BOSTON ? With 2007 on the horizon, America East is one of the hottest conferences in the country when it comes to men’s basketball. The nine-member league is showing vast improvements from on the court and in the RPI to in the stands and on television.
On the Court
The conference’s nine members ? Albany, Binghamton, Boston University, Hartford, Maine, UMBC, New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont ? have combined to win 13 of their last 19 outings and boast the sixth-best record among Division I league’s over that span. The Missouri Valley (14-5) is the only mid-major in the country with a better mark than America East over the last 19 games.
While America East is red-hot of late, its successes on the season didn’t begin just 19 games ago. America East squads have already sailed past last year’s non-conference win total as the league’s teams are currently 39-47 (.453) in 2006-07, compared to just 33-69 (.324) a season ago. The conference is on pace to register 51 regular-season non-conference victories this campaign, which would be the most since the league recorded 52 in 1994-95 when there were also nine teams in the league.
Probably the biggest component to America East’s non-conference success this season has been the ability of league teams to win on the road. Conference teams have combined to win 23 road games in 2006-07, compared to just nine a season ago. 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 conference’s automatic qualifier is seeded for the NCAA Tournament and for other postseason candidates as well.
Five league teams are currently .500 or better on the 2006-07 season, with one squad just one game below the break-even point as well. Last season, only Albany (8-8) posted a non-conference mark of .500 or better.
In the RPI
Six of America East’s nine teams currently boast higher RPIs (Ratings Percentage Index) than they finished with a season ago, which has enabled the league move up three spots to the 24th ranked conference in the country. When compared to other mid-major leagues, America East sits 13th in the nation, ahead of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (25th overall/14th among mid-majors) and the Ohio Valley Conference (27th/16th).
Four America East members have had a significant role in the conference’s rise in the RPI. UMBC is pacing the upward movement as the Retrievers are up 125 spots (297 in 2005-06 to 172 in 2006-07). Hartford, under first-year head coach Dan Leibovitz, has risen 122 places (268 to 146), while Stony Brook (310 to 196) and Vermont (212 to 132) have also moved up 114 and 80 spots, respectively.
Albany, the defending America East Champion, paced the league in RPI a season ago (116) and currently sits third in the league for the 2006-07 campaign with an RPI of 151. The Great Danes are the league’s hottest team, having won three straight and jumping up 80 spots in the RPI compared to the previous week’s report.
In the Stands
America East’s performance on the court hasn’t gone unnoticed by league fans as the conference’s attendance is up approximately 25 percent compared to last season at this time. Through 33 home contests, the league’s average attendance is 2,210, compared to 1,865 a season ago.
Albany (3,046) leads the league in home attendance, while Binghamton (2,863), Boston University (2,803) and Vermont (2,688) are also playing in front of at least 2,500 fans a night. UMBC (2,395) and Stony Brook (2,169) have made significant increases as well.
The heightened awareness by conference fans has carried over into interest in the league’s championship on March 2-4 at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. The conference has currently pre-sold the most championship ticket packages since the 2001 tournament.
On Television
The improved overall record, higher RPI ranking and increase in attendance couldn’t have come at a better time for America East men’s basketball as the league is reaching more fans than ever through televised games.
The 2006-07 comprehensive television schedule is more than double any previous season total in conference history. With more than 40 men’s games and nearly 60 men’s and women’s games combined hitting the air waves this season, America East is making its presence felt on the national level.
The progress across the board on a variety of levels has generated much anticipation for the start of league play on Wednesday, January 3 with America East Opening Night. Four league games and an in-state match-up highlight the night’s events.