2024-25 CAA Basketball Preview

Conference Overview

Join us for our 2024-25 CAA Basketball Preview, where an exciting mid-major conference filled with competition is on full display. Last season, the Charleston Cougars continued their CAA dominance, winning a second straight championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament, where they put up a fierce fight against semifinalist Alabama. This season, the CAA is certainly one to watch.

The Towson Tigers look to capitalize on an outstanding offseason, retaining all their starters and adding impact sophomores Tyler Tejada and Dylan Williamson. With a familiar lineup, they aim to leverage both team chemistry and player development.

Charleston remains a force despite losing their coach to Louisville, as they retain Ante Brzovic, the only returning First Team All-Conference player and a frontrunner for Player of the Year, alongside Lipscomb transfer Derrin Boyd, a proven dynamic scorer.

UNC Wilmington bolstered its roster through the portal, adding a 7’0″ center and two new backcourt starters. The Seahawks, conference finalists in 2022 and 2023, look to break through with the CAA’s top competition more open than usual. Hofstra, adjusting to the loss of Player of the Year Tyler Thomas, brings in Iona transfer Jean Aranguren, a skilled rising sophomore, and will rely on a lineup filled with transfers looking for expanded roles.

William & Mary, under former Cornell coach Brian Earl, has its strongest roster since 2020, with Chase Lowe, Caleb Dorsey, and potential all-conference breakout Keller Boothby leading the way. Delaware, since its 2022 title, remains competitive in the middle of the conference and will lean on Niels Lane for impact.

Northeastern faced a setback with Jared Turner’s shocking withdrawal but returns two double-digit scorers and has bolstered its center position with transfers. Monmouth will need to replace star Xander Rice and plans to expand roles for Jared Valencia and Jack Collins.

Elon, a potential dark horse, boasts all-conference candidate TK Simpkins and his JUCO-transfer brother TJ, plus two returning frontcourt starters and a 7’4″ transfer. Drexel, used to finishing at the top of the conference, was hit by Amari Williams’ transfer to Kentucky and an injury to replacement big man Garfield Turner, forcing a potential reliance on a 7’1″ freshman.

Stony Brook was impacted by graduations and transfers but added top JUCO prospect CJ Luster II who is expected to make an immediate impact. North Carolina A&T has a strong backcourt but must work on overall consistency, while Campbell, after losing star Anthony Dell’Orso to Arizona, will look to a mix of returners and transfer players for expanded roles. Finally, Hampton, talented in certain areas but historically inconsistent, remains an unpredictable factor.

With the conference’s top spots more open than ever, our 2024-25 CAA Basketball Preview sets the stage for an action-packed season, where teams must rise to the challenge. The mix of fresh faces and experienced contenders promises one of the most competitive seasons yet.

CAA Basketball Preview: Projected Standings

1. Towson
2. Charleston
3. UNCW
4. Hofstra
5. William & Mary
6. Delaware
7. Northeastern
8. Monmouth
9. Elon
10. Drexel
11. Stony Brook
12. North Carolina A&T
13. Campbell
14. Hampton

CAA Basketball Preview: Projected Award Winners

Player of the Year: Ante Brzovic, Charleston

Defensive Player of the Year: Nendah Tarke, Towson

Newcomer of the Year: Derrin Boyd, Charleston

Freshman of the Year: Qua Brown, North Carolina A&T

Coach of the Year: Pat Skerry, Towson

CAA Basketball Preview: Projected All-Conference First Team

Jean Aranguren, Hofstra

Derrin Boyd, Charleston

Keller Boothby, William & Mary

Tyler Tejada, Towson

Ante Brzovic, Charleston

Campbell Fighting Camels

Projected Starters:

PG: Jasin Sinani (10.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg)

SG: Cam Gregory (13.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.7 apg @ Saint Francis)

SF: Elijah Walsh (7.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 apg)

PF: Terren Frank (6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.5 apg @ Idaho)

C: Eric van der Heijden (1.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.5 apg @ UNCW)

6M: Gediminas Mokseckas (6.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Charleston Cougars

Projected Starters:

PG: CJ Fulton (4.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.1 apg)

SG: Derrin Boyd (17.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.4 apg @ Lipscomb)

SF: AJ Smith (16.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.3 apg @ The Citadel)

PF: Elijah Jones (8.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.5 apg @ Green Bay)

C: Ante Brzovic (12.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.4 apg)

6M: Deywilk Tavarez (13.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.6 apg @ Delaware State)

Delaware Blue Hens

Projected Starters:

PG: Trent Middleton, Jr. (6.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.9 apg @ Ball State)

SG: Cavan Reilly (9.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.9 apg)

SF: Niels Lane (9.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.6 apg)

PF: John Camden (1.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.1 apg @ Virginia Tech)

C: Tyler Houser (4.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.5 apg)

6M: Tahron Allen (10.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.9 apg @ Wagner)

Drexel Dragons

Projected Starters:

PG: Kevon Vanderhost (13.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.4 apg @ JUCO Brunswick CC)

SG: Yame Butler (6.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.0 apg)

SF: Kobe MaGee (6.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.7 apg)

