Stacking Up: Men’s hoops

1. Old Dominion
Last Season: 11-7 CAA, 17-12 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 0-3 including an 84-67 loss in the CAA semifinals
Player to watch: The Monarchs have four starters returning and three averaged double digits in scoring last season, but keep an eye on preseason player of the year Alex Loughton. The junior forward dropped 16.6 a night for ODU. He upped the clip to 17.6 in his three games against the Rams.

2. Drexel
Last Season: 18-11 CAA, 13-5 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 1-1 with a 66-57 win at the Siegel Center
Player to watch: Senior forward Sean Brooks (14 points and 6 rebounds per game) is going to get his, but the Dragons need Phil Goss to show up. The senior guard averaged 13.6 points per game last season, but his game was transparent in Drexel’s 66-53 loss to UNC-Wilmington in its only game of the CAA tournament.

3. George Mason
Last Season: 12-6 CAA, 23-10 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 1-2 with a 55-54 loss in the CAA championship
Player to watch: Before the CAA title game, Tony Skinn started in eight games and averaged about as many points, but the cocky point guard still guaranteed a win over VCU. He then came out and dropped 17 on the Rams, including a trey ball that knotted the game up at 54 with eight seconds left.

4. Virginia Commonwealth
Last Season: 14-4 CAA, 23-8 Overall

5. Delaware
Last Season: 10-8 CAA, 16-12 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 0-2 with a double-overtime loss at home
Players to watch: The Blue Hens lost almost one-fifth of their three-pointers with Mike Ames’ exit, and guards Mike Slattery (37 of 96 three pointers) and Rulon Washington (27 of 84) are the only players left to knock down the outside shot and take pressure off big man Harding Nana.

6. UNC-Wilmington
Last Season: 9-9 CAA, 15-15 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 1-1 with a 49-41 loss in VCU’s lowest-scoring game
Player to watch: The Seahawks, who averaged 61 points per game last season, aren’t going to win by shooting their opponents’ lights out. What happens is junior guard John Goldsberry scores 11 points, drops six dimes and plucks two of his 50 steals last season (fourth best in the CAA) like he did in UNCW’s win over VCU on Jan. 14.

7. Hofstra
Last Season: 10-8 CAA, 14-15 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 1-1 with a 66-61 win in Hempstead
Player to watch: Forward Kenny Adeleke nearly averaged a double-double last season (13 points and 9 rebounds), but that indefinite suspension will make it hard for him to watch this season. So, keep an eye on senior forward Wendell Gibson (14 points, six rebounds). He’ll be the guy with all the defenders around him.

8. William & Mary
Last Season: 4-14 CAA, 7-21 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 0-2 losing by a combined score of 145-119
Player to watch: Aside from Adam Hess’ 20 points a night, forward Corey Cofield was the only other bright spot for the Tribe. Last year’s CAA rookie of the year is William & Mary’s only returning story to average more than 10 a game.

9. James Madison
Last Season: 3-15 CAA, 7-21 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 0-2 with a 92-61 loss at the Siegel Center
Player to watch: If a last-place team can have a big-game player it’s Dwayne Broyles. Sure, he scored 15 points a night, but he lit up the conference’s top three teams (VCU, George Mason and Drexel) for an 18-point clip in six games.

10. Towson
Last Season: 4-14 CAA, 8-21 Overall
Record vs. the Rams: 0-2, giving up VCU’s only 100-point game
Player to watch: Point guard Mike Green averaged 10 points, four assists and four rebounds for the Tigers as a freshman, and with the team’s leading scorer struggling to make baskets in the first round of the CAA tournament against VCU, Green picked up the slack and scored 18 points.