HARRISONBURG — With approximately 500 Division I players entering their name into the NCAA transfer portal so far, it probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise several from the Colonial Athletic Association intend to at least weigh their options this offseason.

But while programs such as William & Mary, UNC Wilmington and Northeastern may have to deal with significant attrition, the James Madison coaching staff is confident the Dukes won’t be hit hard in the transfer cycle.

“We’ll be meeting with everyone, but I’m not expecting anything major to change with us,” JMU coach Louis Rowe said after the season ended.

In the meantime the Dukes have focused mainly on the 2020 recruiting class and beyond. JMU lost freshman Jonathan Hicklin, who was looking for increased playing time, to transfer at mid-season. With Hicklin’s departure to Winston-Salem State, the Dukes added a fifth recruit for the 2019 with the verbal commitment of Durham, N.C., shooting guard Jayvis Harvey.

Losing only two seniors to graduation, Stuckey Mosley and Develle Phillips, JMU has a full roster for next season and sources within the program said they don’t expect the Dukes to factor into the postseason transfer market with either incoming or outgoing players.

Other teams around the conference are seeing more departures, both via graduation and transfers, and a JMU team that was among the youngest in the country last season suddenly has more continuity than most in the CAA.

“Older, experienced teams that have been together for a long time are really who has success in this league,” Rowe said. “But you can’t take that for granted that we are more experienced. This team has to take another step.”

The preseason outlook for the conference as a whole began a dramatic shift last month with the ouster of longtime William & Mary coach Tony Shaver. The Tribe hired George Mason assistant Dane Fischer this week, but not before a mass exodus of players from a team that may have been favored to win the CAA next season.

Justin Pierce, Matt Milon and Chase Audige, three of the Tribe’s most productive players last season, put their names in the transfer portal along with sophomore guard Luke Loewe and freshman LJ Owens. First-team All-CAA center Nathan Knight announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft.

Elsewhere in the league, UNC Wilmington has seen Jaylen Fornes, Ty Taylor, Matt Elmore and Jeantal Cylla all announce their intent to transfer while Northeastern took a surprising hit with Donnell Gresham and Shawn Occeus entering the portal.

At this point, what the CAA looks like next season is anyone’s guess. The league may begin to welcome in quality transfers that impact the conference race, much the way the arrival of Jacquil Taylor from Purdue boosted Hofstra this season.

There’s also the possibility of further coaching changes. In addition to Shaver’s firing, Elon dismissed Matt Metheny. Northeastern’s Bill Coen and College of Charleston’s Earl Grant could be hot names as more major conference jobs open up in the coming weeks.

But as of right now, it appears JMU may avoid similar turmoil.