Welcome to the Tourney Bubble's official CAA Preview. Below you will find a semi-biased, but 100% real college basketball fans predictions and thoughts on the Colonial Athletic Association's season outlook. Feel free to tell us how stupid you think we are and why things will be entirely different, and we will be sure to make fun of you for being dumb enough to disagree with the greatest basketball minds of the 21st century. Enjoy.

(Teams are ranked in order of their predicted finish in the CAA)

1. Virginia Commonwealth University Rams 

Record last year: 24-8 (15-3 CAA) 

Head Coach: Anthony Grant 

Key Players: G Eric Maynor, C Larry Sanders, G/F Lance Kearse, G Joey Rodriguez  

Important Non-Conference games: Rhode Island (A), New Mexico (H), Oklahoma (A), Akron (H) 

Upset Alert: New Mexico at home, Oklahoma on the road 

Analysis: Anthony Grant is a winner. In his two seasons in the CAA, he has amassed a 52-15 record. As someone who knows how tough the CAA is, let me tell you, that is impressive. What is even more impressive, however, is that he is sure to pad those numbers even more with the best team on paper in the CAA. Having Eric Maynor all 3 years he has coached at VCU has certainly helped, and once again, this year, he will have Eazy-E’s services. The reigning CAA Player of the Year will once again be leading Coach Grant’s team to a Top 2 or 3 CAA finish. I have them winning the title, but a lot of that will depend on a few crucial things that need to happen. First and foremost, Larry Sanders needs to take the sophomore “leap”. He needs to learn how to play defense without committing fouls, he needs to develop his offensive game and he needs to understand both offensive and defensive positioning better in order to maximize VCU’s outstanding defense. Secondly, they need to find someone who will pick up the slack for long-range bomber Jamal Shuler. A second clutch scorer is vital to keeping pressure and double teams off Eric Maynor. Finally, they need some of their rookies to make big impacts when they get on the court as VCU’s “94 feet” style is going to require depth at every position. If they can manage to do all 3 of the above assignments, VCU will win its 3rd CAA regular season title in Grant’s 3 years. 

 2. Old Dominion University Monarchs 

Record last year: 18-16 (11-7 CAA) 

Head Coach: Blaine Taylor 

Key Players: F/C Gerald Lee, G/F Ben Finney, G Darius James, F Frank Hassell 

Important Non-Conference games: Charlotte (A), UAB (H), Winthrop (H) 

Upset Alert: Charlotte on the road, UAB at home 

Analysis: I am a biased ODU fan, but I will try and make this as even-handed as possible. Blaine Taylor likes this team, I like this team and most ODU fans like this team. ODU has some holes, but they also have the talent to overcome these holes. With Brandon Johnson and Brian Henderson gone, the guard positions at ODU are question marks. Can Darius James step up and lead this team by himself? Can Marsharee Neely contribute and help fill the hole at SG? The front-court is probably the best in the CAA or is at least 1-2 with Northeastern, but in a guard oriented league like the CAA, can ODU’s young backcourt step up and make big shots to keep teams from collapsing in on ODU’s big men? Blaine Taylor has turned ODU into a perennial championship contender and this year should be no different. Ben Finney, Darius James and Frank Hassell will all look to take the freshman-sophmore “leap” and should be solid players in the CAA. While they have a few questions and are not the clear favorites, ODU should finish in the top 4 in the league and contend with VCU and Northeastern for the championship.  

3. Northeastern Huskies 

Record last year: 14-17 (9-9 CAA)

Head Coach: Bill Coen 

Key Players: G/F Matt Janning, F Manny Adako, G/F Chase Allen, F Nkem Ojougboh  

Important Non-Conference games: Michigan (A), Indiana (A), Memphis (A) 

Upset Alert: Providence on the road, Rhode Island at home, Indiana on the road 

Analysis: Now is the time. That must be the mantra Northeastern players and fans are repeating to themselves as they look towards this season and the next. They return all of their starters and just about every major contributor from last year’s team. Now is the time, for Northeastern to make a dent in the CAA for the expansion schools. Not one of the recent expansion schools has won the CAA regular season or tourney crown since joining over the past several years. But this is the year that one of those schools has a shot, and Northeastern is the team with the best chance. Matt Janning is one of the 3 best players in the CAA and with the help of his teammates, should take Northeastern to a Top 4 finish, with the potential to win the league right there for the taking. Returning everyone should give this team incredible chemistry, it will be very interesting to watch their non-conference games and see how they do against the likes of Texas A&M, Indiana, Providence, Michigan, Memphis and others. If they can pull off a couple upsets and win the games they should on their schedule, they will send a clear message to the rest of the CAA that they are for real and are legit title contenders. 

