#CAAHoops MBB Notebook - Feb. 21
Miles McQuiggan
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
WEEKLY AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jameer Nelson Jr. | Delaware
Nelson averaged 24.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.7 steals per game in a 2-1 week with victories over Stony Brook and UNCW. The week was highlighted by a career-high 39 points in a senior day victory over third place UNCW on 13-of-21 shooting and 5-of-8 from three. Nelson scored 23 points in last Monday’s win over Stony Brook with the pair of victories helping keep the Blue Hens a game clear for a first-round bye with two contests remaining in the regular season. The honor is Nelson’s second of the season and Delaware’s fourth as a team.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Max Mackinnon | Elon
Mackinnon is Rookie of the Week for the third-consecutive week and fourth time this season after powering Elon to a 2-1 week. The freshman from Australia tallied 18 points, including Elon’s final five points in the last 40 seconds, to beat Hampton on CBS Sports Network last Monday. In Saturday’s win over Monmouth, he notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with seven assists. For the week, Mackinnon averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Monday marks the 10th time over the last two seasons that an Australian-born player has been named CAA Rookie of the Week.
2022-23 CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Player of the Week
Nov. 14: Nicolas Timberlake, Towson
Nov. 21: Aaron Estrada, Hofstra; Ryan Larson, Charleston
Nov. 28: Cam Holden, Towson
Dec. 5: Jyáre Davis, Delaware; Jordan Nesbitt, Hampton
Dec. 12: Jameer Nelson Jr., Delaware
Dec. 19: Jyáre Davis, Delaware
Dec. 26: Maleeck Harden-Hayes, UNCW
Jan. 2: Amari Williams, Drexel
Jan. 9: Aaron Estrada, Hofstra; Nicolas Timberlake, Towson
Jan. 16: Dalton Bolon, Charleston
Jan. 23: Nicolas Timberlake, Towson
Jan. 30: Aaron Estrada, Hofstra
Feb. 6: Tyler Thomas, Hofstra
Feb. 13: Pat Robinson III, Charleston
Feb. 20: Jameer Nelson Jr., Delaware
Rookie of the Week
Nov. 14: Amar’e Marshall, Hofstra
Nov. 21: Amar’e Marshall, Hofstra
Nov. 28: Amar’e Marshall, Hofstra
Dec. 5: Jack Collins, Monmouth
Dec. 12: Amar’e Marshall, Hofstra
Dec. 19: Noah Ross, UNCW
Dec. 26: Max Mackinnon, Elon; Jared Turner, Northeastern
Jan. 2: Duncan Powell, North Carolina A&T
Jan. 9: Duncan Powell, North Carolina A&T
Jan. 16: Charlie Williams, William & Mary
Jan. 23: Justin Moore, Drexel
Jan. 30: Jack Collins, Monmouth
Feb. 6: Max Mackinnon, Elon
Feb. 13: Max Mackinnon, Elon
Feb. 20: Max Mackinnon, Elon
NEWS AND NOTES
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Hofstra is 14-1 in its last 15 games and in first place in the CAA at 15-2 with a head-to-head tiebreaker over Charleston.
Aaron Estrada is 19th in the nation at 20.5 points per game and Hofstra has defeated a ranked opponent in each of the last two seasons. The Pride has held 13 of its last 15 opponents under 70 points.
Hofstra’s 10-game winning streak is the fourth-longest in the nation and gives the Pride a run of 5+ games in five straight years. Hofstra would clinch the No. 1 seed in the CAA Championship with a win Saturday on Long Island or a Charleston loss in either of the Cougars’ final two games.
CHARLESTON: 26-3
Charleston is 26-3 with a win total (26) that leads the nation and win percentage (.897) that ranks second among all 363 Division I teams. The Cougars are receiving votes in the AP poll for the 14th consecutive week and were ranked for four, while CofC is 7-1 against last year’s NCAA Tournament field and 5-0 vs. defending conference champions.
The Cougars are the first mid-major to win the Charleston Classic, as they captured the title with a victory over Virginia Tech in November. Charleston’s resume also includes wins over Kent State and UNCW with the lone setbacks at preseason No. 1 North Carolina, four-point loss to Hofstra, and one-point defeat at Drexel. The Cougars are clear of a Q4 loss.
NO PLACE LIKE... BUS?
Charleston and Hofstra enter the week as the nation’s only two teams with 10 or more true road wins. Charleston is 11-2 on the road this season, while Hofstra earned its 10th victory in a true road game on Saturday. The Pride’s 15 games on another team’s court (not including four neutral-site games) are tied for the most nationally among teams with 20 or more wins and have contributed to Hofstra’s top-30 non-conference strength of schedule.
U-TURNS
Elon and Monmouth were the CAA’s last two teams to earn a conference win in 2022-23, as both the Phoenix and Hawks collected their first league victories on January 28 after beginning 0-8.
Those January finales kickstarted a new look for both teams, as Elon is 6-2 in its last eight games - second only to Hofstra in that stretch - while Monmouth is 5-3 since its first victory.
AND-ONES
One thing to know on each #CAAHoops team
- Charleston’s 26 wins are the most in the nation; the Cougars’ .897 winning percentage ranks second out of all 363 Division I teams.
- Delaware’s Jameer Nelson Jr. poured in a career-high 39 points in Delaware’s win over UNCW on Saturday.
- Drexel will close the regular season Thursday at home against Northeastern before drawing the bye on Saturday’s final day of the regular season.
- Opponents have attempted 45.5% of their field goals from three-point range this season against Elon - the 13th highest rate nationally.
- Hampton's Marquis Godwin leads the CAA with 81 made three-pointers.
- Hofstra’s 10-game winning streak ranks fourth in the nation entering the week; the Pride are the third CAA team to run off 10 straight wins this season.
- Monmouth’s Klemen Vuga tallied the three highest scoring outputs of his career in last week’s three games with 29 vs. North Carolina A&T, 23 against Northeastern, and 16 vs. Elon.
- North Carolina A&T closes the regular season with two home games and an opportunity to finish as high as fifth in the regular season. The Aggies were picked 11th in the preseason.
- UNCW is 6-2 in its last eight games and has held 22 of 28 opponents to 70 points or less.
- Opponents have taken just 29.4% of their field-goal attempts from three vs. Northeastern, a rate that is the 11th-lowest nationally.
- Stony Brook’s Frankie Policelli leads the CAA with 11 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 16 of his last 19 games.
- Towson's Nicolas Timberlake is shooting 51% from three in conference games and has made six or more three-pointers in four of his last six games.
- Bonus Towson content: Head coach Pat Skerry's Doc the Tiger audition.
- William & Mary’s Gabe Dorsey ranks seventh nationally with a 44.4% rate from three.
PLAY US OUT, Y'ALL
The road to figuring out CAA Championship seeding is fueled by caffeine and good music. Tweet at @MilesMcQuiggan with the best coffee shop in your CAA town; multiple hot cups of Blanchard's Dark as Dark and some tunes with RVA roots will help us figure out when your team plays in March.
The #CAAHoops Notebook is a weekly look around CAA Men's Basketball for conference fans, media, and more. Like it? Have suggestions for how to make it better? Email the writer at mmcquiggan@caasports.com or find him on Twitter @MilesMcQuiggan.