BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Just 10 months removed from deciding the America East men's basketball title, Stony Brook and Vermont will meet again as the two teams tangle Friday at 7 p.m. At Patrick Gym on national television. The game will air on ESPNU with Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and Malcolm Huckaby (analyst) on the call and is also available on WatchESPN through your computer as well as smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on
Xbox LIVE.
Like last year, the Seawolves and Catamounts are at the top of the America East standings heading into Friday's tilt. Stony Brook (13-4, 4-0 AE) comes in winners of five straight, nine of 11 and as the league's lone unbeaten in conference play. Vermont (11-6, 4-1 AE) is just one game back of SBU at 4-1 and has won four of its last five.
In last year's championship game, Vermont held regular-season champion Stony Brook to a championship-game record low 29 percent shooting en route to a 51-43 win and its fifth league title since 2003. The Catamounts own a 19-6 all-time advantage in the series, yet the two teams have split the last eight meetings.
This year's first meeting of the programs pits two of the conference's best defensive teams against each other. The Seawolves, who are off to the program's best start at the Division I level, leads the league in scoring defense (57.1 papg) and has been even better against conference foes, holding them to only 48.2 points per game. The Seawolves also rank among the nation's top 15 in field goal percentage defense (.366). Vermont, which posted its second NCAA tournament win last year, comes in just behind the Seawolves, limiting teams to 58.0 points per game and 40.2 percent shooting. UVM is allowing under 50 points per game in league play too (49.8 papg).
Individually, the matchup features two of the most unique players in the country in Stony Brook's Tommy Brenton and Vermont's Brian Voelkel. While rank among their team's top four scoring leaders, they are undoubtedly vital to their success. Brenton, a first-team all-leaguer and Defensive Player of the Year last year, ranks fourth among league leaders in rebounding (8.5 rpg), leads the league in assists (4.8 apg) and is third in assists (1.8 spg) while adding 7.9 points per game. Voelkel, the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship last year, is third in rebounds (8.6 rpg), third in assists (4,6 apg) and fifth in steals (1.6 spg).
Home court has been important in conference play thus far as home teams are 16-5 through 21 games. The Catamounts are always tough at home, having won 11 straight league games at Patrick Gym. Stony Brook is up to the challenge though. It's seven road wins rank among the nation's most.
Despite Vermont winning the title on the road last year, both teams know that hasn't happened often in league history and that this game could go a long way toward deciding the league's regular-season champion. Vermont was just the fourth America East team in 29 tries to win the crown on the road last year. Finishing among the league's top two in the regular-season standings is also crucial as just twice has a team lower than that won the championship in the conference's 33 seasons.
Be sure to tune in to ESPNU at 7 to catch all the action.