How does the David Bowie song go?
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…
Every year, when the regular season comes to a close, the CAA selects teams; an all-conference first, second, third, defense, and rookie team, respectively. In all, that's 25 players, with five on each respective team. Impressive math, I know.
With less than eight months separating us from those awards, it brings me no joy to inform you that of those 25, a whopping two — yes, two — are slated to play basketball for the same team they did then. The other 23 either graduated or playing elsewhere, chasing brighter lights and greener (and I really mean greener) pa$ture$.
Turn and face the strange…
The CAA certainly did face the strange last year, when top-two seeds UNC Wilmington and Charleston each suffered unceremonious quarterfinal exits to Campbell and Towson, respectively. That early-round chaos gave way to a Monmouth-Hofstra final, with Speedy Claxton's Pride taking down King Rice's Hawks to earn Hofstra's first NCAA Tournament berth in a long, long time (save for 2020).
If we dial it back all the way to preseason polling, the Monmouth-Hofstra final pitted the preseason six-seed against the preseason eight-seed, with the eight-seed prevailing. That isn't quite a polling miss that'd make Nate Silver blush, but it was certainly a surprise, even as both the Hawks and the Pride more than proved their mettle over the course of a grueling regular season and a captivating, thrilling CAA Tournament.
That's not to say that this year's poll is off, or that we should expect another Cinderella-esque run from the middle class of what projects to be a top-heavy CAA. Nor is it to say that this preview is any more accurate. I can almost guarantee it won't be, in fact, if history is any indicator.
But amongst all this change, and the wildness that is college basketball, what's the harm in trying?
A year ago, fresh off watching The Sopranos, I assigned each CAA team a Sopranos quote to back up my power rankings . I don't know why; it's hard to imagine anyone in the history of the world has ever thought about The Sopranos and William & Mary basketball concurrently, let alone tried to pair a quote to a season-long prediction. It was a fun endeavor, though.
I have no such creative spark this year. Nothing spoke to me. I thought about workshopping The Odyssey in somehow, or You Can See Everything …
Wait a minute. That's it, isn't it?
Yeah, that's it. Here's a CAA Basketball preview using quotes from You Can See Everything . And remember, there's no reason for me to deceive you, and everything is always as it seems…
"I think that there's like a lot of different levels of wealth." — Billy Evans
I'd have to concur, Billy. Especially in the CAA, where there are two ostensibly rich teams — UNCW and Charleston — and then varying levels of financial flexibility throughout the rest of the conference.
UNCW used those riches this summer to bring in a staggeringly talented transfer class, headlined by standout sophomore guard Tahlan Pettway(Western Carolina), who shot nearly 40% from three in a dynamic freshman season. Head coach Takayo Siddlestruck elsewhere, too, grabbing defensively-minded fifth-years in guard Xavier Brown(USF) and forward Tyler Nelson(Navy), plus standout shooters Treyvon Maddox(Miami) and William Kermoury(Northeastern), before rounding it out with big, able-bodied Spencer Elliott(Charlotte).
Oh, and UNCW is returning easily the most talented trio in the conference: seven-foot preseason Player of the Year Patrick Wessler, one of the country's best rebounders in senior Gavin Walsh, and deadeye sniper CJ Luster II, who missed last season through injury after shooting 42% from three in an All-CAA Third Team season for Stony Brook in 2024-25.
Yeah, pretty good.
Even with Kermoury projected to miss the season with a knee injury sustained in camp, the Seahawks are poised to have the deepest, most versatile roster in the conference. The influx of shooting should bolster a team that didn't space or shoot free throws particularly well a season ago, and the experience level hasn't dipped at all. They still possess the ultimate trump card in Wessler, who can score almost at will, and the spacing around him should be superb. If they can get a productive season out of Nelson, who was an All-League Third Teamer at Navy in 2022-23 before doing three years in the Armed Forces, the Seahawks will go nine-deep with really good players even before counting any of the true freshmen.
One caveat: there isn't really a true point guard on this roster. I trust the IQ of Wessler, Walsh, Luster and Brown to make up for that, but there will be the occasional ugly possession. Don't be fooled: this is the most talented roster in the conference until further notice.
