#CAAHoops MBB Notebook – Nov. 2, 2025

#CAAHoops MBB Notebook – Nov. 2, 2025

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Dylan Smith

WEEKLY REPORT

WE’RE SO BACK
Ten of the 13 CAA men’s basketball programs tip off the 2025-26 campaign on opening night.
 
Four teams will take on 2025 NCAA Tournament competitors during opening week. Campbell will go head-to-head with Wisconsin on Nov. 3, Charleston will face C-USA champion Liberty on Nov. 7, William & Mary will square off with MEAC champion Norfolk State on Nov. 8, and Towson will go to battle against 2025 NCAA runner-up Houston.
 
North Carolina A&T will have a tough task against SEC foe South Carolina on Nov. 4, while Campbell also takes on the Big 12’s West Virginia later in the week (Nov. 6). Charleston will go up against FAU for the once again after the Cougars emerged with a 119-116 double-overtime win, thanks to a buzzer-beater from Ante Brzovic.
 
CHECKING THE POLLS
Three teams cracked the Field of 68’s Preseason Mid-Major Poll, with Towson earning the No. 7 spot. Charleston checked in right behind the Tigers at No. 8, while UNCW sits at No. 18 to start the 2025-26 campaign. The three programs also hold top 25 standing in the CollegeInsider.com Preseason Poll: UNCW (No. 12), Charleston (No. 13), Towson (No. 16).
 
SEAHAWKS SOAR
Making its third title game in four seasons, UNCW captured its league-leading seventh conference crown with three straight wins in the 2025 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
 
The Seahawks’ Takayo Siddle earned his first conference title as the program’s head coach, becoming the league’s third person on the men’s basketball side to win a CAA title as an assistant coach and a head coach. He joins UNCW’s Brad Brownell and Navy’s Pete Herrmann. After taking down Charleston for the third time with a 68-67 semifinal victory, the Seahawks had to weather Delaware’s four wins in four days with a 76-72 win to secure the CAA Championship.
 
TIGERS POUNCE AS FAVORITES
Fresh off its first outright CAA Regular Season title, Towson has been picked as the league’s favorite heading into the 2025-26 season. The Tigers notched 16 wins in conference action, tying six other programs for the CAA benchmark in victories.
 
The Tigers held the longest winning streak in the CAA with 12 straight wins in league play from Jan. 9-Feb. 20. The Tigers became the third team in CAA history to win 12 straight times in league action in the same season, joining George Mason (14) from Jan. 12-Feb. 26, 2011, and Drexel (16) from Jan. 4-Feb. 25, 2012.
 
TAKING BACK TEJADA
Towson’s Tyler Tejada garnered Preseason Player of the Year honors, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Tejada is one of five reigning Player of the Year honorees to return to the conference with the same program. He joins McNeese’s Javohn Garcia, Purdue’s Braden Smith, Quinnipiac’s Amarri Monroe and Texas Tech’s JT Toppin.
 
IT STARTS HERE
Towson’s Tyler Tejada and Charleston’s Colby Duggan return to the conference after producing stellar campaigns that garnered All-CAA First Team selections in 2024-25.
 
Of the 10 players to earn preseason first or second team honors, nine played in the CAA last season. Charleston’s Mister Dean is the lone newcomer to crack the preseason teams after earning Big South Rookie of the Year honors in 2024-25.
 
SECOND-YEAR RISING
All three second-year head coaches - Charleston’s Chris Mack, William & Mary’s Brian Earl and Hampton’s Ivan Thomas - are fresh off winning seasons in the first go-around at their respective institutions.
 
Mack will look to build on a 24-9 record with the Cougars last season, going 13-5 in CAA action to be selected third in the conference preseason poll. Earl and the Tribe we picked fourth in the same poll after going 17-15 overall and 11-7 in league play. Thomas produced 17 wins in his first go-around with Pirates, the second-most in program history by a first-year head coach.
 
TRIPLE THREAT
The CAA is excited to see 3-point threats, Towson’s Dylan Williamson and UNCW’s CJ Luster II, return to the conference’s hardwood this season. The two Preseason All-CAA First Team selections finished the 2024-25 campaign as two of 23 players nationally to shoot 42.0% or better from distance, making the CAA the only conference to return two sharpshooters for the upcoming campaign.
 
