The Assignment: The 2012-2013 Northeastern Huskies were historically successful. Seniors Joel Smith (First Team All-CAA) and Jon Lee (Third Team All-CAA) were irreplaceable parts of that historic run. Explain how a bigger, and still skilled Northeastern team can keep pace in the CAA in ’13-’14.

***

After trimming rival Boston U and Princeton with game-winning heroics in the final seconds of the first two games of the season, we knew the Northeastern Huskies were in for a special season.

We came to expect late-game heroics from the Cardiac Canines (or Hypertension Huskies, if you will). Double-digit comebacks were the norm, highlighted by a 24-point comeback against George Mason on Semifinal Sunday. It was the largest comeback in the program’s 93-year history.

It was the quintessential example of senior point guard Jon Lee’s greatness, as Lee drove the right side of the paint and banked home the game-winner to complete the comeback. A senior knows when there’s nothing open, you’ve got to “put your head down and drive.”

Winning on the opponent’s floor was commonplace, as Northeastern tied for the nation’s fourth-best winning percentage (11-4, .733), a direct product of spending Thanksgiving in Alaska. The Huskies led the CAA in steals (259) and 3-pointers (231), and were masterful at capitalizing off turnovers. They were superb from the foul line (75.3%), including a 27-of-27 showing at Georgia State in February.

This isn’t to say that the Huskies’ games weren’t close — 23 of Northeastern’s 33 games were decided by seven points or less. It came down to the fact that, on a given night, the odds favored Lee and Joel Smith outplaying the opposition down the stretch. A 20-point win over George Mason on January 27th put Northeastern at 8-0 in conference. The Huskies started 12-1 in league play, and coasted to their first conference title in 20 years.

Smith in particular was an ace in every sense of the word. When Lee missed the season’s first nine games, the veteran Smith stabilized the Huskies’ young core. When Lee returned, Smith continued to be the number one option on offense. Smith averaged a career-high 16.1 points per game and earned All-CAA First Team honors.

Smith led the CAA in effective field goal percentage (61%), points per shot (1.3) and true shooting percentage (65.7%). Smith hit 86 3-pointers, which established a new single-season record at Northeastern.

But near the end of that 12^th conference win, Smith suffered an ankle injury. He missed a game and was ineffective in the next few, before finishing the season strongly. Somewhere along the line, Smith suffered major ACL damage, but you wouldn’t have known it from watching him play. Smith was forced to miss Northeastern’s NIT game against Alabama.

There’s really no replacing the Lee and Smith’s talent and leadership, but the cupboard is far from bare in Boston. A team that had the CAA’s highest-scoring offense last year will make strides in other areas. Last year, the Huskies’ 3-2 zone gave many teams problems, but was ultimately average (68.3) in terms of points allowed. Additionally, Coen’s teams have been among the bottom 50 rebounding teams in five of his seven seasons in Boston.

Next season, with the addition of St. Francis transfer Scott Eatherton (14 points, 7 boards in ’11-’12), as well as redshirt freshman Kwesi Abakah, the Huskies will suddenly boast one of the biggest frontlines in the conference. The added length will give them a chance to clog up more passing lanes, and maintain high steal percentages.

Additionally, the Huskies should be a much better rebounding team. Coen has assembled possibly his biggest frontcourt to date, and just in time for the departure of George Mason and Old Dominion. Obviously when you’ve got a super efficient offensive group, there simply aren’t as many rebounds to grab, but boasting a bigger frontcourt will allow Northeastern to pull in more than 18.5 defensive rebounds (340th) per game.

The question will be how big of a jump rising junior Quincy Ford can make. Last season, back issues limited his effectiveness down the stretch, but playing alongside Eatherton and redshirt freshman Kwesi Abakah should alleviate the pressure on Ford to contribute down low. At 6’8″, Ford is a huge mismatch when playing on the wing. Ford averaged 12.2 points per game, a number that should jump considerably this year.

Last season, rising junior Reggie Spencer had the task of guarding the opponents’ big man. At 6’7”, it was a tough assignment to play alongside Rendleman and Hagins on the low block. With Eatherton and Abakah on roster, Spencer should get more breaks, which will help him avoid the late-season slide he experienced last year. He’s a true power forward who will be a double-double threat each night.

Rising sophomore David Walker will step in as Northeastern’s floor general. Having played alongside an experienced leader like Lee should do wonders for the 6’6″ Walker, who earned All-Rookie Team honors. Walker had the second-most steals of any Husky (1.3 per game) last season. As one of the biggest guards in the CAA, his length will create the easy turnovers that helped the Huskies build their leads last year.

Walker will bide time with junior Marco Banegas-Flores. When Lee was sidelined in the first nine games, Banegas-Flores received valuable playing time. The emergence of Walker relegated Banegas-Flores to bench duty, but the rising junior point guard had a career-high 10 points in the CAA Championship. He got to the rim easily, which will be a welcome skill on a team that can space the floor will multiple talented shooters.

One of those shooters, Demetrius Pollard, is the guy who hit the game-winning three against Boston U. Pollard shot 36.3% from three, and averaged 5.6 points in his 16.4 minutes per game. When Smith missed the Delaware game, Pollard played a career-high 41 minutes, but shot just 1-of-8 from the field. For Pollard, consistency is the key to more playing time.

Zach Stahl is a versatile wing who plays bigger than his 6’5” 200-pound frame. He’s a strong shooter who played stretches at the four last season. Now that the Huskies will boast a much bigger frontline, expect Stahl to see more minutes at the two and the three.

He didn’t play as much as classmates Walker and Stahl, but I expect Derrico Peck to find the floor a lot more next season. After playing 22 minutes against Belmont in the Great Alaskan Shootout, Peck didn’t play double-digit minutes again until the CAA Championship, when he provided a huge spark in Northeastern’s comeback efforts. Peck finished with a career-high eight points in 13 minutes.

Northeastern is set to bring in three freshmen. Pflugerville, Texas’s TJ Williams has grown from a diminutive 5’7” guard into a 6’3″ steal. Unfortunately for Williams, that growth spurt came with an assortment of nagging injuries which have limited his court time over the past few seasons. That may have been Coen’s gain, as many people in the Longhorn State think Williams is another steal in a long line of Coen recruits.

