Each weekday through Oct. 29, an America East men's basketball team will be profiled on AmericaEast.com with a team capsule, head coach interview and info graphics.
Head Coach: Pat Duquette
Year at School: 1st
*2012-13 Record: *15-13, 10-12 NE10
*Finish: 8th (No. 8 seed, 1-1)
Postseason: None
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Newcomers: 5
Top Returnees: Akeem Williams, Sr., 19.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg in 12-13
^Antonio Blivins, Sr., 15.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg in 12-13
Chad Holley, So., 11.2 ppg, 3.2 apg in 12-13
*Record in Northeast 10 (Division II)
^ Expected to miss season due to injury
Notes
- UMass Lowell begins its first season as a Division I program in 2013-14.
- The River Hawks reached the NCAA Division II tournament four of the last five seasons, but was 15-13 a year ago, good for eighth place in the Northeast 10 Conference.
- Pat Duquette was named UMass Lowell's head coach in May.
- Duquette is a Division I head coach for the first time but has been a Division I assistant/associate coach for the past 16 years, including three at Northeastern and 13 at Boston College.
- The River Hawks will have nine contributors and three starters back from last year's team.
- Senior guard Akeem Williams will lead the way, after pacing the Northeast 10 in scoring last season (19.9 ppg) and earning first-team all-conference honors.
- UMass Lowell averaged 76.3 points per game last year by shooting 45.3 percent overall from the field and 37.2 percent from three-point land.
- The River Hawks will play a challenging non-league schedule that includes national runner-up Michigan and Cincinnati.
- UMass Lowell opens league play at home on Dec. 18 against Vermont.