Williamson shot 43.1% from distance last season with Towson, good for 12th nationally. Luster posted 42.1% shooting from behind the arc with Stony Brook, sitting 20th at the end of the season.
 
THE C IN CBS IS FOR... COASTAL
CBS Sports Network will once against televise 27 CAA conference games in 2025-26. The 24-game regular-season package on CBS Sports Network tips off on Dec. 29 when defending CAA Champion UNCW heads to N.C. A&T. The slate also features a Martin Luther King Jr. Day tripleheader on Jan. 19 and concludes Sunday, March 1, when Charleston heads to UNCW. The final three games of the 2026 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship at CareFirst Arena will be on CBS Sports Network on March 9 and 10.
 
WHOLE LOTTA WINS
Northeastern’s Bill Coen is the all-time leader in CAA wins (conference games and tournament) with 197, passing Jim Larranaga in January 2024. Coen is also one away from 300 victories for his career with Northeastern. Towson’s Pat Skerry ranks fifth all-time with 144 wins.
 
1.             197 - Bill Coen, Northeastern 2006-pres.
2.             183 - Jim Larranaga, George Mason 1998-11
3.             158 - Bruiser Flint, Drexel 2002-16
4.             148 - Blaine Taylor, Old Dominion 2002-13
5.             144 - Pat Skerry, Towson 2011-pres.
 
NO INTRODUCTION NEEDED
The league welcomes in new Campbell Head Coach John Andrzejek, fresh off a national championship run with the University of Florida. Andrzejek was vital to the Gators’ run with his guidance on the defensive side. It ultimately proved to be crucial as Florida held Houston without a point in the final 2:05 of the game and forced two turnovers in with less than 30 seconds to go, including a heavily contested shot on the final possession that ended in a double dribble. Andrzejek also saw professional stints at Washington State, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, San Francisco and, his alma mater, Columbia.
 
Andrzejek will look to join elite company to win the CAA Tournament in his first year with a program; Ernie Nestor, George Mason (1989), Oliver Purnell, Old Dominion (1992), Jeff Capel Jr., Old Dominion (1995), Jeff Beilein, Richmond (1998), Brad Brownell, UNCW (2003), Anthony Grant, VCU (2007).
 
20-plus
UNCW and Towson have registered 20 or more wins in each of the last four seasons. The Seahawks nearly reached the century mark in wins over that span with 99 victories, while the Tigers have logged 88 of their own.
 
CAMPBELL CAMELS (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • The Camels will have a tough schedule to start the 2025-26 season, facing Wisconsin and West Virginia to start the year before taking on Western Michigan in its home opener.
  • Looking for championship-caliber players after a National Championship run of his own, first-year Head Coach John Andrzejek added 2025 MEAC Champion Chris Fields Jr. and 2025 Horizon League Champion DJ Smith.
 
CHARLESTON COUGARS (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Chris Mack welcomed in All-CAA First Team selection Colby Duggan and Big South Freshman of the Year Mister Dean for the 2025-26 campaign.
  • Duggan earned All-CAA honors in 2024-25 with a league-best 19.8 ppg in conference action, shooting 46.4% from the floor with Campbell.
  • Dean averaged 15.7 ppg and 5.5 rpg for USC Upstate last season, while also ranking 24th in NCAA Division I with 63 steals en route to Freshman of the Year honors.
 
DREXEL DRAGONS (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Zach Spiker enters his 10th season with Drexel, leading the Dragons to their fifth-straight winning season with an 18-15 record in 2024-25. It marks the first time the Dragons have had five consecutive winning slates since the 1990s.
  • Drexel will play six of its first seven games in Philadelphia, including its first two games against Widener and at Saint Joseph’s.
  • The Dragons return 10 players from the 2024-25 roster.
     
