BOSTON - The 2015-16 America East men's basketball season got underway over the weekend for all nine of the league's programs. Hartford, New Hampshire and Stony Brook picked up wins in their season openers.
Here are the first weekly award winners of the 2015-16 season:
Player of the Week
Iba Camara, New Hampshire - So., Forward, Dakar, Senegal
- Finished with career highs of 15 points and 20 rebounds in UNH's win over Lyndon State Friday.
- Shot 7-of-11 from the floor.
- The double-double was the first of his career.
- The 20 rebounds are the most by an America East player since Jameel Warney had 21 vs. Detroit on Nov. 23, 2013.
Rookie of the Week
Ernie Duncan, Vermont - R-Fr., Guard, Evansville, Ind.
- Averaged 16.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in a pair of games last week.
- Had a team-high 14 points to go with six rebounds off the bench vs. Eastern Michigan Friday.
- Tallied a career-best 18 points against Purdue Sunday.
- Shot 7-of-16 (.437) from three-point land.
Notes
- Hartford, New Hampshire and Stony Brook posted wins in their season openers.
- Hartford’s win over Central Conn. State Friday was its first in a season opener since 2004-05.
- The top four teams in the preseason coaches poll - Stony Brook, Albany, Vermont and New Hampshire - combined for 84 wins last year and the four teams return a combined 17 starters.
- Albany, the three-time defending America East champion, will try to become just the second program to win four straight conference titles (Northeastern ‘84-’87).
- Stony Brook, the league’s preseason favorite, has all five starters back from a team that won 20 games for the fourth-straight season in 2014-15.
- Twleve of the 15 All-Conference selections from last season are back.
- Two-time America East Player of Year Jameel Warney will try to join Reggie Lewis and Taylor Coppenrath as the only players to win the award three straight year .
- Warney was named one of the top 100 players in college basketball by NBC Sports and to the watch list for the Karl Malone Award, given to the top power forward in the nation.
- Warney is four points away from reaching the 1,500 point mark for his career.
- Stony Brook’s Carson Puriefoy was named to the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the top point guard in the country.
Weekly Award Winners
Nov. 16 - Player of the Week: Iba Camara, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Ernie Duncan, Vermont