Busting Brackets
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CAA Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2019-20

By Matthew Winick

SYRACUSE, NY - DECEMBER 04: Anthony Green #30 of the Northeastern Huskies dunks the ball as Elijah Hughes (R) of the Syracuse Orange defends during the first half at the Carrier Dome on December 4, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - DECEMBER 04: Anthony Green #30 of the Northeastern Huskies dunks the ball as Elijah Hughes (R) of the Syracuse Orange defends during the first half at the Carrier Dome on December 4, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /
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CAA Basketball had one of it’s best years in recent memory in 2018-2019, with senior stars leading the way for some of the top mid-major programs in the nation. With many foundational pieces moving on across the league, what is expected in 2019-2020?

Last season in CAA Basketball, a senior-laden group from multiple schools led to a very top-heavy conference season. Hofstra, Northeastern and Charleston led the way to provide one of the better top halves of a Conference in the mid-major ranks last season. After Northeastern defeated a talented Charleston team to advance to the CAA Championship Game, they defeated Hofstra to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014-2015.

However, a new season in the CAA marks the loss of several tremendous seniors that paced the Conference last season. There is no better way to sum up the losses that hit the league than the 3×3 College National Championship Tournament running the same weekend as the Final Four. Due to financial benefits received at the tournament, only seniors were allowed to participate. With such a talented group – the CAA quartet of Northeastern’s Vasa Pusica, UNC-Wilmington’s Devontae Cacok, Charleston’s Jarrell Brantley and Hofstra’s Justin Wright-Foreman – they won the whole thing, beating out all 31 other D1 Conferences.

With such high-level talent leaving the league and heading to the pro ranks, the top of the league is much more wide open. With only a handful of proven impact players, depth and coaching will play a larger factor in deciding these rankings. There are certainly some familiar names at the top, but banking on experience and internal program building is a safe bet in such a transitional year.

National level stars such as Charleston’s Grant Riller and William and Mary’s Nathan Knight will be reasons to tune into CAA Basketball this season, but the internal competition this season will continue to drive attention to the league. While it remains unlikely for an at-large bid, whichever program makes it out of the CAA will have endured a difficult road to success.