America East Basketball

When it comes to becoming a professional athlete, so many things have to fall into place. If you think about it, your head will spin. 

You need the smarts, the size and the athletic ability. Combine that with the fact there are hundreds and thousands of people out there with the same dream and the same aspirations as you. 

Some of us are lucky enough to be that superstar high school phenom that graces the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16, and others become highly touted college prospects that we watch on ESPN winning National Championships. 

Regardless if you are the superstar baseball, basketball, football player or if you take that college education and prepare for your life after the game, each of us takes his own path and tries to do something great. 

Junior Bernal is that guy. 

Junior was a 4-year starter on the University of Maine basketball team. He played 115 games averaging 9.0 ppg, 3.1 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. 

I was fortunate enough to connect with Junior on this fascinating social media tool called Twitter. Junior was a basketball player with dreams of playing in the NBA. Unfortunately, as with many others, that dream went unfulfilled. However, Junior decided to take his career in to his own hands.

Devon Teeple: Can you give us a little background on your basketball career? Were you a highly touted prospect coming out of high school? 

Junior Bernal: I went to a boarding school in Maine and played AAU in New Heights out of New York, my home town. We traveled to the biggest tournaments; Las Vegas and California. I also had genuinely good players on my team—one who went to Duke. That’s where I started getting noticed. Plus, in high school I was averaging over 22 points per game, and after my junior year I went to a basketball camp called the Eastern Invitational camp where I made the top 20 All-Star team. But where I got the majority of my looks from college recruiters were at the AAU tournaments. 

DT: How tough of a choice was it when you were getting scholarship offers? If I am not mistaken, they came from a wide variety of schools; including Iona, Delaware, San Francisco and Cal Poly? 

JB: I had more schools than that interested; unfortunately, my SAT scores weren’t high enough at the time. Some started to back down and take away the offers because of it. At the end of the process, only a couple schools stuck around, and I decided to do a Prep year at MCI (Maine Central Institute). From there I got recruited by University of Maine. I went on my recruiting trip and really enjoyed the atmosphere. I had the chance to play right away, and it really was the best spot for me at the time.

DT: I remember when I was getting recruited. You receive many offers, but the majority aren’t the best fit. York College gave me the opportunity to play right away as a freshman, had a great student-teacher ratio, and had an atmosphere you could not top.  

JB: It’s interesting, because Maine was interested despite my SAT scores. Maine took a chance on me. They had what was called Proposition 48. I was on the team but had to get my grades up so they gave me a red-shirt year. They trusted that I would get my grades up and assured me I would have the opportunity to play once I got the chance. Maine really had my best interests at heart. 

DT: Once you were at Maine, how big of a transition was it from the high school game to the college game? 

JB: In high school, the kids who went to Division 1 schools were the best players on their basketball team. When you get to college, every player on the team was the best player on their high school team. The biggest transition was just everything that came with it. Time management for example; 6 a.m. weightlifting, early morning and afternoon practices, the classes are at a higher level than what you were used to. From a basketball point of view, there was never a lot of scouting, but in college, for me, no one really knew me my first year, giving me a leg up on the competition. But after the mid-way point of the season, opposing coaches had scouted me, and tried to exploit my weaknesses. Now you’re going back to square one, working on the fundamentals of the game trying to improve. I couldn’t just rest on my laurels. 

DT: And while at Maine, you had a very successful career. When people hear Maine, they never think basketball. During your four years, you went from being ranked in the lower tiers of college basketball, to 94^th in the country and third in the American East Conference after your senior season. What was the major difference from your freshman year until your senior year that resulted in the major breakthrough? 

JB: In my freshman year, I was a starter but I was still learning and trying to fit into the system. I wasn’t very outgoing at that time and wasn’t showing those leadership qualities. By my senior year, I was the only senior on the team, my coaches told me we were only going to go as far as my leadership would take them. Since I had experienced the bad times, I was more aware of what was needed to take it to the next level. Off the court relationships helped. You have to bond with your team to become successful. It’s not just basketball, its building that closeness. 

