Some of the all-time March legends were born out of the Coastal Athletic Association. In 2006, George Mason became just the second 11 seed to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, and in 2011, VCU became just the third 11 seed (and the first First Four team) to reach the Final Four. However, neither George Mason nor VCU won the CAA title those years. Both teams were holding their breath on Selection Sunday without an automatic qualifier, but received at large bids and the rest is history.
Both programs have now left the CAA for greener pastures, and now, in 2025, a two-bid CAA feels like a dream. The conference has likely had multiple tournament-caliber teams in recent years, and this year is no different. However, the automatic qualifier is king in a conference that has lost some relevance in the whirlwind of conference realignment. On the bright side, every team in this tournament is playing for their season. It truly is a fight for life, which in theory should make for better basketball, right? Let’s meet the teams!
Top Dogs (Two Cats and a Bird)
Towson
The CAA preseason favorite Tigers survived a brutal 5-8 start in nonconference play, and bounced back with a 16-2 record in conference play to win the league by two games. Towson wins, and they win ugly, playing at one of the slowest paces in all of college basketball, but they maximize possessions by not turning the ball over and crashing the offensive glass. Notably, Towson was 8-0 at home in conference play and 12-1 at home overall, and will travel only an hour to Washington D.C. for the conference tournament.
Tyler Tejada leads the Tigers in scoring (16.8 PPG) and is a nightmare matchup at all three levels as a 6’9 guard, while Dylan Williamson (13.8 PPG) provides needed outside scoring ability. He’s the only player on the roster shooting better than 33.3% from beyond the arc, where he shoots 41.7%. Tejada and Williamson both returned to Towson after 10+ PPG seasons as true freshmen, and together look to carry the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 35 years.
UNC Wilmington
Among current CAA members, no team has won more conference titles than UNC Wilmington. The Seahawks have represented the CAA in the NCAA Tournament six times, but haven’t done so since back to back appearances in 2016 and 2017 under current NC State head coach Kevin Keatts. In 2022 and 2023, UNC Wilmington was just a game away from returning to the big dance, but lost in the title game both times. This year’s team looks to exorcise some recent March demons, and are certainly capable of doing so.
UNC Wilmington is the conference’s deepest team, regularly going nine deep, and is also Kenpom and Torvik’s favorite CAA team. Eight members of UNC Wilmington’s nine deep rotation play around 20 minutes per game, but scoring and assist leader Donovan Newby (14.4 PPG, 3.5 APG) rarely comes off the floor. Newby is your typical offensive engine at guard, a high-usage volume scorer who’s also a good facilitator. His main running mates are a fun frontcourt trio: Khamari McGriff is an effective and efficient post scorer; Harlan Obioha has size rarely seen at the mid-major level, using his seven-foot frame to anchor the interior defensively; and Sean Moore is a versatile, athletic wing-forward who leads the team in rebounds and steals. The Seahawks are a tough matchup – just ask Charleston, who they swept in the regular season – but haven’t faced Towson since the conference opener on January 2, and are likely itching for a rematch after a 65-61 overtime loss.
Charleston
The twice defending CAA champions Charleston finds itself in the thick of the mix once again this season. After losing head coach Pat Kelsey to Louisville, Charleston turned to former Xavier and Louisville head coach Chris Mack, who put together an impressive offseason to keep the Cougars in contention. Croatian star Ante Brzovic returned to Charleston for his senior season and was unanimously picked as the preseason CAA player of the year, and has lived up to his billing. Brzovic’s 18.5 PPG and 8.2 RPG both rank third in the conference, and nobody even comes close to his 55% field goal percentage. Another returner, CJ Fulton, leads the conference in assists (by far) with 6.6 per game, with the remainder of the rotation being filled out by Mack’s transfer portal additions.
Charleston poses a very interesting juxtaposition to Towson and UNC Wilmington, playing at one of the fastest paces in all of college basketball. The Cougars were able to pick off Towson early in conference play, but were swept by UNC Wilmington, the most recent matchup being a convincing 20-point Seahawks win. Charleston will look to punch its ticket to its third-straight NCAA Tournament, but the path is a little more unclear this year as opposed to the prior two.
Frisky, But…
William & Mary
Is this the year? William & Mary has never qualified for the NCAA Tournament despite beginning play in 1905, 34 years before the inaugural NCAA Tournament. This year’s iteration of the Tribe is fast and fun on the offensive end. With the third highest three-point rate and 24th highest two-point percentage in all of college basketball, the Tribe are nothing short of a juggernaut on their best days. The magic number? 77. William & Mary is just 4-12 in games where they score 77 or less and 13-4 when they beat that number. My two main concerns with William & Mary are its recent performance – three consecutive losses to end the season – and its 4-11 record away from home, neither of which are great indicators to win three straight when stakes are highest.
