The America East Conference released their 2023-24 pre-season men’s and women’s basketball coaches polls on Wednesday and Thursday, with the University of Maine men tabbed to finish fifth and the Black Bears women second for the upcoming season.
The Maine men’s team is coming off their best season in 12 years, going 13-17 overall and 7-9 in America East in 2022-2023 suffering a first round loss 85-54 to UMass-Lowell in the conference quarterfinals. The Black Bears return four starters including NCAA steals leader Kellen Tynes (pre-season All-Conference Team) and Jaden Clayton, and also off the bench Sixth Man of the Year finalist Peter Filipovity. They begin the regular season on Monday, November 6 on the road at American Athletic Association member the University of North Carolina- Charlotte, and open the home schedule on Wednesday, November 8 against the University of Maine-Presque Isle in the Pit in Orono. The preseason pick at fifth is the best since 2010-11. You can read the full men’s basketball release from the America East Conference below-
https://americaeast.com/news/2023/10/17/mens-aehoops-preseason-poll-preseason-poll.aspx
The Maine women’s team was 16-14, 11-5 in America East last season, falling 72-64 at Albany in the conference semifinals. The Black Bears will return all five starters from last years squad, including preseason All-Conference players in graduate guard Anne Simon and junior forward Adrianna Smith. Maine is behind Vermont, as the Catamounts who are the reigning conference champion is predicted to finish first in the poll. The Bears begin their regular season on Monday, November 6 at Quinnipiac, and after another non-conference road game at La Salle University on November 9 they play their home opener on Sunday, November 12 against the University of Massachusetts at the Pit in Orono. You can read the full women’s basketball release from the America East Conference below-
https://americaeast.com/news/2023/10/18/womens-aehoops-preseason-poll.aspx
Story by Chris Lessner
