WASHINGTON, D.C. (UNCW) — Defending champion UNCW collected 37 of 40 first-place votes to successfully defend its title and versatile junior guard Chris Flemmings was tabbed Preseason Player-of-the-Year at the Colonial Athletic Association’s annual Men’s and Women’s Basketball Media Day festivities early Tuesday in the nation’s capital.
The Seahawks, 25-8 overall and 14-4 in the CAA one year ago, were predicted to win the title for only the third time in the poll’s 16 years of existence. Tuesday’s vote was a dramatic change compared to the first two years of the Kevin Keatts Era. The Seahawks were picked ninth in 2014-15 and sixth in 2015-16.
UNCW owns the best winning percentage in the 10-team league over the last two seasons, amassing a 43-22 record for a 66.1 percent clip. The Seahawks finished with an RPI of 52 and reeled off 11 consecutive wins at one point down the stretch last year.
Following the Seahawks in the men’s poll was Towson, William & Mary, Charleston, James Madison, Hofstra, Northeastern, Elon, Drexel and Delaware.
Flemmings was one of three Seahawks highlighted individually. Senior guard Denzel Ingram was selected Second-Team All-CAA and sophomore guard C.J. Bryce, an All-Rookie pick last year, garnered Honorable Mention honors.
The silky-smooth Flemmings averaged 16.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in his first season with the Seahawks after transferring from Barton and was one of the league’s biggest surprises in 2015-16. He went on to earn First-Team All-CAA accolades and CAA Tournament Outstanding Player honors as UNCW won its fifth conference title.
Ingram, meanwhile, was a Third-Team All-CAA pick after collecting 12.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in his first year with the club after transferring from Charlotte. He also dished out 107 assists as Kevin Keatts, the CAA’s two-time Coach-of-the-Year, masterfully juggled the lineup throughout the season.
Bryce made the CAA’s All-Rookie unit after being named Rookie-of-the-Week four times. He wound up averaging 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds with 31 steals during the course of the campaign.
2016-17 CAA Men’s Basketball Predicted Order Of Finish
1. UNCW (37 first-place votes), 361
2. Towson (2 first-place votes), 278
3. William & Mary (1 first-place vote), 275
4. College of Charleston, 267
5. James Madison, 227
Hofstra, 207
7. Northeastern, 136
8. Elon, 134
9, Drexel, 63
10. Delaware, 52
2016‐17 CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL‐CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team
Cl.
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Hometown/High School
William Adala Moto, Towson
Sr.
F
6‐7
245
Yaounde, Cameroon/Episcopal
Jarrell Brantley, Charleston
So.
F
6‐7
245
Columbia, S.C./Notre Dame Prep
Chris Flemmings, UNCW
Sr.
G
6‐5
180
Cary, N.C./Green Hope
Rokas Gustys, Hofstra
Jr.
F/C
6‐9
260
Kaunas, Lithuania/Oak Hill Academy
Omar Prewitt, William & Mary
Sr.
G/F
6‐7
195
Mount Sterling, Ky./Montgomery Co.
Second Team
Cl.
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Hometown/High School
Shakir Brown, James Madison
Sr.
G/F
6‐6
225
Baltimore, Md./Patterson
Daniel Dixon, William & Mary
Sr.
G
6‐6
210
Great Falls, Va./Langley
Denzel Ingram, UNCW
Sr.
G
6‐0
175
Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill
Cameron Johnson, Charleston
Jr.
G
6‐4
196
Athens, Ga./Clarke Central
Mike Morsell, Towson
Jr.
G
6‐5
215
Fort Washington, Md./St. John’s
CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Chris Flemmings, UNCW
Honorable Mention: Brian Bernardi, Sr., G, Hofstra; CJ Bryce, So., G, UNCW; Chivarsky Corbett, So., G/F, Delaware;Yohanny Dalembert, Sr., F, James Madison; Jeremy Miller, So., F, Northeastern; Tyler Seibring, So., F, Elon; Rodney Williams, Sr., F, Drexel
ARLINGTON, VA (CAA) — James Madison, the three-time defending Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball champions, was picked to win it all again in 2017 according to a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches. The Predicted Order of Finish along with the Preseason All-CAA Teams were announced at Tuesday’s CAA Basketball Media Day at the Key Bridge Marriott.
It was close voting at the top with the Dukes as the overall favorite with 76 points, Elon in second with 70 points and Drexel in third with 68 points. It was also close among the next four teams. Hofstra (49) was picked fourth, Delaware and William & Mary were tied for fifth with 47 points apiece while Northeastern was seventh with 41 points. Rounding out the 10 teams were College of Charleston (19), UNCW (17) and Towson (16).
James Madison, under first year head coach Sean O’Regan welcome back two starters from last year’s 27-6 squad which captured its third consecutive CAA Championship. The Dukes, who won 21 of their last 23 games, went 17-1 in CAA action and received votes in the national polls at season’s end. JMU also finished 2015-16 ranked in the top-25 in 13 different NCAA statistical categories.
