ODU picked atop CAA; Sanders misses preseason honor

WASHINGTON -- Delaware basketball coach Monte Ross wanted to pass along a message to Virginia Commonwealth forward Larry Sanders.

"Make sure you tell him that I picked him [for preseason Colonial Athletic Association player of the year]," Ross said with a laugh.

Sanders is a potential first-round NBA draft pick after this season. Ross wanted to make sure he didn't provide the 6-11 junior with perceived ammunition after co-player-of-the-year honors went to Old Dominion senior forward Gerald Lee and Hofstra junior guard Charles Jenkins at yesterday's CAA media gathering.

Lee and ODU, which has all five starters returning from a 25-10 team, were picked to finish first in voting by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members. The Monarchs were followed by Northeastern, VCU, George Mason and James Madison. William and Mary was picked 10th.

Sanders was selected for the first team, along with Lee, Jenkins, Northeastern senior guard Matt Janning and George Mason junior guard Cam Long.

"When you have a potential NBA lottery pick, and you have two players chosen co-players of the year in the preseason, and he's not one of them," George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said with emphasis on the last part, "that tells you how talented the league is right now."

Lee, Jenkins, Sanders and Janning all were legitimate choices for player of the year.

Lee (6-10, 250 pounds) averaged 15.5 points and 5.7 rebounds for ODU. Jenkins, a load to guard at 6-3, 220 pounds, was second in the CAA in scoring at 19.7 points. Janning, another tough matchup at 6-4, averaged 14.3 points.

Sanders is a game-changing presence in big part because of his 91-inch wingspan and shot-blocking ability. Still developing on offense, he averaged 11.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots.

His potential was evident in last year's CAA championship game. Sanders scored 18 points, grabbed a tournament-record 20 rebounds and blocked seven shots in a 71-50 victory over Mason.

"I think it says you have some very, very accomplished players coming back in the league," new VCU coach Shaka Smart said. "But I also think it's something Larry can use as motivation. Any time a player can be inspired to prove people wrong, that's a great motivator."

Smart also plans to use VCU's spot in the preseason pecking order as motivation. The Rams, who have won three consecutive regular-season titles, went 24-10 last year while losing to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

VCU has four starters returning but will be without two-time CAA player of the year Eric Maynor, now in the NBA.

"I'll leave the prognistications up to the prognosticators," Smart said. "Certainly with us losing Eric, that's a big loss and something we're going to have to work to overcome at the most important position on the court. I can see why we're picked third, but really it's up to our players to go out and prove that we're better."

CAA PREDICTED FINISH

1. Old Dominion (25-10) 2. Northeastern (19-13) 3. VCU (24-10) 4. George Mason (22-11) 5. James Madison (21-15) 6. Hofstra (21-11) 7. Drexel (15-14) 8. Georgia State (12-20) 9. Towson (12-22) 10. William and Mary (10-20) 11. Delaware (13-19) 12. UNC Wilmington (7-25)

PREASON ALL-CAA

First team: Gerald Lee, Sr. forward, Old Dominion; Charles Jenkins, Jr. guard, Hofstra; Larry Sanders, Jr. forward, VCU; Matt Janning, Sr. guard, Northeastern; Cam Long, Jr. guard, George Mason

Second team: Manny Adako, Sr. forward, Northeastern; Joe Dukes, Sr. guard, Georgia State; David Schneider, Sr. guard, William and Mary; Chad Tomko, Jr. guard, UNCW; Julius Wells, Soph. forward, James Madison.