CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Boston University's John Holland (Bronx, N.Y./St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.)) and University at Albany's Luke Devlin (Sydney, Australia/Newington College) are this week's America East men's basketball award winners after each led their teams to important wins last week. Holland picked up his fourth Player of the Week honor of the year, while Devlin earned his fifth Rookie of the Week honors. The awards for the week ending Feb. 20 were announced Monday afternoon.
Holland earned his third straight Player of the Week honor and eighth of his career after he averaged over 25 points and led the Terriers to a pair of wins last week. The senior guard/forward, averaged 26.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and shot 51.5 percent from the floor in helping Boston U. extend its win streak to six games. He scored 26 points on shot 9-of-14 shooting and added nine boards in an 85-53 victory over UMBC Wednesday. He then scored 23 of his 28 points in the second half of the Terriers' come-from-behind 70-62 win over Canisius Saturday. The league's active leading scorer with 2,105 career points, Holland also had 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game last week.
Holland, the league's leading scorer averaging 19.5 points per game, is averaging 22.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during his team's current six-game win streak. The eight weekly awards tie him for the eighth most on the league's all-time list.
Devlin garnered top rookie honors after nearly averaging a double-double in two Great Dane victories last week. The wins moved Albany into sole possession of fourth place in the league standings. The freshman forward racked up eight points on 4-of-7 shooting and 11 rebounds in Albany's 58-43 win over Stony Brook Monday. He also contributed on the defensive end where the Great Danes held SBU to its lowest point total of the season. On Sunday, Devlin recorded his fifth double-double of the year with 10 points and 13 rebounds in a 57-54 win over Binghamton.
Devlin, who averaged 9.0 points and 12.0 rebounds for the week, had had double-digit boards eight times this season and ranks eighth among league leaders in that category (6.6 rpg). His five Rookie of the Week awards are tied for ninth best all-time.
Conference Notes
The Honor Roll
Several other America East players had top performances last week:
• Albany's Tim Ambrose (Brentwood, N.Y./Our Savior New American) scored 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting in his team's 58-43 win over Stony Brook Monday.
• Mahamoud Jabbi (Serrekunda, Gambia/Alfred E. Smith/SUNY Oswego) tallied 12 points and 17 rebounds in Binghamton's 30-point win over UMBC Wednesday.
• Boston University's Darryl Partin (Seattle, Wash./La Salle) averaged 21.5 points in two games last week.
• Joe Zeglinski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) scored 22 points in Hartford's much-needed 64-57 win at UMBC Saturday.
• Troy Barnies (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in pair of games last week but it wasn't enough for Maine as its losing skid hit six.
• UMBC's Justin Fry (New Bloomfield, Pa./West Perry) became the first Retriever to tally 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game at the Division I level in a loss to Hartford Saturday.
• New Hampshire's Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va./Air Force Prep) scored 16 points in a loss to Marist Saturday, his team's only game of the week.
• Leonard Hayes (Voorhees, N.J.) scored a team-high 18 points in Monday's loss at Albany and is averagin 9.7 points per game against conference foes.
• Evan Fjeld (Durham, N.C./Durham Academy) averaged 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in a 1-1 week for the Catamounts. He tallied 19 points and seven rebounds in Wednesday's win at Maine, which sealed the regular-season title for UVM.
'Cats Champs Again
For the fifth time in the last 10 years, Vermont is America East regular-season champions. The Catamounts (22-6, 13-2 AE), whose RPI is a league-high 72, clinched the title outright with its win at Maine Tuesday. The crown gives UVM top seed for upcoming America East championship and a berth in the NIT should it not make the NCAA tournament. Vermont, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, has secured its eighth 20-win season in the last 10 after totaling none in its first 87 seasons of basketball.
Terriers on Tear
Just like the 2009-10 season, Boston University is playing its best basketball at the right time. After going through a stretch which it dropped three of five games, Boston U. has posted six straight wins for the first time this season. The streak is similar to last season when the Terriers won its last four games of the regular season and posted two victories in the conference tournament to advance to their first title game since 2003. Boston U., which sits in second place in the league standings at 10-4, can lock up the No. 2 seed for the league tournament with a win in either of its final two games (at Binghamton, at Vermont) or a Maine loss in either of its final two games (at New Hampshire, vs. Albany). The second-place finish would be the Terriers' best since the 2003-04 season.
