Jay Greene (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) becomes just the third UMBC player to garner America East Player of the Week honors since the Retrievers joined the league in 2003-04, while Boston University’s Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass./Newton North) earns the first America East Rookie of the Week accolade of his career. The awards were handed out on Monday (November 27).
Greene set career highs in scoring (18 points) and three-point field goals (six) in UMBC’s 86-51 triumph over Lafayette. He proceeded to record his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 assists in the 66-54 loss at Michigan. He had 10 helpers with just one turnover in 39 minutes played versus the 7-0 Wolverines. In his last seven outings, he has hit 22-of-50 shots from behind the arc (44.0 percent) and is averaging 3.2 made per game this season and 5.8 assists per outing.
Lowe, the second Terrier to garner the top freshman honor this season, averaged 17.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.5 apg on the week for Boston. He netted 10 points in the Terriers loss to crosstown rival Northeastern and followed that up with a career-high 28 points in Boston’s victory at Manhattan. Lowe tied the Boston University school record with seven three-pointers as he shot 7-for-13 from beyond the arc and 9-for-20 from the field.
AMERICA EAST NOTES:
Greene With Envy
Jay Greene (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) becomes just the third UMBC player to garner America East Player of the Week honors since the Retrievers joined the league in 2003-04. Greene set career highs in scoring (18 points) and three-point field goals (six) in UMBC’s 86-51 triumph over Lafayette. He proceeded to record his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 assists in the 66-54 loss at Michigan. He had 10 helpers with just one turnover in 39 minutes played versus the 7-0 Wolverines. In his last seven outings, he has hit 22-of-50 shots from behind the arc (44.0 percent) and is averaging 3.2 made per game this season and 5.8 assists per outing.
Lowe Reaches New Heights
Boston University’s Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass./Newton North) earns the first America East Rookie of the Week accolade of his career. Lowe, the second Terrier to garner the top freshman honor this season, averaged 17.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.5 apg on the week for Boston. He netted 10 points in the Terriers loss to crosstown rival Northeastern and followed that up with a career-high 28 points in Boston’s victory at Manhattan. Lowe tied the Boston University school record with seven three-pointers as he shot 7-for-13 from beyond the arc and 9-for-20 from the field.
Non-Conference Accomplishments
Forty four games into the 2006-07 season, America East teams have combined for a 19-25 record (.432). With at least 70 regular-season non-conference games remaining it appears last year's combined total 33 non-league wins will be shattered this season. America East teams are also on-pace to tally 49 regular-season non-conference victories this season, which would be the most since the conference recorded 52 in 1994-95 when there were also nine teams in the league.
Road Warriors
America East has made its presence felt around the NCAA in the early going by winning non-conference road games. League teams have combined to win 11 road games in 2006-07, compared to just nine a season ago. Conference squads have also already tied the number of wins (12) away from home that they posted in 2005-06. The most notable road victory to date was Vermont's victory at #14 Boston College, but road wins by Stony Brook (at Penn State, Colgate and Columbia), Binghamton (at Niagara), Boston University (at Harvard and Manhattan), UMBC (at Hampton), Maine (at St. Francis (N.Y.), UNH (at Quinnipiac) and again Vermont (at Wagner) could loom large when the league's automatic qualifier is seeded for the NCAA Tournament and for other postseason candidates as well.
Big Numbers
The third week of the 2006-07 season yielded some impressive individual and team performances from all around the league. Four players cracked the 20-point plateau and two tallied at least 10 assists, while two teams scored at least 86 points in a game.
Newcomers Shine
With each America East team having played at least four games on the early season, it is apparent that newcomers all around the league are making a considerable impact. Freshmen, redshirt freshmen and transfers are littered throughout the conference leaders in several statistical categories. Below is a breakdown of the top-five scorers, rebounds and assists among newcomers.
Top-5 Scoring Newcomers
Rank Name, Team Average
3. Ricky Lucas, Jr., Stony Brook 18.4 ppg
4. Richard Forbes, Jr., Binghamton 15.0 ppg
5. Tyler Morris, Fr.-R, Boston U. 14.6 ppg
6. Corey Lowe, Fr., Boston U. 14.4 ppg
7. Joe Trapani, Fr., Vermont 14.2 ppg
Top-Five Rebounding Newcomers
Rank Name, Team Average
6. Emanuel Neto, Jr., Stony Brook 6.2 rpg
8. Lazar Trifunovic, Fr., Binghamton 5.8 rpg
9. Joe Trapani, Fr., Vermont 5.7 rpg
t12. Scott Brittain, Fr., Boston U. 5.2 rpg
19. Ricky Lucas, Jr., Stony Brook 4.8 rpg
Top-5 Assist Newcomers
Rank Name, Team Average
4. Tyler Morris, Fr.-R, Boston U. 4.2 apg
5. Junior Bernal, Fr.-R, Maine 3.7 apg
9. Corey Lowe, Fr., Boston U. 2.6 apg
11. Mark Socoby, Fr., Maine 2.3 apg
12. J. Von Rosenberg, So., Hartford 2.3 apg
Boston's Youth Movement
With one of the least-experienced rosters in the nation, the youth movement at Boston University has begun. Only seven programs in all of Division I feature rosters with fewer career games played entering the 2006-07 season than the Terriers, with only five having less games started as well. Head coach Dennis Wolff returns a squad that has seen action in 144 Division I games, with a combined 50 career starts in those outings.
