A couple of quick tip-ins

Transfer arrives, Assistant leaves and Draft talk

CAA Administrators, Coaches Conclude Annual Meetings

An increase in the field size for five conference championships and the decision to sponsor new NCAA legislation for FCS football were among the highlights of the five-day Colonial Athletic Association annual meetings last week. Starting next season, the field sizes for CAA championships in baseball, field hockey, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball will return to six teams after being four-team events for the past two years. In field hockey, soccer and volleyball, all six teams will compete for the CAA title at the site of the regular-season champion. In baseball, a six-team, double-elimination tournament will be played over four days. Bids to host the CAA Baseball Championship in 2012 and 2013 will be solicited this summer. In CAA Football, it was decided that the University of Massachusetts, which is in the process of transitioning to the FBS level, will not be eligible for the CAA Championship in 2011, but its players will still be eligible to receive pre-season, weekly and post-season awards. The Minutemen’s official conference record will be recorded as 0-0 and it will not occupy a spot in the CAA Football standings. However, the game results will be reflected in their opponents’ conference record. CAA Football will have 11 members this season with the addition of Old Dominion University. Georgia State University will join CAA Football in 2012. In addition, CAA Football has decided to sponsor NCAA legislation that would provide five seasons of eligibility for student-athletes in FCS football programs. John R. Broderick, the president of Old Dominion University, was appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA Board of Directors which will begin in April, 2012. In the interim, Mr. Broderick will serve as the CAA’s representative on the NCAA Presidential Advisory Group.

Jamal Coombs-McDaniel transfers to Hofstra

Also today, a judge granted Jamal Coombs-McDaniel admission into the state’s drug-education program. I’m not kidding. By Jeff Goodman and Matt Norlander UConn transfer Jamal Coombs-McDaniel told CBSSports.com he has committed to Hofstra. The 6-foot-6 sophomore, who averaged 5.6 points for the national champions last season, informed Hofstra coach Mo Cassara on Wednesday. “I had a great visit there a week ago and just felt it was the right fit for me,” he said. “I love the coaching staff, playing in New York and the success of Charles Jenkins were all important for me.”

Sources: Radford tabs VCU assistant Mike Jones

By Jeff Goodman Radford has hired VCU assistant Mike Jones. According to sources, Radford athletic director Robert Lineburg has tabbed Jones to succeed Brad Greenberg – who resigned last month following an NCAA investigation. A news conference is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Delaware’s Andrew Pierce: It Takes One Man to Believe