PF: Victor Panov (13.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 apg @ JUCO Daytona State)

C: Ralph Akuta (FR)

6M: Horace Simmons, Jr. (FR)

Elon Phoenix

Projected Starters:

PG: Andrew King (8.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.6 apg @ Houston Christian) 2022-2023 Stats

SG: TK Simpkins (13.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.1 apg)

SF: TJ Simpkins (15.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.1 apg @ JUCO Northwest Florida)

PF: Nick Dorn (9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.5 apg)

C: Sam Sherry (9.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.3 apg)

6M: Matthew Van Komen (7.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.1 apg @ D2 Hawaii Pacific)

Hampton Pirates

Projected Starters:

PG: Trevor Smith (0.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.2 apg @ Richmond)

SG: Noah Farrakhan (7.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.7 apg @ West Virginia)

SF: Wayne Bristol, Jr. (3.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.8 apg @ Georgetown)

PF: Xzavier Long (6.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.2 apg @ Canisius) 2022-2023 Stats

C: Kyrese Mullen (14.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.5 apg)

6M: Daniel Johnson (FR)

Hofstra Pride

Projected Starters:

PG: Jean Aranguren (8.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg @ Iona)

SG: Jaquan Sanders (2.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.4 apg @ Seton Hall)

SF: German Plotnikov (6.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.9 apg)

PF: TJ Gadsen (9.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 apg @ Canisius)

C: Michael Graham (3.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.1 apg @ Loyola Marymount)

6M: Cruz Davis (1.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.8 apg @ St. John’s)

Monmouth Hawks

Projected Starters:

PG: Aric Demings (7.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.2 apg @ Utah Tech)

SG: Jack Collins (10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.2 apg)

SF: Cornelius Robinson, Jr. (5.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.5 apg)

PF: Jaret Valencia (8.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.0 apg)

C: Jordan Meka (0.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.1 apg @ Georgia Tech) 2022-2023 Stats

6M: Madison Durr (11.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.3 apg @ The Citadel)

North Carolina A&T Aggies

Projected Starters:

PG: Camian Shell (12.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.1 apg)

SG: Landon Glasper (20.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.2 apg)

SF: Jahnathan Lamothe (0.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.3 apg @ Maryland)

PF: Nikolaos Chitikoudis (7.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.9 apg)

C: Jason Murphy (6.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 0.5 apg)

6M: Ryan Forrest (11.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.8 apg @ Northwestern State)

Northeastern Huskies

Projected Starters:

PG: Rashad King (8.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.6 apg)

SG: LA Pratt (6.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.1 apg @ Elon)

SF: Harold Woods (10.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.1 apg)

PF: Masai Troutman (10.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.6 apg)

C: Youri Fritz (5.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.2 apg @ Canisius)

6M: Sam Thomson (4.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.8 apg @ Colgate)

Stony Brook Seawolves

Projected Starters:

PG: Jared Frey (5.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.8 apg)

SG: CJ Luster II (16.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.7 apg @ JUCO Salt Lake CC)

SF: Joe Octave (14.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg @ Holy Cross)

PF: Andre Snoddy (5.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.2 apg)

C: Ben Wight (1.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.2 apg @ Toledo)

6M: Nick Woodard (18.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 apg @ JUCO Southwest Tennessee CC)

Towson Tigers

Projected Starters:

PG: Dylan Williamson (10.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.9 apg)

SG: Nendah Tarke (9.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.2 apg)

SF: Christian May (10.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)

PF: Tyler Tejada (10.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.8 apg)

C: Messiah Jones (5.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.4 apg)

6M: Tomiwa Sulaiman (5.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.5 apg)

UNC Wilmington Seahawks

Projected Starters:

PG: Donovan Newby (7.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.9 apg)

SG: Joshua Corbin (13.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.2 apg @ Robert Morris)

SF: Elijah Jamison (8.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.7 apg @ Milwaukee)

PF: Noah Ross (3.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.5 apg)

C: Harlan Obioha (10.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.2 apg @ Niagara)

6M: Khamari McGriff (3.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.2 apg)

William & Mary Tribe

Projected Starters:

PG: Chase Lowe (12.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.2 apg)

SG: Kyle Pulliam (14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.7 apg @ D2 St. Thomas Aquinas)

SF: Gabe Dorsey (14.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.7 apg)

PF: Keller Boothby (5.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.8 apg @ Cornell)

C: Noah Collier (13.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.7 apg) 3 Games

6M: Caleb Dorsey (7.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.7 apg)

Coming Next

Thank you for reading the 2024-25 CAA Basketball Preview. To view the conference preview release schedule, keep up to date with us on X @collegehoopsrpt. If you haven’t already, feel free to check out one of our other conference previews linked below! Next up is the CUSA. Thank you for reading, and we appreciate all the support!

• America East Conference Preview
• American Athletic Conference Preview
• ACC Conference Preview
• ASUN Conference Preview
• A10 Conference Preview
• Big East Conference Preview
• Big Sky Conference Preview
• Big South Conference Preview
• Big Ten Conference Preview
• Big 12 Conference Preview
• Big West Conference Preview

Cover Image: Photo Credit: Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)