Once again the CAA Tournament thumbnail sketches are back in blog form! (Not like pogs — sorry, the picture lied again)
Also back after a brief sabbatical and thus definitely not as old as pogs: A top-heavy CAA.
A conference once dominated by a quartet of schools — George Mason, Old Dominion, UNC Wilmington and VCU were the only teams to win the CAA Tournament in a 14-year span from 1999 through 2012 — took a hard turn toward parity over the previous nine seasons, when seven different schools won it all at least once.
And a once-chalky conference tournament — a top-three seed won the championship every year from 2002 through 2020, with the no. 3 seed hoisting the trophy just three times — turned topsy-turvy over the last three years. Sixth-seeded Northeastern beat seventh-seeded Elon in the semis before falling to top-seeded Hofstra in 2020 (hooray!) and sixth-seeded Drexel beat eighth-seeded Elon in the 2021 title game before Delaware became the first fifth seed to win the championship last year.
All the cliches and caveats apply about how anything can happen in March, the month of madness. But after a regular season clearly defined by three clear tiers, the betting money (for entertainment purposes only!) should be on the higher seeds making the deep trips into the tournament.
Top-seeded Hofstra and second-seeded Charleston each went 16-2 — the first time the top two teams have had two losses or fewer in an 18-game CAA season — and are the league’s lone top-100 teams at KenPom.com. The Flying Dutchmen and Cougars also became the first set of top-two seeds to finish in the top two in both conference-only offensive and defensive efficiency at KenPom.com.
Third-seeded Towson and fourth-seeded UNC Wilmington, who shared the regular season title last season, are ranked in the 100s at KenPom.com and rank within the top six in both conference-only offensive and defensive efficiency. Fifth-seeded Drexel and sixth-seeded Delaware, the last two tournament champions, are ranked in the 200s and are also in the top six in conference-only offensive and defensive efficiency.
The remainder of the seven teams are all ranked 300th or lower at KenPom.com — matching the number of sub-300 KenPom.com teams the CAA had in the previous 10 seasons combined. Only the Northeast Conference (nine teams) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (eight teams) have more sub-300 teams.
Whether this is a one-year fluke — with four new schools as well as three holdovers embarking upon long rebuilds — or a permanent worry for the CAA is a topic for another time. For now, it’s time to, depending on your rooting interests, root for some unexpected madness, or hope the chalk gets a workout. You can imagine where I’m leaning! In the meantime, enjoy the (mostly except for pandemics) annual CAA Tournament thumbnails!
1.) HOFSTRA (16-2 CAA, 23-8 overall)
The Flying Dutchmen were picked second in the preseason poll and became the first team to earn the no. 1 seed after being picked second in the preseason since William & Mary won a four-way tiebreaker for the no. 1 seed in 2014-15. They are one of five teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The regular season title is the fourth for Hofstra in the last eight years. The top seed has won the CAA tournament 21 times, most recently in 2020, when Hofstra did so (again, hooray!). The Dutchmen set a school record with 16 CAA victories — their most league victories since going 16-2 in their final season in the America East in 2000-01 — and won the tiebreaker with Charleston by virtue of edging the Cougars, 85-81, in the lone regular season meeting between the teams. Viva la unbalanced schedule! The Dutchmen won their final 11 games, their longest regular season-ending winning streak since the 2000-01 team won 15 straight games. Hofstra has finished in the top four in each of the last six seasons, the longest streak in the CAA since Old Dominion finished in the top four in nine straight seasons from 2003-04 through 2011-12.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Hofstra, which is in its 22nd season in the CAA, finally won the league title in 2020 after falling in the 2006, 2016 and 2019 championship games. Then the Flying Dutchmen won the national championship. Prove me wrong, children! The Flying Dutchmen last officially appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2001, when they won the America East before falling to UCLA, 61-48, in Jay Wright’s final game at Hofstra. The Dutchmen have officially made five NCAA Tournaments. It should have been six.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Dutchmen rank 90th at KenPom.com, where they are second in conference-only offensive efficiency (113.1) and first in conference-only defensive efficiency (91.4).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Senior guard Aaron Estrada was named the CAA Player of the Year for the second straight season. He is the third two-time winner from Hofstra, joining Charles Jenkins (2010-11) and Justin Wright-Foreman (2018-19), and the sixth Dutchman to win the award. Loren Stokes won in 2006 while Juan’ya Green took home the honors in 2016. The eight Player of the Year awards for Hofstra are the most in CAA history. We’re number one! Senior guard Tyler Thomas was named to the all-CAA second team while sophomore guard Jaquan Carlos was named to the CAA all-defensive team. Speedy Claxton was named CAA Coach of the Year.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Estrada finished second in the league in scoring (20.3 ppg), just behind Delaware’s Jameer Nelson Jr., and sixth in assists (4.1 apg). Thomas ranked sixth in scoring (16.16 ppg) while Jaquan Carlos led the league in assists (4.87 apg), nipping Towson’s Cam Holden, and was tied for seventh in steals (1.52 apg).
