- W&M faces a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent for the 20th time when it hosts Fairfield on Sunday. The Tribe, which owns seven wins over the league, wraps up a home-and-home with the Stags after winning in Fairfield, 62-58, in 2019. The teams play for the fifth time on Sunday and W&M has won the last two meetings between the teams, including a 71-50 triumph in Williamsburg in 2007.
- The Tribe has turned it up on the defensive end recently. Over the last three game, W&M has limited its opponents to less than a point per possession (0.99). Most recently, the Tribe held Hampton to just 0.84 points per possession, its best performance of the season. At Davidson, the Tribe limited the Wildcats, which ranks top 50 in the country in offensive efficiency (1.09 points per possession), to just a point per possession.
- Coupled with games vs. Old Dominion and Hampton, the Tribe's contest with Fairfield on Sunday will be its third straight in Kaplan Arena. It marks the first time since 2017-18 and just the third time in the last 12 years that W&M has enjoyed a three-game homestand during the nonconference schedule.
- Sophomore
Connor Kochera, who is reigning CAA Rookie of the Year, recorded his second career double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists against Old Dominion on Tuesday. He twice scored a season-high 18 points most recently at Davidson. On the year, he ranks second on the team and 29th in the CAA at 11.2 points per game. A preseason All-CAA Second Team pick, Kochera is fifth in the CAA in steals and 19th in rebounding (5.0).
- For the second-straight season, W&M ranks as one of the youngest teams in the country according to KenPom.com. After being the 34th youngest team in 2020-21, the Tribe is the 12th youngest team this season, averaging just 0.98 years of experience. W&M has started four freshmen and sophomores in each contest in 2021-22, including all five starters on six occasions. The two classes have accounted for 78.2% of the team's minutes (1720-of-2200) and 79.1% of its scoring (542-of-685). In fact, over the last four games, underclassmen have scored 92.5% (198-of-214) of W&M's points.
- The Tribe has been strong at getting to the free throw line this season. According to KenPom.com, W&M is 65th nationally in free throw rate at 35.9%. Free throw rate in determined by dividing FT attempts by FG attempts. The Tribe is 48th in the country in FT attempts and 75th in FTs made, as of Dec. 10. In nine of 11 games this season, W&M has made more FTs than its opponent.
- Sophomore
Ben Wight, who scored a career-high 20 points vs. Mary Baldwin on Nov. 27, tallied his first career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds at Navy. He ranks 25th in the CAA in scoring (11.5), while coming in 11th in the league in rebounding (5.6). Wight also ranks seventh in the CAA in field goal % (59.2) and 15th in blocked shots (0.5).
- Freshman
Tyler Rice, who scored a career-high 16 points at Navy and against Old Dominion, has proven to be one of the top assist men in the CAA. The point guard ranks fifth in the CAA at 3.9 assists per game. According to KenPom.com, his assist rate of 32.4 is 57th nationally and his assist total (43) ranks 53rd nationally, as of Dec. 10. In the opener at Wake Forest, Rice dished out nine assists which were the most for a Tribe freshman in a debut in program history.
- Wight is one of the top rebounders in the CAA. He ranks third in the league in offensive rebounding at 2.9 per game and 11th in rebounding overall at 5.6. Nationally, he is 67th in offensive rebounds per game and 87th in offensive rebounding rate (13.0), according to KenPom.com. He pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end, at Navy. His nine offensive rebounds were tied for the most in a game for a CAA player this season and the sixth-highest total nationally.
- Senior
Quinn Blair, who has missed four games due to injury, has scored in double figures in four of his last six games, including a career-high 22 points against Howard. After suffering an injury late in the second half against American, Blair returned to the lineup hitting 7-of-8 from the field, including two 3-pointers, in 20 minutes against the Bison.
- Four former W&M players are either playing or coaching in the NBA. Nathan Knight '20 signed his second two-way NBA contract and is with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He saw action in 33 regular-season games, averaging 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game for the Eastern Conference Finalist Atlanta Hawks in 2020-21. Jim Moran '01 is an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons. Sean Sheldon '16 is the San Antonio Spurs head video coordinator, and Daniel Dixon '17 is the Charlotte Hornets' assistant video coordinator.
