Terriers top America East Preseason Poll

For the fourth year in a row, America East coaches have tabbed Boston University as the preseason favorite to win the conference at the league's media day last Thursday in Hartford, Conn. BU received six of a possible nine first-place votes.

Stony Brook University and the University of Maine received the remainder of the first-place votes, and placed second and third in the poll, respectively. Rounding out the poll was the University of New Hampshire in fourth, defending conference tournament champion University of Vermont in fifth, Binghamton University in sixth, Hartford University in seventh, the University of Albany in eighth and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County finishing as a near-unanimous ninth.

The Terriers return three returning players from a squad that was a game away from an NCAA Tournament berth last season, among them Preseason All-Conference Team selections in senior forward John Holland and junior forward Jake O'Brien.

Despite having been labeled the preseason favorite for the past four seasons, BU has failed to win the regular season or conference tournament championship in each of these seasons. For this coaching staff and the players alike, the lofty preseason expectations are nothing new.

"I think for BU, four years in a row of being preseason number one, you're definitely the hunted," Chambers said in an interview with The Daily Free Press. "We've been through it now and we obviously haven't been successful at it, but that's my job. We have to continue to continue to get better and take steps and make strides every day."

It is worth noting that the poll was conducted before Stony Brook junior forward Tommy Brenton suffered a knee injury that will likely keep him out for an extended portion of the season.

Joining the three returning players are three transfers, all of them juniors -- guard Matt Griffin from Rider University, guard Daryll Partin from LaSalle University and Patrick Hazel from Marquette University -- to go along with a highly-touted freshmen class that was ranked among the top ten mid0major recruiting classes by Scouts Inc.

The increased depth provided by these newcomers should be a welcome presence for a team that was continually plagued by injuries and a short bench last season. However, it also makes it that much harder to figure out who the key contributors to this team will be, an idea summed up by Chambers when he said that "Even John Holland and Jake O'Brien are not guaranteed to start."

Talented as players like forward Dominic Morris, guard Travis Robinson and guard D.J. Irving may be, Chambers indicated that, as is the case with most freshmen, it may take some early adjustments to the college game before they begin to provide key contributions for a team that has to make up for the losses of Corey Lowe, Carlos Strong and Tyler Morris.

"Early on, we’re going to lean on our veterans a lot, and just groom our freshmen and bring them along slowly," Chambers said. "You may not see a lot of them early, but you’ll definitely see them come January."

The task now for the Terriers is to legitimize their lofty pre-season billing behind a largely unknown group of new players, a task that is compounded by a conference that figures to have several teams -- Stony Brook, Maine and New Hampshire, among others -- vie for the league crown -- a fact acknowledged by Chambers in an impassioned, albeit hyperbolic, address to the media day audience.

"We've got one of the best conferences in the country," Chambers said. "This year is going to be brutal, it's going to be absolutely brutal. I think that the country's going to find out how tough and how hard this league is this year."

Live Blog: 2010 America East Tournament Final -- Boston University Terriers vs. University of Vermont Catamounts

Links:
Stood up before the Big Dance
BU's shots didn't fall when it mattered most
BU aims for Big Dance in AE title game vs. Vermont

Live Blog: 2010 America East Tournament -- Semifinals

Link: Lowe and behold: BU topples top-seeded Stony Brook, earns berth in AE title game

Live Blog: 2010 America East Tournament -- Quarterfinals

Link: Men's basketball throttles Hartford, advances to AE semifinals

America East Tournament: Quarterfinals Preview

Saturday is right around the corner, and America East will have four games on tap for the quarterfinal round tomorrow. There's a conference favorite and its least favorite underdog, a group of veterans in top form challenged by hometown heroes, a one-man army battling a team in need of a star, and a perennial dark-horse pick upstaged by former cellar-dwellers. We'll go game-by-game, starting from the beginning.

Breaking News: Binghamton withdraws from America East Tournament

After a tumultuous regular season set against the backdrop of widespread misconduct and uncertainty about the program's future, the Binghamton University Bearcats have withdrawn from the America East Tournament.