DT: I had the same experience. Entering as a freshman, and once you do become the senior on the team, it’s a lot of responsibility. You want to show those younger guys how to win, and you want them to continue to build on what you started. 

DT: You mentioned that the possibility of playing professionally was cut short due to back problems. What was it like when you found out that you could no longer play the game you have played your whole life? 

JB: All throughout college I had back problems, but during school, you have top-of-the-line trainers and facilities. I was able to manage the pain and play through it. When I can back home, I was ready to play beyond college. I had an agent, and was preparing myself over the summer, to play overseas. I was working out one day, and that recurring pain shot though my back. I went to see my doctor; they told me there were bulging disc. Things happen and you have to accept it. 

I was going to play over in Spain for eight months, but there were some days where my back hurt so bad I couldn’t get out of bed. Instead, I went over to the Dominican Republic to play professionally for a season. But a season isn’t a season like we’re used to, it’s more like a bunch of tournaments played together to fill out the requirements of games played. I played over there for two months. When I came back, the pain was so bad the doctors told me I could damage myself permanently. It’s hard. It’s something you work your whole life for. I put in a lot of time on and off the court. But I try to stay positive and carry on with my life. 

DT: Once school was done, there is obviously a huge transition period where you realize that the cheering is over, and the game you played your whole life is no longer there, but you decided to take a different route. 

Basketball isn’t your only passion. You have a passion for music and you are currently pursuing a career in the industry. 

I plead ignorance on this, but I have zero idea how one gets into a position like that. How did you know that rap/hip hop was your calling? And how does one go about getting started in an industry that is as difficult to getting into as professional sports are? 

JB: Actually, I’ve done music since high school. I was performing in the school at different events, coffee houses, etc… It was just basketball was my opportunity to get me through college. Music has always been something that I loved. Even in my spare time in college, I was writing and recording. I had to slow down on the music because basketball was 24/7 in college, but as far as the industry, I see it just like basketball. I had to start at the bottom to get noticed and you hope that you peak someone’s interest and they will give you that opportunity. 

There are so many outlets over the internet with social media; Twitter, Facebook, etc… I record my music and put it out there for people to see and enjoy. I’m also looking for representation that can take me further, and help me reach those heights. Eventually, with hard work, and the proper marketing, everything will shine through.

DT: When it comes to production and videos etc…how can you build your name/brand in this business? Obviously there are many talented people out there. What makes you stand out from the crowd? 

JB: My life story. Since I was young, I had to do a lot of things on my own. My parents were incarcerated when I was 12, and I was raised by my aunt and my grandmother. Obviously, I had many people help me along the way like my AAU program, friends and some family members. But when I speak on music, I try to bring positivity to the words, but I also talk about life and how you can overcome. Look at my experience of doing something your whole life and then transitioning to something else. I don’t speak about stuff that I haven’t been through. Fans will recognize when it comes from the heart. I try to stick to that and let them know God led me down the right path. 

Even if my music reaches one person and gives them hope, I’m satisfied with that. 

DT:  Junior, how can your fans or anyone interested in your music, and/or your business follow you and get in touch with you? 

JB: They can follow me on Twitter @JuniorBernal12, You Tube or they can look for me on Facebook. I love talking to people about anything. I’d be happy to chat and connect. That’s how you build a fan base.

I really want to thank Junior Bernal for his time to talk to The GM’s Perspective. 

Everyone involved in sports can connect in many ways. We connected on Twitter and this led to a really fascinating conversation. A conversation that reinforces the fact that hard work and dedication can take you many places. 

Junior’s dream of basketball only took him so far but, his dream of music keeps the fire fueled. Who knows how far it will take him? I can say with confidence, as far as he wants.

Devon is the founder and executive director of The GM's Perspective. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals and Gateway Grizzlies. Currently, Devon is a manager at a financial institution in Northern Ontario, Canada, and can be reached at devon@thegmsperspective.com. You can follow The GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.

The Shakedown

The America East Conference tournament will be held at the high seed with dates ranging from March 1- March 10. The America East traditionally has been dominated by Vermont but has a new team at the top of the conference this year. Who are they and what do they have to offer? Let's take a look. 

