Men's Basketball Weekly Honors - Feb. 22
Rob Washburn
CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT - FEB. 22 (PDF format)
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Quincy Ford • Northeastern
Sr., F/G, 6-8, 225 - St. Petersburg, Fla./Gibbs
Ford averaged 25.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists as Northeastern went 1-1 in a pair of tough road games. The senior scored a career-high 36 points with seven rebounds and five assists in a 95-94 triple-overtime win at JMU and followed with 15 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in a 65-60 loss at Hofstra. The 36 points were the most ever by an NU player in a CAA game and the double-double was his fifth of the season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Juan’ya Green • Hofstra
Sr., G, 6-2, 195 - Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll
Green averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds as Hofstra was the only CAA team to go 2-0 last week. The senior posted his seventh double-double with team-highs of 21 points and 10 assists in an 84-82 win over Towson and had 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a 65-60 victory over Northeastern. He played all 80 minutes in the two games last week.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Terrell Allen • Drexel
Fr., G, 6-2, 180 - Upper Marlboro, Md./DeMatha
Allen averaged 19.0 points and 4.5 assists as Drexel split a pair of games last week. The freshman guard tallied a team-high 18 points and 7 assists in a loss to Elon and followed with a career-high 20 points in the Dragons’ victory at William & Mary. Allen shot 65% (13-20) from the floor, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and committed just one turnover in 69 minutes.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
HOFSTRA VISITS UNCW FOR FIRST-PLACE SHOWDOWN: Just one week remains in the CAA regular-season race, but there is still plenty to be determined.
UNCW, which has won 12 of its past 13 games, sits atop the standings at 13-3.
Hofstra, which has won four straight contests, is right behind at 12-4 as the Pride travels to UNCW for a huge showdown on Thursday night. There is a three-way tie for third place at 10-6 between
James Madison, Towson and
William & Mary. JMU visits Towson on Thursday night before returning home to face W&M on Saturday, and the Tigers head to UNCW on Saturday.
College of Charleston (8-8) and
Northeastern (7-9) also meet on Thursday as both hope to secure an opening-round bye for the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
INCREDIBLE BALANCE: Nine of the CAA’s 10 teams had at least one win last week and nine also had at least one loss.
Hofstra was the only team to go 2-0 and its two victories were by a combined seven points.
College of Charleston was the only squad to go 0-2, but its two losses were by a combined seven points, including one in overtime. Of the 10 games last week, seven were decided by five points or less. Over the past six weeks, nearly half (29-of-60) of all CAA games have had margins of six points or less, including eight overtime contests.
NIGHT OF NAILBITERS ON THURSDAY: It was an exciting night of action last Thursday as four games were decided by five points or less and the other featured a dramatic comeback. Northeastern outlasted James Madison 95-94 in triple overtime behind a career-high 36 points from
Quincy Ford. It was the second 3OT game in a month for the Huskies after having played only one in the previous 95 years of the program. The Hofstra/Towson contest featured 21 lead changes and 13 ties before the Pride pulled out an 84-82 win on Rokas Gustys’ layup with 2.7 seconds left. William & Mary trailed UNCW 61-49 with 10:37 to play before closing the game on a 38-8 run to win 87-69 and snap the Seahawks’ 11-game win streak. Delaware held off CofC, 62-59, for its second victory in three games and Elon shot a blistering 75% in the second half to get past Drexel, 81-76.
ROAD TEAMS ARE 41-39 IN CAA ACTION: Road teams have a 41-39 record in CAA play. Seven of the league’s 10 teams have .500 or better road records in CAA action, including five squads that have at least five wins
. All 10 teams have suffered at least one home loss in conference competition and only five have winning records. Visitors having success in CAA action continues a trend from last year when home teams finished 47-43.
PILING UP THE WINS: The CAA is one of nine Division I conferences to have at least five teams with 18 or more overall wins through games of Feb. 21. The others are the ACC (8), Big Ten (7), Pac 12 (6), Big East (5), Big 12 (5), A-10 (5), American (5) and MAC (5).
FOUR CAA TEAMS AMONG TOP 100 IN LATEST RPI: Four CAA teams are ranked among the top 100 in the latest RPI report released by
Collegiate Basketball News (rpiratings.com) on Feb. 22.
