Towson won the regular season in the Coastal Athletic Association last year. The Towson win stopped College of Charleston from completing a three-peat. Is it the Towson Tigers’ turn to repeat in the CAA? Can Charleston take back the crown? Could UNC-Wilmington or Campbell jump up and win the conference? We’ve gone through the rosters and found a play that you’ll want to make before the season tips off.
Are you looking for a sports book to get a little action on the Big South conference winner? Check out MyBookie.ag to start the season off right and use promo code SGPN to score a 100% bet back bonus!
2025-26 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Basketball Champion Best Bet
College of Charleston to win the Coastal Athletic Conference (CAA)
Just about every traditional power team in the Coastal Athletic Conference had to dip into the transfer portal to fill out its starting lineup. College of Charleston returns zero starters. The Cougars may look rough at times in their non-conference schedule, but they will have it together in time for conference play.
Charleston finished third in the CAA last year and lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament. They also lost everyone in their starting lineup to the portal or graduation. Their rebuild and retool for this season was really impressive.
The rebuild started with MTSU graduate transfer Jlynn Counter. Counter will run the point for Charleston this year. He has a mix of scoring and distributing skills that are exactly what Charleston needs to run their system. Senior guard Bryce Baker comes in from Winthrop and should pair with Counter in the backcourt. Baker 39.3% from three-point range last year and should find
Forward Colby Duggan transferred in from Campbell to add a true three-point threat to the Cougars. Duggan shot 34.0% from deep last year and adds size to the front court.
Joining Duggan on the wing is USC Upstate transfer Mister Dean. Dean was arguably the biggest get for Charleston this past offseason. The 2024-25 Freshman of the Year in the Big South is expected to start on the wing for the Cougars. He brings a combination of athleticism and explosiveness that most CAA teams lack. He could contend for 2025-26 CAA Newcomer of the Year.
In the post, redshirt junior Christian Reeves transferred in from Clemson. Reeves measures at 7’2″ and should be the Cougars’ top rim protector. Charleston also brought in sophomore forwards Will Mortimer and Chol Machot from the lower levels to add bench depth.
Freshman Martin Kalu also moves to Charleston from Germany. He drew positive reviews from the U20 Euro League last year and could emerge as a part of the rotation.
The Cougars are also in Year Two with head coach Chris Mack. This is the first version of the Cougars that is truly his, as most of the previous regime’s talent has moved on or aged out. Mack had a solid Year-One and clearly knows how to run a successful program. Given the talent that’s come in and what Mack was capable of doing, this team is poised to compete now and build for the future. Lock up Charleston to win the CAA regular season in 2025-26
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis on every college basketball game for the 2025-26 season, make sure you tune into The College Basketball Experience. Colby Dant, Moneyline Mac, and Noah Bieniek talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college basketball picks every night!
