RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - The VCU Rams are ready for this year's CAA tournament...but they will have to wait a day for their first game.
VCU has the number two seed and will play the winner of Northeastern and William and Mary on Saturday at 6pm.
Drexel has the league's top seed and will play at noon on Saturday. George Mason is number 3 and two-time defending tournament champs Old Dominion is the fourth seed.
The CAA also handed out their post season awards on Thursday night.
Below is a summary of the event from the CAA:
RICHMOND, Va. (March 1, 2012) – George Mason senior forward Ryan Pearson (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Christ the King) was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball Player of the Year in voting by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media. The announcement was made Thursday night at the league’s pre-tournament awards banquet in Richmond, Va.
Also receiving top honors were Drexel’s Bruiser Flint as the CAA Coach of the Year, Drexel freshman guard Damion Lee (Owings Mills, Md./St. Thomas More) as the CAA Rookie of the Year and Old Dominion senior guard Kent Bazemore (Kelford, N.C./Bertie) as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year. Georgia State senior Jihad Ali (Atlanta, Ga./Martin Luther King) and William and Mary senior Quinn McDowell (Mason, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) were recipients of the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.
Pearson is the first George Mason player to earn CAA Player of the Year honors since George Evans in 2001. The senior forward was the league’s third-leading scorer with 17.8 points per game and reached double figures in 27 of 31 contests. Pearson also ranked fifth in the conference with 8.5 rebounds per game and was seventh in field goal percentage (50.5%). He was Mason’s leading scorer in 22 of 31 games, topped the team in rebounding 19 times and recorded 12 double-doubles. A two-time All-CAA selection, Pearson ranks fifth on Mason’s all-time scoring list with 1,616 points and is ninth in career rebounds with 799. He is one of only four players in school history with more than 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 100 assists and 100 steals in a career.
Flint guided Drexel to its most regular-season wins in school history with a 25-5 mark. The Dragons claimed their first CAA regular-season title with a 16-2 record by reeling off 16 consecutive victories after an 0-2 start. Drexel enters this weekend’s CAA championship on a school-record 17-game winning streak, which is the second-longest in the nation behind only top-ranked Kentucky. It’s the fourth CAA Coach of the Year award for Flint, who also received the honor in 2002, 2004 and 2009.
Lee is the second Drexel player to receive CAA Rookie of the Year honors, joining Chris Fouch in 2010. The freshman guard was the Dragons’ second-leading scorer with 12.4 points per game, ranked third in assists (53) and was fourth in rebounding (4.2 rpg). He scored double digits 19 times and topped the 20-point mark four times. Lee, who drained a team-high 54 three-pointers, was sixth in the CAA in 3-point field goal percentage (38%), ninth in field goal percentage (45.7%) and 13th in free throw percentage (77.3%).
Bazemore earned CAA Defensive Player of the Year accolades for the second straight season. The senior guard ranked second in the conference and 24th in the nation with 67 steals. He made two or more thefts in 20 of 31 games, including seven in a victory over Big East foe South Florida. Bazemore, who topped the conference in steals in 2010 and 2011, ranks third on the CAA’s all-time steals with 243. The first-team All-CAA selection also led the Monarchs in scoring with 15.3 points per game and was second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg).
Ali is the first Georgia State player to receive the Ehlers Award, which is presented annually to the men’s basketball student-athlete who “embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with his academic athletic achievement.” The senior guard led the Panthers and ranked 13th in the CAA in scoring with 13.0 points per game, and was also 14th in the conference in rebounding (5.8 rpg). McDowell is the first two-time recipient of the Ehlers Award. The senior guard/forward topped the Tribe in scoring with 12.7 points per game this season and is just the fourth player in William & Mary history with more than 1,500 points (1,615) and 500 rebounds (596) in a career.
Joining Mason’s Pearson and ODU’s Bazemore on the All-CAA first team were VCU senior guard/forward Bradford Burgess (Midlothian, Va./Benedictine), Drexel sophomore guard Frantz Massenat (Ewing, N.J./Trenton Catholic), and UNCW junior forward Keith Rendleman (Iron Station, N.C./East Lincoln).
Burgess led the Rams in scoring with 13.5 points per game and was the team’s second-leading rebounder (5.2 rpg). Burgess, who has started all 141 collegiate games, is one of only three VCU players with more than 1,600 points and 700 rebounds in a career. Massenat, who was a member of the CAA All-Rookie team a year ago, led the Dragons with 13.5 points per game from the point guard spot and was also third in the conference in assists (4.5 apg). He led the league in 3-point field goal percentage (46.6%) and shot 80.8% from the free throw line. Rendleman topped UNCW and was fifth in the CAA in scoring with 15.6 points per game and was second in the conference and 12th in the nation in rebounding (10.5 rpg). He has recorded 16 double-doubles this season, which is tied for the 6th-best total in the nation.
Earning second-team All-CAA honors were Old Dominion senior forward Chris Cooper (10.6 ppg/10.3 rpg), Drexel senior forward Samme Givens (11.7 ppg/7.8 rpg), Delaware junior forward Jamelle Hagins (12.7 ppg/11.3 rpg), Hofstra senior guard Mike Moore (20.0 ppg/4.6 rpg) and Delaware sophomore guard Devon Saddler (18.7 ppg/4.1 rpg).
Named to the All-CAA third team were Georgia State senior guard Jihad Ali (13.0 ppg/5.8 rpg), Georgia State senior forward Eric Buckner (10.8 ppg/7.0 rpg), James Madison senior guard Humpty Hitchens (15.0 ppg/2.3 rpg), Northeastern junior guard Jonathan Lee (14.6 ppg/4.0 rpg), VCU sophomore forward Juvonte Reddic (10.8 ppg/7.0 rpg) and VCU junior guard Darius Theus (8.6 ppg/4.7 apg).
