Colonial Athletic Association Notebook
by Jay Pearlman
Just over a week has gone by since the earlier-than-ever start of this college basketball season, and the CAA has started non-conference play a healthy 15-11.
- George Mason has defeated three mid-majors at home: Vermont, Cleveland State and Dayton.
- Drexel has also beaten three mid-majors, Navy at home, Penn away (but within walking distance), and Florida Gulf Coast away.
- James Madison may have had the biggest win, beating subsequent Stanford-killer Siena at home before beating Dartmouth in New Hampshire.
- Towson found a partial replacement for Gary Neal in College of Charleston transfer Junior Hairston, whose 26 points and 21 rebounds earned co-Player of the Week in a season-opening win over Baltimore rival Loyola. They then lost badly to Bucknell at home.
- VCU is 2-1, beating Maryland-Eastern Shore at home and Houston by a single point in a morning game in Puerto Rico; they also lost to Miami in that tournament, and play Arkansas on Sunday.
- Old Dominion beat S.C. State in Las Vegas and Toledo at home, and William and Mary lost at monsters Georgetown and NC State.
- UNC Wilmington welcomed back T.J. Carter with an overtime win over Charleston at home.
And then there is Northeastern. Everyone in America seems to know that Drexel played a horrendous road schedule last year, because they managed to win some. Northeastern’s schedule was at least as difficult (games at Syracuse, Pittsburgh, UConn, Louisville and Boston College), and again this year travel to five majors, including repeat visits to Syracuse, UConn and BC. With a freshman point guard beginning his career, Bill Coen’s squad opened last Sunday at Champaign, Illinois, and while the 63-55 score sounds competitive, the game was probably over when a three-point half-time deficit reached 23. Four days later, a date in College Park against the University of Maryland.
Those of you who follow this team, or even this league, already know that Maryland prevailed over Northeastern in overtime 74-72. The rest of you know that this Maryland team is young, and in no way resembles the national champions of five tournaments past. But picked sixth in the ACC, with two monster forwards and a guard in Greivis Vasquez that Comcast’s Glenn Consor calls a sure pro, the Terrapins are still a most formidable opponent.
This writer had the pleasure of calling the game on radio for the Boston audience with Dave Jageler, and it was the most fun I’ve had in a gymnasium since 1977 (a story for another day). As expected, Maryland opened with full-court pressure, trying to rattle the frosh/soph backcourt of Chaise Allen and Matt Janning. They succeeded to a point, but Northeastern responded with pressure of its own, resulting in a six-point Maryland lead after a high-turnover first half.
Of note, even in the first half Northeastern had more field goals than Maryland, but the foul shots taken were 20-2 in favor of the Terrapins. And at the break, two Huskies had 3 fouls and two had 2, all four of them forwards.
In the second stanza, Northeastern began as the better team, and used tenacious defense and Janning’s shooting to engineer a 12-point turnaround to lead 46-40. With lots more fouls called (and some not called), the game stayed close throughout, and after two forwards and Chaise Allen fouling out for Northeastern, Maryland found itself back up by four in the closing minutes.
Thin but undaunted, and with sophomore reserve Baptiste Bataille from France assuming the point, Northeastern refused to fold, and a last-second trey by sophomore center Manny Adako (the first of his career) tied the game and forced overtime. In the extra session, even when transfer forward Nkem Ojougboh joined the list of those excused for fouling, Northeastern didn’t give up. They finally succumbed when a fatigued Janning couldn’t hit three tries from the line to tie with under five seconds left in OT.
For the game, the rebounding and turnovers were about even, Northeastern had nine more field goals than Maryland (including two more treys), but Maryland’s 31-46 from the line (including Shaq-like shooter Bambale Osby’s 14-20) proved too much to overcome.
It was a wonderful game to watch, one in which this radio analyst never once thought of questioning the underdog’s willingness to compete. And those Northeastern guards shined: last year’s CAA Rookie of the Year Janning had 26 points, 6 rebound, and 4 assists, while this year’s candidate Allen with 10 points, 4 assists, and 7 huge rebounds. When Allen fouled out late – I’m biased, but an awful call – it looked to be the first breath Maryland coach Gary Williams took in since half-time. And I have it on good authority that a CAA coach – perhaps the most famous of our coaches – called a CAA associate commissioner in attendance on his cell during the second half, and asked, “So that’s the team picked 8th in our league? What a brutal conference!”
I have to admit – with some guilt – that at 46-40 in favor of Northeastern, I caught myself thinking what a huge win it would be, for the conference, and particularly for Northeastern’s program – an earth-moving win. But alas, that was not to be. And, while an overtime loss at Maryland hardly guarantees a win at BU on Monday night, this team is going to break through against one of these monsters, perhaps sooner rather than later. And this writer is going to be there to see it, and this audience is going to read an eye-witness account shortly thereafter.
All in another terrific week in the CAA.
