UMBC’s Brian Hodges (Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara) has earned the first America East Player of the Week award of his career, while for the second time in three weeks, Boston University’s Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass./Newton North) has been named America East Rookie of the Week. The awards were announced on Monday (December 11).
Hodges keyed UMBC’s huge second half as the Retrievers knocked off Atlantic 10 foe La Salle, 78-67. The 6-3 guard went 4-of-7 from the field, 1-for-1 from three and 6-for-6 from the line en route to scoring 15 of his game-high 22 points in the final 20 minutes. Hodges has averaged 20.6 ppg in UMBC’s last five games, moving into sixth place in school history with 115 three-point field goals. Hodges’ honor also marks the first time that UMBC has boasted two different Player of the Week award winners since joining America East for the 2003-04 season. Jay Greene was also given the nod back on Nov. 27.
Lowe led Boston U. with 16 points and a career-high seven rebounds in the Terrier’s near upset of in-state foe Massachusetts. Eight of his 16 points came in the second half, including four during the Terrier’s game-ending 8-0 run over the final 4:33 of the contest. After taking over half his shots from beyond the arc in his first seven collegiate contests, the 6-2 guard displayed his versatility by beating UMass defenders off the dribble as seven of his 16 field goal attempts were layups.
AMERICA EAST NOTEBOOK
Rise in RPI
The first Collegiate Basketball News RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) Report was release on Monday (Dec. 11) with several key improvements in America East.
? As a conference, the league ranks 24th in the country, which is three spots higher than last season's final RPI of 27, and 13th among other mid-major leagues. Most notably, America East ranks ahead of the MAAC (26th overall/15th among mid-majors) and the Ohio Valley (28th/17th).
? Six of the nine America East members currently boast higher RPIs than they finished with a season ago.
? Four America East members have made significant jumps in the RPI when compared to the 2005-06 campaign. See the list below that compares last year's final RPI with this year's current RPI and the number of spots each school has moved up.
| School |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
Increase |
| Hartford |
268 |
116 |
+152 |
| Stony Brook |
310 |
187 |
+123 |
| UMBC |
297 |
199 |
+98 |
| Vermont |
212 |
114 |
+98 |
Holm Sweet Holm
Vermont senior Chris Holm (Henderson, N.V./Green Valley/Rhode Island) has been a dominant force on the glass all season long for the Catamounts. Holm leads America East and ranks third in the country with an impressive 11.7 rebounding average, which is 4.4 more than the next highest mark in the league. The 6-1 forward has led Vermont in rebounding in all nine games played on the season and has eclipsed the double-digit plateau seven times, including four straight. Over the last four outings, Holm is averaging 14.3 caroms per contest.
The Young Are Restless
With most teams a quarter of the way through their 2006-07 regular-season schedule, it is apparent that the America East freshmen class is carrying more than its weight around the conference. While only one freshman cracks the league's top-five in scoring (Boston University's Corey Lowe) and rebounding (Maine's Junior Bernal), it's the freshmen class as a whole that has been integral to nearly every team. The freshmen class is accounting for 24.5 percent of the scoring around the conference, second only to the seniors' 32.9 percent. On the glass, the rookies are even better as they are pulling down a league-best 33.9 percent of the boards. The senior class ranks second in rebounding with 30.5 percent.
When you factor in that sophomores are accounting for 18.7 percent of the scoring and 17.9 percent of the rebounding, the future of America East basketball looks very bright. Combined, the underclassmen are scoring 43.2 percent of the points and ripping down 51.8 percent of the rebounds.
Near Triple-Double
Reigning America East Player of the Year Jamar Wilson (Bronx, N.Y./Our Savior New American School) was just one digit away from tallying the first triple-double in Albany's Division I history as the Great Danes downed Brown 62-52. Coincidentally enough, the conference's second-leading scorer (17.4 ppg) came up just shy in the scoring column as he tallied nine points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Non-Conference Accomplishments
Seventy two games into the 2006-07 season, America East teams have combined for a 30-42 record (.417). With at least 41 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 47 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 19 road games in 2006-07, compared to just nine a season ago. Conference squads have also already topped the number of wins (14) 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 the overall road successes of the league could loom large when the league's automatic qualifier is seeded for the NCAA Tournament and for other postseason candidates as well.
