The America East released its 2014-15 men’s basketball preseason poll on Thursday afternoon, selecting Stony Brook as the favorite with 60 points and six of eight possible first-place votes. Binghamton was tabbed fifth out of the America East’s nine teams with 38 points and no first-place picks. The poll is determined by the conference’s head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own team.
In addition to team rankings, the coaches also named individuals for the Preseason All-Conference Team. BU junior guard Jordan Reed earned the accolade for the second straight year, having led the conference in rebounding with 8.9 boards per game and finished third in scoring with 15.4 points per game. Despite those figures and earning 10 double-doubles through 2013-14, Reed was voted second-team all-conference at the end of last season.
“Jordan’s earned the respect of the coaches in the league and I think that’s what the All-Conference Team is all about,” BU head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “He’s had two good years, people expect a lot out of him, and that’s why he was made first-team all-conference.”
Rounding out the Preseason All-Conference Team selections are Hartford senior forward Mark Nwakamma, Albany junior guard Peter Hooley and Stony Brook’s tandem juniors, forward Jameel Warney and guard Carson Puriefoy.
Warney and Puriefoy played no small role in Stony Brook’s finishing at the top of the poll. Warney, 2013-14’s America East Player of the Year, did not lead the conference in either shooting or rebounding, finishing last season with 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, good for seventh and third in AE standings, respectively. However, the 6-foot-8 sharp shooter posted a .616 percent clip from the field through the season, which ranked fifth in the nation. Puriefoy, on the other hand, was picked second-team all-conference along with Reed at the end of last season, putting up 12.8 points and 2.8 assists per game.
Following Stony Brook in the top half of the rankings were Hartford (55, two first-place votes), Albany (51, one first-place vote) and Vermont (48).
For its part, Hartford returns the conference’s most experienced squad, having lost none of its starting five to graduation. The Hawks will continue to rely on Nwakamma, a two-time first-team all-conference selection who finished last season with 15.3 points per game.
Two-time reigning AE champ Albany can still look to Hooley and senior forward Sam Rowley — another pair of last season’s second-team all-conference picks — to ground its team. Hooley also bears the distinction of being last year’s AE Championship’s Most Outstanding Player.
Though Binghamton has welcomed seven freshmen to its roster, Dempsey’s squad’s fifth-place ranking falls two spots above last year’s.
“It’s a sign that the coaches realize our program is moving in a positive direction,” Dempsey said. “But I think the polls for the most part are more for media and fans. Internally, we’re just focused on getting our team ready here for the first stretch of games … We just can’t wait to get the uniforms on and play, and I think that the rest of it will take care of itself over time,” he added.
Finishing the bottom half of the poll are UNH (26), UMBC (23), Maine (17) and UMass Lowell (10).
Keep an eye out for Pipe Dream’s preseason rankings and all-conference team selections in our season preview issue on Nov. 11.