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CAA MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- Towson
- Charleston
- UNC Wilmington
- Hofstra
- Delaware
- Northeastern
- William & Mary
- Monmouth
- Stony Brook
- NC A&T
- Drexel
- Elon
- Campbell
- Hampton
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-CAA 1ST TEAM:
-Ante Brzovic – SR, F – Charleston (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Gabe Dorsey – SR, G/F – William & Mary
-Landon Glasper – JR, G – NC A&T
-Kyrese Mullen – JR, F – Hampton
-Tyler Tejada – SO, G/F – Towson
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-CAA 2ND TEAM:
-CJ Fulton – SR, G – Charleston
-Christian May – JR, G/F – Towson
-TK Simpkins – JR, G – Elon
-Masai Troutman – JR, G – Northeastern
-Jaret Valencia – SO, F – Monmouth
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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-Towson won 20 games a year ago and with four starters coming back they are the preseason favorites to win the league this year. The job that Pat Skerry has done as head coach has been phenomenal when you consider just how bad this team was when he first arrived. They went from winning just one game his first year to 20 or more these past three years. It would be great to see them reach the top of the mountain this year. Tyler Tejada had a solid year as a freshman, and considering how players tend to improve the most between their first and second years he could be a huge asset to the Tigers this year. Christian May gives them experience at the PG position, and they have guys that can rebound, shoot, and defend. This is a solid Towson team that is going to be a lot of fun to watch this year.
-Charleston has had two incredible seasons in a row, but with Pat Kelsey departing to take the head coaching job at Louisville, and with just one starter returning from a year ago, this team is in what you would call a transitional phase. Having said that, Chris Mack is taking over as head coach, and he has been very successful at Xavier (and I would argue he did a much better job at Louisville than what he got credit for). I think he can keep this program winning at a high rate. They do have the Preseason Player of the Year in Ante Brzovic, and they went into the portal to get some standout D-1 players who were all big-time scorers, so it would not shock me to see the Cougars atop the standings again in March despite all the changes they have gone through.
-UNC Wilmington is also coming off three straight 20+ win seasons, but like a lot of teams they are having to overhaul their roster. Takayo Siddle has had a good run as head coach, but he is faced with some challenges this year. The cupboard is not completely bare as they have some guys transferring in that appeared to be key role players, and that can sometimes be some really strong building blocks, but right now I have far more questions than answers when it comes to this team.
-Coach Speedy Claxton has won 20+ games in each of his three years at Hofstra, but this year he is once again tasked with replacing several key players. Just one starter returns…and when you go down their roster it looks as though literally every player will be expected to play a bigger role than they have ever previously played as a college players. We are used to seeing this team win a lot, but it could be a struggle this year.
-Delaware is another team that is having to replace the bulk of their starting lineup. Niels Lane/Tahron Allen help make up what should be an experienced backcourt, but the rest of the roster is inexperienced and will have to step up into bigger roles this year if the Blue Hens are going to be successful.
-Bill Coen has had some great years at Northeastern. Unfortunately none of those have come recently. They have had four straight losing seasons, and while three starters are back and that experience should result in a few more wins this year, they do not seem to be a team that will finish near the top of the standings this year.
-William & Mary has not won more than 10 total games in any of the last four years, nor have they finished in the top-300 of most metrics. With three starters back, we may see some improvement this year, but I don’t think we will see them near the top. They do have a new head coach in Brian Earl, so the style of play of valuing outside shooters in the past might change as the program moves forward.
-Monmouth showed a ton of improvement last season winning 18 total games after winning just 7 the season before. Two starters are back, including Jaret Valencia, who received all-conference preseason honors. They do have to replace an awful lot, though, and it looks as though a lot of guys with limited experience will have to step up.
-Stony Brook had a very strong overall season and was on fire down the stretch. They won six out of seven before losing in the conference championship game in overtime to Charleston. The problem is that most of that team is now gone and head coach Geno Ford is starting over. Joe Octave was a solid player at Holy Cross and he is a nice get from the transfer portal, but the rest of the roster has limited experience.
-NC A&T returns all five starters!! That is almost unheard of in this day and age. The problem is the team only won 7 total games a year ago. While the experience should result in a few more wins this year, I do not see the Aggies finishing in the top half of the league.
-Drexel is a program that appeared to be building itself up in recent years. They won 20 games a year ago, but three of their starters graduated and the other two transferred out, so Coach Zach Spiker has to completely start over. It is hard to say what they will be like this year.
-Elon has three starters back, and that experience should help them some. TK Simpkins is a solid player, but he will need some help if the Phoenix are going to finish any higher in the standings this year, and they seem to be a little low on experience.
-Campbell was a modest 8-10 in conference play last year, which is not great by any means, and with three starters back I think the Camels can do a little better than next to last in the league this year.
-Hampton is just struggling. They have not managed 10 wins in any of the last three seasons, and with very little experience returning it looks like it is potentially another long year for the Pirates.