AE: Expansionocalypse Theories?

Although many see the AE as being somewhat below the major tides of realignment that are sweeping through the FBS conferences, a couple recent stories have intrigued me in terms of mentioning how this conference could be impacted once the major dominoes begin to fall. The New York Times reported in the last couple of weeks that the CAA had reached out to several schools, including Charlotte, Richmond, GW and Boston University. I think at this point that it’s a no-brainer move for BU if they are invited. Don’t get me wrong, I love the cross-sport rivalries with UVM, Maine and UNH that come over from Hockey East, but BU will never become a mid-major basketball contender in the AE. It would be a waste after Coach Chambers’ hard work before leaving to go to Penn State if BU again turned down the CAA. And on a side note, I’d personally love a home-and-home in conference against Northeastern every year. Could be a great rivalry as it is on the hockey side. On the other hand Sporting Vermont has a somewhat melancholy article in response discussing Vermont’s lacking prospects for joining another conference despite being the AE’s best hoops program in recent years by some distance. Personally wherever BU goes I wouldn’t mind seeing UVM follow given how great that rivalry was during my time at the school the last 4 years but I suspect it will not happen once one of the schools moves on.

Another interesting (albeit speculative) article showed up on the UnrankedAE blog recently regarding how a football realignment could change the conference in all sports. Although the UNH football fan in me would not like to see them leave a very strong CAA football conference, the fact is that once URI and UMass leave for the NEC and the MAC respectively, Maine and the Wildcats are basically on an island alone as far as being near their conference mates. Delaware and Towson would become the team’s closest trips and travel budgets would expand. Forming a new AE football conference, if Albany and Stony Brook could be enticed would be tempting for the sake of saving travel costs. If the conference seemed to be a competitive improvement over the NEC (Albany and SBU both have also had success recently and Maine is perhaps the best team in the CAA this year), then other teams could be perhaps enticed to join. To get to a minimum of 6 all-sport members in order for the AE to sponsor football, the ideas from URAE that I liked the best personally were bringing in CCSU (fits profile of an NE state school) and Bryant or Fordham (having the NYC school intrigues me if they’d be willing to leave the A-10, which I’d doubt) Even Sacred Heart or Wagner would be intriguing filler options for all sports. URI might even be a possibility as a football-only school once the conference filled out its roster. Obviously this football part is all fun speculation at this point but very interesting to discuss nonetheless.

Boston U.: Jake O'Brien To Miss 2011-12 Season

Call it pulling a Peyton. After needing another surgery to repair a broken foot, Boston University big man Jake O'Brien, absent for the Terriers' run to the NCAA Tournament after an injury @UMass on last New Year's Eve, will miss the entirety of the next season (according to his facebook quoth One-Bid Wonders). This is a huge blow for a Terriers team that was expecting to only be minus John Holland from last year's squad but must now replace their two best players from last year. Hopefully Dom Morris, Patrick Hazel and Jeff Pelage will be able to step up, or the Terriers might face significant problems in the post. O'Brien does plan to seek a medical redshirt and play his senior year in 2012-13.

Schedules and Freshmen: America East

Quick breakdown of schedules and incoming recruiting classes for New England teams in the AE:

Boston U.: Schedule

Big Games: 11/13 @ Texas, 11/26 @ URI, 12/3 @ BC, 12/10 vs. Harvard, 12/13 @ Villanova, 1/14 @ Stony Brook

Of course BU probably will not have much of a shot in games against Villanova and Texas, it certainly helps one's RPI come tournament time to be boosting up that strength of schedule, and any sort of respectable showing will turn some heads. Tommy Amaker's built a nice program at Harvard, so that would be a significant victory if the Terriers can manage, similarly (although to a lesser extent) as their game at URI. Bringing the Comm. Ave. Rivalry back to the hardwood will obviously be meaningful, especially if the Terriers can pick up a W (they may have a great opportunity to do so). Stony Brook looks like the other best team in the AE coming into this year, so picking up a win on their home court would be a big advantage in the conference race.

Freshmen: BU signed 2 players for this coming year, 2-Star PF (ESPN) James Kennedy out of Dorchester and SG Zach Chionuma out of New York state. Although neither is perhaps an impact recruit on the caliber of last year's standouts D.J. Irving and Dom Morris, both should be able to contribute in new Coach Joe Jones' system. If Kennedy can step up in the wake of Jake O'Brien missing the season, it could help the Terriers overcome what seems to be a serious blow to their chances in the coming season.

