Hofstra, Green Headline Men's Basketball Preseason Honors
Juan’ya Green, who received first-team All-CAA honors after averaging 17.1 ppg and 6.5 apg

Hofstra, Green Headline Men's Basketball Preseason Honors

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Rob Washburn

BALTIMORE, Md. (October 27, 2015) – Hofstra, which returns four starters from last year’s 20-win squad, has been picked to win the CAA men’s basketball championship in 2015-16 according to a vote of the league’s coaches, media relations directors and media members. The results of the poll were announced during Tuesday’s CAA Basketball Media Day in Baltimore, Md.
 
The Pride was followed in the voting by James Madison, defending CAA champion Northeastern and William & Mary. Selected fifth was Delaware, followed by UNCW, Towson, Drexel, College of Charleston and Elon.
 
Hofstra welcomes back three double-digit scorers from last year’s 20-14 team. Leading the Pride is multi-talented senior guard Juan’ya Green, who received first-team All-CAA honors after averaging 17.1 ppg and ranking ninth in Division I in assists (6.5 apg). Senior wing Ameen Tanksley was the league’s fourth-leading scorer with 16.2 ppg and grabbed 5.5 rpg to earn a spot on the All-CAA second team. Joining them in the backcourt is junior Brian Bernardi (11.6 ppg), who knocked down a team-high 95 threes and shot better than 40% from beyond the arc. Also back for the Pride are senior Malik Nichols (6.1 ppg/4.9 rpg), junior Jamall Robinson (4.0 ppg) and sophomore post player Rokas Gustys (5.2 ppg/5.7 rpg). Several newcomers are expected to make an impact for Hofstra, including frontcourt transfer Denton Koon (Princeton).
 
James Madison returns all five starters and most of its top reserves from last year’s 19-14 team that earned a share of the CAA regular-season title for the first time since 1999-2000. Back to run the Dukes’ attack is senior guard Ron Curry, who made the All-CAA second team after averaging a team-high 13.9 ppg, ranking third in the league in assists (4.3 apg) and shooting 46.5% from 3-point range during conference play. Junior forward Yohanny Dalembert is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 11.4 ppg and a team-high 6.0 rpg on the way to third-team All-CAA accolades. Other returning starters include junior guard Jackson Kent (10.3), who made 60 treys, senior guard Winston Grays (7.8 ppg) and junior forward Tom Vodanovich (5.4 ppg). Sophomore Joey McLean (6.5 ppg) and Butler transfer Devontae Morgan provide backcourt depth.
 
Northeastern has four starters back from last year’s 23-12 squad that captured its first CAA championship and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991. The Huskies’ veteran backcourt is led by senior David Walker, who hit a team-high 69 threes, averaged 13.4 ppg and was selected to the All-CAA second team. Junior point guard T.J. Williams chipped in 9.6 ppg and dished out 111 assists. Senior forward Quincy Ford (10.4 ppg/5.4 rpg) made a successful return from back surgery and capped his season by being named the Most Outstanding Performer of the CAA Tournament. Also returning for the Huskies are versatile senior guard Zach Stahl (8.3 ppg/5.9 rpg) and top reserves Caleb Donnelly (3.2 ppg) and Devon Begley (2.9 ppg).
 
William & Mary, which claimed a share of the CAA regular-season title for the first time since 1997-98, is coming off back-to-back 20-win campaigns and returns four starters. Senior guard Terry Tarpey received All-CAA second team and CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors after averaging 11.8 ppg and leading the league in rebounding (8.4 rpg) and steals (58). Junior wing Omar Prewitt ranked 10th in the conference in scoring (13.5 ppg) and was a third-team All-CAA pick. Also back are junior guard Daniel Dixon (11.1 ppg), who ranked fifth nationally in 3-point percentage (45.1%) and senior post player Sean Sheldon (6.2 ppg/4.3 rpg). Adding to the Tribe’s arsenal is sophomore guard David Cohn, a transfer from Colorado State.
 
Hofstra’s Green was voted as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year. He was joined on the preseason All-CAA first team by JMU’s Curry, Hofstra’s Tanksley, William & Mary’s Tarpey and Northeastern’s Walker.
 
Voted to the preseason second team were JMU’s Dalembert, Towson junior forward John Davis (11.8 ppg/8.1 rpg), Northeastern’s Ford, Delaware sophomore guard Kory Holden (12.4 ppg/5.0 apg) and William & Mary’s Prewitt.

 
2015-16 CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Hofstra
2. James Madison
3. Northeastern
4. William & Mary
5. Delaware
6. UNCW
7. Towson
8. Drexel
9. College of Charleston
10. Elon
 
2015-16 CAA MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Previous School
Ron Curry, James Madison# Sr. G 6-3 200 Pennsauken, N.J./Paul VI
Juan’ya Green, Hofstra* Sr. G 6-3 205 Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll/Niagara
Ameen Tanksley, Hofstra# Sr. G/F 6-6 218 Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter/Niagara
Terry Tarpey, William & Mary# Sr. G/F 6-5 210 Stamford, Conn./Fairfield Prep
David Walker, Northeastern# Sr. G 6-6 196 Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls
Second Team Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Previous School
Yohanny Dalembert, JMU^ Jr. F 6-8 230 Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Lower Merion (Pa.)
John Davis, Towson^ Jr. F 6-5 215 Philadelphia, Pa./Ss. Neumann-Goretti
Quincy Ford, Northeastern Sr. F/G 6-8 225 St. Petersburg, Fla./Gibbs
Kory Holden, Delaware So. G 6-2 180 Salisbury, Md./J.M. Bennett
Omar Prewitt, William & Mary^ Jr. G/F 6-7 195 Mount Sterling, Ky./Montgomery County
CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Juan’ya Green, Hofstra
Honorable Mention: Tavon Allen, Sr., G, Drexel; Canyon Barry, Jr., G, College of Charleston;
Arnaud William Adala Moto, Jr., F, Towson; Craig Ponder, Sr., G, UNCW; Tanner Samson, Sr., G, Elon
*1st team All-CAA in 2014-15
#2nd team All-CAA in 2014-15
^3rd team All-CAA in 2014-15