Colonial Athletic Association Tournament – First Round Notes
RICHMOND, Va. – The first round of the 2006 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament is in the books. The four games lived up to their billing, with only Northeastern’s win over James Madison being decided by double digits. With that, the stage is set for Saturday’s quarterfinals, where things will surely start to get interesting.
First Round Honor Roll
Rulon Washington, Delaware: 16 points including 4-4 on three-pointers
Shawn James, Northeastern: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 9 blocked shots (CAA Tournament record)
Jose Juan Barea, Northeastern: 17 points, 12 assists
Herman Favors, Georgia State: 20 points, 7 assists
Lawrence Hamm, Towson: 22 points, 14 rebounds
Eric Davis, VCU: 18 points
Corey Cofield, William & Mary: 17 points, five rebounds
A Fitting End
The final minute of the day’s opening game had its share of drama, and Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint was clearly the least happy person in the arena. It was not one, but two things that led to it.
First, after a Drexel foul with 13 seconds left, the scoreboard showed an incorrect number of fouls for Drexel in the second half. The scoreboard showed that the foul put the Blue Hens in a two-shot situation, but that was incorrect as it was the Dragons’ ninth foul and it should have been a one-and-one. The mistake wasn’t noticed until Delaware’s Herb Courtney missed the first free throw, and the rule book said a jump ball ensued from that point. The possession arrow went to Delaware, which gave the Blue Hens the ball again. Henry Olawoye was fouled immediately and made one of two free throws to put the Blue Hens up 52-49.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, in the final seconds, Bashir Mason attempted a shot from right near the corner and made contact with a Delaware defender. Mason appeared to jump right into the defender, who was a couple of feet in front of him as he went up for the shot. No foul was called, and that set Flint off further.
“I’ve been in a lot of crazy events in the CAA this year, that’s for sure,” the Drexel coach reflected.
Indeed, the Dragons’ loss ends a season where their 15-16 record included a 5-14 record in games decided by ten points or less. Their defense gave them a fighting chance all season long while the offense struggled, but it didn’t quite come through enough on Friday as the Blue Hens shot 47.6 percent in the second half.
“We’ve had some games that have been absolutely incredible this year,” Flint said.
The Dragons have just one senior that played significant minutes this year in Kenell Sanchez. While he was an important contributor, the bulk of the team returns next year and they should be better.
James Madison’s Future
With the conference rookie of the year leading its freshman cast, James Madison would appear to have a bright future ahead. The Dukes ended a tough season at 5-23 and graduate four seniors, but they went out in a good way as they gave Northeastern fits in the first half.
Juwann James didn’t play his best game on Friday, although he still managed ten points and nine rebounds in the loss. Classmate Kyle Swanston also had ten points and seven rebounds, and though he has been more of a shooter at the offensive end, showed a nice in-between game and looks to have a nice future ahead. He has nice size for his position and his skills.
Add those two to junior Ray Barbosa, who got going early on Friday, and there’s a good nucleus for next season’s team to try and build on. The Dukes don’t appear to be on the verge of contending just yet, but the cupboard isn’t bare. Second-year head coach Dean Keener senses that they’re taking some baby steps.
“They’ve got to go back to work, we’ve got to get a little stronger, get a little better at the fundamentals,” Keener said. “There’s just a lot of things when you’re trying to put the program back to where we want it.”
Barea Turns Corner, Huskies Win
The first half of Northeastern’s win over James Madison wasn’t one for the books. The Huskies shot just over 29 percent from the field, and Jose Juan Barea hardly looked the part of Player of the Year as he was 1-10 from the field. They were clearly outplayed by a team they beat twice in the regular season, the last-place Dukes, and it showed in the locker room. Head coach Ron Everhart noted that some guys had their heads down, but there was one whose head was up.
Barea was every bit the team leader, keeping the team’s spirits up and knowing they could win it. Rather than getting visibly frustrated, as he has over the years, Barea kept his cool and came out strong in the second half. At one point, he buried three consecutive three-pointers in four possessions, the last of which was described by James Madison coach Dean Keener as being “from the Marriott”, referring to the hotel just a block away.
“I think I relaxed a little bit at halftime,” said Barea. “I said, we got it, we’re going to play better the second half, and they came out and did that.”
The Huskies shot 60 percent from the field in the second half and took the game over. For Everhart, it seems like Barea has turned the corner given how he has handled some situations like this in the past. It’s more evidence that he has become more like a leader and not just a great player.
“He’s a true competitor, a true leader, a tough kid, and I wouldn’t trade him for the world,” said Everhart.
Perry Recalls Fond Memories
Georgia State head coach Michael Perry has a long history in the city of Richmond. He grew up there and was a high school star at Thomas Jefferson High, then played at Richmond and was later an assistant coach there for ten years. The tournament isn’t his first homecoming since he left Richmond, but it was a good one as the Panthers picked up a win in their first-ever CAA Tournament game.
The Panthers entered the tournament in a funk, having lost seven straight games, including a 70-69 home loss to Towson, their first round opponent. It seemed the odds were against the Panthers, and Perry was hoping for a little help.
“I’ve been in this building a lot of times, have some really great memories as a player in high school and college and then as an assistant coach,” Perry said. “I was just hoping that the basketball Gods would remember that and be kind to our team tonight, and I thought they did so tonight, they really helped us out.”
Indeed they did, as the Panthers snapped their losing streak and managed to play well with the lead. They led by 14 twice in the second half, and Towson would get the lead down to three, but no closer.
Will VCU Star Play?
VCU star forward Nick George sat out the final minutes of Friday’s win over William & Mary because his right foot was bothering him. Head coach Jeff Capel said that George had trouble moving, and they were better off with someone else in the game. George’s status for Saturday night’s game is questionable, and Capel noted that their opponent, Hofstra, likes to run. That would pose a problem for them if George is not in good shape.
William & Mary Shows What They Have Ahead
William & Mary gave VCU all they could handle in the last game on Friday, holding a late lead before the Rams got the win. It’s clearly a sign of the future the Tribe has, as a team with a lot of young players. At one point during the final minutes, they had three freshmen and a sophomore on the floor; perhaps not coincidentally, that’s also when VCU regained the lead for good.
Despite the loss, a tough one for the four seniors on the team, the game showed what could be ahead for the Tribe. The opposing coach certainly noticed it.
“The future of that program is very bright,” said VCU head coach Jeff Capel. “They’re going to be a team to contend with in this league.”
In finishing 8-20, they certainly had their struggles. The talent is clearly there: Calvin Baker was one of the conference’s top freshmen, sophomore Nathan Mann is one of the better shooters and fellow sophomore Laimis Kisielius has talent on the wing. That’s just the beginning; freshmen Peter Stein, Alex Smith and Chris Darnell all gained experience this season and will get better.
Head coach Tony Shaver thought the team did a nice job of regrouping late in the year, hindered in part by a tough overtime loss against Delaware after they had made some nice strides. That, along with their play in Friday’s game, would seem to be a good indicator for the future.
“I think great things are ahead for this program,” said Shaver. “We’ll be battling for a championship one day.”