In early May, Northeastern received commitments from 6’6” small forward Jimmy Marshall and 6’2” guard CJ Hill. Marshall is a sharpshooter who can spread the floor. Hill is a late-blooming combo guard who should be an immediate contributor on defense. Both are Virginia natives.

Chris Avenant will be the Huskies’ only senior next season. Thus, Northeastern won’t have the veteran presence it had last season, but will be far from bereft in talent. Northeastern will still be among the best three-point shooting teams in the CAA, and should be a better defensive and rebounding squad. The Huskies will push to remain in the top half of the league this year, and will be one of the favorites to win the CAA heading in ’14-’15.

The Assignment: During James Madison’s CAA Championship run, four seniors accounted for 75% of the team’s scoring. Using statistical evidence, show what those seniors meant to the Dukes. Then, describe why the future is bright for Matt Brady’s program.

***

After coaching the CAA’s Most Injured Team for four years, James Madison head coach Matt Brady finally caught a bit of a break. Years of consistent ailments allowed the Dukes to put six seniors (five redshirts) on a roster that formed the NCAA’s most experienced team.

Although no player managed to play all 36 of JMU’s games, everything culminated at the right time, and allowed Brady to guide the Dukes to their first CAA Championship since 1994.

Aside from relative health, there was one big difference between last year’s JMU team, and the JMU team from Brady’s first four years: the CAA champs played defense. JMU’s CAA-best defense allowed 60.8 points during conference play. JMU averaged 11.1 turnovers per game (23rd in D-I) and just 9.8 in CAA play. JMU averaged 7.6 steals per game, and was at its best in transition.

Next season Brady, the recent recipient of a well-earned four-year contract extension, will find out what it’s like to coach with a roster chock full of freshmen and sophomores. For Madison, ’13-’14 will be Year One A.D. — the year After Devon.

Fifth-year senior point guard Devon Moore led the CAA in assists (4.9 per game) and shot a career-high 39.3% from three. Moore became JMU’s all-time assist leader on Senior Day, and finished his career with 502 dimes. When you consider everything else that’s gone on in his life, Moore’s on-court performance was all the more impressive.

And JMU wouldn’t have reached its potential without a midseason turnaround from uber-athletic wing AJ Davis. Starting with a 27-point outburst on February 6^th, Davis averaged 20.5 points over JMU’s final 10 conference games. He shot 50% or better eight times in that run. Davis averaged 20.7 points in the CAA Tournament, and received the Most Outstanding Player Award.

Davis has always had a knack for jaw-dropping dunks, but coach Brady would argue that it was his extra effort on the defensive end that made the difference. Although his end of the year statistics might not show it, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that Davis wasn’t one of the CAA’s most talented players. His supreme athleticism was rare for this league.

Senior power forward Rayshawn Goins was JMU’s rock in the post, and carried the team through the nonconference season. The big man scuffled through the tail end of conference play, but responded with a big time performance in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament. Goins was downright dominant in the first half of the CAA Championship against Northeastern.

While he didn’t post the same offensive statistics as his teammates, senior forward Alioune Diouf was critical to JMU’s late season success. The 6’5″ Diouf was often turned to as JMU’s number one post defender, and played a huge part in JMU’s CAA Championship win. It’s a shame that years of playing on injury-riddled teams deprived the 21-year-old Diouf of an opportunity to redshirt.

Make no mistake, the ’12-’13 Dukes were guided to the NCAA Tournament by their seniors. But if you watched them play in the Big Dance, you understand the significant optimism surrounding the future of this basketball program.

In JMU’s First Round victory over LIU-Brooklyn, freshman Andre Nation became just the ninth player since 1986 to accrue at least 14 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and four assists in an NCAA Tournament game. Seven of the eight players on that list went on to play in the NBA, with Shaquille O’Neal and Joakim Noah being the two headliners.

The 6’5″ Nation can handle the ball, and was the catalyst for JMU’s fast break offense. Nation, who played a prep year before enrolling at JMU, has an advanced feel for defense, and an offensive game that will continue to grow. In JMU’s final game of the season, Nation netted a career-high 24 points against Indiana. He’s a dark horse candidate for CAA Defensive Player of the Year.

Fellow freshman Charles Cooke averaged 16.5 points in JMU’s two NCAA Tournament games, including a career-high 18 points against Indiana. It was the first time Cooke scored in double figures in consecutive games on the collegiate level. Cooke played most of the second half of the season with a fractured wrist, which may have hindered his production.

Nation and Cooke, with classmates Ron Curry and Taylor Bessick, are the main reasons there’s an exciting future for Brady’s bunch. Overshadowed by Moore’s stellar play, it’s easy to forget the hype that Ron Curry had going to last season.

Here’s what I love about Curry’s game: after setting a career high (slash low) with four turnovers in a season-low 12 minutes in a February loss against George Mason, Curry responded by committing just one turnover in his next 211 minutes (spanning nine games). Granted, with Moore as de facto point guard, Curry played most of the season off the ball, but it’s still a value-worthy stat.

That’s what JMU needs Curry to do this year: be smart and value the basketball. He’s a confident guy who should be much-improved as a sophomore. Spending a year as Moore’s apprentice will do wonders for him in the long run.

The 6’9″ Bessick played the least of the four freshmen, but there were certainly games JMU wouldn’t have won without him. He’s only played basketball for a few years, and has plenty of room to grow. In an early January win against Drexel, Bessick scored nine points and snagged 13 rebounds.

It’s strange that the four rising sophomores (Bessick, Cooke, Curry and Nation) will be four of the most experienced players on the team. But with the aforementioned ailments comes some excellent news: Mr. Andrey Semenov will return for his 15th sixth season at JMU.

If you discount the two minutes he played in the first game of the season, Semenov averaged 11.2 points in six games last season. At this point, you know not to expect 30+ minutes a night from the guy, but if he can give Brady about 25 minutes each game, it’ll be huge for this team.

In 2012, Semenov shot 33-of-61 (54.1%) from downtown in JMU’s eight February games. He’s a sharpshooter who can stretch the defense and open up opportunities in the lane. The Russian Semenov’s veteran presence will be crucial to a young JMU team, and he’ll help JMU’s seven freshmen (five are foreign-born) acclimate to collegiate life.

So, what do we know about the seven freshmen? There’s a ton of length there — Mark Selig did the math to find that next year’s team, with an average height of 6’7″ inches, would have been the third-tallest team in D-I last season. It’s kind of crazy when your 6’4″ point guard in the shortest guy on the team.

