six games. Both players along with Terrell will graduate which deals a significant blow to the depth of the 04-05 team. Goldsberry and starting guard Ed Spencer return next season as the only Seahawks to see legitimate time on the floor.
Towson Tigers
Towson finished 4-14 in CAA play with 8-21 overall record. The one bright spot in coach Michael Hunt’s lineup was Jamaal Gilchrist who led the team with 12.2 ppg on 42 percent shooting from the floor. Gilchrist was joined on the offensive end with Mike Green (Philadelphia), the thief on the court with a team high 50 steals and 127 assists to go along with 10.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Starter Lawrence Hamm (Harrisburg, PA) led the team in rebounding with 5.3 rpg while posting 10 ppg.
Starting guard Gilchrist will graduate and even though he is the only player leaving the program Gilchrist was known as the playmaker. They will need Hamm and Green as well as a solid recruiting class to move up in the ranking next season.
William & Mary Tribe
The Tribe ended the season in ninth place due to CAA tie-breaking procedures. The final result was a 4-14, 7-21 overall record. Adam Hess (Grosse Pointe, MI) was instrumental scoring a team high 20.3 ppg on 42 percent shooting. Hess, a First-Team All-CAA selection, also led the team in rebound with 6.7 rpg. Starting guard Nick D’Antoni (Myrtle Beach, SC) averaged 5.7 apg. CAA Freshman of the Year Corey Cofield had an impressive rookie year starting 21 games and scoring 13.2 ppg with 6.6 rpg.
The 6’7″ forward Hess and starter Zeb Cope, the only other player to average double figures this season, will graduate. Dave Holtzmuller saw action in 16 games and will graduate as well. The loss of Hess is the most severe leaving the team to adjust with no serious offensive threat. Cofield, as a sophomore, will have the pressure on his shoulders and D’Antoni must take on a veteran leadership role.
James Madison Dukes
The Dukes went threw two very long six and seven-game losing streaks locking up a last place finish in the CAA. They end with just three wins in the Colonial including a surprising 72-64 overtime victory versus George Mason. Dwayne Broyles (Canton, OH) led the team in scoring and rebounding with 15.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
In the game against GMU Daniel Freeman (Waynesboro, VA) scored 24 points, which was a season high. Freeman finished second in scoring with 11.6 ppg. Chris Williams (Wheeling, WV) had a team high 3.1 apg while Broyles averaged 1.5 spg.
Broyles and Williams, the only players to start all 28 games for the Dukes, are graduating. Freeman and Williams are not enough and the Dukes, without any immediate impact players in their recruiting class next season, will be at or close to the bottom of the pack again in 04-05.