Jumbled in the Middle
While Maine, which has dropped six straight games, has a solid two-game lead for third place in the league standings, only a half game separates the next five teamsare separated by only two games. Albany (7-7) has won three of its last four games and holds a one-game advantage for fourth place in the standings. The Great Danes are followed by a trio of teams at 6-8: Hartford, Stony Brook and New Hampshire. The Hawks play both the Seawolves and Wildcats to close out their schedule and can solidify their standing with a couple of wins. Stony Brook and UNH have both been hit by injuries but remain in the hunt for fourth place. Binghamton (5-9) must win its final two games and get some help to move up the ladder.
Bracketbuster Bio
For the fifth time in seven years, an America East men's basketball team appeared on national television as part of ESPN's BracketBusters series. Vermont visited College of Charleston in the e event, which pits NCAA hopefuls against each other. and fell, 85-70, on ESPNU. The Catamounts' have made two previous BrackBuster TV appearnces beating Buffalo, 78-70, in front of a sold out Patrick Gym on ESPN2 in 2009 and falling to Nevada in 2005. Albany also made a pair of appearances in the event, dropping games at VCU and Boise St. in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
1,000-Point Club
Vermont's Evan Fjeld became the fifth America East player to join the 1,000-point club this year three weeks ago, reaching the mark in a win over Stony Brook on Feb. 6. He joins Stony Brook University's Bryan Dougher, a second-team all-conference selection last season, who became the fourth player in Stony Brook's Division I history to reach the milestone vs. Albany on Jan. 17. Maine's Gerald McLemore, a first-team all-leaguer last year, followed suit by joining 28 other Black Bears in the esteemed club on Jan. 16. Earlier this season, Boston University's Jake O'Brien, a third-team all-conference selection last year, eclipsed the mark, as did UNH's Tyrone Conley. That group is joined by Boston University's John Holland, Hartford's Joe Zeglinski and Albany's Tim Ambrose as active players to reach the mark. Overall, 143 players have scored 1,000 points in America East history.
Rising up the Charts
A pair of America East standouts are charging up the league's all-time scoring list and will finish among the all-time greats. Boston University senior John Holland, a two-time first team all-conference selection, became just 13th player in league history to reach the 2,000-point plateau earlier this week and ranks eighth with 2,123 career points. Hartford's Joe Zeglinski, a two-time all-league choice, is currently 15th on the all-time list with 1,953 career points and is just 47 points shy of joining the 2,000 points club.
Catching the Injury Bug
Several of the league's top players have been hit with injuries. Three of America East's 10 returning all-conference players are out indefinitely. Boston University's Jake O'Brien, a third-team all-league choice last year, will undergo season-ending foot surgery after hurting it at UMass on Dec. 31. Stony Brook's Tommy Brenton and New Hampshire's Alvin Abreu, second-team all-league choices last season, both suffered knee injuries that will threaten their seasons. Brenton's happened in September, while Abreu's injury came against Dartmouth Nov. 18. Additionally, Abreu's teammate, Ferg Myrick, an all-rookie selection last year, tore his patella tendon against Boston U. on Jan. 4 and is lost for the season.
Big Apple Battle Relived
For the first time ever, Madison Square Garden, the “World’s Most Famous Arena”, hosted an America East men’s basketball conference game when University at Albany and Boston University squared off on Thursday, Feb. 10 in the Big Apple Battle. Terrier senior John Holland scored a game-high 25 points to lead his team to a 63-44 win. The game, which was the first played in the arena by an America East team since Boston University appeared in the 2006 Aéropostale Holiday Festival, followed the St. John’s-UConn contest. Overall, it was the Terriers’ fourth appearance in the Garden, which also includes a win over UConn in the 1959 NCAA Tournament, and Albany's first-ever appearance in the famed arena.
