Welcome to the party, Hampton, Monmouth, North Carolina A&T and Stony Brook.

Hofstra may have fallen short of its goal of reaching the 2022 NCAA Tournament, but Pride basketball’s impact in coach Speedy Claxton’s first year at the helm went deep into the Big Dance.

While Swin Cash and the 2001-02 Connecticut Huskies put the finishing touches on one of the greatest seasons in basketball history, University of Minnesota’s Lindsay Whalen was among the spectators.

Villanova’s 72-69 defeat of UConn on Feb. 9 gave cause for celebration throughout the school’s campus. That was certainly the case in Caleb Daniels’ room.

Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) women’s basketball Player of the Year, Jasmine Dickey of Delaware, and former Blue Hen head coach Natasha Adair were honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) during the reveal of the association’s postseason honors at the Women’s Final Four on Thursday evening.

Geno Auriemma coached 21 UConn teams to Final Fours before 2022, but the 22nd is no less rewarding—and few have been more unusual for the Huskies.

Hofstra men’s basketball junior guard Aaron Estrada has been named a finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division I men’s college basketball.The Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year, Estrada also earned United States Basketball Writers Association All-District honors, National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District accolades, and was a member of the All-CAA First Team.Estrada had a spectacular season for the Pride, as he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds. 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per outing. He led Hofstra in scoring and assists and ranked second in rebounding and steals.A five-time CAA Player of the Week Award winner this season, Estrada also led the CAA in scoring, assists, free throw percentage, and minutes played. He also ranked 10th in the league in rebounding, seventh in steals, ninth in three-pointers, second in assist/turnover ratio, and fifth in defensive rebounds.

Two Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball coaches have been named finalists for national coaching awards, as Hofstra’s Speedy Claxton earned a spot on the list for the Joe B. Hall Award and Towson’s Pat Skerry is a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award.

CONFERENCE NOTES:

The 16-team field for the 2022 Roman College Basketball Invitational is finalized.The 2022 Roman CBI tips off with the first four First Round games on Saturday, March 19 with the remaining four First Round games on Sunday, March 20. The Quarterfinal Round is on Monday, March 21, followed by the Semifinal Round on Tuesday, March 22. The Championship Game takes place on Wednesday, March. 23. All games will be played at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The freshly cut nets Jasmine Dickey and Natasha Adair wore around their necks after Delaware’s 63-59 defeat of Drexel appeared especially festive—like championship leis.

Northeastern senior guard Kendall Currence was named the 2022 Pat Summitt Most Courageous award winner by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Friday morning.

She may not have a trophy to show for it, but Colleen Ingelsby just might be one of the MVPs behind Delaware’s run to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament championship.

Delaware’s Jasmine Dickey was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) women’s basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season in a vote of the league’s head coaches.

WEEKLY HONORS: