Can November get here soon enough?

The 2022-2023 college basketball season is edging closer and closer, and just like last season, the Colonial Athletic Association again is expected to be one of the country’s most highly competitive, chaotic mid-major leagues.

This time, however, there are several new teams and new faces in the mix that could throw a wrench in the plans and hopes of league favorites. With so much change and turnover to navigate, that could leave it hard for new, or even longtime, fans of the conference to know who to watch for night in and night out.

That’s where this list comes in. It includes a name (familiar or not to CAA fans) to keep an eye on from each team as tipoff looms. Simply, it’s a guide of what to expect when each team hits the hardwood this season.

CAA competition will be streamed live on FloHoops all season.

Charleston

Reyne Smith, G, Soph.

The sharpshooter from Australia immediately became a key figure in Charleston’s backcourt as a freshman, after former All-CAA second-team guard Zep Jasper left to man the point guard position at Auburn, with only NBA Draft picks Andrew Goudelock and Grant Riller scoring more points in a single Cougars freshman season than Smith. 

His role in his first college season was fairly one-dimensional – 240 of his 289 field goal attempts, or 83%, were 3-pointers – but it helped that Smith was really, really good in that role, leading the CAA in triples made and setting a school freshman record in the process. 

It’s a skillset that fits well in the fast-paced style of second-year coach Pat Kelsey’s offense. With a season at the Division I level under his belt and a better understanding of how to attack CAA defenses, Smith could be poised for a leap forward this year. 

He also may need to shoulder more of the offensive production, with heavy backcourt contributors Dimitius Underwood and Brenden Tucker gone from the mix, but with a poor assist record (1.4 per game), it’s a part of Smith’s game that needs some work. 

But, stellar deep shooters always are in demand in the current era of basketball, and the awesome Aussie certainly fits the bill there.

Delaware

Jyare Davis, F, R-Soph.

Much of the CAA already had seen what Davis could bring to the table for the Blue Hens, after the then-freshman was given an increasingly growing role off of the bench over the course of the year, but it was a four-game stretch from Davis that had him garnering attention beyond the sphere of the conference and into the conversation as a potential pro prospect to watch. 

The 6-foot-7 Delaware native played sparingly for much of his freshman season, until he suddenly dropped 22 points in 31 minutes off of the bench in a late-January UD win over James Madison. 

Davis never scored less than double figures in a game again the rest of the way, as coach Martin Ingelsby eventually relented and gave him a starting spot beginning with the CAA Tournament. 

All Davis did there was win the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award – and pick up the CAA Rookie of the Year award to boot – while leading the Blue Hens to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014. He even dropped a team-high 17 points in the March Madness loss to eventual Final Four team Villanova. 

A look into yesterday's media day with Jameer Nelson Jr. ?️ pic.twitter.com/v8EDCSu4S2

— Delaware Men’s Basketball (@DelawareMBB) October 20, 2022

Everyone in the league knows about Davis’ potential now, and in combination with All-CAA second-team guard Jameer Nelson Jr., Delaware has a dangerous duo on its hands.

Drexel

Amari Williams, F, Jr.

The CAA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, perhaps no man in the league is more feared as an interior presence than the 6-foot-10 Englishman. 

Perhaps the scariest part about his game? He might just be getting even better as he adjusts to an increased role with the Dragons. 

Williams won the honor, despite not making the starting lineup for Drexel at any point before Jan. 11, and from there, he went on to merely lead the conference in defensive rating and rebounding percentage, tallying at least three blocks in 10 appearances a year ago. 

He thrived as a sixth man turned key starter over the course of the season, after averaging just four minutes per game in his freshman campaign, a testament to how much the Drexel coaching staff believes in Williams' already apparent skill and ever-growing potential. 

A solid, but developing, offensive threat around the hoop, as well, Williams shot 52.1% from the field during the 2021-2022 season, and his molding as an offensive threat for Drexel could put him among the league’s best two-way post players. His shot-swatting and ability to wall up on players who dare to meet him at the rim already make him an anchor of the Dragons’ defense. 

Elon

Sean Halloran, G, Gr.

Elon is starved for returning talent and has a new coach on the sidelines in former Lehigh and Ball State coach Billy Taylor, so familiarity and quick cohesion is going to be key for the Phoenix, if they are to avoid the bottom half of the CAA this season. 

That’s where Halloran potentially is coming in to help. 

The 6-footer spent four years at Division II Belmont Abbey, where he spent his freshman year under Taylor’s tutelage, and he was a spectacular player during his time there, scoring double-digit points per game all four seasons and finishing as the program’s all-time leader in assists. 

The Crusaders made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances with Halloran leading the charge in the backcourt, but his fantastic 3-point shooting likely is to be the trait of his with the most potential to translate immediately to the D-I level. 

Halloran shot 42% from beyond the arc for his career, but his senior-season mark of 52.7% – no, that isn’t a typo – would’ve made him the NCAA leader across all three of its divisions, had he attempted just nine more triples to get to the qualifying threshold of 100 shots. 

Elon should rely on Halloran’s experience and pedigree immediately, and if the Floridian’s game translates quickly to the jump in competition, he could be a dangerous assignment for CAA defenders.

Hampton

Jordan Nesbitt, G, Soph.

Nesbitt, a former four-star and top-100 recruit out of high school, was a massive addition out of the transfer portal for coach Ed Joyner and his staff, giving HU an instant jolt with some pro potential on both ends of the floor. 

The St. Louis native committed to Memphis for his freshman year but transferred back home to play at Saint Louis for his sophomore season, finding his footing for the Billikens as a 33-game starter who averaged 8.2 points per game. 

Several high-major programs wanted his services as a transfer piece after Nesbitt declared for the NBA Draft following the end of the season (and his subsequent entry into the portal not long after), but the 6-foot-6 guard took his game to the HBCU world and should instantly be one of the CAA’s most intriguing transfers this upcoming season. 

Combined with a very good returning backcourt partner in senior Russell Dean (14.9 points per game in 2021-2022), Nesbitt makes for the type of player whose talent alone could win the Pirates some tight matchups, as pro scouts keep an eye on his development and ability on his third team in as many seasons. 

Hofstra

Tyler Thomas, G, R-Sr.

Guard Aaron Estrada, the reigning CAA Player of the Year, is more familiar to the league’s fans and observers, but Thomas’ addition as a transfer piece from Sacred Heart should instantly make the two new teammates one of the most-feared backcourts in the league. 

Thomas was a two-time All-Northeast Conference pick with the Pioneers, averaging 19.1 points per game in his sophomore season, followed by a 16.4 per-night clip for his junior campaign, bringing multiple seasons of high-level basketball to the Pride’s roster. 

As defenses hone their strategies this season for Estrada, knowing his pedigree and usage as part of Hofstra’s plans, that’s where Thomas’ scoring chops could come in handy, as he had no problem handling the weight for two years at Sacred Heart, scoring at least 20 points on 15 different occasions during his time there. 

A good rebounder (4.8 per game for his career) and distributor (2.6 assists) for his 6-foot-3 frame, throwing Thomas into the mix with Estrada and another solid returning guard in Darlinstone Dubar (11.7 points per game), could make Hofstra’s second season under legendary former player Speedy Claxton a magical one. If it is, it’s quite likely that Thomas’ stellar play has something to do with it.

Monmouth

Myles Foster, F, Jr.

Monmouth is missing all five of its main starters from last season, making it vital that Foster, the program’s leading returning scorer, makes a giant leap in his production, as the Brooklyn native is near-certain to see a major increase in his role this time around, especially as the Hawks adapt to their first season in the CAA. 

Foster has only played more than 20 minutes in a game once in his college career, but he did have Monmouth’s second-highest field goal percentage a year ago and was overall efficient in his time on the floor, picking up 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across just 12.4 minutes per game. 

Just enjoying the process.#FlyHawks pic.twitter.com/jXHRlna4nS

— Monmouth Basketball (@MonmouthBBall) September 24, 2022

The Hawks’ online roster doesn’t list any addition from the transfer portal, leaving Monmouth needing anyone and everyone who had any sort of experience last year to step up and try and help ensure it puts up a competitive product in a new league. 

Foster may be the returner most capable of taking the jump in production, but a lot of things will need to happen for the 6-foot-7 forward, both for him specifically, and with the players surrounding him, to thrive and emerge as a legitimate two-way threat in a tough mid-major league.

NC A&T

Duncan Powell, F, R-Fr.

The Aggies’ highest-rated recruit in program history, the team’s fans perhaps were left a bit disappointed last season when the highly-regarded 6-foot-8 Texan – a top-100 recruit in his class, per ESPN – couldn’t get on the floor for A&T, as he was still recovering from knee surgery. 

Now, seemingly healthy and raring to go, Powell could be the spark the Aggies badly need, as they went through a tumultuous offseason, with former coach Will Jones being fired in August, just a few weeks before the start of practices. 

The cousin of former Aggie Adrian Powell, who helped lead A&T to its most recent conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013, the younger Powell may follow in his family’s footsteps by being a vital piece in another Aggies team that already has a lot of pieces to like, such as former four-star guard Marcus Watson and backcourt mate Demetric Horton. 

Still, with no experience in a college game thus far, Powell’s ability and amount of contribution he’ll bring to A&T truly is up in the air, with quite literally anything possible able to happen. 

But the buzz is there for a reason, and if Powell lives up to it and stays healthy, things may get a lot more stable, and fun, for the Aggies this season.

Northeastern

Joe Pridgen, G, R-Jr.

Northeastern and Pridgen have been getting to know each other for a long, long time, but Huskies fans and the rest of the CAA haven’t seen the Massachusetts native play a game in a Northeastern jersey yet. 

Why? It’s because Pridgen already had transferred once (from Holy Cross to UNC Wilmington) in his college career and didn’t get a transfer waiver from the NCAA for his second move, rendering him ineligible to play for the Huskies a year ago. 

Fully cleared now, Pridgen may instantly be Northeastern’s best player. 

He was the Patriot League’s Rookie of the Year in his lone season with the Crusaders, posting an impressive 17.4 points per game on 55.8% shooting. Then, in a COVID-19-impacted year with the Seahawks, he still dumped in 12.1 points a night while adding in a career high 8.2 rebounds with it, as well – proving with another team in the league that he’s more than capable of being a top CAA player. 

With a year off from playing against college competition, other than those playing on his own team, Pridgen and Northeastern will be hoping his hard work pays off and his long-awaited debut brings forth a few more Huskies wins. They were 9-22 last season.

Stony Brook

Frankie Policelli, F, Gr.

Policelli’s time with Stony Brook has been a bit of a mixed bag. In his post-grad season with the program, which will include the gauntlet that is the CAA for the first time, the Seawolves likely need him more than ever. 

After transferring from Dayton and sitting out his freshman season, Policelli put up 10.7 points per night in his first campaign with Stony Brook, but he saw that average dip to 7.7 points per game a year later, as the Seawolves tended to lean more heavily on guards Anthony Roberts, Tykei Greene and Jahlil Jenkins for its points. 

With all three of those players – each of whom averaged double-digit points per game a year ago – now gone from the program, Stony Brook will need to rely on experienced players who’ve spent time in the system more and more often this time around, leaving the door open for Policelli to potentially get back in the mix as a major scoring threat. 

If he thrives with all of the increased responsibility, it could make the Seawolves’ transition and navigation of the CAA a bit smoother.

Towson

Sekou Sylla, G/F, Gr.

It’s exceedingly rare that a former National Player of the Year is available in the transfer portal, but when those honored with that distinction are evaluating their college options, the list of suitors trying to nab their signature often is long and full of heavy hitters ready to pounce. 

So, when Sylla, the reigning D-II National Player of the Year, decided to commit to Towson in the offseason, it only further made the Tigers – already the reigning CAA regular-season champs – a threat for a repeat and a possible shout for one of the breakout mid-major teams in America for the upcoming season. 

Sylla only spent one season playing for D-II power Nova Southeastern, but it was a special one, as the Brooklyn native broke stat sheets with an average of 22.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per night, being the driving force behind the Sharks’ 31-0 start to their 2021-2022 season and long stint throughout the season as D-II’s No. 1-ranked team. 

Sylla opts for tough takes inside over long-range bombs, having only shot one 3-pointer a year ago, but his efficiency close to the rim was elite at the D-II level, as he went 57.8% from the floor. 

How quickly that translates to the D-I level remains to be seen, but if Sylla is even half of the player he was a season ago, Towson’s going to have a baller on its hands and in its lineup.

UNCW

Shykeim Phillips, G, Sr.

The Seahawks deserved to celebrate all the success and overachievement they earned last year, going on a 22-win turnaround from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022 and winning the College Basketball Invitational in the process. That made UNCW one of the few programs in the country to end their season on a postseason win. 

It’s important for UNCW to avoid a potential hangover season from after all of that previous jubilation, however, and reigning CAA Coach of the Year Takayo Siddle likely is going to rely on proven returners, such as Phillips, to help ensure the Seahawks maintain those levels of success. 

A member of the #CAAHoops All-Defensive Team last season, @shykeimphillips plans to be the vocal leader of the Seahawks on the defensive end.#HawkYeah #WinTheDay #UNCW @UNCWilmington pic.twitter.com/mjVJVv6rta

— UNCW Basketball (@uncwmenshoops) October 19, 2022

The 6-foot-2 guard is a good scorer, having averaged 11.3 points to be fourth on the team, while shooting an efficient 47.5% from the floor on just 8.8 shots per game. 

But Phillips’ calling is clearly on defense. 

He led the team in steals and was named to the All-CAA Defensive Team, specializing in ensuring that opposing backcourts never had it easy bringing the ball up the floor. 

Phillips did lead the CAA in personal fouls (107), however, meaning his on-ball defending could use some polishing, but with top guards Jaylen Sims and Mike Okauru gone from UNCW’s historic CBI title run, Phillips almost certainly is assured to be a two-way anchor of what the Seahawks do this season no matter what.

William & Mary

Anders Nelson, G, Gr.

The Tribe need a lot of help after a dreadful five-win season a year ago that ended on a brutal 10-game losing streak. 

Perhaps Nelson could be of assistance. 

The Minnesotan spent four seasons at in-state program St. Thomas, spending three years torching opponents at the D-III level for the Tommies, before the program made the move up to D-I last season. 

His production didn’t taper off much with the jump in competition, even as St. Thomas struggled with the move in its first season. Nelson averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his senior campaign. 

Now a grad transfer and someone William & Mary likely will rely on for production in its backcourt, Nelson has proven the jump in divisions doesn’t bother him much, but what about an entirely new D-I league on a brand-new campus? 

If Nelson takes the change in stride, just like he did a year ago, the Tribe will probably be much more competitive from night to night this time around. 

Right now, there’s little reason to believe Nelson can’t adjust to the new setting.