GETTING INSIDE

The best laid plans ...

Coach Monte Ross has suffered through three losing seasons trying to rebuild the Blue Hens and thought he had something going this year, but he lost his biggest leader when point guard Brian Johnson, who averaged 10 points and five assists a game last season, went down for the year with an ACL injury.

That takes the steering mechanism away, but Ross remains with high hopes as he returns one of the conference's top all-around players in guard/forward Alphonso Dawson and potential top scorer in shooting guard Jawan Carter.

Carter ranked sixth in the Colonial with a 15.0-point average last year while Dawson was ninth at 14.1, also grabbing 5.3 rebounds a game. With a full year working together under Johnson's direction, the Blue Hens seemed ready to break out.

Now it appears that Edwin Santiago will have to run the point alongside Carter. He averaged 2.3 points a game last year.

Ross is looking for toughness, something he believes his team has lacked.

"We've played hard the last couple of years, but we needed to be a tougher team. We lost games last year because we just weren't tough enough," Ross said. So one of the points of emphasis with this year's team is that we need to be much tougher, and I think we will."

The frontcourt has only one returnee, sophomore Adam Pegg, who did get a lot of time last year and averaged 1.6 points a game.

Ross is counting on Rhode Island transfer Hakim McCullar, a 6-8 sophomore forward, to provide some frontcourt scoring and rebounding.

NOTES, QUOTES

--After being picked 11th in the 12-team CAA poll, coach Monte Ross was still excited, saying "We are a mystery. We are the unknown. I think it's absolutely wonderful to be that."

--Rhode Island transfer F Hakim McCullar was lured to Delaware by assistant coach Jeff Rafferty, who had previously recruited him when he was an assistant at New Hampshire.

LAST YEAR: 13-19, 6-12, ninth in the CAA

HEAD COACH: Monte Ross (career 31-62), fourth year at Delaware (32-62).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We will be a tougher team this year and I'm excited about where that will lead us." -- Coach Monte Ross on his 2009-10 Blue Hens.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Delaware added three freshman guards -- Malcolm Hawkins from Norfolk, Va., Brandon McNulty from Malern (Pa.) Prep, and Will Townsville, a stay-at-home walk-on from Glasgow High in Wilmington.

Jamelle Hagins, a 6-8 forward, averaged 13 points and nine rebounds a game while leading William Fleming High in Roanoke, Va., to a 25-5 record and the finals of the Virginia Group AAA Tournament. Josh Brinkley is a 6-6 forward from Douglas Freeman High in Richmond, Va. He averaged 17 points and 7.1 rebounds

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Delaware will find out early just where it stands when it plays in the Philly Hoop Group Classic. They open the season on Nov. 14 with a home game against Temple of the A-10 and then, as part of the classic, play Siena on Nov. 24. They also play at the Palestra in Philadelphia against ACC opponent Virginia Tech. Delaware gets no break in its early-season league opener on Dec. 5 when it must go to Norfolk, Va., to take on conference favorite Old Dominion.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Slowly, coach Monte Ross is putting things together at Delaware, although the season-ending ACL injury suffered by senior PG Brian Johnson will be hard to deal with this year. That could, however, be a blessing next year as his two best players, Alphonso Dawson and Jawan Carter, will be seniors then, joining Johnson in what could be the season Ross is waiting for.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Edwin Santiago, SG Jawan Carter, SF Alphonso Dawson, PF Hakim McCullar, C Adam Pegg

ROSTER REPORT:

--PG Brian Johnson, who has been directing the show at Delaware for the past three years, will miss the season with a torn ACL. Johnson started all 94 games in his first three years at Delaware. He averaged 10 points and 5 assists a game last season. He is fourth in career assists at Delaware with 450.

--F Hakim McCullar, a transfer from Rhode Island, becomes eligible after sitting out last year and is expected to move into the starting lineup.

--G Will Townsville from Glasgow High in Delaware has been added to the roster as a walk-on.

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DREXEL

GETTING INSIDE

Fresh off one of the best coaching jobs of his career, Drexel's Bruiser Flint has expectations running high for the Dragons this year.

His team was not expected to do much last year but put together a 10-8 record in a tough CAA and has a lot of size and experience returning, including four starters.

The backcourt returns intact with point guard Jamie Harris, a junior, trying to build on a season in which he averaged 8.1 points and three assists a game as he made huge strides.

Gerald Colds, his backcourt mate, seems to be on the verge of a breakout season coming off a year in which he averaged nine points a game and 11 times reached double figures.

In a conference in which it helps to be rugged in the frontcourt, Flint will be calling on senior Evan Neisler to be a force on the boards. Neisler averaged 7.8 points and 6.9 rebounds last year and figures to improve both those figures.

He'll get a lot of rebounding help from 6-8 senior Leon Spencer, who averaged 4.9 rebounds, and sophomore Samme Givens, a conference All-Rookie Team selection after averaging 5.6 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.

"I think he has all-league talent," Flint said of Spencer, who was a junior college transfer.

"Good athlete. I'm hoping he can take that next step up; if he does, he can be an all-conference performer. I thought last year, physically he wasn't ready. But now he's in better condition, better shape. He really worked on that this summer. He has the physical talent to be as good as any big guy in the conference."

As always, Flint's Dragons will be breathing fire on defense. They are coming off a season in which they allowed only 61.2 points a game to rank fourth in the CAA.

NOTES, QUOTES

--Drexel fans are eager to get a look at G Chris Fouch, who sat out last year with a knee injury. He's a highly-touted former New York City star who shot 46 percent from behind the 3-point line in high at Rice High.

--Junior G Gerald Colds seems to be sitting on a breakout season. Last year he was second on the team in scoring with 9.0 points a game after averaging 6.5 as a freshman. With Scott Rogers gone, the scoring load may fall to Colds.

--Coach Bruiser Flint has leaned heavily upon the New York City-New Jersey area to build this team with seven players from that area on his roster.

