godanesgo99

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39724097/ncaa-tournament-expansion-future-80-teams-march-madness

Didn't know where else to put this. The American East is talked about in the article...

Saw the same. Was a good game. Great year for the Lady Danes. 6 losses on the year, 3 to UVM.

Definitely hurts to have both teams season end to UVM. 

Thank you Ladies for an entertaining season. 

Anyone know when the portal opens and we will start seeing names of who might be leaving?

As I said in another thread, there isn't a single player on the roster that I wouldn't be sad if they entered the portal. I want everyone back. They all played hard and gave it their all. If no one else leaves - so the team only has the 2 graduations, Beagle, and Girault coming off the books, there are 2 freshman signees, and 2 open spots. Both need to be used to find players that can contribute at the 5 right away, the team would have a real good shot at competing next year...

• 1/2 - Thomas, Marshall, Little, Adnan, Lindsey, Amica, Matulu
• 3 / Small 4 - Reddish, Jackson, Newton, Neely
• 4  - Margoupis, Taylor
• 5 - Transfer, Transfer

I'd be happy with that roster if those 2 transfers were 6'9 or bigger than can step in right away. Especially if they were transfers from P5 programs that could play right away. Finding a defense first 5 that is a work in progress offensively would be amazing in the AE with the way the rest of the roster is configured.

Biggest questions: 

• Do we lose anyone from the above
• Does Neely have anything left in him
• Does Amica have anything left in him

11 minutes ago, Dane96 said:

Haven't tried it yet...is the browser safe?  I have been tempted but it looks too good to be true.  You have had no probems?

As for killings, barring an NCAA run i don't think he's getting a new contract. 

I only use it for viewing timesuseless and gazette articles. If you believe the advertising then it is safe and better with the do not track and cookie burning, but I haven't switched over completely. Trust Google with chrome (where I know I can only partially trust) or another company that preaches privacy, but I don't know if I can trust. Tough decision.

Use the duck duck go browser. Once you hit the free article limit, just hit the burn history button and you are good for another 2-3 articles.

So officially Bertram and Filien are gone due to graduation, and unofficially Beagle is gone, so that's a minimum of 3 open scholarships. Who knows how many more got the portal.

Need bigs something fierce...

Current HS commits:

Amir Lindsey, 5'10" PG

Ma'kye Taylor, 6'7" F

Why did Little make the second free throw with 1.8 seconds left? Shouldn't that have been an intentional miss and hope for the put back? Or was the make accidental?

Not sure where you get that centers should shoot over 70%

There are only 9 players in the NBA that shoot over 60% from the floor and none over 70%. 

Newton is not a 5. He shouldnt be a 5. He was forced into that role due to our big man leaving the program. We still have no idea why that happened and if we blame the kid for quitting or the coaching staff for being inappropriate, but I digress.

Newton had how many double doubles this year? IMO he was one of the bright spots on the team, doing a serviceable job in a position he had no business playing. He is fine playing the 4 if the team has another big on the floor. I loved his effort. Yes he missed some chippy shots, but so did everyone. His FG% was higher than Beagle's. 

I really might be sick after saying that. I won't delete it for effect, so please know I don't really mean it. 

When I look at this team, there isn't a single player that I don't like or don't want to return. They all play hard and have tons of talent. Newton is great, he is just way too undersized to play the 5, and maybe even the 4 at this level. If anything he is a Travis Charles type 4. Asking him to play the 5 was unfair to him. 

I like Killings too, at least as a person from the handful of times I have met him. 

That said, something needs to happen and quick. We need a public statement on why Beagle left the program, and we need coaches to take accountability for not being able to get this talented group to play together in a way that wins games. Maybe DK just can't coach and needs to be done. Maybe the personalities on the team are great individually but terrible as a group. I don't even begin to know. I just know that something needs to change and fast. We expect Gr8ness and we don't have that at the moment. 

This team has shown the capability of getting hot from the floor, and if they beat UVM on Saturday, it would not be the biggest shock in the world. We can put up triple digits if the ball is falling. Long term that win would probably end up being bad for the program. I think I might *****shudder***** root for UVM this weekend ********PUKE*********

Forgot the final game of the regular season was tonight. UA playing fairly well, leading Bryant 43-39 at halftime.

