CAA Men's Basketball Weekly Report - Dec. 17
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Devon Moore • James Madison
Sr., G, 6-4, 180 - Columbus, Ohio/Northland
Moore turned in the best all-around game of his career in JMU’s 85-73 victory over UNCG on Sunday. The senior guard matched his career high with 22 points and also contributed a season-best nine rebounds, a season-high seven assists and three steals. It was just the third career 20-point effort for Moore, who was 9-of-15 from the floor.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Aaron Bacote • Old Dominion
Fr., G, 6-5, 175 - Hampton, Va./Bethel
Bacote scored a career-high 19 points in Old Dominion’s narrow 75-71 setback to UCF last Friday. The freshman guard was 6-of-11 from the floor, including a blistering 6-of-8 from three-point range. Bacote had only made seven treys in the Monarchs’ first nine games prior to his effort against UCF. He also dished out three assists in the contest.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
Returning To Action: All 11 CAA men’s basketball teams are back in action this week after final exams resulted in just nine total games for eight squads last week. On Saturday, George Mason faces Richmond and Old Dominion meets Virginia in the first-ever Governor’s Holiday Hoops Classic at the Richmond Coliseum. Both games will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network. NBCSN will also televise Drexel against defending Southern Conference champ Davidsion on Saturday night. Hofstra will play in the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday against Tulane, while James Madison travels to Las Vegas where it will meet San Jose State and San Diego at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Doubling Up: Delaware senior Jamelle Hagins is tied for second in the nation with seven double-doubles this season, while Towson junior Jerrelle Benimon is tied for fifth with six. Hagins trails only Siena’s O.D. Anosike who has nine. Five other CAA players have multiple double-doubles: UNCW’s Keith Rendleman (3), Towson’s Bilal Dixon (2), JMU’s Rayshawn Goins (2), ODU’s DeShawn Painter (2) and UNCW’s Cedrick Williams (2).
Towson’s Benimon Has Big Night At Temple: Towson junior forward Jerrelle Benimon scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed a career-best 18 rebounds in Towson’s 72-61 setback at Temple last Wednesday. Benimon is the second CAA player to reach the 30-point plateau this season, joining UD’s Devon Saddler, and he’s the first Towson player to reach the mark since Feb. 12, 2011. Benimon is averaging 16.1 ppg and 10.7 rpg for the season.
Down To The Wire: Of the 109 non-conference games involving CAA teams this season, 46 of them (42.2%) have been decided by six points or less and nine have gone to overtime. Seven of George Mason’s 10 games have had margins of five points or less. Delaware and Towson have had five games with margins of six points or less and Drexel has had four. Northeastern has had five games decided by three points or less. Georgia State has won three games by two points or less and James Madison has been involved in three one-point decisions and a two-point contest.
UD’s Saddler, Hagins Moving Up Career Lists: Delaware guard Devon Saddler has the second-most career points (1,240) of any junior in Division I, trailing only Creighton’s Doug McDermott. Saddler, who is averaging a league-best 20.5 ppg this season, has also moved up to 15th on UD’s all-time scoring list. Blue Hens’ forward Jamelle Hagins has 858 career rebounds and is just 59 shy of UD’s all-time record. He ranks 7th in CAA history with 237 career blocked shots.
Youth Movement: There are just seven seniors among the top 31 scorers in the CAA through games of Dec. 17 and Northeastern’s Joel Smith and UNCW’s Keith Rendleman are the only seniors among the top 10. The top 30 also includes 14 juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen.
Freshmen Among Steals Leaders: JMU guard Andre Nation ranks second in the CAA with 2.3 steals per game and is one of six freshmen among the league’s top 15 in steals. GSU’s R.J. Hunter is tied for fourth (2.0 spg), ODU’s Keenan Palmore is 7th (1.9 spg), Towson’s Jerome Hairston is tied for ninth (1.7 spg), Northeastern’s David Walker is 14th (1.2 spg) and Drexel’s Tavon Allen is 15th (1.1 spg).
Delaware’s Hagins Ranked 4th Nationally In Rebounding: Delaware senior center Jamelle Hagins is ranked fourth in the nation in rebounding with 12.1 rpg through games of Dec. 16. Hagins is one of three CAA players among the top 50 nationally in rebounding along with Towson’s Jerrelle Benimon (15th/10.7 rpg) and UNCW’s Keith Rendleman (45th/9.3 rpg). In other categories, Delaware’s Devon Saddler is 15th in scoring (20.5 ppg), W&M’s Tim Rusthoven is 47th in FG percentage (56.6%), while the Tribe’s Marcus Thornton is 28th in 3-pt FG percentage (44.2%). Georgia State’s James Vincent is 31st (2.5 bpg) and Hagins is 48th (2.3 bpg) in blocked shots. GSU’s Devonta White is 36th (2.4 spg) and JMU’s Andre Nation is 47th (2.3 spg) in steals.