Don’t Let Them Get Hot
Campbell
Seven straight wins between mid-January and early February, four straight losses to end the regular season. Which version of Campbell will show up in the conference tournament? At their best, the Fighting Camels are a tough out, and sophomore guard Colby Duggan (15.8 PPG) can keep them in any game, but I personally cannot overlook Campbell’s recent skid. A brutal loss to North Carolina A&T followed by progressively worse losses to the conference’s top three teams doesn’t instill enough confidence in me to take the Fighting Camels seriously unless they can rekindle their midseason magic.
Drexel
Don’t look now, but Drexel enters the CAA tournament winners of four straight, including a win over Charleston. The Dragons have played the contenders better than anyone else in the league, with the aforementioned win over Charleston, a one point loss to Towson, an overtime loss to Towson, and a double-overtime loss to UNC Wilmington. The Dragons’ slow pace and smothering defense makes every game a grind, and they have shown they’re capable of creating chaos – they just need a few more bounces to go their way.
Elon
The Phoenix finished a pedestrian 8-10 in conference play this year, but some of those results weigh heavier than others. Elon beat UNC Wilmington in Wilmington and followed it up with a home win over Towson five days later. Elon has lost three straight since then, but if it can win its first game, the squad has shown they can hang with the top dogs. The Phoenix’s biggest key is winning the free throw margin; they shoot a lot of free throws, but rarely foul themselves.
Longshots
Monmouth
Monmouth’s 12-19 overall record might distract you from the fact it finished above .500 in conference play at 10-8, but regardless, I’m not too optimistic about the Hawks’ chances. The glaring trend in Monmouth’s record is its 4-14 record away from home, which includes a 2-6 mark in conference play. Additionally, the Hawks’ statistical profile is worrisome, they struggle to score inside the arc but aren’t a particularly good three point shooting team either.
Northeastern
I just don’t think the ceiling is that high for Northeastern. They got four cracks at the top three teams and went 0-4. I can’t envision them beating multiple top contenders consecutively, which they would need to do to win the title.
Hampton
I have similar concerns for Hampton as I do Monmouth. The Pirates won just two games away from home in conference play (one was against North Carolina A&T) and they aren’t talented enough for me to overlook that.
What Happened?
Hofstra & Delaware
From 4th and 5th respectively in the preseason poll to bottom four in the standings? Despite suffering the same fate, these teams could not be more opposite. Hofstra has a suffocating defense that can keep them in most games – the Pride had nine single-digit losses in conference play – but also one of the worst offenses in the nation. Delaware’s fast-paced offense can make it rain from deep, but cannot stop a traffic cone defensively. There’s likely some untapped potential with both of these teams given preseason expectations, but with Hofstra losing seven of its last nine and Delaware losing 11 of its last 12 to end the regular season, I don’t see it coming to light now.
Thanks For Coming
Stony Brook & North Carolina A&T
It would be a miracle if either of these teams won a game in the tournament. Stony Brook has been without its second leading scorer Joe Octave (13.3 PPG) since January 23. Since January 25, North Carolina A&T has been down their top two scorers. Ryan Forrest (19.1 PPG) and Landon Glasper (18.5 PPG) were both suspended indefinitely for violating team rules ahead of the Aggies’ matchup with UNC Wilmington on Jan. 30, and Glasper has since entered the transfer portal. North Carolina A&T has since been linked to the same gambling ring that led to the NBA’s lifetime ban of Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, but it is unclear if Forrest and Glasper’s suspension is related to the case. What is clear, however, is that this team is a mess, and it would be nothing short of a miracle for them to do damage in this tournament.
Tournament Prediction
First Round
No. 11 Hofstra over No. 14 North Carolina A&T
No. 12 Delaware over No. 13 Stony Brook
Second Round
No. 8 Drexel over No. 9 Elon
No. 5 Campbell over No. 12 Delaware
No. 7 Northeastern over No. 10 Hampton
No. 11 Hofstra over No. 6 Monmouth
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Towson over No. 8 Drexel
No. 4 William & Mary over No. 5 Campbell
No. 2 UNC Wilmington over No. 7 Northeastern
No. 3 Charleston over No. 11 Hofstra
Semifinals
No. 1 Towson over No. 4 William & Mary
No. 2 UNC Wilmington over No. 3 Charleston
Championship
No. 2 UNC Wilmington over No. 1 Towson