CAA MBB Outlook 2025-26

[Jojogunne]

Edmead earns another CAA ROW award. He has won it three out of the four weeks so far this season.

I don’t remember having a freshman playing at the level he is but without a whole lot of competition he’s getting his chance to show out. Just hope he keeps playing at this level. It makes us a whole different team.

I haven't looked at other CAA teams' stats, but I doubt there are many freshmen receiving as much playing time as Preston. I would also suspect that no other CAA freshmen are starting for their teams. Most teams are focusing on upperclassmen, both returning and transfers. He should run away with Rookie of the Year honors.

Speaking of stats, our two centers are averaging a combined 14 ppg and 14 rpg. That's pretty good production from that position.

[Wags]

Speaking of stats, our two centers are averaging a combined 14 ppg and 14 rpg. That's pretty good production from that position.

Speedy after the win on Sunday:

“We always thought that our 5 spot would be [strong] for us, and that’s held true. I thought both those guys were great all weekend.”

[triplec2195]

Edmead earns another CAA ROW award. He has won it three out of the four weeks so far this season.

I don’t remember having a freshman playing at the level he is but without a whole lot of competition he’s getting his chance to show out. Just hope he keeps playing at this level. It makes us a whole different team.

I haven't looked at other CAA teams' stats, but I doubt there are many freshmen receiving as much playing time as Preston. I would also suspect that no other CAA freshmen are starting for their teams. Most teams are focusing on upperclassmen, both returning and transfers. He should run away with Rookie of the Year honors.

Speaking of stats, our two centers are averaging a combined 14 ppg and 14 rpg. That's pretty good production from that position.

So when was the last time a freshman PG started or even a freshman. Maybe Speedy although I remember Jamal Robinson starting way back when with less than stellar results compared to Preston!

[dutchPride86]

I don’t remember having a freshman playing at the level he is but without a whole lot of competition he’s getting his chance to show out. Just hope he keeps playing at this level. It makes us a whole different team.

I haven't looked at other CAA teams' stats, but I doubt there are many freshmen receiving as much playing time as Preston. I would also suspect that no other CAA freshmen are starting for their teams. Most teams are focusing on upperclassmen, both returning and transfers. He should run away with Rookie of the Year honors.

Speaking of stats, our two centers are averaging a combined 14 ppg and 14 rpg. That's pretty good production from that position.

So when was the last time a freshman PG started or even a freshman. Maybe Speedy although I remember Jamal Robinson starting way back when with less than stellar results compared to Preston!

Since Speedy the only other freshman I can think of regardless of position is Eli Pemberton. Who if I remember right was one of the highest rated recruits Hofstra had ever had at the time?

He maybe never hit his true ceiling, but what a solid all-around winning player

[EvanJ]

Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera had 21 starts as freshmen in 2003-2004. Antoine Agudio had 30 starts as a freshman in 2003-2004. Charles Jenkins had 29 starts as a freshman in 2007-2008. Chaz Williams had 20 starts as a freshman in 2009-2010. We might have had more freshmen start at least 20 games if they did not steal in 2012-2013. Chris Jenkins had no starts as a freshman in 2013-2014, but he averaged 21.2 minutes, so he played a majority of the time. Edmead is averaging 14.9 points, Jenkins averaged 15.0 as a freshman, and Agudio averaged 15.1 as a freshman.

[triplec2195]

Agudio had to redshirt his freshman year per Wiki; After redshirting the 2003–04 season due to a broken hand, Agudio started all 30 games in 2004–05, becoming the first Hofstra freshman to start every game since Speedy Claxton in 1996–97. Jenkins also redshirted his freshman year; After redshirting his true freshman season of 2006–07, Jenkins began competing for the Hofstra University Pride in 2007–08.[2][3] He played in 29 games and averaged 15.0 points and 4.6 rebounds, led his team in free throw percentage (78.0), and finished 10th in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in scoring (first among freshmen).[2][3] Jenkins was named the CAA Rookie of the Year, Metropolitan New York Rookie of the Year and to the Third Team All-Metropolitan New York.[2]

So it's safe to say that Preston will start all games in his TRUE freshman year just like Speedy did!! Not even JWF started all games in his freshman year!
IDK if Preston will ever be compared to Speedy but he's off to a good start.

[stuball888]

Preston is doing all the right things as a true freshman point guard
As a leader he is making the players around him better and getting everyone involved on the offensive end

[Wags]

Preston is doing all the right things as a true freshman point guard
As a leader he is making the players around him better and getting everyone involved on the offensive end

Only three shots (making only one) on Sunday, yet 8 AST, only 2 TO, and 6 REB in a 17-point win.

