olddog71

The following link to the main page of the UAlbany athletic site describes the award given to Andy Allstadt: http://www.albany.edu/sports/stories.htm#allstadt_ncaapost This graduate certainly took advantage of many opportunities while he was an undergrad at UAlbany both on and off the field. This award is special both to the recipient and to the school. Congratulations!

I haven't weighed in much on this controversy, but I think Siena is mostly right on this issue. The biggest mistake on the Kojo Mensah's part is not notifying the kid in a timely manner. If he had announced his decision to leave back in the early spring, then what Siena is doing to the kid now would be nothing more than vindictive. But the kid waits until it is virtually too late for the school to react to his departure and the consequent void in their lineup. That stinks! If the school had done something wrong to him during his tenure at the school, he has weapons at his disposal to deal with them in a legal way. So Mensah should suffer consequences as well. He has an advisor and a lawyer in addition to give him good advice, and they have not served him well. Maybe they just thought the school would cave without any consequences. Mensah is thinking only of himself and not of the school at all. I'm sorry, but there has to be mutual respect, as there has been mutual benefit to each other for the time the kid has been at Siena. It works both ways. Believe me, if there were mitigating circumstances that made it very difficult for the kid to thrive at Siena, then I would be much more sympathetic to him. But he worked for a whole year under the new coach and certainly was a productive player for the school. It Mensah were really dissatisfied with the school or the coach, he should have signalled his intention to leave months ago. There is no indication of that intention. Too bad! The kid has to wait a year to play ball anyway at the Division I level. The kid had to submit a list of schools in which he was interested to the Siena AD. Maybe the AD is wrong with requiring the kid to submit the list, rather than giving the student a list where the kid could apply, but the AD, according to the Times-Union, was under a time obligation as well - July 1. If the kid had communicated his desire earlier, then the AD would have had more time to maneuver. It's too bad the school seems to be the sole recipient of the media blame here, when the kid is more responsible. In this situation, I am more likely to support Siena. There are important timing issues here. I'm glad we haven't had to deal much with this bad situation at UAlbany, but I hope the school and potential student-athletes take note of how to proceed when a kid wants to transfer.

Patch, As usual, you make some very good points. Good overall analysis of the situation.

Patch, I agree with just about everything in your post. The sole area of disagreement comes with the control Siena has over the date of the UAlbany game. I'm just not sure how much leeway the school has over the timing of the game, despite the fact that the venue is at their "home arena." Other events at the Pepsi/TUC may have preference for the same date. If so, it's kind of ironic that Siena might not have all the control it boasts over the time during the day the game is played. I also have some sympathy for Siena in the Mensah affair. I may be from the old school, but I think that when a player signs on for a scholarship to play for a school that he should retain loyalty to the school under almost all circumstances. There are exceptions to the rule, but I don't think this case is one of them.

Nope, my sole source of inspiration on the event came from the article.

An article posted in today's Times-Union described the honors that the Tri-Valley Cats made for our men's team. Here's the link: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=6/30/2006 I like the fact that so many Dane players were able to attend. Many of our team members' homes are far away. Five of the incoming team members were also present. This event not only brings veteran and new team members together to build a sense of unity, but it also contributes to positive local exposure.

Also, Hartford should be stronger, too. Even though they have lost Adeleke, the team will be much more balanced, and the school has a new crop of incoming athletes. The biggest factor in Hartford's improvement will be the new coach. In summary, this year should see a much more competitive AE. It's too bad the OOC games are played at the beginning of the season. All the teams should reap the rewards of better coaches and players by the end of the season. It will be much more difficult for UA to repeat as the winner of the best conference record. We had a 13-3 conference record before the tournament. UA had only one poor conference game: at UVM. The other two pre-tournament conference losses were small OT losses to UNH. It will be very hard for UA to surpass that run.

Nice report on the UAlbany website about McElroy's selection as President of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. http://www.albany.edu/sports/stories.htm#nacda_prez This appointment is certainly an indication of the high esteem which McElroy enjoys among his colleagues and a note of progress on how far the total UAlbany athletic progrem has advanced in recent years. The selection was also announced today in the Times-Union. http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=6/29/2006 Another feather in the cap for UAlbany.

