America East Power Rankings: Will Albany Make A 3rd Straight NCAA Appearance?

By Daniel Benjamin | Oct 23, 2014

Mar 15, 2014; Stony Brook, NY, USA; Albany Great Danes forward Sam Rowley (14) and Stony Brook forward (20) Jameel Warney are two of the best players in the America East 2014-15. /

The America East has been sort of topsy-turvy the past nine years.

Over the last nine seasons, the University at Albany has made the NCAA tournament four times but has only one America East regular-season banner. The Great Danes, who have represented the conference in the tournament the last two years, finished fourth in the conference in 2013-14 and fifth in 2012-13.

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Only three teams have won both the America East regular-season title and the conference tournament crown during this nine-year span, with Binghamton being the last in 2009.

The league has tweaked its tournament format in order to give its better regular season teams a greater chance at earning an NCAA bid. The event will now be played exclusively on the home court of the higher-seeded teams beginning with quarterfinal round play (March 4).

The remaining four teams would then be reseeded for the semifinals, four days later (March 8). The winners of the semifinals would then meet for the championship six days after the semifinals, in a nationally televised contest (ESPN2, March 14).

It looks likes it will be a three-team race for conference supremacy this year with Hartford, Stony Brook and Albany fighting it out.

1. Hartford (17-16, 10-6 America East) returns four starters and its top seven scorers from last year’s squad. The Hawks, led by 6’6” forward Mark Nwakamma, is the league’s most veteran squad with six seniors. Nwakamma led the team with 15.3 points a game to go along with 5.8 rebounds a contest.

The Hawks, who made 265 3-pointers a season ago, also have a solid backcourt with seniors Yolonzo Moore (9.8 PPG, 2.8 APG) and Wes Cole (8.9, and a team high-78 triples), who is the league’ s best shooter.

Junior guard Taylor Dyson (8.1), who was impressive during Hartford’s August exhibition tour in Australia, and senior guard Corban Wroe (6.2), whostepped up his offensive production late last season, will provide depth for the Hawks in the backcourt. Wroe is a defensive specialist.

The Hawks will also count on 6’8” freshman forward John Carroll to contribute right away. Carroll, who is from Dublin, Ireland, tallied 15 points and grabbed a plethora of rebounds in his first game for the Hawks during the exhibition tour.

This are causes for concern as the Hawks have just five players 6’7” or taller and were outrebounded by a margin of 4.3 boards a game a year ago. Plus, 6’7” senior Nate Sikma (6.6, 4.4 RPG) and 6’8” senior Jaime Schneck underwent offseason surgeries which could hurt the frontcourt depth.

2. Stony Brook (23-11, 13-3) returns just one starter but it is always good when that one player is the conference’s reigning Player of the Year. 6’8” junior center Jameel Warney (14.5, 8.0 RPG) became just the fourth sophomore in league history to garner Player of the Year honors after winning Rookie of the Year as a freshman.

The Seawolves, who have never reached the NCAA Tournament, also return speedy junior guard Carson Puriefoy (12.9, 2.8 APG and 46 steals). In addition, Stony Brook will count on several newcomers including 6’1” freshman Deshaun Thrower, who was named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball a year ago, and 6’6” freshman Roland Nyama, from Germany, has major upside.

Like Hartford, Stony Brook’s biggest concern is rebounding.

3. Albany (19-15, 9-7) lost three starter but returns potential all-league performers in 6’4” junior guard Peter Hooley (15.5, 2.7 RPG and 2.6 APG) and 6’6” senior forward Sam Rowley (11.1 , 6.9 RPG). Junior Ede Egharevba along with sophomores Dallas Ennema and Mike Rowley will be counted on heavily as will newcomers 6’11″ junior college transfer Richard Peters and 6’2” freshman guard Wheeler Baker. Peters is the tallest player in the conference.

D-I experience and rebounding will be Albany’s greatest concerns this season.

4. Vermont (22-11, 15-1) won the regular season crown last season but lost to Albany in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Catamounts haven’t had a losing season since 2005-06 but they return no starters.

The strength of the team is expected to the frontcourt. 6’9” junior Ethan O’Day (7.4, 3.8 RPG and 39 blocked shots) leads the returnees that also includes 6’6” sophomore Kurt Steidl (5.9 , 2.0 RPG), 6’7” senior Hector Harold (5.0) and 6’10 senior Ryan Pierson (3.1). 6’3” freshman guard Brandon Hatten leads a talented group of newcomers.

