In a rematch of the 2006 title game, top-seeded Vermont hosts No. 2 Albany at Patrick Gymnasium on Saturday with the America East's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. Watch the sold-out contest live on ESPN2 at 12 noon.
TITLE GAME NOTEBOOK
TV Exposure
For the 20th-straight season the America East men’s basketball title game will be carried on one of ESPN’s networks. Jon Sciambi (play-by-play) and Bucky Waters (color analyst) will call the game live on ESPN 2 on Saturday, March 10 at 12 noon.
No. 1 Vermont Catamounts
For the third time in program history, the Catamounts are the No. 1 seed for the America East Championship. UVM is 6-1 all-time when slotted into the tournament’s top slot, including taking home the title in 2004-05. The No. 1 seed boasts a 58-7 (.892) all-time record in the conference tournament, winning 17 of the previous 24 championships since seedings began in 1983.
No. 2 Albany Great Danes
The defending America East Champion Great Danes are the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament for the first time. Throughout tourney history, No. 2 seeds have combined to go 48-18 (.7727), collecting six league crowns and advancing to the title game 18 times.
No. 1 vs. No. 2
The top two tournament seeds meet for the 13th time in America East Championship history. The No. 1 seed is an impressive 11-1 versus the second-seeded squad, with the only blemish coming back in 2003 when the No. 2 Catamounts upset No. 1 Boston University, 56-55, on the Terriers' home court. The last time No. 1 faced No. 2 was in 2005 as No. 1 Vermont routed No. 2 Northeastern 80-57 at Patrick Gym.
Title Trio
The top three seeds for the 2007 tournament? No. 1 Vermont, No. 2 Albany and No. 3 Boston University ? are the only teams currently in the conference to have ever won an America East championship. The Terriers have captured the most conference crowns under the league's current membership with five titles (1983, 1988, 1990, 1997, 2002), while the Catamounts boast three (2003, 2004, 2005) and the Great Danes one (2006). The top seed (17), the second seed (six) and the third seed (one) have combined to win all 24 conference crowns since seedings began in 1983.
One Shining Moment
Since America East began seeding teams in 1983, the No. 1 seed is 58-7 with 17 of the 24 titles. No. 1’s won each of the championships between 1994-2001. Last season, Albany became the second-straight top seed to win the America East Championship. Albany, Boston University and this year's top squad, Vermont, are the only current league teams to have garnered the No. 1 seed for the league tournament. The Great Danes are 3-0 as the top seed, while the Terriers are 8-2 and the Catamounts are 6-1.
Second Fiddle
The No. 2 seed is making its 10 appearance in the last 11 championship games. No. 2 seeds have won six championships overall, including three of the last five. No. 2 Boston University defeated No. 5 Maine, 66-40 at Case Gym in 2002 while No. 2 Vermont became the first team since 1993 to win a championship on the opponents’ home floor when the Catamounts defeated No. 1 Boston University, 56-55 in 2003. The Catamounts repeated as champion as the No. 2 seed in 2004, knocking off No. 4 Maine, 72-53, at Patrick Gym.
Home Cooking
Clinching the top seed for the America East Championship has been a critical marker for success in the league's tournament. The conference's top seed boasts a 58-7 (.892) record in tournament play, winning 17 of 24 crowns and making it to the title game 21 times. This year marks the 23rd time the title game is being played on the home court of one of the participating teams, with the home squad winning 20 of those contests. The last team to go on the road and win the league title game was Vermont in 2003. The Catamounts' David Hehn netted a buzzer beater to give UVM a 56-55 win over Boston University at Case Gymnasium, starting a run to three-straight league titles for Vermont.
Home cooking, Part Deux
Furthermore, the top seed has hosted the title game on its own court 18 times, including this year, with a 15-2 record in those outings. Only Vermont in 2003 and Delaware in 1993 have been able to upset the No. 1 seed on its home floor in the title game to come away with the conference crown.
Storied History
Several former America East Champions are still coaching at the collegiate level. Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun won five titles (1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986) while at Northeastern; Mike Brey won back-to-back titles at Delaware (1998, 1999) before moving to Notre Dame and passing the baton to Villanova’s Jay Wright, who was a back-to-back champion at Hofstra in 2000 and 2001. In addition, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino guided Boston University to an America East title in 1983.
Reggie Lewis Award
The Reggie Lewis Award is given each year to the most outstanding player in the America East Men’s Basketball Championship. The award was named in memory of Lewis, the former Northeastern star, prior to the 1993-94 season. Lewis was drafted in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, and was captain of the Celtics at the time of his death on July 27, 1993. Past winners include Norman Richardson (2001), who played two seasons in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers, and Speedy Claxton (2000) and Malik Rose (1995, 1996), each of whom won NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003. Claxton (Hawks) and Rose (Knicks) are still currently playing in the NBA.
NCAA Championship
America East has never sent more than one team to the NCAA Championship since its inception as a basketball conference in 1980.
NCAA Seed
Albany nearly became the first 16 seed in the history of the NCAA to knock off a No. 1 seed as the Great Danes gave top-ranked Connecticut all it could handle. Albany led by 12 points in the second half before the Big East power took over down the stretch, recording a 72-59 win. Vermont earned a No. 13 seed in 2005 and knocked off No. 4 Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. UVM was a 16th-seed in 2003 and a 15th-seed in 2004. America East Champions also received a No. 13 seed in 2001 and 1999 and received a 12 seed in both 1996 and 1997 (Boston University).