UNCW leads all CAA squads at #61, followed by
Hofstra at #67,
William & Mary at #78 and
James Madison at #97. The CAA is ranked #9 among the nation’s 32 Division I conferences,
which is its highest ranking ever at this point in the season, and is one of only 10 conferences with four teams among the top 100 of the RPI.
HOFSTRA’S GREEN TOPS 1,000 POINTS AGAIN: Hofstra guard
Juan’ya Green became just the fourth player in NCAA history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark at two Division I schools on Feb. 7, joining former CAA standout
Gary Neal (La Salle/Towson), Joe Manning (Oklahoma City/North Texas) and Kenny Battle (Northern Illinois/Illinois). With 2,207 points (1,131 at Niagara/1,076 at Hofstra), he’s currently third among active scorers in Division I. Green is second among active Div. I players in career assists (735) and fourth in career steals (223) through games of Feb. 21. He trails Evansville’s D.J. Balentine (2,368) and High Point’s John Brown (2,210) in points and Oakland’s Kay Felder (740) in assists.
BACK-TO-BACK 20-20’S FOR HOFSTRA’S GUSTYS: Hofstra sophomore
Rokas Gustys became the first Division I player in six years to record back-to-back “20-20” games. He tallied a career-high 25 points and a career-best 20 rebounds vs. JMU on Jan. 16, followed by 23 points and 20 boards at Northeastern on Jan. 21. He has grabbed 20 or more rebounds four times, which is the most by any Division I player in a season since Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried had six in 2010-11. Gustys has recorded 13 double-doubles in his last 14 games and is averaging 16.9 ppg and 14.8 rpg in CAA play. His 347 total rebounds are the 10th-most in a season in conference history.
THREE-POINT SUCCESS: Several CAA teams are among the nation’s best at scoring from the 3-point line and defending it.
Elon (9.5 pg/19th),
Northeastern (8.9 pg/31st),
James Madison (8.7 pg/41st) and
Hofstra (8.7 pg/42nd) are among Division I leaders in 3’s per game while
William & Mary (37.7%/50th) is ranked in 3-point FG%. Defensively, JMU is 4th in 3-point FG% defense (29.2%). Individually, NU’s
David Walker ranks 27th (3.0 pg) in 3-pointers per game and 45th in 3-point FG% (41.6%).
UNCW RANKS EIGHTH IN TURNOVER MARGIN: UNCW ranks eighth nationally in turnover margin (+4.1 tpg) through games of Feb. 21. The Seahawks are forcing 15.6 turnovers per game, which ranks 20th in Division I, while committing 11.5. UNCW is also 28th nationally with 8.0 steals per game.
HOFSTRA’S GUSTYS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN THREE CATEGORIES: Hofstra’s
Rokas Gustys ranks 4th nationally in rebounding (12.4 rpg), 10th in FG percentage (64.8%) and 8th in double-doubles (17) through games of Feb. 21. Hofstra’s
Juan’ya Green (7.3 apg) is 4th in assists, UNCW’s
Jordon Talley is 25th (3.14) and W&M’s
David Cohn is 29th (3.05) in assist/TO ratio and W&M’s
Terry Tarpey is 25th (2.1 spg) in steals. Delaware’s
Marvin King-Davis is 31st in double-doubles (12) and 43rd in rebounding (9.2 rpg).
College of Charleston
• Fell 62-59 at Delaware and 59-55 in OT to UNCW last week. Five of their eight CAA losses have been by four points or less.
• Jarrell Brantley posted his 3rd double-double (11 pts/career-high 15 reb) vs. UNCW and had 16 points and 9 boards at UD. He’s scored double figures in 9 straight games.
• Marquise Pointer averaged 13.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg last week, including a team-best 16 points vs. UNCW. He’s reached double figures in 13 of the last 19 games.
• Cameron Johnson scored a team-high 15 points against UD and has 9 double-digit efforts in the last 12 games.
• Payton Hulsey had his first double-double vs. UNCW with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
• CofC has limited 15 of its 16 CAA opponents to 65 points or less and is allowing a league-low 58.4 ppg in CAA play. They are also 2nd in FG% defense (41.5%) in CAA action.
• CofC shot just 34.9% from the floor at UD and a season-low 28.8% against UNCW.