While Binghamton's withdrawal was included in today's notebook, the timing of the announcement is particularly odd. Binghamton's absence affects every single team's quarterfinal matchup (and in the case of UMBC and Albany, allows them to bypass the play-in game and earn quarterfinal berths). In addition, many tickets have already been sold to Binghamton supporters whose team is no longer participating. Thursday's play-in game session no longer features a game from the men's bracket.

Binghamton University President Lois DeFleur, herself a party in the turmoil surrounding the Bearcats' basketball program, cited "possible distractions that may occur this weekend" and "the controversy currently surrounding the program" as key factors influencing the decision. Per DeFleur, the decision to withdraw was made by the university, not by the conference.

Absent an official statement from America East concerning the withdrawal, there is no way to confirm or deny the role the conference played in arriving at this decision. However, given the significant affect Binghamton's absence will have on the tournament, it's safe to say the conference was probably involved to some degree.

The Day After: (No. 6 UMBC 79, No. 3 BU 75, OT)

Boston University men’s basketball coach Dennis Wolff said before the 2009 America East Tournament that he though, unfortunately, his team would be judged on how they performed in the postseason. He threw in the unfortunately qualifier thrown in because, despite what may have seemed like an underachieving regular season given that the Terriers were pegged to finish first in the conference for the second-straight year and ended up in third, Wolff and his players managed to recover from the midseason loss of two of the team’s top five scorers (Tyler Morris and Carlos Strong) and record their first winning campaign in three years. BU’s 17 wins, eight of which came consecutively in one of the best stretches of basketball at BU since the early 2000s, were a success, but the failure to attain an 18th win is, as Wolff said, a bitter disappointment for the program.

Over three years ago, when Corey Lowe, Tyler Morris, Scott Brittain and Sherrod Smith took the court as wide-eyed freshman starters against George Washington University at Agganis Arena (and rookie Carlos Strong scored 19 off the bench) games like Saturday’s were what was on everyone’s mind afterward. The unbridled talent of this collection of players only needed experience to reach another level — a level that many hoped would produce the team’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002. But after another one of what has been far too many late-game collapses by the Terriers over the last three seasons at the worst-possible time, those visions remain on the horizon. Lowe delivered a career-defining performance only to see it matched by Darryl Proctor’s 33 points and No. 6 UMBC’s 79-75 overtime victory.

For the first time in two seasons, the Terriers were ousted in the first round. And in a year in which so much history was made — the 100th season of BU basketball, Lowe’s 1,000th point, the program’s 1,000th win, the 200th win at Case Gymnasium, John Holland’s 543-point season, Lowe’s shattering of the all-time 3-point record — the ultimate symbol of a school’s immediate and historical success proved unattainable. Similar to his performance against Hartford, Holland appeared in-and-out of the contest. He was unstoppable at times, especially when he hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half and at others was relegated to a virtual non-factor player on the court. The same could be said about Rookie of the Year Jake O’Brien, who scored a career-high 25 points against defending champion UMBC at the RAC in late February, but was never really able to find his stroke.

Ultimately, it was Wolff’s necessary divergence from his gameplan and Proctor’s amazing effort — UMBC coach Randy Monroe called him a “willer” because he’s willed the Retrievers to victory so many times in the two years he’s played for them — that did the Terriers in. Wolff planned on pounding the ball in the post, but given how ineffective the forwards looked, that strategy quickly went by the wayside. With the offense not running through the post (as it had the majority of the time once BU lost Morris and Strong) the Terriers were a bit out of their element and if it weren’t for Lowe’s performance, they would have appeared completely out of sync.

It was the final game of Matt Wolff, Marques Johnson and Sam Tully’s careers. Next season will provide a much longer list of seniors in this paragraph, and the defeat for this talented team would be no less devastating.

UMBC will play top-seeded Binghamton at the Events Center on Saturday to decide who will get the conference’s automatic bid. The game is at 11:00 a.m. and can be seen on ESPN2.

