24-25 America East conference preview

Preview season is upon us! With exhibitions around the corner it is time to start looking at how the teams might finish. Last year at this time much of the narrative centered around the significant amount of new players and coaches around the league. With so many teams reloading through the transfer portal, there was significant unpredictability going into last season. Only one year later and things look very different. No coaching changes in the America East this offseason and while there was still quite a bit of player movement in the portal, several teams return their cores and the transfer portal additions seem to be predominately supporting role players rather than huge stars. The league as a whole was interesting last season with more uptempo teams for the first time and at the same time the top tier teams all finding success on the defensive end. It will be interesting to see if that carries over to this season or if the changes will continues to manifest. The statistic that I keep going back to when digging into previewing this season is the league wide three point shooting last year. It was abysmal. Only one team shot 35% (UMBC) and the league finished at 1916-5960 (32%). Well below average and the question is: was it the good defense around the league? or was is a lack of quality perimeter shooting? When digging into the new additions for this season around the America East, most teams did not add a whole lot of shooting and several teams lost shooting to graduation or the portal. I am excited to follow this thread as the season progresses. Lets dive into to each team.

Vermont

    Vermont is once again in the familiar position of the favorite. They have been when they are reloading and they certainly will be this season when they are returning so much of their core. The Vermont program continues to push to raise their ceiling and this offseason, they were successful in doing so. After a couple of seasons with a fluctuating roster, this year the coaching staff has been blessed with strong continuity. That leaves this group oozing with potential as players who stay in the program multiple years during the Becker tenure have very often seen strong year to year improvement. This year Vermont will be looking to use that continuity to improve their offensive chemistry and rhythm. The defense will once again be very tough with all league defensive team returnees Shamir Bogues and Ileri Ayo-Faleye as the anchors. Last season was a tough one on the offensive side of the ball as the roster turnover (and injuries) really affected the Cats ability to find an offensive identity. The three point shooting will have the most significant impact on their offensive efficiency. It will be exciting to see which players step into new roles and how the coaching staff adds new wrinkles to unlock the potential of this team. TJ Hurley and newcomer Shy Odom are the two "swingmen" as their potential improvements/new roles influence the widest range of outcomes for Vermont. The bottom line for this season's Cats is that a healthy Vermont team will have a high ceiling not just in the America East, but across the national landscape. I will dig in with greater detail in my Vermont season preview which will be posted sometime before the opener against UAB. 

Bryant

      The Bulldogs made significant strides last season with a new coach and more familiarity with the America East. Much like Vermont, they were able to retain a significant part of their core during the offseason. During their two seasons in the league, Bryant has had some of the best pure talent in the league but has struggled to turn that talent into consistent on court performance. Last season the Bulldogs made huge strides on the defensive end and found success wearing teams down, paring frenetic defensive with their signature uptempo offense. They, like the rest of the league, struggled with consistency from their perimeter shooters and are hoping that Rafael Pinzon thrives in a more featured role and transfer (and Vermont native) Kam Farris can give them a lift from three. Earl Timberlake is back to lead the Bulldogs and make a player of the year push. He is a very unique player who provides both offensive and defensive versatility. Barry Evans comes over from St. Bonaventure as defensive minded big man ho will help offset the loss of Daniel Rivera. The biggest question mark for the Bulldogs is who will earn the minutes at the guard spots. Having Timberlake as a distributor takes some of the pressure off the Bryant guards but they will be looking for big leaps from newcomers Jakai Robinson and Devean Williams to shore up their backcourt. The Bulldogs will likely be playing with some unorthodox lineups throughout the season due to the fluctuating guard play. If Bryant can find more consistency and perimeter shooting they will push Vermont for the top spot. 

UMass Lowell

    The River Hawks have established themselves as the other consistent, winning program in the America East. Lowell has made three out of the last four title games but has come up short each time. They return a strong core and are once again poised to push for the top spot. Max Brooks, Cam Morris III, Quinton Mincey, and Yuri Covington give the River Hawks an experienced group who know what it takes to win. Mincey in particular is poised to move into a starting role after winning 6th man of the year last season. The loss of Brayden O'Connor and Ayinde Hikim leave Lowell with big question marks at the guard position. Mekhi Gray comes over from NJIT, giving the River Hawks an experienced guard who knows the league well. Lowell will be counting on transfers Quincy Clark and Caleb Murphy to fill out their guard minutes. One of the biggest struggles for Lowell last season was a lack of perimeter shooting. They were one of the lowest volume three point shooting teams in the country and struggled to cash in those limited opportunities. The River Hawks will need to find a spark from the perimeter in order to reach their full potential. 

