BOSTON — The first-place Northeastern Huskies will welcome CAA rival Delaware to historic Matthews Arena on Wednesday night in men's basketball action. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Northeastern (17-8, 12-1 CAA) is off to its best-ever CAA start and one of its finest conference starts in program history. The Huskies have won 12 of their last 13 games. Delaware (13-12, 8-4 CAA) enters Wednesday's game fresh off a 75-73 win over Old Dominion. The Fightin' Blue Hens have won five of their last six games. NU defeated UD earlier this season, 74-70, in Newark on Jan. 19.
The former America East rivals will meet for the 42nd time in a series that dates back to 1977. The Blue Hens hold a narrow 22-19 lead in the all-time series, but the Huskies are 11-4 against UD under head coach
Bill Coen and have won 13 of the last 17 meetings. The
Tickets for the game are available online at
GoNU.com/tickets. Northeastern students can reserve their tickets on
myNEU.
Fans unable to attend the game can catch all the action live on
GoNU.com/xstream. WRBB radio also will carry the game live on 104.9 FM and
WRBBsports.com with David Kroopnick and Zolan Kanno-Youngs on the call.
Storylines
> Northeastern is 12-1 in CAA play for the first time in program history (previous best: 10-1 in 2008-09); the conference start is NU's best since a 17-1 record in 1986-87
> The Huskies' 17 overall wins and 12 CAA victories are the most since 2009-10 (20-13, 14-4 CAA)
> Reigning CAA Player of the Week
Joel Smith scored a team-high 17 points on Monday at William & Mary and has led the team or been second in scoring in 10 straight games
> Smith, a Player of the Year candidate, made four 3-pointers at W&M to move past NU great Matt Janning into second in career 3-pointers made (225); he trails only Huskies great and NBA champion J.J. Barea (255)
> Northeastern made a season-high 12 3-pointers in Monday's victory at W&M; the last time NU made at least 12 3-pointers was Feb. 14, 2007, at Georgia State
> The game features the CAA's top two scoring offenses: Northeastern (69.3 ppg) and Delaware (68.8 ppg)
Scouting the teams
NORTHEASTERN, which defeated William & Mary on Monday, has won 12 of its last 13 games and has lost just one game in the last 45 days.
Joel Smith (17.0 ppg) leads four players averaging in double figures. Smith has either led the team or been second in scoring in each of the last 10 games.
Jonathan Lee (13.3 ppg),
Quincy Ford (12.6 ppg) and
Reggie Spencer (10.5 ppg) also pace NU. Spencer (6.4 rpg) leads the team in rebounding. NU leads the CAA in four statistical categories—scoring offense, 3FG percentage, assists, and assist/turnover ratio. The Huskies are second in six other categories—scoring margin, FT percentage, FG percentage, rebounding defense, steals, and 3FG made.
DELAWARE has won five of its last six games entering Wednesday night's affair. Devon Saddler leads the Blue Hens and is tops in the CAA in scoring, averaging 19.6 ppg. Jarvis Threatt (12.1 ppg) and Jamelle Hagins (11.9 ppg) also average in double figures. Hagins, who is averaging a double-double, leads the team in rebounding at 10.2 rpg, which ranks third in the CAA. Delaware leads the league in free throw percentage and is second in scoring offense and defensive rebounds. Conversely, the Blue Hens rank last in the league in 3FG made, assists, and rebounding defense, and are second-to-last in scoring defense.
Player of the Year candidate Joel Smith is CAA's most proficient scorer
Northeastern senior
Joel Smith, who has played his way into Player of the Year consideration, is the most proficient of the CAA's top 10 scorers. Smith averages 1.80 points per shot attempt, nearly 20 percent better than the next closest player.
