Co-Regular Season Champions a year ago, both Albany and Maine begin the year ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25. Four-time reigning champions, the Great Danes, start at No. 14 while the Black Bears stand at No. 23. Stony Brook is also receiving votes in the poll.
Albany is looking for an unprecendented fifth-straight conference title this season and returns three of its five starters. Among the returners are Shereesha Richards, a two-time Player of the Year who averaged 21.0 points per game last season.
Maine eclipsed the 20-win mark last year for the first time since 2004-05. The Black Bears went on to the WNIT and returns all five starters from last year's squad. Liz Wood, the 2014-15 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, highlights the group and enters the season among the active career leaders in the conference in points, assists, steals, rebounds and 3-pointers made.
Stony Brook reached its second-straight postseason tournament last year, playing in the WBI. The Seawolves return three starters, including Kori Bayne-Walker, who was second in the conference in assists, and Brittany Snow, who was second in the league in field goal percentage.
The college basketball season begins on Friday, Nov. 13 with six America East teams in action. Watch America East games all season long for free on AmericaEast.TV.