COACHSPEAK: “We knew what we had to do to win games — listen to the scouting report, study the scouting report, follow the game plan to a ’T.’ And we knew if we did that that we’ll have a pretty good chance of winning the ballgame. And to the kids’ credit, they came out every game, focused and ready to go.”—Speedy Claxton
2.) CHARLESTON (16-2 CAA, 28-3 overall)
The Cougars were picked fourth in the preseason poll. The last team to finish second after being picked fourth was…Charleston, in 2016-17. The second-place finish is the highest for the Cougars since they earned the no. 1 seed in 2017-18. The no. 2 seed has won the CAA tournament 10 times, most recently in 2019, when Northeastern did so. The Cougars enjoyed a 20-game winning streak — the longest by a CAA team in league history — and were ranked in the Associated Press poll for four weeks in January, peaking at no. 18 the week of Jan. 23, while opening 9-0 in league play before back-to-back losses to Hofstra and Drexel by a combined five points. Charleston then won its last seven games by an average of 24 points. The last unbeaten team in CAA play has won the tournament five times but not since UNC Wilmington in 2017. The 16 league wins are a CAA-era record for Charleston and its most league wins since it went 16-0 in the school’s first season in the Southern Conference in 1998-99.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Charleston, in its 10th season in the CAA, fell to UNC Wilmington in the 2017 championship game before beating Northeastern in 2018 to earn the program’s first NCAA Tournament trip since 1999, when it won the Southern Conference. The Cougars, who fell to Auburn 62-58 in 2018, have made five NCAA Tournament appearances.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Cougars rank 71st at KenPom.com, where they are first in conference-only offensive efficiency (115.6) and second in conference-only defensive efficiency (92.0).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Graduate student guard Dalton Bolon was named to the all-CAA first team while sophomore forward Ante Brzovic and graduate student guard Ryan Larson were named to the all-CAA third team. Graduate student guard Jaylon Scott was named to the CAA all-defensive team while graduate student guard Pat Robinson III won Sixth Man of the Year honors.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Brzovic was tied for 10th in rebounding (5.68 rpg) while Larson finished fifth in assists (4.26 apg) and tied for seventh in steals (1.52 spg).
COACHSPEAK: “For the most part, we’ve had a very good season, a successful season. We lost those couple games in a row, but you’ve got to tip your cap to Hofstra and to Drexel. They beat us that night. It’s not like we lost the game, they beat us. Just went back to work, stayed consistent and have gotten on a roll a little bit here lately, which is good going into the tournament.”—Pat Kelsey
3.) TOWSON (12-6 CAA, 20-12 overall)
The Tigers were picked first in the preseason and became the first team picked first to finish third since Northeastern in 2014-15. The no. 3 seed has won the CAA tournament four times, most recently in 2015, when…Northeastern did so. Good sign for Towson? The Tigers earned the no. 3 seed by virtue of their 57-53 win over UNC Wilmington in the regular season finale — the only meeting between the teams. Towson opened 8-2 in CAA play before going 4-4 down the stretch, with all four losses by eight points or fewer. The Tigers have won at least 10 CAA games in each of the last two seasons, the third time they’ve reached double digits in consecutive campaigns under 12th-year head coach Pat Skerry after never finishing .500 in CAA play in their first 10 years in the league.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Towson is in its 22nd season in the CAA and is the only active CAA school that’s never advanced to a championship game. The Tigers have fallen in the semifinals four times. Towson made its two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1990 and 1991, when it won the ECC’s final automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers lost to Ohio State, 97-86, in the 1991 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers also won the ECC in 1992, when the league did not carry an automatic bid.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Tigers rank 136th at KenPom.com, where they are third in conference-only offensive efficiency (110.2) and fifth in conference-only defensive efficiency (100.1).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Graduate student guard Nicolas Timberlake was named to the all-CAA first team while redshirt senior guard Cam Holden and senior forward Charles Thompson were named to the all-CAA second team. Thompson was named to the CAA all-defensive team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Timberlake ranked third in the league in scoring (17.7 ppg). Holden finished sixth in rebounding (7.1 rpg), second in assists (4.82 apg) and fourth in steals (1.68 apg, percentage points ahead of North Carolina A&T’s Demetric Horton). Charles Thompson was fourth in rebounding (8.0 rpg).
