2024 CAA Tournament Thumbnails

Would you sell your soul for a CAA championship?

There has been predictability within the parity that finally arrived in the CAA 11 years ago, after the Atlantic 10 poached VCU and George Mason and Old Dominion sacrificed its men’s basketball program for the pursuit of appearances in the Bahamas Bowl.

Seven schools have combined to win the last 11 titles after the CAA’s first 30 titles were won by just eight schools, But only two of the recent champs — Drexel in 2021 and Delaware in 2022 — entered the tournament seeded fourth or lower. Other than the whole top-seeded team getting knocked out in the semifinals thing (still not over it), order seemed to be restored last season, when second-seeded Charleston outlasted fourth-seeded UNC Wilmington in the title game. 

There seems to be plenty of parity baked in entering this season’s tournament. The top four seeds — Charleston, Drexel, Hofstra and UNC Wilmington — were all picked to finish in the top four in the preseason, marking the first time that’s happened since 2018-19. Five teams are ranked 300th or lower at KenPom.com, two fewer than the CAA’s nadir a year ago but still as many sub-300s as the league had from 2018-19 through 2021-22 combined.

And yet there may not be a league in the country with more teams harboring legitimate hopes for a deep run in the conference tournament than the CAA.

The league has no teams in the KenPom.com top 100 but eight between 100 and 200 — the most of any conference. The four teams that earned the double bye all looked like the league’s best team at some point — and all had extended slumps except Charleston, which was swept by UNC Wilmington. Only Drexel and Hofstra rank within the top four in the CAA in both conference-only offensive and defensive efficiency. 

Fifth-seeded Towson handed Charleston its first league loss, and was also victimized by Hampton for the Pirates’ first CAA win following an 0-13 start. Sixth-seeded Delaware still has Jyáre Davis, the Most Outstanding Player in the Blue Hens’ run to the CAA championship two years ago, while La Salle transfer Christian Ray led the league in rebounding.

Seventh-place Stony Brook, with Tyler Stephenson-Moore leading a quintet of five graduate students in its rotation, and eighth-place Monmouth, sparked by graduate senior guards Xander Rice, have the type of veteran leadership and prolific guards who can carry a team in March. The Seawolves are also fifth in both conference-only offensive and defensive efficiency while the Hawks rank sixth and seventh, respectively.

And ninth-place Campbell, the no. 303 team at KenPom.com, upset Hofstra and UNC Wilmington this season while 10th-seeded Northeastern, the lone team in the KenPom.com 200s at no. 249, is directed by Bill Coen, the CAA’s all-time leader in conference and tournament wins.

Everyone thinks anything is possible in their conference tournament, but that might really be the case in the CAA. It could be chalky, it could be chaotic. Buckle up for a potentially wild ride…and prepare for the madness with the mostly annual CAA Tournament thumbnails!

1.) CHARLESTON (15-3 CAA, 24-7 overall)

The Cougars were picked first in the preseason poll and became the first preseason favorite to earn the no. 1 seed since Hofstra in 2019-20. That’s a good and a bad omen for our purposes! Charleston is one of seven teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The regular season title is the second for Charleston, which went 16-2 last season but lost the tiebreaker to Hofstra. The top seed has won the CAA tournament 21 times, most recently in 2020, when Hofstra did so (hooray!). The Cougars opened 4-0 in CAA play before losing three of five — a span in which they dropped two games to UNC Wilmington — but ended the regular season by winning their last nine games. It was the Cougars’ second nine-game winning streak of the year. Charleston has earned a top-three seed six times in the last eight seasons.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Charleston, in its 11th season in the CAA, won its second championship last season, when the Cougars edged UNC Wilmington 63-58 in the title game before falling to eventual national runner-up San Diego State 63-57 in a classic #MidOnMidCrime first-round NCAA Tournament game The NCAA Tournament trip was the sixth for Charleston, which won three Trans Atlantic American Conference titles in five years from 1994 through 1998 before winning the Southern Conference crown in 1999 and the CAA in 2018.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Cougars rank 103rd at KenPom.com, where they are first in conference-only offensive efficiency (120.0) and sixth in conference-only defensive efficiency (105.0).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Junior forward Ante Brzovic was named to the all-CAA first team while junior guard Reyne Smith was named to the all-CAA second team and junior forward Ben Burnham was named to the all-CAA third team. Forward James Scott was also named to the all-rookie team while graduate student guard Bryce Butler won Sixth Man of the Year honors. The Cougars were the only school with a player on each of the three all-CAA teams as well as the all-rookie team. In addition, Pat Kelsey was named CAA Coach of the Year. 

