This weekend at the Events Center, Hartford’s Rich Baker is setting out to ensure that the best moment in his America East tournament history didn’t happen as a freshman.

In the 2004 AE Tournament in Boston, Baker chipped in nine points in 25 minutes off the bench as a first-year player. That performance that led the No. 6 Hawks to the upset of a No. 3 Northeastern team, one that featured current Dallas Mavericks guard Jose Juan Barea.

“They had Barea, they had all those guys …” Baker says.

Four seasons and a red shirt later, and Baker still looks fondly on the win, and on Barea’s success.

“[Playing against an NBA player] is cool, I’m happy for him,” Baker says. “Anytime you see a 5-foot-10, 5-foot-8 guy in the NBA, you got to love that.”

But this season, Baker has a chance to make sure that his fondest memory isn’t just upsetting a future NBAer in the first round. This year, Hartford has a chance to send Baker out with a memory that can trump that: A trip to the America East title game.

The Hawks come into the tournament seeded second, the highest the team has ever placed since joining the America East in 1984.

Hartford finished 10-6, a reversal of its record last year, when it had to compete in the Friday night play-in game as the eighth seed. The Hawks held Stony Brook scoreless for the final 16:40 of regulation to turn a 19-point deficit into a two-point victory in that game.

The play-in game has been all but forgotten this season, a fact Baker attributes to a team that is better acquainted with its coaching staff. Dan Liebovitz took over as head coach last season to replace Larry Harrison, and there were some growing pains.

“It takes a couple of years to get used to,” Baker says. “Last year was kind of a rebuilding year, but this year we have been able to show what we really can do. The whole coaching staff is a younger group, a great group of guys. They understand a player’s needs. When to practice, when not to, when to rest.”

Leibovitz came in after Harrison’s staff played a high-risk, high-reward move and brought in senior transfer Kenny Adeleke from Hofstra, similar to what UMBC did this season with its transfer trio. The risk didn’t pay off as Hartford finished in fourth place and was bounced from the first round.

“Was I surprised [by Harrison’s firing]? Not at all,” Baker says. “Something was going to happen eventually.”

Baker was expected to be a major factor for Hartford this year, but he tore a hip labrum earlier in the season, limiting his playing time. He has played in just four of the past 15 games, and hasn’t cracked 10 minutes until Senior Night, when the Hawks pulled their biggest upset of the year, over first place UMBC.

His injury has allowed young players like All-Rookie candidates Morgan Sabia and Anthony Minor to step into bigger roles. And now that he’s back, Baker is embracing a role as mentor to the younger players.

“I just try to remind them how good they have it,” Baker says. “We have a great situation here. I try to teach them everything I’ve learned over the past five years.”

As for this year’s tournament, Baker likes his team’s chances but he’d like to see a tournament closer to home.

“I hate both places,” Baker says laughing when asked about the difference between a tournament hosted by Binghamton and one by Boston. “Just kidding. They need to hold it in Hartford for the men sometime, but both (Binghamton and Boston) are great to hold a tournament.”

Remembering T-Roy: BU Zoo fans looking for a team to follow while waiting for the Bearcats to play might want to latch on to Hartford, if only because Rich Baker was a high school teammate of Troy Hailey, Binghamton’s all-time leading scorer, who graduated last season.

“It was fun seeing Troy in the America East,” Baker says. “He was a great guy, easy to get along with.”

Hailey graduated from Montrose Christian Academy in Fredericksburg, Md., a year ahead of Baker, but took a year off before joining Binghamton, so they both entered the America East in the same season.

Baker sounds off on the hardest place to play in the America East: Albany and Binghamton. Tough crowds, New York crowds.

The player he respects most in the America East: Marqus Blakely, Vermont — he’s doing a great job, he plays his ass off. Ricky Lucas, Stony Brook — he goes out every day and gives it everything he’s got.