"It's been 899 days. I count the days." — Billy Evans
It's actually been 951 days, at the time of writing, since the Cougars last sniffed NCAA Tournament action. If we rewind to that day, you could be forgiven for tabbing Charleston as a potential CAA dynasty; with Pat Kelsey at the controls and boatloads of money at their disposal, CofC seemed as likely as anybody to stake their claim as the Coastal's apex predator.
That hasn't happened. Instead, Kelsey left for Louisville, Chris Mack walked in the door, and the Cougars have spent the better part of the last two years playing second fiddle to UNCW. Now, John Grocehas taken over, the roster is completely revamped, and hope springs eternal once again, even with the 951… 952… days since Charleston was where it truly wanted to be.
Groce spent his summer putting together an impressive collection of talent. After losing virtually everybody (with the exception of quality sophomore wing Martin Kalu), the Cougars brought in a bushel of talent; guards Xavier Abreu(Northeastern), Ben Bradford(Charlotte), Max Green(Northwestern), and Eli Ellis(South Carolina) all have impressive resumes, and even while the bigs Trey Scott(Georgia State) and Braden Pierce(Villanova) aren't as highly-touted, there's some quality there too.
One thing we know? This team will score. Ellis went viral in high school for his scoring exploits. Abreu averaged nearly 13 points as a freshman. Bradford averaged almost 14 as a sophomore (in a tougher conference, no less), and Green came in around 15 as a freshman at Holy Cross before a down year at Northwestern. Those four alone should pour it on.
What else is here, though? Kalu had a good freshman year but shot poorly; Pierce and Scott are both big, plodding bigs without much DI experience, and other returners (senior G Đorđe Ćurčićand redshirt sophomore F Will Mortimore) don't project as productive rotation pieces. More than that, the backcourt runs a real risk of redundancy: Abreu, Ellis and Bradford are all score-first guards, with Abreu and Ellis profiling as defensive liabilities to boot.
The path to greatness here runs through Pierce being a stud, the 6-foot-5 Bradford playing up as a forward, and a lot of threes finding mesh. Oh, and the Cougars have the ultimate wildcard in reigning MAC Player of the Year Tavari Johnson, a fifth-year guard who's currently ineligible. Should he gain eligibility, Johnson — who averaged just under 20 points for Groce last year at Akron — instantly becomes a favorite for CAA Player of the Year and radically changes Charleston's calculus.
But, until then, this is an incomplete, lopsided roster, albeit one with oodles of talent. Keep an eye out for freshman guard Kobe Edwardsto play his way into the rotation, and expect the Cougars to run, shoot and gun their way to another top-two finish.
"Why are you smiling?" "It's very complicated." — Nathan Fielder and Amanda Seyfried
"Complicated" is the easiest way to describe Monmouth's offseason, which saw head coach King Ricesay goodbye to a huge chunk of his roster that came within a few possessions of winning the CAA Tournament in 2026. Why was it complicated, then? Because, in all that chaos, the Hawks got some bounces their way, with fifth-year guards Jack Collinsand Madison Durreach earning surprise injunctions to continue their college basketball careers.
Both Collins and Durr are Hawks by blood; Collins is Mr. Monmouth, having spent all four years in West Long Branch, and Durr has roots here, averaging 12.5 points under Coach Rice as a junior in 2024-25 before departing for UNCW. Collins is big, rangy and defensive, and Durr is a slashing two-way threat; the malleability allows both men to play a variety of positions, opening up a bevy of lineup combinations.
A pair of Walkers arrive to join those two in the backcourt: senior Lo, from NC A&T, and sophomore Ashton, a reigning A-10 All-Rookie from La Salle. The contrasting styles of the duo (Lo likes to score, and Ashton likes to distribute) make them ideal backcourt mates, even before considering 6-foot-3 junior Jakai Sanders, who averaged in double figures as a starter for Le Moyne last season.
