BOSTON — Northeastern returns home to historic Matthews Arena for the final time this regular season to host Old Dominion on Saturday, March 2, at noon, in a game to be televised by Comcast SportsNet. Seniors
Jonathan Lee and
Joel Smith, who will be making their final regular-season appearances at the venerable arena, will be honored 10 minutes prior to tip-off.
Saturday's game also will mark the end of an era, with ODU playing its final game as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Monarchs, who were founding members of the CAA and returned to the conference in 1991 after nearly a decade in the Sun Belt, will join Conference USA next season.
Tickets are available online at GoNU.com/tickets. NU students can reserve tickets on myNEU. Fans unable to attend the game can catch all the action live on Comcast SportsNet, with Gary Tanguay and Walter McCarty on the call. WRBB Radio (104.9 FM and WRBBsports.com) also will carry the game live, with Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Alex LaCasse calling the action.
Storylines
>> Northeastern clinched its first CAA regular-season title outright after defeating Georgia State, 90-84, in overtime on Wednesday; the conference regular-season title is the 11th in program history (detailed conference championship history on page 2); NU will be the No. 1 seed for the 2013 CAA Men's Basketball Championship
>> NU shot a CAA-record 27-for-27 from the free throw line in Wednesday's win at Georgia State; at 77.1 percent, the Huskies rank fifth nationally and are shooting 93.0 percent (53-57) over their last three games
>> Saturday's game is Old Dominion's last as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association; NU also played Georgia State (Feb. 27) in its final game as a CAA member
>> Northeastern and Old Dominion will meet for the 13th time in series history on Saturday, and for the final time as CAA foes as ODU moves to Conference USA; ODU leads the all-time series, 7-5
Scouting the teams
NORTHEASTERN clinched its first CAA regular-season title outright after defeating Georgia State, 90-84, in overtime on Feb. 27. The Huskies set a CAA record by making 27-of-27 free throws in the game. NU also has earned the No. 1 seed for the 2013 CAA tournament. CAA Player of the Year candidate
Joel Smith poured in a game-high 29 points against GSU and leads NU with 16.4 ppg.
Jonathan Lee and
Quincy Ford both average 13.2 ppg, while
Reggie Spencer (10.3) also averages in double figures. NU ranks in the top three in the CAA in 11 statistical categories.
OLD DOMINION enters Saturday's game following losses at Hofstra and at home to Drexel on senior day. The Monarchs, who were a founding member of the CAA in 1979, but played in the Sun Belt for nearly a decade before rejoining the conference in 1991, will be playing their final CAA game before joining Conference USA next season. DeShawn Painter (12.9 ppg) and Dimitri Batten (10.2 ppg) lead ODU in scoring. Painter also averages a team-best 8.5 rpg. ODU is 1-10 in road games this season, including 1-7 in CAA games.
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.”
See full story on page 7 of these notes
History in the Hub: NU claims first CAA title, 11th overall conference crown
Northeastern clinched its first CAA regular-season title outright after defeating Georgia State, 90-84, in overtime on Feb. 27.
Joel Smith poured in a game-high 29 points and NU shot a CAA-record 27-for-27 from the free throw line in the victory. The league crown is the Huskies' first since 1992-93, when they were co-champions of the North Atlantic Conference. In total, NU men's basketball teams have won 11 regular season conference titles.
Northeastern's conference title history
2012-13 CAA Champion
1992-93 North Atlantic Co-Champion
1990-91 North Atlantic Champion; North Atlantic Tournament Champion
1989-90 North Atlantic Co-Champion
1986-87 North Atlantic Champion; North Atlantic Tournament Champion
1985-86 North Atlantic Champion; North Atlantic Tournament Champion
1984-85 North Atlantic Co-Champion; North Atlantic Tournament Champion
1983-84 North Atlantic Champion; North Atlantic Tournament Champion
1981-82 North Atlantic Champion; North Atlantic Tournament Champion
1980-81 North Atlantic Champion; North Atlantic Tournament Champion
1979-80 North Atlantic Co-Champion
(North Atlantic became America East in 1996)
Huskies earn No. 1 seed in Richmond
NU has earned the No. 1 seed for the 2013 CAA Men's Basketball Championship, which will be held March 9-11 in Richmond, Va. It is the first time since joining the conference in 2005-06 that NU has earned the top seed. Only seven teams (Delaware, Drexel, George Mason, Hofstra, James Madison, Northeastern and William & Mary) are eligible for this year's tournament, but all 11 teams will figure into the seeding/tie-breaking process. At the conclusion of regular-season play, each team's place will be determined, with the spots of the ineligible teams then vacated and the seeds established.
NU ranks fifth nationally in free throw percentage, sets CAA record
Northeastern is shooting 77.1 percent from the free throw line to rank fifth in NCAA Division I. The average climbs to 80.4 percent in CAA games. The Huskies set a CAA record by making 27-of-27 attempts in an overtime win over Georgia State on Feb. 27. Over the last three games, NU is shooting 93.0 percent (53-57) from the line.
