It took two decades for the Colonial Athletic Association to shed the stigma of a “one-bid” league. It took only one season for the CAA to repeat the feat of sending two teams to the NCAA tournament.
George Mason ended the CAA’s 19-season string of receiving only one bid in 2006 when it earned an at-large berth. And the Patriots made the most of it with their historic run to the Final Four. Last season, Old Dominion received an at-large invitation.
“We like to think we have arrived,” said CAA commissioner Tom Yeager, whose league’s last at-large bid before George Mason was Richmond in 1986. “We went into last year with the question of ’Are we a one-year wonder?’ I think we answered that. When March comes around, we expect to have multiple bids again.”
This season the CAA plans to repeat its extra-bid status and perhaps set a new mark by putting a third team in the NCAA tournament. The league held its annual media day yesterday at ESPN Zone in the District.
George Mason, which returns all five starters, including Final Four starters Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell, was selected to win the 12-team conference in the preseason poll conducted by coaches, sports information directors and selected media. VCU was selected second with preseason player of the year Eric Maynor, who hit a game-winning shot in an upset of Duke in the NCAA tournament. Old Dominion was third, followed by Drexel and Hofstra and UNC Wilmington.
“There is balance,” said Hofstra coach Tom Pecora, whose Pride reached the NIT the past two seasons. “It is not a top-heavy conference. You just have to continue to go out and let people realize how good the league is. In turn, we will get more media coverage. Eventually it will trickle down, and the tournament committee will say, ’You know the third-best team in CAA is as good if not better than the eighth-best team in the ACC, Big East or Pac-10.’ ”
The league has ascended despite defections from East Carolina, American and Richmond. That left it at a tenuous six schools before former America East teams Hofstra, Drexel, Delaware and Towson joined in 2001.
The move meant the addition of major media markets in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. The league has since added top markets in Boston with Northeastern and Atlanta with Georgia State.
“We got into bigger markets,” Yeager said. “We got into new recruiting areas. It was a success.”
Yesterday, the league announced a comprehensive 80-game television schedule, including 38 games on various ESPN stations.
And the CAA has followed up by proving itself with nonconference wins, such as ODU’s win last season at Georgetown and Drexel’s victories at Villanova and Syracuse. George Mason’s NCAA run two years ago and VCU’s tournament success in March also raised the previously little-known conference’s profile.
“If you can keep doing that, people are going to start to realize you have a pretty good league,” said Drexel coach Bruiser Flint, whose Dragons were snubbed by the NCAA tournament last season. “As perception grows as to how good the league is, we will get more and more teams in the tournament.”
Flint feels the CAA always has had strong coaching, but now the talent has caught up. The former one-bid league is now mentioned alongside the Missouri Valley Conference, generally considered the standard for non-major conferences.
“Do I think it will continue?” George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. “Absolutely. Because I think the league continues to recruit very, very well. As long [as the teams have] a good influx of talent and get TV exposure so people can watch them, then you have a chance to be successful.”
Note — George Mason forward Darryl Monroe underwent successful toe surgery last week and is expected to be out at least six more weeks. …
The Patriots announced 22 games will be televised, starting with the Nov. 9 season opener against Vermont on MASN. Seven games will air on ESPN networks. …
Old Dominion was picked to win the women’s championship, while George Mason was predicted to finish 12th.
PRESEASON PICKS
The CAA men’s preseason poll, as voted on by league coaches, sports information directors and selected media:
1. George Mason
2. VCU
3. Old Dominion
4. Drexel
5. Hofstra
6. UNC Wilmington
7. James Madison
8. Northeastern
9. William & Mary
10. Delaware
11. Georgia State
12. Towson
First team All-CAA: Antoine Agudio, Hofstra; Herb Courtney, Delaware; Frank Elegar, Drexel; Eric Maynor, VCU; Will Thomas, George Mason.
Second team: Folarin Campbell, George Mason; T.J. Carter, UNC Wilmington; Juwann James, James Madison; Brandon Johnson, Old Dominion; Vladimir Kuljanin, UNC Wilmington.
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