Delaware
• Defeated CofC 62-59 on Thursday but lost 75-50 at JMU on Saturday.
• Marvin King-Davis posted his 12th double-double (15 pts/10 reb) vs. CofC and 10 points and 8 boards at JMU. He’s averaging 15.0 ppg and 9.4 rpg in CAA play.
• Kory Holden tallied a team-high 17 points and 4 assists vs. CofC. He has a CAA-best 11 20+-point efforts and has reached double figures in 20 of his last 23 games.
• Anthony Mosley scored 12 points vs. CofC and 11 points at JMU. He has 14 double-digit efforts in the past 17 games and is averaging 13.1 ppg in CAA play.
• Cazmon Hayes grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against CofC and scored a team-high 11 points at JMU.
• Maurice Jeffers had 8 points on 4-of-5 FG shooting and 6 rebounds vs. CofC.
• Skye Johnson returned to action for the first time since Dec. 31 and scored 6 points in both games last week.
Drexel
• Lost 81-76 to Elon but topped W&M 74-69 to end an 11-game slide.
• Terrell Allen tallied team-highs of 18 points and 7 assists vs. Elon and followed with a career-high 20 points at W&M. He had just one turnover in 69 minutes and has seven double-figure outings in CAA play.
• Rodney Williams averaged 13.0 ppg last week, including 16 points at W&M. He’s averaging 14.7 ppg on 65.7% (23-35) shooting over the past four contests.
• Tavon Allen contributed 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists vs. Elon and 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists at W&M.
• Kazembe Abif averaged 14.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg last week, including his 5th double-double (12 pts/12 reb) at W&M. He’s scored double figures in 8 of the past 10 games.
• Sammy Mojica has scored double figures in five of his last eight games.
• Drexel shot 51.7% from the floor vs. Elon and went 8-of-13 from 3-point range at W&M.
Elon
• Rallied for an 81-76 victory at Drexel but fell 67-56 at Towson last week.
• Dmitri Thompson averaged 12.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg last week, including team-highs of 13 points and 8 boards at Towson. He’s averaging 13.4 ppg over his past 8 contests.
• Steven Santa Ana added 10 points in both games last week and is averaging 13.3 ppg over the past 3 contests.
• Tanner Samson went 4-of-7 from 3-point range and scored a team-high 19 points at DU. Samson is Elon’s career 3-point leader with 317 and has 75 treys this season.
• Brian Dawkins poured in a career-high 14 points in 24 minutes at Drexel.
• Tyler Seibring scored 12 points on 5-of-7 FG shooting at DU. He’s 21-of-34 (61.8%) from the floor over the last four games.
• Elon shot a blistering 75% from the floor in the second half at Drexel and 58.2% for the game. The Phoenix hit a season-best 58.8% (10-17) from 3-point range.
Hofstra
• DefeatedTowson (84-82) and Northeastern (65-60) last week. Have won 4 in a row and reached 20 wins for the 2nd straight season.
• Juan’ya Green recorded his 3rd straight double-double (21 pts/12 ast) vs. TU and had 13 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds against NU. He’s scored double figures in 27 of 28 games, has nine 20+-point efforts and ranks 5th nationally in assists (7.3 apg).
• Rokas Gustys has 13 double-doubles in the last 14 games after posting them vs. TU (16 pts/12 reb) and NU (17 pts/16 reb). He ranks 4th nationally in rebounds (12.4 rpg) and 10th in FG% (64.8%). He’s had 10+ boards 22 times and has 17 double-doubles.
• Ameen Tanksley averaged 16.0 ppg last week, including 20 vs. TU. He’s hit double figures in 27 of 28 games and 16 in a row.
• Denton Koon had a team-high 19 points vs. NU, which was his 20th double-digit game.
• Hofstra shot a season-best 56.9% from the floor vs. Towson and topped the 80-point mark for the 17th time this season.
James Madison
• Went 1-1 at home last week, losing 95-94 in 3OT to NU before beating Delaware, 75-50.
• Ron Curry scored 21 points with 7 assists vs. NU and had a team-high 17 points and 6 rebounds vs. UD. He’s reached double digits in a league-best 20 straight games and has topped the 20-point mark 10 times.
