#CAAHoops MBB Notebook – Dec. 28, 2025

#CAAHoops MBB Notebook – Dec. 28, 2025

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Dylan Smith

CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK – DEC. 28, 2025
 
The 2025-26 CAA conference slate begins on Monday, with 12 programs slated for action on the opening night of league play. Overall stats can be found at the back of the attached #CAAHoops MBB Notebook.
 
CAA ACTION IS BACK
The league’s first game of the season on CBS Sports Network is a standalone game between defending CAA champion UNCW and North Carolina A&T at 7 p.m. Jake Marsh and Dr. John Giannini will be on the call for the Monday night showdown. The Seahawks finished non-league play with a conference-best 11-2 record. The Aggies picked up seven wins prior to the start of CAA action, matching the team’s win total from a season ago.
 
William & Mary will host Towson in the league opener on Monday, with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m. on FloCollege from Williamsburg, Va. The Tribe has scored the most points throughout non-conference play with 86.8 ppg, while the Tigers have surrendered 66.3 ppg, good for second in the CAA.
 
Stony Brook, which has matched its win total from last season, will open the conference slate at Hampton on Monday. The 7 p.m. showdown on FloCollege will feature the league’s leading rebounder, the Pirates’ Xzavier Long (11.1 rpg), and a top-five scorer, the Seawolves’ Erik Pratt (18.1 ppg, 5th in CAA).
 
Elon will host Northeastern for its conference opener at 7 p.m. on FloCollege. The Phoenix’s Chandler Cuthrell is second in the conference with 21.2 ppg, sitting top 20 in the nation (17th). Northeastern will look to stop Cuthrell behind a pair of blocking specialists in Youri Fritz and Xander Alarie, both of whom are averaging 1.3 swats per game and sitting top 10 in the conference.
 
Campbell will head to Long Island to face red-hot Hofstra in a 7 p.m. tilt on FloCollege. The Pride have won four straight games entering CAA play, including wins over Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Quinnipiac. Campbell is fresh off a 23-point routing of Green Bay, after playing the toughest non-conference slate among all CAA programs.
 
Drexel will visit Charleston on Monday for a 7 p.m. contest on FloCollege. The Cougars are expected to see All-CAA First Team selection Colby Duggan make his season debut on Monday. The Dragons stunned the Cougars in their lone meeting last season, 64-55.
 
CLOSED OUT THE NON-CON
Campbell blew past Green Bay, 102-79, at home just prior to the holiday break, utilizing a pair of 20-point efforts on Tuesday. Jeremiah Johnson rattled off 27 points with three of his nine makes coming from distance and a 6-for-6 showing at the charity stripe. He also notched a game-best three steals. DJ Smith unloaded a 6-for-6 showing from distance, becoming the 10th player in league history to go perfect from behind the arc with at least six makes and the first since William & Mary’s Daniel Dixon on Jan. 28, 2015. The Camels’ sharpshooter finished with 20 points in 20 minutes of action.
 
UNCW cruised to a 100-56 win over Columbia College on Saturday, matching a program record with 11 non-conference wins. Five Seahawks registered in double figures, with Nolan Hodge and Madison Durr notching 17 points apiece.
 
COASTAL WAVES
As of Sunday, two teams find themselves inside the NCAA NET Ranking Top 90, with William & Mary leading the way at No. 69. Hofstra sits at No. 84. The conference also has three additional teams in the top 150, with UNCW (120), Towson (131) and Elon (143).
 
The conference also picked up 12 wins over teams ranked 150 or better in the NCAA NET Rankings in non-conference action:
  • William & Mary - 82-74 win at Bowling Green (81 NET)
  • Hofstra - 70-69 win at Syracuse (88 NET)
  • Elon - 73-70 win over Richmond (91 NET)
  • Stony Brook - 77-73 win over Columbia (95 NET)
  • Towson - 62-55 win vs. Rhode Island (106 NET)
  • Towson - 72-69 win vs. Liberty (111 NET)
  • Hofstra - 80-73 win at Pitt (115 NET)
  • UNCW - 70-69 win over Marshall (124 NET)
  • Campbell - 71-67 win vs. UT Arlington (128 NET)
  • Stony Brook - 71-68 win at LMU (135 NET)
  • Hofstra - 74-66 win over Quinnipiac (142 NET)
  • Towson - 93-80 win over Cornell (148 NET)
 
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
CAA teams have been steady on their respective home courts, going 57-11 to start the season. Six programs are still undefeated at home.
 
