Delaware Blue Hens
Monte Ross took over as head coach for the Delaware Blue Hens in 2006 to only come up with a 5-26 record. Last season, the Blue Hens improved their win total by nine games to compile a 14-17 record. The 2009 team will be led by senior guard Marc Egerson and sophomore guard Alphonso Dawson. Egerson was named to the third Team All-CAA while Dawson made the CAA All-Rookie team. Egerson, a transfer from Georgetown last season, finished second on the team with 13.4 points per game (PPG) and led the team with 6.9 rebounds per game (RPG). Senior forward Jim Ledsome shot at a high 61.6 percent from the field. After a rough 0-4 start, the Blue Hens quietly played .500 basketball from there on out. Surprisingly, the team defeated the eventual CAA champion George Mason University Patriots in a 73-68 overtime upset earlier last season.

Drexel Dragons
Frank Elegar’s final season with the Drexel Dragons did not go expected. The team went into Fairfax with a 5-1 record on November 29. The result—an 85-38 thrashing and a four-game losing streak. Drexel was one of the teams left out of the 2006 NCAA tournament with a 23-9 record, but the Dragons turned in a horrific 12-20 season and a three-way tie for last place in the CAA with a 5-13 record. This season, the Dragons turn to their senior guards, the only two returning starters, Tramayne Hawthorne and Scott Rodgers. Hawthorne provided the long-distance shooting with 81 three-pointers, a 35.2 percent rate. Rodgers was third on the team with 9.2 PPG on 33.2 percent shooting from the field. Drexel, as a team, struggled with shooting since Elegar shot 55.9 percent. The team shot only 40.6 percent. With Elegar gone, head coach Bruiser Flint will expect production from freshmen Samme Givens, Chris Fouch, and Kevin Phillip.

Georgia State Panthers
Senior guard Leonard Mendez, the fifth leading scorer in the CAA last season, scored 16 PPG for the last place Georgia State Panthers. Mendez, one of the few bright spots of the Bulldogs’ season, earned third Team All-CAA honors. The Bulldogs look to their top player and possibly one of the top CAA players for this coming season to turn around a 9-21 record. Senior forward Rashad Chase and junior guard Trae Goldston will provide the team with depth and experience. Chase posted 7.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG and Goldston trailed Mendez with 9.3 PPG. Chase, a decent scorer and rebounder, recorded five double-doubles last season. The team added Dante Curry and Joe Dukes to their lineup. Curry transferred from South Florida as the former Demon Deacon Dukes came from the competitive ACC. In the CAA tournament last season, the Panthers lost in the last second to a William & Mary team that advanced to the final.

Hofstra Pride
The Hofstra Pride are in a similar situation as the Drexel Dragons. Antoine Agudio and his leading 22.7 PPG last season will be difficult to make up, but the return of CAA Rookie of the Year guard Charles Jenkins provides the team with high hopes for a shot at the CAA title. From 2005-2007, the Pride won 69 games and lost only 26. Last season, Hofstra was unable to regroup after a poor regular season, and received an early 81-66 knockout from the Towson Tigers in the CAA tournament opening round. The team had a disappointing 12-18 record, 8-10 in the CAA. Jenkins scored 15 PPG, and senior forwards Darren Townes and Dane Johnson recorded 8.0 and 6.4 PPG, respectively. Townes also led the team in boards with 6.7 RPG. The Pride open their 2009 campaign in the Charleston Classic against Clemson. For Jenkins in his sophomore season, he will play a bigger role and try to reverse Hofstra’s 2008 misfortunes.

James Madison Dukes
The JMU Convocation Center will be remembered as the building where Dre Smith went ten-for-ten. Smith will be back one more time on February 7, but it might be the James Madison Dukes getting the last laugh as the team returns four starters for the 2009 season. Nearly all of their five starters last season scored in double-digits. 2008 third Team All-CAA selection Abdulai Jalloh scored 15.5 PPG and boarded 5.5 RPG. The senior guard also led the team in steals. Fellow senior forward Juwann James posted 12.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG, and junior guard Pierre Curtis scored 10 PPG along with 4.2 assists per game (APG). Senior forward Kyle Swanston enters the season with 111 career three-pointers, which is No.7 all-time in James Madison history. The Dukes, 14-17 last season, and their new head coach Matt Brady open their season in the NIT Season Tip-Off against last season’s Cinderella Davidson. James Madison will also play against non-conference local teams Longwood and Radford during the season.