COACHSPEAK: “I’m very keenly aware that we had such a brutal existence during COVID (Towson went 4-14 during the 2020-21 season) and those guys allowed us to win 25 games a year ago. Charlie unfortunately got hurt (during the CAA Tournament) and Jason (Gibson) got hurt this year. Those guys have kind of righted the ship for us and allowed us to win 20 games. Of course I want to see those guys do well and I’d like to keep coaching those guys. I like being around them everyday.”—Pat Skerry
4.) UNC WILMINGTON (12-6 CAA, 22-9 overall)
The Seahawks were picked to finish fifth in the preseason and became the first team picked fifth to finish fourth since William & Mary in 2014-15. They are one of five teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The no. 4 seed has won the CAA tournament twice but not since 2000, when UNC Wilmington did so. The Seahawks, the defending CBI champions, seemed to carry that momentum over to this season when they mounted a 13-game winning streak and opened 4-0 in CAA play before falling to Charleston, 71-69, in an early-season battle of unbeatens. That began a season-ending 8-6 stretch for UNC Wilmington, which missed out on a top-3 seed by dropping two of its final three games, including a 57-53 loss to Towson last Saturday in which the Seahawks scored just two points as they squandered a 13-point lead in the final 10 minutes.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: UNC Wilmington, which is the second-most senior CAA program with 38 years in the league, has won six league titles, one fewer than the other 12 teams in the tournament combined. The Seahawks made their most recent NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017, when they fell to Virginia 76-71.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Seahawks rank 172nd at KenPom.com, where they are sixth in conference-only offensive efficiency (100.7) and fourth in conference-only defensive efficiency (96.6).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Sophomore forward Trazarien White was named to the all-CAA second team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: White was tied for 10th in rebounding (5.68 rpg) while Shykeim Phillips finished ninth in steals (1.5 spg).
COACHSPEAK: “I think it’s obviously a new season for everybody and you want to be playing your best basketball. But I don’t think we reset. We’re just trying to get a little bit better at the things that we hadn’t done so well down the stretch and like I said, try to find some consistency and become the best version of ourselves for three days.”—Takayo Siddle
5.) DREXEL (10-8 CAA, 16-14 overall)
The Dragons were picked seventh in the preseason and became the first team picked seventh to finish fifth since Delaware in 2018-19. Delaware became the first fifth seed to win the CAA Tournament last year. Drexel, which never won nor lost more than two in a row and was never more than one game under .500 or two games over .500 last season, had another quirky season this year, when the Dragons never won nor lost more than three in a row and went 8-1 at home in league play with wins over second-place Charleston and third-place Towson but 2-7 on the road with losses to the Stony Brook, Hampton and Monmouth — the 10th-, 12th- and 13th-place finishers. Drexel snapped a three-game losing streak and locked up the fifth seed by beating Northeastern, 75-48, in its season finale on Feb. 23.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Drexel, which is in its 22nd season in the CAA, won the league title for the first time in 2021, when the Dragons were seeded sixth and knocked off seventh-seeded Elon in the championship game. Only one other CAA champion, seventh-seeded East Carolina in 1993, was seeded lower. The Dragons fell to Illinois 78-49 in the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996, when, led by Malik Rose, they completed a three-peat in the North Atlantic Conference. Drexel has made five NCAA Tournaments, the first of which it reached after beating Hofstra in the 1986 ECC title game. Even I didn’t know that was a real thing back then, Litos.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Dragons rank 207th at KenPom.com, where they are fourth in conference-only offensive efficiency (102.2) and third in conference-only defensive efficiency (96.3).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Junior forward Amari Williams was named the Defensive Player of the Year and made the all-CAA first team. Guard Justin Moore was named to the all-freshman team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Williams finished third in rebounding (8.79 rpg).
