In any sport, college or professional, there are always predictions and favorites before the season goes underway. And with the basketball season soon about to hit full stride, the America East released the men’s and women’s preseason coaches’ poll and all-conference team Tuesday.

The Binghamton University men’s team was picked to finish fourth in the conference with 45 points while senior guard Mike Gordon was chosen to the preseason all-conference team.

For the women, the Bearcats were picked to finish third with 45 points, their highest spot in the preseason poll since joining the America East in 2001. Binghamton also had two seniors selected to the all-conference team ‘ center Laine Kurpniece and unanimous selection guard Laura Sario.

‘We were proud to be picked third,’ said women’s head coach Rich Conover. ‘And it’s great for the girls to be recognized; they’ve meant a lot to our program but they know it’s a team game.’

Sario averaged 13.5 ppg last season including a .787 free throw percentage and was named to the second-team all conference. Kurpniece, a third-team all conference selection last season, averaged 10.9 ppg and a team-high 5.7 rpg.

Gordon, a second-team all-conference selection last year after averaging 10.9 ppg and 4.0 apg, acknowledges his preseason accolades but knows that it’s not about him.

‘It’s about the team,’ he said. ‘It’s about the guys in our locker room. If we don’t win, it really doesn’t mean much.’

Gordon also added that while the fourth place prediction is a good place, they are not concerned with it.

‘It doesn’t matter where we start, it’s where we finish,’ Gordon said. ‘The games are played on the court and everyone will see where we are when it’s time.’

Binghamton head coach Kevin Broadus echoed the sentiment about it being where you finish, not where they pick you. But Broadus also confessed that their preseason spot surprised him.

‘I am trying to figure out how we can finish fourth if the same time finished sixth last year,’ he said. ‘We are just trying to work hard and get into that upper echelon.’

The favorite to win the conference is Boston University, which received 61 points including five first-place votes. Despite being the only team in the America East without a senior, the Terriers will be relying on a talented sophomore class including preseason all-conference guard Tyler Morris. Morris, who was last year’s AE Rookie of the Year, averaged 13.4 ppg and shot a conference-best 46.9 percent from three-point range (60-128). Morris, alongside Corey Lowe, Scott Brittain and Carlos Strong, will be looking to capture the Terrier’s first conference championship since 2002.

Albany, which captured the America East championship title last season for their third straight, was picked to finish second with 55 points, including four first-place votes. Seniors Brent Wilson and Brian Lillis will look to step up this season as the Great Danes are going to need to replace two-time AE Player of the Year Jamar Wilson. Brent Wilson, who has twice been selected to the all-conference third team, was named to the preseason all-conference squad and averaged 11.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg with a team-high 76 3-pointers.

Albany cut down the nets last season on the road against a Vermont team that won the regular season title. This season, Vermont was picked to finish third in the preseason poll. The Catamounts will be led by unanimous selection to the preseason all-conference by junior guard Mike Trimboli, who finished second in the conference in scoring (15.8 ppg) and assists (5.0 apg) last season.

Following Binghamton is UMBC in fifth with 33 points, led by unanimous selection to the preseason all-conference team, senior Brian Hodges. Hodges, who averaged 14.7 pp last season, is the active scoring leader in the AE with 1,080 points and was the nation’s highest-scoring sixth man in 2006-2007 before starting in the Retriever’s final nine games.

Hartford was picked to finish sixth with 31 points, Stony Brook in seventh with 19 points, while Maine and New Hampshire were tied in eighth with 15 points.

As for the women’s basketball poll, Hartford was the unanimous favorite to win after winning their second-straight regular season crown last season. Senior Danielle White, who was unanimously selected to the preseason all-conference squad, will lead the Hawks as she was a first-team all-conference pick last season averaging 13.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg.

Vermont, the conference’s team surprise last season, was picked to finish second this season with 56 points. Sophomore guard Courtnay Pilypaitis was a unanimous selection to the preseason all-conference squad after being named last year’s Rookie of the Year averaging 13.7 ppg and leading a Catamount team that finished third last season after being picked to finish eighth.

With the Bearcats being picked to finish third, Boston sits right behind them in fourth with 43 points while Stony Brook is 11 points back picked to finished fifth. The Sea Wolves boast senior forward Dana Ferraro, who was selected to the preseason all-conference team after leading the conference rebounding with 7.7 per game last season.

UMBC was picked to finish sixth with 28 points, Maine in seventh with 25 points, Albany in eighth with 16 points and New Hampshire in ninth with 15 points.

The attitude among the Bearcats coaches and players seemed to be that they were not concerned about where they were picked as both the men’s and women’s team still has to prove it on the court. They are more focused on playing good basketball and getting where they need to be to have a successful season, and then they will see where they are in the standings.

‘It’s just a preseason poll,’ Conover said. ‘We still have to go out and earn that place and higher.’

The women’s team will start on the road at Portland State tomorrow night for a 10:05 start while the men will also start on the road on Monday against St. Bonaventure at 7 p.m.