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The magic #12

Championship Week on ESPN is actually two weeks or so, and we're smack dab in the middle of the best part of it. All of the smaller conferences have their championships right now, and for most of these teams, as the cliché goes, this is their national championship.

So props to the boys down at my old neck of the woods. Tonight, Old Dominion won the Colonial Athletic Association championship and secured a bid to the Tournament. For those of you who are looking for those possible upsets, look no further, especially if ODU manages to get a 12 seed (5 seeds have a lower winning percentage by about 10 points than 6 seeds, since the field moved to 64). Consider:

  • They have the CAA player of the year, Alex Loughton, a power forward who's a 20-10 threat every night
  • They have the CAA leader in assist-turnover ratio, and led the CAA in turnover margin
  • Over the past ten years, the CAA rep in the Tournament has more wins than double-digit losses

Last year, Wake Forest beat VCU (ODU's opponent tonight) by one point in the first round. So, if ODU gets an 11, 12, or 13, and goes up against a team that coasted in, they might not be a bad upset special. They've got a good inside game, and play a 3-guard offense that places ball control at a premium. And they're only graduating one player, which means that next year at this time, I'll be telling you about them again most likely, only I'll be able to say how everyone on the team has tournament experience....

That is all.

Comments

Last year UNC-Wilminton beat USC and about four years ago GMU lost to Maryland by only one point in the first round. I certainly wouldn't count ODU out. Next year the CAA is adding Northeastern and Georgia State and the year after that they are bringing in football (since the A10 is cancelling football). The CAA seems to be making a push to be taken seriously.