CAA Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

25. Jalen Ray

A 6’2 guard from Hampton, Virginia, Ray certainly had an impactful run during his time in the CAA. He spent five years playing at Hofstra, arriving in 2017 and taking advantage of the bonus year from the pandemic. He played a number of roles for the Pride during that half-decade but always a productive player.

Ray came off the bench in his first two seasons but got decent minutes right around 7 points a game those years. As a junior, he played a more prominent role in the backcourt, now as a starter, and helped lead the program to the CAA Tournament title in 2020. After the pandemic, he blossomed as a top scorer, averaging 19.3 points a game as a junior, including a career-high 34-point game against Delaware in the conference tournament. The Pride wouldn’t get their shot at the Big Dance during Ray’s tenure, but he had a pretty solid effort as a fifth-year player too.

Part of the CAA All-Freshman team early, he was named First Team All-CAA for a senior season where he led the league in scoring and field goals. His near 40% rate from beyond the arc in his fifth year actually led the CAA, cementing himself as one of the league’s top shooters in recent memory. Ray was the big star as a senior but was a quietly solid piece for Hofstra throughout his career and certainly stands out.