Today is Hofstra Tuesday…

For whatever reason, I’ve got a pile of Long Island Nuggets to drop on you. I don’t know why it turns out like this, but it does.

The Nonconference Slate

11/11–at Holy Cross

11/17–Manhattan

11/21–at St. Francis (of NY, not Assissi)

12/5–at Fordham

12/12–Stony Brook

12/15–Charlotte

12/22–at Rhode Island

12/28–vs. Virginia Tech (Holiday Festival)

12/29–vs. St. John’s or Marist (Holiday Festival)

1/28–Longwood

Plus February BracketBuster ROAD game

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Antoine Agudio enters his final season with 1,664 career points, which is the third-highest total of any returning player in Division I. He also ranks third nationally in career three-pointers with 273. Agudio was third in the CAA and 23rd in Division I in scoring last season with 20.2 ppg. He led the conference with 100 treys, which set a Hofstra record and was the fourth-highest season total in league history.

Of note to some of the “more weathered” in The Legion: Agudio has a chance to break the CAA career mark of 371 three-pointers set by UNCW’s Brett Blizzard.

Appropriately, that’s a ton of threes.

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So there’s this guy Jason Calacanis, one of the really smart people when it comes to the web and business development. Calacanis is a true entrepreneur in the space, having co-founded Weblogs, Inc. among other impressive credits. I’ve referenced his new site Mahalo before.

(Side note: he also has an English bulldog which scores immediate points. Many of you are aware of the untimely passing of my bully, Buddha.)

I point that out because this is a guy that knows what he’s doing. Recently, he chose to turn off the comments on his blog. That is important, thanks to the rules here of “being intelligent.” I want to keep the comments turned on, but when we get to basketball season if we can’t have an intelligent discussion and the commentary is useless, consider this fair warning. A bunch of “you sucks” and comments will be turned off.

We’re better than that here.

Moving Right Along…

Eh, I lost interest in the PanAm Games by lunch on Friday. Vladie Kools (ankle) and The Dagger (hip) were injured, and the USA team fueled “how bad are we” debates everywhere after losing to Uruguay and Panama. (I don’t care. Really. That’s kind of like arguing the better cracker, when it’s really all about the cheese.)

I STILL say our national team needs a nickname.

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Why can’t they get road games? Maybe this is why: The top four teams in the CAA standings last season all had winning records and were a combined 42-18 (.700).

Drexel: 13-4 (Villanova, Syracuse, Creighton, Hofstra and Saint Joseph’s…somebody remind me how these guys were left out of the tourney last season?)

VCU: 11-2

Old Dominion: 8-5 (Georgetown)

Hofstra: 10-7

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Offseason? Yeah, right…reports have Bruiser Flint flying back from Morocco or Mozambique or Malaysia or wherever the USA Under-20 team won a silver medal and immediately hitting the road recruiting. Then, it’s camps.

Mr. Flint, meet Mr. Coffee.

Required Reading

I was going to let it go because Skip Prosser’s passing is sad enough, but you MUST read Seth Davis’ column on SI.com.

It sums up, beautifully, Skip Prosser. My personal favorite part: Davis didn’t mention “great recruiting class” until the very last paragraph of the story. Kudos to Davis for that one, because that aspect is about the 18th most important great thing about Skip Prosser.

You’ve Got to Know Wright From Rong…

Panama took down the USA yesterday evening 75-67. The Dagger saw three minutes of action and missed both shots he took. To be more precise, he missed one shot and another was swatted away and shown in highlights. Alex Smith played seven minutes for Panama and scored three points. Smith made his only FG and was 1-5 from the line. However his three Fouls On in seven minutes is impressive.

(Side note: how come the national team doesn’t have a nickname? Would we be more intimidating if we were the USA Lions, or USA Yankees? At least we’d have some new uniform options.)

Also, Frank Elegar had 11 points and eight rebounds in the Virgin Islands loss.

So that’s two losses for the Not-So-Good Guys, one to Uruguay and one to Panama. Run those countries through the internet anagram server and you get: A Aura Nap Guy Um, which means I thought something funnier would be the result.

