W&M News and Notes
- Prior to Hofstra's triple OT win in Williamsburg this season, W&M and Hofstra had split the last 22 meetings between the teams dating back to 2008. The games have been close recently with six of the last 10 being decided by a single possession, including three overtime games.
- The Tribe has improved defensively in CAA play. W&M ranks fourth in defensive efficiency (105.2) in league games and has held four opponents to a point or less per possession. In comparison, the Tribe limited two opponents in the non-conference to a point or less per possession.
- In four of the last five halves, the Green and Gold has held its opponents to less than 37 percent shooting from the floor. The Tribe held Drexel to 32.1 percent in the second half on Jan. 31, before limiting Delaware to 33.9 percent for the game in a win over Feb. 2. W&M held Northestern to 31.8 percent in the second half on Thursday. In CAA play, the Tribe ranks second in field goal percentage defense (44.1).
- On Friday, junior
Nathan Knight was selected as one of the top 10 candidates for the for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its fifth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 21 candidates in October, which was whittled down to 10 on Friday. Five finalists will be selected in March with the winner announced on April 12 with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5.
- For the third time this season, freshman
Chase Audige was named the CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday. He also won the award on Nov. 26 and Dec. 31. He averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 3.5 steals per game in a pair of W&M wins last week. Audige is one of four CAA players to earn the league's top rookie honor on three occasions and is one of only five W&M freshmen to win three weekly awards. Fellow freshman
L.J. Owens earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 12. It marked the first time since 2004-05 that multiple Tribe players have earned the weekly award in the same season.
- Knight recorded his sixth double-double in last nine games and ninth overall with 18 points and 14 rebounds at Northeastern. He is one of only six players in the country to rank among the top five in his league in scoring, rebounding and assists, joining a list that includes Illinois State's Milik Yarbrough, Wisconsin's Ethan Happ, Penn's AJ Brodeur, Central Connecticut State's Tyler Kohl and Purdue-Fort Wayne's John Konchar. Knight is the only player in the CAA to rank among the top 10 in the league in scoring (third at 19.2), rebounding (fourth at 8.4) and assists (fifth at 3.7).
- Audige has come on strong in CAA play, including a career-high 24 points at UNCW on Jan. 24. In league action, he has started all 12 games and leads all rookies in scoring at 13.3 per game. Audige is adding 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 43.4 percent from 3-point range in CAA play. His scoring average has increased to 10.7 points per game overall, which is 23rd in the league and second among rookies.
- W&M, which has led the CAA five of the last six years, once again tops the league in assists at 16.8 per game in 2018-19. That number also ranks 20th nationally. The Tribe is 10th in the country according to KenPom.com in assists percentage, recording an assist on 62.2 percent of its field goals.
- Junior
Justin Pierce ranks among the national leaders in both double-doubles and rebounding. He is fifth in the CAA and 61st nationally in double-doubles (7). Pierce ranks 57th nationally at 8.6 rebounds per game and 38th in defensive rebounding (6.8). He became the 33rd player in W&M history with 500 career rebounds, eclipsing the mark at Northeastern.
- W&M hit a 10 3-pointers and shot a season-best 50 percent from long range in its win over Delaware. It marked the fifth time in CAA play and eighth overall this season that the Tribe hit 10 or more 3-pointers in game. Under head coach
Tony Shaver, the Tribe is 90-53 when it hits double-digit 3-pointers. In CAA play, W&M has increased its 3-point shooting to 36.4 percent, while hitting 8.8 triples per game.
- The Tribe dished out 20 or more assists on eight occasions this season, including five in CAA play, and is 6-2 in those contests. Over the last nine seasons, the Green and Gold is 43-4 when dishing out 20 or more assists.
- Knight moved into second on the Tribe's career blocked shots list. His 153 career blocks trails only David Cully's (1993-96) total of 248. Knight's career total ranks 26th among active NCAA DI players. He leads the CAA at 2.1 blocks per game this season, which is also 30th nationally. Knight is up to 2.8 blocks per game in CAA play.
- As a team, W&M leads the CAA in blocked shots at 4.7 per game, which also ranks 28th nationally. In CAA play, the Tribe is blocking 5.5 shots per game. W&M owns the top two single-game blocked shot totals this season in the CAA with 14 against William Peace and 10 on Jan. 31 against Drexel.
- Knight ranks among the national leaders in a number of statistical categories. He is 20th in total blocks (51), 26th in field goals made (168), 30th in blocked shots per game (2.1), 32nd in double-doubles (9), 34th in free throws made (115), 36th in total points (460), 37th in field goals percentage (.577), and 60th in scoring (19.2).
