BOSTON – The Vermont men's basketball team has been selected second in the 2021-22 America East Preseason Poll. Co-captain Ben Shungu and reigning America East Player of the Year, Ryan Davis have been selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team. The league announced the results on Thursday morning.
 
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Voting was conducted by the conference's head men's basketball coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team.
 
Stony Brook was selected as the preseason favorite, garnering five first-place votes and 77 points overall, which snaps Vermont's five-year run as preseason favorites. The Catamounts received four first-place votes and 74 points in the tightly contested poll. New Hampshire followed at No. 3, receiving the remaining first-place vote and 64 points. Reigning conference champions Hartford were tabbed No. 4 with 56 points. UMBC rounded out the top five with 49 points.
 
Shungu and Davis receive their first nods to America East Preseason All-Conference Team. The UVM duo is joined by New Hampshire's Nick Guadarrama and Jayden Martinez. Stony Brook's Elijah Olaniyi and Hartford's Austin Williams were also named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
Last season, the Catamounts earned their fifth-straight America East Regular Season Title, which ranks second among active streaks in Division I. Vermont was 10-5 (10-4 AE) in a COVID-19 altered season, led by Davis who was named Player of the Year and paced the offense with 18.5 points per game. Shungu averaged 10.8 points per game and a team-high 3.5 assists per game and was named to the All-Conference Second Team.
 
2021-22 America East Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
No.        School                  Points (1^st Place Votes)
1.           Stony Brook                      77 (5)
2.           Vermont                           74 (4)
3.           New Hampshire              64 (1)
4.           Hartford                            56
5.           UMBC                                49
6.           UMass Lowell                   43
7.           UAlbany                            34
8.           NJIT                                   23
9.           Maine                                16
10.         Binghamton                     14
 
2021-22 America East Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Ryan Davis, Sr., Forward, Vermont
Nick Guadarrama, Sr., Forward, New Hampshire
Jayden Martinez, Sr., Forward, New Hampshire
Elijah Olaniyi, Gr., Guard, Stony Brook 
Ben Shungu, Gr., Guard, Vermont
Austin Williams, Gr., Guard, Hartford
 
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