#CAAHoops MBB Notebook – March 16, 2026
Dylan Smith
CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK – MARCH 16, 2026
Overall stats can be found at the back of the attached #CAAHoops MBB Notebook.
DANCING WITH PRIDE
Thirteenth-seeded Hofstra drew fourth-seeded Alabama in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship from Tampa, Fla. It marks the second time in three seasons the CAA’s automatic qualifier has drawn Alabama to open the Big Dance. The Pride will face the Crimson Tide for the first time in program history when the two programs square off at 3:15 p.m., on Friday inside Benchmark International Arena. Tom McCarthy, Candace Parker and Dan Bonner will be on the call, while AJ Ross joins the crew as the sideline reporter. TruTV will carry the national broadcast from Florida.
HOFSTRA BACK ON TOP
Hofstra picked up its second CAA championship behind freshman guard Preston Edmead putting on a spectacular performance for the second straight night and pouring in a team-high 26 points to lift third-seeded Hofstra to a 75-69 victory over No. 4 Monmouth. It was the second CAA championship for the Pride, who will make their first appearance in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship since 2001. Hofstra captured its first CAA championship in 2020 but had its trip to the NCAA Tournament cancelled by COVID-19. Edmead became the first true freshman to receive the honor since UNCW’s Brett Blizzard in 2000. The Pride became just the fifth No. 3 to lift the conference title.
CAA Rookie of the Year Preston Edmead nailed a three-pointer from the right wing with 0.4 seconds left in overtime to lift No. 3 Hofstra over No. 7 Towson, 68-65. Edmead, who played all 45 minutes in the contest, went 5-of-13 from beyond the arc and finished with a team-high 22 points. CAA Player of the Year Cruz Davis tallied 18 points for Hofstra and Joshua DeCady had 10. Edmead’s three-pointer with 1:51 left in overtime put Hofstra up 65-61, but Towson answered with a floater in the lane from Tejada and a putback from Jaquan Womack to tie the contest at 65 with 20 seconds on the clock. The Pride decided not to call time out and put the ball in the hands of Edmead, who watched the clock wind down before delivering the game-winner on a 27-footer that banked off the glass.
CAA Player of the Year Cruz Davis put forth a dazzling 30-point performance to guide No. 3 Hofstra to a 92-61 victory over No. 6 William & Mary in the quarterfinals. Davis shot 9-of-15 from the floor with five treys and a 7-for-8 showing from the charity stripe to go with five assists. German Plotnikov chipped in five 3-pointers of his own en route to a 17-point showing. Preston Edmead added 13 points and Biggie Patterson notched a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Hofstra rides a seven-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament. The Pride has been one of the toughest teams to beat this season, being one of six NCAA Division I programs this season to not lose by double digits.
NIT BOUND
UNCW clinched its spot in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) following its outright regular season crown and a KNIT average score of 125 or better (97), one of six programs that received an automatic bid. The Seahawks are the first CAA program to compete in the NIT since 2023.
The Seahawks will face Yale for the first time in program history on Tuesday. The opening round of the NIT is slated for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+. The postseason appearance marks the 12th in program history and third under CAA Coach of the Year Takayo Siddle. UNCW is also the last national tournament winner for the CAA with a 2022 CBI Championship.
UNCW enters the NIT with a 26-6 record, marking the team’s fifth straight 20-win season. Senior Nolan Hodge will lead the charge after pacing four players scoring in double figures with 14.4 points per game. Big man Patrick Wessler has also been a steady presence at the rim with 13.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest.
POSTSEASON FINALISTS
CAA players and coaches found themselves among the best of the best this season, becoming finalists in several awards presented annually by CollegeInsider.com.
UNCW Head Coach Takayo Siddle has been named a finalist for the 2025-26 Hugh Durham Award, given to the top mid-major head coach.
Hofstra’s Speedy Claxton also joined the CAA Coach of the Year, Siddle, as a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award, “presented annually to the top minority head coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.”
The Pride's Cruz Davis and UNCW’s Patrick Wessler found themselves in the mix for the Lou Henson Award, handed out to the nation’s top mid-major player.
Charleston’s Jlynn Counter also joined Wessler as a finalist for the Riley Wallace Award, given to the top transfer in Division I.
Hofstra’s Preston Edmead and N.C. A&T’s Lewis Walker dazzled in their first collegiate season, earning a finalist nod for the Kyle Macy Award, given to the top freshman in NCAA Division I.
Drexel Head Coach Zach Spiker was named a finalist for the Skip Prosser Award, given to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court, and displays moral integrity on and off it as well.
Monmouth’s Jack Collins, UNCW’s Noah Ross and Drexel’s Garfield Turner stood out as their team’s go-to leader this season, all three being named a finalist for the Nolan Richardson Award. Three of the league’s longest tenured players have displayed characteristics that embody the heart and soul of their respective programs.
Schedule and Results
2026 National Invitation Tournament
Tuesday, March 17 – First Round
UNCW at #3 Yale (ESPN+) 7 p.m.
2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship
Friday, March 20 – First Round
#13 Hofstra vs. #4 Alabama (TruTV) 3:15 p.m.