The Breakdown

1. Stony Brook 20-8 (14-2 America East)

Stony Brook spent most of the last decade in the America East cellar, but the Seawolves have turned things around. After winning the regular-season crown in 2009 and 2011, it looks like Stony Brook may be establishing itself as something more than a one-year flash in the pan. Stony Brook has won 17 of its last 19 games and looks to turn that momentum it into an NCAA Tournament berth. 

2. Vermont 20-11 (13-3 America East)

The Vermont Catamounts have won won 14 of their last 16 games. While they have been playing well, the Catamounts did hand Binghamton its only win on February 21, a loss that deprived Vermont of the conference regular-season title. If focus is an issue, Vermont could struggle to win three games in three days.

Vermont did sweep both Maine and Boston, the likely teams they would face before advancing to the title game. If the Catamounts meet Stony Brook, it would be an epic battle of No. 1 versus No. 2 at Stony Brook, where Vermont lost by six earlier this season. 

3. Boston University 16-15 (12-4 America East)

The Terriers of Boston finished third in the America East and are the only team besides Stony Brook and Vermont with a good chance to win the conference title. The Terriers won games against teams below them in the conference standings, but they were a combined 1-3 against Vermont and Stony Brook. Boston is the defending conference champion and is looking for its second consecutive chance to dance. 

4. Albany 18-13 (9-7 America East)

Albany slipped into the No. 4 spot with nine conference wins. The Great Danes are looking for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2007. They will face off with New Hampshire in the first round, a team they split with during the regular season. With the sensational play of Gerardo Suero, (21.7 ppg), Albany could make a run as it is often one guy who carries a team through these tournaments.  

5. New Hampshire 13-15 (7-9 America East)

New Hampshire is the other side of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 split. The Wildcats have won five of their last six games and have jumped three spots in the conference standings in the past two weeks. If New Hampshire continues to play inspired basketball, they too could be a surprise team out of the America East.  

6. Hartford 8-21 (7-9 America East)

Hartford is one of the better stories in the conference this year. After starting the season 0-13, Hartford won eight of its last 16 games to earn the No. 6 seed. Statistically, Hartford is one of the worst offensive teams in the nation (324th in points per game). But stats don't matter because Hartford looks to use its  slow pace to lull teams to sleep. The Hawks could make it interesting against Boston, but I don't see them being a real threat to win the tournament.

7. Maine 12-16 (6-10 America East)

The Maine Black Bears are paired against a veteran Vermont team that swept them in the regular season. In a state more known for hockey, Maine looks to try to impress its hoops followers by knocking off Vermont in the first round. Like Hartford, I don't see Maine making it past Saturday. 

8. UMBC 4-25 (3-13 America East)

In some ways, the UMBC Retrievers have been more disappointing than Binghamton. Eighteen of UMBC's 25 losses have been by double digits. Better luck next year!

9. Binghamton 1-28 (1-15 America East)

Binghamton avoided history with a win over Vermont last week. The last winless team in Division I pulled off a huge upset of Vermont at home. Binghamton will not win the America East tournament, but I say the third time is a charm against UMBC in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game. Bearcats win, 39-38. 

The Takedown

Here is how I see the America East tournament playing out.

First Round

No. 9 Binghamton over No. 8 UMBC

Second Round

No. 1 Stony Brook over No. 9 Binghamton

No. 2 Vermont over No. 7 Maine

No. 3 Boston over No. 6 Hartford

No. 4 Albany over No. 5 New Hampshire

Semifinals

No. 1 Stony Brook over No. 4 Albany

No. 2 Vermont over No. 3 Boston

Championship

No. 2 Vermont over No. 1 Stony Brook

America East Champion: Vermont Catamounts (23-11 16 Seed in NCAA Tournament)

The Final Buzzer

The America East tournament winner will most likely be a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. While the Catamounts don't have Taylor Coppenrath and T.J. Sorrentine to lift them in the tournament, they will have plenty to be proud of. This would be their fifth tournament trip in the past nine years. 

Josh Pelletier has dealt with competition his whole life.