Returning sophomore big Stefanos Spartalisleads the frontcourt, where he started 30 games for Monmouth a season ago. Spartalis was among the snubs for CAA All-Rookie, missing out despite averaging almost 11 points and six rebounds per night, and should see a jump in production with a year under his belt. Beyond that, it's somewhat thin; Kansas State transfer Stephen Oseiis there after playing three games for the 'Cats last year, and Jinup Dobuolreturns after appearing in 19 games. Freshman Stefan Marjanović(yes, Boban's son) is here as well, and the 7-footer has enough size and touch to contest for minutes from day one.
I love this team. I really do. There are questions — mostly who is going to step up and shoot the ball — but only one guy in the rotation (Osei) screams non-shooter, so my gut tells me they patch it together. If they can find some threes, this is a well-rounded, deep, well-coached team with an excellent mix of experience and talent and a roster constructed to be more than the sum of its parts.
"Every action she takes for as long as she lives will be building monuments of love to me." — Billy Evans
Okay, so a statue isn't quite a monument. But a statue is what head coach Speedy Claxton requested (jokingly, I think) after his Pride took down Monmouth to win the CAA Tournament in March. And while Speedy hasn't gotten his statue (yet), the Hofstra legend did get a street in Hempstead named after him , and you wouldn't be shocked if that statue came down the road one day.
So yeah, Hofstra physically built Speedy a monument of love. But, after losing virtually everybody from his title team (stud defensive forward Joshua DeCadyexcluded), the school put a good chunk of money towards building Claxton a monument in the form of a roster capable of doing it all again.
Where do we begin? Hofstra has 12 new players, eight of whom are transfers. Two of the three headliners — bulldog guard Justin Mooreand roving microwave shooter Deywilk Tavarez— come from Loyola Chicago, each of whom have CAA pedigree to boot (Drexel and Charleston, respectively). The third head? Tanner Thomas, a 6-foot-6 scoring wing who poured it in with the best of them across four years at Sacred Heart.
Hofstra got three players from outside the DI ranks: talented combo guard Nick Jefferson, big center Riley Dunn, and sharpshooting wing Elijah Gelin. Of the three, Jefferson projects to play the most, and all three should at least serve as quality depth.
Two more bigs round things out in Imanuel Zorgvol(Youngstown State) and Spence Wewe(Quinnipiac). Zorgvol, in particular, has a chance to be a key player; the sixth-year forward pairs a long frame with elite athleticism and solid shooting touch. Wewe didn't do much for Quinnipiac, but his seven-foot silhouette will be additive.
Hofstra has gotten a lot of preseason love, and deservedly so. It's a fabulous stockpiling of talent for a decimated roster. However, I have worries about the fit, and it's worth noting that Moore and Tavarez are less than a year removed from contributing to a horrific Loyola Chicago team. Thomas's ball-dominant style doesn't lend itself to complementary basketball, either, and even though I really like Zorgvol, nobody in the frontcourt projects as a true difference-maker, at least right away. The path to success? Moore-Tavarez-Thomas-DeCady meshes as a foursome, and the frontcourt rotation holds up. I really do like the guard depth, and I love freshman guard Xavier Blake, who looks like he learned everything he knows about basketball from a Cruz Davis highlight video. The pieces are here, and I trust Speedy to put them together, but there are too many question marks and cohesiveness concerns to break the top three.
I don't have a quote for this one. Bear with me.
There's a scene about halfway through where Fielder tries to show, and explain, the "Who's On First" comedy routine to Elizabeth Holmes. She doesn't get it. Throughout the entire scene, she's unable to discern whether Who, or who, is on first. Hell, she doesn't even know who's on second, or who's on third. It's a mess.
That's William & Mary in a nutshell. Under Brian Earl, the Tribe are a hockey team, running full-lineup switches and a hockey-style rotation. They press. They shoot threes. Everyone blends together, they fly around the court, and when the clock hits triple zeros, they tend to lead on the scoreboard.
They return two players, neither of whom really played a season ago in junior guard Colin Lamine Ndawand senior guard Ethan Connery. Not much to report there. A whopping 11 transfers came in. They will all play, to some degree. Predicting Earl teams is like playing darts blindfolded, but I'll give it a whirl:
Sophomore Gavin Wardis up from the Juco ranks, and I think the 6-foot-6 do-it-all guard has a real shot at all-league honors. I like junior forward John Roland Jr., who is a bruising Swiss Army knife, also. Sophomore guard Jesse McIntoshloves to play in transition, and his 6-foot-8 size makes him a matchup nightmare on both ends. Look out for sophomore guard Jayden Forsytheas well, who was a four-star, hot-shooting recruit before a dormant first season with West Virginia.
