CAA Men's Basketball

The Big Picture: A Finals Week Cram Session

The Big Picture: A Finals Week Cram Session

With conference play looming just after the holidays, The Big Picture fits in a cram session to study these initial few weeks on the hardwood.

Dec 12, 2019 by Kyle Kensing
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It’s Finals Week on campuses around the country, including those of the Colonial Athletic Association. As such, the basketball docket is light until the weekend. 

With more than a month's worth of competition complete, and conference play looming just after the holidays, The Big Picture fits in a cram session to study these initial few weeks on the hardwood. 

History 

The weekend of Dec. 7 marked a bloodbath of historic proportions for undefeated teams around college basketball. Sixteen went into the week still sporting unblemished records; among them, the CAA’s Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens. 

Half of those 16 lost – Delaware included. 

The Blue Hens dropped a 66-56 decision at George Washington, leaving the Colonial without an unbeaten team ahead of conference play. That Delaware lasted as long as it did without a blemish suggests the league competition will be wide-open, however, as the Blue Hens were tabbed for the middle of the pack in the preseason poll. 

“This was a tough, physical game and the experience will help us moving forward,” Martin Inglesby said following the game. “We're disappointed we didn't get it, but we'll use it as a learning experience and as motivation back at practice.”

Chemistry 

Chemical compounds combine the atomic structure of molecules to create something new. In the CAA, a variety of compound players have come together through the first month to lead their teams. 

Delaware already welcomed back an impressive combination in Kevin Anderson and Ryan Allen, but the additions of Nate Darling and Justyn Mutts add an explosive scoring dynamic. The two transfers combined to average almost 32 points per game. 

At William & Mary, bigs Nathan Knight and Andy Van Vliet have an energy that Knight compared to Indiana Pacers duo Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. The inside-outside pairing of teammates who go 6-foot-10 and 7-foot has made the Tribe one of the nation’s most efficient offensive teams.

Reigning CAA Tournament champion Northeastern’s powered by the electric scoring touch of Jordan Roland, and he feeds nicely off of backcourt Bolden Brace. The two seniors are both shooting above 46 percent from behind the 3-point line, an absolute staggering percentage. 

Opponents have to guard the entire floor when facing the Huskies, which makes them statistically the most difficult CAA offense to defend. 

Another pair of seniors and reigning CAA champions, Hofstra’s Desure Buie and Eli Pemberton, have nicely picked up the scoring slack in Justin Wright-Foreman’s absence. Both are producing north of 16 points per game, and the two were key to a signature win over UCLA at legendary Pauley Pavilion. 

Mathematics   

Advanced mathematical equations might be as foreign as Kanji to some – this is the case for the author – but it’s impossible to misinterpret these CAA statistics. 

The CAA has three of the nation’s top 30 scorers: Jordan Roland, No. 2 at 25 points per game; Charleston’s Grant Riller, No. 25 at 20.8 points per game; and Nathan Knight, No. 30 at 20.4 points per game. 

Knight is also 23rd nationally with 10.2 rebounds per game. 

Desure Buie ranks 31st in the nation with 5.8 assists per game, just ahead of Drexel’s Camren Wynter at 5.7 per. 

On the team front, diving into advanced statistical metrics, the CAA boasts two of the nation’s Top 100 adjusted efficiencies per KenPom.com: No. 61 Northeaster and No. 97 Hofstra. James Madison, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the country in adjusted tempo. 

On defense, Drexel and Towson both rank in the top 50 of all Div. I programs defending the 3-pointer. The Dragons hold opponents to 27.9 percent from deep, while the Tigers are limiting opposition to 28.1 percent. 

In terms of overall KenPom.com rankings, the wide-open nature of the CAA race is evident: The conference’s top six teams rank between No. 138 and 161 nationally. 

138: Northeastern 

145: Hofstra

147: Towson

151: Charleston

160: Delaware

161: William & Mary 

Physics 

The theory of momentum dictates that bodies in motion stay in motion. Towson’s Brian Fobbs was far too good of a shooter to not break out of his slump shooting from behind the 3-point arc, and now that the Tigers leading scorer has momentum on his side, look out. 

Fobbs went a ridiculous 7-of-9 from 3-point range in Towson’s 77-71 defeat of UMBC, one of only two CAA games overlapping with Finals Week. Among Fobbs’ buckets was a gorgeous step-back from NBA range.

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