• Joey McLean scored 15 points vs. NU and 14 points against Delaware. He’s averaging 11.8 ppg over his last five games.
• Yohanny Dalembert posted his 5th double-double with a career-high 26 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 5 blocks vs. NU.
• Paulius Satkus added 10 points and a team-high 9 rebounds off the bench vs. UD.
• Jackson Kent had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists vs. NU.
• JMU held NU and UD to under 40% FG shooting. The Dukes lead the league in FG% defense and 3-pt FG% defense in CAA games.
UNCW
• Split a pair of road games, losing 87-69 at W&M but winning 59-55 in OT at CofC. Have won 12 of their last 13 contests.
• Denzel Ingram scored 8 of his game-high 17 points in OT at CofC and added 12 points at W&M. He’s reached double digits in 11 of his past 12 games and is shooting 42% from 3 in CAA games.
• Craig Ponder tallied 15 points at CofC and has reached double figures in five of his past six contests.
• Chris Flemmings scored a team-high 18 points at W&M. He’s averaging 17.7 ppg in CAA play and has scored double figures in 15 of the last 17 contests.
• Jordon Talley scored 12 points at CofC and dished out a career-high 10 assists at W&M. He leads the CAA in assist/TO ratio.
• UNCW’s 21 overall wins are its most since 2005-06.
• Marcus Bryan chipped in 8 points at W&M and grabbed 8 rebounds at CofC.
Northeastern
• Outlasted JMU 95-94 in 3OT but fell 65-60 at Hofstra, ending a 3-game win streak. It was NU’s second 3OT game in a month.
• Quincy Ford scored a career-high 36 points with 7 rebounds vs. JMU and posted his 5th double-double (15 pts/14 reb) at HU. He’s scored double digits in 23 of 25 games.
• David Walker averaged 17.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg last week, including 19 points and 6 rebounds in the JMU win. He’s scored double figures in 12 straight games and set the NU record for 3-pointers in a season (87).
• Jeremy Miller scored 18 points at JMU and was 6-of-7 from the floor, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range.
• Senior Caleb Donnelly went 4-of-7 from 3-point range and scored 12 points at HU.
• Freshman Donnell Gresham Jr. added 8 points and a career-high 10 boards at JMU.
• NU has made 10 or more treys in 16 games this season, including hitting 10 at JMU and 12 at Hofstra last week.
Towson
• Went 1-1 last week, falling 84-82 at Hofstra before beating Elon, 67-56.
• John Davis scored 17 points at Hofstra and had a team-high 14 points vs. Elon. He shot 66.7% from the floor last week and has double figures in 4 of the last 5 games.
• William Adala Moto tallied team-highs of 20 points and 7 rebounds at HU and grabbed a team-best 13 caroms vs. Elon. He’s scored double digits in 20 of the past 24 games and has pulled 10+ rebounds seven times.
• Mike Morsell contributed 13 points and a career-high 8 assists at Hofstra. He has 15 double-figure efforts in the last 18 games.
• Towson out-rebounded Elon 49-37 and is a CAA-best +7.4 in rebound margin. TU has beaten 15 straight foes on the glass.
• Timajh Parker-Rivera averaged 11.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg last week. He’s 8th on the school’s all-time rebounds list with 657.
• Byron Hawkins scored 12 points in both games last week.
William & Mary
• Used a 23-0 run to rally past UNCW 87-69 but lost 74-69 to Drexel last week.
• Omar Prewitt averaged 21.0 ppg last week, including a season-high 29 points vs. DU. He has 9 straight games in double digits and has scored 20+ points in 5 of the past 6 contests.
• David Cohn tallied a team-high 21 points with 6 assists vs. UNCW and 10 points and 6 assists against DU. He committed just one turnover in 69 minutes last week and was also 17-for-17 at the FT line.
• Daniel Dixon hit 5-of-8 treys and scored 19 points against UNCW. He tops W&M with 66 threes on 37.3% shooting this season.
• Terry Tarpey had 16 points vs. UNCW and grabbed 13 rebounds against DU. He’s scored double digits in 11 of his last 14 games, ranks 4th in the CAA in rebounds, 1st in steals and 2nd in blocks.
• Sean Sheldon averaged 11.0 ppg last week, including 13 points vs. DU. He’s shooting 61% from the floor for the season.