Colonial Athletic Association Preview

FOR A COMPLETE PREVIEW OF THE 2005-2006 SEASON, CLICK HERE

This was one of the most underrated conference in the country the entire season. Old Dominion was dominant most of the season, although they slipped during the final week. In addition to them, five other teams finished with double figure wins within the conference. Old Dominion defeated Virginia Commonwealth in a very close tournament championship game, and gave Michigan State a run in the first round before losing. The Colonial conference shouldn't be very underrated this season--people should already know about it. It is going to be loaded top to bottom, with several teams chasing the defending champions for the title.

Favorite: Old Dominion is the defending regular season and tournament champion, and should repeat both of those feats this season. Alex Loughton is one of the best mid-major big men around, and he can put the Monarchs on his back if necessary. Arnaud Dahi joins him in the frontcourt. He is a viable inside option and is very versatile. Valdas Vasylius has proven that he can produce if given minutes; he and 7-3 Sam Harris provide depth. In the backcourt, Isaiah Hunter returns. He could be an all-conference pick this season. Point guard Drew Williamson is a very fundamentally sound, heady point guard. He doesn't make many mistakes and is an excellent passer and defender. Brian Henderson and Brandon Johnson were solid off the bench last season; one of them could start this year.

Contenders: Hofstra finished on a hot streak last season, and hope to carry that into this year. Loren Stokes may be the best all-around player in the conference. He is very smooth and is a top-notch scorer, in addition to being an excellent rebounder and solid passer. Antoine Agudio joins Stokes on the wing. He is a very good shooter and could be even better offensively than he was last season. At the point, Carlos Rivera has struggled somewhat. Luckily for the Pride, several options are available. Veteran Gibran Washington can play, but the more exciting option would be newcomer Greg "Playstation" Johnson. Up front, Adrian Uter is a good rebounder and defender, while Aurimas Kieza needs to play tougher inside. George Mason may have the best trio of any team in the conference in guards Lamar Butler and Tony Skinn, and big man Jai Lewis. They combined to average 43 points per game last season. Butler and Skinn may be the best backcourt in the league, while Lewis provides an excellent inside option. Gabe Norwood is versatile at forward, while John Vaughan and Folarin Campbell are solid scorers on the wing. Virginia Commonwealth has one of the best players in the league in forward Nick George. He can score in a variety of ways, and is very difficult to stop. B.A. Walker is the main option on the perimeter, and mans the point well. Jesse Pellot-Rosa is solid on the wing, while Calvin Roland returns at center for the Rams. The final starting spot could go to Seton Hall transfer Eric Davis or returnees Alexander Harper and Renardo Dixon.

Sleepers: UNC-Wilmington returns one of the best guards in the league in defensive player of the year John Goldsberry, who is also an excellent distributor and shooter and a decent scorer. T.J. Carter will be his backcourt mate after coming off the bench last year and providing excellent scoring. JC transfer Temi Soyebo is expected to make an immediate impact at the point. Wake Forest transfer Todd Hendley could develop into one of the best interior players in the conference. A solid forward trio returns in Mitch Laue, Beckham Wyrick, and Taylor Lay. Northeastern has one of the best point guards in the country in Jose Juan Barea. He is an outstanding scorer at over 22 points a game, and still finds time to dish out over 7 assists per contest. Bobby Kelly, Adrian Martinez, and Aaron Davis return on the perimeter to help out Barea. Inside, Shawn James is one of the most underrated players in the mid-major world. He averaged in double figures last season, and also went for about 8 boards and 5 blocks per contest. He forms an excellent inside-outside combo with Barea. Bennet Davis is a solid forward. Drexel returns a relatively underrated inside-outside duo in Bashir Mason and 6-10 Chaz Crawford. Mason is a decent assist man, while Crawford is a pretty good scorer, rebounder, and a very good shot blocker. Dominick Mejia also returns in the backcourt for the Dragons. If Timothy Tillman can provide another solid big man down low, this team will be more balanced. Delaware returns one of the best forwards that you have never heard of in Harding Nana. He averaged a double double last season, but the Blue Hens only won 11 games. Guard Anthony Washington was a capable scorer from the perimeter, and showed he can carry the backcourt. Rulon Washington also returns in the backcourt. Rapheal Madera needs to take some of the pressure off Nana inside, while JC transfer Calvin Cannon is expected to play a major role at the point.

Rounding Out the Pack: James Madison returns a dynamite trio that could make some noise within the Colonial. Ray Barbosa is one of the better perimeter scorers in the league, while Daniel Freeman averaged 19 points per game last season before ending his season after 3 games due to injury. Inside, Cavell Johnson gives the Dukes a very good inside option. Jomo Belfor is a quality point guard, and David Cooper and Gabriel Chami return in the frontcourt. William & Mary returns three starters. Corey Cofield is a vastly underrated interior option, while fellow forwards Laimis Kisielius and Hawley Smith also return to give the Tribe a solid frontcourt. Nathan Mann will handle the point, while Vanderbilt transfer Adam Payton will contribute right away in the backcourt. Towson returns four starters, including potential all-conference forward Lawrence Hamm. Cantrell Fletcher is a decent point guard, while Trevan Jackson also returns as a contributor to the backcourt. Winstonn Tubbs and Holden Plack started last season up front, while Jonathan Pease provided quality depth. However, three transfers could start next to Fletcher and Hamm. Loyola (Ill.) transfer Terrance Whiters is expected to make an impact in the backcourt, while JC transfers Marc Pratt and Dennard Abraham should see extensive time up front. Georgia State return one of the better backcourts in the conference in Malcolm Manier and Boyd Copeland. Copeland was a solid assist man and an excellent rebounder for his size, and Manier was a good defender and scorer. D'Andre McGrew will also see time on the perimeter. JC transfer Lance Perique should make an impact on the wing, while Rashad Chase and Ranard Robinson are newcomers that will get loads of playing time in the frontcourt, next to returning players Deven Dickerson and Justin Billingslea.

Prediction: The Colonial Athletic Association is going to be loaded this season. I'd take their all-conference team against most conferences in a pick-up game; that's how talented this league is. There are three teams that would be the preseason favorite in many mid-major conferences in Old Dominion, Hofstra, and George Mason. It is going to be a tight race throughout the entire season. Expect an extremely competitive conference tournament, with Old Dominion pulling it out in the end because of their experience and balance. Look out for this conference in 2005-2006--they should have a big year.

Player of the Year: Alex Loughton, C, Old Dominion

All-Conference Team:
G- Loren Stokes, Hofstra
G- Jose Juan Barea, Northeastern
F- Nick George, Virginia Commonwealth
F- Harding Nana, Delaware
C- Alex Loughton, Old Dominion

Second Team:
G- John Goldsberry, UNC-Wilmington
G- Antoine Agudio, Hofstra
G- Lamar Butler, George Mason
G- Isaiah Hunter, Old Dominion
F- Jai Lewis, George Mason