22 hours ago, cwdickens said:

A very sad commentary, a worse type of disrespect to the Women LAX athletes and their coaches.  Further, if not worse, a great disrespect to the families, who allow their daughters to come here and grace us with their presence.

LMAO. It's not disrespect to state you don't enjoy watching a sport or like the rules the way they are in a version of a sport. I hope our Men's and Woman's soccer teams do well, win, and help develop student athletes so that they are successful in life after college - but I'd rather clean all the bathrooms in Grand Central station with my tongue then watch one minute of a soccer game. 

https://youtu.be/yWhpk-8QLFQ?si=8WQDNpx5Q-LEoIMw

3 hours ago, jimbo said:

I was wondering if anyone was thinking that, because I was. Their ppg avg has gone up. Rebounds are down slightly. Marshall is way more aggressive blocking shots and quite honestly this is the most athletic team I’ve seen here. Not sure if it’s bad chemistry, bad fit, getting overshadowed by Sebastian and Marshall, etc, etc. in any case, Beagle seemed to not advance from where he was last year. Maybe it was the ankle…worse than they let on? He’s still on the roster and the silence is odd. Truthfully, right now I think they miss Jackson more. I was certainly expecting big things from Beagle, but the transfer portal thing left a bad taste.

This is exactly what I have been telling people. Super Athletic. Talented Scorers. Suspect Defense, if you can call it that.

They will score more points with the current lineup than they would with Jackson/Beagle, but.... 

I think they are better with Beagle, because even if he isn't the best defensive big out there, he is still the biggest body in paint we had and definitely altered shots/stopped the overly easy layups. Beagle is still among the league leaders in rebounding and in FG%. We miss having someone that we know is gonna make pretty much every shot they take within a few feet of the hoop.

I also agree that Jackson is the biggest loss, as he was the #1 defensive guy, and seemed to always be on the opposing teams best offensive player. 100% hustle, 100% of the time. 

Anywho...

We have all been on DK as a coach, and the criticism has been mostly valid - especially when it comes to team defense - but I think we can all praise his ability to ensure that the team never gives up. They remain intense and seem to give 100% all the time. This is why I think I started this thread with:  "I want to root for them soooooo badly" as it is easy to like and want to root for a team/players that is/are hustling and giving it their all 100% of the time. 

Maybe they catch lightning in a bottle and win a few more games. I am not ready for the season to be over. I never am. 

They were impressive yesterday. Still too many easy, uncontested layups on drives to the paint, but that is what we give up without any big man presence in the paint. This team is talented and has the ability to win games, but will only go as far as their shooting percentage allows them to go. Was a fun game and surprisingly loud environment considering how empty the arena was. 

Good win. Clinched a playoff spot tonight. 2 games left to determine seeding. Think they could technically get a home game with 2 more wins and the right combo of other teams losing, but that would be a miracle.

2 hours ago, UA'08 said:

I agree he has not shown himself as a head coach. I also don’t think it makes any sense to fire him either just yet. He’s got the two years left? Let it play out and maybe something clicks if not see ya. People so staunch about canceling their season tix here feels like it’s more of a axe to grind because they just don’t like DK. 

My comment had nothing to do with an axe to grind. I have been a vocal supporter, with someone even accusing me of being a shill for the program. I want DK successful. Nothing would make me happier to see him lead the team to a few tournament appearances then debate wether he should take a higher level job. That would be amazing. That said, after 3 years, confidence of that happening is lowering by the day. Something has to give. 

1 hour ago, UA'08 said:

Jeez how many people ended up canceling football season tickets over the years up until this season. 

Has DK been cleared of everything from the lawsuit? If so it’s done and over with. Don’t know what other dramas he’s brought. I do know at one point in the season people here thought Albany basketball was heading in the right direction. To say that Beagle quitting would have no effect on the results we are seeing now I have to disagree with.

