Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with an interview of Towson cheerleader Jada Williams about having a twin as a teammate and her prediction for today’s game vs. Drexel.
You are from Vineland, NJ: what made you choose Towson? The cheer program: it is amazing.
You are majoring in Mass Communications with a minor in PR: how did you choose those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? I like working in social media, and I want to do PR as a profession.
How did you 1st get into cheering, and what is the best part? I started cheering in high school and eventually became captain of the team. I wanted to continue cheering in college, and after attending a clinic at Towson I just loved it. The best part is having such great teammates.
1 of those teammates is your twin sister Vanessa, who was also your high school swim teammate: who is the best athlete in the family? I cannot pick who is best: we both have our strong suits and balance each other out very well.
Towson has won 20+ games during each of the past 4 years: how nice is it to get to cheer for such a successful team?! It is really fun: our arena is packed and our students are really into it.
How does your school decide who gets to go to DC, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It is based on seniority and who is the best fit. It means the world to me to be here because we work so hard during the year.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for this week? We are doing a halftime performance with the pom team, and also do an original dance while our band plays the ESPN theme song.
Any predictions for your game today vs. Drexel? I think we will win because our team has great chemistry.
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-First and foremost, we had our first Quadrupler of the season!!!! Notre Dame held off Cal 112-110 in a four overtime thriller!
-Alabama and Auburn squared off in what may turn out to be the most exciting game of the regular season. Alabama, having lost two straight, managed to get a huge OT win in this one 93-91 as Mark Sears hit the game winning shot at the buzzer. The two teams won on each others’ home floors, and may face off again this week in the SEC Tournament!
-North Carolina was competitive with Duke for a half, but the Blue Devils wore down the Tar Heels in the 2nd half and cemented outright first place in the ACC with their win. UNC is now in must-win mode for the entirety of the ACC Tournament.
– Houston also finished conference play 19-1 with their road win at Baylor; the Cougars continue to make a strong case for a #1 seed themselves.
-Saint John’s also won in a buzzer beating overtime thriller as they took down Marquette on the road 86-84. The Johnnies may struggle with shooting the ball, but they do everything else right and keep finding ways to win games.
-Kentucky’s resume got a lot stronger as they added another high caliber road win to it. They went into Missouri and picked up a 91-83 win in a game they basically lead from tip to buzzer.
-Arkansas barely held on to beat Mississippi State 93-92 and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Mississippi State actually had a shot at the buzzer that would have won them the game, but it didn’t go down.
-Georgia finished the regular season on a four game winning streak, which may be enough to land them inside the bubble. They knocked off a pretty solid Vanderbilt team 79-68 yesterday and will face an Oklahoma team in their first SEC Tournament game that is also squarely on the bubble. Speaking of Oklahoma…
-The Sooners are lacking in road wins and conference wins, so picking up a conference road win against their rivals Texas 76-72 is exactly what they needed to do to close out the season. That upcoming conference tournament game against Georgia is absolutely huge.
-Indiana is squarely on the bubble and got a nice 66-60 win against Ohio State, who is also squarely on the bubble. The Hoosiers will feel a lot safer if they can pick up some wins in the Big Ten Tournament, but right now they appear to be on the right side of the cut line.
-UC Irvine and UC San Diego both closed out their season with road wins. I think UC San Diego will get in regardless of what they do in the Big West Tournament, and that UC Irvine should get in, but is less likely to be selected.
– Xavier and San Diego State were other teams near the cut line that also won their regular season finales. Neither team should assume that they’re in if they’re one-and-done in their conference tournaments, though.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Both teams are probable protected seeds, but Michigan State is red hot and Michigan has lost their last two. Beating Michigan State on the road to close the season would be one of their biggest wins both on and off paper, but pulling it off won’t be easy.
-IOWA AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). This is a must win game for Nebraska. They are at home against a team that’s nowhere near the bubble, so they need to win it to avoid slipping outside of it themselves. They also need to win it just to make it to the Big Ten Tournament. If they lose, they are mathematically eliminated and I can’t see the committee taking them if they don’t even make it into the Big Ten Tournament.
-OREGON AT WASHINGTON (Big Ten). It’s a road rivalry game for the Ducks, so it’s a chance to add another road win to their resume and feel good about themselves for beating their rivals in the process.
And in case you missed it, here is our first look at the NCAA Selection Board for 2025:
SIU-Edwardsville and Omaha are the first teams to qualify; there will be 3 more auto bids handed out today in the Atlantic Sun, Missouri Valley and Big South. Also keep an eye on the board on Thursday as this is when the Hoops HD Selection Committee will reveal their first ballot of NCAA Tournament teams as well as teams Under Consideration.
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Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with an interview of Hampton basketball father Lamont Strothers about playing in the NBA and his prediction for his son’s game tonight against UNCW.
At Forest Glen High School you were struck in the left eye during a fistfight involving a guy with brass knuckles: what impact did that incident have on you either on or off the court? It happened after my senior year. I was already enlisted at the time but he hit me 5 days before I was going to begin my military service. The doctors reexamined me and decided that it was such a serious injury that they honorably discharged me before I served a single day!
