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2023 Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

• Friday, March 3 (first round)
• Saturday, March 4 (second round)
• Sunday, March 5 (quarterfinals)
• Monday, March 6 (semifinals)
• Tuesday, March 7 (championship)

Format

Traditional bracket

Site

For the fourth consecutive season, the CAA Tournament will take place at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast Washington, D.C.

Participants

The CAA has 13 members after James Madison’s departure for the Sun Belt and the arrivals of Stony Brook (America East), Monmouth (MAAC), Hampton, and North Carolina A&T (both Big South). All of them will participate, which is why there’s now a second round on Saturday. With Campbell’s arrival next season from the Big South, the single-game first round will become a doubleheader.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

All times are p.m. Eastern.

First Round (Fri., March 3)

Game 1: (13) Monmouth 100, (12) Hampton (8-24, 5-13) 64

Second Round (Sat., March 4)

Game 2: (9) Elon (8-24, 6-12) 51, (8) William & Mary 73
Game 3: (13) Monmouth (7-26, 5-13) 45, (5) Drexel 64
Game 4: (10) Stony Brook 76, (7) North Carolina A&T (13-19, 6-10) 61
Game 5: (11) Northeastern (10-20, 6-12) 74, (6) Delaware 77 (OT)

Quarterfinals (Sun., March 5)

Game 6: (8) William & Mary (13-20, 7-11) 46, (1) Hofstra 94
Game 7: (5) Drexel (17-15, 10-8) 68, (4) UNCW 73
Game 8: (10) Stony Brook (11-22, 6-12) 52, (2) Charleston 74
Game 9: (6) Delaware (17-16, 8-10) 60, (3) Towson 86

Semifinals (Mon., March 6)

Game 10: (4) UNCW 79, (1) Hofstra (24-9, 16-2) 73 (OT)
Game 11: (3) Towson (21-12, 12-6) 72, (2) Charleston 77

Championship (Tues., March 7)

Game 12: (4) UNCW (24-10, 12-6) 58, (2) CHARLESTON (31-3, 16-2) 63

Mayhem Potential Since 2011

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for the seasons beyond.

Since 2011, the CAA’s top two seeds have taken home the title eight times, with the No. 3 seed claiming two of the remaining four. However, the last two seasons have seen a 6 seed in Drexel and a 5 in Delaware claim the title.

• 1 seed (4): 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020
• 2 seed (4): 2011, 2012, 2016, 2019
• 3 seed (2): 2013, 2015
• 5 seed (1); 2022
• 6 seed (1): 2021

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 8 seed (1): 2011 (at-large)
• 9 seed (1): 2011 (automatic)
• 11 seed (1): 2011 (at-large)
• 12 seed (2): 2012, 2017
• 13 seed (4): 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019
• 14 seed (1): 2015
• 15 seed (1): 2022
• 16 seed (2): 2013 (First Four), 2021

While the CAA has recorded NCAA Tournament wins since the field expanded to 68 in 2011—when then member VCU went from the then-new First Four to the Final Four, all of them belong to teams who are no longer members. George Mason is now in the Atlantic 10, while Old Dominion returned to the Sun Belt after a stay in Conference USA. The last CAA tournament win was courtesy of another former member, as a 16th-seeded James Madison squad won a 2013 First Four game.

Things don’t look much rosier when you look at the current membership. Both Hampton (2015) and NC A&T (2013) have First Four wins, while Monmouth defeated the Pirates in the 2006 play-in game. You have to go back to 2002 to see find the last time a current CAA member won a game in the Round of 64. That’s when UNCW pulled off a 13-over-4 upset of USC in Sacramento.

All of that could change this year, as Charleston will likely be an 11 or 12 seed with a CAA Tournament title—and the Cougars still have an at-large shot too. Hofstra, Towson, and UNCW could end up as a 13 or 14 if they win, while any other squad is likely to be a 16.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Delaware: 2022 (15 seed, Round of 64)
Drexel: 2021 (16 seed, 1st Round)
Northeastern: 2019 (13 seed, 1st Round)
College of Charleston: 2018 (13 seed, 1st Round)
UNCW: 2017 (12 seed, 1st Round)
Hampton: 2016 (16 seed, 1st Round, MEAC member)
North Carolina A&T: 2013 (16 seed, 1st Round, MEAC member)
Stony Brook: 2013 (13 seed, 1st Round, America East member)
Monmouth: 2006 (16 seed, Round of 64 (play-in winner), NEC member)
Hofstra: 2001 (13 seed, 1st Round, America East member)—2020 CAA Tournament Champion
Towson: 1991 (16 seed, 1st Round, East Coast member)

Elon and William & Mary have never qualified for the NCAA Tournament, with the Tribe one of the four original Division I members to have never reached the field.