What is wrong with CCSU?

If I actually knew, I would tell you, but I don’t, so here is what I think.

First, Matt Hunter is ineligible.

His first season in New Britain was fun. He filled the stat sheet every night and even set an opponent scoring record at Assembly Hall vs. then #1 Indiana. He looked to have a huge season this year and was doing it all again before becoming academically ineligible for the second half of the season, leaving 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block on the bench. This was a huge loss for the Blue Devils who don’t have another player as dynamic as him to pick up the slack, but that’s not all.

Not soon after, junior “superstar” Kyle Vinales broke a finger in a weight room accident. This was probably the biggest loss Howie Dickenman could have dreamed up…and it happened. Vinales was again leading the team in scoring, minutes and even assists per game this year. Howie didn’t start him for a couple of games early in the year to show that he wanted him to become more of a team player and it seemed to be working before the injury.

Both of these losses seem to actually have helped the Blue Devils mature. Faronte Drakeford has begun to pick up the scoring along with Malcolm McMillan. The junior college transfer is averaging 16.6 ppg in Northeast Conference play while the captain and point guard is averaging 13.1 and 3.7 assists. Matt Mobley is a freshman who has really come into his own. He is the third averaging double-digit points in conference play.

What does this mean for Vinales’ return?

I hope he just adds his usual production and the Blue Devils can hold some of these leads they have had and possibly sneak into the playoffs. Obviously he is going to take away playing time from guys like Mobley and Khalen Cumberlander, but if they can all play well together and the bigs continue to rebound, this team can only get better.

It looked as if Brandon Peel had regressed some, but he is starting to rebound at his ability again and giving CCSU a presence down low, something they have missed greatly. Juwan Newman is another guy that has shown signs of “greatness.” If he can put it all together, the Blue Devils will be competitive in the NEC, but it’s looking more and more like “wait ’til next year.”