Kerry Weldon. OBW File Photo / Sam Perkins
Dunks bring the crowd to its feat, energize and deflate teams, and swing the game emotionally. Defense is often glamour-less – especially in a league like the America East, which hasn’t seen a true shot blocker (the one area of defense that can electrify fans) since 2005 – but it wins games.
With that said, here’s a look at my predictions for our All-Defensive and All-Dunking teams.
OBW America East Preseason All-Defensive
Joe Bramanti, R-Soph., G, New Hampshire
New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion has raved about the 6-foot-2-inch 210 pound transfer from Wright State, who is supposed to be an extremely physical and athletic perimeter defender and the anchor of the Wildcats defense – always one of the AE’s straunchest defensive teams.
Ethan O’Day, Jr., F, Vermont
O’Day is going to block and alter some shots, cleans up on the defensive glass (and should rebound a great deal more with the graduation of Brian Voelkel and Clancy Rugg) and is an excellent position defender.
Kerry Weldon, R-Sr., F, UMass Lowell
Weldon’s defensive positioning are second to none, as he may well have led the league in charges taken last year. A very athletic 6-foot-5 (and that may be generous), he plays far larger than his size, swats shots, rebounds the ball, and always puts a body on someone around the hoop.
Dre Wills, Soph., G, Vermont
Wills was banged up for much of his freshman season, but word has trickled out of Burlington that he is looking fantastic heading into his sophomore year. A high-end athlete, he has all the tools to be a lock down perimeter defender who the Catamounts can put on the opponent’s best scorer.
Corban Wroe, Sr., G, Hartford
One of those players you love to play with but hate to play against, Wroe is physical, physical, physical and plays far larger than his listed 6-foot-2. Extremely aggressive, he can take the opponent’s best backcourt scorer completely out of the game, and can also defend far bigger forwards on the blocks. He takes charges, throws elbows, and generally pisses opposing players and coaches off, and in the process changes the game on defense.
OBW America East Preseason All-Rim Wreckers (Dunkers)
Brendan Kilpatrick, R-Soph., G/F, Vermont
Kilpatrick, known as “BK” is continuing to deal with lingering foot issues that caused him to miss all of last season, but when healthy, he jumps out of the gym and as a true freshman, showed zero fear in taking the ball right into the heart of defenses for some monster slams.
Jordan Reed, Jr., G/F, Binghamton
Reed is a high-flying rim-rocker with an absolute disregard for his own health and well-being. At somewhere around 6-foot-3, he goes elbows above the rim for two-handed slams on alley-oops and put-backs.
Charles Taylor, Soph., F, UMBC
Taylor, a 6’3” wing, is arguably the best leaper in the conference. As a freshman, he showed off some serious hops and a fearlessness to go right at the rim, slamming on seemingly the entire George Washington team in one outing.
Jameel Warney, Jr., C, Stony Brook
What Warney’s dunks lack in acrobatics, they make up for in pure power, as the 6’8” 260-pounder rattles the rim like perhaps no other in the league.
Kerry Weldon, R-Sr., F, UMass Lowell
Weldon is perhaps the most well-rounded dunker in the league, a high-flyer and aerial acrobat who threw down a two-handed, rock-the-cradle reverse against Duquesne, and who also throws down an array of power slams as well.
Tags: All-Defense, America East, Defense, Dunkers, Dunks, Preseason
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