How close did you come to attending Georgia, and what made you choose Christopher Newport? I only had a partial scholarship to Georgia so I decided to make some money by working for 1 year. Most people know about the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) but I played in a tournament after that called the Suffolk Invitational Tournament. I played against a team that had a bunch of ex-pros and I ended up scoring 28 PTS in the 2nd half. I introduced myself to the opposing coach and he assumed that I was an older guy due to my performance. When I told him that I was just 18 he told that he would come back the next day with some papers to sign so that I could get enrolled at Christopher Newport.
In 1991 you were named 1st-team All-American and D-3 national POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I went to school for an education, but 1 of my advisors suggested that since I was so good at basketball I might want to change majors. The honors were great, but I credit it all to my work ethic.
You scored 2709 career PTS in college and graduated as the #3 all-time scorer in D-3 history: what is the secret to being a great scorer? WORK! Those unseen hours will add up. I tell young players that if you play against guys in your age group then it will make you comfortable, but when you play against older guys you have to work harder and come up with new moves.
In the summer of 1991 you were drafted 43rd overall by Golden State (2 spots ahead of Bobby Phills and the highest-ever selection of a D-3 player at the time) and were subsequently traded to Portland: what did it mean to you to get drafted, and what did it mean to you to get traded? Getting drafted meant everything to me: it is something that every player dreams about. Portland did not think I would be around at #43. You hear a lot of teams tell you, “Oh yeah, we think you are a good player so we will trade up to get you if you are available”…but it actually happened!
You played 13 games with Portland/Dallas: what is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA? The 1st real time I spent on the floor was in a game vs. the Lakers: I scored 7 PTS in 6 minutes. There was also a preseason game vs. the Bulls when some guy named Michael Jordan ran past me and caught a lob for a dunk.
You also played in the CBA but spent most of your career in the Philippines: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? I spent 6 years in the Philippines and 4 years in Turkey. Back then big men in the US would play in the post with their back to the basket, but in Turkey the “bigs” would play on the perimeter and were good passers. The pace overseas was a bit slower: they used 20-minutes halves. The rules in the Philippines were patterned after NBA rules (such as illegal defense) so the game was pretty similar. The other big difference was the physicality: it was a much more physical game in the US.
Since retiring as a player you have spent many years as a high school basketball coach: how do you like coaching? I enjoy all aspects of it: coaching/developing/strategizing. I have been running a spring break camp for more than 2 decades. 1 of the alumni from my camp is Kennedy Harris, who just won the A-10 women’s tourney title today with GMU after beating St. Joe’s.
Your brother Calvin Jr. played football/basketball at New Hampshire, your sister Janell Joyner played high school basketball, your son Allen plays at ETSU, your daughter Adria played at Hampton, and your son Etienne plays for Hampton: who is the best athlete in the family? Allen is the most athletic, but Adria is the best shooter.
Any predictions for your son’s game tonight vs. UNCW? It is hard to say. UNCW beat Hampton by 21 PTS in January but lost to Hampton by 13 PTS in Feburary. The Seahawks have 8 grad transfers so it is tough to play against all those grown men. I like Hampton coach Ivan Thomas: I actually coached against him when he was a high school coach.
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We had our first conference champion and an additional auto-bid that was clinched tonight. SIUE won the OVC for their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, and Omaha has clinched the auto-bid out of the Summit League. They will face Saint Thomas tomorrow, who is ineligible for the postseason. We also had a crazy day in the SoCon with a couple of upsets, a wild 2nd round day in the CAA, two crazy semifinal games in the NEC, and a lot of other action. We recap it all and preview all of tomorrow’s games.
And, for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with a recap of the 2nd round quadruple-header on Saturday.
GAME #1: Elon-Drexel After inhaling some pizza/garlic bread, let’s tip-off a quadruple-header from CareFirst (formerly the Entertainment & Sports) Arena:
The CAA usually puts me above the 100 level in a press box, but apparently I have not alienated them because I got to sit in the 2nd row! Towson coach Pat Skerry (fresh off being named 2025 conference COY last Thursday) was a few seats to my right doing some scouting, as he will face the winner of today’s game at noon on Sunday:
The Drexel Dragon was feeling very confident as his team built a big lead early:
Drexel G Kobe MaGee lived up to his legendary 1st name in the 1st 20 minutes with 19 PTS/4-7 3PM:
His backcourt mate Jason Drake lived up to his legendary last name (Love the Drake!) with 14 PTS/6-8 FG in the 1st half including a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer (not pictured) to give his team a huge 45-22 halftime lead:
Speaking of huge, you do not see too many 7’4″ guys in the NCAA, much less the CAA, but Elon C Matthew Van Komen certainly qualifies:
After falling behind by 25 PTS early in the 2nd half, the Phoenix instituted a full-court press and made a furious rally to cut the deficit to 5 PTS thanks to Sam Sherry/TK Simpkins (who each scored 23 PTS on 50 FG%):
However, Drexel was able to stop the bleeding with an 11-0 run of its own to win it by a score of 91-74 and will face #1 seed Towson on Sunday at noon.
