CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 15. Up next: The CAA Tournament.
The 13-team CAA Tournament has about everything you could ask for in a conference tourney. Three big favorites, a few more teams that could go on a run, and a great venue in Washington, D.C. If either of UNC Wilmington, Charleston, or Hofstra wins, a 13 or 14 seed should be the prize in the NCAA Tournament, which isn’t too shabby.
The regular season saw UNC Wilmington take home the title, finishing 15-3 in conference with a 26-5 overall record. It’s the fifth straight 20-win season for the Seahawks, as head coach Takayo Siddle continues to boost his resume with a Power 5 job probably coming in the very near future.
But it wasn’t a walk in the park for UNCW. Charleston finished just a game behind, while Hofstra, Monmouth, Drexel, and William & Mary all had at least 10 wins in conference.
With so many teams capable of making a run, the five-day CAA Tournament figures to be a great watch from start to finish.
2026 CAA Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Cruz Davis, Hofstra
Freshman of the Year: Preston Edmead, Hofstra
Transfer of the Year: Jlynn Counter, Charleston
Coach of the Year: Speedy Claxton, Hofstra
First Team:
- G: DJ Smith, Campbell (19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG)
- G: Erik Pratt, Stony Brook (19.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 SPG)
- G: Cruz Davis, Hofstra (20.3 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 39.7 3P%)
- G: Jason Rivera-Torres, Monmouth (15.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.2 BPG)
- C: Patrick Wessler, UNC Wilmington (13.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 BPG, 60.1 FG%)
Second Team:
- G: Preston Edmead, Hofstra (15.4 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.6 RPG, 39.0 3P%)
- G: Jlynn Counter, Charleston (15.9 PPG, 5.6 APG, 5.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG)
- G: Nolan Hodge, UNC Wilmington (14.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 39.8 3P%)
- G: Tyler Tejada, Towson (16.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- F: Chandler Cuthrell, Elon (20.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG)
2026 CAA Conference Tournament Simulation
First Round – Friday, Mar. 6
12. NC A&T (11-18, 4-14) vs. 13. Northeastern (6-23, 2-16) – 2 p.m. on FloHoops
Both teams have been on the struggle bus for a while, with NC A&T winning just two of its last 10 games. But in a conference where most teams can score the ball, they still have Lewis Walker, a 6-foot-6, 227-pound forward who put up 19 points per game on the year. Meanwhile, the Huskies were one of the only teams without a scorer on that level, and haven’t won a single game since Jan. 15. Yeah, not going to trust them to turn it on now.
Mat’s pick: 12. NC A&T
Second Round – Saturday, Mar. 7
8. Stony Brook (17-14, 9-9) vs. 9. Campbell (14-17, 8-10) – Noon on FloHoops
The main difference between this team is that Stony Brook has Erik Pratt, and Campbell doesn’t. The Seawolves’ star can affect the game in so many ways, scoring 30+ points three different times during CAA play. But Campbell’s DJ Smith is also an exceptional scorer, and big man Dovydas Butka should give the Fighting Camels an edge there. Even though Stony Brook took the regular-season meeting, I like Campbell’s duo to lead them to the quarterfinals in the CAA Tournament.
Mat’s pick: 9. Campbell
5. Drexel (16-15, 10-8) vs. 12. NC A&T – 2:30 p.m. on FloHoops
Believe it or not, the Drexel Dragons only defeated NC A&T by one point in the regular season. Could we have another upset on our hands? NC A&T will have to score to get it done because Drexel can really defend. But it isn’t called March Madness for no reason!
Mat’s pick: 12. NC A&T
7. Towson (17-14, 9-9) vs. 10. Hampton (13-18, 7-11) – 6 p.m. on FloHoops
Like Drexel, Towson also relies on defense, but the difference here is that Hampton has no single reliable player to take over, and the Tigers have Tyler Tejada. When it’s win-or-go-home mode, I’d prefer to have someone who you can ask to hit some big shots and make some big plays.