Pros:
-- Corey Lowe: Not only did he deliver on the biggest stage of his career, but he slung the Terriers on his back and carried them through the game. After all the ankle injuries (and really, a career full of injuries) he appeared in top form knocking down runners, jumpers, deep treys and contested layups. His emotions at the end of the game told the whole story. Lowe will only have one more chance to play in an NCAA Tournament game. If you thought his effort in Albany was inspired, there’s no telling what fans could be in store for next season in Hartford.
-- Holland’s second half: Holland scoring 20 points is a testament to how effective he can be when he’s completely “in” the game. In the inaudible mumbles he offered after the contest, the only thing that was really English was, “I didn’t do what I was supposed to do,” in regard to his three points in the first half. Holland is an elite offensive superstar when he wants to be; the challenge for Wolff and his assistants is getting him to show that every night. He did for most of the season, but when he doesn’t, it becomes blatantly obvious and really hurts the Terriers.
-- Matt Wolff’s effort: In what ended up being his final game in a BU uniform and being coached by his father, Matt turned in a commendable performance, grabbing nine boards and dishing out six assists. He played all 45 minutes after suffering a concussion six days prior, but showed no ill-effects.

Cons:
-- BU’s forwards: Dennis Wolff is always cautious about calling his players out in a public forum, but following BU’s first-round exit, he showed no hesitation to mention how disappointed he was in the “4 and 5” positions. While he didn’t name names, it was evident that he was unhappy with the effort put forth by Scott Brittain and Jeff Pelage. Brittain has been stuck in Wolff’s dog house all season, constantly being pleaded with to show more aggression on the court and, as Wolff says, play off two feet. He didn’t Saturday. Combined with Pelage’s five turnovers and no assists as well as both Brittain and Jake O’Brien fouling out in regulation, the Terriers’ fate might have been sealed even before Proctor tied the game.
-- Defense of Proctor: Understand that this does not include the final minutes of the game after Brittain and O’Brien fouled out, because the shot Proctor made shows why he was a leading candidate for the Player of the Year award. Before that, however, he was scoring at will against BU’s zone and man-to-man, hitting mid-range jumpers and making strong cuts along the baseline.
-- First-round exit: It seems obvious, but this team hadn’t lost in the first round in two seasons. And given that the University at Albany upset UVM in overtime just before BU tipped off, the Terriers’ path to a championship game appearance for the first time since 2002-03 looked bright. It wasn’t to be, however, and BU will have an entire offseason to think about the loss and prepare for next year.

Links:
Proctor, UMBC knock of Terriers in AE Tourney
Lowe's 33 point effort not enough in crushing loss
BU, UVM knocked out

Live Blog: No. 1 Binghamton University vs. No. 4 University of New Hampshire

Hello and welcome to this afternoon's live blog of the second semifinal of the day to see who will face No. 6 UMBC in the America East Championship game. The top-seeded Binghamton University Bearcats (21-8) will face the No. 4 University of New Hampshire Wildcats (14-15).

Here are the starting lineups:

No. 1 Binghamton University Bearcats
02 D.J. Rivera
03 Malik Alvin
25 Reggie Fuller
32 Emanuel Mayben
34 Chretien Lukusa

No. 4 University of New Hampshire Wildcats
01 Dane DiLiegro
04 Tyrece Gibbs
21 Tyrone Conley
23 Eric Gilchrese
32 Radar Onguetou

Final Score: No. 1 University of Binghamton 72, No. 4 University of New Hampshire 67

Leading scorers:
UNH -- Tyrece Gibbs, 18
BING -- D.J. Rivera, 26

Leading rebounders:
UNH -- Radar Onguetou, 8
BING -- D.J. Rivera, 8

Leading assists:
UNH -- Two tied at 5
BING -- Malik Alvin, 3

Binghamton will host UMBC at the Events Center on Saturday, March 14 at 11:00 a.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

Live Blog: No. 7 University at Albany vs. No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Hello and welcome to this afternoon's live blog of the first semifinal game of the America East Tournament between the No. 7 University at Albany Great Danes (15-15) and the No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County (14-16).

