Stony Brook Tabbed Men's #AEHoops Preseason Favorite

Stony Brook Tabbed Men's #AEHoops Preseason Favorite

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America East Communications

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Returning its top two players from a team that won a league-best 23 games a year ago, Stony Brook University is America East’s preseason favorite in men’s basketball for the 2014-15 season as the league’s preseason poll was unveiled Thursday afternoon. The poll results were determined via a vote by the conference’s nine head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team

Stony Brook, which received six of a possible eight first-place votes and 60 points, was followed in second place byHartford, which got two first-place tallies and 55 points. Two-time reigning conference champion Albany received the final first-place vote and netted 51 points to place third while Vermont, last year’s regular-season champion, garnered 48 points to round out the top four. The top four teams in the regular-season standings at the end of the season will host quarterfinal contests of the America East Playoffs as the league shifts to a high-seed format in 2015. Rounding out the poll was Binghamton University (34 points) in fifth, New Hampshire (26) in sixth, UMBC (23) in seventh, Maine (17) in eighth and UMass Lowell (10) in ninth.

The 2014-15 season begins on November 14 with full-scale America East play starting on January 2. Conference positioning will prove key for the America East Men’s Basketball Playoffs as each round will take place on the higher seed’s home court. The quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday, March 4 with the semifinals slated for Sunday, March 8. The league champion will be crowned on Saturday, March 14 with the winner will earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, where America East teams have won eight games all-time including Albany last season and Vermont in 2012.

1. Stony Brook Seawolves
2013-14: 23-11, AE Runner Up, CBI 1st Round
  • Stony Brook is the preseason favorite after posting its fourth 20-win season in its last five and appearing in the postseason for the fourth time in that span.
  • The Seawolves’ top two players from last year’s squad, a pair of America East preseason all-conference selections, are back in juniors Jameel Warney and Carson Puriefoy.
  • Warney (14.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg) took home America East Player of the Year honors as a sophomore while Puriefoy (12.9 ppg) was a second-team all-conference selection.
  • Steve Pikiell’s squad hosts Columbia at the renovated Stony Brook Arena on Nov. 14.
2. Hartford Hawks
2013-14: 17-16, AE Semifinals
  • The most experienced team in the league returning nine letterwinners and all five starters, Hartford was picked second by the coaches.    
  • Mark Nwakamma, the league’s active scoring leader with 1,212 career points and two-time first-team all-conference selection, pace the Hawks after averaging 15.3 points, good for third in the league, and 5.8 rebounds per game a year ago.
  • Veterans Corban Wroe, an All-Defensive choice last year, Yolanzo Moore  (9.8 ppg, 2.8 apg) and Wes Cole (7.7 ppg, 78 3-pt. FGs) will also play key roles for the Hawks.
  • Hartford which is seeking its second postseason appearance in three years under John Gallagher, opens vs. Sacred Heart on Nov. 14.

3. Albany Great Danes
2013-14: 19-15, AE Champions, NCAA 2nd Round

  • Winners of the last two America East titles, the Great Danes were tabbed to finish third in the league standings.   
  • Just four letterwinners and two starters from last year’s championship squad, but the two returnees are in the form of all-conference standouts Peter Hooley and Sam Rowley.
  • Hooley, a second-team all-league selection as well as the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship, ranked second in scoring (15.4 ppg) while Rowley, also a second-team choice, was 15th in scoring (11.1 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (6.9 rpg).
  • Will Brown begins his 14th season at Albany just nine wins shy of 200 for his career.

4. Vermont Catamounts
2013-14: 22-11, AE Semifinals, NIT 1st Round

  • Tabbed fourth, Vermont is coming off its sixth-straight season of at least 20 wins with a postseason appearance. 
  • The Catamounts will need to replace a veteran roster that returns just one starter in Ethan O’Day, who earned America East All-Defensive honors last year and is the team’s top returning scorer (7.8 ppg).
  • John Becker, the lone America East coach to win 20-plus games in each of his first three seasons as a head coach, has his squad opening at Canisus on Nov. 15.

5. Binghamton Bearcats
2013-14: 7-23, AE Quarterfinals

  • After finishing eighth in the standings last year, Binghamton is poised for an improvement, earning its best preseason poll slot since 2008.
  • Eight letterwinners and four starters are back for the Bearcats. Leading the way is preseason all-conference selection Jordan Reed, a second-team all-leaguer a year ago. He led the conference in rebounding (8.9 rpg), was third in scoring (15.4 ppg) and had 10 double-doubles.
  • Tommy Dempsey starts his third season in Vestal by opening up at Notre Dame on Nov. 14.

6. New Hampshire Wildcats
2013-14: 6-24, AE Quarterfinals

  • Tabbed sixth by the coaches, New Hampshire’s hopes rely on the sophomore duo of Jacoby Armstrong, an America East All-Rookie honoree last year, and top returning scorer Daniel Dion (8.1 ppg).
  • The conference’s all-time leader in league and tournament wins, Bill Herrion, begins his 11th year at UNH. His squad kicks the season off at Boston College on Nov. 14.

 

7. UMBC Retrievers
2013-14: 9-21, AE Quarterfinals

  • UMBC looks to improve off a nine-win season after being slated seventh by the coaches.
  • Reigning Rookie of the Year and second-team all-leaguer Rodney Elliott (15.0 ppg) leads a group of seven returning letterwinners.
  • Aki Thomas’ squad starts the 2014-15 campaign at Akron on Nov. 14.

8. Maine Black Bears
2013-14: 6-23, AE Quarterfinals

  • First-year head coach Bob Walsh will look to elevate the Black Bears higher than their eighth-place predicted finish.
  • Maine, which opens its season at Butler on Nov. 15, has six letterwinners back led by Zarko Valjarevic (11.3 ppg, .438 3-pt FG %).

9. UMass Lowell River Hawks
2013-14: 10-18, Fifth place in regular season

  • Pat Duquette’s squad will look to exceed expectations for the second-straight year after finishing fifth in the regular-season standings a year ago.
  • The River Hawks, who are in their second year of Division I transition, will pair five returnees with nine newcomers this season.