So I rewatched the entire game last night. Looks like the shot clock that I was questioning wasn't really an issue. It appeared that Jackson's crazy layup may have caught the rim, but you couldn't tell on the TV and the time stamp on the ESPN app was not right as the basket appeared to be at 3:14 not 3:08 like the play by play states. Not enough evidence to overturn without a better view of the layup.

2 minutes ago, Clickclack said:

This team right now as constructed is limited size inside and no consistent shooting...Killings is running out of excuses. Can't have a bunch of athletes none of whom can make a shot. Constantly getting crushed on the boards. Good 30 minutes and then wheels fell off...this team has potential.

The loss is overshadowed today by a much bigger loss. Neely is this team's best player; his loss will relegate this team to bottom half of the AE. Beagle is as good as advertised...if he sticks around will be an animal in this league. 

Stormo and some of the others did seem to bully him down low a lot. It almost seemed a conscious effort to bring the ball to him. Maybe get him in foul trouble or see if he'd crumble on the big stage. He definitely held his own. He needs a bit more muscle, but you are right. He will be a beast if he stays long term.

1 hour ago, godanesgo99 said:

I'm confused. Didn't Jackson miss a layup and get his own rebound leading to that shotclock violation? Doesn't that reset the shot clock?

So the replay isn't available yet, but I found it in the game log and it doesn't make any sense to me. Not that it made a big difference, but it definitely killed any chance of a momentum change.

According to the ESPN App play by play:

3:08 - Billups makes a layup to put Siena up by 8 (67-59)

2:47 - Jackson missed layup

2:45 - Jackson gets own rebound

2:42 - Albany turnover with Shot Clock violation

Did Jackson's layup not hit the rim? If it did, wouldn't that reset the shot clock, or at least give a fresh 20? If it didn't, how did he get his own rebound? Regardless, it hadn't been 30 seconds since Billups had scored. Reddish ended up making a layup as the clock expired so Albany didn't get those 2 points. The shot clock violation definitely pumped up the crowd and really seemed to suck any remaining air out of the teams tires. That would have brought it back to within 6, but instead Albany never got closer than 7 after that.

To me the turning point in the game was when Davis got hurt. He came back and played more but was limping and wasn't himself. Hopefully it was nothing serious and just a minor setback.

Biggest news was Neely getting hurt as well. This team needs him, and needs him badly.

I'm confused. Didn't Jackson miss a layup and get his own rebound leading to that shotclock violation? Doesn't that reset the shot clock?

The staff was picking up crap off the floor in that area a few plays earlier. My son thought he saw the Siena students throwing stuff on the floor at the start of the game and that's why they had to stop to clean the floor right after the tipoff.

Not sure what happened to Neely with MVP not showing a replay. Anyone have an idea what happened there?

Saw him at the Alumni event. Great to see him in town.

I haven't made my GDAC donation yet this year with not renewing my football seats. I did buy my basketball tickets again, just haven't made an additional donation as of yet, although I do plan on it before the end of the year.

That said, it would be pretty bush league for me to not be able to get seats in the similar area to my current seats if my priority was too low based on my donation amount. I've sat in the same seats since the 14/15 season and absolutely love my location. 

Anyone know if there are any special events downtown this afternoon? In the past the section of Pearl Street has been closed off for a block party. I think there is an alumni association event at the Hollow, but looking at that site it doesn't appear that very many people signed up for it (the list of who registered is on the site).

They say this game is for the region, not having other events at bars/restaurants or other stuff going on seems like a wasted opportunity to me. 

https://www.alumni.albany.edu/s/1642/bp19/interior.aspx?sid=1642&gid=2&pgid=3700&cid=11192&ecid=11192&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=6108

LOL, apparently the CBS Sports app thinks UA is now in the Atlantic Sun Conference... Do they know something we don't?

https://imgur.com/a/VTrbZKs

He has a case with some of the items he has lawsuits over. How his intentions can be spun will be the deciding factor in his marketability as a head coach. Was he sticking up for athletics, the students/alumni, and the players in addition to himself or is it all a purely selfish response to a hard choice a university had to make.