Here are the starting lineups:

No. 7 University at Albany Great Danes
03 Will Harris
21 Mike Johnson
23 Tim Ambrose
33 Brian Connelly
54 Brett Gifford

No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County
02 Jay Greene
21 Matt Spadafora
23 Chauncey Gilliam
30 Justin Fry
32 Darryl Proctor

Final Score: No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County 64, No. 7 University at Albany 58

Leading scorers:
UA -- Tim Ambrose, 21
UMBC -- Jay Greene, 29

Leading rebounders:
UA -- Brett Gifford, 9
UMBC -- Darryl Proctor, 8

Leading assists:
UA -- Mike Johnson, 6
UMBC -- Jay Greene, 6

GAMEDAY: America East Championship, Semifinals Preview

Five of the America East Championship's eight games are already in the books after the conclusion of an eventful quarterfinal round, but there are still three remaining, including two today. Yesterday determined which teams are truly in position to make a run at the title, but today's games set the stage for next week's ultimate battle. Without further ado, let's get to the matchups.

Sunday, March 8:
No. 6 Maryland-Baltimore County (14-16, 8-9) vs. No. 7 Albany (15-15, 7-10), 2:07 p.m.



Two quarterfinal upset winners meet in the semifinals for an unlikely pairing. Albany burst out of the gates in its quarterfinal matchup but had to survive a serious comeback attempt by Vermont and took 45 minutes before securing the victory. Not to be outdone in the drama department, the Retrievers needed all of Darryl Proctor's 33 points, including a game-tying shot with 2.5 seconds remaining, to force overtime and ultimately defeat Boston University. Two more different teams could not be found. UMBC makes the most of its possessions by relying on its senior leaders for major point production, protects the basketball, and suffers from rebounding woes. The Great Danes, in contrast, are not efficient in the traditional sense on offense but crash the boards to get second chance opportunities for an offense built around a junior and a sophomore. These teams' two previous meetings produced a split, with the home team winning each contest. Albany looks to improve to 11-3 at home, while UMBC is looking for a repeat trip to the finals.

Projected starting lineups:




No. 1 Binghamton (21-8) vs. No. 4 New Hampshire (14-16), 5:07 p.m.



The early game may feature two upset winners, but today's second game matches chalk against chalk. The Bearcats have won nine straight and have a head of steam, but don't be so quick to discount the Wildcats' chances. UNH gave Binghamton a real scare during its visit to Vestal, leading by six with three minutes to go in regulation before the Bearcats managed to sneak away with a one-point overtime win. Nobody in the conference can match Binghamton's speed and athleticism, so New Hampshire will need its shotmakers to create and convert open looks in order to keep pace. No high seeds on the other side of the bracket guarantees this game's winner will host the final.

Projected starting lineups:

Post-game Audio: (UMBC 79, BU 75, OT)

Audio from BU's 79-75 loss to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County:

BU coach Dennis Wolff's opening statement


Wolff was disappointed with BU's interior play


Wolff is looking for more maturity from his team


Wolff praises Corey Lowe's performance in a losing effort


Corey Lowe and Matt Wolff on trying to contain Darryl Proctor


Lowe talks about playing yet another overtime game


Matt Wolff looks back on his career as a Terrier


UMBC coach Randy Monroe's opening statement


Monroe offers plaudits for BU's players


Darryl Proctor on his thoughts before the last shot in regulation


Proctor on not wanting his UMBC career to end


Jay Greene on Proctor's value to the Retrievers

Post-game Audio: (America East Quarterfinals)

Post-game audio from the University at Albany's 56-52 overtime win against the University of Vermont:

Albany coach Will Brown's opening statement


Brown on finding ways to score despite poor shooting


Brown discusses the loose ball Marqus Blakely lost out of bounds


Tim Ambrose talks about trying to stay loose down the stretch


Will Harris on Albany's confidence heading into the tournament


Mike Johnson credits his coaches for improved free-throw shooting


Johnson talks about his first half and Albany's group dynamic


Check back again later for more audio!