LAST YEAR: 15-14, 10-8, sixth in CAA

HEAD COACH: Bruiser Flint (career 219-180), ninth year at Drexel (133-108).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We return a lot of guys, and experience is important, but a lot of teams in this conference have returning players." -- Drexel coach Bruiser Flint, on what his team is up against in the CAA.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: G Chris Fouch, a top recruit from a year ago, suffered a torn ACL in 2008 preseason drills and missed last season. He is almost completely healed and is touted as having the ability to be one of the top scorers in the conference when healthy. PG Shannon Givens is the younger brother of Drexel F Samme Givens. He's a strong point guard who can hit open shots and is adequate from 3-point range. G Derrick Thomas comes from the same school -- St. John's College High in Washington D.C. -- that sent Chris Wright to Georgetown and Vlad Moldoveanu to George Mason.

F Daryl McCoy is a considered an intriguing project for coach Bruiser Flint. McCoy (6-9, 270 pounds) has the size and skill, but has not really put it together yet.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: For the first time ever, Drexel will host a regular season tournament this winter. Drexel will be the site of the Philadelphia Subregional Round of the Legends Classic over Thanksgiving. Cornell, the defending Ivy League champion, Toledo and Vermont will join Drexel in a round robin with each team playing three games. The season opener on Nov. 15 against cross-town rival St. Joseph's is always eagerly anticipated, as is a Dec. 2 game at Villanova.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Coach Bruiser Flint normally doesn't stay in a down cycle for long. In 2005 his Dragons went 15-16 but followed with a 23-9 year in 2006. After another down year in 2007 he came back last year with a 15-14 season. The last time his team won 15 games it was a signal that it was about to break out with that 23-win year. He has experience and defense ... if he can get some scoring, especially on the inside, this could be a dangerous team.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Jamie Harris, SG Gerald Colds, SF Evan Neisler, SF Leon Spencer, PF Samme Givens

ROSTER REPORT:

--The only player Drexel lost off last year's roster was Scott Rodgers, the team's high scorer with a 13.6 average. Everyone else is back.

--Highly touted New York City recruit Chris Fouch, who sat out last year after tearing his ACL in preseason, is nearly 100 percent but was unable to fully participate on days early in the preseason when the team held two practice sessions.

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GEORGE MASON

GETTING INSIDE

Coach Jim Larranaga would seem to be heading for a building season, but George Mason often finds a way to reach the postseason, something the Patriots have done in seven of the past 10 years.

In 1997, Larranaga took over a program that had won only 52 games in six years, and he turned it into one of the top mid-majors in the country.

The Patriots come off a 22-12 season in which they finished second in the CAA while going to the NIT. Despite losing four seniors they return enough experience to be dangerous and will blend in probably the best recruiting class in the conference.

Junior guard Cam Long will be front and center after a breakout season in which he scored 11.7 points a game and grabbed 4.8 rebounds while making third-team all conference.

The senior leadership will come from three-year post starter Louis Birdsong, who will be asked to improve on averages of 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds.

"Birdsong is our one senior and we're counting on him not only for on-court production but also for leadership off the court," Larranaga said. "This season, he's making the transition from a power forward position to a perimeter forward position and that's going to take him some time, but he has the ability to do it."

The forwards will be Ryan Pearson, who made the All-Rookie team last year while averaging 7 points and 3.6 rebounds, and 6-9 Mike Morrison, who scored four points a game.

The key may be how sophomore Andre Cornelius handles the point guard position.

NOTES, QUOTES

--With 13 more victories, coach Jim Larranaga will have as many wins as the next two coaches on the George Mason victories list combined. He enters the season with 229 victories.

--Despite the fact that he was a freshman and played only 10.8 minutes a game, F Mike Morrison was second on the team in blocked shots and field goal percentage last year. He is written in as a starter this season.

--Junior G Cam Long is on pace to become one of the all-time greats at George Mason, as he could finish ranked among the leaders in points, assists, rebounds and 3-pointers.

LAST YEAR: 22-12 overall, 13-5, second in CAA; lost in first round of NIT.

HEAD COACH: Jim Larranaga (career 426-312), 13th year at George Mason (229-142).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Cam Long is clearly the leader of our team on and off the floor. We need him not only to run the team, but distribute the ball while also scoring points. It's not an easy job but it's one that he's very capable of doing at a very high level. We also need him to be our go-to-guy on the defensive end. He's going to be asked to guard the opponents' best player." -- Coach Jim Larranaga, on what star guard Cam Long means to the Patriots.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: The Patriots have six true freshmen on the roster in what appears to be the best recruiting class in the CAA. Those six are:

--Paris Bennett, a 6-foot-6 forward from St. Patrick High School in New Jersey, who was named All-State and selected as the top small forward recruit in the CAA by Rivals.com.

--Luke Hancock, a 6-5 forward from Roanoke, Va., who spent a year at Hargrave Military Academy.

--Vertrail Vaughns, a 6-2 guard from Mesquite, Texas, who was rated as one of the top 25 players in Texas by Texashoops.com. He averaged 18.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a senior. He was also recruited by Colorado and Wichita State.

--Rashad Whack, a 6-2 guard from Hyattsville, Md., who was rated by Rivals.com as the top shooting guard recruit in the CAA.

--Johnny Williams, a 6-8 forward from Memphis, Tenn., who was named the top power forward recruit in the CAA by Rivals.com and the second-highest rated recruit in the CAA.

--Sherrod Wright, a 6-4 guard from Mount Vernon, N.Y., where he was first team all-state and Mr. Basketball in New York Section 1.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: George Mason has two big-time early season tests. On Nov. 19, as part of the Puerto Rico Tipoff, the Patriots take on Final Four team Villanova, which returns all of its starters. Then on Dec. 8 they host a Dayton team that last year upset West Virginia in the first round of the NCAAs. The conference opener is Dec. 5 at UNC-Wilmington.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: George Mason is one of the premier programs in the Colonial Athletic Association, and Jim Larranaga has reloaded again. While he has veterans who had valuable playing time over the past few years to start, he has brought in a strong group of freshmen, including wing Luke Hancock, forward Johnny Williams and guard Sherrod Wright.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Cam Long, SG Andre Cornelius, PF Louis Birdsong, SF Ryan Pearson, F Mike Morrison

ROSTER REPORT:

--Four George Mason players were named to the CAA's 25th anniversary basketball team. Named to the team were Kenny Sanders, one of five players in GMU history to average 20 points a game and a former CAA Player of the year; Jai Lewis, a two-time all-CAA first team player who led the Patriots to the Final Four in 2006; George Evans, who was rookie of the year in the conference in 1986 and Player of the Year in next three seasons; and Will Thomas, who played on the Final Four team and holds George Mason records in games played and field goal percentage, among others.