2011 CAA Football Spring/Summer Feature Series By Zach Burrus, CAA Communications (photos by Mark Campbell) Andrew Pierce had something to prove. The Delaware sophomore running back was overlooked by many coming out of his prep career at Cumberland Regional High School in New Jersey. Blue Hen head coach KC Keeler was not about to take a pass on Pierce, however, as he saw the untapped potential in the Bridgeton, N.J., product that many other coaches had failed to recognize. Keeler was undoubtedly vindicated in his decision. Few student-athletes make such an incredible and immediate impact on their teams as did Pierce, who had one of the greatest seasons by a Delaware runner in program history. He rushed for 1,655 yards and 14 touchdowns on 329 carries in addition to catching 32 passes for 199 yards and three scores en route to setting school records for carries in a season, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns in a season and yards rushing in a game (200 vs. Duquesne) and a season. Pierce definitively proved himself as one of the nation’s top rookie rushers with 110.5 yards per game and by finishing the year ranked second among rookies in all-purpose yards (123.0 yards per game) and fifth in scoring (6.8 points per game). His 1,655 yards rushing marked the second highest single-season total in program history. His long list of accomplishments on the field resulted in numerous awards for the one-time walk-on. Pierce was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Year, ECAC Rookie of the Year and Phil Steele National Freshman of the Year. He also earned All-America honors from Steele and College Sporting News and was just one of two freshmen nationally to be named All-Americans by The Sports Network. Pierce acknowledges he was a bit surprised by the extent of his postseason accolades, saying, “It was a surprise because I didn’t know how I would adjust to college football life and how hard it was going to be. It was really both a blessing and surprise.” He adds that being named the New Jersey Sportswriters Association’s College Running Back of the Year has been his greatest accomplishment thus far because he “felt that being recognized by the sportswriters as representing the state was a great honor.” With extensive accolades often comes mounting pressure to perform. Rather than focusing on any such outside pressure, however, Pierce is more focused on his team and what he needs to do to help the Hens get back to the top again this season. “I’ve now established myself as someone who is a leader, and I feel my role is to go 100% and do whatever it takes for the team to win every time I step onto that field. I just believe that if we work as hard as possible and do whatever we can possibly do this summer in camp, then we can have another great season. I just want to bring my team to the top and help the team work as hard as we possibly can to get to where we want to be this season.” Where the team wants to be is back in Frisco, Texas, and playing in the FCS Championship game for the second consecutive year. After the title eluded the Hens by a mere point this past season, the team is hungry for a return trip to the Lone Star State. Pierce explains, “Once you get a taste of it, you want to get back. I know this team has a bad taste in its mouth right now. We’ve been working throughout the winter and throughout spring ball with that bad taste in our mouths. We want to get back. That experience is something that you’ll never forget. We have a great team this year and we can get that bad taste out of our mouths by having a wonderful season and getting back.” Few will count Delaware out as a contender for the national crown in 2011. Nevertheless, a return to the playoffs means the squad will have to find similar success amidst an ever-rigorous CAA schedule. After earning a share of the conference title a year ago, Pierce and the Hens know fully well the level of play the team must bring week in and week out this fall. “In the CAA, it’s like a championship game every game. We have to play lights out throughout the conference season to get back to where we want to be. A lot of teams are great, but I believe that we can pull it out this year and have a great season. We just need to work harder than anybody else in the conference and bring a lot of fight because every game is going to be a tough out.” Despite any dreams he and the Hens may have for the coming season, Pierce understands the team’s need to take one game at a time. Yet, this certainly has not stopped him from setting his sights on life after college. A fitness management major who hopes to one day open his own gym, Pierce says his first priority is obtaining his degree. Yet, there is no doubt in his mind that he wants to continue his upstart football career in the professional ranks. He says, “My biggest goal is to make it to the NFL. It’s something that I would love to do. It’s a dream and hopefully I will get a chance to fulfill it.” NFL or not, one person who will always be there in Pierce’s corner will be his grandfather. Pierce says his grandpop is a big part of his personal drive and what has led to his substantial success in the sport. “My grandpop has been a true role model to me. He fought cancer for two years and has served as a great inspiration in my life. He was always there and always believed in me. I don’t think he has ever missed a game. When I was younger he always took me to practice and I used to make him take me to games two hours early so we could throw the football around. We didn’t have to be there early, but we did it anyway.” In addition to Delaware’s tradition of excellence in academics and in football, Pierce says staying close to home was an important factor in his decision to come to UD. He explains, “For him his grandpop to be able to come watch me play college football and to see him in the stands now watching me do something that I’ve dreamed about for so long is really cool. Him being there inspires me to play my best.” His grandpop has never ceased to believe in his grandson’s abilities on the gridiron. And anyone who has seen Pierce play would dare not disagree that he is going places in the sport. Something just tells me that in a few years his grandpop is going to have to travel a bit farther to see him play.

