Centers
UMBC: UMBC doesn’t play a true center. Cavell Johnson and Justin Fry play out of position at times, but as anyone can see, it doesn’t really affect them in a negative way at all.
SBU/Maine
Should Maine defeat Stony Brook, 6-foot-9-inch senior center Brian Andre may present a challenge to UMBC. He has a .554 field goal percentage which is first in the America East conference. Stony Brook’s 6-foot-9-inch senior Emanuel Neto is a decent player as well as, who places third in the conference in rebounding and is a presence on both sides of the ball.
Advantage: Maine/Stony Brook
Forwards
UMBC
UMBC has two phenomenal forwards. Junior Darryl Proctor takes the cake on the defensive end. His 8.6 rebounds per game rank second in the conference. His partner in crime and defensive mastermind, senior Cavell Johnson, puts up an electrifying field goal percentage of .519 and has 7.1 rebounds per game. Johnson also places second in the conference for blocked shots and averages 13.3 points per game. Together, these Retrievers give SBU or Maine little chance to overpower them.
SBU/Maine
If Stony Brook beats Maine, the Retrievers will have to deal with senior Ricky Lucas, the team’s leading scorer and second best 3-point shooter in the conference. And Stony Brook’s Demetrius Young places third in the AE conference in offensive rebounds. Notable for Maine is freshman forward Sean McNally, who racked up a total of 134 rebounds this season.
Advantage: UMBC
Guards
Junior Jay Greene is the John Blaze of assists. The Retriever places first in the AE, averaging 7.21 assists per game. Greene can also put points on the board, as he scored 26 points earlier in the season in a win against Vermont. Senior Ray Barbosa, is fourth in the AE conference in scoring, averaging 16.8 ppg. Before coming to UMBC, he gathered a total of 1,103 points in his three seasons at JMU. Senior Brian Hodges also poses a heavy threat.
SBU/Maine
Maine has a decent cluster of guards that could be tight for UMBC to get through. Averaging 14 points a game, sophomore Mark Socoby has been one of the driving forces this season for the Black Bears. He is the top scorer for the team. Should the Black Bears win, they will also have sophomore Junior Bernal who places fourth in the AE conference in steals. Junior Michael Tyree and senior Mitchell Beauford are the guards to watch for on Stony Brook.
Advantage: UMBC
Bench
UMBC
Sophomore Matt Spadafora plays both guard and forward and should be the first guy off the bench. This versatile player averages about 5.6 points per game, shoots .467 from beyond the arc and plays a great force on the defensive end.
Maine/SBU
Look for Stony Brook freshman guard Chris Martin to be the first to relieve his teammates in the conference should they go on to face UMBC. Junior Jason Hight is the next best player for Maine.
Advantage: UMBC
Coach
UMBC: Head coach Randy Monroe has been with UMBC from the beginning, even before it entered the AE in 2003. Monroe came in as assistant coach for the Retrievers in the 1994-95 season and was named the head coach in 2004. With the experience he has had and all the hardships his men toiled through in previous seasons, Monroe definitely has the golden ticket for Coach of the Year.
Maine/SBU
Maine head coach Ted Woodward was faced with quite a challenge of having to train such a young team this season. This is his fourth year coaching the Black Bears. Head coach Steve Pikell and his Seawolves have had a bumpy year. Still, his resume over the years is filled with experience, insight and success. This is his third year coaching SBU — Pikell’s vision keeps on pushing his team.
Advantage: UMBC
Overall
UMBC
This season was something that no one but the Retrievers could see coming. Their strength lies both on the offense and defense, something that the rival AE wish they had both of. Including the guidance of a great coach, this team is as solid as it can get. This is definitely a Retriever year.
Maine/SBU
Both schools have young but promising teams with a couple of its fresh players coming up in the charts. Both teams have had a rough season, but as always, it’s not the struggle but the strength that is put into it.
Advantage: UMBC