By Nick Mazzarella -- STAFF WRITER Whether you’re a fan of a 22-win team or a five-win team, you want a reason to feel confident as your squad heads into its conference tournament. We’re giving you just that, from the CAA’s top seed all the way to its number 10. For each team, we’ll provide the knowledge and numbers that’ll make you believe your team could be cutting down nets in Baltimore.
No. 1 seed: Hofstra Pride (22-8, 14-4 CAA)
The player: senior guard Juan’ya Green (17.7 PPG, 7.2 APG)
The result: 70-69 win at UNC-Wilmington – The Pride erased an 18 point deficit to beat the first place Seahawks on their home court.
The bottom line: Currently riding a six-game winning streak, preseason favorite Hofstra has arguably the best guard (Green) and the best forward (Rokas Gustys) in the conference.
No. 2 seed: UNC-Wilmington (22-7, 14-4 CAA)
The player: junior guard Chris Flemmings (15.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG)
The result: 70-67 win at Hofstra – Three weeks before Hofstra’s huge comeback at UNCW, the Seahawks rallied after being down by 20 to beat the Pride on its home court.
The bottom line: A team that’s received votes in the AP Top 25 poll, UNCW has four guards who average double-digit scoring figures and a fifth who puts up nine points per game.
No. 3 seed: Towson (20-11, 11-7 CAA)
The player: junior forward Arnaud William Adala Moto (13.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG)
The result: 76-60 win vs. UNCW – Should the team win its quarterfinal game versus Northeastern, Towson can feel good about a potential semifinal matchup against UNCW after blowing out the Seahawks back in January.
The bottom line: Towson is one of the best defensive teams in the league, allowing just over 66 points per game and outrebounding its opponent by about seven and a half rebounds each game.
No. 4 seed: James Madison (21-10, 11-7 CAA)
The player: senior guard Ron Curry (17.2 PPG)
The result: 98-95 OT win vs. Hofstra – This comeback win from 14 points down completed the Dukes’ season sweep of the Pride, whom James Madison could see in a number 1 vs. number 4 semifinal bout.
The bottom line: The Dukes have proven they can beat the CAA’s best in both Hempstead and Harrisonburg. They also have Curry, a first team-caliber player who’s capable of leading his team to three wins in three days.
No. 5 seed: William & Mary (19-10, 11-7 CAA)
The player: junior guard/forward Omar Prewitt (18.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
The result: 97-94 loss at UNC-Wilmington – Prior to beating the Seahawks by 18 at home, the Tribe nearly won in Wilmington, where UNCW lost just two games all season.
The bottom line: William & Mary has the regular season co-scoring champ in Prewitt, a talented senior in Terry Tarpey, and, whom Hofstra fans know all too well, a junior who has a flair for the dramatic in Daniel Dixon.
No. 6 seed: Northeastern (17-14, 9-9 CAA)
The player: senior guard/forward Quincy Ford (16.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG)
The result: 95-94 3OT win at James Madison – After losing a triple overtime game in late January, Northeastern came out on the winning end of this February thriller. Good thing, too, because after that triple overtime loss, the Huskies went on to lose the next five games.
The bottom line: Ford and David Walker (18.0 PPG) are an extremely dangerous duo on a team that’s getting hot at the right time (5-1 in their last six games).
No. 7 seed: College of Charleston (16-13, 8-10 CAA)
The player: sophomore guard Cameron Johnson (12.1 PPG)
The result: 72-61 win vs. Hofstra – College of Charleston handed Hofstra its first CAA loss of 2015-16 and held the Pride to their lowest point total of the year.
The bottom line: The defensive-minded Cougars have the second best scoring defense in the conference, allowing 64.6 points per game. As Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich said, “They guard every dribble.”
No. 8 seed: Elon (16-15, 7-11 CAA)
The player: senior guard Tanner Samson (12.1 PPG)
The result: 66-64 loss at Hofstra – If it weren’t for Juan’ya Green’s late-game heroics, the Phoenix’s resume might have been boosted by a road win at Hofstra.
The bottom line: Elon has four players who can hurt you from behind the arc, as Samson, Tyler Seibring, Dainan Swoope and Steven Santa Ana all shoot better than 36 percent from deep. Hitting threes is just the thing to pull an upset in March.
No. 9 seed: Drexel (5-24, 3-15 CAA)
The player: senior guard Tavon Allen (13.2 PPG)
The result: 74-69 win at William & Mary – Drexel spoiled Senior Day in Williamsburg and, more importantly, picked up a road win against an upper-tier CAA squad.
The bottom line: The Dragons have the CAA’s best scoring defense, giving up just 63.6 points per game. They’ll be dangerous if they can “D” up like usual and get shots to fall.
No. 10 seed: Delaware (7-22, 2-16 CAA)
The player: sophomore guard Kory Holden (17.3 PPG)
The result: 77-66 loss vs. Hofstra – The final score does not do the Blue Hens justice, as this game was tied at 65 with 2:46 remaining. A loss? Yes. But Delaware hung tight against one of the league’s best.
The bottom line: Don’t overlook the Hens just because they came in last place, as they have sophomore sensation Holden, Marvin King-Davis – who’s almost averaging a double-double – and two guards who can score in Cazmon Hayes and Anthony Mosley.