COACHSPEAK: “Listen, this is a strong field. One through 13, there are talented teams. Whoever we play, we lost to last time we played them, Monmouth or Hampton. And we’re trying to learn as much as we can as a staff from this and be ready to go Saturday at 2:30.”—Zach Spiker
6.) DELAWARE (8-10 CAA, 16-15 overall)
The defending champion Blue Hens were picked to finish third and became the first team picked third to finish sixth since Drexel in 2020-21 — when the Dragons became the only sixth seed to win the CAA Tournament. Delaware’s sixth-place finish is the lowest for a defending champion since Northeastern finished sixth in 2019-20. The Blue Hens went 8-5 in non-conference play but never got over .500 in the CAA, though they surged into the middle of the pack by winning their last three games and four of their last five. Delaware has won at least one game in each of the last six CAA Tournaments, the longest such streak since VCU won at least one game in 11 straight CAA Tournaments from 2002 through 2012.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Delaware, which is in its 22nd season in the CAA, won its second championship last season, when the Blue Hens became the first five seed to triumph in the tournament. The Blue Hens, making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, fell to Villanova #NARRATIVE ALERT 80-60 in the first round.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Blue Hens rank 227th at KenPom.com, where they are fifth in conference-only offensive efficiency (101.2) and sixth in conference-only defensive efficiency (102.8).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Redshirt junior Jameer Nelson Jr. was named to the all-CAA first team as well as the all-defensive team. Redshirt sophomore Jyare Davis was named to the all-CAA third team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Thanks to a late surge — he averaged 25.2 points over the final five games with a pair of 30-point efforts — Nelson led the league in scoring (20.5 ppg), edging out Aaron Estrada. Nelson also ranked eighth in assists (3.6 apg) and first in steals (2.5 spg). Davis finished seventh in scoring (15.4 ppg) while Christian Ray finished second in rebounding (8.84 rpg).
COACHSPEAK: “I think you’re seeing a team hopefully come into their own a little bit and get confident as we head down to the CAA Tournament. Little different mindset from last year to this year as far as where we were at the time. This group’s kind of feeling pretty good about themselves. They understand they’ve got a heckuva challenge Saturday night. But some good positive energy as we got back to work this week.”—Martin Ingelsby
7.) NORTH CAROLINA A&T (8-10 CAA, 13-18 overall)
The Aggies were picked 11th. The four-spot difference between preseason prognostication and finish is the biggest positive gap this season. It’s also the highest a team picked 11th has finished since Georgia State finished sixth in its last season in the CAA in 2011-12. The seventh-place finish is the highest for a CAA newcomer since Charleston finished sixth in 2013-14. The Aggies got off to a 6-4 start in CAA play — a stretch that included a buzzer-beating 81-79 win over Hofstra on Dec. 31, that was wild — before losing six of their last eight games, including five by double digits. North Carolina A&T snapped a four-game losing streak by edging Hampton, 73-72, in overtime last Saturday. The only no. 7 seed to win the CAA Tournament was East Carolina, which did so in 1993.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Aggies have made 10 NCAA Tournaments, all after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. North Carolina A&T made its most recent NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013, when it earned the first NCAA Tournament win in school history by beating Liberty, 73-72, in a First Four game before falling to eventual national champion Louisville 79-48.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Aggies rank 314th at KenPom.com, where they are eighth in conference-only offensive efficiency (100.3) and eighth in conference-only defensive efficiency (105.9).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Sophomore guard Kam Woods was named to the all-CAA second team. Redshirt freshman Duncan Powell was named to the all-freshman team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Woods ranked fourth in the league in scoring (17.0 ppg) while Marcus Watson finished 10th (14.4 ppg). Demetric Horton was fifth in steals (1.68 spg), followed in sixth place by Woods (1.6 spg).