Live Blog: No. 4 University of New Hampshire vs. No. 5 Stony Brook University

Hello and welcome to our final live blog of the evening. The No. 4 University of New Hampshire Wildcats (13-15, 8-8) take on the No. 5 Stony Brook University Seawolves (16-13, 8-8).

Here are the starting lineups:

No. 5 Stony Brook University Seawolves
10 Bryan Dougher
11 Marques Cox
23 Dallis Joyner
24 Tommy Brenton
35 Muhammad El-Amin

No. 4 University of New Hampshire Wildcats
01 Dane DiLiegro
04 Tyrece Gibbs
21 Tyrone Conley
25 Alvin Abreu
32 Radar Onguetou

Final Score: No. 4 University of New Hampshire 76, No. 5 Stony Brook University 73

Leading scorers:
SBU -- Muhammad El-Amin, 23
UNH -- Tyrece Gibbs, 18

Leading rebounders:
SBU -- Tommy Brenton, 8
UNH -- Tyrece Gibbs, 8

Leading assists:
SBU -- Tommy Brenton, 4
UNH -- Tyrone Conley, 6

Live Blog: No. 1 Binghamton University vs. No. 9 University of Hartford

Hello and welcome to the first game of the afternoon session between the play-in game winner, the No. 9 University of Hartford (7-25, 3-14) and top-seeded Binghamton University (20-8, 13-3). Tip-off is set for 6:07 p.m.

No. 9 University of Hartford Hawks
01 Jaret von Rosenberg
03 Michael Turner
11 Andres Torres
23 Morgan Sabia
25 Anthony Minor

No. 1 Binghamton University Bearcats
02 D.J. Rivera
03 Malik Alvin
25 Reggie Fuller
32 Emmanuel Mayen
34 Chretien Lukusa

Final Score: No. 1 University of Binghamton 73, No. 9 University of Hartford 65

Leading scorers:
UH -- Michael Turner, 20
BING -- Malik Alvin, 29

Leading rebounds:
UH -- Morgan Sabia, 8
BING -- D.J. Rivera, 11

Leading assists:
UH -- Andres Torres, 8
BING -- Emanuel Mayben, 5

Live Blog: No. 3 Boston University vs. No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Hello and welcome to the live blog of this afternoon's game between the No. 3 Boston University Terriers (17-12, 11-5 AE) and the No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (13-16, 7-9). Tip-off is set for roughly 2:30, approximately a half hour after the conclusion of the Albany-Vermont game.

Here are the starting lineups:

No. 3 Boston University Terriers
02 Matt Wolff
13 Corey Lowe
21 Jake O'Brien
23 John Holland
31 Scott Brittain

No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers
02 Jay Greene
21 Matt Spadafora
23 Chauncey Gilliam
30 Justin Fry
32 Darryl Proctor

Final Score: No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County 79, No. 3 Boston University 75 (OT)

Leading scorers:
UMBC -- Darryl Proctor, 33
BU -- Corey Lowe, 33

Leading rebounders:
UMBC -- Darryl Proctor, 11
BU -- Matt Wolff, 9

Leading assists:
UMBC -- Jay Greene, 8
BU -- Matt Wolff, 6

Live Blog: No. 2 University of Vermont vs. No. 7 University at Albany

Hello and welcome to the first game of what promises to be an eventful Saturday at SEFCU Arena on the campus of the University at Albany for the quarterfinal round of the America East Tournament. The Catamounts (23-7, 13-3) face the host Great Danes (14-15, 6-10) for a 12:07 tip-off.

