Monmouth basketball picked 11th in CAA; Can Hawks outperform prediction?

Monmouth men’s basketball has made significant additions to its roster during the offseason. However, the other teams in the Coastal Athletic Association are adopting a “wait-and-see” approach when it comes to the revamped Hawks.

Last season, the Hawks finished with a disappointing record of 7-26, including a 6-12 league record. As a result, they were predicted to finish 11th out of 14 teams in the preseason poll revealed at the CAA Media Day.

In terms of individual accolades, Monmouth did not have any players selected to the Preseason All-CAA first or second team. The only recognition came in the form of an honorable mention for Xander Rice, a graduate transfer from Bucknell and the son of head coach King Rice.

Charleston, which was ranked nationally for a significant portion of last season and won the CAA Tournament to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, is regarded as the favorite to win the league. The team received 10 out of 14 first-place votes from the conference’s head coaches. UNC-Wilmington received three first-place votes, while Drexel, picked to finish third, received one.

While Monmouth has bolstered its backcourt, Coach King Rice believes that the upgrades in the frontcourt could be the key to success. Alongside 6-9 senior Klemen Vuga and 7-0 sophomore Ahman Sandhu, the team has added a 6-10 graduate forward/center Nikita Konstantynovskyi from Tulsa, 6-9 forward Jaret Valencia who redshirted last season, and 6-6 forward Cornelius Robinson Jr.

“One of the biggest challenges last season was the size of the opposing teams,” said King Rice, reflecting on Monmouth’s first year in the CAA. “I knew our young players would be at a size disadvantage, but I didn’t realize just how much larger the other teams were until we faced them on the court.”

Monmouth has an upcoming exhibition game against Rhode Island College, which is coached by former Monmouth assistant coach Sam Ferry. The game will take place at the Ocean First Bank Center at 6 p.m.

2023-24 CAA Preseason Men’s Basketball Poll

1. Charleston (10) 165

2. UNC-Wilmington (3) 157

3. Drexel (1) 140

4. Hofstra 137

5. tie, William & Mary 115

5. tie, Towson 115

7. Northeastern 84

8. William & Mary 77

9. Stony Brook 76

10. Elon 62

11. Monmouth 50

12. Campbell 45

13. Hampton 31

14. North Carolina A&T 20

Preseason Player of the Year

Amari Williams, Drexel

2023-24 All-CAA Preseason First Team

Name School Class Pos.

Ante Brzovic, Charleston, Jr., F.

Tyler Thomas, Hofstra, Gr., G.

Charles Thompson, Towson, Fr., F.

Trazarien White, UNCW, Sr., F.

Amari Williams, Drexel, Sr., F.

2023-24 All-CAA Preseason Second Team

Jyare Davis, Delaware, R-Jr., F.

Anthony Dell’Orso, Campbell, So., G.

Max MacKinnon, Elon, Sp., G.

Reyne Smith, Charleston, Jr., G.

Tyler Stephenson-Moore, Stony Brook, Fr., G.

Honorable Mention: Gabe Dorsey, Jr., G/F William & Mary, Chris Doherty, Gr., F, Northeastern; Darlinstone Dubar, Jr., G, Hofstra; Maleeck Harden-Hayes, Gr., G, UNCW; Justin Moore, So., G, Drexel; Jordan Nesbitt, Jr., G, Hampton; Frankie Policelli, Gr., F, Charleston; Xander Rice, Gr., G, Monmouth

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth men’s basketball prepares for college basketball season