Nov. 12, 2002

Boston, Mass. - Boston University, which returns all five starters from last season's America East Championship team, was picked to repeat as conference champions in a vote of the conference's head coaches. The Terriers, 22-10 overall last season and 13-3 in America East, received eight first-place votes and 64 points overall. Vermont (21-8, 13-3), which shared the regular-season championship with Boston University last year, received the remaining first-place vote and 56 total votes.

The Terriers return two preseason all-conference choices in Billy Collins (12.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Chaz Carr (13.5 ppg, 45 three-pointers), as well as junior guard Matt Turner, who was leading America East in scoring with 17.5 ppg in six games prior to suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in a win at Holy Cross on December 1.

Vermont returns two preseason all-conference choices in T.J. Sorrentine (18.8 ppg, 90 three-pointers) and Taylor Coppenrath (16.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg). Sorrentine, who became the third sophomore in conference history to win Player of the Year honors, joining Speedy Claxton, now with the San Antonio Spurs, and Reggie Lewis, the captain of the Boston Celtics at the time of his death in 1993, is currently sidelined with fractures in both wrists. The biggest impact (both literally and figuratively) could come from 6-8, 260-pound junior Matt Sheftic, who returns after sitting out 2001-02 due to personal reasons.

Hartford (14-18, 10-6) head coach Larry Harrison had 10 more wins last season than he did in his rookie year with the Hawks. Hartford, the No. 10 seed in the 2001 America East Championship, was the No. 3 seed a season ago. Jerrell Parker, who transferred to Hartford from Loyola (Chicago), joins third-team all-conference selections Pierre Johnson (10.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Ryan Stys (10.3 ppg, team-high 81 assists), as well as Deon Saunders (10.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Junior Amous (9.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Josh Odugbela (6.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Wayne McClinton.

Maine (12-18, 7-9) has posted a 73-45 mark over the last four years, best in America East. John Giannini's Black Bears return Justin Rowe (12.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, school-record 121 blocks), a first-team all-conference choice last year, Rickey White (8.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg), Derrick Jackson (7.5 ppg, 68 assists), Joe Campbell (6.5 ppg, 49.4 percent three-pointers) and Clayton Brown (10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg).

Ron Everhart begins his second year as head coach at Northeastern (7-21, 5-11). But he is only part of the complete overhaul of the program. Only Jesse Dunn (7.6 ppg), who appeared for four minutes in five games in 1999-2000 then sat out 2000-01, played for the Huskies prior to Everhart's arrival. Everhart's preseason roster includes eight newcomers and two players who sat out as medical redshirts last year. Sophomore Aaron Davis (11.4 ppg, 44 three-pointers) was an all-rookie choice last season.

Binghamton (9-19, 6-10) is not eligible for the NCAA or America East Championships until next season due to its transition to Division I. Al Walker's team includes third-team all-conference selection Jeffrey St. Fort (12.9 ppg) and all-rookie choice Nick Billings (5.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 80 blocks), who missed the final seven games of last year with a knee injury.

Stony Brook (6-22, 5-11) has 11 letter winners returning but will miss the services of second-team all-conference choice D.J. Munir (17.2 ppg), who led America East with 119 assists, for the first semester due to academics. Mike Konopka (9.6 ppg) is one of five returning starters for Nick Macarchuk.

Albany (8-20, 5-11) head coach Will Brown had the 'interim' title lifted on March 13. Brown had a 7-13 record as the head coach last season after taking over the Great Danes on December 20. Leading scorer Antione Johnson (11.3 ppg) and point guard Earv Opong (96 assists) return in the backcourt.

Phil Rowe guided New Hampshire (11-17, 8-8) to the No. 4 seed in the America East Championship last season, the highest finish for the Wildcats since 1995. Rowe adds four newcomers to a team which includes junior Marcus Bullock (10.3 ppg).

The America East Championship will be held Sunday, March 9 (quarterfinals) and Monday, March 10 (semifinals) at Walter Brown Arena on the Boston University campus. The host Terriers will play in the first quarterfinal session on Sunday, which begins at 12 noon. The second quarterfinal session is slated to begin at 6 p.m. Sunday. Semifinal games will be played at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Monday. The championship game will be played Saturday, March 15 at the home court of the higher seeded team, and will be televised by ESPN, beginning at 11:30 a.m.