The Times-Union included some information on Kirsten Zoellner in its article about Antoine "Scoop" Jordan in article published today. Here's the link: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=6/29/2006 The info on Zoellner is printed toward the end of the article. GD84 has already mentioned the news on the AE board.

According to what Coach Brown said in an article last week, UAlbany would announce its men's basketball schedule sometime this week. I hope that's true so that my wife and I can make our plans for this winter. I remember a couple seasons ago, however, that the schedule wasn't released until September, so I have to learn some patience.

Controversies always beget more passionate discussions. We'll be discussing UConn more as the time for the game comes around, or until UConn fans "discover" us and begin to disrespect us. In the meantime, enjoy the board for whatever it has to offer. I know I can't wait to log on here multiple times a day.

You make a good point also about recruiting. Let me make my one observation here on this topic. I have made many of my posts here on this basketball forum on the Siena issue. Why do I do this? The simple answer is that I know more about this issue than many other topics. I make comments because this is an area where I feel I can make a worthwhile contribution. I suspect that many other posters here feel the same way. Why don't I make as many comments about recruiting, for example? It's simple. I'm not privy to as much information on this topic. I can choose two ways to respond to this type of information on this forum. I can ignore it, sort of the way statefan once described the nature of his posts. He's unwilling to make comments on many topics unless he has some unique comment or information to share with us. (Forgive me, statefan, if I am putting the wrong words in your mouth.) He doesn't envision his role as a rah-rah cheerleader. Or I can take on the cheerleader role, which I and others do occasionally here. Sometimes that tack might be valuable on this forum. By the way, I am really impressed with the way Brown is handling recruiting. He is bringing in some solid recruits in next year's class. But he doesn't stop there. He already has a huge start on the new players for 2007-08 season while other coaches still don't have next season taken care of. Positive comments on the AE board about Brown's recruiting efforts demonstrate the respect he has engendered from knowledgeable fans from other AE schools. Just because some of us older posters here seem focused on the Siena topic doesn't mean that we are neglecting the other aspects of our program. I think the great majority of UAlbany posters here are very impressed with the direction our program is taking next year and beyond. We are a forward-looking lot.

Thanks a lot for your opinion again. You make a good point about some of the redundant and abusive remarks that are made by posters on both sides of this topic. Sometimes I think UAlbany posters feel a need to repeat their points because some Siena poster make ridiculous observations and opinions and because we continue to find a lack of respect for our program by some of them. We just feel like we are not getting through in our contention that there has been great progress made by the UAlbany basketball program; hence. some of the repetition. Some of the posts have been downright abusive or wantonly disrespectful. I think that kind of post does not belong here on this forum. For example, Siena Tony accused me a couple months ago of possessing "penis envy." You will notice that I made it a point not to respond to his post. If these remarks have turned you off to this discussion, then you will find your opinion very much resonating with me and others here. The great majority of people on this forum have presented easily demonstrable facts and well-grounded opinions. The fact that most posters make great contributions with their solid information and/or opinions and do so in a respectful manner makes this site invaluable to people who want to know more about all aspects UAlbany athletics and/or are willing to share their insights with other like-minded posters.