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Captip to JCCW, who called me hardcore, causing me to rethink what I do with my spare time. This comes not too long after Dan Steinberg called me relentless, something I hadn’t heard since prom night.

(Today’s side note #2: Steinberg uses a photo of Tony Skinn in a recent note on the Bog. Who’s in the pic with Skinn but Loren Stokes…)

But the JCCW is dead on the mark with two points: first, a rising tide lifts all boats. If the Valley has shown anything, it’s that everyone has to be a solid program for everyone to benefit. Don’t get me started today on the Cycle of Winning.

And second, it’s PanAm all day because, in all honesty, it is July. We hate recruiting here at the CAA:LAMM, and this time of year there is nothing else.

I’d cure eveyone’s ills and jump into the CAA football fray, but somebody needs to fund the Stellas before that happens.

Importantly, look at it this way–if I’m reduced to blogging about CAA basketball players in the Pan Am Games, writing horrifically unfunny lines about prom night, think about how dull my real job has become.

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Skip Prosser’s untimely passing is indeed a very sad thing. I was fortunate enough to meet him once, for a handshake and 12 seconds of banter. Prosser looked me in the eye and showed 12 seconds of genuine interest in the book project. I walked away thinking “great guy.”

Very sad indeed.

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In Other PanAm Action Last Night…

The Dagger missed all four shots he took in six minutes and the United States lost to Uruguay 81-72. The Fightin’ Pampas Grasses were led by the inimitable Esteban Batista (no relation to MLB journeyman Tony) with 25 points and seven rebounds.

Uruguay?

Also, Panama lost its opener to Argentina and some guy named Desmond Smith logged a DNP. Quick check of the W&M media guide says yes, that is Alex Smith. Here’s hoping he passes through immigration okay.

Her Name is Rio and She Dances on the Sand….

Now try to get that song out of your head.

Sorry about that.

Pan Am Games are in Rio. I had to.

Found a site to track CAA interests in the Pan Am Games. It’s going to take some scrolling, some time conversions, and some hunting to find what you’re after, but it’s worth it. Click on the Reports link for the game that interests you.

Or you can check this space.

Once you download the pdf, you can get a box score. My favorite part is the tracked statistic: Fouls On. I arched my eyebrows when a lunch time check found JJ Barea of Puerto Rico with 5 Fouls On in the first half of its game against Canada.

Then I realized it was more likely Times Fouled, which is kind of cool for a stat head like me.

So anyway, Puerto Rico leads Canada at the half 42-30 behind 15 points and five Fouls On from Barea. Vladie Kools missed all three shots he took in the first half.

EDIT
Puerto Rico downs Canada 82-63. Barea with 21 for the winners and Vladie Kools with four points, 1 assist and zero rebounds in 14 minutes for Canada.

And Frank the Tank Elegar went for 21 points and 7 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as the Virgin Islands lost to Brazil 86-81.

You never know what you’ll find…

You want two beauties that you probably have not seen? Links below, courtesy of Mr. Irrelevant, Jamie Mottram. He’s moved to a new URL and blogging with his brother.

Mottram’s trip down memory lane popped these two videos:

UConn ties it at the buzzer.

UConn NOT winning it at the buzzer.

Enjoy.

And check out yesterday’s napkin work.

Napkins are good for more than wiping mustard off your shirt…

You get the benefit of a long Monday post that will hopefully begin to get the juices flowing for the Fall. Hope you had a good weekend. We got away again, this time to the Shenendoah, where a phenomenal Cab/Sauv, perfect weather, and an abundance of napkins conspired to provide you this entry. (With no power in the primary residence, “head for the mountains” took on more context than Busch beer.)

Back Of Napkin, Post-May Pre-August Forecast

1. George Mason: four (and sometimes five) starters return from a sixth-place underachiever. Sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? Key: either Will Thomas learns a 15-foot jumper, or SOMEBODY can consistently knock down the three.

2. VCU: The Dagger returns with plenty of dish options, and even though Pellot Rosa and Walker have graduated scoring is the easiest commodity to replace. And there’s that pace. Key: two of the heralded freshmen step up and contribute.