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: In a perfect representation of how deep the Cougars go, CJ Fulton — who ranked third in assists (4.10 per game), percentage points behind North Carolina A&T’s Camian Shell — was the only Charleston player to rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding, assists or steals.

2.) DREXEL (13-5 CAA, 20-11 overall)

The Dragons were picked third in the preseason poll. The last team to finish second or higher after being picked third in the preseason was Hofstra, which was picked third in 2018-19 before winning the regular-season crown. The second-place finish is the highest for Drexel since it earned the no. 1 seed in 2011-12, when the Dragons absolutely positively did not get screwed by having to play VCU in the title game in Richmond. The no. 2 seed has won the CAA tournament 11 times, most recently last year, when Charleston did so. Drexel is one of seven teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The Dragons were the last unbeaten team in the CAA at 7-0 before enduring a 1-4 stretch, after which they won five of their last six games.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Drexel, which is in its 23rd season in the CAA, fell to UNC Wilmington, 73-68, in the quarterfinals last year. The Dragons won the league title for the first time in 2021, when they 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 123rd at KenPom.com, where they are third in conference-only offensive efficiency (114.0) and third in conference-only defensive efficiency (103.1).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Senior forward Amari Williams was named the Defensive Player of the Year for a record third straight year and made the all-CAA first team for the second straight season. Sophomore guard Justin Moore was named to the all-CAA second team.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Williams finished fifth in rebounding (7.8 rpg), Moore ranked seventh in assists (3.4 apg).

3.) HOFSTRA (12-6 CAA, 19-12 overall)

The Flying Dutchmen were picked fourth in the preseason poll. The last team to finish third after being picked fourth was…Hofstra in 2017-18. The no. 3 seed has won the CAA tournament four times, most recently in 2015, when Northeastern did so. Hofstra is one of seven teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The Dutchmen earned the no. 3 seed by virtue of their 69-58 win over UNC Wilmington in the penultimate game of the season. Hofstra opened 1-3 in the CAA, the worst four-game start in league play for a team that eventually finished in the top four since 2016-17, when Towson finished third at 11-7 after beginning 0-4. The Dutchmen have finished in the top four in each of the last seven 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 23rd season in the CAA, fell to UNC Wilmington, 79-73, in overtime in the semifinals last year. An overtime loss? To UNC Wilmington? In the CAA Tournament? In this or any other economy? The Flying Dutchmen finally won the league title in 2020 after falling in the 2006, 2016 and 2019 championship games. Then the 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 118th at KenPom.com, where they are fourth in conference-only offensive efficiency (111.3) and second in conference-only defensive efficiency (102.6).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Graduate student guard Tyler Thomas was named the CAA Player of the Year. He is the sixth player to win the Player of the Year award for Hofstra, which has won the award a total of nine times. Nice. Both figures are league records, which is pretty impressive considering Hofstra didn’t join the league until 2001-02 and didn’t produce its first Player of the Year until Loren Stokes in 2006. Stokes was followed by Charles Jenkins (2010-11), Juan’ya Green (2016), Justin Wright-Foreman (2018-19) and Aaron Estrada (2022-23). Hofstra is the first school to produce the Player of the Year in three straight seasons since George Mason’s George Evans won it three straight times from 1999 through 2001. Junior guard Darlinstone Dubar was named to the all-CAA second team while junior guard Jaquan Carlos was named to the all-CAA defensive team for the second straight season.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Thomas led the league in scoring (22.3 ppg) and ranked eighth in assists (3.3 apg). Dubar ranked fifth in scoring (18.1 ppg) while Carlos led the league in assists (6.4) for a second straight year and was tied for third in steals (1.55 spg). 

4.) UNC WILMINGTON (12-6 overall, 21-9 overall)

