1. Vermont (22-12, 12-4 America East)

Despite falling 74-59 to UMBC in the America East Championship game last season, AE conference stalwart Vermont was once again chosen as the favorite in this year’s preseason rankings. The Catamounts earned 62 points alongside seven of eight first-place votes, just one shy of last year’s total, marking the 10th time in 11 seasons that they entered the winter campaign as the league’s preseason favorite.

Vermont’s returning squad is frontlined by junior forward Gus Yalden, who averaged 16.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season en route to earning first-team all-conference honors. The Catamounts, however, will miss guards TJ Hurley and TJ Long, who averaged 15.0 and 12.1 points per game, respectively, as well as Sean Blake, who added 9.9 points and a team-high 3.9 assists per game. Senior forward Noah Barnett projects as another key returner after averaging 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

The Catamounts have also looked to the transfer portal to rebuild around Yalden, with a class headlined by senior guard Darrel Yepdo from AE rival University of Massachusetts Lowell, who averaged 10.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season. Iona University transfer junior guard Khalil Badru and Loyola University Chicago transfer junior guard Daniil Glazkov also joined the squad in the offseason. Yalden gives Vermont the conference’s most established returning star, but the Catamounts will need immediate contributions from a supporting cast filled with newcomers if they hope to return to the big dance for the first time in three seasons.

2. University of Maryland, Baltimore County (24-9, 14-2 AE)

After claiming both the AE regular season and tournament titles last season, UMBC was voted to finish second in the preseason poll with 46 points and a lone first-place vote. The Retrievers defeated Vermont 74-59 in the championship game before falling to Howard in the NCAA Tournament First Four.

The defending champions face a major overhaul heading into their 2026-27 campaign, as their five leading scorers of the 2025-26 season departed the program. Highlighting the losses are Jah’Likai King, DJ Armstrong Jr. and Ace Valentine, who averaged 14.0, 13.1 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. Valentine also contributed 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest. Sophomore forward Riley Jacobs is the leading returning scorer after averaging 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Also returning is redshirt senior forward Regimantas Ciunys, who hopes to make an impact after missing all of the 2025-26 season with injury.

Promising UMBC newcomers include Rider University transfer junior guard Flash Burton, who averaged 15.1 points and 2.9 assists per game last season, and Saint Anselm College transfer junior combo guard/forward Jovan Ristic, who recorded 11.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game with 15 double-doubles. The Retrievers will need both transfers to become immediate offensive centerpieces if they hope to defend the conference crown.

3. New Jersey Institute of Technology (16-17, 10-6 AE)

Following a surprising third-place finish and an appearance in the AE semifinals, NJIT was selected fourth in the preseason poll with 38 points and no first-place votes. The Highlanders’ returning squad is headlined by sophomore guard David Bolden, the reigning AE Freshman of the Year and a preseason all-conference selection. Bolden started all 33 games last season, averaging 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game while making 70 three-pointers. Bolden led the Highlanders in a season where they lost their AE-leading scorer to Rutgers, where he earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors on 17 points per game.

The Highlanders will feel the departures of the remaining five of their six leading scorers, including Sebastian Robinson, who averaged 14.8 points per game, and Ari Fulton, who contributed 10.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Melvyn Ebonkoli also departed after averaging 7.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. Sophomore guard Quentin Duncan projects as an important returning complement to Bolden after averaging 4.4 points and shooting 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Head coach Grant Billmeier has reinforced the squad with a six-man recruiting class featuring four transfers and two freshmen. Virginia Military Institute transfer sophomore guard Mario Tatum Jr. averaged 8.5 points per game last season, while University of Texas at San Antonio transfer sophomore forward Mathéo Coffi contributed 3.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. Former four-star recruit redshirt freshman Brandon Stores Jr. is coming to the team from Georgia Tech along with freshman Jayonni Durrough, who averaged 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists at the high school level. NJIT’s underclassmen-heavy roster creates uncertainty, but Bolden’s return gives the Highlanders a foundation from which to make another run at AE semifinals.

4. Bryant University (9-22, 5-11 AE)

After winning only nine games in head coach Jamion Christian’s first season leading the program, Bryant was selected fifth in the preseason poll with 36 points. The Bulldogs’ returning squad is headlined by graduate student forward Keegan Harvey, who averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor last season. Harvey improved to 18.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game over the final 11 contests, earning him preseason all-conference honors.

Sophomore guard Ty Tabales also returns following a freshman campaign where he averaged 9.1 points and 3.5 assists per game. The Bulldogs, however, must replace the offensive production of last season’s leading scorer Timofei Rudovskii, who averaged 12.9 points per game, along with Aaron Davis III and Quincy Allen, who contributed 9.5 and 9.8 points per game, respectively.

As is the norm in this era of college basketball, Bryant has looked to the transfer portal to rebuild its rotation with junior wing Duane Thompson, sophomore guard Eric Chatfield Jr., sophomore wing Onyx Nnani and junior forward Andre Pasha. Harvey is expected to spend more time at power forward, while Tabales could see additional opportunities off the ball. The Bulldogs have the advantage of slightly more continuity than several conference rivals, but their newcomers must provide immediate scoring and size if Bryant hopes to have a shot at dancing for the first time since former head coach Phil Martelli Jr. was poached by Virginia Commonwealth University.