Onto the less-heralded, but equally likely to impact games: graduate guard Tre Blassingamehas enjoyed a steady career, and will play a lot for Earl. Junior guard Nilavan Danielsis a quality three-and-D piece with high-major experience from Providence. Sophomore guards Will Feaglesand ZZ Clarkboth have scoring pedigree, with Clark flashing on-ball creation. Junior forwards Stas Sivkaand Brian Carter Jr.possess height and elite touch, respectively, and ought to earn some run. To round it out, graduate wing Josh Baldwincomes over after a successful Cornell career, and has every glue guy indicator in the book.
Long story short: I'm enamored. There's so much to watch, every night. Keep an eye out for Ward, seriously; the tape jumps off the screen. I love McIntosh. I love Daniels. I love Forsythe. It's one of those rare Earl teams, for me, where I think there are genuine stars. Of course, with the Earl style, variance abounds, but I think this team has a real shot to contend and contend nightly.
"Why would I deceive you? There's no reason for me to do that." — Elizabeth Holmes
Just like most years, there is a ton of talent on this roster. There was a ton of talent on this roster last year. There was a ton the year before.
Every year, though, it fails to fully mesh. It's deception! Just last year, I was duped into picking the Pirates to finish fourth, which did not come to fruition. This year, I'm not as high, but I again think Hampton has the firepower to have a really good season.
Etienne Strothersis still around as a twitchy scoring guard who knows the system, as is rangy shooting wing Aidan Haskins. Coach Ivan Thomasbrought in some high-quality transfers, too, such as former four-star Tyler Jacksonfrom EKU and Seth Hubbardfrom Milwaukee, alongside lower-key studs, including wing Jayme Mitchell Jr.(Jackson State) and big guard Aaron Davis(Bryant). In the frontcourt, Cornelius Robinson IIIarrives after a solid career with CAA rival Monmouth, and All-NEC Defense forward Max Frazieris in the door from Central Connecticut.
Thomas has a lot to work with. Jackson showed flashes of becoming a dominant scoring guard. Hubbard is an elite isolation scorer, and Strothers (again) looks primed for a leap. Davis and Mitchell bring a rare skill/size blend that should play at all three levels, and Haskins is a huge trump card as a knockdown shooter from all over the court. The frontcourt, if unspectacular, should be decent as well.
If there is a sentence to properly sum up these Pirates, it probably comes from Jackson's high school scouting report, which says that he "struggles to blend individual identity into team concepts." That feels about right. On paper, there isn't a standout passer on this roster, and outside of Haskins and Strothers, nobody really profiles as a connector.
How well this team ultimately does will come down to how well they can coalesce. The individual talent is apparent, even if the depth isn't quite what it's been in years past. My gut tells me they will coalesce, at least to some degree, and earn an upper-half finish.
"I still have this weird feeling that there's some things here that I'm not seeing." — Nathan Fielder
You know what I'm not seeing? Anybody to score the ball.
Head coach Geno Fordactually retained a lot of last year's roster, bringing back five legitimate rotation players, a rarity in today's day and age. Ford also brought in a number of transfers, including standout Richmond wing Jaden Daughtry, who excelled at a higher level last year and should have. I love sophomore Oregon forward Efe Vatan, too, whose athleticism and advanced footwork can make him a dynamo from day one. Throw in wiry forward Bryan Ndjonga(Canisius), and those three add to a frontcourt that already had intriguing sophomore Tomas Valentiny, junior 30-game starter Quin Gorman, and lanky 3-and-D graduate forward Ethan Simmon. That, in no uncertain terms, is a quality group.
It's hard to really see the vision in the backcourt, though. Junior Collin O'Connorreturns after a foot injury ended the preseason All-League guard's campaign early, but his middling start and long-term injury recovery make him something of an unknown. He's joined by sophomore guard Jonah Butler, who will look to improve on a promising freshman year, plus transfers Kingston Price(Fordham) and Morris Ugusuk(West Virginia). Neither of those two were particularly impressive a season ago, though, and even at their respective bests, neither is a true scorer.