Poisoined Ivy
America East teams are a solid 6-3 versus foes from the Ivy League to start the 2006-07 season. With seven of the next 18 contests around the conference coming against the Ivy, America East squads are hoping to continue the winning trend. This week Hartford hosts Yale on Monday (7 p.m.), while Albany is at Harvard on Tuesday (7 p.m.), Stony Brook heads to Dartmouth on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Vermont welcomes Harvard on Sunday (3 p.m.).
In-State Showdown
Yale hosts Hartford on Monday evening (7 p.m.) with in-state bragging rights on the line. The Hawks topped the Bulldogs 76-60 last season and lead the all-time series 4-2. Yale is 2-6 on the early 2006-07 campaign, while Hartford is 4-4 with four wins in its last five outings.
Two Tough Tests
UMBC is off to a solid 4-5 start to the 2006-07 season and will face two tough tests this week on road. First the Retrievers hit the road to take on George Washington on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) and then follow that up with a trip to nationally-ranked Marquette on Saturday (2 p.m.). UMBC is coming off its first victory over an Atlantic-10 school since 1989-90 as the Retrievers defeated La Salle, 78-67, on Dec. 7.
Help Me, Help You
The conference's top eight players in the assists category also rank in the top 20 in scoring. Below is a list of the league's top playmakers that are making things happen for themselves and others on the offensive end of the floor.
| Name, School |
PPG/Rank |
APG/Rank |
| Jamar Wilson, Albany |
17.4/2nd |
5.4/2nd |
| Corey Lowe, Boston U. |
14.5/5th |
3.0/8th |
| Jermaine Anderson, UNH |
13.7/7th |
4.7/4th |
| Tyler Morris, Boston U. |
13.5/9th |
3.3/6th |
| Mike Trimboli, Vermont |
12.7/13th |
5.3/3rd |
| Jon Sheets, Maine |
12.1/16th |
3.2/7th |
| Jay Greene, UMBC |
12.0/17th |
6.1/1st |
| Junior Bernal, Maine |
11.2/19th |
4.0/5th |
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.
Championship Tickets On Sale Now
Tickets for the 2007 America East Men's Basketball Championship on March 2-4 at Boston University's Agganis Arena are on sale now. 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 (3-4, 0-0 America East) ended a four-game losing streak with a 62-52 win over Brown on Dec. 9... UAlbany held the visitors to 27.5-percent shooting, the lowest figure by an opponent since the program upgraded to Division I in 1999... Jamar Wilson (Bronx, N.Y./Our Savior New American School) just missed a triple-double with nine points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Bears... Wilson recorded his highest assist total since handing out a career-best 10 versus Siena on Nov. 23, 2004... Wilson, who is on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List which recognizes college basketball’s top point guard, has moved into a tie for fifth place on the school’s all-time assists list with 367... UAlbany made 10-of-22 from three-point range against Brown, and has canned 10-plus 3-pointers on 31 occasions at the Division I level... Brent Wilson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Praire) broke out of a three-game shooting slump with 16 points and six rebounds versus Brown... Wilson made 4-of-6 from beyond the arc... Jason Siggers (Dallas, Texas/Skyline) has scored in twin figures in four-straight contests after netting 17 points against Brown... Freshman Reid Anderson (Avon Lake, Ohio/Lakewood St. Edward) made a significant contribution off the bench with four points and six rebounds... Sophomore forward Brian Connelly (Audubon, N.J./Camden Catholic) added eight points and career-highs in rebounds (5) and blocks (2)... The Great Danes have won 13 of their 15 games at SEFCU Arena... UAlbany dropped a 75-57 decision to Virginia Commonwealth on Dec. 6 in a rematch of last year’s ESPN BracketBusters game... The Rams pulled away in the second half by shooting 68 percent from the floor... Jon Iati (York, Pa./York Catholic) needs two 3-point field goals to move into fifth place on UAlbany’s career list... Iati has made 131 long-range shots as a collegian.
Binghamton Bearcats
Binghamton (3-4, 0-0 America East) dropped its only game of the week, a 35-point loss to Akron... The Bearcats have now lost three in a row after winning the previous three... Binghamton finishes up a home-and-home series with Long Island this Friday... The Blackbirds won the first meeting, 73-59, in Brooklyn... Freshman Lazar Trifunovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Secondary Railway Technical School) continues to emerge as a productive forward... Trifunovic has earned starts in his last two games and has responded by averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in an average of 30 minutes per game. He is shooting 48 percent from the floor and 72 percent from the free throw line.
