CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

David Schneider, William and Mary Sr., G, 6-3, 190 – Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy Prep

Schneider averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in leading William & Mary to victories over Richmond (78-71) and Manhattan (75-70) last week. The senior tallied a season-high 25 points against the Spiders and followed with 16 points against the Jaspers. He hit six treys on the week and has made a league-high 13 three-pointers this season.

CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL Co-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Luke Hancock, George Mason Fr., F, 6-5, 189 – Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley

Hancock repeats as CAA Rookie of the Week contributing 8.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists over George Mason’s three games at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament. The freshman had nine points versus #5 Villanova, tallied eight points, nine boards and seven assists against #19 Georgia Tech and recorded nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a win over Indiana.

CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL Co-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Halil Kanacevic, Hofstra Fr., F, 6-8, 230 – Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis

Kanacevic averaged 8.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks as Hofstra went 2-1 last week. The freshman forward contributed eight points and 10 rebounds in a narrow 76-67 loss to #12 Connecticut and just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine boards in a victory over Yale. Kanacevic leads the CAA in rebounding with 9.5 per game.

CONFERENCE NOTES:
VCU Shocks #17 Oklahoma: VCU posted its first victory over a nationally ranked opponent since 1994, beating #17 Oklahoma 82-69 on Saturday in front of a sell-out home crowd. Sophomore guard Jay Gavin poured in a team-high 20 points and junior center Larry Sanders added 17 as the Rams jumped out to a 17-point first half advantage and never let the Sooners get closer than 10 in the second half. In addition, the CAA recorded a pair of wins over Big 10 teams last week as UNC Wilmington defeated Penn State and George Mason beat Indiana.

Challenging Early Season Schedules: CAA teams have already faced seven Top 25 opponents this season, including four last week. VCU knocked off #17 Oklahoma 82-69 on Saturday. Hofstra led #12 Connecticut by nine in the second half before dropping a 76-67 decsion in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament. George Mason led #5 Villanova until the final seconds before falling 69-68 in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament and then lost 70-62 to #21 Georgia Tech in the second round.

Newcomers Make An Impact: Several newcomers are among the CAA’s statisitcal leaders early in the year. VCU guard Jay Gavin, a transfer from Marist, ranks ninth in the league in scoring (14.0 ppg) and is shooting 50% on threes. UNCW junior John Fields, a transfer from East Carolina, is 12th in scoring (13.3 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (7.5 rpg). Freshmen Derrick Thomas of Drexel and Darren White of James Madison are tied for 17th in scoring (12.0 ppg), while Hofstra freshman Halil Kanacevic tops the conference in rebounding (9.5 rpg). Mason freshman Luke Hancock is among the CAA’s top 10 in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and assists (4.0 apg) and Hofstra freshman Chaz Williams is third in assists with 5.0 apg.

Four CAA Teams In Mid-Major Top 25 Poll: Four CAA teams are ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll released on Nov. 23 by CollegeInsider.com. Old Dominion jumped three spots to #3, followed by VCU at #6, George Mason at #11 and Northeastern at #16. The CAA was the only conference to have four teams ranked in the top 16 of the poll.

Dominant Defense: Five CAA teams are holding their opponents to under 40% shooting from the floor thus far. Old Dominion is limiting foes to 37.2% FG shooting and only 50.0 ppg, while Georgia State opponents are averaging 57.4 ppg on 38.9% FG shooting.
Four CAA Players Named To Mid-Major All-America Team: Four CAA players were among 25 honored on the Preseason Mid-Major All-America team by CollegeInsider.com. Selected to the squad were Northeastern senior guard Matt Janning, Hofstra junior guard Charles Jenkins, Old Dominion senior center Gerald Lee and VCU junior center Larry Sanders.

VCU, ODU Receive Votes In Associated Press Top 25: A pair of CAA teams received votes in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll. Defending CAA champion VCU picked up two votes, while preseason league favorite Old Dominion got one vote for the third week in a row.

DELAWARE (1-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Blue Hens split a pair of games last week, falling 82-66 to Bucknell before overcoming an 18-point deficit to defeat Penn 97-94 in double OT. Junior guard Jawan Carter scored a career-high 35 points at Penn and backcourt mate Alphonso Dawson matched a career-best with 28 points. Carter set school records by going 19-of-26 from the FT line versus the Quakers while Dawson hit of 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Carter, who has led UD in scoring in all three games, tallied 17 points and three steals in the Bucknell loss. Junior D.J. Boney averaged 11.0 ppg last week. Freshman Kelvin McNeil grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds at Penn. Delaware beat Penn for the first time in 13 tries at the Palestra and its 97 points were the most in a game since 2001. The Hens face Siena and Virginia Tech this week.

