Hofstra Notes and DISA & DATA for the Week of 2/12
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Devontae Cacok • UNCW
Jr., F, 6-7, 240 - Riverdale, Ga./Alpharetta
Cacok recorded his league-leading 18th double-double with team-highs of 25 points and 16 rebounds in UNCW’s 90-70 victory over Hofstra last Saturday. The junior forward topped the 20-mark for the 9th time this season and had his 19th game with at least 10 boards.
Grant Riller • College of Charleston
So., G, 6-3, 195 - Ocoee, Fla./Ocoee
Riller averaged 26.5 points while shooting 66.7% from the floor and 7-of-11 from three in Charleston’s 2-0 week. The sophomore guard scored a career-high 37 points, which was two shy of the CofC single-game record, in an 82-77 win over William & Mary and added 16 points in an 89-67 victory over Drexel.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Ryan Allen • Delaware
Fr., G, 6-2, 195 - Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic
Allen averaged 22.0 points while shooting 48.6% from the floor last week. The freshman guard was UD’s top scorer in both games with 19 points vs. Northeastern and 25 points at Kaplan. He made a career-best six 3-pointers at W&M. Allen, who has scored double figures in 11 straight games, set the UD freshman record for threes in a season with 69.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
CAA STANDINGS: Charleston stayed atop the CAA standings at 11-3 after victories over The Tribe (82-77) and Drexel (89-67) last week that increased its winning streak to eight games. The Cougars hold a one-game lead over Northeastern, which posted road wins at Delaware (70-67) and Towson (77-62) and improved to 10-4. Charleston is on the road against JMU and UNCW this week, while Northeastern hosts Drexel and the Tribe (9-5).
30-POINT GAMES: Five different players scored at least 30 points in the eight CAA games last week. Charleston’s Grant Riller (37), W&M’s Justin Pierce (33), Drexel’s Tramaine Isabell (32), Towson’s Mike Morsell (31) and Charleston’s Jarrell Brantley (30) all reached the mark. 13 different players have combined for 28 efforts of 30 points or more, so far this season.
WINNING WAYS: Charleston improved to 20-6 overall last Saturday, marking the first time since 2009-10/2010-11 that they have reached the 20-win plateau in back-to-back seasons. Northeastern moved to 10-4 in league play, marking the first time the Huskies have posted double-digit CAA wins since 2014-15.
JMU RESCHEDULES TWO GAMES: James Madison has rescheduled the two games which were postponed last week due to cases of mumps affecting the team. The Dukes will host UNCW on Tuesday, Feb. 13 and visit Elon on Monday, Feb. 26.
CURRENT RPI: Four CAA teams are ranked in the Top 112 of the latest NCAA RPI through games of Feb. 11, three are in the Top 100. Charleston leads the way at #73, followed by Northeastern at #75, William & Mary is at #98 and Hofstra at #112. The CAA is ranked 12th out of the nation’s 32 Division I conferences, moving up one spot from last week.
HOME SWEET HOME: Home teams are 40-28 (.588) in CAA play so far, but Charleston (8-0) is the only squad that is still unbeaten. For the season, CAA teams are a combined 79-36 at home and also have 12 victories on neutral courts.
SCOREBOARD ACTION: W&M has a great offense, but we are hardly alone in the CAA. Through the first 68 CAA games, the winning team has scored at least 80 points in 42 of them. Seven league squads are averaging 76.4 ppg or more. Shooting percentages have been impressive as well. Seven teams are shooting better than 46.3% from the floor, six are hitting at least 36.3% from 3-point range, and four squads are shooting better than 74% from the free throw line in conference play. That’s just another reason why it will be a crazy week in Charleston.
Hofstra Notes
• The Pride (15-11, 8-6) split a pair of road games last week, winning 67-48 at Elon before a 90-70 loss at UNCW. Hofstra is the third highest scoring team in the CAA, at 78.1 ppg.
• 6'1" Jr. Guard Justin Wright-Foreman contributed 21 points at Elon and 15 points at UNCW. He’s scored double digits in 48 straight games, has tallied 20+ points in 21 games and has topped 30 points six times, including 36 vs the Tribe earlier this season. He leads all CAA scorers at 24.5 ppg.
• 6'9" Sr. Center Rokas Gustys grabbed 20 rebounds at Elon, which was the 10th career 20-rebound effort, and posted his 11th double-double (13 pts/10 reb) of the season at UNCW. He’s Hofstra’s all-time leading rebounder (1,240) and is 2nd on the CAA’s career list. He has 17 games with 10+ boards this season. He is averaging 11.7 rpg.
• 6'5" So. Guard Eli Pemberton scored a team-high 27 points at Elon and has reached the 20-point mark in three of his last four contests. He averages 15.7 ppg. and 4.5 rpg.
• 6'0" Jr. Guard Desure Buie added 11 points at UNCW and is averaging 9.0 ppg over his last 8 games.
• Hofstra held Elon to 35.8% FG shooting, including 5-of-24 from 3-point range. As a team, they allow 37% shooting from three, overall.
• The Pride has had nine games decided by 3 points or less and another game go to OT.
Tribe Disa & Data
• Nathan Knight poured in a team-high 29 points at CofC and posted his 8th double-double (11 pts/10 reb) vs UD. It was his 10th 20-point effort of the season. He’s among the top 6 in the CAA in scoring, rebounding, FG% and blocks.
• Justin Pierce scored a career-high 33 points vs. UD and had 9 points and 9 rebounds at CofC. He’s averaging 22.8 ppg and 9.7 rpg over the past six games.
• David Cohn dished out 11 assists with only 1 TO vs. UD. It was his 5th game with 10+ assists. He tops the CAA with 6.7 apg. He will break the W&M season record for assists, with his second assist on Thursday night.
• Connor Burchfield hit 2-of-4 treys and tallied 12 points at CofC. He tops the CAA in 3-pt FG% and is 2nd in 3’s per game.
• Paul Rowley was 5-of-7 from 3-point range last week. He’s shooting 45.7% from the arc.
• W&M shot 50% vs UD and is 14-2 this season, when shooting 50% or better from the floor.
• The Tribe continues to lead the CAA in scoring, FG%, FT%, 3-point FG% and 3-pointers made per game.
REMATCH THOUGHTS: Hofstra really is an example of the "Big Three" offense. Wright-Foreman, Pemberton and Gustys score, roughly 2/3 of all the Pride points. We have done a good job of controlling the Big Guy in the past, so the idea is to hold Pemberton (he who is normally not named) to his average and hope Wright-Foreman doesn't set a Mack Sports Center record for points.
Wright-Foreman, Pemberton, Buie, Wormley and Ray are ALL the type of quick guards that give Tribe defenses fits, so the Coaching braintrust will have to figure out a mix of defenses to control that quickness.
They have nights when they struggle from 3 and that would be a plus on Thursday. Also, we can't allow a ton of penetration into the lane, which then leads to free throws, where they were 18 of 25 in the first matchup.
We, again, need to have more than 1-2 players "on" for the night, to allow some room Nathan to operate against Gustys...and we have to play some defense.
As I stated, in another thread, this game ALWAYS comes down to the last couple possessions and I expect it to happen again on Thursday. Hopefully, we have the same result as last season, ...without the extra 5 minutes of ball.
Go TRIBE!!
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Hofstra Notes and DISA & DATA for the Week of 2/12
