Monday's games showed us how the CAA may play out this season, with the top teams surviving, the middle teams battling between the edges of prominence and mediocraty, and the cellar dwellars refusing to go quietly into the night. Tonights matchups are no different. Two teams at/near the top battle it out for positioning and bragging rights, two teams in the middle of the pack slug it out to determine who may lead the pack, and teams near the bottom of the standings get a chance to build credibility and momentum against the teams at the top.
Prediction: One upset, one team grinds the gear, and finds themselves stuck in second gear, and five teams find themselves playing exciting basketball.
UD @ NU- Delaware is coming of a two game winning streak. Granted, one of those games was against Towson, but everyone gets to play them, so I'll count it. The other win was the double-ot thriller against GSU. However, in both games, there were quite a few moments in which this team did not look like a cohesive unit, whether it be through scoring droughts, foul trouble, or turnovers. UD is the epitome of the college basketball enigma- good looking wins over LaSalle and Drexel, as well as a 3 point loss to Temple in a game which many could argue Delaware was the better team, speak volumes to the potential this team possesses. On the other hand, losses to teams like Radford and Howard are inexcusable for a team looking to break into the top tier of CAA basketball.
NU consistently plays CAA opponents well at home; whether this has to do with the crowd or the travel remains to be seen. I can say that UD's team was stuck at the airport yesterday trying to travel to Boston. Whether this has an effect on today's game remains to be seen, but it is possible this delay could have an effect on the game. NU is coming off two losses in a row; granted, they were against Drexel and ODU on the road. Coming home will be a welcome treat for this weary bunch.
This one could very well come down to the psycological factors. Can UD win a road game against a CAA foe of equal talent? Can NU find the stroke they had against GSU (their last home game)? Will Delaware be able to get a strong shooting night from its perimeter players? And which freshmen show up tonight for their respective teams?
Answer: NU 58, UD 54
VCU @ Towson- Really, little analysis is needed for this game. As I said in a previous post, I do think Towson will win one game this year. Odds are, this is not that game. VCU comes in winners of 5 straight, and, well, Towson comes in having lost 40. Yes, you read that correctly. Fourty straight losses. Make it 41...
VCU 67, Towson 48
ODU @ UNCW- UNCW plays tough at home. ODU has looked vulnerable on the road. This is going to be a matchup of respective stars. Who will shine brighter, Keith Rendleman or Kent Bazemore. The answer: Adam Smith. The freshman has a big game, and coupled with the double-double machine which is Keith Rendleman, UNCW in a thriller.
UNCW 66, ODU 64
GSU @ Drexel- GSU comes in having snapped their losing streak with a home win against JMU. Drexel comes into this game looking like a top-2 team, right alongside George Mason. Interesting note: both teams are undefeated at home...the trend will most likely continue.
Drexel 55, GSU 47
George Mason @ Hofstra- GMU is looking like they haven't missed a beat, currently riding a 4 game winning streak. Hofstra is coming off a road loss to VCU. This Hofstra team looks to finally finding a better rhythm, but I feel as if they are still missing something to bring this team together.
GMU 70, Pride 65
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