Thank you for your opinion. But, remember, it's just your opinion. If you don't want to read the opinions here, which is one of the main purposes of this message board, just don't turn your eyes here. It's your option. In the meantime, those of us who profess an interest in this topic should be allowed to post observations and make opinions on it. You are relatively new to UAlbany basketball, but many of us here on this board have followed UAlbany hoops for decades and decades. First of all, you should be a little more tolerant of the passion we have for UAlbany basketball in general and in the Siena rivalry specifically. I would hardly call the rivalry irrelevant. The only way it is irrelevant is in the run for an NCAA seed. In the old times until the rivalry ended in 1976 it was easily the most hotly contested local basketball game and generated the greatest interest from the fans. You would not have believed the passion the contests generated before, during, and after the games. That passion has returned since the renewal of the rivalry. It easily draws more fans for each school than just about any other contest on the schedule. You cannot simply ignore the interest by the fans and the media for this game. It is not artificial, as you term it, when it draws around 10,000 fans per year. If the game were played on a Saturday evening with decent weather, it will attract more than 12,000 fans as each team becomes more highly ranked on the national scene. I agree with you that this game should not be the sole focus of the team and fans, but you must understand that in the early years of our Division I the game is an outstanding measuring stick for the progress our program has made. Any time you defeat a long-established, tradition-rich team in Siena - or merely come close to victory, the game signifies another step forward in UAlbany's rise. Yes, we have already established our profile among Siena fans, local college hoop aficionados, and - maybe our greatest challenge - our own students and alumni. In that sense UAlbany men's basketball has already transcended the Siena game with great games against the likes of Vermont, UCLA, Florida, and UConn. We now have other solid measuring sticks with which to compare the development of UAlbany basketball. But as long as the games are played, the UAlbany-Siena basketball rivalry will continue to measure just how far UAlbany has progressed in Division I hoops.

No freshman from a mid-major will do that against UAlbany this coming season. Be realistic, man. UAlbany improved substantially last season, and the experienced squad we have coming back will not tolerate that. When the two local teams met last year, UAlbany had not learned how to win games. We proved how to play good defense as a team. UConn should have taught you a lesson about UAlbany.

It means they would be playing by a Duell standard.

"GREENE TAKES SECOND IN 400-HURDLES AT USA JUNIORS; ORTMAN FOURTH IN 800-METERS "Indianapolis, Ind. - University at Albany’s Joe Greene finished second in the men’s 400-meter hurdles final with a time of 50.70 seconds at the 2006 Finish Line USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, June 23 at IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium. Greene, who just completed his freshman year at UAlbany, qualified for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, China on Aug. 15-20 with his performance. "Jessica Ortman placed fourth in the women’s 800-meter run final by shattering her own school record with a time of 2:06.94. The top eight finishers in each event earn All-America recognition. More than 600 athletes ranging from 14 to 19 years-old are entered at junior nationals on the campus of IUPUI." For the rest of the article: http://www.albany.edu/sports/stories.htm#juniors_0623

Yes, thankfully nobody got hurt. As far as the administration, I'm not sure it should be as liable as many might like. The students, in the final analysis, should take ownership of their behavior. After all, they're considered adults now, and the most effective overlook is self-policing. On the other hand, the whole policy is pretty unrealistic. Yes, thank goodness, nobody was hurt. By the way, should the person who brought up this type of incident somehow be held accountable? Just wondering.

Yeah, birthday greetings from me, too. Hope you live at least three times longer than your current age. Then you would really be Dane96. Seriously, thanks for all the info and opinions you provide. You keep a lot of people on this board and other sites a lot more honest.

I hope whatever issues this kid may have in the classroom get rectified soon. If he's the real deal, then welcome aboard. He should have good company on a team that is more and more reaching its stride.

olddog, Agreed, then why did UA offer? Unless it was something that wasn't a huge stumbling block and Coach Brown thought we could overcome. Perhaps with a little help of a tutor. 15019[/snapback] If Ambrose is suffering from any academic difficulties, he must be VERY good for UAlbany to pursue him. I agree with you that if his problems in the classroom WERE to be questionable, then we wouldn't be giving him a second look. Good point, bosiydid.

One caveat: "Ambrose must take care of business in the classroom. As he accomplishes this, it's likely many more division one schools will jump aboard to recruit this exciting athlete." UAlbany likes solid academic students.

Cool that the site also likes our school nickname. It also doesn't hurt that we're the only ones in the country with the name. Nice way to maintain name recognition.

Yes, the tentacles reach far. Soon, they'll be banning your anti-Saint posts here.

Patch, I agree with everything you say. I just want to add that nobody, unless instigated, goes over to their forum to knock their incoming recruits, and there is also very little criticism here or over there from UAlbany posters of their current or past players. You are onto something very real when you question the motives that Tony uses to discuss our growing programs.