--Coach Jim Larranaga underwent hip replacement surgery during the offseason and couldn't spend as much time standing as he would like as practice began.

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GEORGIA STATE

GETTING INSIDE

Coach Rod Barnes reaches the third year of rebuilding at Georgia State, and his team gave signs at the end of last season that his efforts were beginning to take hold.

The Panthers closed with seven victories in their last 11 games after spending most of the first half of the season trying to get to know each other as Barnes blended a group of transfers.

Now Barnes has three starters coming back and, once again, the former Ole Miss coach has recruited a strong class to fill in the blanks.

"We have a lot of guys returning, six seniors, and those guys have shown great leadership," Barnes said. "Senior leadership and depth will help us down the road in conference play.

"I've never had a team with six seniors. We've got six seniors who are committed to winning and committed to having a great year, and all of them are going to be a factor in what are trying to do this season."

Senior guard Joe Dukes gives Barnes a potential star after making third-team All-CAA last year while finishing in the top 15 in scoring, assists and steals.

He is joined in a senior backcourt by Trae Goldston, who averaged 10.8 points a game last year and looks for more consistency this year, and by junior Dante Curry, a transfer from South Florida who has battled injuries.

Up front there is no standout but there are four seniors who all averaged 10 or more minutes last year -- Trey Hampton and Xavier Hansbro, who frequently started, and Ousman Krubally and Kevin Lott.

A lot will be asked of N.C. State transfer Marques Johnson in his first season of eligibility in the program.

With depth, Barnes will be running and pressing most of the time.

"Last year we had depth but guys didn't know who was who. We're working on our pressing game, getting after people. I think our kids will enjoy that," he said.

NOTES, QUOTES

--Georgia State has hit at least one 3-point shot in 418 consecutive games, dating to Feb. 18, 1995.

--Coach Rod Barnes plans to use Wake Forest transfer Joe Dukes both at the point and off the ball this year in an effort to give him a chance to make more plays. "He's one of those guys, like a great wide receiver, that you want get him the ball," Barnes said. "With Marques Johnson in the mix, he doesn't have to spend 35 or 40 minutes trying to run the team, too. That should give him an opportunity to score more points."

--Senior SG Trae Goldston has become something of a specialist at beating buzzers with winning 3-point shots. Last year he hit shots to beat Old Dominion and UNC Wilmington, and he hit one against Northeastern a season earlier.

LAST YEAR: 12-20 overall, 8-10, 8th in CAA.

HEAD COACH: Rod Barnes (career 162-150); third year at Georgia State (21-41).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "With the depth we have we can play the way I like to play, pushing the ball up and down the court." -- Georgia State coach Rod Barnes.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Big things are expected from G Marques Johnson, a transfer from North Carolina State who can play both guard positions. He sat out last year after playing in 21 games and starting six at N.C. State in 2007-08, averaging 2.0 points a game while playing 15 minutes per contest.

C James Vincent is a 6-10 freshman from Northside High in Columbus, Ga. He came back from a season-ending knee injury as a junior to help his school to the Class AAA state quarterfinals. F Jamar Taylor, from Brunswick (N.C.) Community College, averaged 8.1 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting better than 50 percent. He was rated the No. 17 prospect in South Carolina in 2007.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Georgia State will spend a lot of its early season time on the road. "Last year when we finished strong, people didn't want to play us as much as they did in the past so we got caught with a few more games on the road than I like," coach Rod Barnes said. "We get tested early." It doesn't get much tougher than right at the start when the Panthers go to N.C. State to open the season. The first league game on Dec. 5 will be a test, too, as they go to Harrisonburg, Va., to take on improved James Madison.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: It took some doing because Rod Barnes had a long way to go, but he now has a senior-oriented team with depth that can play his kind of basketball. Georgia State won eight league games last year, which was big jump forward, and figures to surpass .500 in the conference this year.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Joe Dukes, SG Trae Goldstein, SG Dante Curry, PF Trey Hampton, SF Xavier Hansbro.

ROSTER REPORT:

--N.C. State transfer Marques Johnson, a junior, becomes eligible this year and is expected to challenge for the starting point guard spot. Johnson also played briefly at Tennessee, so this is his third Division I college.

--G Jihad Ali showed promise as a freshman but sat out last year as a redshirt to work on his strength and skills. He returns this year listed at 6-5 after having entered school at 6-4.

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HOFSTRA

GETTING INSIDE

Coach Tom Pecora has put Hofstra in position to challenge for postseason play every year.

The Pride has posted four 20-win seasons in the last five years and is poised this year to take a run at the CAA title, riding the wings of Charles Jenkins, voted co-Player of the Year with Old Dominion's Gerald Lee.

"Our goal is the same it is every year. We want to win a CAA championship," Pecora said. "The way we go about trying to obtain that goal might change a little from year to year based on personnel, but the goal is always the same.

"This year we'll need some of our younger guys to step and contribute right away, but I think we'll be a pretty good basketball team when it's all said and done."

The centerpiece is Jenkins, who figures to reach superstar status in the league in the absence of two-time CAA Player of the Year Eric Maynor, who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth.

Jenkins averaged 19.7 points a game last year to rank second to Maynor in the conference and finished sixth to Maynor in assists. Jenkins also ranked among the top free throw shooters.

Jenkins enters his junior year with 1,065 points and is position to chase the school record of 2,276 points, set by Antoine Agudio from 2004-08.

Nathaniel Lester, who started 14 games last year, takes over at the point while the boards figure to be controlled by forward Greg Washington, who last year broke the school's single-season shot blocking record with 68.

NOTES, QUOTES

--If F Greg Washington can match last year's record total of 68 shots blocked, he will break the school career record of 178 set by David Taylor from 1979-83.

--G Cornelius Vines had one of his greatest moments in high school when he helped Henninger High in Syracuse upset Christian Brothers Academy and Greg Paulus, the former Duke point guard. What makes this interesting is that it was in football, where Paulus, now a quarterback at Syracuse, was Gatorade Player of the Year.

--F Miklos Szabo helped his high school team with four consecutive Hungarian national championships.