The son of a former football coach, each of Pelletier's three brothers and sisters received full scholarships to play college basketball (both sisters playing at the Division I level).

With that kind of background, Pelletier is no newcomer to the game, despite this being just his 2nd season working with the University at Albany as a graduate assistant.

Part of his day-to-day responsibilities entail managing film exchange video production with respect to individual workouts, practices and games. In addition, he has duties with travel, on-campus recruitment and supervising student managers.

The 6'4" Pelletier played basketball at the College of St. Rose here in Albany from 2005-2009, where he was a guard/forward, and did most of his damage from the wing—though he was a solid rebounder and passer as well.

Pelletier uses his own personal experiences as a player to help out with the current members of the UAlbany team.

Pelletier says that the best game he ever played occurred when he was in high school. “I went to LaSalle Institute and we were playing (arch-rival) Christian Brothers Academy for the third time that year, and they had beaten us badly the first two times. This was a sectional final game, and we really wanted to win, and we ended up pulling it out. Plus, I scored 25 points in the game, which made the victory even sweeter.” Pelletier would go on to finish his high school career with 1,504 points, the all-time LaSalle record.

Basketball was not the only sport Pelletier played in high school. He played football as well—quarterback to be exact—but it was his actions at another position that will keep him in the record books for a long time.

“I punted a little bit, we had a trick play formation, and I was terrible at it, but one night, we were playing a game with heavy winds. On one punt, I had the wind at my back and kicked one 77 yards, though some of that came after it bounced and rolled. Later in the game, I was punting into the wind, and the ball basically went straight up, landed three yards in front of the line of scrimmage, then bounced backwards. That punt went negative two yards. So I had the school record for longest punt and shortest punt in the same game."

Playing under the legendary coach Bryan Beaury at St. Rose, who had won 517 career games as of the 2010-2011 season, one humorous lesson imparted from his former coach stands apart from the rest.

“There are two things in life that will eventually die: dogs that chase cars and defenses that let the ball go middle (into the paint).”

Beaury might be a great coach, but he isn’t Pelletier’s favorite. That honor belongs to the legendary John Wooden, “The effect he had on the game is still relevant in the way teams play the game today, all these years later. Plus, he has more championships than any other coach, and championships are always nice.”

Pelletier majored in adolescence education at St. Rose and says if he wasn’t coaching, he’d like to teach social studies at the middle school/high school level, but that isn’t his dream.

“In 10 years, I would like to be a college basketball coach. I would love to be a head coach, but 10 years might be a bit too soon. That might take a little more time.”

Fresh off winning the America East Conference Championship, the Terriers of Boston University have qualified for the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I Tournament.

BU has been on quite the roll since the new year was rung in, losing only four of their last 19 contests on their way to adding another AEC Championship to their collection. Senior John Holland played a pivotal role in reaching this feat, with the New York native providing his own fourteen point run to bring the Terriers back from a 15 point deficit against Stony Brook University. Holland would prove to be the hero for BU in this contest, not only bringing his team back into the game, but coming through at the free throw line with just seconds remaining and sealing a Terrier victory.

Holland was Boston's MVP of the AEC Championship Game, but the Terriers also worked well as a team, going 24-29 at the free throw line collectively and providing few chances for the Seawolves to reach it to the line. Dom Morris also provided a key basket for the red and white with just under a minute remaining; he also contributed eight rebounds over the course of the match-up.

On the shoulders of players like Morris and Holland, Boston University's basketball program qualified for the NCAA tournament for the seventh time in their program's history, drawing the unlucky number 16 seed.

BU finds itself placed in the South West conference in a second round match-up against Division I powerhouse and South West's number one seeded Kansas. The Jayhawks come into this upcoming Friday's contest fresh off winning the Big 12 Championship and looking to avenge last season's tournament loss to Northern Iowa.

History is not on the side of the Terriers, as no 16 seed has ever knocked off a one seed in the history of the tournament. Vegas odds have the Jayhawks as 22.5 point favorites heading into the game and with such a talented roster at the disposal of Kansas Head Coach Bill Self, there's little reason to argue with the oddsmakers.