4. George Mason Patriots 

Record last year: 23-11 (12-6 CAA) 

Head Coach: Jim Larranaga 

Key players: G Dre Smith, F Darryl Monroe, G/F Louis Birdsong, G/F John Vaughan

Important non-conference games: Ohio (H), Tulane (H), Dayton (A) 

Upset Alert: Tulane at home, Dayton on the road 

Analysis: Gone are all-league players Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell, two of the best players in CAA history. The only remaining player from GMU’s historical Final Four team is Senior John Vaughan, who Coach Larannaga will look to for experience and leadership now that the heart and soul of GMU’s Final Four team has graduated. But he will not be alone, as young guns Andre Cornelius, Michael Morrison and Ryan Pearson should make an immediate impact as true freshman this year. Coach L also has some experienced big men to lean on in forwards Louis Birdsong and Darryl Monroe. All in all, George Mason has a solid mix of young talent and experienced leadership that should blend well into a Top 6 team in the CAA. Anything below that would be a disappointment for a solid program like GMU.

5. Georgia State Panthers 

Record last year: 9-21 (5-13 CAA) 

Head Coach: Rod Barnes Key Players: G Leonard Mendez, G Joe Dukes, F Rashad Chase, F/C Xavier Hansbro 

Important non-conference games: Minnesota (A), Florida State (H), Georgia Tech (A) 

Upset Alert: Minnesota on the road, Florida State at home 

Analysis: What a difference a year can make. Rod Barnes has done a fantastic job of getting some solid transfers to join his already talented GSU squad in hopes of getting GSU back to prominence on the college basketball scene. Not since the days of Lefty Driesell have the GSU faithful been this excited about their team. With GSU having 10 upper-classman ready to make an immediate impact, now is the time for GSU to make a run in the CAA. Look for Leonard Mendez to make the All-CAA first or second team and have a big year leading GSU to a top 6 finish, perhaps even higher if some close games that they lost last year go their way this year. One thing is for sure, Coach Barnes has GSU headed in the right direction.

9. University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens

Record last year: 14-17 (9-9 CAA) 

Head Coach: Monte Ross 

Key players: G Marc Egerson, G/F Alphonso Dawson, G Brian Johnson 

Important non-conference games: Rutgers (H), Vermont (H), Seton Hall (A), Ohio (H) 

Upset Alert: Vermont at home, Ohio at Home 

Analysis: Delaware is a young team, but a very talented one. They have a solid mixture of young talent and senior experience that could lead them to a top half of the CAA finish. They have some very enticing Out of Conference games against Rutgers, Vermont and Ohio at home as well as some road tests against Seton Hall and Hampton. Monte Ross has put together a solid nucleus and a team capable of making some noise in the CAA this year. Look for them to finish around the middle of the pack. 

11. James Madison Dukes 

Record last year: 13-17 (5-13 CAA) 

Head Coach: Matt Brady 

Key Players: G Abdulai Jalloh, F Juwann James, G Pierre Curtis, F Kyle Swanston    

Important Non-Conference games: Davidson (N), Seton Hall (H), UTEP (A) 

Upset Alert: Davidson on a neutral court, Seton Hall at home 

Analysis: Personally, I’ve always liked Matt Brady as a coach. I watched him at Marist when he brought his guys down to ODU for a bracketbuster game and I loved the way he coached. He coached one of my favorite players of the last several years, Jared Jordan and always seemed to have competitive teams. Now, with that said, its going to take a herculean effort to turn JMU into a winner this season. The talent is there, but is the will to win? JMU have been cellar-dwellers for the last couple years and in order to turn this program into a successful one, Brady is going to have to change the attitude of the team, the campus and the fans. JMU is used to winning at football, and back in the days of the Electric Zoo, they were used to winning at basketball. But just as true now, they are used to losing and its going to take all of Brady’s coaching talent to turn the entire program and culture around and get JMU back to winning ways. Brady can do it, but I don’t think it will be this year. Look for a back of the pack to at best, mid-table finish. 

12. Drexel Dragons  

Record last year: 12-20 (5-13 CAA) 

Head Coach: James “Bruiser” Flint 

Key players: G Tramayne Hawthorne, G Scott Rodgers, G Gerald Colds  

Important non-conference games: Penn (H), Georgetown (A), Memphis (A), St. Joe’s (A) 

Upset Alert: Penn at home, Niagara at home 

Analysis: Bruiser Flint loves hard-working players, but this year, he’s the one with the work to do. Drexel is going to struggle mightily in the CAA trying to rebound from the loss of Frank Elegar and Randy Oveneke, the two best post players on the team last year. While they have some perimeter scoring talent, they lack any inside scoring and will struggle to compete in the CAA until someone emerges. They will get tested early with the toughest OOC schedule in the league, but all that experience will matter very little if they cannot get consistent inside production. Look for a bottom of the league finish with an eye towards the future.