While I have always hated Gal on the court for his antics, he did build a winner after years of mediocrity and seemed to make Hartford a place that many players felt connected to and welcoming. He was loyal to the program and his players by staying for a year in the AE after learning it was their last year. If you can say that he was true to the neighborhood until the school made it impossible then I can't see why an AD wouldn't want to take a chance on the recruiting story with a short term contract.

It's really a shame how that whole thing went down. It may have been an economic necessity for the school, it could have been handled way better and without the absolute corruption that occurred.

I wouldn't want Gal to be the next coach at UA when DK leaves, but that's because I watched him as an opponent and he can be obnoxious. I could see how a fan might love it.

(Clarification: I don't want DK to leave, I just know it's likely he is only in Albany for a few years. I assume if he wins he moves up to a bigger conference within a few seasons and I really hope that happens for him and the school. Although I guess if he doesn't win, the school will keep him. We've seen that storyline.... Right now I'm excited for the season and the trajectory.)

3 hours ago, danes05 said:

Is there any buzz at all for the game this year? Ticket sales look awful, especially for our UA sections.

If I remember correctly, in past years a large percentage of the sales have come in the last 2 days before the game.

The ESPN predictor doesn't seem to like this UA team. 

Beat Siena. 

13 minutes ago, Dane96 said:

I read that he has a hurt back...so I presume he was stiffening up.  

You need a lead guard and Davis is more of a lead guard than Patel.  So if Patel is in the lineup, and he should be, you need to sacrifice one of Reddish and Drumgoole.  If I had to guess, and if Hutch is hurt...it will be Reddish starting and Drumgoole as the sixth guy getting starting minutes.  

Personally, I feel strongly that if Hutch is healthy he will start as he is basically playing an undersized PF that will allow Neely to roam freely.  It's his role from last year.  He will do a ton of dirty work and come out with double digit games here and there.  I really, really like both Drumgoole and Reddish as super subs off the bench getting what is basically starting minutes.

Off the bench, they will create MAJOR matchup problems in the AE because they are both long and athletic, and both can make shots.  

I think Jackson gets redshirted.

I agree with your final assessments in the last two paragraphs.

 

Would make sense for Jackson to redshirt. There aren't enough minutes to go around, and while I think he could be better than some other players on the team already, giving him a year to learn and grow as a player would be a huge plus for him.

When I made my fictitious starting lineup I struggled with exactly what you said. Davis and Hutch should probably start based on grit and experience, but I went the way I did because I think Reddish and Drumgoole cause more matchup problems from the jump and could prevent the team from starting in a hole like they seem to have done in the first games (including exhibition). 

Not sure we could go wrong either way. As I said, lots of balance, no big stars to take over, not enough minutes to keep everyone happy. I'd love to see the team actually play quick with run and gun and full court pressure as DK said he wanted to and stream subs to keep everyone fresh leaving most players with 20-25 minutes, but I doubt it will happen.

I see the team with a chance to contend, but most likely a little above .500. if they can avoid big losses in the transfer portal next year they could start the year as league favorites.

Why does Hutch only have 2 minutes? I missed a bunch of the game. Not hurt I hope?

My starters right now...

Patel, Reddish, Drumgoole, Neely, Beagle

Both Reddish and Drumgoole are athletic enough to play guardish type roles and while we don't have typical height in the forward position, this lineup is big overall and would give the AE fits. 

That leaves a bunch of quick sparks on the bench with Davis, Amica, Hutch, Jackson, and Little. Ketner getting some time when muscle is needed. Not sure what Edmead or Kellogg will bring but both should get minutes. 

I am cautiously optimistic about the season at the moment. The biggest issue I see is that the team is very balanced with no major standouts. Gonna be hard to find everyone minutes. Gonna do very well against the bottom of the AE, not sure anyone can take over games against the top of the league.