The incoming freshmen:

6’10″ PF Dimtrije Cabarkapa (redshirted ’12-’13)
6’8″ PF Yohanny Dalembert
6’7″ PG Jackson Kent
6’8″ SF Ivan Lukic
6’6″ SF Thomas Rivard
6’8″ PF Paulius Satkus
6’9″ PF Tom Vodanovich

Matt Brady gave a nice breakdown of the incoming recruits here. Since that video, the Dukes added Dalembert, who will add defensive aggressiveness and athletic ability to the frontcourt. He should fit in well with the fast break offense the young Dukes love to run. And Brady’s said before that Cabarkapa might be the best shooter on the team.

Brady expects the defensive improvements to holdfast with next year’s group. Last season, JMU frequently had five guys on the floor that were all between 6’4″-6’6″. The players knew their roles, and rotated effectively on defense. With a taller roster, JMU might be able to establish a more traditional defense, if the coaches wish to do that.

The important thing to know is that Brady and staff will tailor the offense to the skill sets of the players. With so many new faces, it’s tough to predict what that means for next season, but I’m certain that Selig will keep us updated on that throughout the summer.

Curry, Cooke and Nation can all lead the fast break, and like to play uptempo. Dalembert’s video shows a player who plays to the basket, and makes good passes in transition.

There’s plenty of reason for optimism in Harrisonburg, but buyer beware. These Dukes won’t have the benefits of seniority like they did last season. In late game scenarios, Brady knew he could put the ball in Moore’s hands, and trust that he’d make the best play possible. JMU will need a new go-to player in the clutch.

Seeing that more than half of the roster will be filled by freshmen, it’s difficult to pick this team above most of the other teams in the CAA. The veteran Semenov will certainly ease the learning curve for this young team. The Dukes will experience growing pains, but should be dangerous come next March’s CAA Tournament.

The Assignment: Orient your audience to the new-look Hofstra Pride.

***

The best policy Hofstra can take towards 2012-2013 is to just forget it.

In Hempstead, a series of unfortunate events allowed a 3-2 start to dissipate into a 7-25 finish. Hofstra had the CAA’s least efficient offensive and defensive team. And for the second consecutive year, Hofstra garnered just one road win. Needless to say, it was a rough season for the Pride.

That isn’t a knock on former head coach Mo Cassara who, as Gary Moore noted, deserved a much better end result at Hofstra. Nor is it an insult to the players, who gave it their all every time out. That’s an old cliche, but when Bruiser Flint deems you the hardest playing team in the CAA, you can certainly believe it’s true.

Truth be told, there’s nowhere to go but up. You see, Hofstra played the bulk of last season drastically undermanned. Four (talented) players were dimissed from the team before December. Only three players played in all 32 of the Pride’s games. From December on, leading scorer Taran Buie and statsheet stuffing senior Stevie Mejia were Hofstra’s only scholarship guards who could handle the ball.

But with the bad comes some good, and Hofstra has a new head coach and a near spotlessly clean slate. Former Niagara coach Joe Mihalich is the new head honcho in Hempstead. Mihalich brings 265 career Ws (he’s the winningest coach in MAAC history) and an experienced, cohesive staff to Hofstra. Furthermore, Hofstra great and NBA veteran Speedy Claxton will roam the sideline as a special assistant to the head coach.

Only four scholarship players return from last year’s group. That sort of nonexistent continuity makes it difficult to talk about next year. Still, it’s hard not to be excited about the guys coming back…

- Rising senior Stephen Nwaukoni continued his progression ask one of the CAA’s best rebounders. Nwaukoni averaged 7.9 boards in his 23.4 minutes per game. Assuming a full recovery from the torn labrum that cost him the final five games of the season, he should be a top five rebounder in the Colonial this coming season.

- After Nwaukoni went down, rising junior Moussa Kone showed what he could do in extended minutes. As a starter, Kone averaged 12.6 points over Hofstra’s last five games. He’s an athletic guy who can run the floor and finish with ease.

- Jordan Allen had a sneaky good freshman season. The 6’6″ forward shot 53.7% from the field. His offensive game got better as the year went on, and he notched seven steals in a 65-56 at UNCW on February 9th.

- Darren Payen was an early season redshirt candidate, but did not have that luxury going after the events of November 30th. Payen provided some toughness in the low post, including a career-high five rebounds in his first collegiate game. Payen could develop into a feared shot-blocker in time.

- We’d be remiss to dismiss Adam Savion, a walk-on who “made things happen” (we trust Jerry Beach on that one) in his freshman season. He’s a glue guy who can give valuable minutes at point guard.

With nine open schollies, a coach has to get creative to avoid class imbalance. Since coming on board in mid-April, Mihalich has snagged four transfers and three recruits. Two of the transfers, Dion Nesmith and Zeke Upshaw, have completed their undergraduate studies and will be immediately eligible to play for the Pride.

- Nesmith played the past two seasons at Monmouth, and averaged 8.1 points and 2.2 assists in 26.8 minutes this past season. Hofstra was in dire need of an experienced guard to handle the ball, and Nesmith can be that. Interestingly, Nesmith was a Northeastern QB before the university cut football in 2009. After jumping the fiery hoops of NCAA eligibility, Nesmith became eligible to play basketball at Monmouth.

- The 6’6” Upshaw played sparingly in his three seasons at Illinois State, but averaged a career-high 7.4 minutes per game in ’12-’13. Upshaw averaged 2.5 points per game, and scored a career-high 11 points against Creighton on January 2nd.

The other two transfers, Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley, played for Mihalich at Niagara. They’ll probably be the most talented players on the floor in practice, which will positively effect Hofstra’s on-court product. Both will sit out this upcoming season before having two years remaining.

-  Green was the ’11-’12 MAAC Rookie of the Year, and an All-MAAC First Teamer in ’12-’13. Green averaged 16.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game last season.

- The 6’6” Tanksley averaged 11.3 points per game, and was Niagara’s leading rebounder with 6.0 boards per game.

Thus far, Hofstra is scheduled to bring in three recruits. Daly Dose of Hoops discussed the three recruits with Mihalich, with some good quotes there.