W&M Ranked 17th In 3-Point Defense: William & Mary ranks 17th in the nation in 3-point FG percentage defense at 26% according to the latest NCAA stats through games of Dec. 16. In other team categories, Towson is 40th (+7.0 rpg) and Old Dominion is 43rd (6.9 rpg) in rebound margin. W&M is 33rd in field goal percentage (47.7%), Drexel is 39th in free throw percentage (74.9%), Towson is 43rd (5.0 bpg) in blocks, and James Madison is 39th in steals (9.3 spg).
DELAWARE
• Fell 75-65 at Villanova on Sunday. Have lost seven of their last eight.
• Junior Devon Saddler, who leads the CAA in scoring with 20.5 ppg, contributed a team-high 19 points at Villanova. Saddler has scored double digits in 17 straight games and has topped the 14-point mark in every game this season.
• Senior Jamelle Hagins had 12 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and four steals at VU. Hagins, who has a league-high 7 double-doubles this season, leads the CAA in rebounding (12.1 rpg) and ranks 2nd in blocks (2.3 bpg) and FG% (58.1%).
• Sophomore guard Kyle Anderson scored 10 points at Villanova, which was his fourth double-digit effort in the last seven games.
• After scoring just 14 points in his previous four games combined, sophomore Jarvis Threatt broke loose for 15 points and five assists at Villanova.
DREXEL
• Dropped a 69-58 decision at Fairfield on Sunday. Drexel led 38-36 with 14 minutes left before the Stags went on an 11-0 run.
• Sophomore Damion Lee led Drexel in scoring for the 4th straight game with 15 points at Fairfield. Lee has scored 15 or more points in each of his last seven games and is averaging 19.0 ppg over that stretch.
• Junior Frantz Massenat contributed 11 points but didn’t have an assist at Fairfield. Massenat is 2nd in the CAA in assists (4.4 apg) and has scored double digits in six of his last seven games.
• Senior Daryl McCoy grabbed 8 rebounds at Fairfield and ranks 14th in career rebounds (693) at Drexel.
• Junior Dartaye Ruffin scored double figures (10 pts) for the fifth time in the past eight games at Fairfield.
• Tavon Allen ranks 3rd among all CAA freshmen in scoring (9.6 ppg).
GEORGE MASON
• Didn’t play last week, but return to action on Saturday as they face Richmond in the Governor’s Holiday Hoops Classic.
• Junior Sherrod Wright has been Mason’s top scorer in 8 of 10 games and ranks among the CAA’s top 5 in scoring, FG% and 3-point FG%. Wright is averaging 20.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg over the last three games.
• Junior Bryon Allen tied his season-high with 13 points vs. Northern Iowa on Dec. 8. Allen ranks fifth in the CAA in assists (3.4 apg) and 2nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.6).
• Mason is 18-2 at home under coach Paul Hewitt, including 3-1 this season.
• Mason tops the CAA in scoring defense (60.8 ppg) and ranks 3rd in FG% defense (39.4%).
• Freshman Patrick Holloway has scored double figures off the bench three times this season, including 17 pts. vs. Maryland.
GEORGIA STATE
• Erased a 14-point halftime deficit but were edged 57-56 at Troy on Saturday.
• Junior guard Devonta White scored a team-high 13 points at Troy. He’s reached double digits in 9 of 10 games and is among the CAA’s top 10 in scoring, assists and steals.
• Junior forward Manny Atkins contributed 12 points and 9 rebounds at Troy, which was his 6th straight game scoring in double figures. He’s shooting a CAA-best 46.2% from 3-point range.
• Guard R.J. Hunter tops all CAA freshmen in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). He’s scored double figures in 7 of GSU’s 10 games and is also 4th in the CAA in steals.
• GSU already has 84 steals in 10 games after ranking 4th nationally (9.3 spg) last year.
• Senior center James Vincent just missed a double-double at Troy with 10 points and nine rebounds. Vincent leads the CAA in blocked shots (2.5 bpg).
HOFSTRA
• Were beaten 63-57 by Wright State on Saturday. Have lost six in a row.
• Junior forward Stephen Nwaukoni posted his first double-double of the season vs. WSU with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He has grabbed 7+ boards seven times.
• Sophomore guard Taran Buie added 11 points vs. WSU. The Penn State transfer has tallied double figures in six straight games and eight of his last nine contests.
• Senior guard Stevie Mejia dished out a career-high eight assists vs. WSU and ranks 3rd in the CAA with 4.0 apg. Mejia has also scored double digits six times.
• Freshman Jordan Allen scored a career-high 13 points on 5-of-6 FG shooting vs. WSU. He also had seven rebounds and two steals. Allen’s previous career high was 5 points.
• Hofstra will play its first game in the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday as it faces Tulane.
JAMES MADISON
• Defeated UNCG 85-73 on Sunday. It was the Dukes’ third win in the past four games.