DREXEL (0-3 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Dragons dropped a 58-56 heartbreaker at Rutgers and were beaten 76-69 at Niagara last week. Drexel tied Rutgers in the final seconds on Yannick Formbor’s putback, but the Scarlet Knights won it on a layup at the buzzer. Junior guard Gerald Colds averaged 15.0 ppg for the week and was the Dragons’ leading scorer in both games. He hit three treys and netted 18 points at Niagara. Backcourt mate Jamie Harris contributed 10 points and five steals at Rutgers. Freshman forward Derrick Thomas recorded his first double-double at Niagara with 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He added nine points at RU. Senior Evan Neisler averaged 7.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg over the two games. Drexel visits rival Penn on Tuesday night before hosting Vermont, Toledo and Cornell on Nov. 27-29 for the Legends Classic.

GEORGE MASON (3-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Patriots went 1-2 at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament, losing close games to #5 Villanova (69-68) and #19 Georgia Tech (70-62) before edging Indiana 69-66 on Sunday. Junior Cam Long scored a team-high 18 points against the Hoosiers, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds left. Sophomore Mike Morrison posted a double-double in the IU win with 17 points, 13 rebounds and a tournament-record seven blocked shots. It was the most rejections by a Mason player since 2001. Freshman Luke Hancock had a great all-around week, averaging 8.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists off the bench. Freshman Kevin Foster topped Mason with 15 points and nine rebounds versus Georgia Tech. Sophomore forward Ryan Pearson tallied 14 points and eight rebounds against Villanova and sophomore Andre Cornelius chipped in 13 points. Mason travels to Tulane on Saturday.

GEORGIA STATE (2-3 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Panthers rolled past Carver Bible (77-53) in their opener before going 1-2 at the Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla. GSU beat Howard (57-33), but lost to Drake (65-58) and IUPUI (67-56) in OT. The Panthers set a school record for fewest points allowed against Howard after limiting the Bison to 25.6% FG shooting. Senior Trey Hampton recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Howard victory. Senior guard Joe Dukes averaged 14.7 ppg in the Wilkes Classic, including a team-best 20 points against Drake. Ousman Krubally grabbed 13 boards off the bench against Drake and recorded his second double-double of the year (11 pts/13 reb) against IUPUI. He ranks second in the CAA in rebounding (9.2 rpg). Senior Trae Goldston is now sixth in GSU history with 143 treys. GSU starts play in the South Alabama Tournament on Wednesday.

HOFSTRA (2-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Pride went 2-1 last week, beating Yale (68-63) and Farmingdale State (87-48), but dropping a 76-67 decision to #12 Connecticut in the NIT SeasonTip-Off second round. Hofstra used a 15-2 run to take a 54-45 lead on UConn with 9:07 to play, but couldn’t hold on. Junior guard Charles Jenkins scored 21 of his team-high 25 points in the second half and also handed out a team-high eight assists. Jenkins had his 21-game double-digit streak end after leaving the Farmingdale game due to injury with nine points. Senior guard Cornelius Vines drained six treys and finished with 18 points versus UConn. Junior Nathaniel Lester led the Pride in scoring for the first time in his career with 19 points on 8-of-10 FG shooting against Yale and 21 versus Farmingdale.  He also grabbed 11 rebounds in the UConn loss. Freshman Halil Kanacevic averaged 8.0 ppg and 8.7 rpg for the week.

JAMES MADISON (1-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Dukes rebounded from a 71-43 loss to Murray State to beat host Florida International 81-68 in the the 2K Sports Classic. Sophomore forward Julius Wells averaged 17.0 points and 6.5 rebounds over the two games, including a game-high 23 points and a career-best 12 rebounds versus FIU. He was 9-of-20 from 3-point range for the week. Freshman guard Darren White added a career-high 20 points in the FIU victory. JMU went 13-of-24 from beyond the arc against FIU after hitting 3-of-23 treys in the MSU loss. Senior Matt Parker tallied double digits for the first time in his career with 13 points in 21 minutes versus FIU. Senior guard Pierre Curtis is 28 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Sophomore Andrey Semenov missed the FIU game with a back injury. JMU meets N.C. Central on Monday afternoon.

