Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament preview: no clear favorite and plenty to watch for
March 03, 2020 | Sports,
By Kyle Jones
The 2020 CAA Tournament, held in Washington DC between March 7 – 10, is one of the most wide-open contests in NCAA Men’s Basketball this season. Only three wins separate first place Hofstra from fifth place Delaware, and any team could feasibly beat another. Here’s what to watch for in the CAA …
Player to Watch
If you look down the conference stat leaderboards you won’t find Delaware’s Justyn Mutts at the top of any categories, but you will find him hanging with those chart toppers.
Mutts currently sits at 16th on the CAA scoring leaderboard, with 376 points. That’s an average of 12.1 points per game. Mutts is fifth on the conference rebounding leaderboard, and leads Delaware in that category. His 199 defensive rebounds, 260 total, helps ensure Delaware has second chance opportunities and limits opposition scoring.
Mutts is also fifth in the conference in Field Goal Percentage, shooting .545, and is tied for 12th in steals with 40. The sophomore transfer from High Point has been a key asset for the Blue Hens, helps support star Nate Darling, and his best may be yet to come.
Team to Watch
William and Mary are currently riding a five game winning streak and sit second in the CAA. While conference leaders Hofstra are the current favorite to win the tournament, the Tribe will hope to pull off the upset.
William and Mary’s Nathan Knight sits fourth on the conference scoring leaderboard with 639 points, second in rebounding with 10.5 boards per game, and a quick glance through the individual stats leaderboards will show many of Knight’s teammates prominently featured.
The Tribe lost to Delaware last season in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals last season, ending their season. Look for them to make a run at the title and extend this season into the NCAA Tournament.
Tournament Sleeper
Delaware sits at fifth place, right in the middle of the pack, but only three games behind leaders Hofstra. Blue Hens players peeper the conference stat leaderboards, and the team started the season winning nine straight, the best start in UD history.
UD split the season series with Hofstra, third place Towson, and swept last year’s conference champion Northeastern. The Blue Hens lost in the semifinal of last year’s CAA Tournament to Hofstra, they will look to “two-up” themselves this season.
Tournament Champion
Hofstra was so close last season, losing out in the final. They’ve led the CAA for the better part of the entire season. With an overall record of 23-8 they stand as the favorite to win this tournament. While they may face challenges from William and Mary, Towson, or UD look for the Pride to come out on top and book their trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Edited by Emma Moloney | ehm3gd@mail.missouri.edu