The rules, as devised by Dr. James Naismith and dictated by the hands of time, still restrict basketball teams to five players on the court at a time.

So while we can’t say with certainty that it’s an unprecedented situation, there’s no denying that the Edward Little boys’ program has achieved a rarity in the history of tri-county hoop.

Two or three graduates ascending to the college level and making a contribution at the same time is an unusual accomplishment.

EL has no fewer than — count ’em — seven alumni playing college basketball this winter.

The roster covers all three divisions of NCAA basketball: Troy Barnies at the University of Maine; Ben Hartnett at Saint Anselm College, a Division II program in Manchester, N.H.; Corey Therriault and Eric Prue at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston; Yusuf Iman at the University of Maine at Farmington; Kyle Philbrook at Bates; and James Philbrook at Saint Joseph’s.

Barnies has been the headliner due to his scholarship status at the state’s flagship campus.

After overcoming injuries to crack the starting lineup his sophomore and junior season, Barnies is enjoying a breakout year for the Black Bears.

He leads the team with 12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, a run that started with 16 points in a season-opening 71-66 win over Utah Valley.

Those numbers haven’t suffered against stronger competition. In a recent game against Notre Dame and fellow former Mr. Basketball Tom Knight of Dixfield, Barnies put up 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in 33 minutes.

Iman, an Edward Little hero in back-to-back runs to the Eastern Class A championship, wasted no time making his mark in Farmington.

The shooting guard was honored as rookie of the week by the Maine Men’s Basketball Coaches and Writers’ Association for the final segment of November. Iman scored 14 points, connecting three times from beyond the 3-point arc in a 69-67 loss at St. Joe’s.

Through his first four collegiate games, Iman averaged 10.8 points per game. That is second behind veteran big man Eric Taylor for the Beavers, who advanced to the second round of the Division III tournament last season.

Wentworth opponents have experienced double trouble while trying to guard Therriault and Prue, both of whom are among the most dangerous outside shooters in New England.

Therriault, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, ranks first or second in almost every major offensive category for the Leopards. He checks in at 17 points and four rebounds per game; is shooting 50 percent from the field, including a phenomenal 16-for-33 from 3-point territory; and has nine steals and eight assists.

Prue, a 6-foot junior, trails only Therriault on the team with his 10 3-pointers. He has produced 7.6 points per game while bolstering the defense with six thefts.

In a performance that recalled a few unstoppable nights in his high school career, Therriault knocked down nine treys and erupted for 32 points in a season-opening 87-80 loss to Wheelock.

The Auburn tandem stood tall in Wentworth’s first win of the season. Therriault scored 15 points and Prue added nine, each nailing three 3-pointers in a 61-48 triumph Tuesday ocer Coast Guard.

Kyle Philbrook has started the first six games of his junior campaign at point guard for Bates, which is off to its best start in four years at 5-1.

Philbrook has secured seven steals, including one in Saturday’s 86-65 rout of Bowdoin. He also matched the team lead with a season-high five assists against the Polar Bears.

A short drive south, Philbrook’s younger brother is blending nicely into the rotation at St. Joe’s. James has appeared in the Monks’ first five games, racking up totals of 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Hartnett continues to play a strong supporting role in his third year as a walk-on at St. Anselm.

Quick hits

— One significant leftover from  the fall season: Four local players helped guide the University of New England to its first-ever NCAA Division III field hockey playoff berth.

Juniors Brianna Tupper of Winthrop and Michelle Oswald of Jay (Mt. Blue), senior Bri Youland of Turner and freshman Kelsea Beisaw of Jay were part of a Nor’easters squad that was 13-7, ultimately losing 4-0 to the College of New Jersey.

Tupper was second on the team in scoring with 12 goals and seven assists for 31 points. Oswald (9-6-24) ranked third.

— UNE women’s basketball stood sneaker-to-sneaker with one of the premier programs in Division III on Friday night, losing 64-53 to host Washington University of St. Louis in a tournament. Washington, a multi-time national championship program, ranked No. 6 in the most recent D3hoops.com poll. The Nor’easters trailed by only five points at halftime.

Two local players have played a pivotal role in UNE’s strong start to the season, including a win over Southern Maine for the second straight year.

Oxford Hills graduate Kari Pelletier has started each game, scoring 6.3 ppg while logging 11 steals. Jay’s Liz LeBlanc is one of the first players off the bench each night. LeBlanc has swished eight 3-pointers. She scored 13 points in the 89-79 victory over USM.

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