--Hofstra placed two players on the Silver Anniversary All-CAA team. They were Loren Stokes, Player of the Year in 2006-07, and Antoine Agudio, the school's all-time leading scorer.

LAST YEAR: 21-11 overall, 11-7, fifth in CAA.

HEAD COACH: Tom Pecora (career 136-111); ninth year at Hofstra (136-111).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Our goal is the same as it is every year. We want to win a CAA championship." -- Hofstra coach Tom Pecora, entering his ninth season as head coach.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Hofstra has several newcomers on the roster, including two transfers. G Brad Kelleher, a native of Australia, is a transfer from Midland (Texas) College. Kellerher, who can play point or shooting guard, helped Midland reach the national junior college championship game. Mike Moore is a 6-5 wing who transferred from Fordham, where he was second on the team in scoring with 12.8 a game while averaging 4.5 rebounds. He will have to sit out these season.

Among the freshmen are:

--F Paul Bilbo from St. Dominic in Oyster Bay, N.Y. He helped his team to a pair of Class AA championships. At 6-8, 230, he's a blue-collar player who will help on the boards.

--F David Imes, who is another blue-collar player. He is from Brooklyn but played at Winchendon Prep in Massachusetts. At 6-7, 230, he's a big-time rebounder who can shoot outside.

--G Yves Jules, who was a teammate of Imes at Winchendon Prep. He is a shooting guard and a solid defender. He, too, is from Brooklyn.

--F Halil Kanacevik, a versatile frontcourt performer out of Staten Island's Curtis High who can score inside or outside, averaging 19 points and 15 rebounds a game.

--G Chaz Williams, who is a diminutive (5-9, 170) guard who helped Brooklyn's Bishop Ford to the state championship as a junior, scoring 32 in the championship game. He averaged 25 points and six assists as a senior but suffered a shoulder injury.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: The highlight of Hofstra's early-season games comes quite naturally in New York, where the Pride takes part in the Aeropostale Holiday Festival in Madison Square. They open with St. John's of the Big East in a game that should show off the talents of G Charles Jenkins to a national audience. They will then face either Davidson or Ivy League champion Cornell.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Coach Tom Pecora has won 20 games in four of the last five years and has a penchant for bringing in high scoring guards, Charles Jenkins being the latest. With some experienced help and strong recruiting class, Pecora believes he has a team that can compete for a CAA championship this year.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Nathaniel Lester, SG Charles Jenkins, SG Cornelius Vines, F Greg Washington, F Miklos Szabo.

ROSTER REPORT:

--Tony Dennison, who started 13 games last year, playing almost 18 minutes a game, transferred, as did David Vallins, a seldom-used walk-on.

--Hofstra landed one four-year college transfer, Mike Moore, who came across town from Fordham. He will sit out this year.

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JAMES MADISON

GETTING INSIDE

Matt Brady came to James Madison last year after proving he could coach at Marist. He did a magnificent job of not only improving the team's record but also its attitude.

The Dukes' 21 victories were the most since the 1992-93 season and they not only got to the Collegeinsider.com Tournament but the wound up reaching the semifinals.

Brady is hoping for bigger and better things after everyone has a year to get to know him.

It begins with the three freshmen who played big roles last year, headed by the Colonial's Rookie of the Year, Julius Wells.

"It's very unusual that I've been around a group that has, from one year to another, improved as rapidly and as much as these three guys have improved," Brady said. "You can make the argument that they're our three most improved basketball players."

Wells burst into the league by averaging 11.6 points and 5.5 rebounds, as well as hitting 78 3-pointers.

He was joined on the All-Freshman team by guard Devon Moore, who was second in free throw shooting in the conference by making 84.6 percent. He contributed 10.7 points a game and 2.9 assists.

The senior leadership will be provided by guard Pierre Curtis, who found his scoring touch late in the season and hopes it carries over into the new year.

Brady will have to be patient up front as he waits for Dazzmond Thornton, who scored six points a game, to heal from shoulder surgery. He's expected back in December, which is when 6-10 Texas A&M transfer Denzel Bowles becomes eligible.

Until then sophomore Andrey Semenov, who averaged 8.2 points a game, will have to carry the load with senior Matt Parker and freshman Trevon Flores.

NOTES, QUOTES

--F Andrey Semenov played for the Russian national 18-and-under team in the European Championships last summer.

--G Julius Wells set a school record in starts for a freshman with 35 and shares the school freshman record for games played (36) with teammate Pierre Curtis.

--G Pierre Curtis' field goal percentages have improved in each of his first three years, from .426 to .452 to .500, as has his free throw shooting, going from .752 to .798 to .826.

--Steve Hood, a two-time CAA Player of the Year and a second-round pick of the Sacramento Kings, was named to the All-CAA Silver Anniversary team.

LAST YEAR: 21-15 overall, 9-9, seventh in CAA, semifinalist in Collegeinsider.com Tournament.

HEAD COACH: Matt Brady (career 94-65); second year at James Madison (21-15).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Year in and year out I think our goal is to be a program that's to be reckoned with. We want to give ourselves a chance to be regular-season champions here, or CAA Tournament champions. If we can do one of those two things, then we've had a great season." -- Coach Matt Brady on the program's long-term goals.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Denzel Bowles, a bulky 6-10 post from Texas A&M, had a hard time cracking the rotation with the Aggies, but he's expected to a significant contributor at James Madison, when he becomes eligible after the first semester. He averaged 1.7 points in two seasons at Texas A&M.

Other newcomers:

--Alioune Diouf is a 6-5 guard from McEachern High in Powder Springs, Ga., who averaged 15.7 points and nine rebounds while making second team all-state.

--Darren White is a 6-3 guard from Dan River High in Danville, Va., who averaged 19 points and 6.4 rebounds, and scored as many as 43 points in a game as a senior.

--Trevon Flores is a 6-11 forward out of Harvey, La., who averaged 13 points and seven rebounds for a Helen Cox team that was district, regional and state champions.