Here are the starting lineups:

No. 7 University at Albany Great Danes
03 Will Harris
21 Mike Johnson
23 Tim Ambrose
33 Brian Connelly
54 Brett Gifford

No. 2 University of Vermont Catamounts
12 Nick Vier
13 Mike Trimboli (we're going to assume he's playing for now and as soon as the official lineups are announced we'll let you know here and in the live blog)
21 Garvey Young
23 Marqus Blakely
40 Colin McIntosh

Final Score: No. 7 University at Albany 56, No. 2 University of Vermont 52 (OT)

Leading scorers:
UA -- Will Harris, 18
UVM -- Marqus Blakely, 22

Leading rebounders:
UA -- Two tied with 10
UVM -- Marqus Blakely, 9

Leading assists:
UA -- Mike Johnson, 5
UVM -- Three tied with two

GAMEDAY: No. 3 Boston University vs. No. 6 University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Saturday afternoon's game between the sixth-seeded University of Maryland-Baltimore County will mark the first time the two teams have faced each other in the conference tournament and the third time the teams play this season. The Retrievers are the defending America East Champions and they boast two of the most talented players int he conference in senior point guard Jay Greene and senior forward Darryl Proctor -- a daunting task in the first round to say the least.

The biggest focus for the Terriers will be on seizing the momentum of their three-game winning streak and somehow summoning the play of the same BU squad that reeled off eight-straight games in the middle of the season. For BU, the offense revolves around Corey Lowe and John Holland. Often, as Lowe goes, so go the Terriers and he'll need to perform well on the biggest stage of the season if BU has hopes of advancing. Lowe has combined for 37 points against the Retrievers and is beginning to play better basketball after being benched in the second half against Stony Brook. That game was the middle contest of a three-game stretch during which Lowe scored a combined 17 points on 6-of-27 shooting. He burst out of his career-worst shooting slump in BU's final two games of the season, however, and appears back to for just in time for the tournament. Still, he'll need to not only shoot well for the Terriers offense to be effective, but also be an efficient facilitator.

Additionally, John Holland (who scored 25 points against the University at Albany in SEFCU earlier this year without Lowe on the floor and combined for 40 in two games against UMBC) must rebound for a poor showing in last years' tournament, which came to a point when the sophomore forward didn't play in the second half of BU's loss to Hartford. Holland's the most talented scorer on the team and this could be his tournament to impress in given his extreme amount of consistency (18 points per game) scoring the basketball.

Also pivotal to BU's success will be the post players, especially Scott Brittain and Jeff Pelage, who have been accosted all year by the Terriers' coaching staff and have shown flashes of brilliance. Still, with both having eFG percentages of under 50, BU hasn't been as efficient in the post as coach Dennis Wolff would like. Pelage's play of late has been aggressive and powerful and he could be a "secret weapon" of sorts in the tournament as teams probably didn't see this Pelage during the regular season. Brittain's play will be another x-factor as his post efficiency could make the difference if the game is close.

Senior Matt Wolff, after suffering a severe concussion against Hartford last Sunday, began practicing with the Terriers on Wednesday and will play against UMBC. Another, and much more unexpected source of playing time will come from Sherrod Smith. Smith performed well against Hartford in the season finale after virtually not playing all season. Because of his performance, Wolff said he earned the right to get some minutes in the tourney.

Rookie of the Year, Jake O'Brien, set his career-high scoring total against UMBC on February 2, with 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting. While UMBC coach Randy Monroe certainly knows his capabilities, he still has the ability to shoot over people basically any time he wants and if his confidence against the Retrievers continues, he could have a major impact on the game.

As poorly as the Terriers played against last-place Hartford on Sunday, the Terriers were able to accomplish a feat that escaped them all season -- win a game when trailing with 5:00 to go in the game. BU's overtime win put them at 1-8 on the year when trailing with 5:00 left and the Terriers are 0-3 when tied at the 5:00 mark.

BU will most likely implement a matchup zone against the Retrievers, but don't be surprised if Wolff uses a little more man-to-man than usual, as it worked well in BU's 80-77 double overtime victory at Case Gymnasium this year, especially with Matt Wolff guarding Proctor effectively. UMBC is healthy (yet still not very deep, much like BU) and the draw is one of the most evenly-matched first-round games.

As far as the history aspect of the macthup is concerned, The Terriers haven't lost a quarterfinal game in the America East Tournament in two years as the current junior class roared back to beat Binghamton in 2006-07 and upset No. 3 Albany in the first round at Binghamton. As a No. 3 seed, the Terriers are 7-7 all-time and are 7-2 all-time against six seeds.

