2026-27 America East Preview

2026-09-28

The America East enters 2026-27 with something it has not always had: real uncertainty near the top.

UMBC owned last season. The Retrievers went 14-2 in conference play, won the regular-season and tournament championships and represented the league in the NCAA Tournament. Vermont again reached the America East championship game. NJIT produced its best conference season since joining the league.

Almost none of those teams will look exactly the same.

UMBC returns only one starter from its championship team. NJIT lost much of the group responsible for its breakthrough. Vermont still has one of the conference's best players in Gus Yalden, but John Becker is integrating a large group of newcomers.

Then there is Binghamton.

The Bearcats finished last at 4-12, but their season was wrecked by injuries. A healthier roster brings back two of the most productive individual players in the conference and adds meaningful help through the portal.

That makes last year's standings a starting point — not a preseason forecast.

MMH Projected Order

This is not a ranking of last year's teams. If it were, UMBC would be No. 1 comfortably.

The projection attempts to translate returning production, roster turnover, transfers, injuries and program stability into expectations for 2026-27. September 28 update: Austin Green's return moves UMass Lowell into the projected top five; the 2025-26 numbers in the table remain last season's results.

Other preseason picks

The America East preseason poll will be added once it is released.

1. Vermont

The standard still runs through Burlington

Vermont doesn't need to be the most experienced team in the America East to be the safest preseason choice.

John Becker's program went 22-12 last season, finished 12-4 in conference play and reached another America East championship game. The Catamounts' 53.1 MMH Power Index and +7.5 net efficiency were second in the league only to UMBC.

More importantly, Vermont starts with Gus Yalden.

Yalden averaged 16.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. At 6-9, he gives Vermont a proven offensive centerpiece who can score inside while also stretching the defense.

Noah Barnett returns alongside him, giving the Catamounts another established frontcourt piece.

The perimeter is where Vermont changes.

Former UMass Lowell guard Darrel Yepdo brings America East experience. Will Davies arrives from Saint Anselm after averaging 13.7 points and 7.1 assists. John Broom comes from South Alabama, Khalil Badru from Iona and Daniil Glazkov from Loyola Chicago.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 22-12
MMH Power: 53.1
Net Efficiency: +7.5
Offensive Efficiency: 112.2
Defensive Efficiency: 104.7
Tempo: 65.4

Roster Reset

Key returner: Gus Yalden
Frontcourt anchor: Noah Barnett
Newcomer to watch: Will Davies
Biggest challenge: Replacing perimeter production and shooting

The Question

Can a largely new perimeter group provide enough creation and shooting around perhaps the best frontcourt in the conference?

MMH Outlook

Vermont begins at No. 1 because it has the best combination of proven star power, coaching continuity and program infrastructure.

The Catamounts may look different.

There is simply less guesswork here than anywhere else in the conference.

2. Binghamton

Forget 8-23 for a minute

There may not be another team in the America East whose final record requires more context.

Binghamton had nine of 13 scholarship players miss multiple games last season. Seven suffered season-ending injuries. The Bearcats lost roughly 170 player-games to injury and used 14 different starting lineups.

And yet two players who could be among the best in the league are back.

Jeremiah Quigley averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists.

Demetrius Lilley played only 11 games but averaged 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds.

Around them, Binghamton added former New Hampshire guard KiJan Robinson, UC Riverside forward Dylan Godfrey, UTEP transfer Bobby Montgomery Jr. and 6-11 Utah Valley transfer Joul Karram.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 8-23
MMH Power: 32.4
Net Efficiency: -10.1
Offensive Efficiency: 102.2
Defensive Efficiency: 112.3

Those numbers are ugly.

They also describe the team that actually appeared on the floor, not the healthy roster Binghamton expected to have.

Roster Reset

Key returner: Jeremiah Quigley
X-factor: Demetrius Lilley's health
Transfer to watch: KiJan Robinson
Biggest advantage: Proven production at point guard and center

The Question

Can Binghamton finally keep its most important players on the floor?

MMH Outlook

This is the largest bounce-back candidate in the conference.

An 8-23 team jumping to second would ordinarily be an enormous projection.

Given what happened last season, it isn't as radical as it looks.