--Eric Beard is a 6-7 forward from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, who prepped at New Creations School in Indiana averaging 15 points a game. Two other players off the team signed Division I scholarships.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: The best way to find out what you have is to test yourself early, and James Madison comes out of the gate with a pretty strong test, playing at Ohio State on Nov. 12. James Madison also has an interesting test for its first league game on Dec. 5 when improving Georgia State and its running, pressing game comes to town.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Coach Matt Brady came from Marist and immediately turned around the program's direction around with a 21-15 record and a trip to the semifinals of the postseason Collegeinsider.com Tournament. The 21 victories were the second most in JMU history.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Pierre Curtis, SG Devon Moore, PF Dazzmond Thornton, SF Julius Wells, F Andrey Semenov.

ROSTER REPORT:

--F Andrey Semenov was ill toward the end of last year and missed the Collegeinsider.com Tournament but is well now and ready to play.

--G Julius Wells was named to the preseason All-CAA second team at media day. He was Rookie of the Year in the conference last year.

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NORTHEASTERN

GETTING INSIDE

A year ago Northeastern was thought to be ready to challenge for the Colonial title. The Huskies got off to a strong start, winning nine of their first 10 conference games.

The Huskies could not keep the ball rolling, however, winning one of their next five and three of their final nine conference games. They did get into the College Basketball Invitational Tournament and won a first-round game against Wyoming.

So, coach Bill Coen picks up the pieces and tries to make a run this year with a veteran team that includes a couple of star-quality players in the backcourt -- shooting guard Matt Janning and point guard Chaisson Allen.

The coaches, sports information directors and media who were polled for the league's preseason predictions picked Northeastern to finish second.

"Our kids have a pretty high standard for themselves. They're very focused and are ready to go. They want to be challenged," Coen said.

Janning is a first-team All-CAA selection who averaged 14.7 points a game last season. He did, however, slump along with his teammates during the late season dive and needs to find a way to keep it going all year.

Allen is a solid defender on a team that leans on its defense. He did average 10.4 points a game while running the offense.

Up front, the key man is veteran F Manny Adako, a senior who was third team all-conference and who averaged 11.3 points a game while shooting 56 percent from the floor.

NOTES, QUOTES

--When Northeastern defeated Wyoming in the opening round of the CBI it was the school's first postseason victory since 1984.

--G Matt Janning is just the second Northeastern player to captain the team in three seasons. The other was Ben Harlee, who served as captain from 1992 to 1995.

--G Chaisson Allen's brother, Mikki, lettered in football at Tennessee and went on to play in the NFL with San Francisco.

--Northeastern's roster lists players from the U.S., Canada, France, Puerto Rico and Australia.

--Former Northeastern player Jose Juan Barea was named to the CAA Silver Anniversary team. He is the school's No. 2 scorer with 2,290 points and is the all-time leader in 3-point shooting.

LAST YEAR: 19-13 overall, 12-6, tied for third in CAA; lost in second round of CBI.

HEAD COACH: Bill Coen (career 46-49); fourth year at Northeastern (46-49).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I have one group asking me 'Why do we have to do this again?' and another asking me, 'What are we doing?'. For us, it's how quickly that group matures." -- Coach Bill Coen, on having eight upperclassmen and seven freshmen from such places as Bulgaria, Canada and Australia on his roster this year.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Northeastern has three foreign players among its newcomers, including Dinko Marshavelski, a 6-11 forward from Bulgaria who prepped at Wilbraham and Monson Academy. Alwayne Bigby is a 6-5 wing out of Eastern Commerce in Toronto, Canada, and is the 13th player out of that school to earn an NCAA scholarship since 2001. Mathiang Muo is a 6-6 wing from the Punchbowl, Australia, who prepped at the Patterson School. He is an aggressive defender with a strong inside game.

Other newcomers:

--Kauri Black is a 6-7 forward from California who prepped at Bridgton Academy in Maine. He is an exceptional passer who is patient on offense.

--Jonathan Lee is a 6-2 guard from Flint, Mich., and The Hun School of Princeton.

--Joel Smith is a 6-4 guard out of Leander, Texas, who was a late bloomer and is just now beginning to tap into his potential. He has range on his shot and is said to be a leader.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: As he always does, coach Bill Coen has put together a challenging and interesting early schedule. The Huskies open on the road at Siena before hosting Utah State in a strange pairing. On Dec. 1, Northeastern plays what is becoming a New England classic, meeting Providence at home. Then the Huskies take a dream trip, playing in the Diamond Head Classic and the Cable Car Classic, facing Saint Mary's, perhaps USC and Santa Clara.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: This is the year coach Bill Coen has been pointing toward. He has a solid, veteran lineup that includes three senior starters in SG Matt Janning, SF Manny Adako and C Nkem Ojouboh and two juniors in PG Chaisson Allen and PF Vinny Lima. Some thought this group could challenge VCU and George Mason last year, but tailed off. Now it looks like it is the main challenger for Old Dominion, which figures to be the favorite going into the season.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Chaisson Allen, SG Matt Janning, PF Vinny Lima, SF Manny Adako, C Nkem Ojougboh.

ROSTER REPORT:

--The Huskies named seniors Manny Adako, Matt Janning and Baptiste Bataille as captains.

--Coach Bill Coen, who has coached in New England for more than two decades, first as Al Skinner's assistant at Rhode Island and Boston College, was chosen as the New England Division I Coach of the Year last year, against a field that includes the likes of Keno Davis at Providence and Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun at Connecticut.

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OLD DOMINION

GETTING INSIDE

Coach Blaine Taylor has built Old Dominion into the Colonial Conference preseason favorite.

Taylor, who is 161-94 in eight seasons at ODU, has patiently put his program together. He's won 20 or more games in four of the past five years and is coming off a season in which his Monarchs won the Collegeinsiders.com Tournament.

"When building a program, you would like to get to the point where people look at the roster and say, 'Hey, look out for these people, they will really be contenders this season and hard to beat,'" Taylor said. "I think our program is at that point."

He comes into the season with five starters and several top reserves back.

He also has one of the conference's star players in center Gerald Lee, who averaged 15.5 and 5.7 rebounds while earning All-CAA honors. The frontcourt is filled out by rugged rebounders Ben Finney and Frank Hassell.

Darius James and Marsharee Neely make up an experienced backcourt that doesn't make mistakes.

"We have just two seniors, so we should be very good not only this year, but beyond," Taylor said.

NOTES, QUOTES

--There are other higher profile programs in Virginia, but with 119 victories over the past five years, Old Dominion is the winningest team among the state's Division I programs.

