America East Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2018-19

By Brian Rauf | Sep 22, 2018

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: The UMBC Retrievers bench reacts to their 74-54 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 18: The UMBC Retrievers thank their fans after losing 50-43 to the Kansas State Wildcats during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 18, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

UMBC raised the America East’s profile with their historic upset over Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. But, in this highly competitive conference, a number of teams can win this season.

The America East has been dominated by a small number of teams – Albany and Vermont have combined to win 11 of the last 16 conference tournaments – but has seen its national profile rise to new heights.

That is thanks to UMBC, who pulled off their historic upset in their second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. However, the Retrievers don’t enter the new year as the clear-cut favorites to return to the Big Dance.

Over half the league believes they have a realistic chance to earn the conference’s typical single NCAA bid, making this race one of the most competitive and intriguing across all mid-majors.

UMBC returns a number of key players and their head coach from last year’s Cinderella, Vermont expects to reload, Albany doesn’t expect to take a step back, Stony Brook’s Akwasi Yeboah is the conference’s leading returning scorer, and Hartford returns more talent than anyone.

So, who will the tight America East shake out this year? Here’s a preview for every team and a prediction on where each will finish in the conference standings.

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