The Seahawks were picked second in the preseason poll. The last team to finish fourth after being picked second was Charleston in 2019-20. The no. 4 seed has won the CAA tournament twice but not since 2000, when UNC Wilmington did so. The Seahawks posted the most impressive win by a CAA school in non-conference play Dec. 2, when they upset then-no. 12 Kentucky 80-73. UNC Wilmington lost its first two CAA games before winning 10 of 11 prior to a season-ending 2-3 stretch that included upset losses to Not Twitter Guy (which won 73-72 on a buzzer-beating tip-in) and Campbell (which earned a 105-100 double overtime win). The Seahawks ended last season by losing two of their last three before reaching the title game.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: UNC Wilmington, which is the second-most senior CAA program with 38 years in the league, fell to Charleston, 63-58, in the title game last season. The Seahawks have won six league titles, one fewer than the other 13 teams in the tournament combined. UNC Wilmington made its most recent NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017, when the Seahawks fell to Virginia 76-71.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Seahawks rank 112th at KenPom.com, where they are second in conference-only offensive efficiency (116.6) and eighth in conference-only defensive efficiency (106.2).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Junior forward Trazarien White was named to the all-CAA first team while graduate student guard Shykeim Phillips was named to the all-CAA third team as well as the all-CAA defensive team.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: White ranked third in the league in scoring (19.6 ppg) while Phillips ranked ninth (14.0 ppg) for the Seahawks who were the only team with two players in the top 10. White also ranked ninth in rebounding (7.0 rpg). Phillips ranked fifth in assists (3.8 apg) and led the league in steals (1.8 spg).

5.) TOWSON (11-7 CAA, 18-13 overall)

The Tigers were picked to finish tied for fifth in the preseason poll. The last team to finish fifth after being picked fifth (or tied for fifth) was Delaware in 2019-20. Speaking of Delaware, the only fifth seed to win the CAA Tournament was the Blue Hens in 2022. Towson is one of seven teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The Tigers opened CAA play 7-2 before going 4-5 on the back half of the schedule, a stretch in which they lost to every other top-six team except Drexel as well as Hampton, which earned its first CAA win by beating Towson 67-61 on Feb. 17. 

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Towson is in its 23rd 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 five times, including last season, when Charleston earned a 77-72 win. 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 158th at KenPom.com, where they are seventh in conference-only offensive efficiency (107.1) and first in conference-only defensive efficiency (99.6).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Graduate student forward Charles Thompson was named to the all-CAA third team as well as the all-CAA defensive team. Guard Tyler Tejada was named the CAA Rookie of the Year and was joined on the all-rookie team by guard Dylan Williamson.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Thompson was second in rebounding (8.48  rpg), percentage points ahead of Hampton’s Kyrese Mullen.

6.) DELAWARE (10-8 CAA, 18-13 overall)

The Blue Hens were picked to finish tied for fifth in the preseason poll. The last team to finish sixth after being picked fifth (or tied for fifth) was UNC Wilmington in 2017-18. Delaware is one of seven teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The Blue Hens earned the no. 6 seed by virtue of going 2-1 against Stony Brook and Monmouth, the other 10-8 teams. Delaware alternated wins with losses in its first eight CAA games before winning four straight games from Feb. 1-10 in which its average margin of victory was 13.8 points. The Blue Hens then went 2-4 down the stretch with three of those losses by double digits. When Delaware won it all in 2022, it did so after ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Delaware, which is in its 23rd season in the CAA, fell short in its repeat bid last season, when the Blue Hens lost to Towson, 86-60, in the quarterfinals, The Blue Hens won their second championship in 2022, when they became the first five seed to triumph in the tournament. Delaware, making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, fell to Villanova #NARRATIVE ALERT 80-60 in the first round.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Blue Hens rank 169th at KenPom.com, where they are eighth in conference-only offensive efficiency (106.3) and fourth in conference-only defensive efficiency (104.2).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Redshirt junior Jyáre Davis was named to the all-CAA second team.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Davis finished sixth in both scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg). Ray led the league in rebounding (9.0 rpg) while Cavan Reilly finished eighth in steals (1.33 spg).

7.) STONY BROOK (10-8 CAA, 17-14 overall)

The Seawolves were picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll. The last team to finish seventh after being picked ninth was Charleston in 2015-16. The only no. 7 seed to win the CAA Tournament was East Carolina, which did so in 1993. Stony Brook earned the no. 7 seed by virtue of going 2-2 against the other 10-8 teams, Delaware and Monmouth. The Seawolves were the only team to never win or lose more than two straight games in CAA play, though they were better in the second half (6-3) than in the first half (4-5). In addition, five of their wins were by 10 points or fewer while six of their losses were by six points or fewer or in overtime.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Seawolves beat North Carolina A&T 76-61 in a first-round game last year before falling to Charleston, 74-52, in the quarterfinals. Stony Brook moved to Division I in 1999-2000 and lost 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 188th at KenPom.com, where they are fifth in conference-only offensive efficiency (108.7) and fifth in conference-only defensive efficiency (104.7).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Graduate student guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore was named to the all-CAA second team.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Stephenson-Moore ranked seventh in scoring (16.0 ppg) while Andre Snoddy was seventh in rebounding (7.2 rpg). Dean Noll finished seventh in steals (1.35 spg).

