College of Charleston Pining for Rare CAA Tournament Repeat
2024 CAA Conference Tournament Odds: Charleston +250 Favorite
The Coastal Athletic Association Tournament — formerly known as the Colonial Athletic Association — tips off Friday at Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. The top four seeds earned byes to Sunday’s quarterfinals, including tournament favorite College of Charleston. The final is slated for Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Charleston cut down the nets last year, becoming the fifth different champion in five seasons. So, to repeat, it will need to buck that recent trend.
What should bettors expect? Read on as we break down the 2024 CAA conference odds.
THE FAVORITE
College of Charleston (+250)
Charleston claimed the top seed in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament after an outstanding season in which it won 24 games and went 15-3 in conference play. The Cougars closed the regular season with nine straight wins, including Saturday’s 87-76 victory over Hofstra. At +250, they are the 2024 CAA conference odds favorite.
Last season, Charleston went on a similar run with 20 straight victories on its way to an NCAA Tournament berth.
This season’s resume is not nearly as strong (No. 103 in the NET and KenPom), so the Cougars will need to win the CAA Tournament to get back to the Big Dance. Their +50000 NCAA Tournament odds say as much.
Pat Kelsey’s team is certainly capable. The Cougars like to push the ball whenever possible and rank in the top 50 in tempo and 32nd in scoring (81.0 PPG). But they don’t do it at the expense of being careless.
Guard Reyne Smith is a 40% shooter from 3 and averages a team-high 12.7 points.
TOP CONTENDERS
UNC Wilmington (+300)
UNC Wilmington sputtered down the stretch, dropping three of its last five games to lose its grip on a top-two seed. Instead, the Seahawks had to settle for No. 4 in the college basketball standings, which comes with a potential semifinal rematch with Charleston.
That said, UNCW (21-9, 12-6) has already beaten Charleston twice this season and owns the conference’s signature win, an 80-73 victory over Kentucky on Dec. 2.
Despite ranking 302nd nationally in tempo, the Seahawks run a highly efficient offense. They’re averaging a healthy 80.2 points, led by one of the conference’s best one-two punches in forward Trazarien White (19.6 PPG) and guard Shykeim Phillips (14.0). Both will need to continue producing at a high level for the Seahawks to make the most of this tournament.
Hofstra (+375)
As goes Tyler Thomas, so goes Hofstra. The fifth-year senior ranks third in the country in scoring, averaging 22.3 points while shooting 42.1% from the field and 37.2% on 3-point attempts. Thomas has three 30-point games and scored a season-high 40 in an overtime win against High Point on Nov. 22.
Darlingstone Dubar, a 6-foot-8 junior, has stepped up alongside Thomas to average 18.1 points. He had 28 points in a double-digit upset of UNCW last week.
Depth could be an issue. Speedy Claxton typically runs a tight rotation, with no more than seven NCAAB players seeing significant minutes on a given night. And that could grow even tighter in the postseason. But the third-seeded Pride (19-12, 12-6) benefit from a bye to the quarterfinals.
If Thomas is on his game, Hofstra will be tough to beat.
Drexel (+450)
Drexel finished strong, winning five of its last six games following a three-game losing streak to grab the tournament’s No. 2 seed. The Dragons (20-11, 13-5) split a pair of meetings with both UNCW and Hofstra and lost their lone game against Charleston. They also beat Villanova in the Big 5 Classic.
Similar to UNCW, the Dragons play at a slower tempo than most. Zach Spiker’s team specializes in grinding opponents down in the halfcourt. The Dragons average only 72.8 points but rank in the top 150 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
Maintaining that production will be key, especially against higher-powered NCAAB teams like Charleston and Hofstra.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
Delaware (+1200)
Delaware is headed in the wrong direction, having lost four of its last six NCAAB games. As such, the Blue Hens (18-13, 10-8) find themselves needing to win four games in four days as the No. 6 seed.
That’s a tall order, especially for a team that has struggled to find much consistency during conference play. The Blue Hens did win four straight to begin February but quickly squandered that momentum with a loss to lowly Elon.
Forward Jyare Davis is the Blue Hens’ top scorer, averaging 17.5 points along with 7.7 rebounds.
Towson (+1400)
With wins over Charleston and UNCW, Towson has proven capable of beating the conference’s best teams. But as the No. 5 seed, the Tigers (18-13, 11-7) face an uphill battle to get through the March Madness bracket. It doesn’t help that they’re 2-3 over their last five.
Ranking 221st in adjusted offensive efficiency, the Tigers will need to muster together more scoring to advance far.
LONGSHOTS
Monmouth (+2000)
Eighth-seeded Monmouth will need to win four straight games, starting with Saturday’s second-round matchup against No. 9 Campbell. That seems highly unlikely, especially with tournament favorite Charleston waiting in the quarterfinals. The Hawks (17-14, 10-8) lost 94-83 to Charleston in the NCAAB regular season.
All eyes will be on guard Xander Rice. The Bucknell transfer is the CAA’s second-leading scorer at 20.8 points per game.
Rest of 2024 CAA Conference Odds:
- Stony Brook (+2500)
- Northeastern (+5000)
- Campbell (+15000)
- Elon (+15000)
- North Carolina A&T (+15000)
For men’s college basketball scores, betting odds, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