When looking at the statistics, both teams are almost equal in terms of average allowed but there is a 17 points difference between average points scored in favor of Kansas. In fact, every other statistic other than points allowed is heavily in favor of the number one seed. BU has not favored well when put to the test against the big names in Division I this season either, being blown out on the road against Kentucky and Villanova.

Give credit to the Terriers and their Head Coach Patrick Chambers for putting together an impressive 2011 run and taking home their conference title, but it would be the greatest upset in the history of college basketball if Boston could somehow manage to edge out one of the top teams in the country. Expect the talented John Holland and his teammates to put together a valiant effort against the Jayhawks, but ultimately all signs point to Kansas taking the victory and advancing into the next round of tournament play.

Dates:  March 2-6, 12

Bracket: America East

Sites:  First round, quarterfinal and semi-final action will be played at the University of Hartford’s Chase Family Arena.  Then the championship will be played at the site of the highest remaining seed.

Television:  The championship game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Tourney Fact:  The last time a No.1 or No.2 seed did not win the America East conference tournament was 1993 (NJo. 3 seeded Delaware).

Favorites:  Vermont (22-7, 13-3) won the regular season by a game over Boston U. (18-13, 12-4) but the Terriers beat the Catamounts in both meetings during the regular season.  Boston is also playing well of late, winning eight straight to end the regular season.

Best of the Rest:  Maine (15-14, 9-7) was in control of the America East at the midway point but have lost seven of eight since.  Still, the Black Bears have wins over both Vermont and Boston U.

Sleeper:  Albany (16-15, 9-7) won four straight to end the regular season.  If Tim Ambrose and company get hot from the three point line they could surprise.

Also, check out other conference tournament breakdowns: Big South Conference, Horizon League, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Missouri Valley Conference, and Northeast Conference

Last college basketball season, I tried to do a series highlighting a few players to watch from each conference for the season. While I completed the first few conferences alphabetically, I started on the process too late into the season to actually finish. At a certain point, highlighting players to watch 20 games in to a 30 game season became pretty pointless.

Therefore, I have decided to restart the same series for the 2010 season, just quite a bit earlier.  Essentially, I give a few players from every conference to keep an eye on during the season.

With that said, let's start with the America East Conference.

Tommy Brenton, Stony Brook Seawolves

Tommy Brenton is entering his junior season with Stony Brook, and really can do it all on the basketball court.  Brenton is only 6'5" yet he led the America East in rebounding and in defensive rebounds last season, and also was second in total offensive rebounds in the conference.  

Brenton really is an all purpose guard (even playing forward occasionally) as he also finished top 10 in assists per game, and second in the conference in steals per game. Stony Brook held the best conference record in the America East, largely to Brenton's efforts, though lost in the conference tournament to Boston University.

Throughout the season, Brenton had seven double-doubles, and filled up his stat line nearly every game.  Though he never had an outstanding game in one stat, he consistently added rebounds, assists, steals, and even blocks.

Joe Zeglinski, Hartford Hawks

Joe Zeglinski enters his senior season, after red-shirting two years ago due to injury. Hartford was not a great team last year, however, Zeglinski was a bright spot, especially in the conference.

Zeglinski really can do it all for the Hawks, as he finished top 10 in points scored, top five in points per game, and top 10 in defensive rebounds per game in the America East.

Unlike Brenton, Zeglinski could put up prolific scoring numbers in some games.  He led Hartford with 23 points in a two point loss to Baylor, probably one of Hartford's best games all season.  Compiling two double-doubles throughout the season, Zeglinski also scored 20 or more points seven times in the season.

A streaky three point shooter, Zeglinski can really light up the scoreboard when he gets hot, like in a game against UMBC, in which he finished with 29 points.

Chris De La Rosa, UMBC Retrievers

Chris De La Rosa transferred to UMBC in 2008 from Siena and is entering his second season with the Retrievers. Though UMBC won only four games last season, De La Rosa was a huge boost for the team.

Both his defensive and offensive presence helped UMBC, as De La Rosa finished with the most assists in the America East, as well as being top 10 in steals.

