OUTLOOK: The Colonial Athletic Association sent five teams to postseason play
last year, which had never happened before in conference history. All of the
usual suspects were at the top of the standings, as Virginia Commonwealth made
it to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the past six years. George
Mason was bounced from the opening round of the NIT by eventual champion Penn
State. For the Patriots, it was their seventh postseason appearance this
decade. Old Dominion made a fifth straight postseason trip and went on to win
the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament by beating Bradley. Meanwhile,
James Madison picked up its first postseason win since 1983 and went all the
way to the semifinals of the CIT. Northeastern won its first postseason game
since 1984 by advancing to the quarterfinals of the College Basketball
Invitational. Hofstra and Drexel finished in the middle of the pack, while the
remaining five teams all finished below .500 and enter the 2009-10 season with
various question marks. Still, with most of the league's top scorers back, it
figures to be another strong season for the CAA.
CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Virginia Commonwealth
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: 1. Virginia Commonwealth, 2. George Mason, 3. Old
Dominion, 4. Hofstra, 5. Drexel, 6. James Madison, 7. Northeastern, 8. William
& Mary, 9. Delaware, 10. UNC Wilmington, 11. Towson, 12. Georgia State
TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH - The Rams continue to be the cream of the crop in the
CAA. They've put together three straight seasons of at least 24 wins and are
coming off a third consecutive regular-season outright title, which had never
been done in league history. VCU has also won four of the last six CAA
Tournaments. Last year, the Rams led the conference in scoring with an average
of 71.8 ppg, and they outscored their opponents by a league-best margin of 8.4
ppg. But they've also lost two-time conference player of the year and the
school's all-time leading scorer, Eric Maynor, while head coach Anthony Grant
left for Alabama. Taking over the clipboard is 32-year-old Shaka Smart, a
former highly-regarded assistant from Florida. He inherits a deep and talented
squad thanks to guys like 6-11 junior forward Larry Sanders (11.3 ppg, 8.6
rpg, 2.7 bpg), a second-team All-CAA selection. Sanders, who set CAA
Tournament records with 20 rebounds and seven blocks in the championship game,
is the conference's reigning Defensive Player of the Year and the league's top
returning rebounder. Also returning are emerging junior guard Joey Rodriguez
(9.4 ppg) and sophomore forward Bradford Burgess (7.4 ppg), who made the All-
Rookie team.
GEORGE MASON - The Patriots put together another fine season, finishing 13-5
in league play and posting a 22-11 record overall. Under long-time coach Jim
Larranaga, the team has posted at least 20 wins in three of the last four
seasons. The Patriots established themselves as a stout defensive team last
year, allowing just 60.6 ppg. They've also been a handful playing at home,
where the Patriots have a current 16-game win streak, which ranks as the
eighth-longest in the nation. The team must replace a pair of All-CAA second-
team selections in guard John Vaughan and forward Darryl Monroe, though the
cupboard is not exactly bare for the Patriots. They do have junior guard Cam
Long (11.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg), a preseason First Team All-CAA pick. Sophomore
forward Ryan Pearson will be asked to step up after averaging 7.0 ppg and
garnering All-Rookie honors. They could also look to incoming freshman and
sharpshooter Sherrod Wright (6-4, 193).
OLD DOMINION - The Monarchs' 25 wins last season were the most in eight years
under coach Blaine Taylor. They got hot down the stretch, winning 10 of their
final 11 games to lock up a fifth consecutive postseason tournament. And with
all five starters back, the bar has been set pretty high for the 2009-10
season. Senior big man Gerald Lee, a First Team All-CAA forward, headlines the
returning starters after averaging 15.5 points and 5.7 boards per game. He'll
continue to work down low with Ben Finney (9.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Frank Hassell
(7.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), who are both entering their junior seasons. In the
backcourt, Marsharee Neely (7.1 ppg) and Darius James (6.9 ppg, 4.5 apg)
return, and they'll be asked to step up their offensive contributions. ODU
boasted the stingiest scoring defense in the league last year, allowing just
60.3 ppg. The Monarchs also led the CAA with a +7.0 rebounding margin.
HOFSTRA - The Pride took a major step forward last year, as they improved
their win total by nine victories from the previous season. The headliner is
junior guard Charles Jenkins, a First Team All-CAA selection and the top
returning scorer in the conference, coming off a season in which he averaged
19.7 ppg. Jenkins was one of only six players in the country to average at
least 19 points, four rebounds and four assists. The only other returning
starter is junior guard Nathaniel Lester (6.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg), although head
coach Tom Pecora has plenty of options to work with. Senior guard Cornelius
Vines returns after averaging 10.5 ppg, mostly off the bench. Also back in the
fold is 6-10 junior forward Greg Washington (5.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg), a CAA All-
Defensive Team pick who will now be given a more prominent role in the
offense.
DREXEL - The Dragons must replace key guards Scott Rodgers (13.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
and Tramayne Hawthorne (8.6 ppg), but there is still a good bit of talent on
the roster. Four starters return, and keep in mind the Dragons are guided by
reigning Coach of the Year Bruiser Flint. While Drexel posted a respectable 10
CAA wins a year ago, Flint was bothered by the team's inability to close out
games, especially late in the season. Of the Dragons' eight league losses,
five were by either one point or went to overtime. Junior guards Gerald Colds
(9.0 ppg) and Jamie Harris (8.1 ppg) are the top returning scorers, while 6-8
seniors Evan Neisler (7.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Leon Spencer (6.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
return in the low post. Keep an eye on sophomore Samme Givens (5.6 ppg, 6.8
rpg), a CAA All-Rookie selection who could be in line for a breakout season.