8.) MONMOUTH (10-8 CAA, 17-14 overall)

The Hawks were picked to finish 11th in the preseason poll. The three-spot difference between preseason prognostication and finish ties Monmouth with Campbell for the biggest positive gap this season. No no. 8 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament. Monmouth earned the no. 8 seed by virtue of going 1-2 against Delaware and Stony Brook, the other 10-8 teams. Each of the last five teams picked 11th in the preseason have finished higher than 11th in the regular season. The last team to finish eighth after being picked 11th was William & Mary way back in 2006-07, the second season of the 12-team CAA alignment. The Hawks had the most drastic home/away splits in the CAA this season, when they went 9-0 in West Long Branch and 1-8 on the road, where they were winless until beating Not Twitter Guy 85-70 last Saturday. That snapped a 12-game road losing streak dating back to Nov. 10, when Monmouth upset West Virginia 73-65.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Hawks beat Hampton 100-64 in an opening round game last year before falling to Drexel, 64-45. 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 197th at KenPom.com, where they are sixth in conference-only offensive efficiency (107.5) and seventh in conference-only defensive efficiency (105.5).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Graduate student guard Xander Rice, the son of head coach King Rice, was named to the all-CAA first team. Freshman forward Jaret Valencia was named to the all-rookie team as well as the all-defensive team. 

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Xander Rice finished second in scoring (20.8 ppg), sixth in assists (3.5 apg) and ninth in steals (1.32 spg). Nikita Konstantynovskyi was fourth in rebounding (8.1 rpg). Jakari Spence was fourth in assists (3.9 apg) and tied Carlos for third in steals (1.55 spg). Jack Collins was 10th in steals (1.29 spg).

9.) CAMPBELL (8-10 CAA, 14-17 overall)

The Fighting Camels, who joined the CAA this year, were picked to finish 12th in the preseason poll. The three-spot difference between preseason prognostication and finish ties Campbell with Monmouth for the biggest positive gap this season. No no. 9 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament. The last team to finish ninth after being picked 12th was Not Twitter Guy last year. The Fighting Camels and Monmouth are the only teams to finish seventh or lower with multiple wins over teams that earned the double bye.   Campbell beat beat Hofstra 69-68 on Jan. 13 and outlasted UNC Wilmington 105-100 in double overtime on Feb. 26. The Fighting Camels never won more than two straight games in CAA play and had just one three-game losing streak.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Campbell, which moved to Division I in 1977, became a founding member of the Big South in 1985 and made its lone trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1992, when the Fighting Camels were a no. 16 seed and lost to eventual national champion Duke, 82-56. Campbell has lost four Big South title games since — including last year, when the Fighting Camels fell to UNC Asheville and former Hofstra point guard Caleb Burgess. The Fighting Camels also lost to Winthrop in 2017 and 2021, when the Eagles were coached by Pat Kelsey, Guess who Campbell plays in the quarterfinals if it wins Saturday?

BY THE NUMBERS: The Fighting Camels rank 303rd at KenPom.com, where they are ninth in conference-only offensive efficiency (105.8) and 12th in conference-only defensive efficiency (111.5).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Sophomore guard Anthony Dell’Orso was named to the all-CAA second team.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Dell’Orso was fourth in scoring (19.4 ppg) and second in steals (1.58 spg). Laurynas Vaistaras finished ninth in assists (3.13 apg).

10.) NORTHEASTERN (7-11 CAA, 12-19 overall)

The Huskies were picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll. No no. 10 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament. The last team to finish 10th after being picked seventh (bowling reference!) was Hofstra in 2012-13. The Huskies opened 3-3 in CAA play before losing eight of their final 12 games. Northeastern had three two-game winning streaks in league action and four losing streaks of at least two games. It alternated wins with losses just once. 

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Northeastern, which is in its 19th year in the CAA, fell to Delaware, 77-74, in overtime in a second-round game last year. The Huskies are one of three 21st-century additions with multiple champions, along with Delaware and Charleston. 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 249th at KenPom.com, where they are 11th in conference-only offensive efficiency (103.0) and ninth in conference-only defensive efficiency (108.2).

CAA HONOR ROLL: No Northeastern player made any of the all-CAA league teams.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Chris Doherty ranked 10th in both scoring (13.83 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg).

