If there is one way to sum up the CAA right now, it might be, “The times, they are a-changing.” The CAA is in the midst of a seismic shift in its membership, as VCU left for the Atlantic 10 after last season and Georgia State and Old Dominion are entering lame duck seasons as they will head off to the Sun Belt and Conference USA, respectively, after this season. The conference is going to look quite different as a whole, and more changes are likely to come before long.
Aside from that, however, there should be a fair amount of familiarity in the conference this season. Five players who made the All-CAA teams last season return, and there hasn’t been a single coaching change this off-season. For good measure, half of the top ten scorers and three of the top five assist men in the conference return this season. While it’s not like two years ago, when the conference had a lot more returning, it’s not a bad place to start. Also, the lack of head coaching changes is something that rarely occurs in this conference but adds to the familiarity that will be present this season.
One place where things may very well look different is at the top of the standings. In the CAA’s history, the champion has never come from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. This year that trend could be broken as Drexel and Delaware look to be the teams to beat and some of the southern schools appear to have rebuilding years ahead. Only seven teams will be in the conference tournament this season due to NCAA-imposed postseason bans due to APR scores (Towson, UNC Wilmington) and teams that have announced a departure from the conference being ineligible.
Life will go on in the CAA, but it will be different, and for this season, putting multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament – which is often a big goal – looks like a long shot. Still, it will be as competitive as ever, and the changes are likely only beginning.
Predicted order of finish
1. Drexel
2. Delaware
3. Northeastern
4. George Mason
5. Old Dominion
6. Georgia State
7. James Madison
8. William & Mary
9. Hofstra
10. Towson
11. UNCW
Awards
Player of the Year: Frantz Massenat, Drexel
Top Newcomer: Jerrelle Benimon, Towson
Top Freshman: R.J. Hunter, Georgia State
Preseason All-Conference
Jamelle Hagins, Sr. C, Delaware
Damion Lee, So. G, Drexel
Jonathan Lee, Sr. G, Northeastern
Frantz Massenat, Jr. G, Drexel
Devon Saddler, Jr. G, Delaware
Coaching Changes
Although there was reason to believe this would not be the case, remarkably there are no coaching changes in the conference since the end of last season. Turnover is constant in college coaching, and a couple of coaches were thought to be possible goners either from being let go or of their own volition, but everyone returns at the same school they were at last season. Even more interesting is that there is only one coach who can even remotely be considered on the hot seat, James Madison’s Matt Brady.