In some ways, that's more impressive than his 23 pts at Bucknell or 22 pts vs. Merrimack. It shows that he still does other things (like, as you said, making others better and getting them involved) even when it's not him doing the shooting, let alone the scoring. As the season goes on, he'll do any of that, as needed, depending on the game, which already shows a lot of maturity for his very young college career.

[HUSID74]

Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera had 21 starts as freshmen in 2003-2004. Antoine Agudio had 30 starts as a freshman in 2003-2004. Charles Jenkins had 29 starts as a freshman in 2007-2008. Chaz Williams had 20 starts as a freshman in 2009-2010. We might have had more freshmen start at least 20 games if they did not steal in 2012-2013. Chris Jenkins had no starts as a freshman in 2013-2014, but he averaged 21.2 minutes, so he played a majority of the time. Edmead is averaging 14.9 points, Jenkins averaged 15.0 as a freshman, and Agudio averaged 15.1 as a freshman.

Jenkins was a red shirt freshman...Remember those days when there were redshirts!

[triplec2195]

So was Agudio which I had previously posted but I think he broke his hand as a freshman.

[EvanJ]

This is not about the CAA now, but former Campbell player Anthony Dell'Orso could play for Number 1. Iowa State defeated Number 1 Purdue 81-58, which will probably move Number 2 Arizona up to Number 1 if they beat Auburn tonight. I wonder if anybody has ever transferred out of the CAA and played for a team ranked Number 1. Dell'Orso has not started this season, but his 11.3 points, 3.4 assists, and 25.3 minutes are higher than when he started most games last season. He is third on the team in scoring, second in assists, and shoots threes .407 with tied for the most makes.

Monmouth was in a close game at Georgia Tech until Georgia Tech pulled away to win 79-67. Georgia Tech entered 5-4, and was only favored by 9.5 hosting a team that entered with the same record and no power conference wins, so they covered. Seven CAA teams play today, with all of them away except for Drexel's neutral site game against La Salle in the Big 5 Classic. Drexel and Stony Brook are early in their games, and four CAA teams have not started.

Edit: The CAA is 3-3 with one game in progress. W&M trails 53-52 at halftime at George Washington. W&M shot 64 percent. I wonder what the highest first half shooting percentage by a trailing team all season will be. The teams combined to shoot twos 33-41 (.805). For George Washington, Jean Aranguren made 2 threes, 2 twos, and had 2 assists without missing. He did not start, but played 10 minutes.

Elon led 50-15 at halftime at Wofford, who was favored by 4.5, I wonder when the last time a favorite trailed by at least 35 points at halftime was. Wofford was 4-0 at home.

[Wags]

This is not about the CAA now, but former Campbell player Anthony Dell'Orso could play for Number 1. Iowa State defeated Number 1 Purdue 81-58, which will probably move Number 2 Arizona up to Number 1 if they beat Auburn tonight. I wonder if anybody has ever transferred out of the CAA and played for a team ranked Number 1. Dell'Orso has not started this season, but his 11.3 points, 3.4 assists, and 25.3 minutes are higher than when he started most games last season. He is third on the team in scoring, second in assists, and shoots threes .407 with tied for the most makes.

Good question. No others that I can recall. The one who might've been the closest before Dell'Orso was Tyson Walker, who in his last year at Michigan State (after leaving Northeastern) was on a Spartans team that was as high as #4 in the AP poll that year. Really impressive second half from the Cyclones, who are 9-0. They often have very good regular seasons that make them look like legit contenders before they fade in mid or late March. Maybe this year will be different.

Edit: The CAA is 3-3 with one game in progress. W&M trails 53-52 at halftime at George Washington. W&M shot 64 percent. I wonder what the highest first half shooting percentage by a trailing team all season will be

Another good question! I imagine 64% while trailing at the half would be hard to beat but it must've been done at some point. What a shootout, 53-52 at the half.

Elon led 50-15 at halftime at Wofford, who was favored by 4.5, I wonder when the last time a favorite trailed by at least 35 points at halftime was. Wofford was 4-0 at home.

And yet another good question! Would also be hard to think of a halftime lead of more than 35 for an underdog! Impressive from Elon to do that at Wofford today.

All good food for thought on these, Evan. Thanks for sharing.

[EvanJ]

Your welcome.

