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CAA Tournament Preview

March Madness is almost here and Richmond is once again playing host to the Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball championship. Twelve teams from up and down the East Coast will vie for the coveted CAA trophy and a chance to make their way up the NCAA tournament ladder to the Final Four.

In recent years, thanks to the success of past CAA champions in the national tournament, the CAA has garnered a lot of attention as a rising mid-major conference. This year, expect similar if not increased attention by the national media.

To help get you in the March Madness spirit for the tournament, we are taking an in depth look at each of the 12 teams in the CAA.

This time, we take a glance at the George Mason University Patriots and the Georgia State University Panthers.

George Mason University

Record through March 3: 20-10 overall (12-6 in conference)



Coach: Jim Larranaga



Player to watch: Who don't you watch. Forward Will Thomas (No. 34), who is averaging a double-double numbers this season, is one of the frontrunners for CAA player of the year. Guard/forward Folarin Campbell is averaging 15.4 points a game and is shooting almost .400 from the three-point line. Junior John Vaughn is averaging 13.5 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the floor.



Season summary: At 12-1, they are amazing at home. On the road, however, not so much. On the other hand, when they lost their conference games they didn't lose by much. They still have a few games left that will decide who gets second place in the CAA, but they had a great season overall.

How they'll win: Do what they do best – share the ball. They have three players each averaging more than 13 points per game. They also have three players making almost 40 percent of their three-pointers. Add some strong, fast defense and these boys will be tough to stop.

Reality check: Larranaga is in his 11th season for a good reason. He has done some amazing recruiting and has harnessed some really amazing talent. As for the tournament, while they don't do so great away from their home court, GMU fans travel very well and will make the Patriots feel at home in the Coliseum. Expect to see a lot of green and yellow in the stands, a team with high morale and a lot of points on the board. They'll go quite deep in the tourney.

 

The inside scoop: Damien Sordelett, sports director for Connect Mason, Connect2Mason.com, says : "Hopefully they will have the success that they had last year and will play well. This will all hinge on how they do in the last two home games of the season. One thing that is going against Mason is that they have not played well on the road this year. By playing outside the Patriot Center I don't know how they are going to react to that, especially if they have to play VCU again."

 

Georgia State University

Record through March 3: 9-20 overall (5-13 in conference)



Coach: Rod Barnes



Player to watch: Though their record is pretty dismal this season, junior guard No. 21 Leonard Mendez has carried the team through its eight victories. Last season he led the CAA in three-point field goal percentage though he is equally effective from long range. This year he is averaging 16 points per game and is shooting 43 percent field goals. Don't count out No. 32 Justin Billingslea though. He is currently shooting 48.8 percent from the floor.



Season summary: Awful is too strong of a word, but it's hard to find another adjective to describe Georgia State's season. They started the season with three straight blowout losses. And it just went downhill from there. They did, however, score an amazing victory over George Mason in January. Besides that, they had a tough year.

How they'll win: Just like they did every other time they won this year – give the ball to Mendez. He was the leading scorer in 18 of the Panther's games this year and he'll probably carry the team throughout the tournament this year, that is if they make it out of the first round.

Reality check: They have lost five of their last seven games. While Georgia State proved they can pull off an upset when they beat Mason this season, their chances don't look hopeful for the tournament.

 

The inside scoop: Dave Cohen, broadcast coordinator for Georgia State, says : "Each of the first two years [Georgia State has played in the tournament] we have won a first round game. The first year we beat Towson and then we came oh so close to bursting what became the George Mason bubble because they beat us in overtime. If we had hit a free throw late it would have put us up by three or four points. ... What I have found in the first two years in this tournament with Georgia State being one of the lower seeds is that you just never know. Other than Old Dominion and our game at Hofstra, we have been in every game. We have lost a lot of close games this year. But we are kind of a scary team because we have the ability. The one team that worries me a little bit is if we draw Old Dominion in the first round. We just haven't ever played well against them."

 

2008 CAA Tournament Reading Room: