Monarchs are the choice to reign over conference

WASHINGTON

The Colonial Athletic Association is feeling pretty good about itself.

As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, the league is acknowledged as the nation's top Football Championship Subdivision Conference, boasting two of the last five national champions and four teams in this week's top 10.

But the CAA made its bones as a men's basketball conference, and that's what was celebrated Tuesday at the annual media day.

And at an event where the talk was of all the CAA's returning talent and the possibility of multiple NCAA tournament bids, no team was talked up more than Old Dominion.

As expected, the Monarchs were picked to win the conference in a vote of media, coaches and sports information directors.

"Was it unanimous?" Drexel coach Bruiser Flint asked. "I can't imagine anyone picking anyone else."

Vote totals were not released, but in a year when the CAA is on a clear upswing, the Monarchs are regarded as clear favorites.

"Not only do they have talented players, but they have experienced players," Hofstra coach Tom Pecora said.

ODU returns five starters and 10 lettermen from a team that went 25-10 and won the Collegeinsider.com tournament. They're led by senior Gerald Lee, who was chosen as preseason co-Player of the Year along with Charles Jenkins of Hofstra.

"Gerald is a marquee player, and if you look at the people who've been in the upper end of our standings, they've had marquee players," ODU coach Blaine Taylor said.

Lee is one of several in the conference. The CAA returns 70 percent of its starters, including 2008 all-conference picks Lee, Jenkins and Matt Janning of Northeastern. Second-teamer Larry Sanders of VCU is also back.

Northeastern, picked second, returns four starters. Defending champ VCU, picked third, also returns four.

All the returning talent has coaches talking of the CAA receiving at least two bids to the NCAA tournament, as it did in 2006 and 2007.

"All leagues run in cycles," Flint said. "This is one of those years when we've got a lot of experienced players who have grown up together."

George Mason coach Jim Larranaga predicted that by Jan. 1, the conference will have five or six teams "not just in the top 100, but in the top 50" of the RPI.

"The league is as strong or stronger than in 2005-06," when George Mason reached the Final Four and four others won at least 24 games, Larranaga said.

ODU is expected to be the strongest of the bunch, with the biggest and deepest team in the CAA. In a sign of ODU's depth, Lee was the only player selected to the first or second preseason all-conference team. Forward Ben Finney received honorable mention.

"That's what makes them good: You can't focus on one or two guys," Northeastern coach Bill Coen said. "You don't know who is going to beat you."

The young Monarchs closed with a flourish last spring, winning 14 of their final 16 games and playing until late March.

"We came out with a pretty positive mojo about what we can do," Taylor said.

As well as postseason experience that Taylor hopes will serve his team well in a conference looking to return to its basketball glory days.

"A young team can climb in the standings, but it's very difficult for a young team to win the whole ball of wax," he said.

Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com