UNC WILMINGTON (1-4 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Seahawks went 1-2 at the Charleston Classic, defeating Penn State (80-69) in the opener before losing to Miami (Fla) (80-69) and South Florida (74-66). Junior guard Chad Tomko shot 56% form the floor and averaged 18.0 ppg in the tournament. He netted a team-high 21 points against PSU and 17 versus USF. Junior center John Fields recorded a double-double with 17 points and a career-best 15 boards against USF and had 15 points in the loss to Miami. UNCW shot 57.4% from the floor, including a sizzling 10-of-16 from 3-point range in the PSU win. The Seahawks also limited the Nittany Lions to 32.3% FG shooting defensively. Freshman Will Ohuaregbe scored a career-high 12 points off the bench against PSU and followed with 11 points and eight boards versus USF. The Seahawks host VMI on Tuesday and visit Elon on Sunday.

NORTHEASTERN (1-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Huskies rallied from a 15-point to defeat Utah State 64-61 in their home opener last Saturday. Senior Matt Janning led a balanced scoring effort with 14 points and senior Nkem Ojougboh added 13 points and nine rebounds. Janning is now 38 points shy of 10th place on NU’s all-time scoring list. The Huskies fell 59-53 at Siena last Tuesday in ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. Northeastern led by six at the break, but the Saints opened the second half on an 18-3 run to take control. Janning paced the Huskies with 14 points and three steals. Junior guard Chaisson Allen added 11 points against Siena and Utah State and has scored double digits in four straight games. Senior Baptiste Bataille chipped in 12 points off the bench against Utah State. NU visits rival Boston University on Wednesday before returning home to meet Wright State.

OLD DOMINION (4-0 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Monarchs are off to their best start since 2004-05 after wins over Longwood (98-59), Liberty (73-41) and Marshall (70-62) last week. Senior Gerald Lee averaged 14.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg over the three games, including a season-high 22 points against Marshall. Junior Frank Hassell posted a double-double  against the Herd with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Keyon Carter tied a career-high with 17 points on 7-of-8 FG shooting at Liberty. The Monarchs drained 10-of-14 from 3-point range and set a Constant Center record for points in regulation against Longwood. Senior Marsharee Neely tallied double figures in all three games last week and averaged 11.7 ppg. ODU is +15.7 in rebound margin and has beaten all four foes by at least 14 on the glass. The Monarchs also top the CAA in scoring defense (50.0 ppg). ODU faces Missouri on Friday in the S. Padre Island Tournament.

TOWSON (1-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Tigers fell to 1-1 after a 78-69 setback to Buffalo in overtime on Saturday. A three-pointer by sophomore guard Troy Franklin with 19.6 seconds to go in regulation sent the game into overtime, but the Bulls outscored Towson 11-1 over the final three minutes of the extra session. Franklin scored a team-high 17 points off the bench, while junior Jarrel Smith contributed 16 points and seven boards. Senior forward Calvin Lee, who poured in a career-high 25 points in Towson’s season-opening victory over Miami (Ohio), followed with 15 points and nine rebounds against Buffalo. Senior Josh Thornton drained four treys and netted 13 points. Towson plays its first road game of the season on Tuesday at Navy and then goes to Dayton on Saturday.

VCU (2-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Rams knocked off #17 Oklahoma 82-69 on Saturday, bouncing back from an 83-67 setback at Western Michigan. It was VCU’s first victory over a ranked opponent since 1994 and it came before a sell-out home crowd. Sophomore Jay Gavin hit four treys and scored a team-high 20 points against OU and junior Larry Sanders added 17 points and three blocks. Junior Ed Nixon chipped in 10 points off the bench and helped limit OU All-American Willie Warren to 3-of-14 FG shooting. VCU jumped out to a 26-9 advantage at WMU, but shot just 26% from the floor in the second half. Sophomore forward Bradford Burgess tied a career-high with16 points at WMU and junior guard Brandon Rozzell added 12 points off the bench. VCU visits Hampton on Monday and then entertains Nevada on Friday.

WM. & MARY (2-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA)

The Tribe evened its record at 2-2 after wins over Richmond (78-71) and Manhattan (75-70) last week. Senior guard David Schneider averaged 20.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg for the week, including a team-best 25 points against UR. Senior forward Danny Sumner netted a team-high 17 points at Manhattan and has tallied double figures in six straight games. W&M shot 51% from the floor and drained 10-of-22 from 3-point range against UR.The Tribe has made at least 10 treys in each of its first four games and is shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc. Point guard Sean McCurdy, who tallied 11 points in the UR win, ranks second in the CAA with six assists per game. Senior center Steven Hess set career-highs with nine points and nine rebounds versus the Spiders. The Tribe hosts Hampton on Wednesday before visiting Wake Forest on Saturday.

– The information above was provided by Rob Washburn with the CAA