Points-per-shot averages for top 10 scorers
1.80 -
Joel Smith (Northeastern) 125 fga/225 pts
1.45 - Jerrelle Benimon (Towson) 156/227
1.45 - Keith Rendleman (UNCW) 125/181
1.41 - Tim Rusthoven (William & Mary) 132/186
1.40 - R.J. Hunter (Georgia State) 182/256
1.40 - Devon Saddler (Delaware) 171/240
1.38 - Sherrod Wright (George Mason) 153/211
1.32 - Marcus Thornton (William & Mary) 168/222
1.28 - Damion Lee (Drexel) 116/148
1.28 - Devonta White (Georgia State) 145/186
Lee named national finalist for Senior CLASS Award
Northeastern senior
Jonathan Lee has been named a men's basketball finalist for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award. Lee is one of just 10 national finalists for the award, which recognizes student-athletes who excel both on and off the court. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence — community, classroom, character and competition. “We are extremely excited for Jon and proud that he is receiving this recognition,” said head coach
Bill Coen. “Jon possesses a tireless work ethic and provides our team with tremendous leadership, both on and off the court. He is involved in the community, is well liked throughout our campus, and has achieved in the classroom. He is a true ambassador for our program and our university.”
VOTE for Jon Lee for Senior CLASS Award (fans may vote once per day)
Senior CLASS Award website |
Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page
Smith named Player of the Week for second time
Joel Smith earned CAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 4-10. It was the second time in three weeks Smith earned the honor, and the third time in four weeks an NU player garnered the distinction. Smith is one of just three players to win the weekly honor outright two times. Smith averaged 23.0 points and 5.0 rebounds to lead Northeastern to a pair of road wins. He scored a game-high 19 points as the Huskies rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Hofstra. He followed with a game-high 27 points, five rebounds and three assists as NU downed Old Dominion in overtime. For the week, he shot 56 percent from the floor, including 7-of-16 from 3-point range.
NU off to best CAA start in program history and among best conference starts ever
Northeastern is 12-1 in CAA play for the first time in program history, besting the 10-1 start in 2008-09. The Huskies opened the conference schedule 8-0, posting the best CAA start since joining the conference in 2005 and the fourth-best all-time conference start in program history. The hot start also tied for the fifth-best in CAA history. The 2006-07 VCU team and the 1985-86 Richmond team both started 11-0, while James Madison started 9-0 in 1990-91 and 1991-92. Old Dominion in 2004-05 and Richmond in 1988-89 also opened 8-0.
How sweep it is
Northeastern has swept two-game season series from three CAA opponents: George Mason, Drexel and Hofstra. The Huskies also defeated Towson in the only meeting between the programs this season.
Winning
Northeastern's 17 overall wins and 12 CAA wins are the most since 2009-10, when the Huskies went 20-13, 14-4 CAA, and earned an NIT appearance.
SI on Northeastern: “One of the biggest surprises in college basketball”
Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel recently called the “unheralded Huskies” of Northeastern “one of the biggest surprises in college basketball.” Thamel's story took a closer look at the team as it shoots for an NCAA tournament bid. In the article, VCU's Shaka Smart praises head coach
Bill Coen: “He's done a terrific job at Northeastern, consistently finding guys who end up being a lot better than people think. He and his staff do a great job seeing things other people don't see.”
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20130208/northeastern-basketball/
Road warriors
Northeastern ranks second in all of Division I (346 teams) in road winning percentage. The Huskies have won 90.0 percent (9-1) of road games, trailing only Memphis (6-0, 1.000). NU is 7-0 in conference road games.
Coen's Cardiac Canines
The Huskies have had a flair for the dramatic this season, overcoming double-digit deficits in five victories. Most recently, NU stormed back from 10 down in the last 10 minutes to defeat Hofstra, 62-57, on Feb. 6 in Hempstead.
Northeastern's double-digit comebacks
Nov. 9 Boston University (65-64) -10
Nov. 13 at Princeton (67-66) * -18
Nov. 23 vs. Belmont (74-71) * -16
Jan. 12 at Towson (70-59) -12
Feb. 6 at Hofstra (62-57) * -10
* Trailed by double-digits in the second half
The nation takes notice
Northeastern's 8-1 run in the month of January garnered national attention. The Huskies moved into the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll for the first time in 2012-13. NU ranks 23rd in the most recent poll.