Four freshmen and a sophomore make up the current Terrier starting five. Led by Tyler Morris (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and Corey Lowe's (Newton, Mass./Newton North) 14.6 and 14.4 ppg, respectively, Boston U.'s freshmen class is responsible for 76.9 percent of the Terriers offense.
Lights, Camera, Action
America East announced its most comprehensive television schedule in history with more than 50 men’s and women’s basketball games slated for broadcast in 2006-07 (see following page for complete schedule). Included in the package is the America East Men’s Basketball Championship, which will air live on ESPN2 on March 10 at 12 noon. It marks the 19th-consecutive year that the championship game will appear on ESPN/ESPN2.
America East and ESPN Regional Television will team up to produce and distribute games throughout the America East geographic footprint, which includes several of the nation’s top 25 media markets including New York (No. 1), Boston (No. 5), Washington, D.C. (No. 8), Baltimore and Hartford. In addition, no fewer than 12 games will be included in the ESPN Full Court package, the subscription service provided by ESPN. The games will also be available on-line via video streaming at AmericaEast.com, through the conference’s multi-media partner, XOS Technologies.
Ticket Sales Begin December 1
Tickets for the 2007 America East Men's Basketball Championship on March 2-4 at Boston University's Agganis Arena go on sale Friday, December 1. To purchase tickets visit www.AmericaEast.com.
Championship Returns to Boston
The America East Men’s Basketball Championship returns to Boston in 2007 as Boston University hosts the nine-team tournament on March 2-4 at Agganis Arena. The first round game will take place on Friday, March 2, followed by the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 3 and the semifinals on Sunday, March 4.
Tournament ticket packages are $30 for youth/students and $60 for adults. To purchase tickets call 617-353-GoBU or online at www.AmericaEast.com. To request media credentials for the conference’s premier event, email K.J. Cardinal (cardinal@americaeast.com).
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Albany Great Danes
Albany (2-2, 0-0 America East) struggled in a pair of double-figure losses to Sacred Heart and No. 18 Connecticut last week... UAlbany last dropped back-to-back double-digit decisions on Dec. 28 & 30, 2004 against Villanova and Syracuse... The Great Danes committed 21 turnovers, their highest figure since Jan. 22, 2005, against UConn... The two teams last met in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament... UAlbany is now winless in eight games against top-25 squads... Jamar Wilson (Bronx, N.Y./Our Savior New American) had 18 points and tied a career-high with five steals against the Huskies... The senior guard moved past Jason Graber (1990-94) into second place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,624 points... Wilson, who is on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List as the nation’s top collegiate point guard, needs 227 points to become UAlbany’s career leader... Brent Wilson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie) had a career-high 29 points (9-for-16) and nine rebounds against Sacred Heart on Nov. 21... The 6-8 forward scored the most points by a non-backcourt player since Dec. 10, 2003... Wilson, who also had a career-best six three-point field goals, climbed into 10th place in career three-pointers with 107... Jason Siggers (Dallas, Texas/Skyline) reached double figures for the ninth time as a collegian with 16 points and seven rebounds vs. UConn... Freshman Brett Gifford (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) made his first start against the Huskies... Gifford, a 6-11 center, had six points and three rebounds in 24 minutes... Brian Lillis (Urbandale, Iowa/West Des Moines Dowling) totaled 11 points, five rebounds and three assists on his 21st birthday against Sacred Heart... UAlbany and Siena continue their crosstown rivalry on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Pepsi Arena... The Saints, who have captured four of five meetings since the series was renewed following a 24-year hiatus, won last year’s game, 82-74, in overtime... The previous five match-ups are averaging 10,260 fans at the downtown facility.
