Hofstra men's basketball picked to win CAA in preseason poll
Hofstra guard Eli Pemberton dribbles against James Madison on Feb. 23, 2019. Credit: Lee S. Weissman
Hofstra may have lost leading scorer and two-time Colonial Athletic Association player of the year Justin Wright-Foreman off a team that won a school-record 27 games last season, but expectations for the Pride this coming season remain very high.
In a preseason poll of CAA coaches, media relations directors and media members released on Wednesday as part of a conference media event, Hofstra was picked to win the CAA title.
Five different programs received first-place votes and conference officials said this was among its closest preseason poll results. The Pride, which won the regular-season title in 2018-19, received 14 of 41 first-place votes. Charleston finished second but polled to 18 first-place votes. Third-place Northeastern, fourth-place James Madison and fifth-place Delaware received four, three and two first-place votes, respectively.
Hofstra senior guard Eli Pemberton was selected to the all-conference first team and Pride senior guard Desure Buie was picked to the all-conference second team. Pemberton averaged 15.0 points and 4.7 rebounds last season and Buie averaged 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Charleston’s Grant Riller was tabbed as the CAA’s preseason player of the year. Drexel sophomore guard Camren Wynter, out of Holy Trinity High School, was picked for the all-conference second team.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
