Colonial Athletic Association Notebook
by Jay Pearlman
Every fan knows about home-court advantage, and I expect most know that that advantage is even more pronounced at the mid-major level than at higher levels. This writer certainly knows, having coached on the Division III level, at the lowest level of Division I, and in the Mid-American Conference. And just in case I had forgotten, I was reacquainted with home-court advantage last winter traveling with Northeastern, whose .500 conference regular season mark featured records of 7-2 at home and 2-7 away. But just for an instant, I forgot.
I know why I forgot. In the six match-ups that constituted the first conference game for every CAA team, three games were won by the home team, and three by the visitor. Moreover, on the day I paid most attention this season, December 1, all three conference games were won by the visitor (James Madison at Northeastern, Wilmington at Hofstra, and ODU at Georgia State), and ’06-’07 road warrior Drexel was soundly beaten at home that day by Creighton. Still, this is a notoriously home-court league in a notoriously home-court sport.
Last weekend this writer watched games on Long Island and in New Britain, expecting conference affiliation and strength of schedule to serve UNC-Charlotte over Hofstra and Delaware over Central Connecticut. That included expecting Delaware’s newly eligible transfers to prevail. Well, make this writer 0-for-2, as both home teams prevailed, Antoine Agudio and Hofstra in a monstrous upset reported in this space and Howie Dickenman’s CCSU by 36 (and it could have been 66).
The best example this week was Old Dominion, mentored by Blaine Taylor, the man my editor calls the best unheralded coach in America. The ODU program has become a model of consistency, both on the court and at the box office. No longer second fiddle to their own women’s program, the Monarchs boast 10 NIT appearances (most recently in ’06, when they reached the Final Four), and 9 NCAA appearances, including last year. The Constant Convocation Center seats 8,500 and is often full or nearly full (it was full last Sunday against Virginia Tech). And ODU now pays occasional guarantees to lesser schools to play in its arena, and schedules two year home and home series with ACC and similar opponents.
Thus, unlike Drexel and Northeastern, both known for playing monsters but only away (and for accepting guarantee checks rather than writing them), ODU entertained Virginia Tech in front of a full house last Sunday. That day, behind a stellar performance by senior guard Brandon Johnson (15 points, 6-11 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 9 assists and only 3 turnovers in 31 minutes), ODU came away with a huge home upset, 72-69. Pretty darn good for a team that lost last year’s three best scorers in Valdas Vasylius, Drew Williamson and Arnaud Dahi.
But home-court advantage also his its mirror image. ODU was unable to build on its ACC win in succeeding road games against lesser opponents, falling 55-49 at Richmond and 72-69 at Winthrop. Oh, for a home game against a major opponent.
It was much the same throughout the league this past week.
- Since its poor showing at Central Connecticut, Delaware managed a road win against struggling Vermont, and then easily defeated Boston University at home on Saturday (I listened to Doug Brown call the latter game on my way home from Northeastern-BC).
- After its big home win against Charlotte, Hofstra was beaten by Jim Baron’s strong URI club in Kingston.
- Georgia State managed a home win against Texas-San Antonio, and then lost away at Coastal Carolina.
- Drexel lost to Temple at the Palestra (granted, just a block from campus), and then beat Bucknell at home.
- UNC Wilmington won at home against North Carolina Central, and then also lost at Coastal Carolina (playing a non-conference foe for a second time, as UNCW had beaten Coastal at home two weeks earlier).
- JMU beat Radford at home, and then lost an overtime shootout at Seton Hall, 112-110.
- Northeastern beat Harvard at home, and then after leading for 35 minutes fell at Boston College 57-55.
- Among the league’s elite, while George Mason’s strong early-season showing was based in part upon a schedule featuring four home and four neutral site games in its first eight, this week Mason won at Florida International.
- Likewise, VCU was able to win in Peoria over Bradley.
With our confidence in home-courts (and travel concerns) restored, the last week before conference play should bring more of the same. Drexel should be competitive at home against Rider before facing Saint Joseph’s in the Palestra. Delaware brings its two-game winning streak to College Park to play Maryland. Hofstra faces Virginia Tech and either St. John’s or Marist on neutral turf in the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. Georgia State hosts Bethune Cookman, JMU plays South Carolina State on a neutral court in the Charleston Holiday Tourney, William & Mary travels to improved Hampton, UNC Wilmington hosts UNC-Greensboro, ODU travels to UAB, Towson to Auburn, and Northeastern to Syracuse (hope it doesn’t snow). Mason hosts Liberty and William & Mary hosts Ed Cooley’s Fairfield club, and then it’s all conference play all-the time.
So notwithstanding the three conference road wins on December 1, the CAA mantra going forward has to be simple: defend your home court at all costs!
CAA News and Notes
- Through Christmas, CAA teams remain in the green against non-conference opponents with a record of 57-54.
- In another near program-changing win, Northeastern freshman Chaisson Allen held BC’s 21-point scorer Tyrese Rice without a field goal for 39 minutes and 57 seconds; then Rice’s sole bucket with under three seconds left on the clock (making him 1-11 from the floor) won the game for the Eagles.
- And what would this writer like to find under the tree tomorrow morning? Well, I’m hoping for a JMU tournament win in Charleston (and ok, for a Northeastern win at the Carrier Dome). And I just may have received a pretty good early Christmas gift already: Northeastern has announced the mid-year addition to its roster of 6-9 forward Vinny Lima, from the Republic of Cape Verde. Lima will be eligible to play beginning Saturday January 12th at George Mason.
- And just a reminder, if you can’t get to a television to turn on ESPN2, be in Fairfax on Tuesday, January 29th for the game of the year in the CAA, as Mason hosts VCU.
- Finally, a wish of Christmas cheer to all CAA fans everywhere, be they in Virginia, as far south as Atlanta, or along that snowy road from Stockbridge to Boston.
