It is going to be an exciting week for the basketball teams at the University of Maine and Husson University.
The Black Bears open their respective America East postseason tournaments, while the Eagles are gearing up for appearances in the NCAA Division III men’s and women’s championships.
Despite dropping its last eight games, the UMaine men’s basketball team has achieved its most wins and its highest postseason seed since the 2012-13 season.
Coach Bob Walsh’s Black Bears (8-21, 4-12 AE) are seeded sixth and travel to play No. 3 Vermont (19-12, 11-5 AE) in a league quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
UMaine has lost 10 consecutive America East playoff games dating back to 2005.
The America East men’s playoffs are played at the home courts of the highest seeded teams, culminating in the March 12 title game that produces the conference’s automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division I tournament.
The UMaine women’s team is headed to Vestal, New York, the home of Binghamton University, for its quarterfinal contest.
Coach Richard Barron’s Black Bears (24-7, 15-1 AE) wrapped up a share of the America East regular-season title for the second straight year. UMaine is the No. 2 seed after losing the tiebreaker to four-time defending champion Albany (24-4, 15-1 AE).
Albany is ranked 53rd in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) used to select and seed teams for the NCAA championships. UMaine is ranked No. 69.
That puts the Black Bears up against No. 7 New Hampshire (12-17, 6-10 AE) in the tournament opener at noon Saturday at the Events Center.
The Husson University men’s team advanced to the NCAA tournament by virtue of Saturday’s 94-77 victory over Colby-Sawyer. It is the fourth berth in the last six seasons and the fifth overall for coach Warren Caruso’s Eagles.
Husson (21-6) begins preparing for a 5:30 p.m. Friday first-round contest against Amherst College of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. The Lord Jeffs (22-5) finished as the league runners-up, dropping an 81-79 decision to Middlebury in Sunday’s title game.
Amherst, the 2013 national champion, is making its sixth straight NCAA appearance.
The Husson women’s team has claimed the program’s fourth NCAA postseason berth, the last coming in 2011. The Eagles (21-6) ended Castleton University’s two-year reign of the North Atlantic Conference with a 58-49 win on Saturday.
Coach Kissy Walker’s Eagles (25-2) are headed to Montclair, New Jersey, where they’ll battle Albright College (21-6) of Reading, Pennsylvania, the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth champion. Friday’s game time has not been set.
Two other Maine schools will host first- and second-round Division III tournament games.
Bowdoin College of Brunswick (20-6), a NESCAC semifinalist, is paired against Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference winner Westfield State (20-7). Commonwealth Coast Conference titlist University of New England in Biddeford (25-3) earns a home-court bid and will face Moravian (19-7).
Saint Joseph’s College of Standish (23-5), the Great Northeast Athletic Conference winner, also will be at UNE, where it takes on Christopher Newport (22-4), an at-large pick from the Capital Athletic Conference.
UMaine’s Vann gains AE honor
Issac Vann of the University of Maine was the only player honored when the America East men’s basketball season awards were announced on Monday.
Vann, a freshman from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was named to the America East All-Rookie squad. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged a team-leading 15.8 points and was second in rebounding with 5.8 per game.
Vann, who missed 13 games because of an ankle injury, shot 45 percent from the field and paced the Black Bears with 41 percent (20-for-49) from the 3-point line. He also made 77 percent of his free throws.
He also averaged 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals while playing 27.9 minutes per game.
Jameel Warney of Stony Brook was chosen the Kevin Roberson Player of the Year for the third consecutive season and claimed his second straight Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Joe Cremo of Albany took home two honors, claiming Rookie of the Year and the Sixth Man award. Stony Brook’s Steve Pikiell is the Coach of the Year.