COACHSPEAK: “Our guys have a mindset of 0-0. Our practices and workouts have been outstanding. Guys are excited. Once you get in the tournament, anything goes. So guys are excited about it. And like I said, our workouts have been great and the attitudes have been great. We look forward to getting up there on Saturday and seeing what we can do.”—Phillip Shumpert
8.) WILLIAM & MARY (7-11 CAA, 12-19 overall)
The Tribe was picked eighth and became the only team to finish where it was predicted in the preseason. William & Mary is the first team to finish where it was predicted since 2019-20, when Hofstra (first), Delaware (fifth), Drexel (eighth) and UNC Wilmington (ninth) all did so. The Tribe had three losing streaks — lasting two games, three game and four games — but won back-to-back games twice, including last Thursday and Saturday over Elon and Monmouth to ensure it would not play in the outbracket game. No no. 8 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Tribe, the lone remaining original CAA members from the league’s inaugural season in 1982-83, has never made the NCAA Tournament, though it has fallen in the CAA title game four times since 2008. William & Mary is one of just four original Division I programs to never reach the NCAA Tournament, along with Army West Point, St. Francis (NY) and The Citadel. St. Francis (NY) was eliminated from the Northeast Conference tournament last season while Army West Point and The Citadel begin play in the Patriot League and Souther Conference tournaments tonight and tomorrow night, respectively.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Tribe ranks 323rd at KenPom.com, where it is seventh in conference-only offensive efficiency (100.4) and 11th in conference-only defensive efficiency (108.0).
CAA HONOR ROLL: No William & Mary player made any of the CAA’s all-league teams.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Anders Nelson (great Long Island hockey name) finished fourth in assists (4.4 apg).
COACHSPEAK: “This time of year, the two things we’ve talked about with our team is that when you go to the tournament, it’s not the best team that wins, it’s the team that plays the best. We’ve got to be a team that goes up and believes we can do it. And I think our guys have that belief right now, especially with how we’ve played as of late.”—Dane Fischer
9.) ELON (6-12 CAA, 8-23 overall)
The Phoenix was picked 12th — the first team picked 12th since Towson in 2011-12, the final season of the first 12-team CAA era — before making a three-spot leap, the second-biggest positive gap between between preseason prognostication and finish. The ninth-place finish was the highest for a team picked to finish 12th since UNC Wilmington finished eighth in 2010-11. The Phoenix earned the no. 9 seed by virtue of going 2-0 against the other 6-12 teams, Stony Brook and Northeastern. Elon opened 0-8, which matched Monmouth for the longest season-opening CAA losing streak this year, but beat Drexel 72-58 on Jan. 28 to begin a three-game winning streak and a season-ending 6-4 stretch. No no. 9 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Elon, which is in its ninth season in the CAA, has never made the NCAA Tournament in 24 years as a Division I program. The Phoenix have reached two conference title games, falling to Drexel as the no. 8 seed in 2021 and to Elite Eight-bound Davidson — featuring Stephon Curry — in the Southern Conference in 2008.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Phoenix ranks 330th at KenPom.com, where it is 10th in conference-only offensive efficiency (98.2) and ninth in conference-only defensive efficiency (106.4).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Max Mackinnon was named the CAA Rookie of the Year.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Torrence Watson was ninth in the league in rebounding (6.2 rpg) while Sean Halloran ranked seventh in assists (4.0 apg) and third in steals (1.77 spg).
COACHSPEAK: “I give our guys credit. A team that started 0-8 in conference play and they never gave up, they never quit. Continued to battle for us and was really proud of them that they were able to turn it around in such a significant way and finish conference play on a positive swing.”—Billy Taylor
10.) STONY BROOK (6-12 CAA, 10-21 overall)
The Seawolves, one of four teams making their CAA debuts this season, were picked to finish ninth and became the first team picked to finish ninth to finish 10th since Drexel in 2016-17. They are one of five teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. Stony Brook earned the no. 10 seed over Northeastern by virtue of its win over fifth-place Drexel. The Seawolves opened 3-1 in CAA play but lost 11 of their last 14 while enduring three losing streak of at least three games, including a three-game skid to end the regular season. No no. 10 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Stony Brook moved to Division I in 1999-2000 and fell in four America East championship games before breaking through to its lone NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016, when the Seawolves fell to Kentucky, 85-57.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Seawolves rank 333rd at KenPom.com, where they are 12th in conference-only offensive efficiency (97.3) and 10th in conference-only defensive efficiency (106.6).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Senior guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore was named to the all-CAA third team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Tyler Stephenson-Moore finished ninth in scoring (14.5 ppg) while Frankie Policelli led the league in rebounding (9.2 rpg).
