1) The University of Hartford (25-9, 15-1 America East in 2006-07) will begin its season as the perennial favorite to win the conference title once again. The Hawks won two straight conference championships before losing last year. They’ll try for their fourth consecutive 20-win season, and teams around the NCAA are learning not to take them lightly. In each of the past two seasons, Hartford has knocked off a ranked opponent, including an upset over Temple University in the NCAA Tournament two years ago. Hartford’s strength is its size. They feature the only returning First Team All-Conference player in America East: 6-foot-1 senior Danielle Hood. She’ll be joined by 2005-06 Rookie of the Year Erica Beverly, who missed all of the 2006-07 campaign with an injury.
2) The University of Vermont (19-12, 8-8) made an unexpected splash in the conference last year with a third-place regular season finish after the Catamounts were predicted to finish eighth. The youngest of this year’s conference contenders, Vermont is led by 2007 America East Rookie of the Year Courtnay Pilypaitis.
Pilypaitis, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in her rookie season, and behind Hood, is possibly the most talented player in the conference. Pilypaitis will be joined in the backcourt by fellow sophomore May Kotsopoulos, whose performance last year earned her a spot on the conference’s All-Rookie Team.
3) Binghamton University (12-19, 7-9) is the perfect contrast to Vermont’s youth. The Bearcats return four seniors to their starting lineup, all of whom bring the experience of several deep runs in the conference tournament. They include two preseason all-conference honorees in seniors Laura Sario and Laine Kurpniece. Sario, a 6-foot-1 guard, led the team with 13.5 points and 2.5 assists per game, including an impressive 19.5 points per game in the America East Tournament. Kurpniece, a 6-foot-2 center, returns as a Third-Team All Conference honoree, and managed 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 2006-07. Kurpniece is a tough guard on the inside, especially considering her .787 free throw percentage.
4) Boston University (15-15, 7-9) enters the 2007-08 season in search of its fourth conference final appearance in the last five years. The strength of the Terriers lies in the backcourt. Senior guard Cheri Raffo finished second on the team in scoring last season, with 9.3 points per game. She’ll be joined by juniors Christine Kinneary and Amarachi Umez-Eronini.
“I feel good about our guards,” Greenberg said. “The three guards that we’re starting right now, Christine, Cheri, and Amarachi, they really compliment each other very well. They’re all very unselfish and there’s great chemistry, which I really believe is going to go a long way in our season.”
5) Stony Brook University (18-11, 14-2) lost two First Team All-Conference players in the offseason with the graduation of Jessica Smith and America East Player of the Year Mykeema Ford. Preseason all-conference pick Dana Ferraro, who landed herself a Third Team All-Conference selection last year when she led the America East in rebounding for the second time, will be asked to lead the Seawolves through what should be a bit of a rebuilding season. Maura McHugh stepped down as the team’s head coach at the end of last season, leaving new coach Michele Cherry a young team with a lot of holes to fill. Cherry, an assistant under McHugh for the last three seasons, will have to develop a lot of youthful talent, as this year’s team features five freshmen and five sophomores, many of whom should see significant playing time.
6) The University of Maryland-Baltimore County (16-17, 6-10) was the Cinderella story of the 2007 conference tournament, earning its first America East championship title and first NCAA Tournament berth after winning the conference tournament as a No. 7 seed. They return two starters in seniors Krisin Drabyin and Morgan Hatten. Drabyin was as steady as they come from beyond the arc, averaging more than two 3-pointers a game last season, while Hatten did a good job of protecting the ball as the team’s point guard. Depth is a major question for the Retrievers, who have only 11 players on their roster. They will really need to get production from their five incoming freshmen, especially if injuries arise.
7) The University of Maine (13-5, 7-9) looks to new coach Cindy Blodgett to return the Black Bears to America East dominance. Blodgett is the program’s all-time leading scorer and helped lead Maine to four straight America East titles as a player in the late 1990s. Kris Younan, the team’s only senior, averaged 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and led the team in assists in 2006-07. She’ll be asked to lead a very young team that features four freshman and six sophomores.
8) The University at Albany (9-22, 4-12) won its first-ever America East Tournament game last season in a 64-61 victory over the University of New Hampshire. The Great Danes will look to returning seniors Kristin Hilgy, Sherri Mikus and Gia Sanders to carry the load this year. Hilgy averaged 10.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game — both tops among returning players – while Mikus managed a respectable 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Sanders earned All-Defensive Team recognition a year ago, finishing second in the conference with 49 blocks.
9) The University of New Hampshire (9-20, 4-12) rounds out the America East’s preseason rankings. New coach Kristin Cole inherits a very young team, featuring eight freshmen and only one senior, Ashley Cernigila. Cernigila averaged 7.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in an injury-shortened 2006-07 campaign during which she missed 15 games. The team does feature sophomore Amy Simpson, whose 7.0 points per game earned her All-Rookie honors as a freshman.