After missing all of the 2015-16 season with an injury, redshirt senior guard Precious Hall is back to lead James Madison and was tabbed as the 2016-17 CAA Preseason Player of the Year. During 2014-15, Hall averaged 20.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and was the unanimous choice for CAA Player of the Year. Back for her senior campaign is Preseason All-CAA forward Da’Lishia Griffin, who averaged 6.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Also returning is center Kayla Cooper-Williams, the 2015-16 CAA Rookie of the Year and a CAA All-Defensive Team member, who registered 5.8ppg, 8.3rpg and 70 blocks.
Elon went 18-13 overall and 11-7 in conference play under Head Coach Charlotte Smith, earning an at-large bid to the WNIT for the second consecutive season. The Phoenix returns four starters from be led by Preseason All-CAA selection Shay Burnett, who averaged 12.9 points and 3.5 rebounds en route to All-CAA First Team honors last year. Preseason honorable mention Jenifer Rhodes returns for her final campaign, after posting 8.8 points and 5.6 rebounds off the bench. Junior Malaya Johnsonbrings 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game to the frontcourt while senior point guard Essence Baucom brings her 3.7 assists and 8.3 points per game to the backcourt.
Drexel went 19-14 overall under Head Coach Denise Dillon last season, advanced to the finals of the CAA Championship, and made its sixth WNIT appearance in the last seven years. The Dragons were one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country last season, connecting 78.6 percent of the time to rank third nationally. They also handled the ball well, finishing sixth in assist-turnover ratio (1.39). Preseason All-CAA forward Sarah Curran earned her second consecutive spot on the All-CAA First Team last year after dropping in 15.2 points per game. Guard Meghan Creighton returns for her final campaign at the point after dishing out 5.6 assists and posting 6.8 points per game. Senior guard and Preseason All-CAA honorable mention Jessica Pellechio (9.0ppg) rounds out the Drexel starters returning.
Hofstra returns two starters from last year’s squad that went 25-9 and made a run to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey looks to Preseason All-CAA First Team selection Ashunae Durant, who contributed 11.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game at the forward position. Senior guard Krystal Luciano returns to the backcourt, bringing her 9.0 points and 3.8 assists per game with her.
The Preseason All-CAA First Team was comprised of: JMU’s Hall, Drexel’s Curran, Elon’s Burnett, Hofstra’s Durant, and College of Charleston’s Bre Bolden (14.1ppg, 91 steals), the two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
Voted to the Preseason All-CAA Second Team were: JMU’s Griffin, Delaware’s Erika Brown (11.4ppg, 2.4apg), Towson’s Raven Bankston (15.5ppg, 70 steals), William & Mary’s Marlena Tremba (13.9ppg, 4.0rpg) and Alexandra Masaquel (13.8ppg, 7.5rpg).
Receiving honorable mention were: JMU’s Cooper-Williams, Elon’s Rhodes, Drexel’s Pellechio, Northeastern sophomore guard Jess Genco (9.4ppg, 4.2apg), William & Mary junior center Abby Rendle (13.2ppg, 7.3rpg, 53 blocks) and UNCW redshirt senior guard Jasmine Steele (9.4ppg, 6.4rpg).
Conference play tips-off on January 2 and concludes on March 1. All 10 teams head to the 2017 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship, March 8-11, at the JMU Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Va.
2016-17 CAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1.
James Madison
76 (7)
2.
Elon
70 (2)
3.
Drexel
68 (1)
4.
Hofstra
49
T-5.
Delaware
47
T-5.
William & Mary
47
7.
Northeastern
41
8.
College of Charleston
19
9.
UNCW
17
10.
Towson
16
2016-17 CAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team
Cl.
Pos.
Ht.
Hometown/High School
Bre Bolden, CofC%^
Sr.
G/F
5-11
Edgewater, Md./South River
Shay Burnett, Elon*
Jr.
G
5-9
Graham, N.C./Southern Alamance
Sarah Curran, Drexel*
Sr.
F
5-11
Media, Pa./Archbishop Carroll
Ashunae Durant, Hofstra^
Jr.
F
5-10
Newark, N.J./Bloomfield Tech
Precious Hall, James Madison&
R-Sr.
G
5-8
Tallahassee, Fla./Maclay School
Second Team
Cl.
Pos.
Ht.
Hometown/High School
Raven Bankston, Towson#
Sr.
G
5-10
Detroit, Mich./John Glenn (DSU)
Erika Brown, Delaware#
Jr.
G
5-7
Paterson, N.J./John F. Kennedy
Da’Lishia Griffin, James Madison
Sr.
F
6-2
Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch
Alexandra Masaquel, William & Mary^
Sr.
F
5-10
Honolulu, Hawaii/ ’Iolani School
Marlena Tremba, William & Mary#
Sr.
G
5-9
Vienna, Va./Paul VI
Honorable Mention: Kayla Cooper-Williams, So., C, JMU; Jess Genco, So., G, Northeastern;
Jessica Pellechio, Sr., G, Drexel; Abby Rendle, Jr., C, William & Mary; Jenifer Rhodes, Sr., F, Elon;
Jasmine Steele, R-Sr., G, UNCW
CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Precious Hall, James Madison