1. Old Dominion—The Monarchs return all five starters and are perhaps the deepest team in the CAA. The conference has garnered national attention over the past few years and Old Dominion hasn’t necessarily been among the teams to do so, but with preseason CAA co-Player of the Year Gerald Lee anchoring the post in the middle, ODU will be a force and look to make the NCAA Tournament. Frank Hassell is also due for a breakout season.
2. VCU—Larry Sanders returns as the headliner for a Rams squad that lost Eric Maynor to the NBA and head coach Anthony Grant, who left to become the head coach at the University of Alabama. Sanders is an elite athlete who is the best shot blocker in the conference and perhaps in the nation. He’s a projected lottery pick in next season’s NBA draft and will team with Joey Rodriguez to give new head man Shaka Smart a potent inside-out duo.
3. George Mason—Head coach Jim Larranaga has parlayed the Patriots recent dominance into great recruiting success and has an extremely talented roster. Junior guard Cam Long averaged nearly 12 points per game last season and is the team’s top returner. Louis Birdsong will enter his third season as a starter. Sherrod Wright, Johnny Williams and Paris Bennett are all highly touted recruits who had high-major offers and will log major minutes as freshmen.
4. Northeastern—Matt Janning returns as one of the top returning scorers in the entire conference and was a preseason all-CAA first team selection. But he won’t be alone. Adding plenty of scoring punch are junior guard Chaisson Allen, who doubles as a terrific defender, and rugged Manny Adako, who provides energy and toughness in the frontcourt.
5. Hofstra—Preseason CAA co-Player of the Year Charles Jenkins was one of just six players in the entire nation who averaged more than 19 points, four rebounds and four assists per game last season. Jenkins is built like a bull and relies on his strength to get to the rim anytime he wants. Cornelius Vines is a deadly deep range shooter and Nathaniel Lester provides experience.
6. Georgia State—The Panthers made national headlines when the beat out the likes of Mississippi State and Memphis for the services of 5-star freshman center RaShanti Harris. Harris has a frame that is built to bang in the post and is a tenacious rebounder on both the offensive and defensive ends. He’s the type of player who may thrive in this league, and if he is as good as advertised, Georgia State may surprise.
7. James Madison—Sophomore Julius Wells, the reigning CAA Rookie of the Year, is a great wing with superior athleticism. He provides good size at 6-foot 5-inches for the small forward position and is a matchup nightmare for defenses. At 275 pounds, Dazzmond Thornton is one of the biggest players in the conference.
8. Drexel—Head coach Bruiser Flint is one of the old reliables in the conference and has a wealth of experience coaching in big games. Gerald Colds is back after averaging 9.0 points per game last season, and Kenny Tribbett provides veteran leadership in the frontcourt.
9. Towson—For the first time in years, Towson can run out two solid contributors at each position on the court. But Towson really lacks a go-to player in crunch time and has had some awful mental lapses that have cost them, such as poor free throw shooting at critical times. The man-to-man defense that the team is turning to is a huge transition and should benefit the team greatly.
10. Delaware—Monte Ross enters his fourth season as head coach under the gun, as first year athletic director Bernard Muir, who spent time in the athletic department at Georgetown prior to joining the Blue Hens, knows what it takes to build a basketball powerhouse. Ross was highly regarded when he took the job, but just hasn’t produced. He’s only 32-62 in his first three seasons.
11. William & Mary—Tony Shaver has been around forever at the helm of the Tribe, but he just doesn’t have a lot to work with this season and should be prepping for a down year. Senior David Schneider is nearing the 1,000 career point mark and has started 84 of 88 career games at the school. He was a third team all-CAA pick last season.
12. UNC-Wilmington—Chad Tomko is an excellent point guard, but he has recently suffered an injury and it’s possible he may not be ready for the beginning of the season. If that’s the case, expect the team to struggle early and often. Senior Montez Downey provides athleticism in the backcourt and should be a major piece on offense.
RSS Feeds
Be the first to comment on this article!