3MW’s All Conference Team:
Player of the Year: Grant Riller, R Sr., Charleston
Coach of the Year: Joe Mihalich, Hofstra
Newcomer of the Year: Nate Darling, R Jr., Delaware
Freshman of the Year: Tyson Walker, Northeastern
Season Storylines:
Hofstra captured the outright league title despite losing one of the best CAA players ever to grace the hardwood this offseason in Justin Wright-Foreman. Junior PG Desure Buie and senior wing Eli Pemberton led the way for the Pride who won nine of their final ten contests to edge out William & Mary for the regular season championship.
The Tribe had quite a season of their own, blowing away every expectation after head coach Tony Shaver was let go and three key players transferred. Nathan Knight was once again brilliant, pouring in 20.6 PPG and grabbing 10.5 RPG, but it was the addition of two transfers, Wisconsin’s Andy Van Vliet and Milwaukee’s Bryce Barnes, that propelled the Tribe to their best CAA finish since 1998. William & Mary is one of the four remaining original DI teams to never make an NCAA Tournament. This could finally be the year.
Elsewhere in the league, Towson and Charleston trended about to expectations, with the latter falling a little short despite having the best player in the conference. Northeastern stumbled to its worst finish since 2017, but Bill Coen should never be counted out in a tournament setting. The Delaware Blue Hens shot out of the gate like a cannon, going 9-0 to begin non-conference play. Like most CAA teams, the Hens had their ups and downs but have arguably the most talented starting five in the league. Elon was also better than advertised, leaning heavily on Stanford transfer Marcus Sheffield, a player new head coach Mike Schrage recruited during his time in Palo Alto. James Madison was hot garbage, leading to perhaps a Louis Rowe ousting this upcoming offseason, while UNC Wilmington fired CB McGrath in January after a brutal start to conference play. Finally, Drexel looked to be a feisty fringe contender early on, but seven straight losses heading into the postseason tourney has the Dragons planted firmly in the 8-seed spot.
Tournament Preview
The CAA Tourney tips off on Saturday in Washington, D.C. The top six seeds receive a bye to the quarterfinals. Both sides of this bracket have major bogeys, as teams 1-6 in the final standings are essentially equal from a power rating perspective.
Because of that, a team like Northeastern provides great value for a little run, especially behind All-CAA point guard Jordan Roland, who has put up multiple 30+ point games this season. Freshman Tyson Walker’s health is the key for their tourney hopes. I also like the winner of the Charleston / Delaware matchup to upset Hofstra. As much as I love the Pride and Coach Mihalich, both those squads have the talent to knock them off, especially on a neutral floor.
Tournament Predictions
(8) Drexel over (9) UNC Wilmington
(7) Elon over (10) James Madison
(1) Hofstra over (8) Drexel
(4) Charleston over (5) Delaware
(2) William & Mary over (7) Elon
(6) Northeastern over (3) Towson
(4) Charleston over (1) Hofstra
(6) Northeastern over (2) William & Mary
(6) Northeastern over (4) Charleston