If You’re Blue And You Don’t Know Where To Go To…

We’re not very stylish at the home office. Puttin’ On The Ritz generally means “socks,” and anytime I’m dressed nicely you can bet The Beautiful One had a hand in it. But we’re thrilled to hear of UNCWs choice to go to the navy blue uniforms this season . The Dubmen broke them out only every now and again in years past, but those have always been the favorites in these parts. UNCW athletics director Jimmy Bass–is that not the perfect name for the AD of a southern school?–is also pushing a rebranding to “UNCW.” This is another move wholeheartedly approved by CAAHoops. First, we love its identifying nature. Like VCU instead of the horrible “Virginia Commonwealth,” UNCW tells you what you need to know. Second, four keystrokes is much easier. *** Dallas’s victory over Miami last night was significant. Most importantly it means the end of the NBA season. I’ll be headed out to Kroger for the cake and ice cream at lunch. However we also got to hear Northeastern’s JJ Barea name get called over and over. We love that because it’s the June version of the rest of the country seeing what we’ve already known. We remember Barea carving up Your Team’s defense in four-second possessions, or the greatest shoe kick in CAA tournament history. Now everybody gets a taste. Consider this, too. Gary Neal, Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders join Barea in the league. Matt Janning is on the cusp and I’m wagering will be back next season. This year’s draft may shake out Charles Jenkins, Jamie Skeen, and Cam Long. How about that? *** Some early Blue Ribbon nuggets. (The more work I do, the more nuggets will be uncovered.) Towson’s last CAA victory came in the 2010 CAA tournament over UNCW. Only eight players saw action for Towson last season. Paul Hewitt isn’t the only Georgia Tech coach who defected to the CAA. Georgia State associate head coach Darryl LaBarrie was on Hewitt’s staff last year. Hey, fourth place in our league gets you into the NCAA tournament, too. Plenty of room on the bandwagon. Drexel point guard Frantz Massenat had 102 assists and only 58 turnovers. As a freshman. If Ron Hunter coaches as fast as he talks, CAA teams are going to have a hard time keeping up. Hunter said on Friday that his Panthers will play “…pressure defense, about 6-7 per game, and make the game fast and play outside the three point line. That’s what my teams do.” Monte Ross calls freshman Khalid Lewis-El “a defensive menace,” and that Jamelle Hagins made a huge jump defensively from his FR to SOPH years. If Hagins can make that same jump offensively this year, he will be unstoppable. (Agree.)

Coombs-McDaniel Visits Hofstra; Missouri Next

By Jeff Goodman UConn transfer Jamal Coombs-McDaniel returned from a visit to Hofstra this past weekend and said he expects to take a trip to Missouri in the next couple of weeks and then decide between the pair. “I had a great trip,” Coombs-McDaniel told CBSSports.com. “The guys I met were terrific and I can’t speak enough about the entire coaching staff. I had a great overall experience.” The 6-foot-6 sophomore, who averaged 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game for the national champions this past season, will have to sit out this season and have two years left.

