America East Conference Basketball Notes

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We are nearing the halfway point of the conference schedule and here are how things are shaping up in the America East.

Vermont guard Trae Bell-Haynes earned his second straight #AEHoops player of the week honors on Jan.22. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists in a 3-0 week for the Catamounts.

Meanwhile, the team is still showing the rest of the league that they are truly the beast of the conference. They are off to a 6-0 start in league play and have now won 27 straight conference games. It’s the longest streak in America East history, and the longest active streak in the nation. Vermont has a margin of victory of 15.1 ppg during the streak, with 24 of the 27 wins coming by double digits.

In the #AEHoops title game rematch, @UVMmbb defeats Albany, 61-50! pic.twitter.com/xJgHv40wAm

— #AEHoops (@AEHoopsNews) January 25, 2018

The Rookie of the week is UMass Lowell freshman Obadiah Noel. Its the third time this year Noel has earned the honor. Last week he amassed 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists.

If there is a team that might challenge Vermont for the top spot in America East, that team could be UMBC. They have won three in a row and five of its last six games. Their 4-1 start in league play matches the 2007-08 America East champs for the best start in program history.

UNH senior Tanner Leissner sits 22nd on the league’s all-time scoring list with 1,766 career points. He finds himself second in the conference scoring race averaging 19.3 points a contest. He is also in the top-10 in field goal pct. at .454, and in free throw pct. at .781. Leissner’s coach reached a milestone on January 10, Bill Herron recorded his 400th win in a 71-67 victory over Binghamton.

@UNHMBB is a really sneaky good team. Their overall record is misleading. Bill Herrion is a great coach. Tanner Leissner is a great player but he's far from the only weapon the Wildcats have.

— College Hoops Now (@now_hoopsCBB) January 25, 2018

Having a good bench can lead a team to good results. The Stony Brook Seawolves bench has outscored their opponent’s in 14 of their 20 games so far this year.

The Seawolves coaching staff, like many across the country, showed their support for Coaches vs Cancer by wearing sneakers on the sidelines this past week.

That wrap’s up another week of news from America East. We will be back next week with more notes from the league.