Hartford: Schedule

Big Games: 112/12 @ Penn State, 12/3 @ Central Florida, 1/8 vs. Vermont, 1/22 vs. BU, 2/21 vs. Stony Brook

Maine certainly turned heads by beating PSU last year and it would certainly be no different for Hartford as the Nittany Lions attempt to rebuild under recent BU coach Pat Chambers. UCF provides the other best opportunity for national exposure in a very low-level non-conference slate, exposure key to a nationwide recruiting process that Coach Gallagher seems to be instituting at UH. As the school attempts to move up the AE hierarchy, beating the conference's heavyweights will be essential, and thus home games against Vermont, BU and SBU will be their best opportunities to assert the Hawks as a program on the rise.

Freshmen: This UHart team will have quite a number of freshmen who will attempt to replace last year's star seniors Joe Zeglinski and Morgan Sabia. SG Wes Cole and PG Yolonzo Moore, both out of Texas, are among the top 150 in the country at each of their positions, as is Washington PF Nate Sikma. NC SG Dustin Clarke is UHart's closest to home recruit in this class, #170 at his position according to ESPN. Less is known about Australian SG Corbin Wroe and Wisconsin PF James Schneck, but in a youthful roster, both might get a chance to show why Coach Gallagher traveled so far in search of them.

Maine: Schedule

Big Games: 11/17 @ UConn, 12/8 @ Notre Dame, 2/6 vs. Vermont, 2/9 @ BU

UConn and Notre Dame are obviously settings in which a team can make a name for itself by presenting a challenge to a national power. Although the Black Bears may/will not win these games, they can certainly get practice in difficult settings that can be applied to conference play. This team faded late last year, so picking up wins against BU and Vermont toward the end of the year would help keep momentum strong down the stretch if they are still in contention.

Freshmen: Ted Woodward has assembled a 6-man recruiting class for 2011, including MA prep PF Zarko Valjarevic, the #108 SG in the class who has the potential to make big shots for the Black Bears. Their only other ESPN-reviewed player is 1-star SG Xavier Pollard. The rest of the class has some international flavor with Israeli PG Noam Laish, Canadian SG Justin Edwards and Finnish SF Kilian Cato. NY C Ethan Mackey rounds out the class.

Vermont: Schedule

Big Games: 11/23 @ Old Dominion, 11/26 vs. Siena, 12/1 vs. Harvard, 1/2 @ Stony Brook, 1/5 vs. BU

Old Dominion, Siena and Harvard have all been among the toughest mid-major teams in the country the last few years, so new UVM coach John Becker has a true opportunity to make a statement by beating these teams and showing that Vermont remains a strong mid-major itself, especially since two of the games come at home. Similarly, his first two league games come against recently strong Stony Brook and BU, so he could again show that his is the top program in the AE.

Freshmen: Vermont brings in a couple of moderately talented freshmen, although time will tell whether or not they can successfully replace the graduated Evan Fjeld and Joey Accaoui. Four McGlynn is a two-star SG, #128 at the position in the class and in possession of a great shot., while Chris Santo is the #123 SF in the class who may be an effective inside scorer. John Angstadt will walk on as a guard.

New Hampshire: Schedule

Big Games: 11/14 @ BC, 12/11 vs. Fairfield, 12/20 @ Providence, 1/5 @ Hartford, 1/11 @ Albany

BC and Providence are rebuilding, so if UNH can give the same sort of effort they did in nearly toppling UConn last year, they may find themselves with a power-6 conference win or two. Fairfield is also a solid mid-major program which would be a big win if the Cats can pull it off (perhaps more than BC or PC right now). In order to show they're ready to join the upper tier of the AE (if they are) the Wildcats will need road wins against other midpack conference teams, and they could prove their mettle early against the Hawks and the Great Danes.

Freshmen: Bill Herrion's class this year isn't bad highlighted by SG Garrett Jones of Chicago, Tommy McDonnell (son of UNH's football coach and Durham-area native) and Centenary transfer PF Jeron Trotman. All will have opportunities to break in on a building UNH team, but likely will not be short-term impact players.