--Old Dominion, with C Gerald Lee and forwards Ben Finney and Frank Hassell all averaging better than five rebounds a game, finished 11th in the nation in rebounding margin last season with a plus-7 average.

--C Gerald Lee and Hofstra G Charles Jenkins were selected as preseason co-Players of the Year by a panel of coaches, sports information directors and media.

LAST YEAR: 25-10 overall, 12-6, tied for third in CAA; won championship of Collegeinsiders.com Tournament.

HEAD COACH: Blaine Taylor (career 303-159); ninth year at Old Dominion (161-94).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Sometimes they're fearful of what would happen if they don't win. What I've tried to encourage schools to think is that beating us is a real feather in your cap, and losing to us doesn't hurt you." -- Coach Blaine Taylor, on trying to get major conference schools to agree to play ODU.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Josh Hicks, a 6-2 freshman guard from Mount Tabor High in Winston-Salem, N.C., averaged 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 4.5 steals while leading his team to a 31-1 record and a state title. He was named third-team all-state by the Charlotte Observer. Anton Larsen is a 7-footer with strength out of Copenhagen, Denmark, where he was a member of the Danish National Team.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Old Dominion will challenge itself in a nice Thanksgiving tournament, traveling to San Diego for the South Padre Island Tournament. They play Missouri of the Big 12 in the opener and will meet either Mississippi State or rival Richmond in the next game, setting up the possibility of playing two consecutive games against the Spiders, who host ODU on Dec. 2. The league opener on Dec. 5 finds Old Dominion heading for Delaware. Games at Dayton and Georgetown highlight December.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Coach Blaine Taylor has built a monster at Old Dominion, which should be favored for the conference championship for at least the next two years. They seem to have all the parts, and are recruiting strongly at the same time, filling needs.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Marsharee Neely, SG Darius James, PF Ben Finney, SF Frank Hassell, C Gerald Lee.

ROSTER REPORT:

--C Gerald Lee surpassed 1,000 career points last year and finished the season with 1,160.

--F Frank Hassell won the MVP of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament last year with three consecutive double-doubles.

--Old Dominion placed three players on the Silver Anniversary All-CAA team -- Odell Hodge, a two-time honorable mention All-American; Alex Loughton, CAA Player of the Year and honorable mention All-American in 2004-05, and Petey Sessoms, CAA Player of the Year in 1994-95.

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TOWSON

GETTING INSIDE

Towson enters the season off an encouraging run in last season's CAA Tournament, when the Tigers became the first 11th seed to reach the semifinals.

With eight lettermen back -- including five who started at least 17 games last year -- there is experience.

Shooting guard Josh Thornton is the key to the offense. He averaged 10.9 points a game last season and was second in the conference with 80 3-pointers. If he can hit from the outside it will open a lot up for Towson.

Guards Troy Franklin and Brian Morris give the Tigers ball-handling skills.

Junior forward Jarrell Smith will look to move into double figure scoring after a year in which he averaged 9.8 points a game. Robert Nwankwo provides size, rebounding and shot blocking inside.

A couple of recruits are expected to fit right in and add offense, something Towson needs.

Isaiah Philmore is a 6-7 forward out of John Carroll school where he scored 1,776 career points, the school's all-time record, and Rashawn Polk is a 6-2 guard who averaged 24.2 points a game at Guilford Technical College.

NOTES, QUOTES

--Senior G Josh Thornton has the best chance to become Towson's next 1,000-point career scorer, needing 339 points to accomplish that. He will certainly become Towson's all-time leader in 3-point shots made, needing nine for the record.

--Freshman F Isaiah Philmore is from a military family and has lived in Germany (twice), Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina and Texas before settling in Maryland.

--Starting F Robert Nwankwo is a former walk-on who earned a scholarship. He spent three years living in Nigeria playing soccer instead of basketball and he speaks conversational French and Igbo, a national language of Nigeria.

LAST YEAR: 12-22 overall, 5-13, 10th in CAA.

HEAD COACH: Pat Kennedy (career 464-407); sixth year at Towson (58-96).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "If we keep everything going in the right direction, this team has a very good chance to be successful." -- Towson coach Pat Kennedy.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Towson is counting on scoring punch from Isaiah Philmore and Rashawn Polk. Philmore is a 6-7 forward from John Carroll School in Fallston, Md., where he is the all-time leading scorer with 1,776 points. He averaged 17.2 points a game over a 103-game career and just missed 1,000 rebounds, averaging 9.5 a game. Polk is a 6-2 guard from Guilford Technical College, where he averaged 24.2 points a game. He tied the school single-game scoring record with 40 points on 17 of 21 shooting.

Other newcomers:

--G Josh Brown, transferred in from Mt. Olive College and redshirted last year. He helped Mt. Olive to a 47-15 record over two seasons. He averaged 8.8 points a game and made 40 3-point shots to lead the team.

--Erique Gumbs is a 6-9 forward out of Cravel Academy in Newark, Del. He was the 2007-08 Player of the Year in Delaware, leading his team to the state championship as a junior. He averaged 13.5 points and 11.0 rebounds as they won their first ever state title. As a senior he averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds.

--Danny Quinn is a 6-7 forward who redshirted last year after transferring from Catholic University. He played sparingly as a freshman but as sophomore he played in all 25 games with 11 starts and led the team with a 57.7 shooting percentage.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Towson is more or less easing itself into the season with no games scheduled against BCS conference teams. The Tigers are home for games against Miami of Ohio and Buffalo, then head to Navy and for a highlight game at Dayton, a team that won a round in the NCAA Tournament last year. The conference opener is a tall task, even at home, against high scoring Hofstra and potential Player of the Year Charles Jenkins.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Pat Kennedy's building program took a hit last year when it lost 22 games, the most since his first season when the Tigers dropped 23. After five years, things may be coming together though as Kennedy seems to have some firepower, at least in his backcourt.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Troy Franklin, SG Josh Thornton, SG Brian Morris, SF Jarrell Smith, PF Calvin Lee.

ROSTER REPORT:

--The sprained knee that kept F Jarrel Smith's out of the final home game is fully healed and he is ready to go. He set a school record with 32 starts last year.

--G Jimmy Smith, Jarrel Smith's brother who transferred to Towson from Colorado State, has been cleared to play after sitting out last year with a chronic knee condition.

