First up in our CAA previews are the Towson Tigers. After such a miserable 2011-12, it can’t get any worse for them can it?

Last Year: 1-31, Last in the CAA, Lost to Delaware in the first round of the CAA Tournament.

What Happened: The 2011-2012 season for the Towson Tigers ranks among the worst seasons in college basketball history. It was a rebuilding year for the Tigers as long time coach Pat Kennedy left after the 2010-2011 season. Towson finished that season on a 19 game losing streak. Pat Skerry assumed the position as the head coach. Same first name, same result. Towson finished the season 1-31. It took the Tigers until January 28th to get their first and only win, as they lost 22 consecutive games before taking down UNC-Wilmington. If you are keeping count, that is 41 straight losses over two seasons. Towson ended the year on a nine game losing streak which was capped off by a loss to the Delaware Blue Hens in the CAA Tournament.

Key Losses:

• Robert Nwanko (F) – One of the few bright spots on the team last year was this man Robert Nwanko. His exit will leave a huge hole in the middle for Towson. On the rebounding front Nwanko was a man on a mission. He averaged over 10 rebounds per game (10.1) which ranked him 2nd in the CAA in rebounding. He was also tied as the teams leading scorer at 12.5 points per game.
• Deon Jones (G) – Towson was dealt a difficult blow with the transfer of Deon Jones. He was one of the few young players on this team that had Towson fans looking forward to the next few years. He was third on the team in both points per game and rebounds as a freshman. He will play for Monmouth next season after sitting out this year due to NCAA transfer rules and regulations.

Key Returnees:

• Kris Walden (G) – As a freshman, Walden was Towson’s team leader in assists, which is very impressive for such a young player. He will be expected to pick up a bigger role as one of the best returning players on this team. He will need to score more often and become the Tiger’s leader in the backcourt. Hopefully for Towson he does not have a sophomore slump as that could leave this team without many backcourt options.
• Marcus Damas (F) – No one is more important to the Tigers then Damas. He was tied for leading in scoring with Nwanko last year as a sophomore. He is the player that is expected to be the leader. Damas is a unique player that stands at 6ft 7inches but can dribble and shoot extremely well. He had a career high six three-point field goals in a game against Drexel. Look for Damas to have a strong season as the leader of Towson.

Outlook: This season looks like it will be another struggle for the young and inexperienced Tigers. Skerry’s system will have another year to set in and hopefully for him the result is more wins. The biggest thing to watch for is Towson’s losing streak. It currently sits at night, but how bad will it get this season? The CAA is always a tough conference and with only one conference win in the last two years, it will remain tough even with the changes. The hope for Towson is to be competitive and to fight tough in all games. If you were looking at the Tigers to be a surprise pick in the CAA don’t bank on it. This team will just get by until there new arena opens next year. Here’s hoping the new facilities get some much needed talent into this program.

- Chris Tramontozzi

WRBB Sports Basketball CAA, Men's Basketball, Team Previews