Maybe I'm wrong and a few players take the next step to all-conference type players. Beyond Neely, I'm not sure anyone makes more than third team.

Definitely shot better in the second half, which gave me some confidence, but still WAY too many three's being taken. I really hate the Steph Curry effect on the game of basketball. We need to find away to establish inside to open up the outside shots. I couldn't watch the game as I refused to pay for Flo for 1 game (and I gave up on UA Football) so I only listened on the radio. I guess all the misses early and late were open/good looks, but the volume was just too much.

10-31 is 32% but with 53 total FGA that means we only had 22 shots that weren't from 3pt land?  Towson was only 25% (3-12) from 3, but their overall FG% was 43.4% to UA's 35.8%. Had 10 of those missed threes been from closer range and we made 50% of them the results might have been a little different.  

Looking at the final stats, ESPN says we only had 15 turnovers (to 13 by Towson) but I feel like that's wrong and we had 15 in the first half. Maybe I am misremembering, but either way the team needs to take care of the ball better.

Overall, I feel about as good about the team after a loss as possible. I think it was encouraging to have the big comeback and keep the game close without the player most thought would be our best on the floor this year in Neely.  

I hate playing D3 schools as well, as it seems to be a nothing to win and everything to lose type opportunity, but as the article above said, this is a different year with SEFCU closed for renovations.

Actually, if you think about it, this year with Davis showing that some D3 kids can play at this level, it could be a good recruiting tool for future grad student transfers. I mean Skidmore had those two towers at 6'10"/6'11".... showing that they might be able to play with a D1 school might give them some interest in the future. No idea what Imaculata has on their roster, but if they have any kids that excel, this could be a shot for them to connect with our coaching staff for the future. 

I know I am putting lipstick on a pig, but I guess we gotta find whatever positives we can in these situations. 

20 minutes ago, Eli said:

ESPN Matchup Predictor: 61.9% chance of a UAlbany win

Umm, isn't this game against a D3 team? 

I can't get flohoops to allow me to do anything but do a full year renewal. Screw that, I'm listening on the radio.

Lots of turnovers so far....

No one made a game day thread so I figured I'd put this out there. I can't get over how little interest there seems to be in this season...

Hopefully we keep the same grit and energy they showed during the exhibition games while actually making shots.

8 hours ago, dslyank said:

My report on game 2 is basically the same as game1; and pretty much concurs with most everything said here. I will add this:  this team scraps and plays hard and so far, seems to find a way to win. It is way early and UA's short comings are very obvious {as many here have pointed out}, and a lot of work/improvements are needed; but IMHO this team has a real chance to be good and may very well surprise a lot of people. May be it's just my wishful thinking and being that I'm an eternal optimist??

I say the same thing every year in the preseason. Purple and Gold Glasses syndrome is real.

I see the talent and I see the grit. It wouldn't surprise me to see this team win a few games it has absolutely no business being in, but still ending around .500. hopefully I'm wrong and they outperform my expectations instead of underperform it...

https://dailygazette.com/2022/11/02/hutcheson-patel-davis-help-ualbany-mens-basketball-top-saint-rose-73-66-in-final-preseason-exhibition/

ALBANY

Hutcheson, Patel, Davis help UAlbany men’s basketball top Saint Rose 73-66 in final preseason exhibition

 

By Adam Shinder | November 2, 2022

PHOTOGRAPHER: PETER R. BARBER

UAlbany's DaKquan Davis completes a lay up Matt Constant and Frankie Phelan of Saint Rose on Wednesday.

ALBANY — Toughness, according to senior forward Trey Hutcheson, is going to be the defining quality of UAlbany men’s basketball’s 2022-23 season.

In the final moments of the Great Danes’ final exhibition tuneup on Wednesday at Saint Rose, Hutcheson made the kind of play that exemplifies just that.

