Oct. 16, 2012
ARLINGTON, Va. (October 16, 2012) - The ODU Basketball Monarchs who won 22 games last year and have averaged 24.3 wins for each of the last eight years have been selected to finish fourth in this year's CAA Pre--Season poll for 2012-13 according to a vote of league's coaches, media relations directors and media members. The results of the poll were Announced during Tuesday's CAA Basketball Media day at Champps-Pentagon Row in Arlington, VA.
Old Dominion will look to extend its streak of eight consecutive postseason appearances. Senior forward Nick Wright (8.4 ppg) and junior guard Donte Hill (7.6 ppg) are returning starters from last year's 22-14 team that advanced to the CITpost season tournament quarterfinals. Nick Wright along with N.C. State transfer DeShawn Painter were selected honorable mention pre-season All-CAA.
Drexel, which returns all but one player from last year's 29-7 team, has been picked to win the CAA men's basketballThe Dragons were followed in the voting by Delaware, George Mason, Old Dominion and Northeastern. Picked sixth was James Madison, followed by Hofstra, Georgia State, William & Mary, Towson and UNCW.
Drexel welcomes back four starters from a squad that set a school record for victories (29), captured its first CAA regular-season title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT. Leading the Dragons is junior point guard Frantz Massenat, who earned first-team All-CAA honors in 2012 after scoring a team-high 13.7 points per game and leading the league in assists (4.8 apg). He'll be joined in the backcourt by 2012 CAA Rookie of the Year Damion Lee (12.0 ppg) and seniors Chris Fouch (10.8 ppg) and Derrick Thomas (8.1 ppg). Drexel also has experience in the post with senior Daryl McCoy (4.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and junior Dartaye Ruffin (5.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg).
Delaware returns four starters from its 18-14 squad that earned a postseason berth for the first time since 2000. The Blue Hens feature one of the league's top inside-outside combinations in senior forward Jamelle Hagins and junior guard Devon Saddler, who both made the All-CAA second team in 2012. Hagins scored 12.4 ppg and ranked fifth in the nation in rebounding (11.1 rpg) and ninth in blocked shots (3.0 bpg), while Saddler was the CAA's second-leading scorer with 18.8 ppg. Senior Josh Brinkley (8.7 ppg) is a returning starter at forward and guards Jarvis Threatt (10.7 ppg) and Kyle Anderson (8.9 ppg) are coming off impressive rookie seasons.
Two starters and several key reserves are back at George Mason, which is coming off a 24-9 campaign a year ago. The Patriots' top returnee is junior guard Sherrod Wright, who contributed 9.6 ppg as the team's sixth man. Joining him in the backcourt are junior point guard Bryon Allen (7.5 ppg) and three-point shooting threat Vertrail Vaughns (8.8 ppg). Junior Jonathan Arledge (4.3 ppg) and sophomore Erik Copes (3.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are expected to challenge for starting roles and Mason should get a boost from the return of junior Johnny Williams, who missed last season due to injury.
Drexel's Massenat was voted as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year. He is joined on the preseason All-CAA first team by Delaware's Hagins and Saddler, Drexel's Lee, Northeastern's Lee and UNCW senior forward Keith Rendleman, who contributed 15.3 ppg and 10.0 rpg last season to earn first-team All-CAA accolades.
2012-13 CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH1. Drexel2. Delaware3. George Mason4. Old Dominion5. Northeastern6. James Madison7. Hofstra8. Georgia State9. William & Mary10. Towson11. UNCW
2012-13 CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team Cl.Pos.Ht.Jamelle Hagins, Delaware#Sr.F6-9Damion Lee, Drexel% So.G6-6Jonathan Lee, Northeastern^Sr.G6-2Frantz Massenat, Drexel*Jr.G6-4Keith Rendleman, UNCW*Sr.F6-8Devon Saddler, Delaware#Jr.G6-2
Second Team Cl.Pos.Ht.A.J. Davis, James MadisonSr.G6-6Quincy Ford, Northeastern%So.F/G6-8Marcus Thornton, William & Mary%So.G6-4Devonta White, Georgia StateJr.G5-10Sherrod Wright, George MasonJr.G6-4
CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Frantz Massenat, Drexel
Honorable Mention: Chris Fouch, Sr., G, Drexel; DeShawn Painter,Sr., C, Old Dominion; Joel Smith, Sr., G, Northeastern;Jarvis Threatt, So., G, Delaware; Nick Wright, Sr., F, Old Dominion
*1st team All-CAA in 2011-12#2nd team All-CAA in 2011-12^3rd team All-CAA in 2011-12% CAA All-Rookie in 2011-12