Previewing the CAA tournament

The Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament begins Friday in Richmond. Georgia State will face Hofstra at 8:30 p.m. in the first round. The championship game is Monday.

Here is a preview of what to expect:

Top four seeds

No. 1 Drexel (25-5, 16-2): The Dragons didn't lose a conference game after losing 58-44 at Georgia State on Jan. 2.

No. 2 Virginia Commonwealth (25-6, 15-3): The Rams advanced to the Final Four last season as an at-large team and bring back the same pressure defense.

No. 3 George Mason (23-8, 14-4): Led by former Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, the Patriots dropped their last two games, at Northeastern and at VCU, to fall to the third seed.

No. 4 Old Dominion (19-12, 13-5): The Monarchs are very deep and very aggressive on offense and defense. They led the league in rebounding margin (plus-6).

Five players to watch

Kent Bazemore, guard-forward, Old Dominion: Strong and quick for his 6-5 size, he is a tenacious defender who can shoot the 3-pointer or drive the lane.

Jamelle Hagins, forward, Delaware: Hagins, 6-foot-8, averages 12.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Quietly effective, he ranks second in blocked shots in the CAA (85).

Eric Buckner, center, Georgia State: At 6-10, Buckner leads the CAA in blocked shots (106). He also has a go-to jump hook that he used to average 10.8 points per game.

Ryan Pearson, forward, George Mason: At 6-6, 237 pounds, he blends power with finesse, averaging 17.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Frantz Massenat, guard, Drexel: The 6-4 sophomore averages 13.5 points and makes 46.6 percent of his 3-pointers.

Top three storylines

The CAA’s best-case scenario to get two teams in the NCAA tournament may be for someone to knock off Drexel in the championship game. The Dragons seem to be the league’s best hope at an at-large, but it’s going to take some luck. … Other than Georgia State, which starts four seniors, many of the CAA’s teams are young. How will that inexperience affect them during crucial moments? ... Can a team not from Virginia win? Schools from the state have won the past five and seven of the previous eight tournament titles.

Most intriguing first-round matchup

Delaware vs. Towson. The fifth-seeded Blue Hens have won eight consecutive games and are a team that no one wants to play because they are strong inside with Hagins and at the 3-point line, which is what makes this game against the Tigers, who have won one game this season, so interesting. A team brimming with confidence against a squad that, despite the results, has played many teams very tough this season. There would be some sighs of relief if Towson can knock off Monte Ross' squad.

Best potential second-round matchup

Georgia State vs. George Mason. The Patriots defeated the Panthers in Fairfax earlier this season with a controversial set of calls at the end of the game, each of which favored Mason. GSU coach Ron Hunter has implied he thinks his team can pull some surprises in Richmond. The first would be knocking off GMU.

The numbers game

0 Teams that did not get a first-round bye in the CAA tournament but have won the title.

What they’re saying