De La Rosa is not much of a scorer (averaging just over 11 points per game), but did have five games where he exploded for more than 20 points. He clearly was a positive influence on the team, as two of those five games were wins.

John Holland, Boston University Terriers

John Holland has been one of the best America East players the past two seasons (and was a "player to watch" last season as well). He is an absolutely explosive scorer, but does even more on the court than that.

Holland was held to single digits only three times throughout all of last season, and put up 20 points on Kansas State, 21 on Indiana, 23 on Georgia Tech, and 23 on UConn.  He can clearly score against any team, but just does not have much of a supporting cast from the Terriers.

The top scorer in the America East last season, Holland also was top 10 in rebounds, top five in steals, and number one in minutes. He's an extremely durable player, who does not often find himself in foul trouble, as he never played less than 25 minutes in a game.

Scoring 20 or more points 19 times last season, Holland also put on a show in a win against Delaware scoring 43 points. Holland is an extremely exciting player, and certainly is the best scorer returning to the America East this season, perhaps for the second straight season.

Freshman To Watch: Travis Robinson, Boston University Terriers

If Travis Robinson can score as well as scouts say he can, a combination of Robinson and Holland could be a scary one for Boston University's America East opponents.

Touted as an excellent mid-range jump shooter, as well as slasher, Robinson should be a great addition to an already decent Boston University squad.

Luckily, even if Holland still must bear most of the scoring load for the Terriers, Robinson is also a highly touted defender and rebounder.  He truly is a "do-it-all" player, and could lead Boston University to a conference championship this season.

Just a typical late February weekday in the world of college basketball…

Implications begin to rise with each passing night. Who made the best of it? Who couldn’t take advantage?

Winners:

Notre Dame (18-10, 7-8): They needed a win, they got a win, and they did it without their best player. Luke Harangody did not play, but the Fighting Irish got a win at home over No. 16 Pittsburgh, and in pretty convincing fashion, 68-53.

Cincinnati (16-11, 7-8): A loss to DePaul would have crippled them. They survived at home and for now stay afloat in a push for the NCAA Tournament.

Charlotte (19-8, 9-4): They need to make a statement down the stretch to get back in the NCAA Tournament discussion. A 37 point victory over St. Joseph’s is a start.

LSU (10-17, 1-12): They beat Arkansas at home, 65-54, and finally got their first SEC win.

Stony Brook (21-7, 13-2): They took care of Vermont to clinch the America East regular season title.

Texas (22-6, 8-5): The Longhorns won at home over Oklahoma State. Tonight they are winners, despite their recent struggles.

Losers:

Virginia Tech (21-6, 8-5): They fell into the trap and couldn’t beat Boston College in Chestnut Hill. After their loss to Duke on Sunday, they ride a two-game losing streak and now prepare for a test with Maryland on Saturday.

San Diego State (20-8, 9-5): They had an opportunity to get a big win at BYU and couldn’t do it. They lost 82-68.

Arkansas (14-14, 7-6): They led the SEC West and handed LSU their first win in SEC play. This just goes to show how weak that side of the conference is.

Saint Louis (18-9, 9-4): They had Xavier at home and a real opportunity to put the pressure on the top of the Atlantic 10. They lost 73 to 71.

Wichita State (22-8, 11-6): They lost on the road at Bradley, their sixth loss in the MVC. They have to win the conference tournament if they want to dance.

With the college basketball season rolling back around, I thought it would be good to take a look at some players who have big roles this year, conference by conference.

This is the first of many for the “Players to Watch” segment.

With that, let’s take a look at some players starting in the America East Conference this year who should be stellar.

Muhammad El-Amin, Stony Brook

As a junior, El-Amin was the leader of this Stony Brook team, and if the Seawolves want to compete in the America East this season, El-Amin will be the one to carry them. Leading the team in scoring last season, El-Amin has picked up where he left off, as both his scoring and his rebounding are improving.

Stony Brook is 3-1 this season, and El-Amin has scored 11 or more points in three of those games. The only game he didn’t was against the University of Rhode Island, which is their only loss.