• Senior Devon Moore tied his career high with 22 points vs. UNCG and also added 9 rebounds, a season-high 7 assists and 3 steals. He’s 3rd in career assists (377) at JMU. Moore is averaging 20.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.0 apg over the last two games.
• Senior Rayshawn Goins posted his 2nd double-double of the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds vs. UNCG. It was Goins’ fourth 20-point outing of the season.
• Senior Andrey Semenov scored 14 points vs. UNCW, which his 3rd double-digit effort in the last four games. Semenov is shooting 52.4% (11-21) from 3-point range.
• Freshman Ron Curry scored a career-high 13 points and dished out a career-best six assists vs. UNCG. He’s scored 25 points in his past 2 games after netting just 38 points over his first six contests.
UNCW
• Suffered a 77-61 setback at Davidson on Saturday. UNCW is 4-0 at home, but 0-6 on the road this season.
• Senior Keith Rendleman led UNCW with 20 points and nine rebounds at Davidson. It was his third 20-point effort of the year. Rendleman ranks among the CAA’s top 10 in scoring, rebounding and FG percentage.
• Junior Tanner Milson was 2-of-3 from 3-point range and added 10 second-half points at Davidson. It was his fifth double-digit outing in the past seven games.
• UNCW shot a season-best 47.4% from the floor at Davidson and committed a season-low nine turnovers.
• Sophomore Freddie Jackson chipped in nine points on 4-of-7 FG shooting at Davidson.
• Junior guard Chris Dixon scored a career-high 20 points at Georgia Tech on Dec. 8. He also dished out a team-high five assists.
NORTHEASTERN
• Were off last week but return to action on Tuesday with a Noon home game vs. UNC Asheville.
• Sophomore Reggie Spencer has led NU in scoring for the past two games and is averaging 15.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg over that span. Spencer leads the CAA in FG percentage (63.8%) and is 13th in rebounding (6.6 rpg).
• Senior Joel Smith has scored double figures in 7 straight games and is 24 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Smith ranks fifth in the CAA in scoring (16.3 ppg) and leads the league with 24 three-pointers.
• Sophomore Quincy Ford has scored double figures in six of nine games. He ranks among the top 20 in the CAA in scoring and rebounding.
• Sophomore Demetrius Pollard has scored a career-high 12 points in two of his last three games.
• Dinko Marshavelski scored a season-high 10 points in 15 minutes vs. La Salle on Dec. 8.
OLD DOMINION
• Fell 75-71 to UCF on Friday night. ODU has dropped eight in a row.
• Freshman Aaron Bacote made 6-of- 8 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 19 points vs. UCF.
• Senior DeShawn Painter added 13 points vs. UCF. Painter is averaging 19.5 ppg over the past two games and has grabbed 8 or more rebounds in seven contests.
• Junior Donte Hill contributed 14 points and five assists vs. UCF. Hill has scored double figures in six of ODU’s nine contests.
• ODU has outrebounded 8 of its 10 opponents and was even on the glass in the other 2 games. The Monarchs rank 2nd in the CAA in rebound margin (+6.9 rpg).
• Nine players have started at least 3 games this season and Hill is the only ODU player to have started each game.
TOWSON
• Lost 72-61 at Temple last Wednesday and 65-48 to North Dakota State on Saturday in their first home game of the season.
• Junior Jerrelle Benimon set new career highs with 30 points and 18 rebounds at Temple. He has posted six double-doubles in his past nine games.
• Junior Mike Burwell scored a team-high 14 points vs. NDSU. Burwell has scored double figures six times this season.
• Junior Marcus Damas added 11 points, six rebounds and a career-high three steals at Temple. It was his third double-digit effort of the season.
• Bilal Dixon tied his season-high with 11 rebounds vs. NDSU. He has grabbed 10+ boards four times this season.
• The Tigers are outrebounding opponents by 7.0 rpg, which leads the CAA. Towson has beaten 9 of its last 10 opponents on the glass.
WILLIAM & MARY
• Off last week but will take a three-game winning streak into Friday’s home game with Salisbury. It’s just the 4th time in 30 years that W&M has started 6-3 or better.
• Junior guard Brandon Britt has scored 13 or more points in 7 of 9 games, including a career-best 26 pts vs. Howard on Dec. 6.
• Sophomore Marcus Thornton has tallied double digits in 11 straight games. He ranks 2nd in the CAA in scoring (18.3 ppg), 3-pt FG% (44.2%) and 3-pointers per game (2.6).
• Junior Tim Rusthoven has scored double figures in 8 of 9 games and has grabbed 7 or more boards seven times.
• Thornton, Britt and Rusthoven are accounting for over 70% of the Tribe’s points.
• Terry Tarpey grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds vs. Howard, which was the most boards by a Tribe freshman since 2004.
• Junior Kyle Gaillard recorded his first career double-double (13 pts/11 reb) at Radford.