Links:
Terriers' season faces judgment this weekend in AE tourney

Projected Starting Lineups

Live Blog: No. 8 University of Maine vs. No. 9 University of Hartford

Hello and welcome to your live coverage of the America East Conference Tournament. The tournament kicks off tonight with the play-in game between the No. 8 University of Maine and the No. 9 University of Hartford. The winner will face top-seeded Binghamton tomorrow evening in the first game of the afternoon session (6:07 p.m.).

For a preview of the game, check the post below.

Here are the starting lineups for tonight's game:

No. 8 University of Maine Black Bears
12 Junior Bernal
22 Mark Socoby
32 Gerald McLemore
03 Troy Barnies
21 Sean McNally

No. 9 University of Hartford Hawks
01 Jaret von Rosenberg
03 Michael Turner
11 Andres Torres
23 Morgan Sabia
25 Anthony Minor

Final Score: No. 9 University of Hartford 65, No. 8 University of Maine 56
Box Score

Leading Scorers:
UH -- Jaret von Rosenberg, 21
UM -- Gerald McLemore, 13

Leading Rebounders:
UH -- Two tied at two
UM -- Sean McNally, 7

Leading Assists:
UH -- Andres Torres, 4
UM -- Sean McNally, 4

GAMEDAY: America East Championship, Play-In and Quarterfinals Preview

The weekend that defines the America East Conference is finally here. The tournament kicks off Friday night at 7:05 p.m. between the No. 8 University of Maine and the No. 9 University of Hartford. Then Saturday features eight teams in the most exciting day of the conference's season. One NCAA bid is on the line so without wasting too much of your time, let's get right to the previews.

Friday, March 6:
No. 8 Maine (9-20, 4-12) vs. No. 9 Hartford (6-25, 2-14), 7:05 p.m.



















The Hawks are coming off an emotional loss to Boston University in which they came extremely close to ending their dismal 14-game losing streak. While Hartford deserved to win the game, they couldn't make enough plays and/or 3-pointers at the end to pull it out. Maine, on the other hand, lost to Vermont sans Mike Trimboli and is probably playing the worst basketball in the conference. Troy Barnies and Gerald McLemore have been a diamonds in the rough for the Black Bears, but when Mark Socoby's not scoring, it makes things difficult. McLemore could be a difference-maker as the most athletic player on the court in the play-in game, but Hartford's newfound energy could be enough to propel them forward. The winner doesn't get much of a reward, however, as they have to take on top-seeded Binghamton on Saturday. Hartford and Maine split the season series.

Projected starting lineups




















Saturday, March 7:
No. 2 Vermont (23-7, 13-3) vs. No. 7 Albany (14-15, 6-10), 12:07 p.m.



















Almost all the talk surrounding this game has been centered on Mike Trimboli's mysterious "illness/serious viral infection" and whether or not the first-team senior guard will play on Saturday. According to the Burlington Free Press, he's already returned to practice and made the trip to Albany. It would be a complete shock to see him held out of the lineup, especially in his senior year. How effective he'll be, however, remains to be see. Even if Trimboli doesn't play, UVM still has AE Player of the Year Marqus Blakely and a great supporting cast. The Great Danes are in rough shape as their rookie point guard Anthony Raffa and Louis Barraza will likely miss the game with injuries and not even a home-court advantage can help cure that. With a severe lack of depth and being losers of seven of their last eight -- as well as history (a No. 7 seed has never topped a No. 2 seed in the America East Tournament) -- things aren't looking good for the Danes. One glimmer of hope could be that Albany has beaten UVM this season, 82-77 at Patrick Gymnasium.

Projected Starting Lineups




















No. 3 Boston U. (17-12, 11-5) vs. No. 6 UMBC (13-16, 7-9), 2:30 p.m.
*See Gameday post above for detailed information.

No. 1 Binghamton (20-8, 13-3) vs. Winner of No. 8/No. 9 play-in game, 6:07 p.m.