ELON PHOENIX (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Billy Taylor enters his fourth campaign with Elon, turning to graduate transfers Ja’Juan Carr and Chandler Cuthrell for the upcoming slate.
  • Carr returns to the CAA after starting his collegiate career at UNCW but building a successful three-year stint with UNC Pembroke. He registered 13.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.2 apg last season.
  • Cuthrell will look to elevate his play as well after averaging 7.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Purdue Fort-Wayne in 2024-25.
     
HAMPTON PIRATES (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Ivan Thomas produced 17 wins in 2024-25, the second-most by a first-year head coach in program history. Furthermore, Thomas led his team to eight wins in CAA play, more than the team’s win total in the previous two seasons combined.
  • The Pirates will turn to five returners from the 2024-25 squad, including established play from Daniel Johnson (7.6 ppg) and Xzavier Long (6.6 ppg).
 
HOFSTRA PRIDE (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Speedy Claxton enters his fifth season with his alma mater, turning to Preseason All-CAA First Team selection Cruz Davis once again. The senior guard will look to build on his career-high 14.4 ppg and 4.4 apg last season.
  • The Pride will open the 2025-26 campaign on the road, taking on UCF for the first time in program history.
 
MONMOUTH HAWKS (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach King Rice begins his 15th season on the sidelines of Monmouth, bringing back nine players from last season’s team. He’ll turn to senior Jack Collins for the upcoming campaign after notching double figures in 17 games last season.
  • After opening the season against Caldwell on Nov. 4, the Hawks will head to La Salle on Saturday before squaring off with in-state rival Seton Hall next week.
 
N.C. A&T AGGIES (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • The Aggies will turn to three returners who saw significant action in the 2025-26 season, including Bryson Olgetree, Efstratios Kalliontzis and Jalal McKie. Olgetree leads the returners in scoring with 7.3 ppg.
  • The trio will welcome UMass transfer and top-60 recruit out of high school Lewis Walker and Trent Middleton Jr., who returns to the CAA after a season with Delaware. Walker redshirted in his lone season with the Minutemen, while Middleton scored 5.5 ppg with the Blue Hens.
 
UNCW SEAHAWKS (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Fresh off the program’s CAA-leading seventh conference tournament championship, UNCW welcomes back four players from its title run: Nolan Hodge, Noah Ross, Greedy Williams and Makoi Mabor Makoi.
  • The Seahawks welcomed in Preseason All-CAA First Team selection CJ Luster, who registered 16.8 ppg on 42.9% shooting with Stony Brook.
  • UNCW opens the 2025-26 campaign with Mount Olive at 7 p.m. from Trask Coliseum.
 
NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Bill Coen is one win away from recording his 300th career victory with Northeastern. Entering his 20th season with the Huskies, Coen is also looking to become the first CAA coach to eclipse 200 conference wins come December.
  • Monday’s showdown against Boston University will mark the 153rd meeting between the two historic programs. Northeastern holds a slight 77-55 edge in the series, having won four of the last five meetings.
 
STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Geno Ford gets to turn to Preseason All-CAA Second Team selection Collin O’Connor for the second-straight season. The sophomore put forth an impressive rookie season that featured 8.1 ppg on 38.7% shooting with 3.2 apg.
  • Looking to complement O’Connor’s play will be Rob Brown III and Erik Pratt. Both graduate guards have played significant time in NCAA Division I, playing for Nicholls State and Milwaukee, respectively.
 
TOWSON TIGERS (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Towson is fresh off its first outright CAA Regular Season Championship last season after going 16-2 in conference play.
  • Reigning CAA Player of the Year Tyler Tejada returns to Towson, one of five conference Player of the Year honorees from last season to return to his same school and defend his recognition in 2025-26.
  • Tejada will be joined by fellow Preseason All-CAA First Team selection Dylan Williamson.
 
WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (0-0; 0-0 CAA)
  • Head Coach Brian Earl looks to build off an impressive first season in Williamsburg, guiding the Tribe to 11 conference wins and the program’s first double-bye in the CAA Championship. Earl also helped W&M secure 12 straight home wins to start the season, the longest streak inside Kaplan Arena and the longest at home since 1951.
  • Preseason All-CAA Second Team selection Chase Lower will look to build on his 8.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 2.4 apg from 2024-25.