THE C IN CBS IS FOR... COASTAL?
CBS Sports Network will once again 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.
 
CAMPBELL CAMELS (6-7; 0-0 CAA)
  • The Camels closed out non-conference play with a decisive 102-79 win at home over Green Bay just prior to the holiday break. Jeremiah Johnson rattled off 27 points, while DJ Smith (20 pts.) became the 10th player in league history to not miss a shot from distance with at least six makes.
  • Smith enters league play pacing four Camels in double figures, averaging 18.5 ppg with a 37.4% efficiency from distance. Chris Fields Jr. and Dovydas Butka have been instrumental on the boards with 9.0 and 8.5 rpg, respectively.
 
CHARLESTON COUGARS (7-6; 0-0 CAA)
  • Jlynn Counter’s 26-point, 11-rebound, six-assist performance helped lift Charleston to its third-straight win, closing out non-conference action with an 85-74 road victory over Northern Kentucky on Sunday. Connor Hickman chipped in 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
  • Charleston rides a three-game winning streak into league play, seeing Counter average 21.7 ppg on 61.8% shooting from the floor (21-34 FG) to go with 5.3 apg.
 
DREXEL DRAGONS (6-7; 0-0 CAA)
  • Drexel blew past Maine, 74-56, in their non-conference finale thanks to a five-trey, 19-point effort from Victor Panov. The Dragons shot 57.1% from the floor (28-49 FG) and 48.3% from distance (14-29 3FG) on Sunday.
  • The Dragons enter CAA play on the heels of back-to-back wins. Drexel has turned to Shane Blakeney and Kevon Vanderhorst, offensively, with the veteran duo leading the team in scoring with 12.9 and 11.2 ppg, respectively.
     
ELON PHOENIX (8-5; 0-0 CAA)
  • The Phoenix finished non-conference play with a 97-63 win over Greensboro College. Chandler Cuthrell led four players in double figures with 21 points and eight rebounds. Kacper Klaczek chipped in 14 points.
  • Elon’s Cuthrell is tied with Cruz Davis for the CAA lead in scoring, averaging 21.2 ppg. The Phoenix’s leading scorer has reached double figures in 12 of 13 contests this season, including 20-point efforts on 10 occasions. Randall Pettus II (13.5 ppg), Klaczek (11.8 ppg) and Bryson Cokley (11.0 ppg) have complemented Cuthrell throughout non-conference play.
     
HAMPTON PIRATES (6-7; 0-0 CAA)
  • Hampton has won four of its last six games entering conference play on Monday. Michael Eley has had the hot hand over that stretch with 14.4 ppg on 50.0% shooting from the floor. Jalyke Wyatt-Gaines has also produced 14.0 ppg on a 50.0% shooting clip.
  • The Pirates’ Xavier Long is the league’s lone double-digit rebounder with 11.1 rpg, chipping in 9.9 ppg. Hampton is outrebounding teams by a margin of 4.2 boards per game.
 
HOFSTRA PRIDE (9-4; 0-0 CAA)
  • Hofstra closed out non-conference action with a 74-66 triumph over Quinnipiac, snapping the Bobcats’ five-game winning streak. Cruz Davis produced a 27-point outing in the Pride’s fourth straight win, including 20 in the first half. Preston Edmead stepped up in the second half with all 18 of his points coming in the final 20 minutes.
  • Davis is averaging 25.0 ppg on 54.4% shooting to go with 5.5 apg during the Pride’s four-game winning streak. The Preseason All-CAA First Team pick is tied for the league lead in scoring (21.2 ppg).
 
MONMOUTH HAWKS (6-7; 0-0 CAA)
  • Monmouth cruised to a 76-62 win over Lehigh in its non-conference finale. Justin Ray went 7-for-11 from the floor with a trio of 3-pointers en route to a 17-point showing. Cornelius Robinson Jr. shot similarly, going 6-for-11 from the field and finishing with 15 points and three steals.
  • The Hawks remain the CAA’s top blocking team, averaging 5.2 swats per game (28th in NCAA). Jason Rivera-Torres ranks second in the league with 21 total blocks, while Dok Muordar sits in the top five with 17 stuffs.
 