Boston University Terriers
Boston University’s (3-5, 0-0 America East) valiant comeback attempt fell one 3-pointer short in a 56-54 loss to Massachusetts on Dec. 6 at Agganis Arena in front of a crowd of 3,101... The Terriers erased two 12-point deficits in the second half only to see a three by red-shirt freshman Tyler Morris (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) negated by a called Boston U. timeout with 4.2 seconds left... The Terriers were unable to get a good scoring opportunity in the final possession... Boston U. led briefly in the first half but spent most of the second half repeatedly cutting into UMass’s leads... Freshman Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass./Newton North) led the Terriers with 16 points and a career-high seven rebounds... Lowe scored four of Boston U’s final eight points (during an 8-0 run in the final 4:33) to help get the Terriers within two of the Minutemen with 58 seconds left... Senior co-captain Brian Macon (Boynton Beach, Fla./Miami Dade CC) was second on the team in scoring, with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting with two rebounds and three steals... Boston U. takes a two-week break for final exams before facing the Rams of Rhode Island at URI on Friday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m.
Hartford Hawks
Hartford (4-4, 0-0 America East) split a pair of one-point games last week, dropping a 56-55 decision at Penn State before rebounding for a 76-75 victory at Monmouth... The Hawks had the ball for the final shot at Penn State but came up just short... Senior Bo Taylor (Reston, Va./Paul VI Catholic/Bishop O’Connell/South Lakes) was one of four Hartford players in double figures with 12 points... Sophomore Michael Turner (Novato, Calif./Marin Catholic/West Valley) recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds... Against Monmouth, Hartford tied a school record with 12 three-pointers and hit free throws down the stretch to secure the win... Taylor netted a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting while Turner added a career-high 18 on 5-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range... Both Penn State (NIT) and Monmouth (NCAA) were postseason participants last season... Hartford has tied the school record for three-pointers (12) twice this season... The first time out at Towson on November 13 the Hawks needed 39 attempts (.308) from long range to make 12... At Monmouth on Saturday they needed only 23 attempts (.522)... The original mark was set against George Washington on December 3, 1991... Taylor leads the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) while Turner leads the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg). Freshman Joe Zeglinski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) is the only other player averaging double figures in scoring (12.3 ppg)... The Hawks are now 2-4 on the road this season... The two non-conference road wins are more than the previous two seasons combined... Hartford will play two games this week, beginning with a contest at Yale on Monday, December 11 at 7 p.m. The Hawks wrap up the week at home against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sunday, December 17 at 2 p.m.
Maine Black Bears
Maine (4-5, 0-0 America East) dropped a hard-fought 94-79 decision to Providence on Saturday night in Providence, R.I.... The Black Bears gave the Friars all that they could handle and then some in the first half as Maine jumped out to a 40-29 lead with 2:44 remaining in the first half... Providence used a run early in the second half to overcome the deficit and gain the lead... The Black Bears forced 15 Providence turnovers in the game... Maine hit a season-high 13 three-point field goals in the game, including 10 in the first half alone... The 13 three-pointers were the most for Maine since hitting 15 at Stony Brook on February 26, 2006... Kevin Reed (Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth/St. Thomas More) and Jon Sheets (Grass Valley, Calif./Nevada Union/Yuba City CC) each have five three-pointers in the game... Reed had 19 points in the first half of the game... Maine shot a season-high 92.3 percent from the free throw line, as it connected on 12-of-13 shots... Chris Bruff (Bloomfield, Conn./Northwest Catholic) led the way as he was a perfect 7-of-7 from the line... Sheets and Junior Bernal (Manhattan, N.Y./Hyde School/MCI) each dished out six assists on Saturday night at Providence... The Black Bears had four players in double figures in scoring... It is the fifth time this season that Maine has had four or more players score 10 or more points in the same game... Maine hosts UMaine Farmington in its lone game of the week... It will be the annual game played in “The Pit” in Memorial Gym.
