#CAAHoops MBB Notebook – Dec. 15, 2025

#CAAHoops MBB Notebook – Dec. 15, 2025

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Dylan Smith

CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK – DEC. 15, 2025
 
CAA CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cruz Davis, Hofstra
Senior | Guard | Plano, Texas
Davis led the Pride to a pair of wins last week, including the program's second win over an ACC opponent in under a week. The Plano, Texas product averaged 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game in the wins. After contributing 15 points, three rebounds, and three assists in the 92-23 victory over Old Westbury, the senior guard helped Hofstra to a 70-69 road win over Syracuse, marking the program’s first-ever win over the Orange. Davis orchestrated a game-high 22 points on 57.1% shooting (8-14 FG) from the floor with a career-high nine assists in 40 minutes of action. Hofstra, which had not beaten an ACC team since 2015 before last week, now has two wins this month against members of the ACC. Davis has scored in double figures in all 12 games this season.
 
CAA CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Erik Pratt, Stony Brook
Graduate Student | Guard | Lake Worth, Fla.
Pratt was vital to the Seawolves’ 2-0 week with a pair of home wins over Columbia and CMU. The graduate guard notched 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last week. The Lake Worth, Fla., native unloaded 24 points with a career-high nine made free throws to knock off Columbia, 77-73, in overtime. The Lions, who entered the game at 9-1 and 21st in the nation in 3-point shooting efficiency, saw Pratt as an instrumental part of a defensive effort that forced Columbia to miss its first 10 attempts from distance and be held without a 3-pointer through the first 24:36 of the contest. Pratt closed out his week with 11 points and seven rebounds in a 78-55 routing of Central Michigan on Saturday.
 
CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Martin Kalu, Charleston
Freshman | Guard | Quackenbruck, Germany
Kalu helped the Cougars to a 1-1 week after averaging 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The German product shot 52.9% from the field and 50% from distance. Kalu started the week with a 12-point, five-rebound performance in a tightly contested battle at South Florida on Wednesday. The freshman guard followed it up with a game-high 18 points and eight boards, watching four of his six makes go down from distance in a 74-67 win over Charlotte.
 
WINTER WONDERLAND
CAA programs picked up eight wins against NCAA DI programs last week. Of those wins, Hofstra upset ACC foe Syracuse on the road, 70-69, and Stony Brook took down Columbia, 77-73, in overtime. The CAA also went 3-0 against teams in the Mid-American Conference, moving to 7-1 as a league.
 
Campbell closed out the weekend success against the MAC with a 69-64 win over Ball State on Sunday. A 22-point, 10-rebound double-double from Dovydas Butka and a 20-point showing from DJ Smith led the Camels to their fourth-straight win at home this season. Chris Fields Jr. also chipped in 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, matching Butka with his third double-double of the season.
 
Charleston also picked up a 74-67 win at home over Charlotte on Sunday following an 18-point, eight-rebound showing from CAA Rookie of the Week Martin Kalu. The Cougars’ top scorer saw four of his six makes come from distance. Jlynn Counter chipped in 17 points and four assists in the win. Christian Reeves and Chris Davis Jr. produced double figures off the bench, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively.
 
NAUGHTY OR NICE
A loaded week of action before the holiday break, starting with a national showdown between Towson and No. 17/17 Kansas on ESPN2. The 9 p.m. tilt from Allen Fieldhouse will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the two schools.
 
Campbell will head out to No. 7/7 Gonzaga for a 9 p.m. contest on ESPN+ on Wednesday. The Camels will look to knock off the 10-1 Bulldogs to pick up the program’s first-ever ranked win. Four teams - Charleston, Elon, Monmouth and Stony Brook - will compete at home in 7 p.m. games on FloCollege.
 
Saturday will feature a CAA/ACC doubleheader as Elon heads to RV Virginia Tech for a 2 p.m. battle, followed by a 4 p.m. bout for Northeastern at Syracuse. Both games will be streamed on ACCNX.
 
Sunday will feature a six-game slate, capped off by a 6 p.m. tilt between Campbell and Big Ten foe Minnesota.
 
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
CAA teams have been steady on their respective home courts, going 44-7 to start the season. Nine programs are still undefeated at home, led by a 7-0 mark from UNCW and a 6-0 record from Stony Brook.
 
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE WIN STREAK
UNCW is one of nine teams riding a nine-game winning streak or better into the week, following its three-point win over Valparaiso on Saturday.
 
JINGLE BELL ROCK
The CAA is causing a ruckus in the top 13 of KenPom Rankings. The CAA had been sitting outside of the top 15 all season, watching the rise come after 43 NCAA Division I wins since Nov. 21.
 
