It is time to once again make some predictions. Last year the final standings were very different than the preseason polls. Stony Brook and UMBC greatly exceeded expectations while Binghamton suffered through injuries on their way to another tough season. Who will be the surprise team this year? Will Vermont be able to live up to their lofty expectations? Here is how I see the year playing out in the America East.
1. Vermont
All across college basketball, Vermont is getting attention as a top mid major program. Winning the title last year and returning the core of their team has rocketed them into a different stratosphere. Anthony Lamb is ready to breakout and compete for the conference player of the year. Payton Henson, Trae Bell-Haynes, and Ernie Duncan are locked in to their roles and ready to make another run at the title. However, this years team has more questions marks than the one that cruised through the league last season. Losing Dre Wills, Kurt Steidl, and Darren Payen is more significant than most people think. Vermont is going to rely on young, inexperienced players to fill those roles. Much of what those graduated players brought to the table is tough to replace because it was intangible "beyond the box score" type production. It will be interesting to see how the defensive side of the ball progresses throughout the season. Vermont has some young, intriguing talent and the progression of their roles will be the key to Vermont's success. Last year the Cats motivation was to erase the sting of their postseason disappointments and this year their motivation is to stay on top. Those are two very different mentalities and it will be interesting to see if that has any effect on this Vermont team.
2. Albany
Albany is again poised to push Vermont for the top spot in the league. They too return the core group from last years team including the dynamic duo of Joe Cremo and David Nichols. Travis Charles is going to have an expanded role this year after a very successful year coming off the bench. Albany and Vermont are in very similar situations where they are asking their newcomers to make an immediate impact. The two flagship America East programs seemed destined to clash once again as the top two teams in the conference. The x-factor for Albany will be what they get out of graduate transfer Alex Foster. He is 6-8 forward who began his career at Texas Tech and gives them some much needed frontcourt depth. Will Brown will have his team ready and this year they are the team looking to erase the sting of a postseason disappointment.
3. UMBC
The Retrievers came out of nowhere last year and took the league by storm. In a league of methodical teams, they were the foil. A fast paced high octane system caught many teams off guard and they relentlessly attacked opponents. UMBC returns Jairus Lyles and KJ Maura to lead this undersized unit. They will miss the production of Will Darley who allowed them to use small lineups and spread the floor with his shooting ability. Replacing his production will be key to the Retrievers success.
4. Stony Brook
Stony Brook has the look of a team that is one year away from returning to the top. They have a good young group and Jeff Boals is making some noise on the recruiting trail. Akwasi Yeboah is poised for breakout year and Anthony Ochefu leads a pack of impact freshman. The loss of Lucas Woodhouse is going to make it tough to stay at the top this season. So much of Stony Brook's success last year was dependent on his steady hand at the controls. They are going to be a fun team to watch and they have to chance to push the top teams.
5. New Hampshire
Tanner Leissner is ready for his senior campaign and Jacoby Armstrong returns from a one year absence. Along with Iba Camara, they form one of the leagues most formidable frontcourts. How will they fill the void left by Jaleen Smith and Daniel Dion? The Wildcats were a very inconsistent outside shooting team during those players careers and now face the tall task of finding shot makers to replace their production. Leissner is a tremendous talent but now he is going to face more intense defensive pressure as the main offensive weapon. The Wildcats are going to have to out physical opponents and play tough defense to compete with the top teams.
6. UMass Lowell
Finally eligible for the post season, the River Hawks look to build on flashes of brilliance over the last few years. Jahad Thomas is an incredible talent and the most versatile player in the conference. This team can score and is a very efficient offensive team. Their struggles in recent years have been on the defensive side of the ball. I think that being able to fight for a postseason spot will help this team remain focused and push through for the entire conference schedule. Look for Rinardo Perry to build off a strong freshman campaign.
7. Binghamton
I am going to echo what I say every year. Will the Bearcats make it through the year without an injury, a suspension, or some other controversy that hijacks their season? Last year the injury to JC Show killed their momentum. That was another moment in a long line of difficulties that the Binghamton program has faced. They have a veteran team comprised of mostly junior and seniors and they will be one of the more physical teams in the league. Making a significant jump is dependent on finding consistency.
8. Maine
Maine was again left in shambles after last season with more departures and public embarrassment over a locker room fight that resulted in a broken jaw. With constant roster turnover there is no way to build a program and much like Binghamton, until there is some year to year consistency it is hard to start winning games. Maine has a significant influx of JUCO players this season which may add some life into the program but I am not sure if it is going to transfer into wins.
9. Hartford
The difference between the teams toward the bottom of the league is fairly small. I am picking Hartford last because they did not have much success last year with Jalen Ross and now that he has graduated, they don't have a clear replacement. Jason Dunne will put up some big numbers but Hartford is still too reliant on outside shooting to bring game to game consistency. This might be a make or break year for John Gallagher.
No comments:
Post a Comment