With the Great Danes clinging to a 5-point lead, Hutcheson stripped the ball from Saint Rose’s Eric Fleming underneath the basket and, while losing his balance, managed to bat the ball off Fleming and out-of-bounds for a turnover before Hutcheson crashed into the padded wall at Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium.

"I'm hoping they count that one as a toughness play,” Hutcheson said. It was one of many toughness plays turned in by Hutcheson to help the Great Danes finish their preseason preparation with a 73-66 win.

A 6-foot-5 forward from Marion, Iowa, Hutcheson scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots as UAlbany overcame a sluggish offensive start to beat a non-Division I opponent for the second time this preseason after similar struggles in Sunday’s win over Skidmore.

It was that final stat, those four blocks, that took Hutcheson himself by surprise.

“I guess it was a lucky day for that,” he said.

UAlbany graduate student guard Sarju Patel, who scored 14 points, didn’t see any luck in Hutcheson’s effort.

“He had four blocks and a steal at the end down there,” Patel said. “He’s giving us all he has. He has a hurt back right now, and he’s giving everything.”

UAlbany was once again without 2021-22 America East Rookie of the Year Justin Neely, who missed both of the Great Danes’ exhibition games with a shoulder injury. Acting head coach Bobby Jordan, coaching the second game of head coach Dwayne Killings’ five-game suspension, said after the game that as of now, Neely isn’t slated to be available for Monday’s regular-season opener at Towson.

Guard Malik Edmead also missed his second straight exhibition, and Will Amica was out after playing against Skidmore on Sunday. Sophomore Aaron Reddish, who missed the Skidmore matchup following a violation of team rules, returned against Saint Rose and went scoreless in three minutes of action off the bench.

Just as they did on Sunday against Skidmore, the Great Danes struggled to find any offense early, starting the game shooting 2 of 18 from the floor. UAlbany did find a groove late in the first half, with a steal and layup by freshman Marcus Jackson at the buzzer giving the Great Danes a 28-26 halftime lead.

“Once the ball started going through the net a few times, we picked up the pace, found transition 3s,” Patel said. “Even going through our [half-court] sets, we’re going much faster.”

“We just told the guys, ‘Listen, we’re getting good shots, we’re getting wide open looks,’” Jordan said. “They just weren’t falling. Which was kind of funny, because we’ve practiced here a couple times with everything we’ve got going on at our place, and guys really shot the ball well when we practiced. I think they just needed to adjust.”

UAlbany withstood a barrage of 3-pointers in the second half from Saint Rose guard Matt Constant, who hit seven shots from beyond the arc and finished with a game-high 25 points. Graduate student Da’Kquan Davis scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the second half for UAlbany as the Great Danes led by as many as 12 before holding off a furious rally in the final minute that saw Saint Rose get as close as 69-66.

Clutch free throws by Davis and Ny’Mire Little put it away on the scoreboard, and Hutcheson’s defensive toughness made that stand up.

“Just an amazing job by [Hutcheson,” Jordan said. “It started on the defensive end. He did a great job of setting the tone for us defensively.”

Halftime score: UAlbany led 28-26. UAlbany scoring: Hutcheson 4-1-12, Beagle 2-4-8, Little 1-2-4, Patel 5-1-14, Jackson 2-0-4, Drumgoole 2-0-6, Davis 7-5-20, Kenter 2-1-5. Saint Rose scoring: Fleming 1-0-2, Lingonde 6-0-12, Phelan 0-2-2, Constant 7-4-25, Jusianiec 2-2-6, McGettigan 3-0-6, Zoller 4-0-11. Scoring totals: UAlbany 25-14-73, Saint Rose 23-10-66.

Way too many threes. I know this team is smaller than usual, but you still have to establish the inside game.

Well this is pretty ugly. St. Rose winning 13-8 more than half way through the first half

Last exhibition game we barely outlasted D3 Skidmore with them outsizing us significantly and us missing several players with injuries.