Clearly, Stony Brook relies heavily on El-Amin offensively, and if they hope to finish better than fourth in the America East (where they finished last season), it will be behind the play of El-Amin.

John Holland, Boston University

Holland led the Terriers in scoring last season as a sophomore, so it is not surprising that he is even more important to their success this season. Holland and senior Corey Lowe are the leaders of this team, but Holland has been the one stepping up so far this season.

In six games, Holland has scored 20 points or more four times, and against very tough opponents: George Washington University, Kansas State, Indiana, and Georgia Tech. Clearly Holland can run with the best teams, but unfortunately the rest of this team has not risen to the challenge yet.

Look for Holland to continue to get better this season, where he is already averaging 21 points and six rebounds per game.

Marqus Blakely, Vermont

With stellar guard Mike Trimboli having graduated, Blakely will need to step up to lead the Catamounts, and he has done just that. Through four games this season, Blakely’s numbers are all up, including good games against tough opponents such as Rutgers and Providence.

Blakely and Trimboli were Vermont’s main scoring threats last season, but Blakely will have to do most of the work himself this year. After averaging 16 points a game last season, he is already averaging 21 a game this season, and his rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks are all way up.

Blakely has stepped up so far in the few games Vermont has played, and Vermont will need him to continue to only get better in his senior season.

This article is also featured on http://www.thebracketbusters.com.

(Pictured is former Vermont head coach Tom Brennan. No other pictures available were relevant.)

(Photo Credit: Pictoria.com)

Led by guard Joe Zeglinski, the Hartford Hawks entered the 2008-09 season with dreams of a winning season and an America East championship. However, the Hawks got off to a slow start by starting the season 3-6.

Just when coach Dan Leibovitz thought the season couldn't get any worse, it did. Playing against Brown, the 6'0" Zeglinski injured his left ankle and suffered a tendon tear that required season-ending surgery.

Hartford could not overcome the loss of his 15.3 points, 5.6 boards, and 34.1 minutes of experienced play per game before the injury. The Hawks finished last in the America East with a 2-14 conference record and were 7-26 overall.

Fortunately for the team, the NCAA granted Zeglinski a redshirt, leaving him two years of eligibility still remaining. The better news is that Zeglinski is displaying no ill effects from the injury and is now playing his best basketball of his career.

After four games, Zeglinski is averaging 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds, shooting 46 percent from three-point range with 17 makes. His stamina is back as well, as Zeglinski is only off the floor for 4.8 minutes per game.

The Hawks are currently 2-2 on the season and just missed obtaining one of their biggest wins in recent history. Zeglinski scored 23 points and connected on eight three-pointers against Baylor, but a last-second desperation shot by the Bears' Epke Udoh caused Hartford to lose, 71-69.

In his sophomore season, Zeglinski became the first Hartford player since the legendary Vin Baker to be named All-Conference First Team. In the 2007-08 season, he was only the eighth player in Hartford's Division I history to score over 500 points in a season.

Zeglinski's 103 three-pointers made that year set the school mark and placed him second in the history of the conference.

Zeglinski averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in his freshman year while being selected to the America East All-Rookie team.

This talented competitor left high school as the all-time leading scorer at Archbishop Ryan high School with 1,300 career points. Zeglinski is the only athlete in Philadelphia history to rush for 3,000 yards in football and score over 1,000 points in basketball.

The return of Zeglinski to Hartford's starting lineup has given the other players renewed confidence and the open space to be productive.

Junior point guard Andres Torres is dishing out 7.5 assists per game. With the opponents focusing on Zeglinski's prowess from long range, forward Morgan Serbia has made nine three-point baskets so far this year.

Hartford recruited forward Joel Barkers from Kirkwood Community College, and he has the found the less-crowded paint to his liking. Coming off the bench, Barkers leads the Hawks in scoring with 17.0 points per outing.

It will not be easy for Hartford to go from worst to first in the America East in one season. However, with Zeglinski's hustle and toughness spreading throughout the team, the Hawks can again compete with anyone in the conference.