George Washington pulled away to beat W&M and cover the spread 99-86. Both teams had five double-digit scorers. Aranguren led all players with 20 points, tied for the most assists among all players with 5, and even tied for the most blocks among all players with 2. Before the game, he was averaging 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

[Wags]

This is not about the CAA now, but former Campbell player Anthony Dell'Orso could play for Number 1. Iowa State defeated Number 1 Purdue 81-58, which will probably move Number 2 Arizona up to Number 1 if they beat Auburn tonight. I wonder if anybody has ever transferred out of the CAA and played for a team ranked Number 1. Dell'Orso has not started this season, but his 11.3 points, 3.4 assists, and 25.3 minutes are higher than when he started most games last season. He is third on the team in scoring, second in assists, and shoots threes .407 with tied for the most makes.

Good question. No others that I can recall. The one who might've been the closest before Dell'Orso was Tyson Walker, who in his last year at Michigan State (after leaving Northeastern) was on a Spartans team that was as high as #4 in the AP poll that year. Really impressive second half from the Cyclones, who are 9-0. They often have very good regular seasons that make them look like legit contenders before they fade in mid or late March. Maybe this year will be different.

Estrada was even closer. That Alabama team was #3 in the AP poll the same year Walker was on the fourth-ranked team.

That Purdue loss today was the worst loss ever suffered by a #1 team to a non-conference oppponent and is tied for the worst home loss ever (non-conference or in-conference) by an AP #1.

The Auburn-Arizona game is on ESPN 2 in a little bit, after #14 Illinois vs. #13 Tennessee conclude.

[triplec2195]

D-Stone transferred to Tennessee for the 2023-24 season and the Volunteers were ranked by some as the the #1 team in the country. Does that count, lol?

[EvanJ]

D-Stone transferred to Tennessee for the 2023-24 season and the Volunteers were ranked by some as the the #1 team in the country. Does that count, lol?

Tennessee's highest rank in both polls was Number 4.

The CAA is 11th of 31 in the Conference NET. CAA teams have an average rank of 182nd, which is slightly better than the average of all teams that is 183rd. Because the top conferences have more teams, a majority of conferences have their average rank be worse than the average of all teams. Last season CAA teams had an average rank of 215th.

[Wags]

D-Stone transferred to Tennessee for the 2023-24 season and the Volunteers were ranked by some as the the #1 team in the country. Does that count, lol?

Tennessee's highest rank in both polls was Number 4.

The CAA is 11th of 31 in the Conference NET. CAA teams have an average rank of 182nd, which is slightly better than the average of all teams that is 183rd. Because the top conferences have more teams, a majority of conferences have their average rank be worse than the average of all teams. Last season CAA teams had an average rank of 215th.

Dubar was actually still at Hofstra for 2023-24. He was at Tennessee last year (2024-25), when they were AP #1, so even though he didn't really do much with them (not like Dell'Orso with Arizona, Estrada with Alabama, or Walker with Michigian State), he was on the roster and did appear in 33 games with the Vols that last year. So yeah, it counts, and it makes it two straight years a former CAA player will play on an AP #1 team, assuming Arizona moves up to #1 on Monday, as they should (although a strong case could be made for Michigan to leap-frog them from the #3 spot, since the Wolverines have been so dominant).

[EvanJ]

The incorrect season for Dubar came from triplec2195, but I should have checked that on my own. Tennessee's last week at Number 1 was Week 10 when they were 14-0. Arizona defeated a ranked Auburn team 97-68, so I do not see how Michigan passes them.

[Wags]

The incorrect season for Dubar came from triplec2195, but I should have checked that on my own. Tennessee's last week at Number 1 was Week 10 when they were 14-0. Arizona defeated a ranked Auburn team 97-68, so I do not see how Michigan passes them.

I don't think Michigan will pass them either, but last Monday, they did have 15 first-place votes at #3 while Arizona had six first-place votes at #2.

And although Arizona did just drill #20 Auburn, Michigan is on a four-game stretch in which the Wolverines beat San Diego State by 40, the same Auburn team Arizona beat by 30 themselves, then-#12 Gonzaga by 40, and Rutgers by 41. I think it'll be Arizona #1 and Michigan #2, but if they flipped that on Monday, I wouldn't say it's crazy at all.

[triplec2195]

Well I did get the year wrong but I did remember that Dubar was at least for some period of time playing (not playing) for the #1 team in the country. Thanks Wags for straightening out my partially wrong misinformation. lol