5. Binghamton (7-23, 4-12) is a team on the rise. The Bearcats are just 10-50 under third-year head coach Tommy Dempsey but Dempsey has been hitting the recruiting trail hard. And this year, could be the year Dempsey reaps some benefit for his hard work.

6’4” junior Jordan Reed, who was part of Dempsey’s first recruiting class, is one of five returning starters and will look to improve on his breakout season ( 15.4, 8.9 RPG, 45 steals).

6’ sophomore point guard Yosef Yacob (11.5, 2.6 APG), 5’11 sophomore guard Marlon Beck (9.2, 2.9 APG) and 6’4” junior Karon Walker (6.2) give the Bearcats a solid starting backcourt but the question remains can they shoot well enough from the perimeter. Binghamton shot just 32.0 percent from long distance a year ago.

6’6” freshman wing Willie Rodriguez and 6’9” freshman Dusan Perovic, from Montenegro, leads another strong recruiting class. However, 6’9” sophomore Nick Madray (10.8, 3.8 RPG) may be the key to the season. Madray, who is a inside-outside threat, was slowed by a back injury but is completely healthy this year.

6. UMBC (9-21, 5-11), like Binghamton, has struggled recently but has done a good job reworking its roster.

Reigning America East Rookie of the Year Rodney Elliot leads the rebuilding effort. Elliot (15.6, 3.6 APG) is a tremendous scorer and playmaker. 6’4” sophomore Charles Taylor Jr. (5.1, 2.8 RPG), 6’6” junior forward Malik Garner (6.0, 2.7 RPG) and 6’7” Daverick Houston (4.4, 4.8 RPG) will also be counted on.

6’7” freshman Lamell Washington and 6’3” senior Wayne Sparrow, who transferred from Richmond, are the top newcomers.

If the Retrievers are going to make a jump this year, they will have to improve their three-point shooting (30.8 percent) and defense (72.8 points).

7. UMass-Lowell (10-18, 8-8) had a successful first D-I season but lost a lot of firepower with the graduation of Akeem Williams and Antonio Bivens.

The River Hawks, who are ineligible for the conference tournament until 2018, will rely on 5’10” senior Chad Holley (10.3, 2.8 RPG), 6’2” junior D.J. Miachnik (7.8, 2.4 RPG), 6’5” senior Kerry Weldon (4.2, 5.8 RPG) and 6’5” sophomore Tyler Livingston (6.9, 3.1 RPG). 5’10” freshman point guard Lance Crawford brings speed to the lineup.

8. New Hampshire (6-24, 4-12) was the lowest scoring team in D-I last year (57.8) and lost its top three scorers.

New Hampshire been under .500 in America East play the last five years and it doesn’t appear this year will be any different. However, the young Wildcats do have some talent in sophomores Jacoby Armstrong (7.7, 5.0 RPG), Jaleen Smith (5.3, 2.8 RPG) and Daniel Dion (8.2 PPG, 2.4 APG).

New Hampshire will also have the services of 6’2” junior Joe Bramanti and 6’4” senior Matt Miller. Bramanti transferred from Wright State while Miller has sat out the previous two seasons after transferring from D-II Seton Hill where he averaged 20.1 points a game during his sophomore campaign.

9. Maine (6-23, 4-12) was second to last in scoring defense last year (82.9) but has a new coach in Bob Walsh, who was extremely successful in nine years at D-III Rhode Island College (204-63).

The Black Bears return three starters, led by 6’4” senior guard Zarko Valjarevic. Valjarevic (11.3) is the lone returning double-figure scorer for the Black Bears and is a threat from long-range, connecting on 43.8 percent of those shots. 6’5” versatile junior Shaun Lawton (8.1, 4.2 APG, 56 steals) and 6’7” junior Ethan Mackey (5.1, 4.8 RPG), who shot 59.1 percent from the field, were also starters last year.

6’8” junior forward Till Groger (7.8, 4.0 RPG) is capable of posting a couple double-doubles this year.

The amount of success Maine has this year will depend on the development of the Black Bears’ youngsters. 6’ sophomore point guard Troy Reid-Knight (6.5, 2.3 APG), 6’6′ sophomore swing man Garet Beal (4.5, 2.0 RPG) along with freshmen guards Aaron Calixte and Kevin Little have the most potential.