The plus side of not having any scoring guards, of course, is that Stony Brook will be able to play some jumbo lineups. Daughtry looks poised to be an absolute wrecking ball, and Vatan has the athleticism to change games on both ends. Simmon is reliable, and Ndjonga, Valentiny and Gorman provide depth that'd be the envy of any CAA team.
How far this team can go hinges on guard play. If there's going to be a breakout, look for Butler, who has all-around skill spread throughout a 6-foot-6 silhouette. Butler can pass, shoot, rebound and defend, and he's primed for a leap that his team may need even more than he does. If that doesn't come to fruition, though, these Seawolves are going to be in some ugly games.
Listen to the "Anything But Mid" Podcast Coastal men's preview episode:
Listen to the "Anything But Mid" Podcast Coastal women's preview episode:
"I didn't sense fear. I just sensed complete, unbridled, genuine love for this man." — Nathan Fielder
Complete, unbridled love for head coach Pat Skerryis probably the least he deserves.
Skerry is entering year 16 as Towson's head coach, leading the Tigers out of the dregs and into the yearly conversation around the top of the CAA. Even last year, in which Towson fell way short of preseason expectation, the Tigers were able to blow the doors off second-seeded Charleston in the quarters and push eventual champion Hofstra all the way to the brink in a wild, instant-classic semifinal.
This year's Tigers are not as highly-touted. Both stars — wing Tyler Tejada and guard Dylan Williamson — are gone. Not much is left besides sophomore wing Jaquan Womackand junior forward Caleb Embeya. The transfers have promise, but that's about it: promise.
Most of that promise takes the shape of senior guard Zion Stanford, who excelled at Temple before an anonymous season at Villanova. Ben Roseboroughfrom San Jose State is a great shooter, and Denis Badalaubrings jumbo creation in his arrival from Rutgers. Towson people really like sophomore guard Christian Doerr, too, who's a pure ballhandling distributor from DII Logan College.
It gets dicey after that. Towson has five incoming freshmen, headlined by Jaylin Williams Crawford, an all-around forward who I believe has Newcomer of the Year potential. Guards Stephon Ashley Wrightand Jon Bartonare development projects, and while wings Mani Sajidand Devan Kirkare closer to being ready, there's little certainty with those two.
That leaves the Tigers in a precarious spot. Womack is a defensive star, but his offense leaves plenty to be desired. Stanford is good, but very isolation-oriented. Roseborough and Badalau should step in and contribute, and I absolutely love Williams-Crawford, but there's not a lot nailed down here. Even if Doerr meets the level, there's just such little depth, and it's hard to see who's going to hit from outside besides Roseborough. Feels like a transition year for the Tigers.
"So, where did things get lost? Like, how are you where you are right now?" — Nathan Fielder
It was less than eight months ago where, you could argue, Campbell men's basketball was flying as high as it had in more than 30 years.
First-year head coach John Andrzejek had just led the Camels to their biggest upset in a while , taking down top-seeded UNCW in a comprehensive beatdown to advance to the semifinals of the CAA Tournament. Then came a semifinal loss to Monmouth. A defiant Andrzejek held his head high in the postgame press conference, keeping an eye firmly on the future. A transition year had greatly exceeded expectations, and under their new coach, it felt like Campbell's arrow was firmly pointed up.
Less than a month later, Andrzejek announced his resignation, citing his feeling that university brass was unwilling to commit to the basketball program . The entire roster entered the transfer portal. In a blink, it was over.
So, yeah. Where did things get lost?
Despite all that, I actually really like what the Camels, and new head coach Jimmie Williams, were able to piece together. Williams, formerly of DII Anderson, packed the roster with non-DI guys, including four of his own from Anderson. The common theme? Shooting. Six of Campbell's transfers shot over 40% from three last season, headlined by sophomore guard Rashawn Inglemon(45%) and senior guard Jack Browder(46%) and juniors Karson Rogers(43%) and Caleb McAbee(43%). Sophomore guard John Angauwas also in the low-40s, and graduate Omaha transfer Lance Waddlescame in just under that mark at 38%.
