PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Trazarien White, UNCW

Junior | Forward | Mansfield, Texas / Timberview

White’s career-best 27-point performance Saturday powered UNCW to an 80-73 win over No. 12 Kentucky at Rupp Arena. The junior from Texas was 9-for-16 from the floor and added 10 rebounds to secure the Seahawks’ second win over a ranked opponent in program history. White averaged a double-double for the week with 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in games against East Carolina and Kentucky.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Jordan Crawford, Charleston

Freshman | Guard | Charlotte, N.C. / North Mecklenburg

Crawford was in double figures in both games for Charleston at The Field of 68 Tip-Off in Boca Raton. The guard from Charlotte scored 11 points in 12 minutes to help Charleston a win over Liberty on Friday night and scored 13 points in 20 minutes on Saturday at No. 13 Florida Atlantic. Crawford went 7-for-14 from the floor and 5-for-9 from distance over the two contests.

NEWS AND NOTES

STATEMENT SATURDAY

Drexel and UNCW took down AP Top 25 opponents on Saturday with Drexel holding off No. 18 Villanova, 57-55, and UNCW powering past No. 12 Kentucky, 80-73.

It marked the first time in league history that two CAA teams defeated Top 25 opponents in the same day in league history. The CAA holds wins over the Big 12, Big East, and SEC in 2023-24.

CHECKING THE NET

The first NCAA NET of the 2023-24 season was released Monday with two CAA teams in the top 100. Hofstra ranks 67th in the metric, while Delaware comes in at 98.

Three CAA teams hold ever-valuable Quadrant 1 wins with UNCW’s win over Kentucky and Drexel’s against Villanova on Saturday, along with Charleston’s neutral-site win over Liberty on Friday. Both Hofstra and Delaware have avoided a blemish in Q3 or Q4 games.

TROPHIES

Drexel and Hofstra were both winners of their multi-team events with the Dragons taking both games in the Market Street Challenge and the Pride sweeping the three-game bracketed Gulf Coast Showcase. Hofstra’s Tyler Thomas took MVP honors in Florida after averaging 30.3 points per game in wins over Buffalo, Wright State, and High Point; Thomas’ 40 points in the OT win over the Panthers are the second-most in the nation this year 

Elon, Monmouth, and Northeastern produced 2-1 showings at their MTEs.

COASTAL ELITE

The CAA is 19-6 this year against fellow East Coast competition from the Patriot League (8-0), MAAC (3-0), Big South (4-2), Atlantic Sun (3-2), and America East (1-2) after Wednesday’s win over Lafayette.

The CAA also has two wins this year against The American (Northeastern over East Carolina, Hofstra over South Florida) and one each over the Big 12 (Monmouth over West Virginia), Big East (Drexel over Villanova), and SEC (UNCW over Kentucky).

ONE, TWO... THREE!

Hofstra’s Tyler Thomas (4.86) and William & Mary’s Gabe Dorsey (3.89) are first and fourth in the nation in made three-pointers per game this winter. Dorsey’s 35 made threes lead the nation, while Thomas’ 34 rank second.

Thomas also leads the nation in scoring at 25.0 points per game and was named a USBWA National Player of the Week on Tuesday.

HOME IS JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR WIN

CAA teams are 26-7 at home to begin the year; 13 of 14 teams have won at least one home game.

ALMOST HEAVEN, CENTRAL JERSEY

Monmouth made a statement in the season’s opening week with a 73-65 victory over West Virginia in Morgantown. Graduate transfer Xander Rice scored 30 points in his second game playing at Monmouth for his father, King Rice, who defeated a high-major opponent for the ninth time at the helm of the Hawks program. The victory was the CAA’s first over a school in the Big 12 at the time of the matchup since VCU’s Elite Eight win over Kansas in 2011.

AND-ONES

One thing to know on each #CAAHoops team

•         Campbell has limited opponents to a league-low 26.7% mark from three that ranks 16th nationally.

•         Charleston has taken 48.9% of its field-goal attempts from outside the arc, which ranks eighth nationally.

•         Tuesday’s matchup is the second of three top 100 games in KenPom for Delaware in non-conference play, as the Blue Hens faced UNCG in the Bahamas before games against Xavier and Princeton.

•         Drexel’s win over Villanova was its second in program history and first since joining the Big 5; the victory was also the 200th in Zach Spiker’s head coaching career.

•         Elon defeated Presbyterian for the first time since 1992 last Monday night on Rob Higgins’ buzzer-beating three-pointer.

•         Kyrese Mullen’s four double-doubles rank 10th nationally.

•         Tyler Thomas leads the nation with 25.0 points and 4.86 made three-pointers per game.

•         Xander Rice was named to the all-tournament team at the Cathedral Classic, where Monmouth went 2-1 with wins over Belmont and Lafayette.

•         Landon Glasper’s 32 points against UNCG are the third-most by a CAA player so far this season.

•         Saturday’s win was UNCW’s second all-time over a ranked opponent and first since a 2002 NCAA Tournament win over No. 23 USC in Sacramento.

•         Northeastern broke program records in free throws made (40) and attempted (51) in Saturday’s win. The 40 makes rank seventh in a game in league history.

•         Stony Brook’s non-conference schedule so far this season is rated as the 46th-toughest in the nation in KenPom and 44th by the NCAA.

•         Towson has grabbed 42.0% of available offensive rebounds, a rate that ranks third nationally.

•         Gabe Dorsey’s 35 made three-pointers for William & Mary lead the nation, while his 3.89 per game ranks third.