The University of Albany’s Great Danes, who upset the University of Maine 56-47 at the Memorial Gym in the America East championship game last season, are the favorites to win the league title this season while UMaine has been picked second in the preseason coaches poll.
Albany received 59 points and seven first-place votes. UMaine had 54 points, and Vermont was next with 46 points and one first-place vote.
Rounding out the poll were the New Jersey Institute of Technology (42), Binghamton (39, 1 first-place vote), UMass Lowell (27), New Hampshire and first-year conference member Bryant (tied with 21), and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (15).
UMaine senior guard Anne Simon, the league’s reigning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, was chosen to the All-America East preseason team along with Albany senior forward Helene Haegerstrand and junior guard Kayla Cooper, Vermont senior guard Emma Utterback and junior forward Anna Olsen, and Binghamton senior guard Denai Bowman.
Albany returns all five starters and its top eight scorers from last year’s team, which went 23-10 overall and 13-5 in conference play.
UMaine was 20-12 a year ago under four-time America East Coach of the Year Amy Vachon. The Black Bears were 15-3 in league play to annex their fourth regular season title in five years.
The Black Bears lost two All-America East players in point guard Alba Orois, a third-team selection, and forward Maeve Carroll, a two-time second team choice.
Carroll — a career 1,000-point scorer — averaged 10.9 points, a league-high 8.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists a year ago, and Orois led the conference in assists with 5.8 per game to go with 9.9 points. Guard Paula Gallego (3.1 points, 2.4 rebounds) was chosen to the All-Rookie team.
Simon, the league’s top scorer with 16 points per game, and junior guard Caroline Bornemann, who averaged 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, are the only returnees who averaged more than 18.5 minutes of playing time per game.
The Black Bears incoming class includes Skowhegan’s Jaycie Christopher, who was chosen Miss Maine Basketball and the Gatorade Player of the Year, and Windham’s Sarah Tallon.
Both were first team Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball choices.