3. Bryant

Older, bigger and better suited to the system

Jamion Christian's first Bryant roster never quite fit what he wanted to do.

The Bulldogs went 9-22 and finished with a 98.6 MMH offensive efficiency and -11.6 net efficiency.

There was also youth everywhere.

That changes this season.

Ty Tabales returns after averaging 9.1 points and 3.4 assists as a freshman.

The frontcourt retains one of the conference's most unusual players in Keegan Harvey, a 6-11 forward who averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from three.

Bryant then added Georgia Tech transfer Eric Chatfield Jr., Andre Pasha from New Haven, Duane Thompson from Midland College and former South Florida forward Onyx Nnani.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 9-22
MMH Power: 34.1
Net Efficiency: -11.6
Offensive Efficiency: 98.6
Defensive Efficiency: 110.2

Roster Reset

Key returner: Ty Tabales
Frontcourt centerpiece: Keegan Harvey
Transfer to watch: Eric Chatfield Jr.
Biggest need: Better shooting

The Question

Can Bryant make enough shots?

The Bulldogs were willing to take threes last season but converted only about 30 percent of them.

If that number moves significantly toward average, the entire offense changes.

MMH Outlook

The roster makes considerably more sense.

Bryant has enough talent and physical versatility to challenge for a top-three finish if the shooting improves.

4. NJIT

The breakthrough is over. Now prove it's sustainable.

NJIT's 10-6 America East season represented a legitimate step forward.

The Highlanders won 16 games overall and produced their best conference season since joining the league.

But much of that roster turned over.

The player everything now revolves around is sophomore guard David Bolden, last season's America East Rookie of the Year.

Bolden averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a freshman.

Grant Billmeier rebuilt around him with VMI transfer Mario Tatum Jr., Georgia Tech transfer Brandon Stores Jr. and UTSA forward Mathéo Coffi.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 16-17
MMH Power: 38.5
Net Efficiency: -9.1
Offensive Efficiency: 98.1
Defensive Efficiency: 107.2

That creates an interesting contrast.

NJIT finished third in the conference standings, but its full-season MMH profile was much less impressive.

That doesn't erase the 10-6 record.

It simply tells us the Highlanders were not as dominant underneath the surface as the standings might suggest.

Roster Reset

Key returner: David Bolden
Transfer to watch: Mathéo Coffi
Biggest loss: Much of last season's experienced rotation
Biggest opportunity: Bolden becoming a true lead player

The Question

Can a reconstructed rotation reproduce last season's conference success?

MMH Outlook

NJIT is absolutely capable of another top-four finish.

The Highlanders simply aren't established enough yet to assume last year's breakthrough automatically carries forward.

5. UMass Lowell

Austin Green changes the outlook

UMass Lowell went 9-7 in conference play and finished fourth last season. The original projection assumed all five starters were gone. Austin Green is returning, giving the River Hawks a proven frontcourt anchor alongside a largely new supporting cast.

Green started 26 of 27 games in 2025-26, averaging 13.2 points and 8.0 rebounds. He led Lowell with eight double-doubles and earned All-Conference Third Team honors. UMass Lowell player bio

Former four-star prospect Jakai Newton arrives after playing at Georgia State and beginning his career at Indiana. Jayden Harris comes from Eastern Kentucky, Christian Jones from Siena and Kenyon Giles from the junior-college level.

Sophomore forward Victor Okojie returns as well and can take on a larger role. Green's presence makes the frontcourt less speculative, while the new guards still have to establish how the offense will work around him.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 15-18
MMH Power: 43.8
Net Efficiency: -2.1
Offensive Efficiency: 107.9
Defensive Efficiency: 109.9
Tempo: 69.4

Roster Reset

Returning starter: Austin Green
Transfer to watch: Jakai Newton
Breakout candidate: Victor Okojie
Biggest challenge: Settling a new perimeter rotation

The Question

Can the incoming guards create enough quality chances for Green while also supplying dependable late-game scoring?

MMH Outlook

Green's return changes the baseline. A proven scorer and rebounder raises Lowell from seventh to fifth in this editorial projection, just behind NJIT. There is a path higher if Newton and the new guards click quickly, but the backcourt fit still needs to be proven.

