CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The three-time reigning America East women’s basketball champion Albany Great Danes are the unanimous league favorites in 2014-15 as the conference office revealed the preseason coaches’ poll on Wednesday. The preseason coaches’ poll is voted on by the league’s nine head coaches who are not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The Great Danes received the maximum eight first-place votes and 64 points to come in at the top of the poll. Stony Brook, which fell in the America East title game last year, came in second with 51 points. Hartford and New Hampshire tied for third-place with 46 points, followed by Maine in fifth with 43 points. In sixth-place is UMBC with 24 points, then UMass Lowell and Vermont in a tie for seventh (21 points) and Binghamton in ninth (eight points).
2014-15 Presason Coaches' Poll
1. Albany (8), 64 pts
2. Stony Brook, 51
T3. Hartford, 46
T3. New Hampshire (1), 46
5. Maine, 43
6. UMBC, 24
T7. UMass Lowell, 21
T7. Vermont, 21
9. Binghamton, 8
1. Albany Great Danes
2013-14 record: 28-5, 15-1, America East Champion (1st)
- Albany became just the third team in America East history to capture three-straight tournament titles last year, finishing with a program-record 28 wins.
- Return eight letterwinners, including three starters, led by 2013-14 Player of the Year, Shereesha Richards, who led the conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage last year.
- Albany has won 45 of its last 48 regular-season games vs. America east opponents.
2. Stony Brook Seawolves
2013-14 record: 24-9, 14-2, America East Runner-Up (2nd)
- Stony Brook returns four of the team’s five starters that set a program record with 24 wins last season and reached the America East title game.
- The Seawolves went on to the WNIT, reaching the postseason for the first time since 2006.
- First-year head coach, Caroline McCombs, inherits a roster that includes 2013-14 All-Conference First Team selection, Sabre Proctor, who led the team and ranked third in the conference in scoring at 14.4 points per game.
T3. Hartford Hawks
2013-14 record: 13-8, 9-7, America East Semifinals (5th)
- Hartford finished fifth or higher for the 11th-straight season last year and advanced to the America East semifinals for the ninth time in 10 years.
- Head coach Jennifer Rizzotti enters her 15th season at the helm of the Hawks and is the all-time winningest coach in America East history with 89 career victories.
- Hartford returns four of the team’s five starters including leading scorer, Amber Bepko (10.7 ppg), and Sixth Player of the Year, Morgan Lumb.
T3. New Hampshire Wildcats
2013-14 record: 19-12, 12-4, America East Semifinals (3rd)
- New Hampshire finished third in the America East regular-season in 2013-14, its highest finish since 2004-05.
- The Wildcats have back-to-back America East semifinal appearances and return four of their fives starters from a squad that recorded its highest conference winning percentage since 1996-97.
- The Wildcats will turn to a strong front court led by Corinne Coia (11.8 ppg) and Elizabeth Belanger (10.3 ppg)
5. Maine Black Bears
2013-14 record: 17-15, 10-6, America East Quarterfinals (4th)
- Maine had its most successful season since 2004-05 last year, winning 17 games and finishing fourth in the regular-season standings.
- The Black Bears beat Bucknell in the WBI first round to claim the team’s first postseason win since 1999.
- Four starters return for Maine including All-Conference Second Team selection, Liz Wood, who averaged 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
6. UMBC Retrievers
2013-14 record: 4-25, 3-13, America East Quarterfinals (8th)
- UMBC adds nine newcomers to the 2014-15 to a roster that was the youngest in the leauge last season.
- Head coach Phil Stern, entering his 13th season, returns three starters.
- Freshmen played an integral part in UMBC’s 2013-14 campaign, including Taylor McCarley, who averaged 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last year.
T7. UMass Lowell River Hawks
2013-14 record: 5-23, 4-12, N/A (T-7th)
- First-year head coach Jenerrie Harris leads UMass Lowell into its second season of Division I play after finishing tied for seventh last year.
- The River Hawks bring back nine returning letterwinners and all five starters, including a pair of Second Team All-Conference Selections in Shannon Samuels and Jasmine McRoy.
- Samuels finished second in the league in scoring (15.7 ppg) while McRoy ranked fourth (13.9 ppg).
T7. Vermont Catamounts
2013-14 record: 7-23, 4-12, America East Quarterfinals (T-7th)
- Vermont returns nine letterwinners and three starters from a team that earned the No. 6 seed in the America East tournament.
- The Catamounts have a strong core including leading scorer, Kayla Burchill (12.1 ppg) and leading rebounder, Niki Taylor (6.0 rpg).
- Vermont opens the season on Nov. 15 vs. Brown.
9. Binghamton Bearcats
2013-14 record: 5-25, 2-14, America East Quarterfinal (9th)
- First-year head coach Linda Cimino inherits a roster with six returning letterwinners and one returning starter.
- The Bearcats will host the 2015 America East Championship.
- Binghamton opens the season at Akron on Nov. 14.