Hartford’s Kenny Adeleke has loomed over the America East all season as that dominating player the league lacked after Vermont’s Taylor Coppenrath graduated.

New Hampshire is coming off its second dramatic victory over conference powerhouse Albany.

The question for the Wildcats is: Can they do to the league’s best player what they have done to the league’s best team?

The No. 4 Hartford Hawks will take on the No. 5 New Hampshire Wildcats Saturday at 8:30 p.m., wrapping up the quarterfinals action at the Events Center. Hartford, despite losing its home finale against Boston, is the hottest team in the conference, as the Hawks have won six of their final eight games to rocket themselves into fourth place.

“It’s a good draw,” said Hartford head coach Larry Harrison. “New Hampshire is a team that we definitely respect, they’re the only team that beat Albany, and when they’re shooting they are extremely tough to defend.”

The teams split their two previous meetings this season, with each team scoring decisive wins on their respective home courts. There’s no telling what the neutral sight will do, but expect each team’s star players to play serious roles.

Adeleke represents that player that no team wants to see lining up against them. The senior transfer from Hofstra has demolished the AE in his first season, leading the conference in scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage, while ranking second in the conference in blocks. His arrival is ultimately the reason why Hartford was able to improve from last place to fourth this season.

“Obviously I’m a little biased but I think he’s the best player in the conference,” Harrison said. “He’s been so important because he brings such intensity and work ethic, and he automatically draws a double.”

Adeleke currently ranks second in the NCAA in rebounds, and 21st in points per game, and has been listed on nbadraft.com as one of the top seniors in the country.

But Hartford does not rely on Adeleke alone. Senior guard Aaron Cook is fourth in the AE in both points per game and three-point percentage, and gives this team the potential to have two First-Team All-Conference selections. Freshman forward Paris Carter has also made an immediate impact, making teams pay for concentrating too much on shutting down Adeleke.

“I think sometimes we rely too much on Kenny alone,” Harrison said. “We play a much better game when we play a full game, relying on our shooting and contesting other teams shots.”

UNH was projected to finish last in the conference, but first-year coach Bill Herrion has led his young team to a higher finish than anyone expected.

The highlight of the Wildcats’ season has been their two stunning overtime victories over the conference-leading Albany Great Danes — the most recent occurring last week on Senior Day, when junior guard Jermaine Anderson scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Anderson, junior forward Blagoj Janev and sophomore Mike Christensen have led the Wildcats all season. Janev has emerged this season as one of the more dominating big men in the conference. He ranks sixth in the AE in scoring and seventh in shooting percentage. Christensen, Janev and sophomore Mike Veterano, who leads the conference in three-point percentage, make the team dangerous from anywhere on the court.

The first meeting of the year between these teams saw Adeleke dominate, scoring 27 points while pulling down 13 boards, but it wasn’t enough as Anderson notched 14 in the second half to help UNH come from behind for its first conference win of the season.

Adeleke once again proved his dominance in the rematch, scoring 23 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, beating the Wildcats almost single-handedly.

Can Adeleke dominate the middle or will the lightning strike again for the giant killers of UNH? Based on the way these two teams played all year, expect a tight, exciting game, where the outcome won’t be known until the very end.

Fun Fact:

No. 5 UNH was projected to finish last in the conference, but scored two huge overtime wins over Albany during the regular season. Once again, the Wildcats will have to play the role of giant killer as No. 4 Hartford, winners of four out of its last five, is the hottest team in the conference. The Hawks have the conference’s most talented duo in Aaron Cook and Kenny Adeleke, but UNH’s slick shooting pair of Mike Christensen and Blagoj Janev have the prowess to match them. Keep your eye on those four players and you won’t be disappointed.