UMBC Retrievers
For the first time since 1989-90, UMBC (4-5, 0-0 America East) defeated a team from the Atlantic 10 Conference, as the Retrievers knocked off host La Salle, 78-67 at Tom Gola Arena... The Retrievers’ other wins versus an A-10 school occurred in back-to-back seasons when they defeated George Washington in both 1988-89 and 1989-90... The Retrievers had dropped five-straight game versus Atlantic 10 schools... UMBC will face the George Washington Colonials in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, the team’s first meeting since the 1990-91 campaign... Against La Salle, junior guard Brian Hodges (Upper Marlboro, Md./Bishop McNamara) led all scorers with 22 points and added three steals and three assists... He led four players in double figures as sophomore guard Jay Greene (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) produced 16 points, sophomore guard Thomas Young (Philadelphia, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) added 13 points and freshman forward Justin Fry (New Bloomfield, Pa./West Perry) had a season-high 12 points... Greene also added eight assists, as UMBC shot a blazing 56.9 percent from the floor... UMBC went on a 20-0 scoring run, holding the Explorers scoreless for 9:26 and building a 62-37 lead with 4:42 remaining... Fry learned of his first collegiate start just moments before the game... He replaced sophomore Uwem Eshietedoho (Miramar, Fla./American), who will miss several weeks with a sprained ankle suffered in shoot-around practice hours before the game... Fry hit six of seven shots from the floor and blocked a pair of shots... UMBC has already won three games on the road (3-3) after going the 2005-06 season with just one road victory... After the game at George Washington, UMBC heads to Milwaukee for a tilt versus nationally-ranked Marquette on Saturday.
New Hampshire Wildcats
New Hampshire (1-7, 0-0 America East) posted an 0-1 record for the week... UNH recently fell to Big East member Rutgers, 55-48, on Wednesday... The Wildcats trailed by 23 heading into the halftime and rallied in the second to pull within seven points on three separate occasions led by the play of junior forward Mike Christensen (Reston, Va./Flint Hill) who posted 18 of his 22 points in the second half, while senior co-captain Blagoj Janev (Sydney, Australia/Australia Institute of Australia) recorded 10 points and five boards in the loss... UNH has lost six of its eight games by seven points or less, including three overtime losses in their first eight games of the season... Christensen leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game... The Wildcats continue an eight game road trip with a visit to Northeastern on Monday (Dec. 18) followed by a game against Iona on Friday (Dec. 22).
Stony Brook Seawolves
Stony Brook (3-5, 0-0 America East) dropped their lone contest of the week, to Long Island-rival Hofstra, 73-57... The game was highlighted by the honoring of Stony Brook great and Major League All-Star Joe Nathan who had his number retired and was inducted into the Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame... The Seawolves have dropped three games in a row and have failed to win a game at the Stony Brook University Arena... Ricky Lucas (Herndon, Va./Herndon/George Washington) returned to the lineup after missing two games with an ankle injury and scored a team-high 18 points and was the lone Seawolf to net double figures... Stony Brook returns to action with three games this week, at NJIT on Monday, at Dartmouth on Thursday, and hosting Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday.
Vermont Catamounts
Vermont (5-4, 0-0 America East) won its only contest of the week, 63-50, over Iona on Sunday afternoon at home... The contest marked only the second home game at Patrick Gym this season... Vermont is 53-10 over the last five years at Patrick Gym... Three Catamounts netted double figures led by sophomore Colin McIntosh’s (Milton, Mass./Northfield Mt. Hermon) 14 off the bench... McIntosh shot 5-for-5 from the floor in the opening half and netted five in an 11-0 run that put the Catamounts on top for good... Junior co-captain Kyle Cieplicki (Shelburne, Vt./Rice) and sophomore Mike Trimboli (Norwalk, Conn./St. Luke’s) each added 10 points... Senior Chris Holm (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) pulled down a game-high 15 boards, as the third-leading rebounder in the country has now reached double figures in rebounds seven times this season with 15 or more on three occasions... The UVM defense limited Iona to 31.6 percent from the floor and 21.4 percent from three on the afternoon... Freshman Nick Vier (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Bergen Catholic) matched a career-high with six points and also handed out four assists... Trimboli has hit 24-straight and 29-of-30 free throw attempts this season... Vermont returns to action next Sunday when the Catamounts host Harvard at 3 p.m.