Colonial Athletic Association teams finished non-conference play with quite the flourish.

Dec. 22 was a special day for CAA programs, scoring wins over Big South Conference co-favorite Campbell (UNC-Wilmington); the breakout surprise of the Patriot League and Quad-100 ranked Navy (Towson); an MAAC favorite and near-top 100 Monmouth team (Hofstra); and perennial Conference USA contender Old Dominion (College of Charleston). 

“To wrap [non-conference play] up 9-4 with the schedule we played…and [Navy was] obviously 66th in the NET today. To get a road win was great,” Towson coach Pat Skerry said following the 69-52 win over Navy, per Towson’s official YouTube account. 

The Tigers climbed near the top 100 line of the KenPom.com rankings, setting the bar for the CAA as conference play approaches. They’ll tip off their league slate on New Year’s Eve with a matchup against the reigning CAA regular-season champion, James Madison. 

That contest and more shape a loaded first week of conference action. 

Hofstra Vs. William & Mary 

No question that the biggest win of the CAA non-conference docket came from Hofstra. The Pride took on an Arkansas team that reached last season’s Sweet 16 and led nearly wire-to-wire behind 22 points apiece from Jalen Ray and Aaron Estrada. 

After winning the 2020 CAA Tournament and factoring into the regular-season title chase each of the last three seasons, Hofstra shows no signs of slowing down under first-year head coach “Speedy” Claxton–the man with the best name in sports. 

Speedy Claxton https://t.co/3Mc9wXyK7z

— Speedy Claxton (@speeddeamon) December 21, 2021

Hofstra tips off CAA play on the road against a young William & Mary bunch looking to find its footing. The Tribe faced a gauntlet in the regular season’s first two months, including road trips to Davidson and Navy in consecutive games. 

Northeastern Vs. Elon

Northeastern and Elon’s conclusions to the non-conference schedule underscore both sides of playing amid the pandemic. For Northeastern, health and safety protocols resulted in the cancelation of marquee matchups against Vermont and St. Bonaventure. 

For Elon, a cancelation allowed the Phoenix an opportunity to play national powerhouse Duke during legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season. 

The Huskies’ return from postponement takes them on the road to Elon in an intriguing matchup. Northeastern was showing real cohesion from its new-look lineup before the COVID shutdown, winning three straight before a loss to Davidson. 

Elon comes into the CAA opener just 3-10, but the Phoenix tested themselves against a brutal schedule that included Duke, Arkansas, North Carolina and West Virginia. Their win over Winthrop marked a high point and showed off the team’s potential. 

Delaware Vs. UNC-Wilmington

Preseason CAA favorite Delaware have looked as-advertised for much of the first two months, buoyed to a near-76-point per game by four scorers averaging in double-figures: Dylan Painter, Jameer Nelson Jr., Kevin Anderson and Ryan Allen. 

The quartet, averaging between 11.8 and 14.1 points per game, leads the Blue Hens against a UNCW squad that found its rhythm over the last week of the non-conference.

The Seahawks come into the CAA slate on a three-game winning streak, including the Dec. 22 win over Campbell. Jaylen Sims and Mike Okauru are leading the way for UNCW at 12.3 and 11.5 points per game. 

Drexel Vs. UNC-Wilmington

Drexel’s visit to Trask Coliseum marks the first encounter between these programs since the 2019-20 season. Both scheduled matchups last year were canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. 

Camren Wynter scored 18 points and James Butler grabbed 14 rebounds in the last meeting, a Dragons win in the 2020 CAA Tournament. 

James Madison Vs. Towson

The Orange and Cotton Bowls are not the only New Year’s Eve games with potential postseason implications. James Madison’s visit to Towson looks like the signature date on the CAA’s opening-weekend calendar, with the Dukes sitting at 9-2 and Towson leading the CAA in KenPom rating. 

James Madison’s big three of Takal Molson, Vado Morse and Charles Falden have effectively filled the scoring gap left by Matt Lewis. Lewis scorched Towson in last season’s meetings. 

The absence of Lewis isn’t the only major change, however. The Tigers are flourishing with a new-look roster, led by UT-Martin's Cam Holden. 

Northeastern Vs. William & Mary 

Northeastern has been something of a thorn in William & Mary’s side over recent years. The Tribe’s 2020-21 season ended in a CAA Tournament to the Huskies, and the William & Mary team with perhaps the best chance of ending the program’s NCAA Tournament streak in 2015 bowed out to NU. 

These are largely different lineups from even last season’s meeting, but the Huskies again present a difficult challenge for the Tribe. 

Delaware Vs. Charleston 

Points should be in ample supply when the CAA’s two highest-scoring offenses meet. The balance that shapes both Delaware and Charleston’s potent attacks makes for an exciting dynamic, particularly when the two meet head-to-head.