Sharing the rock
Northeastern has tallied double-digit assists in 23 of 25 games this season. The Huskies have registered at least 15 assists in 10 of 13 conference games this season after hitting that mark just three times in 12 non-conference contests. NU leads the CAA, averaging 14.2 assists per game.
Deep threat
More than a quarter of the Northeastern offense is coming from beyond the arc. The Huskies average 6.9 made 3-point field goals per game, which is second in the CAA. In league play, the number jumps to 7.7. NU, which made a season-high 12 3-pointers on Feb. 11 at William & Mary, is shooting 38 percent from long-range on the season, which is first in the league, and an impressive 43 percent in CAA games.
Generating offense
Northeastern has outscored opponents in points off turnovers in 11 of 13 conference games.
Coen ranks among best in career CAA wins
Bill Coen continues to establish himself as one of the most highly regarded coaches in the CAA. Coen is currently ninth on the CAA's list of all-time winningest coaches. He is one of just three current CAA coaches to have cracked the top 10.
Winningest coaches in CAA play (CAA regular season and tournament games only)
1. Jim Larranaga (George Mason, 1998-2011) 183
2. Blaine Taylor (ODU, 2002-2013) 148
3. Bruiser Flint (Drexel, 2002-present) 134 *
4. Dick Tarrant (Richmond, 1982-93) 106
5. Tom Pecora (Hofstra, 2002-10) 98
5. Charles “Lefty” Driesell (JMU, 1988-97) 98
7. Jerry Wainwright (UNCW, 1995-2002) 97
8. Jeff Capel, Jr. (ODU, 1995-2001) 77
9.
Bill Coen (Northeastern, 2006-present) 75 *
10. Tony Shaver (William & Mary, 2003-present) 63 *
* Active
Huskies in conference play
Northeastern joined the Colonial Athletic Association before the 2005-06 season. In their eighth season as a CAA member, the Huskies have won 60 percent (83-56) of their regular season games and have finished at or above .500 in conference play in seven of eight seasons. Prior to the CAA, Northeastern was a founding member of the America East Conference and played in the league from 1979 to 2005. (The conference was known as the North Atlantic Conference until 1996.) The Huskies captured the conference championship on seven occasions (1981, '82, '84, '85, '86, '87, '91).
Davey delivers
Freshman
David Walker continues to be a steady presence on the floor for the Huskies. In 439 minutes of CAA action (33.8 mpg), the 6-6 guard has committed just 17 turnovers—a rate of just one turnover per 26 minutes of playing time. His assist-to-turnover ratio in CAA play is an impressive 2.8 to 1.0.
Limited pine time
NU's Feb. 11 game against William & Mary was the 114th game of
Joel Smith's career. The Leander, Texas, native has appeared in 92 straight games, dating back to Feb. 23, 2010, and has made 71 consecutive starts, dating to Jan. 15, 2011. He has played in all but six games since arriving on Huntington Avenue in 2009, with all six missed games coming in his freshman season. The program record for career games is 128, achieved by Andre LaFleur (1983-87), Wes Fuller (1983-87) and Matt Janning (2006-10).
Shooting star
Senior co-captain
Joel Smith is posting impressive shooting numbers. Smith currently leads the CAA in free throw percentage at 85.7 percent. He is second in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.8, and sixth in overall field goal percentage at 49.5.
Stay connected
Northeastern Athletics: @GoNUathletics // facebook.com/GoNUathletics
Northeastern Men's Basketball: @GoNUmbasketball // facebook.com/GoNUmbasketball
Join the conversation
Fans and members of the media are encouraged to use #GoNU in tweets to join the Twitter conversation.
Win rewards with Huskies Ncentives
Northeastern has a new rewards program that lets you earn points and win great prizes just by doing the online social activities you do everyday. Go to GoNU.com/Ncentives for more information.
Up next
Northeastern will again take to the road when it travels to Wilmington, N.C., to face UNCW on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Huskies defeated the Seahawks, 68-64, on Jan. 5 at historic Matthews Arena.
.
