Colonial Athletic Conference report

SportsLine.com report
June 5, 2000

Another losing year resulted in the firing of American coach Art Perry and his staff after their 75-58 loss to George Mason in the CAA Tournament. Former Princeton assistant Joe Scott has been tabbed as his replacement, though he will spend only one year coaching in the CAA as the Eagles have announced plans to step down to the Patriot League for the 2001-02 season.

The plan has stirred some anger on campus, though the school ignored the heat and opted to make the move -- one which will cut travel costs exponentially.

There's plenty to build around on the Eagles' squad. Sophomore center Patrick Doctor earned first-team All-CAA honors and freshman forward Tim Washington was named to the all-freshman team. But while the frontcourt is solid, the Eagles need to find some consistent shooters and ball handlers in the backcourt.

The Coach

Art Perry was fired after posting a 27-58 record in three seasons at the school and former Princeton assistant Joe Scott has been named as his replacement.

Who's Gone

The loss of Jarion Childs subtracts the Eagles' best defensive player and one of the best defenders in the nation. Replacing the guard and his disruptive ball pressure won't be easy. But only Childs and 5-foot-9 David Olsen are graduating, leaving American with a significant nucleus of young players.

Key Newcomers

Perry brought home a nice recruiting haul, but even that wasn't enough to save his job.

G-F Deon Saunders, 6-6, 215: During his two years as a starter at Washington D.C. Spingarn, he led the Green Waves to a 48-4 record and capped off his senior year by leading Spingarn to a 25-1 record and winning the schools' first City Title in fifteen years. This season featured a 17-game winning streak, including wins in the tough DCIAA Conference, and a defeat of rival Dunbar in the DCIAA Championship. This season he averaged 23.3 points and 10.0 rebounds. Was picked district player of the year by several services and also drew interest from Wake Forest and Florida State.

G Kevin Bell, 6-3, 180: Bell averaged 15.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and earned Second Team All Tri-State honors two years ago, his last playing in high school. Bell was also a member of the successful AAU team, the Long Island Panthers. He was also recruited by Villanova and Cincinnati.