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Good morning! Hope you’re ready for two media events today. The Big East and the MAC, which is where the Field of 68 is posted up today. Watch coverage from 9 am - 3 pm ET on YouTube or on X.com/Twitter.

Today’s Field of 68 Daily is written by Mike Miller. Follow him on X.com/Twitter @mikemillerf68.

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1. Expect Vermont back atop the America East

Mark down 2024-25 as a rare occurrence: Vermont did not win the regular-season America East title. That would be Bryant, which swept the regular-season and tournament titles amid a 23-12 season that resulted in the Bulldogs’ second-ever NCAA tourney berth.

Coaches don’t expect a repeat.

Vermont was picked Monday as the America East team to beat, garnering seven of nine possible first-place votes. Maine, which finished third last season, tied Albany for second.

2025-26 Men’s #AEHoops Preseason Poll

1. Vermont 63 (7)

2. T2. Maine 47 (1)

3. T2. UAlbany 47

4. UMass Lowell 39 (1)

5. Binghamton 37

6. Bryant 35

7. UMBC 31

8. NJIT 13

9. New Hampshire 12

How did the Catamounts, who finished 21-12 last season, prepare for a season in which they don’t miss a trip to the Big Dance?

“Last year we were really snakebitten with injuries,” coach John Becker told Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster. “You never want to blame injuries, but we were really down to a six-man rotation. This offseason, it really was about getting depth. … More shooting, more size. And we’ve addressed those things.”

Vermont also has talent, including two preseason All-league players in guards T.J. Hurley and T.J. Long, plus incoming Spanish guard Lucas Mari. What else did Becker say that gives him confidence about the upcoming season? Watch it here.

Other America East coach interview tidbits:

• Maine coach Chris Markwood has four transfers and eight new players along with returning starters Killian Gribben, Keelan Steele and sixth man Logan Carey. For a team picked to finish second, Markwood’s cautiously optimistic. “We still have a lot to learn about ourselves still,” he said. “But it is a great group on paper and in terms of the talent. There’s a lot of versatility there.”

• Amir Lindsey will be one of the league’s top players, coming off All-League rookie honors. That was key for Albany to build out its roster. “He’s our rock,” said coach Dwayne Killings. “What we did was we added guys around him that allow us to play in a way that’s gonna let us win this league.”

• New Hampshire leaned on its bench extensively last season as starters missed more than 40 combined games. So coach Nathan Davis is trying a new approach to ensure everyone’s healthy entering 2024-25. “For years, I was so worried about being healthy that I said ‘Forget it this year. We’re just gonna play.’”

• Pat Duquette’s had UMass Lowell as a league contender the last three seasons, but is among the AE programs with the most player turnover. The River Hawks brought in eight transfers and 10 new players. “It was the strangest feeling I ever had when they showed up in July,” Duquette said. “It was just so different because nobody knew a thing. We had to go really slow, and go back to the beginning. You gotta accept (the scenario). That’s the way it is.”

• Bryant welcomed Jamion Christian in as its new coach after a few seasons coaching in Italy. What’d he learn coaching overseas? “You’re forced to learn aggressively,” he said. “In the Italian League, you’ve got lottery picks on your team, you’ve got lottery picks in your league, you’ve got Olympic gold-medalist head coaches. If you want to win, you gotta learn how to implement your culture.”

2. Matthew Graves won’t coach Indiana St. for a while

Don’t mistake Indiana State’s release on Monday about Matthew Graves as the latest coaching carousel update.

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