Binghamton Bearcats
Binghamton (3-1, 0-0 America East) pushed its win streak to three with a pair of victories during the week... The Bearcats led from start to finish before holding off Mt. St. Mary’s on Monday... Five days later, Binghamton battled past Cornell in front of 3,198 fans in the Events Center... The attendance was even more impressive given that the students were on Thanksgiving break... The Bearcats shot 41 percent from the floor in the two games, including 48 percent from three-point range... Binghamton’s 3-1 start is the team’s best start since the 2002-03 season, when the team began 3-0... Senior guard Troy Hailey (Hyattsville, Md./Montrose Christian) hit all seven of his three-point attempts during the week and averaged 13.0 points on 75 percent accuracy... Hailey scored a team-high 15 points against Cornell - including six points in the pivotal final 2:27... Junior guard Richard Forbes (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Far Rockaway/Howard JC) averaged 13.5 points during the week... Senior guard Steve Proctor (Largo, Md./Paul VI/Pensacola JC) returned to the lineup against Mt. St. Mary’s and scored a career-high 14 points - including three free throws in the final 20 seconds to preserve the win... Freshman Lazar Trifunovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Secondary Railway Technical School) also was clutch from the free throw line in the two games... Trifunovic sank two free throws with 46 seconds left to halt a Mt. St. Mary’s run and preserve the win... He then sank another pair of free throws with 27 seconds left against Cornell, turning a one-point deficit into a one-point victory... Trifunovic averaged 9.5 points and a team-best 4.5 rebounds during the week.
Boston University Terriers
Boston University (2-3, 0-0 America East) split a pair of games last week, losing 73-54 to cross-town rival Northeastern (1-4) in Matthews Arena before heading to the Bronx and defeating Manhattan (2-3) 74-65... Against Northeastern Boston U. fell into an early 12-point hole and never recovered... Senior Omari Peterkin (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands/Antilles School) led Boston with his first career double double of 15 points and 14 rebounds... The rebound total was a career high... Redshirt freshman Tyler Morris (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) had 14 points and freshman Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass./Newton North) added 10... At Manhattan, senior Brian Macon (Boynton Beach, Fla./Miami Dade) sunk a three with 1:37 remaining and Peterkin took a charge on the ensuing possession to turn the tide for the Terriers as they won 74-65... Lowe led Boston U. with a career-high 28 points... He tied a school record with seven made 3-pointers... Morris had 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting... Boston continues on the road with a game at St. Joseph’s on Monday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m.
Hartford Hawks
Hartford (1-3, 0-0 America East) earned its first victory of the season last week in a 60-50 final over Dartmouth College at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion... The Hawks are now 12-11 all-time in home openers and have won six of their last seven... Seniors Alex Zimnickas (Toronto, Ontario/Bishop Allen Academy/Love Christian Center) and Bo Taylor (Reston, Va./Paul VI Catholic/Bishop O’Connell/South Lakes) paced the team with 13 points and 12 points, respectively... Taylor also added a game-high 10 rebounds to record his sixth career double-double... The win was the first for head coach Dan Leibovitz and the team presented him with the game ball afterwards to commemorate the victory... Taylor leads the team in both scoring (12.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.0) while Zimnickas (11.8 ppg) and freshman Joe Zeglinski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) (10.5 ppg) are also averaging double figures in scoring... Dartmouth was just the first of four Ivy League opponents for the Hawks in 2006-07... Hartford, which will also face Cornell, Yale and Brown this season, holds a 23-14 all-time record against Ivy League teams... The Hawks will play two games in a span of three days this week. Hartford travels to Cornell University for a game on Tuesday, November 28 at 7 p.m. before returning home to host Long Island University on Thursday, November 30 at 7 p.m.
Maine Black Bears
Maine (2-4, 0-0 America East) split a pair of games on the week... The Black Bears defeated the College of St. Joseph 97-69 on Wednesday, before falling to undefeated Robert Morris 55-43 on Sunday afternoon... Rookie guard Junior Bernal (Manhattan, N.Y./Hyde School/MCI) had an impressive outing against CSJ... He had 16 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and five steals... The 11 assists were the most since Andy Bedard had 12 on February 5, 2000 against Hartford... The Black Bears had a season-high 21 assists against the College of St. Joseph’s... In addition to Bernal who had 11, Mark Socoby (Houlton, Maine/Bangor) dished out a career-high seven assists... Maine had five players score 10 or more points on Wednesday against the College of St. Joseph... Kevin Reed (Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth/St. Thomas More) passed Jim Boylen (1983-87) for 12th place on the all-time scoring list on Sunday... He currently has 1,246 points in 95 career games... Reed pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds on Sunday against Robert Morris... It is the most rebounds for a Maine player this season... Maine has had six different players lead the team in scoring in a game this season... Maine recorded a season-high 15 steals on Sunday against Robert Morris... Maine hits the road for a pair of games this week... The Black Bears will play Mt. St. Mary’s on Wednesday, November 29 and at New Jersey Institute of Technology on Friday, December 1.
