March Madness gets more of a national spotlight directed to the non-power conferences, like the America East basketball conference. The America East features multiple teams with experienced players and scorers that can challenge for the conference's automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament this postseason.
The America East Tournament begins this upcoming weekend with the Vermont Catamounts looking to defend their tournament crown from the America East regular season champion Bryant Bulldogs.
Many teams, including the Maine Black Bears, UMass-Lowell River Hawks, and Bryant, are threatening to end Vermont's dominance in the America East conference in the 2020s decade. Vermont has won three straight America East Tournament crowns and four of the past five tourney titles for the Catamounts.
Four out of the nine teams in the America East (eight in the tournament field) finished with +.500 records in conference play. The eight teams in the America East Tournament bracket in March should expect an extremely competitive run for the path to the tournament finals next week.
Six teams in the America East Tournament have overall .500 records or better for the regular season in 2024-25.
Players to Watch
Earl Timberlake - Bryant
Super senior wing Earl Timberlake registered double-digit double doubles for the second straight regular season for the Bulldogs in the America East. The 2023-24 All-AEC First-Team selection for the Bulldogs, Timberlake led Bryant to its first America East regular season title in program history.
Tariq Francis - NJIT
NJIT's star guard, junior Tariq Francis, could be the key to the Highlanders pulling off an upset or two in the AEC conference tournament this upcoming weekend. Francis has scored over 15 points in seven consecutive games, including a 29-point gem in NJIT's regular-season finale win over Binghamton this past week.
The former AEC Newcomer of the Year has almost single-handedly kept NJIT's offense producing on that end of the floor this season. Francis leads the AEC in points per game this season, at a clip of nearly 20 points per game.
Max Brooks - UMass-Lowell
The defensively-stout 6-foot-7 forward Max Brooks is the heart and soul of the UMass-Lowell frontcourt. The leader in blocks in the AEC has averaged career highs in points per game, rebounds, blocks, steals, and field goal percentage this season.
Perhaps the most well-rounded player in the AEC, Brooks is on pace to register his fourth straight AEC All-Defense honors selection for this year. Brooks and the River Hawks have won multiple AEC Tournament games in the past two consecutive seasons in March Madness.
Bracketology
According to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, the America East is projected to be a one-bid conference for the NCAA Tournament in March Madness. The AEC regular season champion, Bryant, is projected as the 15-seed to face the two-seed Iowa State Cyclones in the Round of 64 for the NCAA Tournament in the South Region.
Predictions
Quarterfinals
#2 Vermont vs. #7 New Hampshire (March 8, 3:00pm)
The Catamounts swept New Hampshire in two decisive points by an average margin of victory of 20 points in two regular season contests. Vermont's depth, experience, and stifling defense led the Catamounts to an AEC-best nine-game winning streak to close out this regular season.
In a rematch of the AEC Tournament semifinals last year in March Madness, Vermont and New Hampshire tip off the action for the America East tourney in Burlington on Saturday afternoon.
Vermont wins
#1 Bryant vs. #8 UMBC (March 8, 4:00pm)
After claiming its first conference regular season crown last month, Bryant is favored to win the AEC Tournament this postseason.
Just because UMBC is the bottom-seed in the AEC Tournament, don't discount the Terriers this upcoming weekend in the tourney. UMBC challenged Bryant in the two regular season meetings, including a narrow two-point loss to the Bulldogs in Smithfield, RI, a few weeks ago in mid-February.
Bryant wins
#3 Maine vs. #6 UMass-Lowell (March 8, 6:00pm)
UMass-Lowell and Maine played two extremely close and thrilling games during the regular season, including an 86-85 overtime win for the Black Bears in late January.
This past Tuesday, Maine slipped past UMass-Lowell in a tight one-point contest in Orono. UMass-Lowell gets a shot at revenge just a few days after its grueling 71-70 loss to Maine in the regular season finale on March 4.
I like Brooks and the River Hawks to pull off the upset, at least by seeding, against Maine in the AEC Tournament first round on Saturday evening.
UMass-Lowell wins
#4 UAlbany vs. #5 Binghamton (March 8, 7:00pm)
Binghamton and Albany (NY) exchanged blows during the regular season, each winning close contests decided by five points or fewer over the past couple of months. The Bearcats' length and physicality could pose problems for Albany in transition and the defensive end of the floor.
Albany features one of the top starting backcourts in the AEC, including double-digit point-per-game scorers Byron Joshua and Amar'e Marshall.
UAlbany wins
Semifinals
#1 Bryant vs. #6 UMass-Lowell (March 11, 9:00pm)
UMass-Lowell has never made it to the NCAA Tournament in the postseason in the a little over a decade-long history of their men's basketball team, playing in the AEC.
The past two postseasons for the River Hawks ended with losses to Vermont in the AEC Tournament final rounds.
Bryant hasn't advanced past the AEC Tournament semifinals in the past few years in the conference tourney. The Bulldogs played in the Big Dance in the 2022 postseason as the NEC Tournament champs.
Two of the top players in the AEC, Bryant's Timberlake and UMass-Lowell's wing Brooks, brings fireworks with two of the top offensive squads in the conference this year. Both teams average over 80 points scored per game offensively and feature multiple players on each squad averaging over 15 points per game.
UMass-Lowell wins
#2 Vermont vs. #4 UAlbany (March 11, TBD)
Vermont had Albany's number this past regular season. The Catamounts had all five starters in the finale of the regular season score points in double figures in a convincing win over Albany last Tuesday.
In the past two meetings, Vermont's starters outscored Albany's entire rotation in wins by a combined 16 points in the past couple of months.
Vermont wins
Finals
#2 Vermont vs. #6 UMass-Lowell (March 15, 11:00am)
A ton is on the line for a matchup between Vermont and UMass-Lowell for postseason impacts. UMass-Lowell has never made it to the NCAA Tournament in its program history for men's basketball.
Vermont, meanwhile, has dominated the AEC for the postseason in the past half-decade.
In early January, UMass-Lowell pushed Vermont close to a 67-63 defeat for the River Hawks. As good of a shooting team as UMass-Lowell has been in the AEC this season, Vermont has the edge on the defensive end of the floor with their length and switchability in the backcourt.
Vermont wins the America East Tournament