Towson Tigers (12-20 overall, 5-13 conference)
Projected starting five:
So. G Byron Hawkins
So. G Mike Morsell
Jr. F John Davis
Sr. F Timajh Parker-Rivera
Jr. F-C Walter Foster
Important departures:
G Four McGlynn (transferred to Rhode Island) is the only starter who is gone from last season.
Returning:
71 percent of scoring and 82.9 percent of rebounding
Additions:
Jr. F Arnaud William Adala Moto (transfer from Wake Forest)
Fr. F Alex Thomas
Fr. F Dennis Tunstall
Schedule Highlights:
The Tigers have six home games in a non-conference slate that is quite manageable, including a visit from former conference foe George Mason. They play three games in the Charleston Classic, starting with Oklahoma State. CAA play features a stretch a few weeks in where they play four of five on the road, followed by four of five at home. The latter will be a brutal stretch: Northeastern and William & Mary at home, at Hofstra, then Elon and James Madison at home.
Projected finish and outlook:
If there’s a potential sleeper in the conference, it’s Pat Skerry’s team. Towson has some talent, especially among its young perimeter players, but is a tough team to figure. They could just as easily make a big leap as they could finish right where they did last year with a lot of this cast back. Morsell came on late last year and could be primed for a breakout season alongside Hawkins, who showed steady progress. Davis could continue to come off the bench if he doesn’t improve defensively, but either way he should produce as he led the CAA with 12 double-doubles last season. Parker-Rivera and Foster are steady contributors up front, and they’ll get good help from the newcomers. Don’t be surprised if Adala Moto grabs a lot of minutes early, while Thomas will have to wait his turn but has the potential to be a nice player down the road. The Tigers were a solid defensive team last season, something that doesn’t always happen for such a young team. If they can replicate that, the offense should only get better, and the Tigers could make a jump well into the first division.
