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CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Senior Brian Hodges of UMBC and junior Mike Trimboli of Vermont were unanimous selections to the 2007-08 America East Preseason All-Conference team in voting conducted by the conference’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players. That duo is joined by seniors Brent Wilson of Albany and Mike Gordon of Binghamton, and sophomore Tyler Morris of Boston University. Click here for PDF Release.
Hodges is the active scoring leader in America East with 1,080 points. He was the nation’s highest-scoring sixth man in 2006-07, before being inserted into the staring line-up for the final nine games. The 6-3 swingman averaged 14.7 ppg, including 15.7 ppg in conference contests, while earning second-team all-conference honors. He led the team in scoring in 15 games last season, including a season-high 36 points in a win at Morgan State. It was the top offensive output by an America East player in 2006-07.
Trimboli has been the offensive catalyst for the Catamounts since his arrival on the UVM campus. He was the America East Rookie of the Year after averaging 14.0 ppg and 5.5 apg while leading Vermont to the America East title game in 2005-06. Last year he finished second in America East in both scoring (15.8 ppg) and assists (5.0 apg) as the Catamounts enjoyed a school-record tying 25-win season, a 15-1 mark in conference play and the school’s first NIT bid. The 6-1 point guard made 65 three-pointers (2.0 per game). His 940 points through two seasons is the fourth-best pace in school history behind only Eddie Benton (1,307 points), Taylor Coppenrath (1,086) and T.J. Sorrentine (974).
Wilson has twice been selected to the all-conference third team, despite his role behind other marquee players, including two-time America East Player of the Year Jamar Wilson (no relation) his first three seasons. This year Wilson will be counted upon as the main offensive threat if the Great Danes are to take aim at a third-straight America East Championship. He averaged 11.0 ppg (third on the team) and 5.0 rpg (second) with a team-high 76 three-pointers a season ago. That followed a sophomore season in which he averaged 10.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg with 56 three-pointers. The 6-8 senior has 167 three-pointers in his career.
Gordon will be looked upon for leadership in the Bearcats’ transition to rookie head coach Kevin Broadus’ system. Gordon was a second-team all-conference choice in 2006-07 after averaging 10.9 ppg and 4.0 apg (fourth in America East). The 6-0 senior is also one of the top defensive players in America East. He led the conference and was 18th in the nation in steals (2.5 spg) and was named to the All-Defensive team. A clutch performer, he has three buzzer-beaters in his career to give the Bearcats wins (twice vs. Hartford, vs. Stony Brook).
Morris showed no signs of rust from his medical redshirt season (2005-06) as he was named America East Rookie of the Year after averaging 13.4 ppg while shooting a conference-best 46.9 percent from three-point range (60-128). The former high school teammate of Greg Oden and Michael Conley at Lawrence North High School scored 403 points as a freshman, the fifth highest rookie total in Boston University history. The business administration major was also named to the America East All-Academic team (top five student-athletes) in 2006-07.