Blue Hens Picked Second in CAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll; Hagins and Saddler Named Preseason First Team All-CAA
October 16, 2012
photo courtesy of Mark Campbell
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The University of Delaware men’s basketball team was picked second in the Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Poll while Jamelle Hagins and Devon Saddler were selected to the Preseason All-Conference first team at CAA Basketball Media Day held Tuesday at Champps-Pentagon Row restaurant.
The second place pick is the highest Delaware has ever been selected in the Preseason CAA Poll, as the Blue Hens were picked only behind league favorite Drexel. George Mason was selected third in the poll, voted on by the league’s coaches, media relations directors and media members, while Old Dominion was fourth and Northeastern was fifth. James Madison was selected sixth, followed by Hofstra, Georgia State, William & Mary, Towson and UNCW.
The Blue Hens are coming off an 18-14 season in which Delaware posted its highest win total since 2000-01 and finished fifth in the CAA with a 12-6 mark, the most wins since UD joined the conference. Delaware won nine consecutive games from February through early March, advanced to the CAA Tournament Quarterfinals, and earned a bid to the College Basketball Invitational.
Hagins (at right) was a second team All-CAA and All-District selection last season, while also earning CAA All-Defensive Team and CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Defensive All-America Team honors. The school’s career blocked shots leader with 212 swats, Hagins led the conference and ranked fifth in the nation with 11.1 rebounds per game a year ago. He was second on the Blue Hens with 12.4 points per game, while hit 15 double-doubles were second in the CAA and 21st in Division I.
Saddler was also a second team All-CAA and All-District pick in 2011-12, when he ranked second in the conference and 27th in the nation with 18.8 points per game. He finished the year with 603 points, the fourth most in a UD single season, and surpassed the 20-point mark on 15 occasions, the second most in the league. Saddler reached double figures in all but two games, led the Blue Hens in scoring 18 times, and scored a career-high 32 points during a win over Lafayette, the most points scored by a UD player during the year.
Hagins and Saddler were joined on the first team by CAA Preseason Player of the Year Frantz Massenat of Drexel, Damion Lee of Drexel, Jonathan Lee of Northeastern, and Keith Rendleman of UNCW. The second team consisted of A.J. Davis of James Madison, Quincy Ford of Northeastern, Marcus Thornton of William & Mary, Devonta White of Georgia State, and Sherrod Wright of George Mason.
Additionally, Blue Hen sophomore guard Jarvis Threatt was named CAA Preseason honorable mention after his impressive freshman campaign. Threatt was selected to the CAA All-Rookie Team and CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Freshman All-American Team a year ago, when he ranked third on the squad with 10.7 points per game. Threatt led the Blue Hens with 41 steals and ranked second with 70 assists, while he averaged 16.3 points during the second half of the year. Threatt recorded the three highest scoring games by a UD freshman in school history, including a season-best 31 points during the CBI Tournament game at Butler.
Chris Fouch of Drexel, DeShawn Painter of Old Dominion, Joel Smith of Northeastern, and Nick Wright of Old Dominion were also named to the honorable mention squad.
The CAA television schedule was also announced at Media Day, with the Blue Hens having a minimum of 11 regular season games televised this year. Should the Blue Hens face Virginia in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Nov. 13, that game would be shown over the internet at ESPN3.com. If the Blue Hens win both games in Charlottesville to advance to the NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinals at Madison Square Garden, the semifinals on Nov. 21 will be televised by either ESPN2 or ESPNU, with the consolation and championship games on Nov. 23 being shown by ESPN.
The Blue Hens’ contest at Atlantic Coast Conference power Duke on Dec. 1 will be televised by ACC Regional Networks, while Delaware’s game at Big East foe Villanova on Dec. 16 will be shown by ESPNU.
Delaware will also have nine CAA games televised this season, including the Blue Hens’ four contests on the NBC Sports Network announced last week: the road game at Drexel on Jan. 28 as well as home games against Old Dominion on Feb. 11, Drexel on Feb. 21, and George Mason on Mar. 2. CBS Sports Network will show Delaware’s game at George Mason on Feb. 9 while Comcast SportsNet will televise four games: road contests at Old Dominion on Jan. 5, Georgia State on Jan. 12, and James Madison on Jan. 24, as well as the home game against the Dukes on Feb. 17.
Comcast SportsNet will also televise the three CAA Tournament Quarterfinal games on Mar. 9, while NBC Sports Network will show the semifinals on Mar. 10 and the championship game on Mar. 11.
2012-13 CAA Men’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Drexel
2. Delaware
3. George Mason
4. Old Dominion
5. Northeastern
6. James Madison
7. Hofstra
8. Georgia State
9. William & Mary
10. Towson
11. UNCW
2012-13 CAA Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams
First Team
Jamelle Hagins, Delaware
Damion Lee, Drexel
Jonathan Lee, Northeastern
Frantz Massenat, Drexel (Preseason Player of the Year)
Keith Rendleman, UNCW
Devon Saddler, Delaware
Second Team
A.J. Davis, James Madison
Quincy Ford, Northeastern
Marcus Thornton, William & Mary
Devonta White, Georgia State
Sherrod Wright, George Mason
Honorable Mention
Chris Fouch, Drexel
DeShawn Painter, Old Dominion
Joel Smith, Northeastern
Jarvis Threatt, Delaware
Nick Wright, Old Dominion
