February marks the home stretch toward March Madness, and the Colonial Athletic Association tips off the month exactly one month out from Washington D.C. 

The tone for a frenzied February was set in the final Saturday of January thanks to Aaron Estrada and the Hofstra Pride. Estarda's 65-point weekend culminated with a monster first half at College of Charleston, and his Hofstra teammates ended the Cougars' NCAA-best 20-game winning streak. 

Hofstra returns home with national accolades en tow, including Team of the Week honors and Player of the Week recognition for Estarda. 

? Weekly Awards from @TheAndyKatz!

Team of the Week: Hofstra
Player of the Week: Zach Edey pic.twitter.com/pGiHizG1j1

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 30, 2023

LUTE OLSON AWARD
National Player of the Week

BOSTON, MA -- Hofstra’s Aaron Estrada helped the Pride to a pair of wins last week, averaging 32.5 points & 5.5 rebounds. He had 25 points, 7 rebounds, & 6 assists @ No. 18 Charleston, ending the longest win streak in the nation at 20 pic.twitter.com/Tdzfsqbcmd

— College Insider Inc. (@collegeinsider) January 30, 2023

The Pride head into February just one game back of Charleston for the CAA lead. They are rolling with three straight wins and seven over their last eight. The one blemish over that stretch? 

That came in a 68-47 decision on Jan. 16 at Towson. 

With a season-high 92 points scored in its rout of William & Mary on Saturday, Towson claimed its sixth straight win. Cam Holden recorded just the second triple-double in program history, and the first against a Div. I opponent. 

"To do it against a conference foe, that's hard to do," Tigers coach Pat Skerry said of Holden's 24-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist performance. 

Towson's offense is finding its rhythm, including more consistent shooting from 3-point range. Likewise, Hofstra has been dangerous from deep: Estrada followed up his eight 3-pointers at Elon with five against Charleston, and the Pride shot 11-of-22 beyond the arc as a team against the Cougars. 

The David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex should be rocking on Thursday as two of the Colonial's hottest teams clash for sole possession of second place in the conference. 

Charleston, meanwhile, looks to begin a new winning streak and to return to the Top 25 at the most critical juncture of the season. The Cougars face a tough task to tip off February, hitting the road to square off with opponents boasting two of the CAA's top players. 

On Thursday, Charleston visits Daskalakis Athletic Center to square off with a Drexel team desperate to get back on track after a disappointing trip through North Carolina. 

The Dragons dropped games last week at North Carolina A&T and Elon, in the process falling from a pack of second-place teams down to fifth. 

Amari Williams was limited to just four points at A&T, but bounced back with 23 points against Elon. The Drexel big man's physical brand of basketball makes for a styles clash with the uptempo Cougars. 

Expect Drexel to try extending possessions on offense and limiting Charleston to one shot on defense. 

The Cougars' road swing continues on Saturday with a matinee at Delaware. After dropping 3-of-4 by a combined five points, the Blue Hens reversed their fortunes in close games with an 81-78 win over Northeastern on Saturday. 

Jameer Nelson Jr. looks to be back to full strength since missing nearly three weeks at the beginning of conference play. He went for 21 points against the Huskies, his third game of 20-plus since rejoining the squad. He's also dished out 17 combined assists. 

This pass from Jameer Nelson Jr. is just perfect. @DelawareMBB pic.twitter.com/dqvYtsvwY9

— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) January 28, 2023

Saturday's encounter between the Nelson-led Blue Hens and Charleston's deep backcourt promises plenty of offense. 

Still very much in the hunt for the CAA regular-season title, UNC-Wilmington rebounded from a stretch losing 3-of-4 with back-to-back wins over Stony Brook and Monmouth. The Seahawks held their two most opponents to 51 and 49 points, two of their best defensive efforts on the season. 

UNCW's defense faces a test on Thursday against a North Carolina A&T offense with explosive potential. 

The Aggies scored a signature win last week, and put on a show in the process, with a 68-55 defeat of Drexel. A&T struggled defensively on Saturday, however, losing to Monmouth at home. 

A&T can get back into the upper-half of the conference race with a strong showing this weekend, starting at Trask Coliseum. This Tarheel State matchup features some of the Colonial's hottest individual players in UNCW's Maleeck Harden-Hayes, who has scored in double-figures in six of the Seahawks' last seven; and A&T's Marcus Watson. Watson has a streak of three straight games scoring 22 points or more to pace the Aggies.