The frontcourt isn't quite what it needs to be. Some combination of Sentinel Moore(Anderson), Ben Ritgerand Nordin Kapicfigure to get most of the work, although none of those three stand taller than 6-foot-9. Freshman Bol Thet, at 6-foot-10, may see some action, too, more out of necessity than anything.
If nothing else, Campbell games ought to be entertaining, with the Camels likely to bomb away from three and play with real pace. Whether they can defend anybody, or score against elite defenses, is another question (or two questions, really). Their shooting prowess will keep them competitive, though, and I bet they get just enough from freshman guard Sincere Folk'sAll-Rookie campaign to outdo expectations and have a pretty good season.
"I think this is the moment in time to capture this story before I'm gone." — Elizabeth Holmes
That sounds morbid; I promise it isn't. But, at some point, we have to come to terms with reality: head coach Bill Coen, who is entering year 21 at the helm on Huntington Avenue, isn't going to stick around forever. With the recent news surrounding further delays to Northeastern's new arena , and the widening gap between the Huskies and the top of the CAA, the legendary Coen isn't exactly getting a lot of reason to stay.
I'd expect Coen to have fun with this year's team, though. With only three — yes, three — upperclassmen on the roster, it'll be a developmental, throw-caution-to-the-wind year. What's more fun than that? And, to make matters even more enjoyable, 2024-25 All-CAA First Team guard Rashad Kingis back for a grad year after spending his senior season at LSU.
Outside of King, the Huskies will look to senior captain Mike Loughnane, who excelled as a big, three-level combo guard a season ago. Junior Ryan Williamsrounds out the three elders, returning after a roller-coaster season in which he was one of three qualified players to enjoy 50/40/90 shooting splits.
Beyond those three? It's unknown. Sophomore centers Petar Pinterand Liam Koelschare back, each of whom is hoping to use his near seven-foot frame more efficiently after two adventurous freshman years. So is sophomore forward Miles Newton, who impressed (including a 22-point explosion at Wake Forest) before tearing his Achilles in December. Big sophomore guard Louis Bondheadlines the transfers, joined by sophomore forward Brayden Young(Loyola Chicago) and redshirt freshmen Jovan Ićitović(Arizona State) and Dorian Grosber(High Point).
Then, it's freshmen. Huskies' brass have raved about guards Danny Houlihanand Josh Goodwinfor their shooting and scoring ability, respectively. Damian Jungis a big, athletic forward, and Sage Baptisteis a rangy, local wing.
I, admittedly, am a Northeastern alum, and have absolutely deluded myself into this, but I sneakily really, really like what Coen and staff have assembled. It fits; King and Loughnane are natural partners, Williams is a microwave scorer, and Pinter/Koelsch make up what they lack in experience in size and hunger. Goodwin is ridiculously talented, Bond is steady, and if they can get three serviceable players from the rest of the roster, they'll have some real depth.
Defense, as it was last year, is a potential issue, especially with so much youth. But, this team can score, and I think they have the pieces to put forth a better defensive unit. Sleep on the Huskies at your own peril.
Again, I don't have a quote here. Bear with me again.
There's a scene in You Can See Everything where Elizabeth and Billy, are creating an AI avatar of Liz to, for better or worse, "talk" to her children while she's in prison. It's creepy, it's unnerving, and it's deeply, deeply uncomfortable.
And yet, if you asked Drexel head coach Zach Spikerwhether he'd be interested in using that technology, he might tell you yes. The Dragons lost quite a bit from a season ago and are already facing key injuries to their returners, namely massive center Martin De LaPorterie, who is reported to be out indefinitely .Things were even more dire before the late-offseason addition of graduate forward Amaree Abram(Tennessee), too, and have only gotten narrowly better.
I just don't see it. A team that struggled massively on the offensive end a season ago didn't do much to address those problems; in fact, besides Abram and 5-foot-10 guard LaDricus Pittman, I'm not sure they actually upgraded at all on that end of the court. Maybe freshman guard Adrian Petkovićcan help out; he earned a preseason start and has some real touch to his game.