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UNC-WILMINGTON

GETTING INSIDE

They say the one thing you can't teach in basketball is height, and UNC-Wilmington coach Benny Moss can vouch for the wisdom in that statement.

Playing without virtually all of his frontcourt due to injuries for most of last season, Moss' Seahawks went from 20 victories the year before to a frustrating 7-25 season. But that direction might change this year.

The focal point of the team is junior guard Chad Tomko, who finished in the top five in the CAA in scoring (15.6), assists (4.4) and steals last year.

His backcourt running mate is Johnny Wolf, a transfer from Xavier in his native Cincinnati, who is a deadeye 3-point shooter and averaged 13.6 points last year.

Forward Dominque Lacy is back in the frontcourt, where he averaged 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds a game without much help.

A number of newcomers will offer help up front, including East Carolina transfer John Fields and wing Jeremy Basnight, who comes out of junior college.

NOTES, QUOTES

--F Montez Downey did not get going with the rest of the team at the start of practice due to a lingering illness.

--Coach Benny Moss is considering using Chad Tomko as his point guard to get the team running more. Johnny Wolf is better in the half-court game.

--UNC-Wilmington was picked to finish last in the CAA at media day. Coach Benny Moss plans to use it for motivation. "This might be the last piece of motivation for this group" Moss told the Star-News Online. "We'll discuss it. Even though (the seven newcomers) might be pretty good, those guys haven't proven anything yet. They haven't gone out and done anything in a UNCW uniform."

--UNC-Wilmington's Brett Blizzard, a two-time CAA Player of the Year and the only four-year All-CAA player, was named to the Silver Anniversary CAA team, along with John Goldberry, a two-time All-CAA selection who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2004-05, and Brian Rowsom, a three-time All-CAA player

LAST YEAR: 7-25 overall, 3-15, 12th in CAA.

HEAD COACH: Benny Moss (career 34-60); fourth year at UNC-Wilmington (34-60).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We finally have the size to complement our perimeter players. Even though we now have all the roster spots filled, we still must mesh seven new personalities with eight returners. If we can do that, I feel very optimistic about the season ahead." -- Coach Benny Moss on his team.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Newcomers will provide help in the post. John Fields is a 6-9 transfer from East Carolina who is eligible this season. He will give the Seahawks an immediate inside presence. He averaged 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds a game as a sophomore, both second in scoring and rebounding for ECU. Matt Wilson, is the 6-11 center the program needs. He is one of five players out of Ravenscroft High in Raleigh, N.C., to sign Division I letters-of-intent.

Other newcomers:

--Keith Rendleman is a 6-7 guard out of Iron City, N.C., where he averaged 21.5 points and 9.4 rebounds a game for the East Lincoln Mustangs. He was born in Bedford, England.

--Jeremy Basnight is a 6-5 swing player from Brunswick Community College, where he averaged 11.0 points and 3.3 rebounds a game. He averaged 17.6 points as a senior at Currituck (N.C.) High. His father, Winfred, played two years at UNC Asheville and led the Bulldogs in assists in 1982-83.

--Will Ohuaregbe is a 6-8 freshman forward from Hockney, England, who prepped at Fork Union.

--Trevor Deloach is a 6-4 sophomore guard who averaged 3.9 points a game in 22 games at national junior college power Chipola Junior College. He redshirted his first collegiate year at South Carolina. In high school, he was a big time scorer, averaging 27 points a game.

--Ahmad Grant is a 6-3 guard out of Olney Central Junior College, where he scored 1,084 points in two years. He averaged 15.4 points a game last season. Grant has a 6-foot-10 wingspan.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Coach Benny Moss will have an early measuring stick for his team when it plays in the Charleston Classic, opening against Penn State and then playing either Miami, Fla., or Tulane. The early conference opener is another tough test as it plays George Mason, but at least that game is in Wilmington.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Wilmington has fallen on some hard times with a pair of seven-win seasons sandwiched around a 20-win year, and a rash of injuries a year ago did nothing to help it. Coach Benny Moss was patient last year and believes he can begin turning things around this year with a backcourt of Chad Tomko, one of the most talented all-around players in the conference, and transfer Johnny Wolf.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: SG Chad Tomko, PG Johnny Wolf, SG Montez Downey, PF Dominique Lacy, SF John Fields.

ROSTER REPORT:

--G Jerel Stephenson, who started 23 games last season while averaging 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds a game, transferred after last season.

--G Kevon Moore, whose 9.1 scoring average was fourth on the team last year, transferred to Niagara.

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VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

GETTING INSIDE

VCU lost maybe the greatest player and greatest coach its program has ever had, so the Rams are in for a fall, right?

Well, no one at VCU seems to be jumping off any bridges.

True, coach Anthony Grant left after compiling a 76-25 record and winning three straight CAA championships. And Eric Maynor, a two-time Player of the Year and the conference scoring champion, graduated.

But a lot of talent remains and the Rams made what is being trumpeted as a great coaching hire.

Shaka Smart, 32, is following the same path Grant took to Richmond, coming out of Billy Donovan's program at Florida.

"We have landed a gem," said athletic director Norwood Teague. "I can't tell you how excited I am. The VCU family will love Shaka Smart."

Bill Brown, head coach at California, Pa., under whom Smart started, also sang his praise.

"Shaka had a feel for the game and made great decisions in life to get where he is," Brown said. "He was a coach on the floor as a player and has all the ingredients to be a successful head coach. He has a great basketball IQ, knows how to communicate and is an excellent recruiter."

He will be challenged, however, as he inherits a team that has to learn to play without Maynor.

Defensively he has a star in forward Larry Sanders, the best shot blocker in the conference and a capable scorer. Joey Rodriguez is an experienced point guard to take Maynor's place, but Smart is going to have to find some scoring to make up for the loss of Maynor.

There are four starters returning, along with four top reserves.

NOTES, QUOTES

--PG Joey Rodriguez nearly transferred in the offseason, getting so close that it actually was reported that he had. But he changed his mind, and that gives VCU the point guard it would have needed had he left.

--Joey Rodriguez is also the most dangerous 3-point shooter in the conference, hitting a league-leading 41.6 percent last year. But he should draw more defensive attention with Eric Maynor gone.