Team Notes
Albany (14-15, 7-7 AE) moved into sole possession of fourth place in the America East standings with a pair of wins over Stony Brook and Binghamton last week … the Great Danes took both games from Binghamton during the regular season for the first time since 2005-06 … Mike Black (Chicago, Ill./Oak Park Fenwick) had 10 of his 13 points in the final half as his team rallied over the final six minutes for a 57-54 decision … the Great Danes, who held Binghamton to 26.1 percent shooting after the intermission, have been involved in 12 games decided by four points or less this season … Logan Aronhalt (Zanesville, Ohio/Zanesville) had 16 points, his 20th time in double figures this year … Freshman Luke Devlin (Sydney, Australia / Newington College) added 10 points and 13 rebounds, his fifth career double-double … Devlin has won the A-East rookie of the week award four times this season … Tim Ambrose (Brentwood, N.Y./Our Savior New American) had 22 points in his team’s 58-43 triumph over Stony Brook on Feb. 14 … the Great Danes limited the visitors to the third-lowest point total by a conference opponent in regular-season play … Ambrose, who tallied 20-plus points for the 22nd time as a collegian, helped his squad pull away after halftime … the 6-foot senior climbed past Morrison Teague (1985-89) into fourth place on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,527 points … Blake Metcalf (Camby, Ind./Plainfield), who made his first start of the year against Stony Brook, is averaging 6.5 rebounds over his last six games … Albany has six road wins, its highest total since the 2007-08 campaign … the Great Danes are seven wins better than last year’s squad after 29 games … Albany will honor Billy Allen (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton), Fran Urli (Zagreb, Croatia/Sportska Gymnasium) and Ambrose prior to Wednesday’s final home game against UMBC.
Binghamton (6-20, 4-10 AE) split two games on the week, trouncing Hartford on the road before losing to Albany at home, 57-54 ... The Bearcats have two regular-season games remaining and will have to win them both and receive help to avoid being relegated to the tournament play-in game for the first time in the program's 10-year America East membership ... One title Binghamton will win again is the attendance crown. The Bearcats drew 3,735 for the Albany game and are averaging 3,453 for the season, nearly 1,000 fans per game more than second-place Vermont and the rest of the league. Binghamton has led the conference in attendance for seven consecutive seasons ... Senior guard Moussa Camara (Paris, France/The Rock School) averaged 16.0 points in the two games, raising his season average to 10.4... Junior center Kyrie Sutton (Brooklyn, N.Y./Boys & Girls) averaged 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds ... Sophomore guard Jimmy Gray (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) averaged 11.5 points on 53 percent shooting ... Senior forward Mahamoud Jabbi (Serrekunda, Gambia/Alfred E. Smith/SUNY Oswego) continued to make his case for high all-conference honors by averaging 8.5 points and 12.0 boards. In conference play, Jabbi's numbers are 11.9 points and 9.7 rebounds. He ranks second in rebounds and third in blocks.
Boston University (16-13, 10-4 AE) extended its win streak to six games with an 85-53 victory over UMBC and 70-62 win against Canisius ... The Terriers won both contests at Agganis Arena to earn their eighth straight at home and finish the regular season with 11 home wins, the most on campus since recording the same amount in 2003-04 ... Senior John Holland (Bronx, N.Y./St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.)) continued his stellar play, averaging 26.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg in the two games ... He has now recorded at least 10 points in 102 of his 124 games played and has posted 20 or more points in 50 contests ... He is five rebounds away from becoming the seventh ever in America East history to reach 2,000 points and 700 rebounds ... Junior Darryl Partin (Seattle, Wash./La Salle) also had a strong week averaging 21.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg ... Junior Patrick Hazel (Jamaica, N.Y./Marquette) recorded four blocks against UMBC and now has 50 this season, the most ever in a year by a Terrier not named Tunji Awojobi ('97), who finished with 302 ... Terriers trailed by five early in the second half before earning their fourth-straight win vs. Canisius ... The Terriers improved to 4-0 all-time in the BracketBusters, including 3-0 vs. the MAAC ... Boston U. will conclude the regular season on the road at Binghamton on Thursday and at Vermont on Sunday.
