2025 CAA Tournament Preview & Conference Awards

CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 16. Up next: The CAA Tournament.

This conference was a lot of fun at the top, with three teams winning 13 or more games. It was Towson taking the title with an impressive 16-2 conference record. The biggest surprise was Campbell, who finished 10-8 after being picked to finish second to last in the conference.

Charleston has won the tournament the past two seasons, but with Pat Kelsey at Louisville, Chris Mack has a lot of pressure to continue the streak. In the last five tournaments, a 4 seed or lower has made the final, so expect chaos.

All 14 teams make the tournament, and because of this, the tournament takes place over five days. The top four seeds all get byes to the quarterfinals.

2025 CAA Conference Awards

Player of the Year: Tyler Tejada, Towson

Freshman of the Year: Izaiah Pasha, Delaware

Transfer of the Year: Derrin Boyd, Charleston

Coach of the Year: Pat Skerry, Towson

First Team:

• G: Tyler Tejada, Towson (16.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.5 SPG)
• G: Abdi Bashir, Monmouth (20.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.5 SPG)
• G: Rashad King, Northeastern (18.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.9 BPG)
• F: Colby Duggan, Campbell (15.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 SPG)
• F: Ante Brzovic, Charleston (18.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.9 APZG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG)

Second Team:

• G: Donovan Newby, UNC Wilmington (14.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.2 SPG)
• G: Gabe Dorsey, William & Mary (13.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.8 SPG)
• G: Darrin Boyd, Charleston (13.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.8 SPG)
• G: Dylan Williamson, Towson (13.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 SPG)
• G: TK Simpkins, Elon (16.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG)

2025 CAA Tournament Simulation

First Round – Fri., Mar. 7

12. Delaware (12-19, 5-13) vs. 13. Stony Brook (8-23, 4-14) – 2 p.m. ET on Flosports

Delaware was picked to finish 5th in the preseason and is, without a doubt, the biggest disappointment in this conference. They’ve lost six in a row and are 1-11 in their last 12. Stony Brook, meanwhile, started conference play 1-11. They are 3-3 in their last six, and CJ Luster is playing great ball. This game should be close, but it feels like Delaware threw in the white flag and are ready for the portal.

Ariel’s pick: 13. Stony Brook

11. Hofstra (14-17, 6-12) vs. 14. NC A&T (7-24, 3-15) – 4:30 p.m. ET on Flosports

These two teams played in the final game of the season. Hofstra won 70-49. Don’t overthink this one.

Ariel’s pick: 11. Hofstra

Second Round – Sat., Mar. 8

8. Drexel (17-14, 9-9) vs. 9. Elon (17-14, 8-10) – 12:00 p.m. ET on Flosports

These two teams come into this game on completely different trajectories. Drexel has won four in a row, the longest active win streak in the CAA. Elon enters on a three-game losing streak, including a loss to 4-14 Stony Brook.

Both teams play at one of the slowest tempos in the country, but Elon’s rebounding and ability to win the possession battle has been crucial for them all season and will play a part in this one.

Ariel’s pick: 9. Elon

5. Campbell (15-16, 10-8) vs. 13. Stony Brook – 2:30 p.m. ET on Flosports

Campell ended the season with a gauntlet, playing Towson, UNCW, and Charleston back-to-back-to-back, and went 0-3. They are much better than Stony Brook, though, whom they beat by 25 on the road. Colby Duggan went for 27 in that one, and he should match that if they don’t sub him out early for rest.

Ariel’s pick: 5. Campbell

7. Northeastern (17-14, 9-9) vs. 10. Hampton (16-15, 8-10) – 6 p.m. ET on Flosports

A true toss-up game. These two teams split the regular season, with the road team winning by nine in both games. The key in this game will be Rashad King. Hampton doesn’t have a scorer like him, and if he takes over this game, Northeastern will get it done.

Ariel’s pick: 7. Northeastern

6. Monmouth (12-19, 10-8) vs. 11. Hofstra – 8:30 p.m. ET on Flosports

Saturday will be the first day that people will learn about the legend Abdi Bashir Jr. Bashir averaged 3.90 three-point makes a game, most in the country, and made 308 on the season, 36 more than the next most.