- Within a week of Mihalich’s hiring, 6’4″ Chris Jenkins became his first commitment. Jenkins has a reputation as a sharpshooter, and once made seven 3-pointers in one quarter. Jenkins played his senior season at Gil St. Bernard’s.

- Mihalich’s second commitment came from 6’3” point guard Eliel Gonzalez. The Puerto Rico native averaged 11.6 points, 8.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds for the Florida Air Academy Falcons last season. His prep year should make him ready to play big minutes at the next level, and Hofstra will need that.

-6’5” Jamall Robinson was a Niagara commit who followed Mihalich to Hofstra. Robinson was a key contributor to Paul VI’s (VA) WCAC Championship team. Mihalich describes Robinson as versatile and physically ready to help.

Thus, Hofstra’s retooled roster looks like this:

Gonzalez – PG (Freshman)
Jenkins – SG (Freshman)
Robinson – SF (Freshman)
Allen – SF (Sophomore)
Payen – PF (Sophomore)
Green – PG (Junior)
Kone – PF (Junior)
Tanksley – SF (Junior)
Nesmith – PG/SG (Senior)
Nwaukoni – PF (Senior)
Upshaw – SF (Senior)

After sitting out the upcoming season, Green and Tanksley will be juniors in ’14-’15. That leaves two open scholarships. It wouldn’t be suprising to see Mihalich bring in another senior transfer. As we saw with Bilal Dixon at Towson this past season, those guys can do wonders to get the ball rolling for a program in transition.

With few holdovers from last season, it’s hard to say what last year’s team can teach us about next season. Hofstra did some things well: the Pride had the CAA’s best three-point defense (31%), was top 50 in offensive rebounds per game (11.1) and forced turnovers on 17.5% of plays.

For Mihalich, the big task will be finding a few of bucketgetters. Hofstra averaged just 58 points per game last season, which was 332nd in the D-I. That number dipped to 55.3 points in conference play. The Pride managed just 28.7% efficiency from three-point range.That’s bad news for a team that lost its top three scorers from a year ago.

But as you know, the personnel and makeup of this team will be much different across the board. You can bet that, with a healthy Nwaukoni, Hofstra can become one of the CAA’s better rebounding teams. This season probably won’t be pretty, but all of the new faces will make this one of the CAA’s most intriguing teams. Look for marked improvement from November to March, and expect this team to have a real chance to contend in ’14-’15.

Because really, there’s nowhere to go but up.

For the past year, we’ve wondered how the Colonial Athletic Association would respond to the defections of half of its original members. For the second time in six months, the answer came from the south.

Last Thursday, the Elon University announced its intentions to join the CAA in the 2014-2015 academic year. This move will give the CAA 10 teams in basketball and 12 in football. Elon will owe $600K to exit the SoCon, and $300K to join the CAA.

Here are the main reasons why the move makes sense for Elon:

- 56% of Elon’s incoming freshman class (2017) hails from the areas within the CAA footprint. This provides the opportunity for a broader fit for Elon’s student population. Elon has more than 5,000 alumni in areas near CAA schools.

- The opportunity for more television coverage in major media markets (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, etc.) via the CAA’s contracts with NBC Sports and Comcast SportsNet. These networks reaching more than 75 million homes.

- The stability brought by Mr. Tom Yeager, the longest-tenured commissioner (28 years) in D-I athletics.

Elon University President Dr. Leo Lambert on why the move to the CAA is good for Elon:

“The CAA is a venerable athletic conference. An ideal fit for Elon today, as well as the Elon that we envision in the future.”

By now you’ve probably read plenty on this subject matter. Elon is a tremendous addition for the CAA, athletically, academically and geographically. Yeager mentioned Elon’s positive trajectory over the last few decades as a main reason the university is an attractive fit. The move gives the CAA five universities in the Carolinas and Virginia, which should make traveling easier in the future.

A teleconference with Mr. Yeager and Elon AD Dave Blank is archived at CAASports. Among the main topics discussed:

- The concentration and emphasis on the importance of regional competition. For CAAHoops, it’s about having five schools in Virginia and the Carolinas, and five north of that area.

- The idea that there is no magic number for CAA expansion, and no ceiling limit for potential members. Obviously the CAA wants an even number, and they’ve discussed numbers into the teens.

- Geographically, any schools between Charleston and Boston that fit could be possible additions.

Finally, here are some opinions from our favorite CAA scribes:

- Brian Mull caught up with UNCW AD Jimmy Bass, and discussed the addition of Elon. There are also UNCW scheduling notes for ’13-’14.

- Dave Fairbank of The Daily Press paints a clear picture of the CAA’s status in this alignment fiasco. Mr. Fairbank has a realistic view on the subject.

- Bob Sutton from Times-News believes that Elon’s similarities with Hofstra and William & Mary made the CAA a good fit. Elon understands this, and the Southern Conference seems upset about it.

- Ron Morris from the Charlotte Observer gives a little insight into the Southern Conference’s situation.

***

We’ll take a break from the summer sessions to provide a little bit of news.

- It was announced last week that Towson AD Mike Waddell will be departing the university to become the Senior Associate AD at the University of Arkansas. In less than three years, Waddell greatly raised the profiles of Towson’s revenue sports. For those upset about some of the debts accrued, a trip to the NCAA Tournament can be a magical cure. Towson is in great position to do that as soon as this year.

- Joe Mihalich announced his coaching staff at Hofstra. Mike Farrelly, Kyle Neptune and Shane Nichols were all Mihalich’s assistants at Niagara, and will join him at Hofstra. Colin Curtin was Niagara’s director of basketball operations, and will join the Hofstra program in the same capacity.

Hofstra legend and former NBA player Speedy Claxton, who was vocal in his desire to be considered for the head coaching position, will also join Mihalich on the sideline as the special assistant to the head coach.

Claxton spent the past two seasons as a college scout with the Golden State Warriors, and is probably a huge reason that Kent Bazemore and Charles Jenkins ended up in the Bay area. Having Claxton on the sidelines should pay huge dividends in recruiting.

Daly Dose of Hoops caught up with Mihalich to discuss his first few weeks at Hofstra.

Also of note: Gervelle Kidd, the last remaining member of Mo Cassara’s 2013 commitments, has decommitted from Hofstra.

- James Madison picked up a commitment from 6’8″ forward Yohanny Dalembert. COBL’s Josh Verlin broke the news a few weeks back, and it became official last week.

