The basics

Location: West Hartford, Conn.

Colors: White and Red

Nickname: Hawks

Nickname conjures up: Noble, intelligent, high-flying birds of prey

Mascots: Howie the Hawk

Mascot is: A goofy, not-so-noble gull-like bird

Reputation: The smallest school in the America East and one of only two private schools. Aside from their dominant women’s basketball team, a very non-threatening school overall.

Notable alumni: Vin Baker, Jeff Bagwell, Dionne Warwick.

The dirt

We hate them because: They’re awesome in women’s basketball, they’ve beaten us five straight times in that, including knocking us out of the 2006 tournament. They are a constant thorn in the side of Binghamton University’s golf team.

They rule in: Women’s basketball, women’s soccer and golf.

When can you root for them: In any national tournament, a win for them is good for the America East. When a victory by their basketball or lacrosse team will knock off a team BU is trying to catch.

Professional comparison: Houston Comets ‘ In the late ’90s, Houston only got its championships from its four-time champion WNBA franchise. Today the situation at Hartford University is pretty much the same.

The history

Brag about: One name ‘ Mike Gordon. The men’s basketball point guard is a one-man Hawk wrecking crew; he’s beaten the Hawks at the buzzer three times in the last two seasons. The fact that their vaunted women’s basketball team lost its chance at the ’07 title at the Events Center. The fact that since 2004 the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team has defeated Hartford four times by a combined score of 58-24.

Cringe when they mention: Vin Baker, Jeff Bagwell, Kenny Adelke and the other athletes who have made their athletic program more recognizable than BU’s around the country. The sudden-death loss in the 2007 AE golf championship, the 2006 AE golf championship.

Names to remember for 2007-2008: Elizabeth Cook and Kacey Busque, women’s soccer; Danielle Hood and Erica Beverly, women’s basketball; Joe Zeglinski and Rich Baker, men’s basketball; Zach Ungvarsky, men’s golf.

Next chance to see them on campus: Barring fall sports playoffs not until basketball season, but the women’s soccer team will face off against them in a playoff game this week.

Bottom line: Hartford is an anomaly in the America East. They seem to have no real rivalries, and aside from women’s basketball, no real threatening teams. They do have a history of getting solid players for all their teams, but that hasn’t always translated into championships. Despite the fact that they’ve been in the AE 15 years longer than Binghamton and Albany, it seems like the two SUNYs have better established the conference as theirs.