Games #165 & 166. There’s a lot on the line in Richmond today as the CAA semifinals tip off.
The top four seeds are still standing as Sunday’s semifinal round of the Colonial Athletic Association postseason tournament gets under way. Thanks for joining us. This has been arguably the nation’s best non-BCS conferences all season long, and the postseason tourney hasn’t disappointed. George Mason showed the dominance it displayed all season long on its way to a 16-2 conference mark in routing Georgia State in the second half of their quarterfinal matchup, while Virginia Commonwealth needed a last second layup from senior forward Jamie Skeen to edge Drexel and move on to meet the Patriots in the semis. Meanwhile, Old Dominion rode Frank Hassell’s 24 points and a big run in the second frame past Delaware and will face league Player of the Year Charles Jenkins and the Hofstra Pride, who crushed would-be upstarts William & Mary in Saturday’s nightcap, in the day’s lastgame. While George Mason and Old Dominion still harbor NCAA at-large dreams, for VCU and Hofstra, it’s likely win to get in. Expect no let up, as each team tries to secure a chance to play for the league’s automatic bid. Four teams that all have designs on not just playing in the NCAA tournament, but being a legitimate threat to reach the second weekend. Four teams that pushed to the top of the conference standings all season long. Four teams with talent, experience, coaching and tremendous heart. Welcome to one of America’s hidden gems: the Colonial Athletic Association.