Dalembert is the half-brother of NBA veteran Samuel Dalembert, and came to the United States from Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. He’s only played basketball for three years. JMU will have seven freshmen next season, and they’re all 6’6″ or taller. Additionally, five of the players are foreign-born. A redshirt or two seems likely.

Coach Brady on Dalembert:

“He possess a tremendous set of intangibles with mobility, defensive aggressiveness and a shot-blocking prowess, a combination that gives him a high ceiling for potential growth.”

- Bill Coen and the Northeastern Huskies will participate in the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The ridiculously talented field includes Michigan, VCU, Georgetown, Florida State, Kansas State, Long Beach State, and Charlotte. Coincidentally, Charlotte and Northeastern squared off the in the final of the 2012 Great Alaskan Shootout.

- Tennessee transfer Yemi Makanjuola will play for UNCW. The 6’9″ forward will sit out ’13-’14, and have two years of eligibility left. Makanjuola had a few off court issues, and a fresh start at a new university will be a very welcome opportunity.

- William & Mary snagged a 2014 commitment from 6’3″ shooting guard Connor Burchfield. Burchfield plays high school ball at Concord High School in North Carolina. Mr. Tony Shaver has four more scholarships to work with for 2014.

The Assignment: Heading into 2012-2013, Drexel was the near-universal pick to win the CAA. Injuries ravaged Drexel’s chance for a banner year. Give several reasons why 2014 may be finally be the year for #RevengeOfTheDragon.

***

On a sultry, stormy spring afternoon, my dad and I trekked to Glennmoore, Pennsylvania to celebrate my niece’s second birthday. Upon arriving at my sister’s house, I spied my brother-in-law and his father in the backyard. They were setting up a party tent, hammering stakes into the moist ground between intermittent downpours.

I walked over and offered to help. The 20-second exchange that occurred properly summarizes how Drexel fans feel about 2012-2013:

Brother-in-law: Are you here to brag about how much better (the mascot of your baseball team) are than the Phillies?
Me: Eh…it’s still early for all that. (Turning to his father, a proud Drexel alum) My real qualm is with the year Drexel had in basketball.
Father: Oh, you know how to hit where it hurts.

Heading into last season, Drexel was your mother’s pick to rule the CAA. The Dragons had the requisite blend of experienced seniors and talented underclassmen. But you can’t predict injuries (which makes what I said rather unfair), and when ace sixth man Chris Fouch went down with a broken ankle in the third game of the season, it became apparent that they’d be hard-pressed to meet their lofty preseason expectations.

For head coach Bruiser Flint and Company, it was a season to forget.

Fouch didn’t play another game. Damion Lee (17.1 points per game) and Daryl McCoy (8.6 rebounds per game) missed multiple conference games. Forwards Dartaye Ruffin and Kazembe Abif dealt with nagging injuries that kept them in and out of the lineup. All too often there were only seven healthy-ish Dragons, which severely hurts the team’s productivity in practice.

Frequently, the weight of the world fell on the shoulders of junior point guard Frantz Massenat, who was simply asked to do too much. As a result of the injuries, Massenat had to look for his shot more often. After averaging 4.8 assists per game as a sophomore, his assists were down to 4.2 per game. Massenat posted a 42.6% effective field goal percentage, down from 50.7% the year before.

Don’t take Massenat’s down season as an indication that he’s already peaked. He’s got a chance for a huge bounce-back season.

And so does Drexel.

Even with the struggles, Drexel was no slouch. Both Lee and Massenat were Second Team All-CAA selections. The Dragons got after it on the glass, and prohibited their opponents from doing so. Drexel’s opponents averaged just 6.7 offensive rebounds per game, the third fewest in D-I. We expect nothing left from a Bruiser Flint-coached team.

The win over Davidson in December was a microcosm of their rebounding dominance, as the Dragons’ number of offensive rebounds (19) exceeded the Wildcats’ total rebounds (14).

A sixth year of eligibility was the silver lining from Fouch’s injury. Fouch may come off the bench, but could slide into the starting lineup to replace graduated shooting guard Derrick Thomas (9.2 points per game).

Thomas’ leadership and perimeter defense will be missed, but his absence won’t stop Drexel from boasting arguably the CAA’s best backcourt. Yes, I do realize we just said something very similar about Delaware. Flanked by Fouch and Lee, Massenat can comfortably play knowing he’ll rarely be the first offensive option on the floor.

Lee built on his CAA Freshman of the Year campaign, and blossomed into one of the CAA’s top scorers. Lee is a huge matchup problem who will be a legitimate CAA Player of the Year candidate.

In his sophomore season, 6’7″ forward Tavon Allen could make a huge jump. As a redshirt freshman, Allen averaged 6.6 points in his 14.8 minutes per game. With improved shot selection, the ambidextrous Allen could create significant problems on the wing for Drexel.

The question is whether or not the defense can rise to the call. As Kevin Rossi noted in his season review, Drexel allowed 63.1 points per game, which was up almost six points from ’11-’12. It was unrealistic to expect Drexel to repeat as one of the nation’s Top 10 3-Point Defenses, but no one could’ve predicted such a precipitous fall to the middle of the pack (193rd).

And without the imposingly burly McCoy, it won’t be fair to expect Drexel to duplicate its rebounding dominance. Still, you know Flint has the blueprint for a CAA Rockfight in his back pocket.

Dartaye Ruffin (6.9 points, 6.8 boards per game) won’t be the same immovable force that McCoy was downlow, but he’ll have a chance for a big senior season. With Fouch, Lee and Massenat drawing attention around the perimeter, Ruffin should find much more room to operate. Abif had an efficient season as a sophomore, and should take a step forward.

The myriad of injuries made it impossible for Massenat to take a significant break. This season, Massenat might finally get the chance for a breather. Seton Hall transfer Freddie Wilson will be eligible at the end of the fall semester, and incoming 6’3″ guard Major Canady will boost the backcourt as well.

Freshman forwards Mohamed Bah and Rodney Williams will give the frontcourt the depth it sorely lacked. The 6’9″ Bah, who earned the nickname “Baby Shaq” in high school, should be good for some physical play underneath the basket. Knock on wood, Drexel might have some semblance of depth this season.

