Cal State San Bernardino is the unanimous pick to repeat as CCAA regular-season champions. The Yotes earned 144 points and all 12 first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll, released Thursday, Oct. 27.
 
Cal State San Bernardino is coming off a 24-4 season (16-2 CCAA) in which it hosted the NCAA West Regional. The Yotes will return the conference's leading scorer and 2021-22 CCAA Newcomer of the Year, Brandon Knapper (20.9 ppg, .384 3pt%). Starters Darius Mickens (12.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, .601 fg%) and Eddie Davis (12.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) will also be back for the team, which led the CCAA in scoring by over 10 points per game (86.2 ppg) and ranked third in NCAA Division II in rebounding margin (+9.0).
 
Cal State San Marcos finished second in the polls with 127 points. The Cougars (20-5, 13-4 CCAA) placed third in the regular season before winning three straight postseason games to capture the 2022 CCAA Tournament Championship. Two All-CCAA selections return in the backcourt for the Cougars in Jayce McCain (12.5 ppg, 4.0 apg) and Greg Milton III (13.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg). Both shot over 84 percent at the free throw line last season to help CSUSM finish fifth in the country at the charity stripe (.794%).
 
Defending West Region champion Chico State placed third in the poll with 115 points. The Wildcats (22-5, 15-3 CCAA) finished second in the CCAA standings and earned the No. 3 seed in the regional before winning three consecutive games to reach the Elite Eight for the third time in their last eight tries. Their three All-CCAA first team selections graduated, but Chico will have Joshua Hamilton (9.7 ppg) returning in the backcourt, Kelvin Wright Jr. (7.6 rpg, 1.5 blocks) in the paint, and many others that gained valuable experience during the postseason run.             
 
It was a very close vote for the following places in the poll, as four teams finished within two points. Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills tied for fourth with 82 points. Stanislaus State followed them with 81 points and Cal Poly Humboldt with 80.
 
The Toros went 14-11 in 2021-22 and grabbed the No. 5 seed in the CCAA Tournament with a 10-7 record. They pulled a first-round upset to reach the semifinals, and they will look to build on that momentum this season. Jordan Hilstock (8.1 ppg, .408 3pt%) and Hunter Seymour (6.1 rpg, 1.0 bpg) are both back as starters for a team that ranked 15th in Division II in field goal percentage defense (.401).
 
Cal Poly Pomona (13-10, 9-8 CCAA) made a late-season run to grab the No. 6 seed in the CCAA Tournament and the No. 7 seed in the NCAA West Regional. This season, it will be almost an entirely new lineup for the Broncos as they return only one student-athlete with more than five starts (Christopher Mitchell). Cal Poly Pomona will be looking to extend its run of qualifying for the CCAA Tournament. The Broncos have made the tournament all 15 seasons since it returned in 2007-08.
Stanislaus State relied on a young roster in 2021-22, and they will look to take a step forward this season. The Warriors will bring back four of five starters including their top scorer Tony Singleton (13.6 ppg) and CCAA assist leader Benno Zecic (5.3 apg). They won their final three games of the season to finish 10-13 (7-11 CCAA).
 
Cal Poly Humboldt will return four starters to a team that went 11-14 overall in 2021-22. Second team All-CCAA guard Jaden Edwards (16.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg) will return in the backcourt along with fellow guards Bryce Mitchell (7.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Amari Green (7.8 ppg, 2.9 apg), Cam Timmons (9.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .517 fg%) will be back in the paint. Last year, the Jacks led the CCAA in offensive rebounding (12.7) and were fourth in rebounding margin (+1.5).
 
Cal State Monterey Bay finished eighth in the preseason poll with 60 points. Last season, the Otters earned their highest seed ever in the CCAA Tournament (No. 4) after setting the program record for CCAA wins (12). Second team All-CCAA selection Levi Frankland (12.3 ppg) will be back to lead the backcourt.
 
Cal State East Bay and Cal State LA tied for ninth in the poll with 51 points. The Golden Eagles will return two starters, while the Pioneers will have an entirely new starting lineup. San Francisco State and Sonoma State rounded out the poll with 41 and 22 points, respectively.
 
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Many of these teams will play exhibition games over the weeks leading up to their regular season openers on Friday, Nov. 11. CCAA conference play begins on Saturday, Nov. 26.
 
All 12 teams will be vying to finish in the top half of the league to earn one of the six spots in the CCAA Basketball Tournament in Turlock on Mar. 2-4. To learn more about the CCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, click here.
 
CCAA Preseason Watchlist (returning first or second team All-CCAA selections)
Jaden Edwards (Sr., G, Cal Poly Humboldt)
Levi Frankland (Sr., G, Cal State Monterey Bay)  
Brandon Knapper (Sr., G, Cal State San Bernardino)         
Jayce McCain (Jr., G, Cal State San Marcos)          
Darius Mickens (Sr., F, Cal State San Bernardino)
Greg Milton III (Sr., G, Cal State San Marcos)       
Toby Okwuokei (Sr., G, San Francisco State)