America East Hoops Preview: Jim Ferry and Defending Champion UMBC Reload for 2026

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We are two weeks out from the start of the college basketball season. With that in mind, it is time to start looking ahead to the teams competing in the America East Conference. We begin with the defending champions, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers. Head coach Jim Ferry, after signing a multi-year extension in the offseason, will defend that title with a roster that has been retooled.

Freshmen Additions

Aidan Able: A 6-4 guard from Baltimore, Maryland, who finished his high school career at The John Carroll School as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,400 points—one of just 11 players in school history to reach the 2,000-point mark. Able also accumulated 604 rebounds and 300 assists while setting program records for total points, career 3-pointers made, single-season 3-pointers made, and single-season free throws made.
Carlos Varela: A 6-4 guard from San Fernando, Spain, who spent last year playing for Calvo Basket Xiria in the Spanish Tercera FEB division. Varela averaged 18.2 points per game, shooting 53% from the field and 41% from 3-point range, with 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night.
Steve Huan: A 7-0 forward from Beijing, China, who earned a selection to the Joe Tsai Basketball Scholarship Program, which helps top international prospects gain exposure at elite U.S. high school and college programs. He has a twin brother, Sinan, who plays for Purdue in the Big Ten.

Incoming Transfers & Returning Depth

- Jaiden Reynolds: A 6-6 guard/forward from Syracuse, New York, who attended Winston-Salem Christian School in North Carolina. In 29 games at Odessa College, Reynolds earned all-conference honors while averaging 12.1 points per game and shooting 40.2% from 3-point range. He was also a high school state champion at Winston-Salem Christian.
- Jovan Ristic: A 6-5 guard/forward who previously played at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, helping them capture the NE-10 title last season. Ristic averaged 11.8 points per game, recorded 11 double-doubles, and led the team in rebounding at 9.6 boards per contest with three double-digit rebounding games. He shot 54.5% from the field and 37.2% from deep.
- Alpha Barry: A 6-9 forward from Queens, New York, who appeared in 33 games a season ago. Barry displayed an inside scoring touch that allowed him to shoot 57% from the field while playing 13 minutes per night in a deep junior college rotation.
- Austin Cross: A 6-3 guard who spent two years at Troy after redshirting his freshman season. Cross helped Troy make the NCAA Tournament by playing in all 34 games, averaging 16.1 minutes and 3.6 points per game while shooting 30% from deep with 27 made 3-pointers.
- Flash Burton: A 6-3 guard who spent last season at Rider, where he started 29 games for the Broncs. Burton led the team in scoring (15.1 ppg), assists (2.9 apg), steals (1.3 spg), 3-pointers made (45), and free throws made (91). He posted 22 double-digit scoring performances and bumped his average to 17.1 points per game during MAAC play.
- JP Ndong: A 6-7 forward from Málaga, Spain, who played at State Fair Community College last year. He appeared in 29 games for the Roadrunners, averaging 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per night while shooting 42.4% from the field and scoring 20 or more points five times.

THE UMBC RETRIEVERS ARE YOUR AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONS!!!! #RETRIEVERNATION https://t.co/ZdETG91M2t

— UMBC Men’s Basketball (@UMBC_MBB) March 14, 2026

Season Outlook & Schedule

UMBC was picked to finish second in the America East preseason poll. The Retrievers played an exhibition game against Long Island University earlier this month as part of a doubleheader with Maryland and Georgia Tech.

Looking ahead to non-conference play, UMBC will participate in the Under Armour-sponsored 401 Invitational alongside Loyola University Maryland, Towson University, and Morgan State. The Retrievers host Morgan State in the first round on November 12, with the championship game scheduled for November 14 at Towson University.

About Post Author

John Doucette

John is VP of NGSC Sports and head of our New England operations. He covers sports in the America East, Big East, ACC, Hockey East conferences.

DoucetteScore@aol.com

http://ngscsports.com

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John Doucette: John is VP of NGSC Sports and head of our New England operations. He covers sports in the America East, Big East, ACC, Hockey East conferences.