The CAA Tournament showed us what senior guards can do for a team. This bodes for a Drexel team that will boast the CAA’s most experienced backcourt. If Drexel’s defense can be just a little better than it was last year, the Dragons look good for a top-tier finish in the CAA.

The Assignment: The 2012-2013 Delaware Men’s Basketball Team set a school record with 13 wins in CAA play. Using statistical evidence from prior seasons, write a 500-1000 word analysis of the 2013-2014 Blue Hens, with a vague projection for their finish in 2014. Cite all sources.

Attempt to explain how the Blue Hens can move on without face of the program forward Jamelle Hagins, the CAA’s 2013 CAA Defensive Player of the Year, who set the Delaware record for rebounds (1,078) and blocks (292).

***

The YoUDees readied themselves for a standout conference performance by playing the crème de la crème during the nonconference season. Delaware earned the right to play Kansas State and Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden by defeating Virginia in the NIT Season Tip-Off on November 13th.

Delaware also played Duke, as well as Big 5 stalwarts Temple, Villanova, and La Salle (although the only Big 5 team Delaware beat was Penn — twice) all before ringing in the new year.

Jamelle Hagins, the walking double-double who finally won CAA Defensive Player of the Year in a Kent Bazemore-less league, will not be in Newark next season. Fortunately head coach Monté Ross has another face of the program ready in high-scoring slasher Devon Saddler.

As a junior, Saddler led the CAA in scoring (19.9 per game) and raised his shooting percentages across the board en route to First Team All-CAA honors. Saddler scored in double figures in 38 consecutive games, a streak which began during his sophomore season.

Heading into his senior year, Saddler sits 360 points shy of Delaware’s All-Time Leading Scorer Mike Pegues (2,030). It seems probable that Saddler will reach that mark sometime during conference play.

Saddler will have help in this Post-Hagins Era. Junior guards Jarvis Threatt and Kyle Anderson will help weather the storm. After averaging 16.5 points over Delaware’s final 11 games of ’11-’12, Threatt was one of the big reasons for the optimism in Newark heading into last season.

After fighting through various early season ailments, Threatt averaged 14.6 points per contest in CAA games, and 13.0 per game on the season. Threatt led the team in assists (3.2 per game), and used his lengthy wingspan to haul in 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Threatt was a Third Team All-CAA selection, and has the chance to be an All-Defensive Team member.

So much of Delaware’s success derived from Saddler and Threatt driving the lane and cashing in at the foul line, where both shot around 80%. They combined to average 12.6 free throw attempts per game. On average, Delaware made 17.6 free throws per game, the sixth-most in all of D-I.

A potential concern is that Saddler and Threatt’s play-to-the-rim style produced few opportunities for other Blue Hens. The YouDees averaged 0.41 assists per field goals made. Among D-I teams, only Virginia Tech was worse in that category. The commonality there: both teams’ lead guards were their leading scorers.

That’s not a huge concern when your team is so efficient from the free throw line. But without Hagins and Josh Brinkley (don’t let his last few injury-marred games warp your perspective of his productive career) drawing defensive attention in the middle, the Blue Hens will need to effectively employ a more perimeter-oriented style.

It’s absurdly obvious to say, but the Hens have to knock down some outside shots. They shot 30.9% from downtown last season, and failed to make a trey on two separate occasions. That hadn’t happened in a single game since November 28th, 1990, but occurred twice within three weeks. They weren’t always bad, but were certainly streaky.

This is where Anderson, who made a team-high 62 3-pointers, comes into play. Anderson had the highest effective field goal percentage (48.7%) of the Delaware guards, and that’s with a three-point field goal percentage that was every-so-slightly lower than his freshman season. Anderson played most of the nonconference season with a protective face mask, and turned it up a notch in conference play, when he averaged 9.8 points per game.

We expect senior forward Carl Baptiste (4 points, 4.2 rebounds per game) to slide into the Blue Hens’ starting five. Baptiste is a space eater who can help pick up the rebounding slack. However, Baptiste averaged just 18.7 minutes per game, so it’s probably unrealistic to expect him to ramp up to 30 minutes a night. He played a season-high 28 minutes on two occasions, and Ross should be happy if he can get that many minutes from Baptiste on a consistent basis.

Beyond that, the rotation is unclear. 5’8″ sophomore Terrell Rogers looked like he’d be a huge factor early on, but saw his playing time diminish down the stretch. Expect him to get tons of run in games where Delaware can afford to play small ball. Redshirt sophomore forward Marvin King-Davis will have every opportunity to earn big minutes.

The Blue Hens have to improve on their 0.76 assist-to-turnover ratio to make up for the extra possessions Hagins created. It will take a team effort for Delaware to continue to be one of the CAA’s top rebounding teams. As Tom Zamonski noted in his incredibly detailed season recap, Delaware didn’t force many turnovers, but the small ball approach, and a tall, rangy freshman class should help Delaware create more easy buckets.

Delaware will bring five new freshman into the fold, along with Maurice Jeffers, who redshirted this past season. Aside from shooting guard Cazmon Hayes, all are 6’6″ or taller. Delaware can account for the loss of Hagins (even with him, defense was not a strong point) with the added length on the defensive end. Montè Ross will need at least a few of them to step in and play significant minutes.

We don’t know much about the freshmen, but most are coming off highly successful high school careers, and ESPN seems to like them as well. Expect the 6’8″ redshirt forward Jeffers and incoming big man Barnett Harris to get the first crack at major minutes, as both have an extra year of conditioning under their belts over freshmen coming straight out of high school. It’s also unlikely that all six freshmen will play, so you can expect a redshirt or two.

It’s difficult to project a team that will have so many new faces in key roles, but returning possibly the CAA’s best backcourt means Delaware will remain a contender in the CAA. With one of the nation’s best scorers in Saddler, a burgeoning star in Threatt, and a three-point ace in Anderson, Delaware will be a CAA contender again next season.

Word count? 999 words.

A couple key news pieces since we last met:

Less than a week after adding point guard Eliel Gonzalez to the fold, Joe Mihalich capped off a phenomenal week for the Hofstra Pride.

On Thursday it was announced that 6’6″ wing Jamall Robinson, who previously committed to Mihalich at Niagara, had signed on with the Pride. Robinson played on a championship team at Paul VI in the legendary Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.

More huge news: rising juniors (and best friends) Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley, who both played for Mihalich at Niagara, announced their intentions to transfer at the tail end of April. Little did we know that they would be following their head coach to his new home on Long Island.

