Center:

Maine: The Black Bears start their games with an extra guard instead of a center, so backup center Mike Allison does not get nearly as much playing time as a normal center would.

UNH: The Wildcats’ Dane DiLiegro is a junior who consistently ranks as one of the best players on his team. This season, he leads his team in field goal percentage (.485), and has more defensive and offensive rebounds than any of his teammates, ranking third in the conference.

Advantage: UNH

Forwards:

Maine: Sean McNally is a great player who wowed the conference last year with his impressive rebound record. This year he ranks fourth in the conference in rebounds and scored 10 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in an important game against Hartford last week. Murphy Burnatowski is a freshman with unassuming numbers who has not yet had a chance to prove himself. He might not get that much action in the tournament as the Black Bears could decide to play junior Troy Barnies, a veteran athlete.

UNH: New Hampshire starts senior Radar Onguetou, an experienced veteran averaging five points per game. He is backed up by Ferg Myrick and Brian Benson. Myrick is only a freshman, but he put up impressive stats this season with high percentages in both 3-pointers and field goals and boasts a 7.4-point average.

Advantage: Even

Guards:

Maine: Maine has one of the best guards in the conference in Gerald McLemore. The sophomore leads the conference in 3-pointers and ranks sixth in scoring, averaging almost 15 points per game. He is clearly the Black Bear squad’s star player, and with sole senior Junior Bernal — who has his last chance to win big — it will be exciting to see how this plays out.

UNH: If anyone on this team could contend with McLemore, it is junior guard Alvin Abreu. He has a comparable average of 14.6 points a game and ranks seventh in scoring in America East. Though it is unlikely that the Wildcats’ guards will get over on Maine, with Abreu anything is possible.

Advantage: Maine

Bench:

Maine: Maine’s bench is deep with players who have different strengths. Allison has an impressive 16 blocks for a freshman. Terrance Mitchell, who has started a number of games but often comes in off the bench, scores almost 10 points a game, so he is an asset as well.

UNH: The Wildcats’ bench is less stacked and has fewer defensive players than the Black Bears’. Notables off the bench are Myrick, whose seven points a game is a helpful asset off the bench, and Chandler Rhoads, who recorded 18 steals and 45 assists this season.

Advantage: Maine

Coaches:

Maine: Ted Woodward rebounded from a disappointing last-place finish in the tournament last season and led his team to third place in the conference, the highest they have placed since Woodward became coach. The team did surpass its preseason expectations, and have gone farther this season than they have in five years.

UNH: In his fifth year as head coach, Bill Herrion has not performed wonders with his squad. They moved down from their fifth-place projection to sixth.

Advantage: Maine

Overall:

Maine: The Black Bears have moved from an eighth-seed preseason projection up to third place. With young athletes, including McLemore, who is only a sophomore, it seems as if they have never been more ready to face New Hampshire, a team they have beaten twice already this season.

UNH: Though Abreu has put up great offensive numbers and DiLiegro has done the same defensively, their bench and their team as a whole do not hold up to Maine’s. They have a lot of young talent that will help UNH’s bid for an upset.

Advantage: Maine.