 

Beagle quitting definitely has had a huge effect on the team, I don't think anyone really doubts that. The question is why did he quit? I'm not a fan of coddling players and if it was because the coach yelled at him or treated him poorly, I'd tell him you have to suck it up and grow with it as a player, but it feels like more than that the way it was announced and subsequent silence. The fiz thing just adds another wrinkle when looked at together.

Either way, I clarified my comments and said I'd be back no matter what, but there is a real frustration among the fans that we landed in last place last year, and will end this year near the bottom again, and there is still a chance the team finishes in the actual bottom again. The issues we have seen go beyond player talent. We have talented athletic guys that put up almost 80 a game. It's a failure to mold the game plan around the players we have and the inability to get them to do what is needed. I'd rather DK work out and figure this whole thing out (I was vocal about supporting him through the lawsuit) but the issues and problems just keep adding up. At some point there is no return.

7 hours ago, cwdickens said:

I believe many others are considering not renewing their season tickets for 2024-2025, including myself.  Based on attendance for the Vermont game, many have already given up.

I say that now, but I'm 99.44% sure I'll be back regardless, it's just a frustrating spot this program is in right now. Some great players, some great personalities, and the team has never seemed to lack intensity or effort. I want to root for them soooooo badly. As Dane96 has pointed out, the team just isn't constructed well, they are unable to overcome losing Beagle and Jackson, and the coaching staff has been unable to get them to play cohesive defense or to get them out of hero mode. I mean, Marshall is extremely talented and I love watching him, but how many times can he run into a wall and lose the ball in the paint after being shut down - at the most inopportune moments of the game? How many times can the ball be thrown away because someone didn't cut like they were supposed to? The only identity this team seems to have is run and gun and hopefully score more than the other team. It's never run and gun, then stop the other team. I digress....

Only 4 more games left. 3 conference games then a 1st round playoff exit, then the rebuild begins. AGAIN.

If anyone from the staff or the team reads this (and I hope you don't): please prove me wrong. Win a few more games and extend the season. I just don't see it happening.

Edit: that wasn't a rip at Marshall. Didn't mean to call him out, it's a comment on the style of play, not any individual. I could have used anyone. It just seems like Marshall has just been in that position at the wrong times lately.

Not that often that the team gets to play on a February 29th, so that is kinda fun to have a game on a leap day!

Team has pretty much locked up the 7 or 8 seed in the conference tournament, but could finish as high as 4, or end up out of the playoffs depending on how things play out. If UA loses the last 3 conference games (which is definitely possible) and NJIT wins both of their final 2 games, then UA misses the conference tournament for the second straight year. We have the tie breaker with NJIT having beaten them twice, so any combo of a UA win or a NJIT loss means the season goes into the playoffs.  NJIT plays UMBC and Bryant for it's final 2 games. UA gets NH, Maine, and Bryant. I won't go into the specifics of how UA gets the higher seeds, because I am pretty much assuming the team ends at 7 or 8. 

BLAH, the ending of another disappointing season.  I can't believe it, but I am actually considering cancelling my season tickets for next season if something doesn't magically happen. Just not sure I can take the heartache anymore. 

Good finish my the ladies. That was a low scoring game, but showed toughness down the stretch.

That Little pass to Newton should be a sportscenter top play. 

Nice to see them playing well.

Bertram. Wow.

21 hours ago, ctdanes said:

Do they still not allow students to tailgate at Dutch? I feel that would help with the atmosphere 

Students definitely tailgate at Dutch. Not sure where you heard they weren't. I was right next to a Fraternities tailgate during homecoming.

Interestingly enough, those kids were there for the tailgate, then left to go downtown to party instead of going to the game. LMAO

47 minutes ago, Dane96 said:

Is it wrong that I am hoping for this to happen?!

Part of me hates you for saying that, as I want DK to work out. He is great in public and seems to do a good job of connecting with fans and donors when you have the chance to speak with him in person. I definitely would rather the team figures it out and we win way more often then we lose....

...

...

... but the other part of me agrees with you and hopes it all burns and we can start fresh. Sadly this is becoming the majority of my brain, not just the little voice in the back of my head.

Not sure if the bigger loss right now is Jackson or Beagle, but this team is in a lot of trouble without the two of them.