Mat’s pick: 7. Towson
6. William & Mary (19-11, 10-8) vs. 11. Elon (14-17, 6-12)Â – 8:30 p.m. on FloHoops
For not having a go-to option, William & Mary has some incredible scoring balance. Eight players average between 6.8 PPG and 12.3 PPG, with leading scorer Reese Miller coming off the bench. Two other players get in the rotation as well, giving the Tribe a true 10-man tribe. But Elon can also put the ball in the basket and has Chandler Cuthrell, who finished second in PPG in the CAA. While he’s an exceptional player, it can really only take you so far, especially against a team that can match the scoring with their army.
Mat’s pick: 6. William & Mary
Quarterfinals – Sunday, Mar. 8
1. UNC Wilmington (26-5, 15-3) vs. 9. Campbell – Noon on FloHoops
Campbell gave UNC Wilmington two tough games in the regular season, but I don’t want to be too risky and bounce Takayo Siddle’s squad in their first game of the CAA Tournament. It might be another close one, but they’ll figure out a way.
Mat’s pick: 1. UNC Wilmington
4. Monmouth (17-14, 11-7) vs. 12. NC A&T – 2:30 p.m. on FloHoops
After going 6-7 in the non-conference, King Rice led Monmouth to a double-bye in the CAA Tournament, a fantastic coaching job by him. They’d get NC A&T playing their third game in three days if that matchup does happen, and I can’t see the run continuing, especially against a Hawks team that is as hot as anyone, winning six of their last eight games.
Mat’s pick: 4. Monmouth
2. Charleston (21-10, 14-4) vs. 7. Towson – 6 p.m. on FloHoops
A potentially Charleston – Towson game would be intriguing, given how both teams have 7-footers and are two of the top rebounding teams in the conference. Chol Machot was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, which obviously gives Charleston even more of an edge there, but Towson had one of the best-ranked defenses in the conference. I love me some Chris Mack, though, and C of C has been on a roll heading into the CAA Tournament, so I’ll side with momentum in a tough pick.
Mat’s pick: 2. Charleston
3. Hofstra (21-10, 12-6) vs. 6. William & Mary – 8:30 p.m. on FloHoops
Speedy Claxton might just speed his way onto a Power 5 coaching staff after the season, but for now, he’s still at his alma mater, looking to make a run here with Hofstra. And he’s got a great chance with Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead, two of the best players in the whole conference. They may have lost to William & Mary back on Jan. 24, but since then, have gone 8-2.
Mat’s pick: 3. Hofstra
Semifinals – Monday, Mar. 9
1. UNC Wilmington vs. 4. Monmouth – 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
I haven’t picked many upsets to this point, but I’m going with one here. For how great a coach Siddle is, I’m loving what King Rice has done with this Monmouth team in the second half of the season. The biggest hurdle they’ll have to climb is UNCW’s outstanding three-point defense, but I think they find a way.
Mat’s pick: 4. Monmouth
2. Charleston vs. 3. Hofstra – 8:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
This is where I don’t really rely on an entire team breakdown, and just side with the team that has Cruz Davis. He can take over games when it matters, and in the CAA Tournament semifinals, that’s what you need.
Mat’s pick: 3. Hofstra
Championship – Tuesday, Mar. 10
3. Hofstra vs. 4. Monmouth – 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
One of these teams will have to win three games and three days to get a bid to the NCAA Tournament. And here’s where I want to go with Davis and Hofstra, but I’ll instead point out Kavion McClain, who wasn’t able to play for most of the season due to a rules infraction. But eight games into his season, he’s averaging a team-high 17.6 PPG and 5.9 APG. That’s a MAJOR difference maker if I’ve ever heard of one. He’s just another difference-maker on this Hawks team, and I like him to be the missing piece needed to lead Monmouth on in March!
Mat’s pick: 4. Monmouth