As of Monday, three teams are back inside the NCAA NET Ranking Top 100 with William & Mary leading the way at No. 71. Hofstra surpassed UNCW and moved to No. 90. The Seahawks round out the group at No. 93. The conference also has three additional teams in the top 155 with Towson (136), Elon (151) and Stony Brook (153).
 
HOLLY JOLLY SCORERS
The CAA has six players averaging more than 18.0 ppg, led by Elon’s Chandler Cuthrell, who is third in the nation with 22.7 ppg. Cruz Davis remains in the top 20 with 20.8 ppg. Campbell’s DJ Smith (19.5 ppg), N.C. A&T’s Lewis Walker (19.1 ppg), Towson’s Tyler Tejada (18.8 ppg) and Stony Brook’s Erik Pratt (18.6 ppg) round out the group.
 
CAMPBELL CAMELS (5-5; 0-0 CAA)
  • Campbell closed out the weekend success against the MAC with a 69-64 win over Ball State on Sunday. A 22-point, 10-rebound double-double from Dovydas Butka and a 20-point showing from DJ Smith led the Camels to their fourth-straight win at home this season.
  • The Camels will have a heavy slate entering the holiday break, playing three games in six days. After facing No. 7/7 Gonzaga and Big Ten foe Minnesota on the road, Campbell will return home for a showdown with the Horizon League’s Green Bay next week.
 
CHARLESTON COUGARS (5-6; 0-0 CAA)
  • Charleston also picked up a 74-67 win at home over Charlotte on Sunday following an 18-point, eight-rebound showing from CAA Rookie of the Week Martin Kalu. The Cougars’ top scorer saw four of his six makes come from distance. Jlynn Counter chipped in 17 points and four assists in the win.
  • The Cougars will close out non-conference play this week, starting with The Citadel on Wednesday at home, followed by a trip to Northern Kentucky on Sunday. CofC has logged 13 straight wins against The Citadel and has the lone series win, 79-64 in 2024, against the Norse.
 
DREXEL DRAGONS (4-6; 0-0 CAA)
  • The Dragons will return to action on Tuesday when they welcome Howard to Philadelphia. Drexel is 3-0 all-time against the Bison.
  • Drexel has split its last four games, featuring wins over Old Dominion and Morgan State. Shane Blakeney has emerged with 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game over that span.
     
ELON PHOENIX (6-4; 0-0 CAA)
  • Elon mounted a double-digit comeback after trailing by 11 with 9:04 remaining in the second half to topple Northern Illinois, 85-79. Kacper Klaczek notched 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting with six boards, three helpers and a pair of steals. Chandler Cuthrell chipped in 21 points and six rebounds of his own. The Phoenix held NIU without a field goal over the final 9:48, closing the game on a 26-9 run.
  • Cuthrell (22.7 ppg, 54.7% FG) is one of three players in NCAA Division I to average 22-plus ppg and shoot 54.0% or better from the floor, joining Duke’s Cam Boozer and St. Thomas’ Nolan Minessale.
     
HAMPTON PIRATES (5-6; 0-0 CAA)
  • Hampton has won three of its last four games. Jalyke Wyatt-Gaines has paced the Pirates on their over that stretch with 14.8 ppg on 48.4% shooting from the floor. Elijah Kennedy (13.0 ppg) and Michael Eley (12.7 ppg) have averaged in double figures as well.
  • The Pirates had erased a six-point lead in the final minute behind a valiant 20-point effort from Wyatt-Gaines before falling to Howard, 61-57. In reserve, Christian Watson chipped in 13 of his 15 points while at the charity stripe.
 
HOFSTRA PRIDE (8-4; 0-0 CAA)
  • Hofstra went north to knock off Syracuse, 70-69, to pick up its first-ever win over the Orange and second road victory over an ACC opponent in less than a week. Cruz Davis recorded a game-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go with nine assists.
  • In two games against the ACC, Davis averaged 29.0 ppg on 56.4% shooting from the floor with seven triples and 8.0 apg.
 
MONMOUTH HAWKS (5-6; 0-0 CAA)
  • Monmouth will look to rebound from its eight-point setback to Fairfield when it returns home to face Quinnipiac at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The Hawks have won each of their last five meetings with the Bobcats.
  • After its showdown with Quinnipiac, Monmouth will close out non-conference action against Lehigh at home on Sunday.  The two programs have evenly split their last six meetings.
 
N.C. A&T AGGIES (5-4; 0-0 CAA)
  • Freshman guard Lewis Walker sank a 3-pointer as time expired, part of a 22-point effort to lift North Carolina A&T to an 82-79 victory over UMES on Friday night. The freshman knocked down just two shot attempts from the floor and went 17-of-18 from the charity stripe, cracking the CAA Top 10 all-time for most free throws made in a single game.
  • Lewis Walker has hit 50.5% of his shots this season, good for third in the conference. His 19.1 points per game are also top five in the league.
 
