CAA Basketball: 2018-19 preseason power rankings

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COLUMBUS, OH – NOVEMBER 28: Tom Vodanovich #13 of the James Madison Dukes attempts to control the rebound before Jae’Sean Tate #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes can get to the ball as Andre Nation #15 of the James Madison Dukes attempts to block out other players during the second half at Value City Arena on November 28, 2014 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated James Madison 73-56. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

7. James Madison Dukes

2017-18 season record: 10-22 (6-12 CAA)

James Madison was the worst team in the conference last year. While they tied with three other teams in the basement of conference play, no team had a worse overall record. Progress though, may be on the horizon.

The Dukes bring back their best player from a year ago, redshirt senior Stuckey Mosley. The former Toledo guard averaged 18.4 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game, making 36.8% of his 3-point shots.

Last year, James Madison placed two players on the conference’s All-Rookie Team: Matt Lewis and Darius Banks.

Lewis, a 6-foot-5 guard, averaged 14.5 points per game during his freshman campaign, shooting 33.5% from 3-point range. Banks, also a 6-foot-5 guard, averaged 10.2 points per game, but showed a greater acuity on the boards, grabbing 4.2 rebounds per game. Together, the three guards could form the most lethal positional combo in the CAA.

Louis Rowe is entering his third season coaching his alma mater. In the first two years, James Madison combined to win just 20 games. There’s a spark of promise with the young stars rising through the ranks, though.

With the way the Dukes are trending, it could be just a year or two before they’re competing for the conference crown and perhaps even leading the charge for it.