We’ll get to today’s action later–but if you have a full day today keep in mind Nor’easter tips off at 3:00pm on ESPNU against St. Mary’s. I’m willing to put aside, for two hours, my jealousy that they are in Hawaii and I am still shoveling snow.

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Perhaps specificity is in order when asking Karma for an ugly game. The thinking was more along the lines of 62-48, not this. After announcing a lopsided score into our kitchen, something like 24-5 or 38-12, the reply was “what’s Bruiser doing?”

When the answer was “nothing; his head is in his hands” we knew there was big trouble. Bruiser only yells when Drexel stands a chance. And if you watched the full game, did DeMarcus Cousins really have 18 points and 13 rebounds in 14 minutes?

This one was also ugly. Of note for the half-full set: Chaz Williams started, played 38 minutes, shot as many times as Chuck (15), and scored 14 points. His freshman season is looking like the mountain climbing guy on Price is Right. However, zero assists and six turnovers is very freshman.

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Notes from the home office:

• Predictably, the POW is Give ‘Em Hell Denzel Bowles from JMU. You put 37/15 on a rec league team and you deserve an honor. His line mate Darren White shares the ROW award with Kelvin McNeil from Delaware.
• White’s third 20-point effort of the year (22 against Gardner-Webb) went with eight rebounds. White leads all CAA freshmen in scoring with 11.8 ppg. McNeil put a 13/13 double-double on Vermont in the Hens 56-50 win. The Fightin’ Montays deserve some credit as that isn’t an easy place to go win.
• ODU was named the mid major team of the week by Jeff Goodman for its upset of Georgetown. (Not an upset if you listen to Blaine.) We like Goodman and the national pub is nice, but this honor is a little like being named the Applebee’s Chef of the Week, no?
• Four CAA teams are ranked in the top 56 of the latest RPI report compiled by Collegiate Basketball News through games of Dec. 20. William & Mary leads all CAA squads with an RPI of 14, followed by VCU at 19, Hofstra at 40 and Old Dominion at 56. The CAA is ranked #11 among the nation’s 32 Division I conferences.
• William & Mary received 11 points in this week’s ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll and three points in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. W&M has received votes for three striaght weeks after not having gotten votes in the national polls since 1977-78. The Tribe, which has beaten Wake Forest (8-2), Richmond (8-3) and VCU (7-2), is the third different CAA team to receive votes in the Top 25 this season, joining ODU, which also got a vote this week, and VCU.
• This is crazy to consider: Six CAA teams are ranked among the top 45 in the nation in 3-point FG defense and four of the top 12. Georgia State is leading the nation (23%). VCU is 3rd (23.4%), UNC Wilmington is 8th (25%), Hofstra is 12th (26.0%), ODU is 22nd (27.7%) and JMU is 45th (29.5%).
• In noncon action, the conference went 9-3 last week. With last night’s 0-2 the CAA is 56-51 overall, with five victories coming against teams in major conferences.
• Cam Long leads Mason in scoring (12.8 ppg) and assists (27) and is coming off a 22-point effort in a win over Creighton. Six of Mason’s top seven scorers are freshmen or sophomores, led by Ryan Pearson (10.6 ppg/team-high 6.1 rpg) and Luke Hancock (10.2 ppg/4.5 rpg). Andre Cornelius is shooting 46.9% from 3-point range after hitting only 32.4% last season.
• Georgia State has held its opponents to under 40% FG shooting seven times in the last nine games. GSU ranks second in the CAA in FG percentage defense (38.3%) and scoring defense (57.2 ppg) and tops the NATIONin 3-pt defense (23.5%). After playing nine of its first 11 games on the road, GSU continues a four-game homestand against Georgia Southern on Tuesday.
• Going into last night’s game against Davidson, Hofstra’s four losses were to teams with a combined record of 35-4. Now, that’s five losses with a combined 39-12 record.
• More Bob Nwankwo: he leads the CAA in rebounding (11.3 rpg) and FG percentage (66.7%) and ranks second in blocked shots (3.0 bpg).
• More weaponry: The Fightin’ Pugs have been awfully impressive. Duh. It could get better. They’ve started fast without getting much from Danny Sumner, and getting nothing from Kendrix Brown (injured). Both seem to be back now, and the Vassar scrimmage may help confidence. Sumner tallied 15 points in 19 minutes and Brown added a season-high 10 points and four assists.