Hartford (9-18, 6-8 AE) got a much-needed victory on the road on Saturday when it jumped out to a big lead and clamped down in crunch time, defeating UMBC 64-57 ... the Hawks shot 6-for-11 from three to open the game, and built an 18-11 lead ... Senior Joe Zeglinski (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) finished with a game-high 22 points, hitting six three-pointers to move up to 13th place overall on the NCAA all-time three-pointers list with 382 career treys ... the Hawks finished the game 11-for-28 from downtown after hitting just 6-of-27 against Binghamton on Wednesday ... Hartford also made use of its defense, holding the Retrievers scoreless for an 8:12 stretch in the middle of the first half, and without a field goal for 13:19 of game action ... Four Hawks scored in double figures for the first time in nine games, a stretch dating back to Hartford's first match-up with UMBC on January 20 ... Junior Genesis Maciel (Los Angeles, Calif./Compton Centennial/Worcester Academy) finished with 13 points, while senior Anthony Minor (Philadelphia, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) added 12 and seven rebounds ... Senior Milton Burton (Birmingham, Ala./Fairfield Prep/Panola) chipped in 10 points, seven boards and three steals ... the win came on the heels of a disappointing home loss to Binghamton on Wednesday, 77-47 ... the Hawks could not get started from the floor, shooting just 38.0 percent from the field in the loss ... Senior Morgan Sabia (San Anselmo, Calif./Sir Francis Drake) led the team with 11 points ... Hartford's win at UMBC concluded its road schedule for the season, with two home games remaining in the regular season against Stony Brook and New Hampshire ... the Hawks will also host the America East Championships for a second consecutive season.
Maine (14-13, 8-6 AE) fell to Vermont, 73-57, and at Siena in an ESPN Sears BracketBusters game, 71-60 ... Against Vermont, Troy Barnies (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) scored 16 points and had two steals to lead the Black Bears.. .Freshman Alasdair Fraer (Falkirk, Scotland/Falkirk Clark Eriksson Fury) had 13 poits and four rebounds while Terrance Mitchell (Milton, Fla./Faulkner State Community College) had 13 points and two blocks ... Raheem Singleton (Boston, Mass./Monroe Community College) gave out six assists...In the ESPN Sears BracketBusters game at Siena, Barnies had 14 points and nine rebounds to lead the Black Bears ... Malachi Peay (Brooklyn, N.Y./Campus Magnet) came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting ... Barnies has logged double-digit scoring efforts in 17 out of the last 18 games ... Gerald McLemore (San Diego, Calif./Worcester Academy) now has 1,145 career points, and is 15th on the all-time list at Maine ... The Black Bears visit New Hampshire on Tuesday for an America East TV contest (Comcast SportsNet) before hosting Albany on Sunday ...The latter game will be Senior Day for Mitchell, Barnies, Peay and Sean McNally (Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner).
UMBC (5-23, 4-11 AE) graduate forward Justin Fry (New Bloomfield, Pa./West Perry) became the first Retriever at the Division I level to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game, but a horrid first half sent UMBC to its fourth consecutive loss, a 64-57 setback to visiting Hartford on Feb. 19 ... Fry, UMBC’s America East Player of the Game, tied his career high in scoring and also tied a Retriever Division I mark with the 20 caroms ... Sonique Nixon grabbed 20 vs. Central Connecticut State on March 7, 1992 and Kennedy Okafor snared 20 vs. Bucknell on Dec. 30, 2000 ... Fry hit 6-of-9 shots from the floor and 8-of-10 from the charity stripe in his 117th game as a Retriever, moving into fourth place on that all-time list ... UMBC trailed, 33-17 at the half, its smallest deficit in the last four games ... The Retrievers cut the gap to three points on two occasions in the final seven minutes, but could not complete the comeback ... Redshirt freshman Jamar Wertz (Norfolk,Va./King's Fork) tied season highs with 11 points and seven rebounds in a starting role for the first time since Jan. 26 ... Sophomore forward Adrian Satchell (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) nearly posted a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds ... The Retrievers, who will play in the first round of the America East Championship on March 3, wrap up the regular season at Albany on Wednesday.