UNC-Wilmington Seahawks
Improving their 2007 record of 7-22 to 20-13 last season, the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks will have yet another obstacle to encounter. This time, the Seahawks will come into the 2009 season with four double-digit scorers leaving the team. Among them, T.J. Carter handed the Patriots their first and only loss at the Patriot Center with a thrilling buzzer-beating floater to spoil the host’s homecoming game. The 2009 roster consists of only one senior and returns the lone starter, sophomore guard Chad Tomko. Tomko, a member of the CAA All-Rookie team, fared well against the Patriots in the two games last season. Both resulting wins, Tomko shot 4-for-7 for 16 points in the first meeting and continued giving Mason trouble with 4-for-5 in three-pointers for 18 points in the 75-73 win in Fairfax last season. The Seahawks also return with sophomore forward Dominique Lacy, junior guard Montez Downey, and junior guard Josh Sheets.

Northeastern Huskies
One player to watch out for will be junior guard Matt Janning. Janning scorched Mason’s defense with a 10-for-15 shooting performance and 27 points in a 70-59 towards the latter part of last season. The second Team All-CAA guard was a non-factor in the Northeastern Huskies’ 63-52 loss to the Patriots in the CAA tournament, shooting only 2-for-13 in the field. However, his 19-game double-digit point streak was extended due to the face that he scored ten points in the game. Janning’s 16.1 PPG last season helps make him a dangerous player for the 2009 season as the Huskies look to improve on their 14-17 record. The team returns all five starters. One of them, junior forward Manny Adako provided 10.6 PPG and 4.5 RPG. Guard Chaisson Allen hopes to prevent a sophomore slump since he was an effective asset with 9.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 3.5 APG. The team will have a full schedule with the 2K Sports Classic in November, and games against Indiana and Memphis in December.

Old Dominion Monarchs
In 2007, the Old Dominion Monarchs were the at-large selection in the NCAA tournament before falling to Washington State. Last season, the Monarchs dropped slightly from 24-9 to 18-16. Still, the team was competing in the CAA at a high level with an 11-7 conference record. Last season, the Monarchs had the huge task of challenging three top six teams, at the time, in a matter of five days. In one, the Monarchs put up 82 points against North Carolina, but the opponent countered with 99. Old Dominion’s biggest loss took place at Mason, where the team lost by 33 points. The Monarchs got their revenge, taking care of Mason’s woes on the road with a 72-64 win, which started a six-game winning streak. Among the notable returning starters, 6-10 junior forward/center Gerald Lee posted 12.9 PPG and 5.9 RPG. Sophomore forwards Ben Finney and Frank Hassell, and guard Darius James keep the team intact as the Monarchs are hungry for another NCAA tournament berth in the near future.

Towson Tigers
The name Durant might show up on a No.35 Towson Tigers jersey, but there is to be no confusion between the NBA star Kevin and his older brother Tony. The forward Durant is in his senior year and looking forward to pursue a career just like his younger brother. Unlike his brother, Durant is not relied upon to carry a team. The Tigers were led by junior guard Josh Thornton and senior forward Junior Hairston in scoring. Hairston was a third Team All-CAA selection last season for his 12 PPG and 8.9 RPG. This time, the team will have the presence of senior forward Tommy Breaux on the court since he was redshirted last season. Head coach Pat Kennedy is one of the most experienced coaches among a group of young CAA coaches. Kennedy, entering his 29th season, looks to get the Tigers out of mediocrity and into the top positions in the CAA.

VCU Rams
The difficult part about being in the CAA is that a loss might put the nail in the coffin as far as qualifying for the NCAA tournament. There is never a cakewalk in the CAA as once a year, there will be a surprise. Three seasons ago, some felt Mason took Hofstra’s spot in the tournament as both teams were considerably identical. In 2007, the VCU Rams defeated Duke in a stunning upset and nearly pulled another against Pittsburgh. Last season, there was a change in order among the CAA teams as some moved up at the expense of others. Despite a strong 2008 showing at 24-8, the VCU Rams were denied entrance to the Big Dance. The Rams enter 2009 with a different outlook as guard Eric Maynor looks to close out his outstanding CAA career on a high note. The reigning CAA Player of the Year scored 17.9 PPG, and recorded 4.7 RPG and 5.5 APG. His all-around ability will help VCU with the bulk of the offense, but the Rams also return with starters, sophomore guard Joey Rodriguez and sophomore forward Larry Sanders.

William & Mary Tribe
The William & Mary Tribe are the new Masons at the CAA level—make an impressive run, but fall at the end. Yet, the potential is evident for the 2009 season as the Tribe hope to make more appearances on ESPN. The team is led by junior guard David Schneider, who scored 10.9 PPG, and posted 4.5 RPG and 3.8 APG last season. Junior forward Danny Sumner provides support with 10.5 PPG and senior forward Peter Stein with 7.9 PPG. Junior forward Alex Smith and senior forward Chris Darnell are key returnees for the Tribe. Ever since Tony Shaver took over the head coaching job at William & Mary in 2004, the team has improved in win percentage up until now. Key losses include Nathan Mann and Laimis Kisielius, who drained the game-winning shot with three seconds left in the ever-so intense CAA tournament game against the VCU Rams.