If you’re Sharon Versyp, head coach of the University of Maine women’s basketball team, you’re feeling pretty good about the America East preseason polls and all-conference teams announced Thursday.

If you’re John Giannini, head coach of the UMaine men’s basketball team, you’re a bit disappointed.

No matter which coach you are, you’re not putting a lot of stock in either the polls or the all-conference squads.

“I think I feel the same way every other coach does. I’m not really sure why we do it. I don’t think it really has any bearing on anything,” said Giannini, whose Black Bears are picked to finish seventh among the 10 America East teams. “I think every year, there are many examples of teams being picked fifth or worse that have won it and many who were favored who didn’t win it.”

Versyp’s squad hopes they won’t be the latest example of a favored team falling flat as the Maine women received nine first place votes and garnered 81 points, making them a unanimous choice as the AE’s top team. Coaches cannot vote for their own team, so Versyp’s vote went to second-place Boston University, which got 73 points.

The top choice among the men’s teams is defending champion Vermont, which earned four first place votes and 74 points to barely edge B.U. (two first place votes) and Northeastern (four), which tied for second with 72 points apiece.

Maine will again be led by 2002-03 AE Player of the Year Heather Ernest and AE Defensive Player of the Year Kim Corbitt. Ernest was one of five players chosen for the preseason all-conference team along with BU’s Katie Terhune, Vermont’s Aaron Yantzi, New Hampshire’s Maren Matthias, and Stony Brook’s Sherry Jordan.

Third-year coach Versyp, the 2002-03 AE Coach of the Year, has all five starters back from a squad that has not lost a regular season conference game since March 2, 2002.

Boston University again figures to be the chief competition for the Maine women as the Terriers, who defeated Maine in the conference tournament championship game, return leading scorer Katie Terhune and AE Rookie of the Year Katie Meinhardt while also gaining the services of Stanford transfer forward Becky Bonner, the sister of Toronto Raptors second round pick Matt Bonner.

The Maine men may be picked to finish in the bottom half of the AE standings, but Giannini doesn’t expect this to be the year that happens.

“We’re the only team in America East that hasn’t finished in the bottom half in the last five years,” said Giannini. “It’s not even close, really.”

Up until a last-second 3-point shot by Northeastern’s Jose Juan Barea gave the Huskies a 71-68 tournament quarterfinal win over Maine last season, Maine was the only team to advance to the AE semifinals four straight seasons.

Maine had no players picked for the preseason all-conference team, but that doesn’t faze Giannini either.

“What’s interesting is lately, the postseason team doesn’t usually reflect the preseason all-conference team,” he said.

The men’s team has six selections this season including 2002-03 AE Player of the Year Taylor Coppenrath of Vermont, 2001-02 AE Player of the Year T.J. Sorrentine of Vermont, Jerell Parker of Hartford, Binghamton’s Nick Billings, BU’s Rashad Bell, and Barea.

Huskies hand out promotions

Senior guard Meg Cressler of Appleton has been selected captain of the University of Southern Maine women’s basketball team.

The former Camden-Rockport High School star is a two-time All-Little East Conference second team choice who led the team in rebounds (7.0 per game) and assists (3.52), and was second in scoring (11.4) last season.

She enters the season with 939 career points, 420 rebounds and 212 assists and the Huskies have gone 71-14 in her three seasons.

USM went 26-4 last season and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament’s ‘Sweet 16.’

The men’s team has picked two captains. Westbrook’s Jason Levecque and Linc Bigelow from St. Johnsbury, Vt., were elected captains by their teammates.

Levecque led the team and the Little East Conference in scoring with 23.7 points per game after transferring from Keene State. He also led USM in rebounds with 5.5 per game.

Levecque and Bigelow are both junior guards.