New Hampshire (12-15, 6-8 AE) went 0-1 last week, dropping its ESPN Sears BracketBusters matchup at Marist, 58-49, on Saturday ... UNH dropped to 1-1 in BracketBuster games ... sophomore Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va./Air Force Prep) tallied 16 points, three rebounds and three assists, while senior Tyrone Conley (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) scored 15 to go along with three assists, two boards and two steals ... Senior Dane DiLiegro (Lexington, Mass./Worcester Academy) posted nine points, eight boards, two blocks, an assist and a steal, while junior Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y./Greece-Athena) pulled down 10 boards ... the Wildcats have yet to allow 80 or more points in a single game this season, the deepest any UNH team has made it into the schedule without allowing an opponent to reach the 80-point mark ... no UNH team has gone an entire season without allowing 80 or more points in a game since the 1949-50 campaign ... the 'Cats have also not allowed an opponent to break 70 since VCU did so on Dec. 30 ... After turning the ball over more than their opponent in eight consecutive games from Dec. 18-Jan. 11 (-6.3 TO margin), the Wildcats have done so just twice in their last 11 contests (+2.7) ... With 86 blocks on the season, the 2010-11 Wildcats are third on the program's single-season list.
Stony Brook (11-16, 6-8 AE) fell in both its games last week, stalling at Albany and then losing a heartbreaker in overtime at home to Manhattan...the game with the Jaspers was scheduled as part of ESPN's BracketBusters and was the first-ever meeting between the two schools separated by only 56 miles...Stony Brook achieved its fifth sellout of the season with a crowd of 1,630 at Pritchard Gymnasium for the Manhattan game...the Seawolves struggled on offense during the week, but continues to sport a strong defense that allowed only an average of 61.0 points...Leonard Hayes (Voorhees, N.J.) was Stony Brook's leading scorer on the week, averaging 11.5 points ... he had 18 points at Albany and is now averaging 9.7 points during America East play ... Marcus Rouse (Upper Marlboro, Md.) came off the bench to pour in 15 points against Manhattan, his best scoring output in a month...Preye Preboye (Springfield, Mass.) had a career-high nine rebounds at Albany and then earned his first career start against Manhattan...Dave Coley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) did not play in either game last week due to injury ... Eric McAlister (Hightstown, N.J.) also missed the Manhattan game with an injury...Stony Brook players have missed a combined 50 games this season due to injury...the Seawolves are in a three-way tie for fifth place in the standings heading into the final week of the regular season ... SBU plays at Hartford on Wednesday before hosting Binghamton Sunday ... it will be Senior Day on Sunday, and the Seawolves will honor their lone senior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) prior to the game.
Vermont (22-6, 13-2 AE) went 1-1 last week in a pair of road games … The Cats opened the week with a 73-57 victory over Maine that clinched the America East regular-season championship outright for the Catamounts … The win was the 10th straight for Vermont overall … Senior Evan Fjeld (Durham, N.C./Durham Academy) led the Cats with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks … Vermont recorded new season-highs for field goal percentage (59.6 percent) and assists (22) … Sophomore Brendan Bald (Millersville, Md./Severna Park) added 17 on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor … With the win Vermont will now advance to postseason play for the seventh time in the last nine years … The Cats are tied with Belmont for the second-most road wins in the nation (10) … In 12 of Vermont's 13 America East wins this season it has held its opponent to 57 points or less … The Cats fell on the road to Charleston 85-70 in the ESPN BracketBusters series … Fjeld led the Cats with 17 points and nine rebounds, while senior Joey Accaoui (Lincoln, R.I./St. Andrews) added 16 and Bald netted 15 … Charleston used a 25-0 run in the first half to pull away … The Catamounts will wrap up the regular season on Sunday when they host Boston U starting at 1 p.m. in a game that will be televised on Comcast SportsNet New England … Prior to the game Catamount seniors Fjeld, Accaoui and Garrett Kissel (Springfield, Mass./St. Andrews) will be honored before playing in their final regular season home game.