The Colonial leaped into the nation’s hearts back in 2006, when George Mason reached the Final Hour. VCU followed that up with an upset of Duke in the first round in 2007, and then the Rams nearly knocked off UCLA in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Heading into this season, it doesn’t look like anyone is primed to pull off an upset in the NCAA Tournament, but that doesn’t mean the CAA isn’t ripe with quality teams and players. Eight of the top 10 scorers return, as do 10 of the top 15 rebounders and nine of the top 10 assist men. The CAA is consistently one of the most exciting leagues in America, and this season will not be any different.
Delaware Blue Hens The Blue Hens are fun to watch, but will struggle this season without Marc Egerson and Brian Johnson, the latter of whom will miss the entire season with a torn ACL. Jawan Carter is a big-time scorer who will likely increase his 15.2 points per game with more shots to go around. Alphonso Dawson came on strong down the stretch, scoring double-figures in the last six games of the season. Overall, he averaged 14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Drexel Dragons The Dragons struggled immensely offensively last season, but the fact remains that they might have more viable individual fantasy options than anyone else in the league. Evan Neisler averaged is a very good rebounder, grabbing nearly seven per game to go with about eight points per game. Gerald Colds (9.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg) is the team’s leading returning scorer, while Samme Givens (6.8 rpg) is an absolute monster on the glass. Jamie Harris (8.1 ppg, 2.9 apg) is a solid point guard who needs to improve his shooting.
George Mason Patriots The Patriots will take a step back in the conference after losing three starters, but don’t count out Jim Larranaga’s squad. Cam Long is a versatile scorer who can shoot effectively from behind the arc, and also get rebounds around the basket. His 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds should improve. Freshman Sherrod Wright is a New York native who chose the Mason over several BCS schools. He is strong and difficult to stop around the rim.
Georgia State Panthers It seems that preseason expectations for the Panthers vary; it will be likely come down to the newcomers. But first, the returnees. Joe Dukes (12.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.2 apg) is an all-around contributor who is one of the best players in the league. Trae Goldston (10.8 ppg) is a double-figure scorer who will have to improve. Freshman Rashanti Harris was arguably the biggest coup for the league. Harris is a high-major player who could easily have played in the SEC.
Hofstra Pride The Pride surprised some people last year, and they return arguably the best player in the conference, Charles Jenkins. Jenkins, who averaged 19.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 4.3 apg, is a big-time performer and one of the most productive players in the country. Guard Cornelius Vines is the team’s other double-figure scorer; he can shoot the three. Greg Washington is an athletic player to watch down low.
James Madison Dukes The Dukes could be a sleeper team to watch in the CAA this season. They have a lot of young talent and won 21 games a season ago. Julius Wells was the CAA Rookie of the Year, averaging 11.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Devon Moore was on the all-freshman team and hit over 50% of his field goal attempts. Pierre Curtis (9.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.8 apg) is a solid performer at both ends of the floor and adds some veteran experience. Texas A&M transfer
Denzel Bowles could be a factor, and sophomore Andrey Semenov will increase his production with more time.
UNC-Wilmington Seahawks The Seahawks were the worst team in the CAA last season, but do have a shot at moving up in the standings. Chad Tomko is one of the more productive players in the league, after averaging 15.6 points and 4.4 assists per game last season. He is joined in the backcourt with Johnny Wolf, a very good scorer at 13.9 points per game. Dominique Lacy provides balance up front, scoring in double-figures and also rebounding at nearly six per game.
Northeastern Huskies One of the popular picks to win the CAA, the Huskies have a chance to fill the void vacated by the usual suspects at the top of the standings. Matt Janning is one of the best players in the conference, a versatile guard who ranked in the conference’s top 10 in scoring, steals, minutes and field goal percentage. Manny Adako (11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is an efficient shooter down low, hitting almost 57% of his attempts. Chaisson Allen is another all-around contributor. He averaged in double-figures and also led the team in rebounds and assists while getting voted to the All-Defensive team.
Old Dominion Monarchs The Monarchs are another candidate to win the conference. They return five starters, including two seniors and three juniors. Gerald Lee is an all-conference performer who can carry this team. He averaged 15.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season. 6-foot-5 swingman Ben Finney was the team’s top rebounder and also averaged nearly 10 points per game. Darius James is a decent scorer and one of the league’s best distributors, while Keyon Carter could be poised for a big year.
Towson Tigers The Tigers return four starters and are looking to build off of their run to the CAA title game. It starts with the inside-outside duo of forward Jarrel Smith and guard Josh Thornton. Smith has to improve his play on the inside, but he did score nearly 10 points per game and pick up about five boards a game. Thornton is the team’s leading returning scorer but he is streaky shooting the ball. A key could be freshman
Isaiah Philmore, a forward from Maryland who chose the in-state Tigers over many Big East and ACC teams. VCU Rams The Rams don’t have point guard Eric Maynor or head coach Anthony Grant anymore, but they will still be a factor in the league race – and could win it again. Center Larry Sanders is a future NBA player who is one of the nation’s best shot blockers and could be a dominant force in the middle for VCU. He averaged 11.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season. Joey Rodriguez seemed like he would transfer before changing his mind; he needs to become a go-to scorer in the backcourt. All-rookie guard Bradford Burgess and Marist transfer Jay Gavin have a chance to become big-time scorers in Maynor’s absence.
William & Mary Tribe The Tribe finished next-to-last in the conference last season, but they do have one of the better 1-2 combos around. Guard David Schneider is the team’s leading scorer, but hit less than 30 percent of his 248 three-point attempts. He is a solid rebounder and assist man too. Danny Sumner (13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg) is an inside-outside option who creates match-up problems for opponents. Quinn McDowell was an efficient scorer, hitting 50% of his field goal attempts while averaging over nine points and four rebounds per game.