11.) NOT TWITTER GUY (6-12 CAA, 13-18 overall)

The Phoenix were picked to finish 10th in the preseason poll. Not Twitter Guy is one of seven teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. No no. 11 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament. The last team to finish 10th after being picked 11th was Towson in 2009-09. The Phoenix opened 1-6 in CAA pay and was 3-9 before upsetting Delaware and UNC Wilmington in consecutive games from Feb. 15-17. Not Twitter Guy then lost three of its last four games and finished with nine losses by double digits, the most in the league.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Not Twitter Guy, which is in its ninth season in the CAA, lost to William & Mary 73-51 in a second-round game last year. The Phoenix has never made the NCAA Tournament in 25 years as a Division I program. Not Twitter Guy has 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 314th at KenPom.com, where it is 10th in conference-only offensive efficiency (103.7) and 13th in conference-only defensive efficiency (113.9).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Guard Nick Dorn was named to the all-rookie team.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: TK Simpkins ranked 10th in assists (3.07 apg) and fifth in steals (1.5 spg).

12.) NORTH CAROLINA A&T (5-13 CAA, 7-24 overall)

The Aggies were picked to finish 14th and last in the preseason poll. No team has ever been picked 14th before, possibly because the CAA never had 14 teams prior to this season. No no. 12 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament. North Carolina A&T opened league play at 5-4 before losing its last nine games, a span in which it suffered six losses by at least 16 points. Star sophomore Landon Glasper played in just four of the final 12 regular season games. Monté Ross, whom you may know as the head coach from such CAA champions as Delaware in 2014, will become the first coach to direct two teams in the CAA Tournament.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: North Carolina A&T fell to Stony Brook, 76-61, in the first round last year. 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 344th at KenPom.com, where they are 14th and last in conference-only offensive efficiency (95.3) and 11th in conference-only defensive efficiency (109.7).

CAA HONOR ROLL: Sophomore guard Landon Glasper was named to the all-CAA third team.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Camian Shell ranked second in assists (4.10 apg), percentage points ahead of Charleston’s CJ Fulton, and sixth in steals (1.37 spg). Glasper averaged 20.9 ppg, which would have been second in the league if he played enough games to qualify for the league leaders. He played just 23 of 31 games, which left him one game shy of the 75 percent threshold necessary.

13.) WILLIAM & MARY (4-14 CAA, 9-22 overall)

The Tribe was picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll. The five-spot difference between preseason prognostication and finish is the biggest negative gap this season. The last team to be picked eighth and finish 10th or lower was UNC Wilmington in 2020-21. No no. 13 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament, possibly because this is only the second season in which there’s even been a no. 13 seed in the CAA Tournament. William & Mary opened CAA play 2-1 but went 2-13 the rest of the way with eight losses by single digits. 

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Tribe, the lone remaining original CAA members from the league’s inaugural season in 1982-83, beat Not Twitter Guy 73-51 in the second round last year before falling to Hofstra, 94-46, in the quarterfinals. William & Mary 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 three original Division I programs to never reach the NCAA Tournament, along with Army West Point and The Citadel. Farewell, St. Francis (NY). Army West Point was eliminated from the Patriot League tournament Tuesday, when it fell to Holy Cross 84-68, while The Citadel is slated to begin Southern Conference tournament play against Mercer on Friday.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Tribe ranks 323rd at KenPom.com, where it is 13th in conference-only offensive efficiency (99.7) and 10th in conference-only defensive efficiency (109.4).

CAA HONOR ROLL: No William & Mary player made any of the CAA’s all-league teams.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Chase Lowe ranked eighth in rebounding (7.1 rpg).

14.) HAMPTON (3-15 CAA, 8-23 overall)

The Pirates were picked to finish 13th in the preseason poll. Hampton is one of seven teams to finish within one spot of the preseason prognostication. The Pirates were also picked to finish 13th last season in their CAA debut as well as the first season of a 13-team CAA. No no. 14 seed has ever won the CAA Tournament, possibly because there’s never been a no. 14 seed in the CAA Tournament. Hampton opened CAA play 0-13 — the worst start in league action since Towson finished 0-18 in 2010-11 — before upsetting the Tigers 67-61 on Feb. 17 to begin a season-ending 3-2 stretch.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Pirates fell to Monmouth, 100-64, in a first-round game last year. 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 337th at KenPom.com, where they are 12th in conference-only offensive efficiency (100.5) and 14th and last in conference-only defensive efficiency (115.7).

CAA HONOR ROLL: No Hampton player made any of the CAA’s all-league teams.

ON THE CAA LEADERBOARD: Kyrese Mullen ranked eighth in scoring (15.1 ppg) and third in rebounding (8.48 rpg, percentage points behind Charles Thompson).