5. University of Albany (11-21, 7-9 AE)

The Great Danes enter head coach Dwayne Killings’ sixth season following an 11-21 2025-26 season and an untimely quarterfinal exit from AE playoffs. UAlbany was selected to finish sixth in the preseason poll with 34 points. The Great Danes must replace the conference’s leading scorer in guard Amir Lindsey, who transferred to Fordham after averaging 17.9 points and 4.9 assists per game last season.

UAlbany will also heavily feel the departure of AE Defensive Player of the Year Okechukwu Okeke, who anchored the backcourt while averaging 7.3 rebounds per game during the regular season. The returners are headlined by guards junior Zacharie Matulu and senior Abdoulaye Fall, who averaged 9.9 and 9.6 points per game, respectively. It is important to note, however, that Fall was limited to just seven appearances last year. Miles Rose is the only other returning player who averaged more than three points.

The Great Danes have added 11 newcomers, including Division I transfers junior forward Benjamin Michaels, sophomore center Kean Webb and redshirt sophomore guard Pedro Santos, alongside Triton College addition junior guard Papa Kounta and Queens University transfer junior guard Ollie Engen from Canada. UAlbany’s length with two near seven-footers and their international experience offer intrigue, but the Great Danes will need significant offensive jumps from Matulu, Fall and several freshmen or transfers if they hope to replace Lindsey’s production in the aggregate.

6. University of Massachusetts Lowell (15-18, 9-7 AE)

Following a fourth-place conference finish and an appearance in AE semifinals, UMass Lowell was selected seventh in the preseason poll with 31 points. The River Hawks face another substantial roster overhaul, as their four leading scorers left in the offseason. Angel Montas Jr., Austin Green, Xavier Spencer and Darrel Yepdo averaged 15.8, 13.2, 11.9 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.

The returning squad is highlighted by sophomore forward Victor Okojie, the River Hawks’ lone preseason all-conference selection. Okojie averaged 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in only 18 minutes per game while recording three double-doubles on the season. Senior forward Jerrell Roberson II and sophomore guard Isaiah Walter also return after averaging 3.4 and 3.0 points per game, respectively, meaning no returning River Hawk averaged more than five points per game last season.

UMass Lowell’s incoming class features Georgia State University transfer senior guard Jakai Newton, who contributed 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and Eastern Kentucky University transfer redshirt sophomore forward Jayden Harris. Elsewhere, Siena University transfer sophomore guard Christian Jones and former Gordon State junior forward Donovan Hand look to round out the rotation. The River Hawks will need several newcomers to become double-digit scorers if they hope to return to the AE semifinals in a competitive year for the conference.

7. University of Maine (8-24, 6-10 AE)

Sharply declining from its 20-win, runner-up campaign in 2024-25, Maine was selected eighth in the preseason poll with 19 points. Head coach Chris Markwood enters his fifth season with none of last season’s five leading scorers returning. TJ Biel, Logan Carey, Mekhi Gray, Keelan Steele and Ryan Mabrey all depart after averaging at least 7.4 points per game.

The Black Bears’ returning squad is headlined by sophomore forward Ace Flagg, who averaged 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a freshman. Junior guard Caleb Crawford and senior forward Yanis Bamba also return after contributing 4.4 and 2.9 points per game, respectively. Maine will need significant offensive jumps from all three if it hopes to outperform last season’s eight-win campaign.

Meanwhile, Eckerd College transfer senior forward Wyatt Triestman projects as an immediate contributor after averaging 15.1 points per game last season. College of Holy Cross transfer senior guard DeAndre Williams brings 94 games of Division I experience, while senior guard/forward Villiam Garcia Adsten, junior forward Ayden Evans and redshirt sophomore forward Oliver Faubert add further size to the rotation. The Black Bears possess several intriguing newcomers, but their largely untested roster must establish reliable scoring and especially rebounding if Maine hopes to return to contention in the AE playoffs.

8. University of New Hampshire (9-21, 5-11 AE)

After reaching AE playoffs as the No. 8 seed before falling to UMBC in the quarterfinals, New Hampshire was selected to finish ninth in the preseason poll with just 13 points. The Wildcats’ four leading scorers have departed, including Belal El Shakery, who averaged 11.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and Jack Graham, who contributed 11.2 points per game. Junior guard KiJan Robinson transferred to Binghamton after averaging 10.7 points per game.

Head coach Nathan Davis’ returning squad is headlined by sophomore guard Tyler Bike, who averaged 7.5 points. Senior forward Davide Poser returns after averaging 7.0 points and leading the Wildcats in minutes and made a team-high 57 3-pointers, while junior forward John Squire contributed 6.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game on a team-best 58.3 percent shooting.

Davis has reinforced the squad with a six-man transfer class featuring Adam Squire, Josiah Coleman, Erik Oliver-Bush and Drew McKenna. The Wildcats will need to significantly improve on last year’s offensive production if they hope to be competitive.