Daily Word: First Impressions Part 5

We've almost made it all the way through our First Impressions series here at AExtra. Over the past two weeks we've taken a look at some early statistical trends as teams are still gelling and coming together in the beginning of the season. Keep in mind that it's still very early, but it's fun to see who's hot in the early goings. We'll continue today with the men from New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont. Enjoy!

New Hampshire

New Hampshire's Ferg Myrick

The Wildcats gave Connecticut quite the scare last week before the Huskies got red from downtown. One of the main reasons why? Ferg Myrick. The senior forward had 20 in that game and followed that effort up with 18 points against Brown in a 13-point win. Myrick is leading the Wildcats in scoring and is eighth in the conference at 13.9 per contest. He's also done a great job on the boards, averaging 6.9 which is also eighth in the conference.

Pairing with Myrick to give New Hampshire one of the most formidable frontcourts in the America East is Iona transfer Chris Pelcher. The No. 45 prospect at the center position according to ESPNU when he came out of high school, Pelcher has fit right in to Coach Herrion's offense. He had his best performance of the year against Connecticut, racking up 16 points and 12 boards in the upset bid. Pelcher also leads the conference in field goal percentage at 63 percent.

Stony Brook

The Seawolves have a reputation as a solid defensive team and they've maintained that image so far this year. Helping the cause is Coach Pikiell's do-it-all senior Tommy Brenton. Not the most prolific scorer on the team, Brenton finds ways to get involved all over the floor. In addition to ranking third in the conference in rebounding (8.4 rpg), the forward has been especially adept at getting into the passing lanes, averaging 2.1 thefts per game. But that's not all he does. Brenton has been one of the best passers in the league, despite playing from the forward position. In addition to 4.8 assists per game (third in the AE), he also has a 2.1 assist to turnover ratio (also third).

Much praise has been dealt out to the Seawolves fantastic freshman, Jameel Warney. A well-rounded player like Brenton, Warney is second in field goal percentage, fifth in rebounding (fourth in offensive boards), sixth in blocks and 16th in scoring. Warney could flourish fast for the Seawolves, giving them a dangerous frontcourt tandem of their own.

Vermont's Brian Voelkel

Vermont

Much like Brenton, Vermont's Brian Voelkel's involvement in the game goes far past scoring. Often times the facilitator for the Catamounts' offense, Voelkel dishes out 3.7 assists per game while taking care of the ball as well (1.7 assist to turnover ratio). The junior is seventh in the league in rebounding at seven per contest. The numbers don't blow you away, but he's very fun to watch.

After losing much of its top scoring from a year ago, Vermont needed someone to step up and handle the scoring load. So far Sandro Carissimo has stepped up in a big way. In particular, you can point to his performance against Harvard on national TV recently. On the year, Carissimo is averaging 11.8 points per game. Even more impressive has been the way Carissimo takes care of the ball -- his 2.8 assist to turnover ratio is good for second in the conference.

Linked Up

In case you missed it, the America East has announced a partnership with You Can Play, the first such partnership for any Division I conference in America.

The America East also announced a partnership with Enthuse for a social media rewards program.

The Stony Brook baseball team held its seventh annual Bat Blast fundraiser yesterday.

Several America East women's lacrosse players were named InsideLacrosse.com preseason All-Americans.

Congratulations to Boston U. freshman hockey player Matt Grzelcyk on being named to the U.S. Junior Roster.

What's Next?

Just two games tonight, as UMBC travels to George Mason in men's basketball and Stony Brook hosts Sacred Heart in women's basketball. Both games tip-off at 7 p.m.