To cover Around the East/Northeast, we got a writer who came up covering the East namely, Ithaca) and now lives in the Northeast (namely, Connecticut). Ithaca athletics photo

It seemed appropriate that -- just in time for the East Coast's first snowfall of 2012 -- I settled in to write a basketball column.

When I see snow falling, one of the first places I'm instantly transported back to is the Ben Light Gymnasium on the Ithaca College campus. In my four years on South Hill, I covered a majority of the men's basketball team's home games for the student newspaper. In a never-ending college cyclone of classes, papers, projects, newspaper duties and internships, those two to three hours of basketball were my refuge. I could think of no better place to escape the biting upstate New York cold and driving snow than the Bombers' home gym.

Yes, the gym was poorly lit and sometimes the fans in the crowd barely outnumbered the players wearing jerseys, but the games were special. There's something to be said about the intimacy of sports. Sure, we all love the big-time games -- the Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, the Final Fours. But I also relish the games removed from the spotlight. The games where you can, for better or worse, hear the coach's message to his players during timeouts. The games where everyone, from the SID and radio commentators to the coaches and fans, knows each other.

Games at Ithaca always had a high school feel to them, but the product on the floor was markedly better. In my short time at Ithaca, I saw all-conference talents like Jim Bellis and Jeff Bostic fill up the stat sheets and All-American guard Sean Burton etch his name into the school record book. But I also saw unheralded guys like Scott Ruffrage and Louis Kail pour blood, sweat and tears into practices, scrimmages and games.

One of my most enjoyable -- and rewarding -- experiences in journalism remains covering the Ithaca men's basketball team. That is my story, my brief history to date with Division III basketball. But in the years since, I have followed Division III basketball closely. I was thrilled to hear of the return of D3hoops.com's Around the Region columns, and jumped immediately at the chance to handle the Around the East/Northeast duties.

I have written for D3football.com since my days at Ithaca, and just last fall took over the Around the East column. If you've followed me from the gridiron to the hardwood, welcome back. I look forward to the second half of the season and the stories it will provide. I encourage all of you to contact me any time (see bottom of article for contact information).

For this first week, I thought it was appropriate to take stock of where we sit in both the Northeast and East Regions. Next week, I will dive into feature stories.

Middlebury leads Northeast men

After falling to eventual champion St. Thomas in the NCAA semifinals last season, Middlebury has yet to lose again.

The Panthers have rattled off 14 straight wins to open the season and host Castleton State (7-6, 6-1 NAC) Tuesday night. Senior forward Ryan Sharry, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career this season, has been key to the Panthers' success. The 6-foot-8 forward missed the first five games of the season, but has returned to lead the team in scoring (21.1 points per game) and rebounding (9.2 per game).

The Northeast Region has four other teams in this week's D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, including MIT and Amherst, which rank third and fourth, respectively. Williams also ranks 15th, giving the NESCAC three of the top 15 teams in the country right now.

MIT reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last season, but appears poised for a deeper run this season. MIT, led by senior guard Jamie Karraker, boasts a deep, veteran squad. Amherst reached the NCAA quarterfinals last season before falling to NESCAC rival Williams. The Lord Jeffs have won 13 of their first 14 games this season.

Amherst features a balanced offensive attack led by sophomore guard Aaron Toomey and a stingy defense that has held opponents below 40 percent shooting.

Last season ended in disappointment for Williams, which blew a 17-point lead to Wooster with 8:54 remaining to fall short of an NCAA championship game appearance. The Ephs started this season strong, winning 11 of their first 12 games, but have stumbled of late, dropping two of their last four. But sophomore Mike Mayer, who leads the team in scoring as a reserve, and sharp-shooting junior James Klemm headline a balanced team capable of another deep playoff run.

Eastern Connecticut moved into the No. 25 spot in the Top 25 poll this week. The Warriors (12-1, 5-0) also lead the LEC, just ahead of Western Connecticut and Keene State.

Other Northeast conference leaders as of Jan. 17 include Salve Regina (CCC), Albertus Magnus (GNAC), Westfield State (MASCAC), Maine-Farmington (NAC) and Becker (NECC).

NYU leads East men

A glance at this week's Top 25 poll reveals just one East Region team in the rankings -- NYU. The Violets have raced out to a 12-1 start, following a 16-11 season in 2010-11. Senior center Andy Stein (17.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and junior forward Carl Yaffe (14.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG) give NYU a formidable frontcourt duo, while junior guard Kyle Stockmal, who leads the team with 25 3-pointers and 56 assists, is a solid presence in the backcourt.

NYU is coming off an impressive win over UAA preseason favorite Rochester. The Yellowjackets sit at 9-5 overall, but a disappointing 0-3 in conference play.

Oswego State made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament last season, falling to Rhode Island College in the second round. A year later, the Lakers appear on pace to return to the party. Oswego State sits at 11-3 overall and an impressive 7-0 in SUNYAC play. Two key conference games against Cortland State still loom, but Oswego State has the look of a playoff team again.

Stevens, led by senior forward Simon Smith (18.9 PPG, 12.7 RPG), sits atop a crowded Empire 8 field. Nazareth and Ithaca are just one game back in the conference standings.

Other conference leaders as of Jan. 17 include Hobart (LL) and Penn State-Harrisburg (NEAC).

Amherst women march on

Which is more difficult -- winning the first title in school history, or defending that title the following season? Amherst will be able to answer that come late March, but for now the Lord Jeffs appear right on schedule.

Amherst has won 14 straight to open the season and 33 straight dating back to last season. The Lord Jeffs' last loss? That would be an 85-82 overtime loss to Kean last season. Amherst faced Kean for the first time since that loss on Tuesday night and handled the Cougars.

It figures to be the first true test for the defending national champions. Amherst has won all of its games by at least 21 points so far.

Rochester (14-0, 3-0 UAA) and Williams (14-2, 2-2 NESCAC) are both seeking return trips to the NCAA playoffs as well.

Top 25 roundup -- Middlebury, Amherst reign supreme

For the sixth week in a row, Middlebury holds the No. 1 spot in the D3hoops.com men's Top 25 poll.

Five other East or Northeast teams find themselves in the Top 25: MIT (No. 3), Amherst (No. 4), Williams (No. 15), New York University (No. 23) and Eastern Connecticut (No. 25). Rhode Island College, Oswego State and Western Connecticut also received votes.

Amherst, which finished in the top spot in last year's D3hoops.com women's Top 25 poll, has held the top spot in each of the seven weekly polls this season. Rochester (14-0) ranks No. 5, while Williams (14-2) comes in at No. 23. Colby, Ithaca and Connecticut College also received votes.

Contact me

My goal for this column is simple -- I want to cover as many teams as I can, as fairly as I can, for you, the Division III basketball fan. For me to accomplish that, I need to hear from you. Whether you have an interesting story idea, know of a player or coach approaching a career milestone, or just want to talk basketball, I want to hear it. Please reach out to me at andrew.lovell@d3sports.com. You can also follow me on Twitter (@andrew_lovell).