The Boston University men’s basketball team was selected to win the America East conference title in the preseason coaches’ poll released Tuesday morning.
Although the Terriers don’t have a senior on the roster, the experience BU’s talented sophomore class gained while thrust into starting roles last season has led to the praiseworthy prognostication.
“I think everyone involved, except maybe the opposing coaches, is excited to see the continuing growth of this Boston University team,” said America East Commissioner Patrick Nero in a teleconference interview. “They became one of our top teams last year.”
Conference Rookie of the Year, redshirt sophomore co-captain Tyler Morris (out indefinitely with a stress reaction), was selected to the preseason all-conference team. Classmates Corey Lowe (14.1 points per game), Carlos Strong (9.5 ppg) and Scott Brittain (7.0 ppg, 6.0 rebounds per game) round out a foursome conference coaches think can send BU to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.
“Many of the other schools had a lot of change. We didn’t have much change, so that garnered us some votes,” said BU coach Dennis Wolff, entering his 14th season with the team.
The Terriers received 61 points and one more first place vote than the two-time defending champion, the University at Albany (55 points). The Great Danes finished 23-10 last season en route to their second-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, but the graduation of two-time America East Player of the Year Jamar Wilson — seventh on the conference’s all-time scoring list with 2,164 points — and first-team all-conference selection Jason Siggers (13.8 ppg) likely swayed votes in the Terriers’ favor.
“I’m not so sure we’re the second-best team in America East right now, but I think we have enough talent to compete for a conference championship this year,” said UA coach Will Brown in a teleconference interview.
The University of Vermont, which has made five consecutive appearances in the conference championship game, received 50 points but no first-place votes and was picked to finish third. Binghamton University, led by first-year coach Kevin Broadus, received 45 points (fourth place) and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, featuring two high-profile transfers from James Madison University (Ray Barbosa and Cavell Johnson) as well as the conference’s active career leading scorer, Brian Hodges (1,080 points) is projected to wind up in fifth.
The University of Hartford was awarded 31 points, before a clear drop-off in the league’s final three teams — Stony Brook University (19), the University of Maine (15) and the University of New Hampshire (15).
First place votes in parentheses
1) Boston U. (5) — 61 2) Albany (4) — 55 3) Vermont — 50 4) Binghamton — 45 5) UMBC — 33 6) Hartford — 31 7) Stony Brook — 19 t8) Maine — 15 t8) New Hampshire — 15