Green was the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2011-2012, and was a First Team All-MAAC selection this past season when he averaged 16.5 points, 4.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Green actually scored more points as a freshman, but cut down on his turnovers and saw an uptick in his assists this season. He’s already scored 1,131 points in his two seasons of college ball.

The 6’6″ Tanksley has proven to be a strong rebounder (6.0 per game last season) in his first two years of collegiate basketball, and averaged 11.3 points per game as a sophomore.

Following a redshirt season in 2013-2014, Green and Tanksley will both have two years of eligibility remaining. Both players shot right at 33% from three this past season. With four recruits and the two transfers, Hofstra will have ten players of scholarship next season (three open spots). Look for more additions in the next few weeks.

Daly Dose of Hoops provides further in-depth perspective on the monumental day.

***

James Madison University announced that rising juniors Enoch Hood and Arman Marks will look to transfer. Mark Selig tweeted that Hood brought the idea up to coaching staff, and both sides came to a mutual agreement that “things just didn’t work out.”

Marks saw action in nine games, and Hood saw his playing time diminish down the stretch. Each player was a significant part of the rotation as a freshman. Hood could really benefit from the chance to bulk up in a redshirt year. Marks added significant muscle between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

One thing is clear: JMU will be very young next year. Granted, they’ll have the benefit of a sixth-year senior Andrey Semenov. Currently, JMU is set to have one senior (Semenov), one junior (Christian Pierce, who did not play last year), four sophomores, and six freshmen on the roster.

A few weeks back, Selig reported that Brady was still looking at player in 2013, so there’s a chance this huge class will grow even larger.

Plenty of roster changes for many of our teams. Things are starting to round into place…

- Joe Mihalich garnered his third commitment for 2013, as point guard Eliel Gonzalez committed to Hofstra last week. Gonzalez played at Florida Air Academy where he averaged a gaudy 11.6 points, 8.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The 6’3″ guard also played on Puerto Rico’s National U16 Team in 2011. His prep school experience should help him become a key contributor for the Pride this season.

- On the other end of the spectrum, former Hofstra commit Marquis Moore pledged to George Mason. Moore played this past season at St. Thomas More Prep, and profiles as a combo guard. Ryan Kish fills you in on Moore, with plenty of good quotes and links.

Kish also wrote about Jalen Jenkins’ redshirt season at George Mason. Since arriving as a 17-year-old, the freshman Jenkins has added 26 pounds of muscle.

- Buzz Peterson welcomed two new Seahawks into the fold. A few weeks back, Brian Mull mentioned that JUCO Addison Spruill was on campus for a visit. Spruill pledged to UNCW last week, and should provide the Seahawk backcourt with a scorer’s punch.

Here’s one from the 2009 files: Ben Eblen will play his final season at The Dub. You may remember that Eblen, a former VCU recruit, followed Anthony Grant to Alabama, where he played three seasons for the Crimson Tide.

Eblen graduated from Alabama in December, and did not play in the 2012-2013 season. He’ll be eligible to play in the upcoming season, and Mull expects Eblen to bring leadership and defense to UNCW.

To summarize UNCW’s offseason so far: Peterson recruited new assistant coaches Eddie Biedenbach and Houston Fancher, and pulled in two veteran guards (Eblen and Spruill) with collegiate experience who can help him immediately. Peterson will have the personnel to employ the four guard lineup he alluded to earlier this offseason.

- Northeastern picked up two commitments from the state of Virginia last week. 6’2″ CJ Hill’s stock started to blow up during the Hoop Group Jam Fest a few weeks back. Hill went to Westfield High School in VA, where he averaged 15 points per game as a senior. Hill’s older brother in New York Giants (William & Mary graduate) defensive end Adrian Tracy.

Jimmy Marshall, a 6’6″ forward from Richmond, also pledged to Bill Coen’s squad. Here’s some video of Marshall, along with some high praise from Phenom Hoop Report.

- With so many graduating seniors, James Madison will have to make plenty of changes to incorporate six new freshmen. Per Mark Selig, Matt Brady and company will employ a scheme that fits the skill sets of his new players.

- Towson’s Offseason Blog Series with Marcus Damas continues, and is definitely worth a read.

It’s been awhile.

- Spring Signing Day took place last week. We gave you an update in November. Here’s the updated list:

College of Charleston

PG Joseph Chealey 6’3″ 180 lbs. Apopka, FL

G Johnathan Cook 6’1″ 175 lbs. Memphis, TN

PF Terrance O’Donohue 6’7″ 225 lbs. Norcross, GA

C Glen Pierre, Jr. 6’11″ 210 lbs. Orlando, FL

Delaware

SF Zaccary Douglas 6’8” 200 lbs. Fort Washington, MD (signed LOI)

PF Barnett Harris 6’9” 210 lbs., Monroeville, PA (signed LOI)

SG Cazmon Hayes 6’4” 185 lbs. Charlotte, NC (signed LOI)

SF Devonne Pinkard 6’6″ 195 lbs. Lancaster, PA

PF DeVarte Watson 6’7” 185 lbs. Spartburg, SC (signed LOI)

Drexel

PF Mohamed Bah 6’9″ 230 lbs. Lee Academy (ME) (Signed LOI)

SG Major Canady 6’3” 205 lbs. Saltaburg, PA (Signed LOI)

SF Rodney Williams 6’8″ 220 lbs. Richmond, VA (Signed LOI)

George Mason – TBD

Georgia State 

PG Isaiah Dennis 5’11″ 180 lbs. McDonough, GA (signed LOI)

PG Jaylen Hinton 6’1″ 180 lbs. Richmond, VA (signed LOI)

Hofstra

SG Chris Jenkins 6’4″ 190 lbs. Hillside, NJ (signed LOI)

SF Gervelle Kidd 6’6” 185 lbs. Chatham, VA (signed LOI)

James Madison

SG Jackson Kent 6’7” 175 lbs. High Point, NC (signed LOI)

PF Ivan Lukic 6’7″ ABCD Prep (from Serbia) (signed LOI)

SF Thomas Rivard 6’7″ 185 lbs. Worcester, MA (signed LOI)

PF Paulius Satkus 6’8” Lithuania (signed LOI)

PF Tom Vodanovich 6’9″ 215 lbs. (signed LOI)