Cinderella in Green & Gold
Vermont played the role of Cinderella at the 2005 NCAA Tournament as the No. 13 Catamounts shocked No. 4 Syracuse in overtime, 60-57. UVM became the first America East team to win a game in the NCAA Championship since the Malik Rose-led Drexel Dragons defeated Memphis, 75-63, in the first round of the West Regional at Albuquerque in 1996.
NIT
America East has placed at least one team in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in three of the last four years, including two in 2005 for the first time in conference history. Boston University has appeared in the NIT three of the last four seasons.
Marty Time
Vermont's Martin Klimes (Prague, Czech Rep./Walsingham (Va.) Acad.) would join some elite company if selected to the 2007 America East All-Championship Team. The senior forward could become just the seventh player in league history to be named to the league's post-season all-star squad three times, trailing only former Drexel star Malik Rose (1993-96) who was chosen to the team four times.
? With 11 tournament games played, Klimes has seen action in more America East Championship contests than any other active player in the league. The 6-8 senior was the only Catamount selected to the 2006 America East All-Championship Team. He shot an impressive 12-for-13 from the field over the span of three tournament games played last year.
Be Like Mike
Second-year head coach Mike Lonergan has kept Vermont’s postseason magic alive by guiding the Catamounts to their fifth-straight America East title game. As the top-seeded squad this year, Lonergan's Catamounts are just the third team in league history to advance to the title game five-straight seasons.
? Lonergan is just the second coach in America East history to guide his squad to the title game of the conference tournament in his first two season's on the sideline. Northeastern's Karl Fogel did so in 1986 and 1987 after inheriting Jim Calhoun's squad that featured future Boston Celtics' captain Reggie Lewis.
Mr. Wilson
Albany's Jamar Wilson (Bronx, N.Y./Our Savior New American School) was named the Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship last season after guiding the Great Danes to their first-ever league title and subsequent berth to the NCAA Tournament. Wilson averaged 18.3 ppg in three tournament games played last season, but saved his best performance for the title game as he poured in 29 points with eight rebounds and four assists in the title game versus Vermont.
? Wilson became the fifth player in conference history to repeat as America East Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Wilson joined the elite company of Taylor Coppenrath of Vermont (2003, 2004, 2005), Craig “Speedy” Claxton of Hofstra (1998, 2000), Drexel’s Malik Rose (1995, 1996) and Northeastern’s Reggie Lewis (1985, 1986, 1987) as the only players to repeat as Player of the Year in America East history. Wilson, the 2003 Rookie of the Year, is the program’s all-time leading scorer and currently leads the conference in scoring (18.5 ppg) and ranks second in assists (4.84 apg) and fifth in rebounding (6.3 rpg).
It's Pat
Second-year Albany assistant coach Pat Filien could become the first person in America East men's basketball history to win five straight conference titles. Filien helped guide the Great Danes to their first title a season ago and spent the previous four seasons as an assistant at Vermont under Tom Brennan, where he helped guide the Catamounts to an 89-36 (.712) record and three-straight America East Championships (2003, 2004, 2005). In the 87 years prior to Filien’s arrival to UVM the Catamounts were 860-938 (.478). Albany is 42-19 (.689) in Filien’s first two seasons on the staff, while the Great Danes were just 50-118 (.298) prior to his arrival to the capital city.
Non-Conference Success
With the non-conference regular-season complete, America East squads sailed past last year's non-conference win total. America East teams are 49-64 (.434) in 2006-07, compared to just 33-69 (.324) a season ago. Forty-nine wins is the most since the league recorded 52 in 1994-95 when there were also nine teams in America East.
? Three league teams are .500 or better in non-conference play on the 2006-07 season. Last season, only Albany (8-8) posted a non-conference mark of .500 or better. Vermont (8-5) boasts the best non-conference record this campaign, followed by Binghamton (7-5), Albany (7-6), Hartford (6-7), Stony Brook (5-7), Maine (5-8) UMBC (4-9), New Hampshire (4-9) and Boston University (3-9).
America East 20th In RPI Report
The Collegiate Basketball News RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) Report was released on Monday (March 5) and America East remained the 20th-ranked league in the nation. Vermont moved up two spots to 76 and remains the league's top squad. Albany jumped nine spots to 90.
? As a conference, the league ranks 20th in the country, which is seven spots higher than last season's final RPI of 27, and 10th among other mid-major leagues. Most notably, America East ranks ahead of the MAAC (25th overall/15th among mid-majors) and the Ohio Valley (27th/17th).
? Six of the nine America East members boast higher RPIs than they finished with a season ago. 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
Vermont 212 76 +116
UMBC 297 216 +81
Hartford 268 225 +43
Maine 281 249 +32
Stony Brook 310 282 +28
Albany 116 90 +26
Close Competition
With the 2006-07 regular-season conference slate complete, the competition around America East was very close. Of the 72 league games played, 40 were decided by 10 points or less and 31 by five points or less. On the season, America East teams have combined to play a total of 258 games with 50.8 percent (131) decided by 10 points or less and 31.4 percent (81) decided by five points or less.
Road Warriors
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 29 non-conference 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 league's automatic qualifier is seeded for the NCAA Tournament and for other postseason candidates as well.
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. Included in the package is the men's basketball title game, which will air live on ESPN2 on March 10 at 12 noon.