Outside of that? Guard Josh Reedis back and is a standout defender but struggled mightily on the offensive end last year. Same with junior wing Dillon Tingler, although he can shoot a little bit. Seven-foot giant Ralph Akutahas defensive pedigree but is another one who doesn't pose much of an offensive threat. Of the freshmen, besides Petković, slashing, heady swing Rickey Paulding IIIseems most likely to break out, but at first glance, doesn't seem capable of carrying an offense.
Drexel scraped by last year with an elite defense and enough offense to win games. It worked, mostly. I'm not sure there's enough to do the same this year. If Abram (who averaged 3.2 PPG last season) isn't going to produce in a big way, I don't know where the points come from. When you throw in the fact that De LaPorterie and guard Moses Hippsare both out, I just don't trust it.
"I mean, I don't know if this is like a Stockholm syndrome… symptom." — Amanda Seyfried
Okay, that's probably a bit harsh. But, the question has to be asked: what has head coach Billy Taylorreally shown, now heading into year five at Elon?
Not much. Taylor has compiled a career record of 52-77, a mark that dips even lower to 26-46 in CAA play. It's not like his cupboards have been barren, either: last year's Elon team exploded on offense behind a great quartet of guards, but hemorrhaged points defensively en route to another losing season. Taylor did retain two of those guards in junior Bryson Cokleyand senior Randall Pettus II, but not much else, and the portal didn't bear a ton of fruit.
I like junior guard Korbin Dixon, who arrived from DII Emory & Henry; Dixon has size on the wing and showed steady all-around game. Graduate wing Cam Throwerhas 3-and-D chops from Penn, and junior guard Isaiah Mbengis solid enough and has CAA pedigree from his year at William & Mary.
I'm not sure who will play in the frontcourt. Marko Šarenacis here after a solid stint at DII Barry, and Hunter Harding's 7-foot-1 frame is in town from Indiana State. Neither player has a good DI track record, though. Maybe 6-foot-10 freshman Caleb Zhubreaks through after winning a number of defensive accolades playing youth ball in Canada? Returning redshirt sophomore Iker Garmendiatakes a huge leap forward after a nondescript freshman year? Neither seems particularly likely, leaving Elon with four middling frontcourt options to complement a depleted legion of guards. I could be wrong — it's been known to happen in the past — but it's tough for me to envision how the Phoenix improve on an already poor showing from a season ago.
"I know what you're feeling." "No, you don't!" — Billy Evans and Nathan Fielder
Nobody can really know what NC A&T fans are feeling.
Maybe Jets fans, actually.
It's bad; it was bad last year, and there's little indication of it improving. Monté Rossis still coaching, after years of bad teams and various scandals. Senior center Will Feltonis back, who I really like, as is junior center Efstratios Kalliontzis. So are senior guards Jalal McKie, Uchenna Kellman-Nicholesand Mujahiid Burton, each of whom contributed to varying degrees a season ago. In the portal, senior sharpshooter Shane Lancastercame over from Alcorn State. Inefficient junior guard Ponce Jameswill get some run at point. DII standout Danny Delgardo IIIwill look to translate an efficient, quality freshman year to a higher level. Junior guard Brandon Iveryjumped out of the screen at Howard College, throwing down dunks and impressive finishes en route to a JUCO National Championship. Sophomore wing Antoine Hurnsis another JUCO standout who fills a rotational need.
There just isn't a lot here. I'm actually higher on the Aggies than consensus — I think they could outdo Elon, and have enough talent to compete on any given night — but I'll have to see it to believe it on a bigger scale. The track record of misery is just too great, at this point, to go against it.
The CAA has a clear first class (UNCW and Charleston). I'd tell you there's a clear business class, too (Monmouth, Hofstra and William & Mary), but others would disagree. That's okay. I won't argue, for once. No matter what, this is shaping up to be an excellent, exciting year of CAA basketball. It always is.
Some predictions before I go:
Regular-season champ:UNCW
Tournament champ:Monmouth
Player of the Year:Pat Wessler
Newcomer of the Year:Jaylin Williams Crawford
Defensive Player of the Year:Jaquan Womack
It's great to be back.
