America East
This conference has a perennial boogeyman in Vermont, which has earned at least a share of the regular season crown each of the past eight seasons and has made four of the past five NCAA Tournaments. But the Catamounts are searching for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2005.
Vermont is 45-2 straight-up in home games the past three seasons, which is the best mark in the country in terms of home winning percentage. The team also brings back its top two scorers from last season: Shamir Bogues and TJ Long.
The conference as a whole has been speeding up around Vermont. The Catamounts ranked 278th or lower in total possessions per game in each of the past eight seasons, while UMBC and Bryant both ranked in the top four nationally in possessions per game. Four other teams were in the top 31 in possessions per game.
UMass Lowell is in search of its first NCAA Tournament appearance and looks to build off of having the best road 3-point shooting defense (26.5%) in America last season. The team also returns its top 3-point shooter Cam Morris, who logged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for a unit that was 22nd in the country in rebound rate and have four of last season’s top six scorers back.
Bryant entered last season in turmoil with coach Jared Grasso dealing with off-court issues and now the team has had a full offseason without headaches under coach Phil Martelli Jr., who looks to improve the team’s rebounding. Bryant had an offensive rebound rate of 19.9% last season, which ranked 348th in the country. The team also had a road free throw shooting percentage that was 347th at 63.7%, which offset a defense that ranked fourth in the nation in percentage of opponents field goal attempts that were blocked at 9.7%.
Maine’s 15 wins last season were the most since the 2010-11 season. Chris Markwood brings back four of last season’s top five scorers, and last year’s defense was 50th in America in points allowed on a per possession basis and 48th in turnovers forced per defensive play.
New Hampshire ranked 11th in opponents 3-point shooting percentage on the road last season at 29.7%, but the Wildcats turn over much of last season’s roster with Trey Woodyard, who averaged 7.7 points per game, being the only of their top six scorers that returns.