6. UMBC

How much of a championship carries over when the roster doesn't?

Last season's best America East team was not particularly close in the MMH numbers.

UMBC posted a 59.1 Power Index and +13.9 net efficiency, both conference highs.

The Retrievers also went 14-2 in league play and swept the regular-season and tournament championships.

The problem with using any of that to forecast 2026-27 is simple:

Most of that team is gone.

UMBC returns only one starter and has extensively rebuilt the roster.

The headliner is Flash Burton, who comes from Rider after averaging 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

Returning forward Riley Jacobs is one of the few direct links to the championship rotation.

Jovan Ristić arrives from Saint Anselm, Austin Cross from Troy and several other newcomers join a roster that will look almost entirely different.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 24-9
MMH Power: 59.1
Net Efficiency: +13.9
Offensive Efficiency: 113.0
Defensive Efficiency: 99.0

Roster Reset

Key returner: Riley Jacobs
Transfer to watch: Flash Burton
Roster turnover: Extensive
Biggest challenge: Rebuilding chemistry

The Question

How quickly can Jim Ferry turn another collection of new pieces into a coherent team?

MMH Outlook

Sixth feels low for the defending champion until you remember how little of last year's statistical dominance actually transfers to this roster.

UMBC also has one of the highest ceilings in the middle of the league.

A top-three finish would not be surprising.

7. UAlbany

Lots of new pieces — and some legitimate upside

UAlbany's 11-21 record looked worse than its underlying MMH performance.

The Great Danes finished at only -0.9 in net efficiency, much closer to neutral basketball than their record suggested.

Now Dwayne Killings has leaned heavily into positional size and roster versatility.

The most intriguing newcomer is Ollie Engen, a 6-5 guard who averaged 19.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists at Queen's University in Canada.

Pedro Santos arrives from UT Martin, while UAlbany has also added multiple international prospects and bigger perimeter players.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 11-21
MMH Power: 41.9
Net Efficiency: -0.9
Offensive Efficiency: 107.9
Defensive Efficiency: 108.8

Roster Reset

Newcomer to watch: Ollie Engen
Roster identity: Size and versatility
Biggest challenge: Replacing established production
Potential advantage: More interchangeable lineups

The Question

How quickly can Engen's production translate to Division I while an almost new roster develops chemistry?

MMH Outlook

Seventh, but with substantial variance.

UAlbany has enough talent to finish considerably higher.

8. Maine

The defense gives them a chance. The offense has to do more.

Maine's 8-24 season included an 11-game losing streak to begin the year and significant injury problems.

The MMH numbers identify the core issue clearly:

A 95.6 offensive efficiency, paired with a much more respectable 104.6 defensive efficiency.

Maine could guard people.

It couldn't consistently score.

Sophomore Ace Flagg returns after averaging 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds.

The Black Bears also get another chance with healthier versions of Darius Lopes and Killian Gribben.

DeAndre Williams transfers from Holy Cross, Villiam Garcia Adsten comes from Drexel and Ayden Evans arrives from Ohio.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 8-24
MMH Power: 35.6
Net Efficiency: -9.0
Offensive Efficiency: 95.6
Defensive Efficiency: 104.6

Roster Reset

Key returner: Ace Flagg
Transfer to watch: DeAndre Williams
Potential boost: Better health
Biggest need: Half-court offense

The Question

Can Maine manufacture enough offense to prevent the defense from constantly playing without margin for error?

MMH Outlook

Eighth doesn't mean hopeless.

There is a plausible path into the middle of the league if the guard play and shooting make a meaningful jump.

9. New Hampshire

Continuity is an advantage only if the returners improve

New Hampshire returns more continuity than several teams ranked ahead of it.

That matters.

It just isn't enough by itself.

The Wildcats went 9-21 and lost nine of their final 10 games.

Sophomore guard Tyler Bike returns after earning America East All-Rookie recognition.

New Hampshire also adds former Old Dominion forward Drew McKenna, Manhattan transfer Erik Oliver-Bush and several other newcomers.