UNCW SEAHAWKS (10-1; 0-0 CAA)
  • UNCW erased a 12-point deficit to take down Valparaiso, 73-70, on the road. Nolan Hodge unloaded 16 of his career-high 28 points in the second half. Noah Ross added 18 points in the win, while Gavin Walsh produced 11 points and pulled down nine of his 14 boards on the offensive glass.
  • The Seahawks are shooting at a stellar 46.2% clip over their nine-game winning streak. Six players are averaging nine points or more. UNCW is outscoring the opposition by 14.0 ppg.
 
NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES (4-5; 0-0 CAA)
  • The Huskies will have their hands full on Saturday when they look to become the second CAA team to knock off Syracuse on the road. Northeastern will try to capture its first win over the Orange in program history.
  • Last time out, Northeastern routed Central Connecticut State, 73-56, after watching William Kermoury knock down a career-high six treys en route to an 18-point, six-rebound showing on Sunday. Xavier Abreu added 15 points, six boards and a pair of assists in 20 minutes of action.
 
STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES (8-3; 0-0 CAA)
  • Stony Brook cruised to a 78-55 wire-to-wire win over Central Michigan behind a 21-point, six-rebound showing from freshman Andrej Shoshkikj. Rob Brown III and Erik Pratt added 12 and 11 points apiece, respectively, to help the Seawolves earn their fourth win in their last five games.
  • Pratt went off for 24 points to help Stony Brook secure a 77-73 overtime thriller over Columbia. The Lions entered the game with one loss and 21st in the nation in 3-point shooting. The Seawolves held them without a 3-pointer for the first 24:36 of the game, missing their first 10 shots from deep.
 
TOWSON TIGERS (6-4; 0-0 CAA)
  • Towson has won three of its last five contests entering Tuesday’s tilt against nationally-ranked Kansas. Tuesday will also mark the Tigers’ second outing against a ranked opponent this season, previously facing the 2025 NCAA Runner-up, Houston.
  • Over the last five games, Tejada has knocked down 49.3% of his shots (37-75 FG) from the floor and all 18 attempts from the free-throw line en route to 20.4 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Williamson (17.6 ppg) and Doumbia (12.2 ppg) have averaged in double figures as well.
 
WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (8-3; 0-0 CAA)
  • William & Mary will look to close non-conference play on a high note when it welcomes Radford on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tilt. The Tribe is 5-2 all-time when they play host to the Highlanders.
  • The Tribe has won seven of its last eight contests. William & Mary paces the CAA and ranks eighth in the nation with 20.0 assists per game. Chase Lowe paces the team with 4.2 helpers per contest and a +2.6 assist/turnover ratio.
 
Schedule and Results
Tuesday, December 16
Howard at Drexel (FloCollege)                                                                   11:00 A.M.
N.C. A&T at UNCG (ESPN+)                                                                          7:00 P.M.
Towson at No. 17/17 Kansas (ESPN2)                                                 9:00 P.M.
 
Wednesday, December 17
The Citadel at Charleston (FloCollege)                                              7:00 P.M.
Quinnipiac at Monmouth (FloCollege/NBCSP)                          7:00 P.M.
Richmond at Elon (FloCollege)                                                                  7:00 P.M.
UAlbany at Stony Brook (FloCollege/SNY)                                      7:00 P.M.
Campbell at Gonzaga (ESPN+)                                                                  9:00 P.M.
 
Thursday, December 18
Hampton at Jackson State (ESPNU)                                           5:00 P.M.
Radford at William & Mary (FloCollege/MASN)                           7:00 P.M.
 
Friday, December 19
Hampton at Grambling State (ESPNU)                                        5:00 P.M.
Notre Dame (Md.) at Towson (FloCollege)                                   6:00 P.M.
Mount St. Mary’s at Drexel (FloCollege/NBCSP)                         7:00 P.M.
 
Saturday, December 20
Howard at UNCW (FloCollege/The CW - Cape Fear)                   2:00 P.M.
Elon at Virginia Tech (ACCNX)                                                      2:00 P.M.
Northeastern at Syracuse (ACCNX)                                              4:00 P.M.
Mid-Atlantic Christian at N.C. A&T (FloCollege)                            4:30 P.M.
 
Sunday, December 21
Charleston at Northern Kentucky (ESPN+)                                  12:00 P.M.
Stony Brook at Marist (ESPN+)                                                    1:00 P.M.
Quinnipiac at Hofstra (FloCollege/MSGSN)                                 1:00 P.M.
Lehigh at Monmouth (FloCollege/NBCSP/SNY)                          1:00 P.M.
Maine at Drexel (FloCollege/NBCSP)                                          2:00 P.M.
Campbell at Minnesota (Big Ten Network)                                   6:00 P.M.