2011-12 CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL AWARD WINNERS
First Team All-CAA Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion Sr. G 6-5 195 Kelford, N.C./Bertie
Bradford Burgess, VCU Sr. G/F 6-6 225 Midlothian, Va./Benedictine
Frantz Massenat, Drexel So. G 6-4 185 Ewing, N.J./Trenton Catholic
Ryan Pearson, George Mason Sr. F 6-6 237 Far Rockaway, N.Y./Christ the King
Keith Rendleman, UNCW Jr. F 6-8 213 Iron Station, N.C./East Lincoln
Second Team All-CAA Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Chris Cooper, Old Dominion Sr. F 6-9 230 Dumfries, Va./Forest Park
Samme Givens, Drexel Sr. F 6-5 220 Philadelphia, Pa./Acad. of the New Church
Jamelle Hagins, Delaware Jr. F 6-9 240 Roanoke, Va./William Fleming
Mike Moore, Hofstra Sr. G 6-5 200 New Haven, Conn./Hillhouse
Devon Saddler, Delaware So. G 6-2 205 Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen/Winchendon Prep
Third Team All-CAA Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Jihad Ali, Georgia State Sr. G 6-5 200 Atlanta, Ga./Martin Luther King
Eric Buckner, Georgia State Sr. F 6-10 203 Ehrhardt, S.C./Bamberg-Ehrhardt
Humpty Hitchens, James Madison Sr. G 5-9 185 Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe
Jonathan Lee, Northeastern Jr. G 6-2 200 Flint, Mich./Flint Carmen-Ainworth
Juvonte Reddic, VCU So. F 6-9 235 Winston-Salem, N.C./Quality Education Acad.
Darius Theus, VCU Jr. G 6-3 200 Portsmouth, Va./I.C. Norcom
2012 CAA Player of the Year – Ryan Pearson, George Mason
2012 CAA Coach of the Year – Bruiser Flint, Drexel
2012 CAA Rookie of the Year – Damion Lee, Drexel
2012 CAA Defensive Player of the Year – Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
2012 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award – Jihad Ali, Georgia State and Quinn McDowell, William and Mary
CAA All-Rookie Team Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Quincy Ford, Northeastern Fr. G/F 6-8 212 St. Petersburg, Fla./Gibbs
Damion Lee, Drexel Fr. G 6-6 190 Owings Mills, Md./St. Thomas More
Adam Smith, UNCW Fr. G 6-1 161 Jonesboro, Ga./Fayette County
Marcus Thornton, William & Mary Fr. G 6-4 170 Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara
Jarvis Threatt, Delaware Fr. G 6-2 170 Highland Springs, Va./Highland Springs
CAA All-Defensive Team Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion Sr. G 6-5 195 Kelford, N.C./Bertie
Eric Buckner, Georgia State Sr. F 6-10 203 Ehrhardt, S.C./Bamberg-Ehrhardt
Jamelle Hagins, Delaware Jr. F 6-9 240 Roanoke, Va./William Fleming
Robert Nwankwo, Towson Sr. C 6-8 220 Hyattsville, Md./Parkdale
Briante Weber, VCU Fr. G 6-3 160 Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge
CAA All-Academic First Team Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Jihad Ali, Georgia State Sr. G 6-5 200 Atlanta, Ga./Martin Luther King
Trian Iliadis, Old Dominion Sr. G 6-3 185 Perth, Western Australia/Trinity College
Quinn McDowell, William & Mary Sr. G/F 6-6 215 Mason, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller
Dwan McMillan, Hofstra Sr. G 6-0 180 Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Benedict’s
Tim Rusthoven, William & Mary So. F 6-9 230 Winfield, Ill./Wheaton Academy
CAA All-Academic Second Team Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Brandon Britt, William & Mary So. G 6-1 182 Chesapeake, Va./Atlantic Shores Christian
James Fields, Georgia State Sr. G 6-4 182 Savannah, Ga./Urban Christian
Erique Gumbs, Towson So. F 6-9 230 Newark, Del./Caravel Academy
Jonathan Lee, Northeastern Jr. G 6-2 200 Flint, Mich./Flint Carmen-Ainworth
Tanner Milson, UNCW So. G 6-3 190 Cedar Hill, Texas/Cedar Hill
CAA All-Academic Hon. Mention Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Rob Brandenberg, VCU So. G 6-2 180 Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln
Kyle Gaillard, William & Mary Jr. F 6-8 220 Huntersville, N.C./North Mecklenburg
Matt Grogan, Hofstra Jr. G 6-5 195 Middle Village, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy
Fred Heldring, William & Mary So. F 6-9 240 Winnetka, Ill./New Trier
Doug Howard, William & Mary Jr. G 5-9 160 Leesburg, Va./Flint Hill
Anton Larsen, Old Dominion So. F 7-0 240 Copenhagen, Denmark/Oster Farimagsgades
Jacob Lerner, Drexel So. G 6-2 190 Philadelphia, Pa./Abington Friends
Stevan Manojlovic, Drexel So. G 6-5 197 Toronto, Ontario/Martingrove Collegiate Inst
Andrew Pavloff, William & Mary Jr. F 6-9 250 Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit
Ryan Pierson, Northeastern So. F/C 6-10 235 St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers
Gene Swindle, James Madison Jr. C 6-11 260 Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep
Will Townsville, Delaware Jr. G 6-3 180 Newark, Del./Glasgow