N.C. A&T AGGIES (7-4; 0-0 CAA)
  • The Aggies will ride a three-game winning streak into the conference slate. Trent Middleton Jr. has been stellar over that stretch with 15.0 points, 5.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.
  • North Carolina A&T has matched its win total from the 2024-25 season, entering CAA play with a 7-4 record. Lewis Walker has been vital to that success with 18.4 ppg on 51.5% shooting from the floor.
 
UNCW SEAHAWKS (11-2; 0-0 CAA)
  • UNCW produced the league’s longest winning streak during non-conference action, rattling off nine straight victories and logging a conference-best 11-2 record heading into league play on Monday.
  • Nolan Hodge paces five players scoring in double figures, scoring 15.8 ppg on a 46.8% shooting clip from the floor. The Seahawks are one of 20 teams nationally to have outscored (+14.5 ppg) and outrebounded (+10.8 rpg) their opposition by double digits.
 
NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES (4-7; 0-0 CAA)
  • Ryan Williams enters conference play on the heels of back-to-back 20-point performances for the Huskies. He has shot 14-of-18 from the floor, knocking down all seven attempts from inside the arc and going 7-for-11 from distance over that stretch.
  • Northeastern Head Coach Bill Coen is three conference wins away from becoming the CAA’s first 200-game winner, sitting with 197 victories (conference play and postseason). Currently in his 20th season at the helm of the Huskies, Coen earned his 300th career win on Nov. 7 over Colgate.
 
STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES (8-5; 0-0 CAA)
  • Stony Brook has matched its win total from last season, going 8-5 during non-conference play. The Seawolves secured key wins over Columbia and Loyola Marymount, both of which entered their respective contests with just one loss on their record.
  • Erik Pratt has emerged as the Seawolves’ top scorer, registering 18.1 points (5th in CAA), while adding 1.6 steals per contest.
 
TOWSON TIGERS (8-5; 0-0 CAA)
  • Towson utilized a 35-6 run over the final 14 minutes to cruise past Sacred Heart, 72-47, in its non-conference finale. Tyler Tejada unloaded a 22-point, six-rebound, three-assist showing in the non-conference finale, going 9-for-18 from the floor with three 3-pointers. Dylan Williamson and Jack Doumbia Jr. posted 17 points apiece.
  • The Tigers picked up key wins in the non-conference slate, downing Rhode Island (106 NET), Liberty (111) and Cornell (148). Tejada and Williamson pace the team in scoring, with 17.5 and 15.4 ppg, respectively.
 
WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (9-3; 0-0 CAA)
  • For just the seventh time in school history and first since 1982-83, William & Mary won nine or more games during the nonconference portion of the schedule. Kyle Pulliam helped William & Mary earn a 96-83 win over Radford in the non-conference finale with a 22-point, seven-rebound, three-steal showing.
  • 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
Sunday, December 21
Charleston 85, Northern Kentucky 74
Marist 70, Stony Brook 51
Hofstra 74, Quinnipiac 66
Monmouth 76, Lehigh 62
Drexel 74, Maine 56
Minnesota 78, Campbell 50
 
Monday, December 22
Towson 72, Sacred Heart 47
Elon 97, Greensboro College 63
Rhode Island 85, Northeastern 77
 
Tuesday, December 23
Campbell 102, Green Bay 79
 
Saturday, December 27
UNCW 100, Columbia College (S.C.) 56
 
Monday, December 29
Towson at William & Mary (FloCollege/MASN)                                      5:00 P.M.
Stony Brook at Hampton (FloCollege)                                                    7:00 P.M.
UNCW at N.C. A&T (CBS Sports Network)                                            7:00 P.M.
Northeastern at Elon (FloCollege)                                                          7:00 P.M.
Campbell at Hofstra (FloCollege/MSGSN)                                             7:00 P.M.
Drexel at Charleston (FloCollege/The CW)                                            7:00 P.M.
 
Wednesday, December 31
Campbell at Monmouth (FloCollege/NBC Sports Phi./SNY)                   2:00 P.M.
Charleston at Elon (FloCollege)                                                              2:00 P.M.
Stony Brook at William & Mary (CBS Sports Network)                           2:00 P.M.
Towson at Hampton (FloCollege/Monumental)                                       2:30 P.M.
Northeastern at N.C. A&T (FloCollege)                                                   3:00 P.M.
Drexel at UNCW (FloCollege)                                                                 7:00 P.M.