He did struggle in their one matchup with Hofstra, shooting 2-11 and scoring 8 points. If they can win with him having an off-game, then pray for Hofstra fans for what they are about to witness in this game.

Ariel’s pick: 6. Monmouth

Quarterfinals – Sun., Mar. 9

1. Towson (21-10, 16-2) vs. 9. Elon – 12:00 p.m. ET on Flosports

Towson lost two games in conference play, and one was to Elon. The big issue with Elon, though, is health. Nick Dorn, who averages 15.2 PPG, hasn’t played since February 8th. TJ Simpkins, who scored 19 points in that win, hasn’t played since February 20th. If both of those guys can’t suit up, this team won’t have enough star power to get through Towson.

Keep an eye on the injury report, though, because if this team is healthy, they’re dangerous.

Ariel’s pick: 1. Towson

4. William & Mary (17-14, 11-7) vs. 5. Campbell – 2:30 p.m. ET on Flosports

Campbell delivered one of the most devastating results in all of CAA play when these two teams faced off, smacking them 96-55. William & Mary only scored 17 points in the first half, and Campbell scored 58 in the second half. That was January 30th, though, and a lot has changed since then.

The winner of the game is the one who sets the tempo at the tip. Campbell ranks as the 350th fastest tempo in the country, while William & Mary ranks 22nd. This is a true coin flip, but William & Mary have what it takes to advance to the semifinal for the first time since 2018.

Ariel’s pick: 4. William & Mary

2. UNC Wilmington (24-7, 14-4) vs. 7. Northeastern – 6 p.m. ET on Flosports

UNC Wilmington just has too much size for Northeastern. They grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in the win in the head-to-head, and Harlan Obioha, the seven-footer, grabbed six of them. It won’t be a blowout, but UNCW should handle them comfortably.

Ariel’s pick: 2. UNC Wilmington

3. Charleston (23-8, 13-5) vs. 6. Monmouth – 8:30 p.m. ET on Flosports

March is all about legends being made, and Monmouth has themselves one in Bashir. The two best scorers, Bashir and Brzovic, will face off in what should be a really fun matchup. Expect a 30 bomb from Bashir and a couple of posts on your favorite social media channels after this upset.

Ariel’s pick: 6. Monmouth

Semifinals – Mon., Mar. 10

1. Towson vs. 4. William & Mary – 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports

These two played at the end of February, and Towson stomped them, 88 to 73. This is the game that Tyler Tejada reminds everyone why he was player of the year and will lead his team to the finals after three straight semifinal exits.

Ariel’s pick: 1. Towson

2. UNC Wilmington vs. 6. Monmouth – 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports

As mentioned earlier, the last four tournaments have consisted of a four seed or lower making the final. Can Monmouth be the fifth? Monmouth scored just 55 points when these two teams played, the second lowest of the season, and they were at home. They shot just 33.9% from the field.

UNC Wilmington had 21 turnovers and still won. If a team can turn the ball over that frequently on the road and still win, that says a lot about the strength of a team. Takayo Siddle is a great coach and will lead them back to the finals for the third time in four years.

Ariel’s pick: 2. UNC Wilmington

Championship – Tues., Mar. 11

1. Towson vs. 2. UNC Wilmington – 7:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports

People forget that before Covid, the final being two top seeds was the norm. 2016-2019 featured the top two teams, and even the three tournaments prior were the one vs the three. These are clearly the two best teams in the conference and are being rewarded for that.

Towson has never won this tournament as a member of the CAA. UNC Wilmington, meanwhile, has won six, the second most in the conference. In the last two appearances, they came up short, losing by 5 in 2023 and 4 in 2024.

These teams played once on January 2nd. Towson beat UNC Wilmington in overtime on the road. It’s been a long time since these two teams played. Tejada went for 21 points for Towson, but the big takeaway was their inability to stop Obiohda. He scored 18 and grabbed 13 rebounds to go with 3 blocks. This game was a nail-biter throughout, and I fully expect this to go to overtime.

In the end, UNCW just has a better balance of offense and defense, and that will ultimately be the difference maker in this championship game.

Ariel’s pick: 2. UNC Wilmington