RICHMOND, Va. – College of Charleston, which returns all five starters from last year's 25-win team, has been picked to win the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship in 2017-18 according to a vote by the league's coaches, media relations directors and media members.
 
The Cougars received 38 of the possible 40 first-place votes. They were followed by Towson (2 first-place votes), Elon, Hofstra, UNCW, Northeastern, Delaware, William & Mary, Drexel and James Madison.
 
"Everyone is excited about the season," said 2017 CAA Coach of the Year Earl Grant, who enters his fourth season at The College. "I am happy for our players and our coaching staff. It is a testament to the hard work we have put into being a good team and a good program. Certainly, we have a lot of work to do to continue to do that this year and we are making progress. We have a great opportunity ahead of us and a very challenging schedule that will prepare us for CAA play."
 
CofC is coming off an impressive 25-10 campaign that included its first-ever trip to the CAA championship game and a berth in the NIT for the first time since 2011. The Cougars are led by senior guard Joe Chealey (Orlando, Fla.), who earned All-CAA First Team honors after ranking fourth in the league in scoring (17.8 ppg) and eighth in assists (3.2 apg) last season.
 
Junior forward Jarrell Brantley (Columbia, S.C.) received All-CAA Second Team accolades after contributing 14.2 points per game and ranking third in the conference in rebounding (8.4 rpg). Both return as one of the top returning scoring duos in the league and nation.
 
Also back for the Cougars are sophomore guard Grant Riller (13.1 ppg), who made the 2016-17 CAA All-Rookie Team, senior guard Cameron Johnson (7.1 ppg and 3.1 rpg), a two-time member of the CAA All-Defensive Team, and junior big man Nick Harris (5.9 ppg and 6.0 rpg).
 
Chealey and Brantley were named to the preseason All-CAA First Team, while Chealey was selected as the Preseason CAA Player of the Year – the first Cougar to receive such billing since CofC all-time leading scorer Andrew Goudelock by the Southern Conference coaches and media in 2010-11. They were joined on the first team by UNCW's Devontae Cacok, Elon's Tyler Seibring and Hofstra's Justin Wright-Foreman.
 
Sophomore guard Grant Riller (Ocoee, Fla.) was voted to the preseason All-CAA Second Team along with Delaware's Ryan Daly, Elon's Brian Dawkins, Hofstra's Rokas Gustys, Drexel's Kurk Lee and Towson's Mike Morsell.
 
2017-18 CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
 
1. College of Charleston (38 first-place votes)      362
2. Towson (2 first-place votes)                      306
3. Elon                                              297
4. Hofstra                                           236
5. UNCW                                              197
6. Northeastern                                      159
7. Delaware                                          156
8. William & Mary                                    120
9. Drexel                                            102
10. James Madison                                    65
 
2017-18 CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
 
FIRST TEAM
Jarrell Brantley, College of Charleston
Devontae Cacok, UNCW
Joe Chealey, College of Charleston
Tyler Seibring, Elon
Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra
 
SECOND TEAM
Ryan Daly, Delaware
Brian Dawkins, Elon
Rokas Gustys, Hofstra
Kurk Lee, Drexel                  
Mike Morsell, Towson
Grant Riller, College of Charleston
 
CAA PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joe Chealey, College of Charleston