Northeastern

PG T.J. Williams, 6’3″ Pfluggerville, TX

Old Dominion

SG Jordan Baker 6’2” Hampton, VA (signed LOI)

SF Ramone Snowden 6’5” Virginia Beach, VA

PF Denzell Taylor 6’7″ 215 lbs. Toronto, Canada (signed LOI)

Towson

SF John Davis 6’6” 200 lbs. Philadelphia, PA (signed LOI)

PF Walter Foster 6’8” 224 lbs. Atlanta, GA (signed LOI)

SF Shamiek Sheppard 6’5” 190 lbs. Brooklyn, NY (signed LOI)

UNCW

C Chuck Ogbodo 6’10” 215 lbs. Greensboro, NC (signed LOI)

SG Tyler Ptacek 6’2” 165 lbs. Parma, OH (signed LOI)

William and Mary

SG Daniel Dixon 6’5” 185 lbs. Langley, VA (signed LOI)

SF Omar Prewitt 6‘6“ 180 lbs. Mount Sterling, KY (signed LOI)

PG Mike Schlotman 6’4” 185 lbs. Munster, IN (signed LOI)

PF Jack Whitman 6‘9“ 210 lbs. Lexington, KY (signed LOI)

If you have newer/more accurate information, please share it with us.

Other News:

- The man you know and love, Mr. Michael Litos, did an interview with our friends over at Gheorge the Blog. It’s insightful, comical and entertaining. But you already knew that.

- Matt Brady signed a four-year extension as James Madison’s head coach. Mark Selig took the liberty of providing us the contract details.

Key pieces:

- The deal will pay $302K per year, and the first three years are guaranteed. His old deal paid him $290K annually.

- JMU has the right to terminate the contract if the university is declared ineligible for APR reasons.

- Apparently, the main hangup between Brady and the university was getting that third year guaranteed.

JMU Sports Blog gives us the fan perspective.

Also of relevance: after Brady signed the extension, JMU commits Tom Vodanovich and Ivan Lukic sent in their letters of intent. JMU has five recruits signed for next season, and redshirt freshman Dimitrije Cabarkapa will also suit up.

That link has a nice 10-minute video with Brady’s thoughts on the new recruits. Word on the street is that he’s not done recruiting.

- StarNews sports editor Dan Spears wrote about UNCW’s newest assistant, former Appalachian State head coach Houston Fancher. There will be plenty of experience on the UNCW sideline next season.

- Per The Virginian-Pilot’s Ed Miller, Lamar Barrett and John Richardson have joined Jeff Jones on the Old Dominion coaching staff. Barrett and Richardson were teammates collegiate teammates at Elizabeth City State.

More news from Norfolk: rising senior Donte Hill may have lost his final year of eligibility from playing single-digit minutes in a preseason scrimmage at Clemson, and our love for the NCAA continues to grow…

- You should head over to GMUHoops to read Ryan Kish’s recruiting news. The departures of Paris Bennett and Vertrail Vaughns have left the Patriots with increased options.

- Towson prepares for next season with yoga, with commentary from rising senior forward Marcus Damas.

- Here’s Drexel’s official release on Chris Fouch’s sixth year.

We promise that there will not be as large of a time lag between the next two posts. Stay tuned.

Hello friends. Here are a few CAA-related notes from the past week.

- AJ Davis, Jamelle Hagins, and DeShawn Painter proved to be the phenomenal CAA representatives we knew they would be in the Portsmouth Invitational. Each player played three games.

- On opening night, Hagins turned in one of the best performances of the weekend. The former Delaware big man dropped 29 points (12-of-19), snagged 11 boards, and had three steals in his team’s 90-89 victory.

We know he can rebound and defend — he had five blocks on Friday night against a frontcourt with Brandon Davies and Mouphtaou Yarou — at a high level, so it was nice to see him assert himself on the offensive end.

Hagins was one of 12 players selected to the All-Tournament team. Kevin Tresolini wrote about Hagins’ stellar first night.

- Opposing Hagins on opening night was Old Dominion’s Painter, who netted 16 points (7-of-11) and six rebounds. He didn’t play quite as well in the second two games, but it’s understandable. These were high-scoring games and Painter was a late invite to the tournament. Who knows exactly how much basketball he’s played in the last six weeks.

- AJ Davis hurt his back in the opening game, and didn’t shoot particularly well in the subsequent game, but still sandwiched two good performances around his off night. His team advanced to the championship, where Davis scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting (the four misses were all threes).

Mark Selig penned that NBA scouts have no concerns about Davis’ long-range shooting abilities, and were impressed by his play. Selig’s story has quotes from James Madison head coach Matt Brady, an NBA scout, and Davis himself.

Results and rosters for each team from the Portsmouth Invitational can be found here.

***

- Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint tweeted that Chris Fouch has been granted a sixth year of eligibility. This should elevate Drexel to the top-tier of the CAA next season.

- Paris Bennett will transfer from George Mason. He played sporadically, but Ryan Kish notes that the Patriots will certainly miss his leadership. Bennett will be eligible to play immediately.

- Jeff Goodman from CBS has reported that Towson sophomore guard Kris Walden will transfer.

- UNCW will host two potential Seahawks this weekend. Brian Mull caught us up on the visitors. 6’5″ wing Frank Williams played on a community college team with at least nine D-I players, averaged 11.8 points per game in his 17.1 minutes.

The other player is 6’7″ forward Bernard Sullivan, a rising junior who is transferring from Clemson. Sullivan is seeking more playing time, as he was stuck in a talented Tiger frontcourt.

Both players would have two years of eligibility remaining, although Sullivan would have to redshirt in the upcoming season.

- City of Basketball Love’s Josh Verlin wrote about the rising stock of 6’8″ forward Yohanny Dalembert, who has offers from Drexel, Hofstra and JMU, among others.

- Future conference member College of Charleston has been quite active on the recruiting trails. It’s absurd to even speculate at this point, but Joe Lunardi had the Cougars as the CAA’s lone representative in his first Bracketology for the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

- Ed Miller wrote about Jeff Jones’ crazy first few weeks as ODU’s head coach, and the staff he’s building in Norfolk. Bryant Stith, who played in the NBA and under Jones at UVA, was added to the staff last week.

***

We’ll begin our Lunardi-esque speculations in the near future.