COACHSPEAK: “When you have hard years and you don’t win as much as you’d like to, getting opportunities in the tournament to kind of, if you can make a run — you don’t forgive the sins of the regular season, but it certainly makes them easier to deal with.”—Geno Ford
11.) NORTHEASTERN (6-12 CAA, 10-19 overall)
The Huskies were picked sixth. The five-spot difference between preseason prognostication and finish is the biggest negative gap this season. Northeastern also had the biggest negative gap between preseason prognostication and finish last season, when it was picked second and finished 10th. The Huskies opened CAA play 4-3 before suffering seven straight losses to begin a season-ending 2-9 stretch. Northeastern has won a CAA Tournament game in each of the last five seasons. No no. 11 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Northeastern, which is in its 18th year in the CAA, is one of two 21st-century additions with multiple champions, along with Delaware. The Huskies beat William & Mary in the 2015 title game and defeated Hofstra (rats) in the 2019 championship game. The Huskies also lead all 21st-century additions with five title game appearances overall. Northeastern has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances and fell to Kansas 87-53 in 2019.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Huskies rank 310th at KenPom.com, where they are ninth in conference-only offensive efficiency (98.8) and tied for 12th in conference-only defensive efficiency (109.1).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Junior forward Jahmyl Telfort was named to the all-CAA third team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Telfort finished fifth in scoring (16.24 ppg).
COACHSPEAK: “The atmosphere will be great. The urgency will be great. I think until you've been in that situation, it’s hard to really understand what that type of environment does. I think what it gives them (is) an opportunity to do is be the best version of themselves, to rise to the occasion and be one of those stories. And I think everybody is going down to D.C. with hopes and dreams of doing that. And we’re no different.”—Bill Coen
12.) HAMPTON (5-13 CAA, 8-23 overall)
The Pirates, one of four teams making their CAA debuts this season, were picked to finish 13th before becoming one of five teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. Hampton opened CAA play 0-7 before going 5-6 the rest of the way, a stretch that included a pair of two-game winning streaks as well as a five-game losing streak. The Pirates earned the no. 12 seed by virtue of their head-to-head sweep of Monmouth. No no. 12 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Hampton has made six NCAA Tournaments, all after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Pirates made their most recent NCAA Tournament in 2016, when they fell to Virginia 81-45.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Pirates rank 340th at KenPom.com, where they are 11th in conference-only offensive efficiency (97.4) and tied for 12th in conference-only defensive efficiency (109.1).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Forward Kyrese Mullen was named to the CAA all-rookie team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Jordan Nesbitt was eighth in both scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) as well as 10th in assists (3.35 apg). making him the only player in the league to finish in the top 10 in all three categories. Russell (Deuce) Dean finished third in assists (4.5 apg).
COACHSPEAK: “We really felt like over the last 8-10 games, we had a better version of ourselves — going into those games, started to figure out a few things about ourselves. And the last three or four, we felt like we’ve played our best basketball for the year. And of course, during this time, this is when you want to be playing your best basketball. This is when you want to be your most confident.”—Edward Joyner, Jr.
13.) MONMOUTH (5-13 CAA, 6-25 overall)
The Hawks were picked 10th before finishing last in the first (and only, for now) season of the 13-team CAA alignment. The last-place finish is the first for a team picked 10th since Towson finished last in the 12-team CAA in 2010-11. Monmouth, which is one of the 10 youngest teams in the country per KenPom.com, opened 1-20 and 0-8 in CAA play before snapping a 12-game losing streak by beating North Carolina A&T 79-64 on Jan. 28. That began a four-game winning streak and a 5-1 stretch for the Hawks, who lost their last four games. No no. 13 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament, possibly because there’s never been a no. 13 seed in the CAA Tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Monmouth has made four NCAA Tournament appearances, all after winning the Northeast Conference. The Hawks most recently played in the NCAA Tournament in 2006, when they beat Hampton (Spider Man meme goes here) 71-49 in a First Four game before falling to Villanova (another Spider Man meme goes here), 58-45.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Hawks rank 353rd at KenPom.com, where they are last in conference-only offensive efficiency (92.6) and seventh in conference-only defensive efficiency (105.2).
CAA HONOR ROLL: Jack Collins was named to the CAA all-rookie team.
ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Myles Foster finished seventh in rebounding (6.6 rpg). Jakari Spence ranked ninth in assists (3.42 apg) and 10th in steals (1.48 spg). Collins was second in steals (1.84 spg).
COACHSPEAK: “It’s tournament time now. You break your season down to the preseason and then the conference season and then the tournament. So we all have a chance right now. But when you don’t win a lot during the regular season, the main thing is keeping these kids’ heads in a good place so they believe: One-game tournament, you win this one, you’ve still got a chance to fight.”—King Rice
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