UMBC Retrievers
UMBC (2-3, 0-0 America East) hit 12 three-point field goals vs. Lafayette, one shy of tying a school record... Guards Chris Pugh (Clinton, Md./Oxon Hill) (five) and Jay Greene (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) (six) combined to hit 11, the most a duo has hit in a single game for UMBC... The 35-point win by the Retrievers was one point shy of tying a school record for the largest margin of victory over a Division I opponent... UMBC defeated Fairleigh Dickinson by 36 points, 85-49, in February of 2000... The margin of victory was the fourth-largest ever in UMBC’s 39-year basketball history... The 17 rebounds garnered by Lafayette was the fewest ever by a Retriever opponent in a 40-minute game... Sophomore guard Thomas Young (Philadelphia, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) scored a career-high 16 points (7/10 fg) vs. Lafayette and UMBC went to 2-0 with Young in the starting lineup... However, Young did not travel with the team to Michigan, as he attended the funeral of his uncle in Pennsylvania this weekend... Junior guard Brian Hodges (Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara) got the start and finished with a team-high 18 points in the 66-54 loss... Greene recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 assists... He had 10 helpers and just one turnover in 39 minutes vs. the 7-0 Wolverines... For the first time in UMBC’s 21-year Division I history, the Retrievers have not allowed an opponent to amass 70 or more points in any of the first five games of the season... Only once in 39 years, (1981-82, first seven games under 70 points) has a UMBC team accomplished this feat.
New Hampshire Wildcats
New Hampshire (1-4, 0-0 America East) entered the win column with a 64-59 win over Quinnipiac University on Sunday as senior co-captain Blagoj Janev (Sydney, Australia/Australia Institute of Sport) posted a game-high 23 points to go along with five rebounds... Janev eclipsed 1,000 points for his career... With the victory on Sunday, head coach Bill Herrion notched his 250th career win as a head coach... UNH shot 37.8 percent for the game as junior forward Mike Christensen (Reston, Va./Flint Hill) registered 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while senior co-captain Jermaine Anderson (Beverly, Mass./Phillips Exeter) scored eight points and delivered four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots... UNH avenged last season’s heartbreaking 64-62 loss to the Bobcats with the victory... As a team, the Wildcats posted a season-high 35 rebounds and shot 21-of-28 from the charity stripe (75 percent)... UNH returns to action on Wednesday (Nov. 29) with a non-conference tilt against Harvard at Lundholm Gymnasium at 7 p.m... The Wildcats open the month of December with a road game against Long Island University on Saturday (Dec. 2) at 4 p.m.
Stony Brook Seawolves
Stony Brook (3-2, 0-0 America East) went 1-0 on the week as the Seawolves recorded their third road win of the season, tripling their road wins from last season... Mitchell Beauford (Queens, N.Y./Christ the King) scored a game-high 18, 14 of which came in the second half... Ricky Lucas (Herndon, Va./Herndon/George Washington) added 12 points, while freshman Eddie Castellanos (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) was terrific at the point with a career-high 10 points to go along with three boards... The Seawolves forced 25 turnovers and had 12 steals in the game as they held the Lions to 31 points below their season average and just 30 percent shooting from the floor... Emanuel Neto (Luanda Angola/San Jacinto) was a force in the paint in the game as he had six points and six rebounds... Stony Brook is next to action on Tuesday, November 28, against UMES at home... Tip off is slated for 7 pm. The Seawolves also host Villanova on Thursday in one of the biggest games to ever be played on the Stony Brook campus.
Vermont Catamounts
Vermont (3-3, 0-0 America East) went 1-1 on the week with a loss at Michigan State and a 77-69 road victory over Wagner... At MSU, freshman Joe Trapani (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) was the only Catamount in double figures as he posted a career-high 21 on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor... Vermont trailed 39-19 going into intermission but matched the Spartans in the second half as each team scored 27 points after the break... Senior Chris Holm (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) added seven points, a game-high nine rebounds and a career-high four blocks for the Catamounts... Vermont held Michigan State to a season-low 35.5 percent from the floor as the Spartans entered the game shooting 46.6 percent for the season... Freshman Nick Vier (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Bergen Catholic) recorded a career high five assists... On Saturday sophomore Colin McIntosh (Milton, Mass./Northfield Mt. Hermon) netted a career-high 18 points and Holm pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds to guide Vermont over Wagner... In his first appearance off the bench this season, McIntosh hit 6-of-7 from the floor and was a perfect 3-for-3 from both the foul and three point lines... Holm scored 10 as his double-double was the fourth of his career and second of the season... The Catamounts dominated the boards, holding a 51-25 edge overall... Vermont has out rebounded its opponents in five of six games this year... The Cats return to the road this weekend with games at former America East rivals Towson (Friday, 7 p.m.) and Delaware (Sunday, 1 p.m.).