JAMES MADISON - The Dukes put together a solid season under first-year coach
Matt Brady, piling up 21 victories and notching their first postseason win
since Ronald Reagan's first term. The 21 wins were the most since 1992-93 for
the program. And with four starters returning, including CAA Rookie of the
Year Julius Wells, things are looking very promising for the Dukes. Wells, a
6-5 forward, made an immediate splash by averaging 11.6 points and 5.5
rebounds per game. Joining him on the All-Rookie team was 6-4 guard Devon
Moore, who tallied 10.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg. Fellow sophomore Andrey Semenov (8.2
ppg, 4.1 rpg) provides coach Brady a nice mix of youth, which he can fuse with
seniors Pierre Curtis (9.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Dazzmond Thornton (6.0 ppg, 3.2
rpg). Curtis was one of the postseason stars who helped the Dukes advance to
the semis of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
NORTHEASTERN - Coming off back-to-back losing seasons under coach Bill Coen,
the Huskies racked up 19 wins and finished 12-6 in league play. Senior wingman
Matt Janning (14.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) was a First Team All-CAA selection and enters
the 2009-10 season ranked 11th on the school's all-time scoring list. Along
with Janning, four starters return for a Huskies team that allowed just 60.4
ppg. Junior guard Chaisson Allen (10.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.1 apg) was a member of
the league's All-Defensive Team. Third Team All-CAA forward Manny Adako
returns for his senior season after posting 11.3 ppg and 4.2 rpg. Also
entering his senior season is 6-9 center Nkem Ojougboh (7.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg), who
could become more of a focal point of the offense in the low post. The only
key loss for NU was the departure of forward Eugene Spates (7.9 ppg), but if
Ojougboh and the others continue to step up offensively, the Huskies should be
just fine.
WILLIAM & MARY - After hovering around .500 for the previous two seasons, the
Tribe took a significant step back last year and finished with a 10-20 record,
including a 5-13 mark in the conference. Four starters return, but the team is
counting on bigger contributions from a few of the younger recruits. Leading
the way is senior guard David Schneider, who averaged a team-best 14.1 ppg.
Schneider is on the cusp of 1,000 points for his career and is coming off a
season in which he hit 73 three-pointers, marking the second-highest single-
season total in school history. Senior Danny Sumner (13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg) is the
main scoring threat down low, though he needs to make more of an impact on the
boards. Sophomore Quinn McDowell is an up-and-coming wing who made the CAA
All-Rookie team after logging 9.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 2008-09.
His continued development is arguably the team's biggest key to success.
DELAWARE - The Blue Hens finished 6-12 in league play and were ousted by
Georgia State in the opening round of the 2009 CAA Tournament. The team must
also replace Marc Egerson, who led the conference with 14 double-doubles.
However, there is a bit of firepower among the returning players. Junior guard
Jawan Carter finished sixth in the league in scoring (15.0 ppg) in his first
season at Delaware. He'll be asked to shoulder a big load offensively, as will
junior guard Alphonso Dawson, who averaged 14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per
game. Filling out the back court is senior guard Brian Johnson. He dished out
five assists per game last year, tops among returning players in the CAA.
While the backcourt figures to be solid, there are no such assurances down
low, where fourth-year coach Monte Ross will be forced to give significant
minutes to some underclassmen. Incoming freshmen Kelvin McNeil (6-7, 210) and
Jamelle Hagins (6-8, 210) could rotate in, while sophomore forward Hakim
McCullar (6-8, 240) should also see plenty of court time.
UNC WILMINGTON - The Seahawks followed a 20-13 campaign in 2007-08 by going
just 7-25 last season, including only three wins in league play. All five
starters return from that UNCW team which scored 71.2 ppg to rank second in
the conference, behind only VCU. The Seahawks are a strong outside shooting
team, as they averaged a league-best 8.4 threes per game. However, they didn't
play a whole lot of defense, which should be priority No. 1 for fourth-year
coach Benny Moss. Junior point guard Chad Tomko reached double figures in 10
of his last 12 games, and his average of 15.6 ppg ranks second in the league
among returning players. He led the CAA in steals (2.2) and ranked third in
assists (4.4). Senior guards Johnny Wolf (13.9 ppg) and Montez Downey (8.5
ppg) provide some additional scoring punch, along with junior forward
Dominique Lacy (10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
TOWSON - Pat Kennedy is entering his sixth season as head coach at Towson, and
he has yet to deliver a winning ledger. The Tigers finished just 12-22 last
year, though they pulled off a surprise run in the CAA tourney, becoming the
first No. 11 seed to reach the semifinals. Four starters return, but the lone
exception is leading scorer Junior Hairston, whose 13 ppg must be replaced.
The leading candidate to carry the scoring load is senior guard Josh Thornton,
who averaged 10.9 ppg and ranked third in the conference with 2.4 three-
pointers per game. He'll be joined in the backcourt by sophomore Troy
Franklin, who contributed 8.4 ppg and 4.2 apg as a freshman. Down low is 6-7
junior forward Jarrel Smith (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), a capable scorer who must
continue to make strides on the boards.
GEORGIA STATE - The rebuilding process at Georgia State has not been a rapid
one under third-year coach Rod Barnes. Barnes has guided the team to
consecutive 20-loss seasons since coming over from Ole Miss where he notched
141 wins from 1998-2006. Georgia State finished 12-20 last season but was
competitive in league play (8-10), winning five of its last seven games, with
the only losses coming at the hands of league champ VCU. The key returnee is
senior guard Joe Dukes, who averaged 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He
also dished out 4.3 assists and averaged 1.7 steals per game. But he can't
carry the entire scoring load. Trae Goldston (10.8 ppg) needs to provide
senior leadership and scoring production from the backcourt. The roster is
made up predominantly of upperclassmen, as the team will carry only one
freshman.
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