The America East Conference has announced the preseason basketball coaches polls and all-conference preseason teams.
On Wednesday the women’s coaches poll was released, and the defending champions from Albany topped the conference with 59 total points and seven first place votes. Maine came in second with 54 points with no first place votes, and Vermont rounded out the top three with 46 points and one first place vote. The Great Danes defeated the Black Bears in the America East Championship game last season in Orono, and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Louisville. The preseason all-conference team includes- Denai Bowman (Senior guard, Binghamton), Kayla Cooper (Jr. guard, Albany), Helene Haegerstand (Sr. forward, Albany), Anne Simon (Sr. guard, Maine), Anna Olsen (Jr. forward, Vermont), and Emma Utterback (Sr. guard, Vermont). The full preseason coaches poll is as follows-
1. Albany 59 points- 7 first place votes
2. Maine 54 points
3. Vermont 46 points- 1 first place vote
4. NJIT 42 points
5. Binghamton 39 points- 1 first place vote
6. UMass-Lowell 27 points
7. New Hampshire and Bryant University tied 21 points
9. UMBC 15 points
The men’s coaches polls were released on Thursday, and Vermont once again is the favorite. The Catamounts had 63 points in the poll with seven first place votes. Vermont has won six straight America East Titles, and last year lost in the first round by four points to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. Bryant University came in second in the votes with 58 points and two first place votes, while UMass-Lowell was third with 47 points. Maine was picked last with just 12 points. The preseason all-conference men’s team includes- Max Brooks (Junior forward, UMass-Lowell), Jacob Falko (Sr. guard, Binghamton), Charles Pride (Sr. guard, Bryant), Earl Timberlake (Jr. guard, Bryant), Dylan Penn (Gr. guard, Vermont), and Finn Sullivan (Gr. guard, Vermont). The full preseason coaches poll is as follows-
- Vermont 63 points- 7 first place votes
- Bryant 58 points- 2 first place votes
- UMass-Lowell 47 points
- Binghamton 42 points
- UMBC 40 points
- Albany 25 points
- New Hampshire 23 points
- NJIT 14 points
- Maine 12 points
