CAA Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2020-21 season

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: The Hofstra Pride celebrate winning the CAA Men's Basketball Tournament - Championship college basketball game against the Northeastern Huskies at the Entertainment & Sports Arena on March 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images /

8. William & Mary Tribe

The William & Mary Tribe finished second in the CAA with a 13-5 record. There was a legitimate possibility the Tribe would make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. It’s all been downhill since the team was upset by Elon in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals, though.

That’s when reality set in. It was the last game Nathan Knight will ever play in a Tribe uniform. The reigning CAA Player of the Year can make an argument as the greatest player in school history. As a senior, he averaged 20.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. The importance of his departure cannot be overstated (not to mention the departure of underrated forward Andy Van Vliet).

Luke Loewe is positioned to be the stopgap leader of William & Mary for the next season. He averaged 10.7 points per game and shot 43.9 percent from three-point range, leading the CAA in the latter category. He also made the CAA All-Defensive Team. Loewe will be a senior in 2020-21.

The forward will keep the team afloat and competitive, but it’s not immediately clear where the future of this team resides. Their next leading returning scorer, rising junior Thornton Scott, averaged just 7.3 points per game last season. This will be an important developmental season for second-year coach Dane Fischer.

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