--C Larry Sanders was second-team All-CAA last year, the league's Defensive Player of the Year and an All-CAA Tournament choice.

--VCU landed three players on the All-CAA Silver Anniversary team, led by Eric Maynor, the conference's Player of the Year the past two seasons. The others were Dominic Jones, a CAA Player of the Year and honorable mention All-American in 2003-04, and Bernard Hopkins, Player of the Year in 1995-96.

LAST YEAR: 24-10 overall, 14-4, first in CAA; lost in first round of NCAA.

HEAD COACH: Shaka Smart (career 0-0)

QUOTE TO NOTE: "There are a lot of similarities with the way Coach Grant did things here and the way I'm going to go about doing things. We are going to wreak havoc on our opponents' psyche and their plan of attack." -- Coach Shaka Smart on his coaching philosophies.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Some backup help at point guard could come from this class. Issaiah Grayson, a 5-foot-11 player out of Findlay Prep, possesses a killer crossover move. He helped Findlay to the national high school championship last year. Darius Theus, from Portsmouth, Va., was the first official signee for coach Shaka Smart. He was the 20th-ranked point guard in the country, averaging 17 points and six assists as a senior.

Other newcomers:

--G Troy Daniels is a 6-4 player out of Roanoke's William Fleming High who averaged 17 points a game while earning Class AAA all-state honors.

--F Jamie Skeen is a 6-9 transfer from Wake Forest who will become eligible for the second semester. He had academic problems after playing two years at Wake and sat out a year. He averaged 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Demon Deacons.

--SG Jay Gavin is a transfer from Marist who sat out last year. He is a good shooter who will battle for time at the 2-guard spot.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: No one said it was going to be easy for new coach Shaka Smart. His third game is against Oklahoma, but it is in Richmond, so that should work in his favor. VCU also plays Nevada, Rhode Island and Richmond at home while its first league game comes on Dec. 5 at William & Mary.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: Anthony Grant came in from Florida and turned the program into the shining star in the CAA, going 76-25 with three straight titles. But now he's gone, as is two-time Player of the Year Eric Maynor, so there is some reason to wonder if the run is over. VCU hired 31-year-old Shaka Smart as its coach, coming in from Florida as did Grant. He has a solid nucleus to work with, but the direction of the program will rest on how Smart recruits.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Joey Rodriguez, SG Ed Nixon, SF Bradford Burgess, PF Kirill Pishchalnikov, C Larry Sanders.

ROSTER REPORT:

--Wake Forest transfer F Jamie Skeen becomes eligible in December and should add depth to the roster.

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WILLIAM & MARY

GETTING INSIDE

Just when coach Tony Shaver thought he had things turned around at William & Mary the floor fell out from under him last season

Shaver had put together consecutive seasons of 15-15 and 17-16 that included a run deep into the CAA Tournament, when his team slipped to 10-20 in 2008-09.

Now he will try to put the pieces together with four returning starters, including the two senior anchors on his team -- guard David Schneider and forward Danny Sumner.

Schneider, a third-team all-CAA performer last season and a first-team All-Academic member, averaged 14.1 points a game with 73 3-pointers, second in the conference. His 248 attempts were a school record and fifth in CAA history. He finished in the top 15 in the conference in scoring, assists, steals and free throw percentage.

Sumner ranked 12th in scoring in the league at 13.4 a game and led the Tribe in scoring in half its games.

The Tribe is hoping to get a scoring boost from JohnMark Ludwick, a guard who sat out last year after transferring from Texas-San Antonio. He is a pure 3-point shooter, which fits right in with Shaver's philosophy.

The key to the team, however, may be sophomore Quinn McDowell, who showed a year ago he can handle the point and who should be improved with a year's experience.

NOTES, QUOTES

--Senior G David Schneider ranks third on William & Mary's career 3-pointers list with 179 entering the season.

--F Danny Sumner scored 20 or more points in five straight games last November, the first William & Mary player to accomplish that feat in more than 40 years.

LAST YEAR: 10-20 overall, 5-13 tied for 10th in CAA.

HEAD COACH: Tony Shaver (career 423-234); seventh year at William & Mary (65-113).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I do not want to limit the vision of our program. We expect our teams to win and recently we have taken exceptional steps toward where we know our program can be." -- Coach Tony Shaver, on the progress his teams have made.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: The top newcomer may be G JohnMark Ludwick, who becomes eligible after sitting out a year after transferring from Texas-San Antonio. He gives the Tribe a 3-point threat, having hit better than 41 percent of his attempts from behind the arc while averaging 8.2 points in 29 games.

Other newcomers:

--F Kyle Gaillard was a McDonald's High School All-American nominee and was ranked the nation's No. 96 best small forward coming out of North Mecklenburg High in North Carolina. He averaged 18 points a game as a senior and surpassed 1,000 career points.

--F Andrew Pavloff was a McDonald's All-American nominee from Walsh Jesuit in Akron, Ohio, where he averaged 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds a game as a senior.

--G Matt Rum comes to William & Mary out of Loyola Blakefield in Maryland but is from Chapel Hill, N.C. He averaged 17 points as a senior with a career high of 32.

KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: How's this for an opener? William & Mary goes up to Connecticut to face the powerful Huskies on Nov. 13. Then, for their sixth game, the Tribe travels into the ACC for a game at Wake Forest. Those two games will toughen up the team, if nothing else. The early conference opener on Dec. 5 is hardly a cakewalk, as the Tribe goes to Richmond to face VCU for Shaka Smart's first CAA contest.

PROGRAM DIRECTION: This is going to be a crucial season in the development of the William & Mary program. After a setback last year for a team that normally is not a contender but which had grown in respect with a pair of non-losing seasons, the Tribe must bounce back when its two best players -- David Schneider and Danny Sumner -- are seniors.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Quinn McDowell, SG David Schneider, SG Kendrix Brown, SF Danny Sumner, F Marcus Kitts.

ROSTER REPORT:

--Senior G David Schneider was named to the preseason All-CAA second team. A year ago he was named to third-team all-conference after scoring 14.1 points a game.

--G JohnMark Ludwick, a transfer from Texas-San Antonio, is eligible this season after sitting out last year. He should provide backcourt scoring help.

Posted 10/28/2009 10:58 AM ET