There is a pretty significant gap in between the top teams and the rest of the league. This next tier of teams could really finish in any order as each are still looking to build programmatic momentum. 

Maine

    Maine has finally found some consistency and continuity in the program, but is still on the outside looking in. They are a strong, physical defensive team led by two time defensive player of the year Kellen Tynes. Returners Jayden Clayton, Quion Burns, and AJ Lopez along with Tynes, give the Black Bears a deep and dynamic backcourt. The frontcourt is full of question marks and Maine is hoping Appalachian State transfer Christopher Mantis will be able to give them good minutes. The biggest hurdle that Maine has had to overcome as they try to reestablish the program is their lack of offense. They have really struggled to score the ball and are one of the other team besides Vermont that continues to play at a slow tempo. The Black Bears are going to have to find more consistent offensive production if they are going to emerge out of the middle pack. 

Albany

    Another year, another Albany team that has added talent through the portal. Dwayne Killings has been able to get talent to join the Great Danes but has struggled to put a cohesive group out on the court. Last season they were able to push the tempo and win games with a frenetic, isolation heavy offense led by Sebastian Thomas. Replacing the departed Thomas will be a tall task for Albany as he almost single-handedly kept them in games last season. The Great Danes were able to retain Amar'e Marshall and he is poised for a big season as the featured offensive option. Joining the team are a strong group of transfers. DeMarr Langford comes over from USF/Boston College to give Albany a tough, physical guard. Kacper Klaczek comes over from St. Josephs and should give Albany a strong frontcourt presence. Justin Neely will attempt a return after two season lost to injury and Sultan Adewale joins the team after spending a season at Iona to try and give the Great Danes a physical post presence they have been lacking the last few seasons. As with the past few seasons, Albany has the talent to emerge from the middle of the pack but they have to prove they can get the pieces to fit together. 

UMBC

    Jim Ferry has brought his high flying offense to the America East over the last few seasons and it has made for some incredibly exciting shootouts. Unfortunately their struggles on the defensive side of the ball have kept the Retrievers from breaking through. Once again they look like an uptempo offensive team who will struggle to get stops at the defensive end. Losing Dion Brown to the portal was a big hit as he did so many things for the Retrievers. Marcus Banks Jr returns to lead the charge as the Retrievers perimeter sniper. Bryce Johnson, Ace Valentine, and Devan Sapp will be looking to make a big jump this season. Regimantas Ciunys showed flashes and will look to give UMBC some frontcourt production. The Retrievers are going to need big seasons from some unlikely sources to keep up with the pack. 

Binghamton

    In the spring Binghamton famously did not have a single player enter the transfer portal. One of the reasons for that is that most of their minutes were lost to graduation. Tymu Chenery and Nehemiah Benson return to lead this group of Bearcats. They will be looking for big jumps from returners Gavin Walsh and Chris Walker to improve their offense. Binghamton was another team in the league that did not take or make very many three pointers last season. The Bearcats will be looking for Stonehill transfer Jackson Benigni to help give them a boost from the perimeter. With the loss of leadership and experience to graduation this group will be looking to establish a new identity.

NJIT

    The Highlanders will be one of the youngest teams in college basketball with 7 freshman and 6 sophomores. They return dynamic talent and freshman of the year Tariq Francis which gives NJIT a nice piece to build around. Last season the Highlanders were able to shock both Vermont and Lowell but their performance outside of those two games was a struggle. It will likely be a similar season for NJIT with a few exciting games but creating consistency with such a young team will be a tall task. 

New Hampshire

    It is almost an entirely new team in Durham and with the graduation of player of the year Clarence Daniels, the Wildcats are looking at a significant rebuild. Trey Woodyard and Rex Sunderland are the one returnees who played significant minutes. University of North Georgia transfer Giancarlo Bastianoni and Temple/Wake Forest transfer Emmanuel Okpomo will get the first crack at frontcourt minutes and JUCO transfer Jawarie Hamelin will look to make an impact. It is nearly impossible to predict where the minutes and production will come from this season. It will likely be a long season for the Wildcats.

Basketball is just around the corner!