3. ODU: If last year proved anything, it’s that Brandon Johnson can lead a team. Brian Henderson is a fifth-year player, and Gerald Lee is a future all conference player (maybe even this year). Never count out a Blaine Taylor-coached team. Key: consistent perimeter scoring.

4. Hofstra: Antoine Agudio is likely preseason POY, and people have forgotten the name Greg Washington. It may be shocking to see Hofstra go big, but it could happen. Key: Playstation Johnson’s replacement of Carlos Rivera running the point.

5. UNCW: Honestly, I feel like a housewife from Modesto, CA playing the Range Game on The Price is Right with this team. Where do I hit the button, because they could be anywhere? Key: shaking the stigma of last season.

6. Northeastern: Matt Janning and Eugene Spates to mix with two new faces. Throw in Manny Adako and the Huskies are pretty big and athletic. Key: The Big C–chemistry. However Chris Alvarez and Nkem Ojouboh practiced with the team last season, so I’m tempted to think positively.

7. Drexel: I think I could pass the ball to Frank Elegar and be successful. The Dragons success will result from the “step up” factor–lots of graduation so lots of opportunity. Feurtado, Hawthorne, and Tribbett are at the top of my list. Key: the aforementioned step ups need to occur.

8. Towson: The cupboard is far from bare for the Neal-less Pat Kennedy. Thornton is a stud transfer, and CC Williams and Rod Spruill came on late last year. Coleman, Crossin, etc. It’s a big list. Any team with Jon Pease has a chance. Key: There’s Neal’s 24 ppg, but there’s also everything Dennard Abraham brought. Raw production.

9. William & Mary: Here is another team I’m unsure of where to slot. And since I’m working from a napkin–literally–we’ll move on. Key: do the good things and avoid doing the bad things. Seriously, it’s taking the next step. Shaver had them take a colossal step forward last season. Whatever needs to happen to do it again, the players need to buy in.

10. James Madison: For the first time in a long time, the Dukes can boast legit talent that also knows how to succeed on the collegiate level: The JYD and Terence Carter get St. Joe’s transfer Abdullah Jalloh and an up and coming PG. Could be this year’s Tribe. Key: changing the attitudes.

11. Georgia State: This is the house-cleaning year for Rod Barnes. Big men need to be in better shape. If there’s anything a Rod Barnes team will do, it’s get after you. Key: it’s a new way of doing things at Georgia State. The players need to buy in.

12. Delaware: Monte Ross will bring this program back. That is a given. But it’s going to be an uphill climb. Courtney and Johnson, not to mention McMahon, are solid players. Key: Ross needs to do what he did last year and recruit his tuchus off.

Don’t Push Me, ‘Cause I’m Close to the Edge

Big storms took out our power yesterday at 4:00 and we’re not supposed to get it back until tomorrow evening. Needless to say I’m behind in my work and I got no sleep. And I’ll likely spend some part of my weekend tossing rotten salami and sour milk. Good thing there’s leftover shrimp in the fridge. Cranky doesn’t even begin to describe my mood.

Quotes for you from Anthony Grant gabfest:

“With seven new faces our depth will be better than last year. I’m excited about them as a group. They are a high character group and love to play basketball.”

On Kirill Pischkjsdfkjsbfksbg, who comes to VCU by way of Russia: “He gives us size and physicality, something we lacked in abundance last year. He’s (also) comfortable facing the basket and has a nice touch. His (main) adjustment is to our pace.”

(Side note: I’ll eventually figure out how to spell his name. Remember, today I’m cranky. So I’ll also note that you need to get off my back when I call ODUs Gerald Lee Will Lee. It will happen at some point. It’s not a shot at anyone; I was just a huge Letterman fan and Will Lee played bass for Paul Schaefer in the World’s Most Dangerous Band.)

Lastly, on any difference in the style of play last year and this year: “Our adjustments are based on personnel.”

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More interesting CAA video is in the works, assuming I get power.

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Over at Goodman’s blog at Fox Sports, Eric Maynor was dubbed “Biggest Surprise.” The quote:

“He’s a mid-major guy whose been able to more than hold his own. He can run a team, create his shot off the dribble. You always fear when someone steps up a level, but he’s clearly able to play at a high level.”