MMH Snapshot

2025-26 Record: 9-21
MMH Power: 34.0
Net Efficiency: -7.9
Offensive Efficiency: 99.6
Defensive Efficiency: 107.5
Tempo: 69.4

Roster Reset

Key returner: Tyler Bike
Transfer to watch: Drew McKenna
Biggest advantage: More continuity than several rivals
Biggest concern: Offensive efficiency

The Question

Does continuity produce actual improvement, or does New Hampshire remain too inefficient to consistently close games?

MMH Outlook

Ninth for now.

The gap between ninth and the middle of the conference isn't enormous, but New Hampshire needs to demonstrate improvement on both ends before moving up.

Players to Know

Gus Yalden — Vermont

The most established scoring centerpiece in the conference. Vermont can build its offense around him rather than asking an entirely new roster to find an identity from scratch.

Jeremiah Quigley — Binghamton

Perhaps the league's best returning creator. His ability to run the offense is a major reason Binghamton's preseason outlook looks so different from its 2025-26 record.

Demetrius Lilley — Binghamton

Lilley's health may be the single biggest swing factor in the America East. His production in limited action last season showed what Binghamton could have inside.

Keegan Harvey — Bryant

A 6-11 frontcourt player capable of stretching the floor gives Bryant a matchup piece few America East teams can easily replicate.

David Bolden — NJIT

Last season's Rookie of the Year now becomes the face of a program trying to establish itself as a consistent contender.

Flash Burton — UMBC

Burton gets the opportunity to become one of the primary offensive players for the defending conference champion.

Newcomers Worth Watching

Will Davies, Vermont — A potential lead guard on the team MMH projects to win the league.

KiJan Robinson, Binghamton — Proven America East production added to an already talented returning core.

Eric Chatfield Jr., Bryant — Gives Bryant another creator and more flexibility in the backcourt.

Mathéo Coffi, NJIT — Brings size, athleticism and shooting potential to a reshaped frontcourt.

Flash Burton, UMBC — Immediately becomes central to the defending champion's rebuild.

Ollie Engen, UAlbany — One of the most intriguing unknowns in the conference after his production in Canada.

Jakai Newton, UMass Lowell — Former high-level recruit with an opportunity for a much larger role.

DeAndre Williams, Maine — Experienced guard who should stabilize a team desperate for more offense.

Drew McKenna, New Hampshire — Versatile forward with an opportunity to expand his role.

MMH Sleeper: Binghamton

Calling the team projected second a sleeper sounds strange.

Nationally, though, Binghamton is exactly that.

Anyone looking only at an 8-23 record can dismiss the Bearcats quickly.

Anyone looking at Quigley, Lilley, Robinson and the extreme injury context surrounding last season will see something very different.

This is exactly the type of team MMH should be trying to identify before the season begins.

MMH Breakout Candidate: David Bolden

Bolden averaged 11.8 points as a freshman and already owns an America East Rookie of the Year award.

Now NJIT needs him to become something more than a promising young player.

It needs him to become the guy.

If that happens, NJIT has enough complementary pieces to remain near the top of the standings despite major roster turnover.

Game to Circle First

Vermont at Binghamton — January 2

We won't have to wait long to test MMH's top two teams.

Vermont brings the pedigree, coaching continuity and perhaps the league's best player.

Binghamton brings the projection that requires the most explanation.

If the Bearcats are healthy, this should tell us quite a bit about the America East race immediately.

The MMH View

Vermont begins the season where Vermont so often begins it: at the top.

But this does not look like a conference race where everyone else is simply waiting for the Catamounts to decide it.

Binghamton has enough high-end returning production to make last season largely irrelevant if the Bearcats stay healthy.

Bryant's roster better matches the way Jamion Christian wants to play.

NJIT has to prove its breakthrough was sustainable.

Austin Green’s return gives UMass Lowell a proven interior scorer and rebounder, moving the River Hawks into fifth. UMBC just won the championship and may still possess enough new talent to make a sixth-place projection look foolish.

UAlbany has enough new pieces to create volatility, while Maine and New Hampshire are trying to turn better health and returning pieces into tangible improvement.

Last season belonged to UMBC.

This preseason belongs to Vermont.

What happens between November and March looks considerably less certain.

That's exactly the kind of league Mid-Major Hoops was built to follow.