Obviously we won't know who Binghamton's playing until the play-in game is over, but it's a safe bet that the Bearcats will match up well against their opponent. Binghamton is the most athletic team in the conference and is on an eight-game winning streak (though some have been by the thinnest of margins) entering the tournament. We'll have more info on this matchup once it's determined.

(Edit: Hartford, by virtue of winning the play-in game, has advanced to the quarterfinals and will be Binghamton's opponent. The Hawks will have to improve on their regular season results against the Bearcats (two losses by seven and 18 points, respectively) while dealing with the effects of playing on short rest with a relatively short bench. Hartford's victory puts the Hawks on their first winning streak since mid-January and nine of the Bearcats' 13 conference wins were by single digits, so don't be surprised if this one stays close.)

Projected Starting Lineup











No. 4 New Hampshire (13-15, 8-8) vs. No. 5 Stony Brook (16-13, 8-8), 8:30 p.m.



















These two teams faced each other in a thriller at the end of the season with UNH capturing the higher seed on the strength of a 58-57 overtime victory. The Wildcats have beaten the Seawolves twice this season and have won four of their last five games, with the one loss coming to Binghamton by one point in overtime. The Seawolves have been one of the most surprising teams in the conference given their youth and inexperience, but with Tommy Brenton (second in the conference in rebounding) and Muhammad El-Amin does the bulk of the scoring. SBU presents a nice balanced scoring attack and is the best defensive team in the conference. If, however, the Wildcats begin to light it up from beyond the arc -- combined with the in-game coaching of Bill Herrion -- the Wildcats could move on. Given the matchup and the fact they just played one another, this game could turn into a first-round gem.

Projected Starting Lineups

BREAKING NEWS: Jake O'Brien wins Rookie of the Year, Holland and Lowe on First Team, Wolff All-Defensive

The America East announced its end-of-the-season award winners Friday morning. BU sophomore forward John Holland (18.0 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game) and junior guard Corey Lowe (16.6 points per game, 4.1 assists per game) were both selected as members of the All-Conference First Team while freshman Jake O'Brien (12.6 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game) becomes the third consecutive Terrier to win the Rookie of the Year award. Tyler Morris won the award in 2006-07 and Holland won last year. It's the second time in conference history one school has featured three-consecutive ROY's (Siena: Steve McCoy (1985-86), Dwight Walton (1986-87), Marc Brown (1987-88)). Senior forward Matt Wolff also earned a spot on the all-defensive team.

Below are the full awards for the America East 2008-09 season or you can click here for the full release.

Major Awards:

Kevin Roberson Player of the Year
Marqus Blakely, Vermont

Coach of the Year
Kevin Broadus, Binghamton

Rookie of the Year
Jake O’Brien, Boston University

Defensive Player of the Year
Marqus Blakely, Vermont

All-Conference Awards:

First Team

John Holland So. G/F Boston University
Corey Lowe Jr. G Boston University
Darryl Proctor Sr. F UMBC
Marqus Blakely Jr. F Vermont
Mike Trimboli Sr. G Vermont

Second Team
Emanuel Mayben Jr. G Binghamton
D.J. Rivera Jr. F Binghamton
Jay Greene Sr. G UMBC
Tyrece Gibbs Sr. G New Hampshire
Muhammad El-Amin Jr. G Stony Brook

Third Team
Tim Ambrose So. G Albany
Will Harris Jr. F Albany
Reggie Fuller Sr. F Binghamton
Jaret von Rosenberg Sr. G Hartford
Colin McIntosh Sr. F Vermont

All-Rookie Team
Jake O’Brien Fr. F Boston University
Gerald McLemore Fr. G Maine
Tommy Brenton Fr. F Stony Brook
Bryan Dougher Fr. G Stony Brook
Garvey Young Fr. G Vermont

All-Defensive Team
Jerel Hastings Sr. F Albany
Reggie Fuller Sr. F Binghamton
Matt Wolff Sr. F Boston University
Marques Cox Sr. G Stony Brook
Marqus Blakely Jr. F Vermont

Check back later tonight for previews of this weekend's games as well as a live blog of the play-in game between No. 8 Maine and No. 9 Hartford.