America East Basketball News & Notes: Postseason Puzzles and Podiums

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The final stretch of the America East basketball season has arrived, and while the top tier of the league remains a three-horse race between NJIT, UMBC, and Vermont, the middle of the pack is shifting. With the postseason tournament just three weeks away, several teams can begin clinching seeds and home-court advantages as early as this weekend.

NJIT: The Highlanders’ Historic Climb

The NJIT Highlanders (15–12, 10–2 AE) are currently the hottest team in the conference, riding a six-game winning streak into the weekend. Their 10 conference wins represent a program record since joining the America East in 2020.

Freshman Force: David Bolden was named the AE Rookie of the Week after averaging 12.0 PPG, 4.5 steals, and 4.0 assists in wins over UNH and Maine.
Clinch Watch: The Highlanders can officially clinch a top-four seed and a home quarterfinal game with a win over UAlbany this Thursday in Newark.
The Big Test: Following the Great Danes, NJIT will host Vermont in a Saturday night showdown that could determine the regular-season champion.

Vermont: The Catamounts’ Pursuit

Vermont (17–10, 9–3 AE) sits just one game back of NJIT in the loss column. The Catamounts are led by sophomore forward Gus Yalden, the reigning AE Player of the Week. Yalden was unstoppable last week, averaging 22.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG while shooting a clinical 69% from the floor.

The Road Ahead: Vermont faces a grueling week on the road. They travel to UMBC on Thursday for a rematch of their January victory, followed by the aforementioned trip to NJIT.

UMBC: Defense-First Mentality

The UMBC Retrievers (16–8, 9–2 AE) find themselves in second place, just a half-game behind NJIT. They enter Thursday’s clash with Vermont having won seven of their last eight games.

Elite Efficiency: The Retrievers boast the league’s top scoring margin (+6.3) and a stingy defense that allows only 60.5 PPG.
Sniper in the Backcourt: DJ Armstrong Jr. continues to lead the league in three-pointers made (70), hitting them at a blistering 41.9% clip.

UMass Lowell: Holding the Fourth Spot

The River Hawks (11–15, 6–5 AE) solidified their hold on fourth place with a wire-to-wire 88–69 victory over Bryant.

Triple Threat: Starters Angel Montas Jr. (24 pts), Darrel Yepdo (22 pts), and Xavier Spencer (22 pts) all crossed the 20-point threshold in the win.
The Homestand: UML concludes a three-game homestand this week, welcoming New Hampshire on Thursday and Binghamton on Saturday.

America East Standings (As of Feb 16, 2026)

Seed	Team	AE Record	Trend
1	NJIT	10–2	W6
2	UMBC	9–2	W4
3	Vermont	9–3	W3
4	UMass Lowell	6–5	W2
5	UAlbany	5–6	W1
6	UNH	4–7	L4
7	Bryant	4–8	L2
8	Maine	4–8	L3
9	Binghamton	1–11	L4