BOSTON - For the fifth-straight year, the Albany Great Danes are the preseason favorites in America East women's basketball, the conference office announced Thursday. Preseason poll voting was conducted by the conference’s nine head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Albany, which set an America East record by winning its fifth-straight title last season, received five first-place votes and totaled 60 points. UMBC picked up two first-place votes and 53 points to place second, the highest preseason ranking for the Retrievers since being picked first in 2011-12. Maine also received two first-place votes and earned 51 points to place third after taking home back-to-back co-regular season titles. Here is the full poll:
2016 Women's #AEHoops Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Albany (5), 60 pts
2. UMBC (2), 53
3. Maine (2), 51
4. Binghamton, 49
5. Stony Brook, 36
6. New Hampshire, 24
7. Hartford, 23
8. Vermont, 20
9. UMass Lowell, 8
The America East is coming off one of its most successful seasons in conference history, finishing with a conference RPI of 17, its best since 2010. Four America East teams earned postseason bids last year (Albany, Maine, UMBC and Stony Brook), marking that eighth time in the last nine seasons that at-least three teams were featured in the postseason. For just the second time in conference history, multiple teams won posteason games including Albany's upset of Florida in the NCAA First Round and UMBC defeating Fairfield in the WBI first round.
The 2017 America East Women's Basketball Championship will be played at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine, on March 4 & 5 with the final to be played at the highest remaining seed on March 10. This marks the first time in conference history that the championship will be played at a neutral site.
The women's basketball season tips-off on Friday, Nov. 11 with eight of the nine America East programs in action. Be on the lookout for individual team previews beginning on October 31.