Road warriors: One of nation's very best
NU's road winning percentage (.833, 10-2) is tied for second-best in the country among teams that have played 10 or more road games (Gonzaga, 9-1 (.900); Coll. of Charleston, 10-2 (.833); Miami (Fla.), 10-2 (.833)). NU is one of just 10 NCAA Division I teams (out of 347) to have won 10 or more road games this season. NU is 8-1 (.889) in CAA road games.
Win total best since 2009-10
Northeastern's 19 overall wins and 14 CAA wins are the most since 2009-10, when the Huskies went 20-13, 14-4 CAA, and earned an NIT appearance.
Winning the close ones
This season, 21 of NU's 29 games, including 14 of 17 CAA games, have been decided by seven points or less. The Huskies are 14-7 in those games, including an impressive 11-3 mark in CAA games. More impressively, NU is 12-4 in games decided by five points or less, including 9-2 in CAA play.
Northeastern in close games
Seven points or less 14-7 (11-3 CAA)
Five points or less 12-4 (9-2 CAA)
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 scorers. Smith averages 1.72 points per shot attempt, nearly 15 percent better than the next closest player.
Points-per-shot averages for top scorers (CAA games)
1.73 - Joel Smith (Northeastern) 260 pts/150 fga
1.54 - Keith Rendleman (UNCW) 293/190
1.51 - Jerrelle Benimon (Towson) 306/203
1.40 - Devon Saddler (Delaware) 355/254
1.38 - Marcus Thornton (William & Mary) 328/237
1.32 - Sherrod Wright (George Mason) 266/201
1.32 - Damion Lee (Drexel) 252/191
1.31 - R.J. Hunter (Georgia State) 326/248
1.13 - Frantz Massenat (Drexel) 277/246
Extra special in extra time
The 2012-13 Huskies have tied program records for most overtime games played and won in a single season. With its victory at Georgia State on Feb. 27, NU improved to 4-1 in overtime games this season. That mark equals that of the 1980-81 team, though two of that team's OT games came in the conference tournament.
NU in overtime this season
1/8/13 at Drexel 63-58, W
1/23/13 William & Mary (2OT) 95-91, W
2/9/13 at Old Dominion 79-74, W
2/13/13 Delaware 74-76, L
2/27/13 at Georgia State 90-84, W
Cardiac Canines
The Huskies have had a flair for the dramatic this season, overcoming double-digit deficits in six victories. Most recently, NU stormed back from 13 down to defeat Georgia State, 80-74, in overtime on Feb. 27 in Atlanta.
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
Feb. 27 at Georgia State (90-84, OT) -13
* Trailed by double-digits in the second half
Ford is en fuego
Northeastern sophomore standout
Quincy Ford led the Huskies in scoring on Feb. 20 with 14 points and, before that, registered back-to-back games of 20 or more points, scoring 23 at UNCW and 21 against Delaware. Ford shot a blistering 82 percent (9-11) from the floor at UNCW. Ford also has not missed a free throw attempt since Jan. 27, making 31 consecutive attempts.
Smith's rare miss
Joel Smith missed NU's Feb. 13 game against Delaware due to injury, snapping a string of 92 straight appearances and 71 consecutive starts for the senior co-captain. Smith had played in every NU game since Feb. 23, 2010 and had started for the Huskies in each contest since Jan. 15, 2011. The Leander, Texas, native has appeared in 117 games and has played in all but seven games since arriving on Huntington Avenue in 2009, with 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).
Countdown to 20
Northeastern is just one win shy of its second 20-win season under head coach
Bill Coen and 13th in program history.
Northeastern's 20-win seasons
2009-10 20-13 NIT First Round
2004-05 21-10 NIT First Round
1992-93 20-8
1990-91 22-11 NCAA First Round
1986-87 27-7 NCAA First Round
1985-86 26-5 NCAA First Round
1984-85 22-9 NCAA First Round
1983-84 27-5 NCAA Second Round
1981-82 23-7 NCAA Second Round
1980-81 24-6 NCAA Second Round
1966-67 22-4 NCAA College Div. Tourn.
1962-63 21-6 NCAA College Div. Tourn.
SI's Davis rates Coen one of top 20 National Coach of the Year candidates
Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis, on Feb. 14, listed Northeastern head coach
Bill Coen as one of his top 20 candidates for national Coach of the Year honors. Coen was the only CAA coach mentioned in the ranking. Now in his seventh season on Huntington Avenue, Coen has guided the Huskies to at least a share of their first-ever CAA title after being picked fifth in the preseason poll.
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Up next
Northeastern will next hit the hardwood on Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m., in the semifinal round of the 2013 CAA Men's Basketball Championship in Richmond, Va. The Huskies, who earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament and a first-round bye, will face the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game. Ticket information for the tournament can be found on GoNU.com.
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