In the postgame press conference I asked Drake about his buzzer-beater (which helped him tie his career-high of 25 PTS). He said that the team did not run a specific play, but that he works on that shot after practice and has always been trying to do that his whole life. I wanted to see how Drexel coach Zach Spiker felt about facing Towson since his 2 losses to the Tigers were in OT in January and by 1-PT in February. He confirmed that Towson is the #1 seed for a reason and won a lot of 1-possession games this year. He warned me that Coach Skerry would try to find a nugget to put on the bulletin board in his locker room…but that he was not getting anything today!:
GAME #2: Delaware-Campbell
The Blue Hen is certainly not feeling blue today (while also freaking me out!), and the Camel is ready to rock after stretching his legs:
Campbell G Tasos Cook led the way with 9 PTS in the 1st half, but Delaware F John Camden scored 11 as the Blue Hens took a 36-30 halftime lead:
I missed most of the 2nd half while interviewing a couple of Campbell band members, but Delaware G Erik Timko picked up much of the slack with 19 PTS/3-6 3PM/12 REB as the Blue Hens cruised to a 79-62 win.
In the postgame press conference I asked Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby whether he would take any lessons from his team’s double-digit win over William & Mary exactly 4 weeks ago or whether you just throw out the tape because the regular season and postseason are so different. He said that it is 1 of his team’s only wins recently despite taking place a LONG time ago, and that the Tribe will make things chaotic for 40 minutes. When you are only playing 7 1/2 guys you need to get some rest, but since the 2 teams have similar styles on offense that will help prepare his guys for tomorrow:
GAME #3: Hampton-Northeastern Dinner was delicious: make-your-own taco salad, then cheesecake for dessert! The Husky must be as exhausted as I am because he was resting in the front row with his tongue hanging out:
I missed most of the game while typing up 1 interview and conducting another. George Beale Jr. scored 10 PTS for Hampton in the 1st half but Rashad King had 13 PTS (and an incredulous stare in my direction) as Northeastern headed to halftime with a 37-29 lead.
Those 2 stars kept it rolling in the 2nd half, but Hampton’s Noah Farrakhan (22 PTS) stepped up and helped his team hang on down the stretch for a 70-65 victory:
In the postgame press conference I asked Hampton coach Ivan Thomas how a 1st year coach was able to beat the winningest coach in CAA history (Bill Coen). He noted that while he is a 1st-year college coach, he was a high school coach for 15 years. Coen is a great coach and they hail from the same coaching tree “indirectly”. They both preach physicality/toughness and he was happy that Hampton was able to prevail:
I wondered how Farrakhan felt about finally winning a conference tourney game after going 0-2 during his time at ECU/West Virginia. He said that it felt good: he had talked to his teammates before the game and told them to cherish these moments because they go by real fast.
We also learned that Beale/Farrakhan shared this beautiful “Put in the Work” belt because…well, they had both put in in the work:
GAME #4: Hofstra-Monmouth I am sure that it was a fun game but quadruple-headers are a young man’s game. I got to see a pair of former interviewees (Jack/Kathleen Miller) as they were preparing to cheer for their son Corey’s Monmouth team…and then headed out before I fell asleep. That is a wrap for today, check back tomorrow for the quarterfinal quadruple-header as the top seeds finally take the court.
Posted inNews and Notes|TaggedCAA Tournament|Comments Off on All-Access at the CAA Tournament in DC: 2nd Round Saturday
Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with an interview of Hampton cheerleader Sanai Charles about what to watch on Netflix and her prediction for tonight’s game vs. Northeastern.
You are from Rockland County, NY: what made you choose Hampton? Both of my cousins went there, and when I got to visit them while I was in high school it felt like home.
You did track in high school: how does that compare to cheer in terms of the effort involved? They are the same. Even though track is an individual sport, I ran relay events so we still had a team environment. You have to do well in your individual events if you want your team to win.
You are a Biology pre-med student: how did you choose that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I loved science classes growing up and had a great biology teacher in high school. I have a lot of lawyers in my family so I wanted to go a different route.
I heard that you are a big Netflix binge-watcher: any recommendations for our audience? I like “Beauty in Black” by Tyler Perry.
After 5 straight losing seasons you have a winning record this year: is it more fun to cheer for the team now that they are doing well? Definitely! It keeps our spirit up when the basketball team is fighting hard on the court to be the best they can be.
What has been the highlight of your season so far: the 5-game winning streak in February, Senior Night, other? My personal highlight was beating Stony Brook in our home finale…since my dad is a Stony Brook alum!
How does your coach decide who gets to go to DC, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It is based on our overall cheer/dance ability. I have been on the team since my freshman year and I am very grateful for the opportunity.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for this week? Nothing off the top of my head, but my birthday is coming up so I think we will be doing something to celebrate.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. Northeastern? I think the Pirates will come up with the win. They have great teamwork so I think they have a good chance to go all the way.
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