Uniform change to uniform name

Change in color scheme coming

Clipboard Conversations: Pat Skerry, Towson

Pat Skerry takes over a Towson program that needed a shot in the arm. By Justin Young National Hoops Report Follow @JustinDYoung Pat Skerry is the new head coach at Towson University. After successful stops at Rhode Island, Providence and Pittsburgh, the highly respected assistant coach is now jumping into the head coach’s chair this season with the Tigers. We talk about his team’s new floor , his vision for the job, the CAA, recruiting ( which is going well already ) and his staff in this week’s edition of Clipboard Conversations. NATIONAL HOOPS REPORT: Why Towson? What made this job stand out enough to say, ‘Hey, I want that gig.’? PAT SKERRY: “It’s a great league and it is hard to get jobs. I felt like I had a super job at Pittsburgh working for coach Dixon. I was a head coach when I was 26 at a Division III school before I jumped into Division I and I feel like my background is all about going into places that needs energy pumped into them or where it needs a new roster. This situation reminds me of when I was at Rhode Island. Not that it was bad but when this thing came about I was certainly excited about it. “We have a great campus, a new A.D., a great recruiting base and in two years we will have a brand new facility which we desperately needed. That’s going to allow us to compete with anyone in the conference. I thought there were a lot of positives.” NHR: After winning four games the entire season last year, we’ve heard more positive news about Towson basketball in the last four weeks than the entire season as a whole. With your hiring, a splash in recruiting and a new floor certainly helps. How much of your initial push with the Tigers is about positive marketing? PS: “No question. It starts with good players. Obviously, coach Kennedy is a terrific head coach over his career. I have a good feel for what it takes to be successful at this level and I have the support of our athletic director Mike Waddell. I’m not worried about what happened. I’m moving forward. To me it is all about your relationships. Do they trust you? Do they believe in you? My thing is this – I’m not going to be one of those coaches that says I’m the head coach and I’m just going to coach. I told this people that I’m going to recruit like I’m an assistant. We are going to go out and get the best players we can get and get them to play hard as hell.” NHR: Let’s talk about this new floor you guys have going on there at Towson. PS: “Whether is it marketing or outside the box, whatever it is, it is good for us. We have to promote our brand and our name. The floor has given us some good publicity. We are with Under Armour and they do some really creative stuff for us, jersey wise. The new arena is great. The logos, whatever. But we are going to play different, too, now. All of that stuff is all about the changes. That’s what I’m encouraged about.” NHR: There have been a lot of coaches that have worked for Jamie Dixon that have moved onto head coaching positions after being an assistant for him. What is it about him that allows for that kind of career change for assistant coaches? PS: “Obviously his track record speaks for itself. He’s incredibly driven. His focus for his system works. He’s had more success than anyone in terms of record in the Big East over the last decade. I think there’s a lot that you can take from him to give yourself a chance to win night in and night out. I kind of feel like I’ve been fortunate to work for him, who’s been the National Coach of the Year. I worked for Keno Davis, who was the National Coach of the Year. I’ve worked for Jim Barron won the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year more than anyone in the history of that conference. And I’ve worked with Tom Herrion, who is one of my closest friends, and he has been successful at Charleston and Marshall. You try to take some things from everybody.” NHR: Tell me about your staff. Can you talk about each of them and what they bring to the table? PS: “I had a clear vision to how I wanted to build my staff. I wanted someone who I had worked with and I wanted someone who had been a head coach before. I got that with Kevin Clark. We worked together for three years at Rhode Island. He was a head coach at the Division III level and he recruited me out of high school. He was the interim head coach at St. John’s for a year. He’s a veteran guy that I can lean on with the day to day stuff. “Then I wanted to get two well-connected guys that can be recruiters. Kenny Johnson comes over from Nike Team Takeover. He’s as good of an AAU coach as you’ll find in the country. They just went 15-0 in the spring AAU schedule. He’s well-respected and a good high school coach. He has his molecular biology degree from Maryland. I’ve known Kenny for a while. I know people have been trying to hire him for a while now. I’m happy that he’s on board. He is really connected to this neck of the woods. “Luke Murray reminds me a lot of myself from 10-15 years ago, only smarter. He’s a good, young coach. He’s worked for really good coaches in Dan Hurley, Sean Miller, Tom Moore. We became pretty close from his time with the New England Playaz. “We connected ourselves pretty well from New England all the way down to the Carolinas. Our operations guy, Duane Simpkins is another Maryland guy. He played at Maryland and played at DeMatha. He was a successful high school at St. Albans. “I’m pumped up about them all. Hopefully they can get some good players so I can fool everyone to make it look like I know what I’m doing.” NHR: You went to Tufts. Kenny has his degree in molecular biology. The rest of your staff are pretty smart guys. Are you guys sitting in the back of the bus this season talking about dissecting atoms or something? PS: “I don’t know how smart I am. I think Tufts was pretty easy to get into school when I went there. I think we have a good staff that are intelligent guys. We have to get involved with guys. I think these guys are hungry and get that. I want to be able to have players like that, the kind that have a chip on their shoulders and want to work every day. When you are trying to build something, you have to approach it that way. We have to change our mindsets, our habits. That’s how you build a culture. Our mindset has to be that we are going to battle. We are going to compete everyday whether that’s in practice, with recruiting, in the classroom. We have to do it across the board. That’s what we have to do in our league if we want to win.” NHR: What’s the overall footprint of the style of play you want to run? What are we expecting to see this year from Towson? PS: “Hopefully a winning style. Here’s what I know we have to do. In our conference games last year, we gave up 50 percent from twos and we were last in the league in the conference from three. We have to guard, rebound and get tougher mentally. There’s no disputing that. We are going to work on some things that we did at Pittsburgh that allows our guys great freedom and comfort on offense. We’ve got to develop a mindset of getting stops. You can’t be last across the board in those numbers and expect to win.” NHR: You are driving back from the CAA meetings right now. What did you learn at those meetings? PS: “I learned we have a big time conference. I left there pumped up and felt very honored that I’m coaching in this league. Then I felt very nervous because there are a lot of great programs and great coaches. That’s the bad thing. The good thing is that we are in a great league. The CAA is going to be a three or four bid league now. Its as good if not better than the Atlantic 10. You’ve had two teams go to the Final Four in the last six years. That’s unprecedented at the so-called mid-major level. You could make an argument that you have a better chance of making it to the NCAA tournament at our place than being one of those bottom three or four schools at a high-major.” ARCHIVES OF CLIPBOARD CONVERSATIONS

Former Arizona guard Jones transferring to Iona

Former Rice High School and University of Arizona point guard Lamont “MoMo” Jones is transferring to Iona.

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