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I missed the Zoom call, due to Fall foliage trip to the Schoharie Valley (spouse request) however I see that the Times Union had an article yesterday. UALBANY MEN’S BASKETBALL Thomas warmed up to playing with Danes By Mark Singelais Alan Hubbard/ PhotoByFriday LLC UAlbany junior guard Sebastian Thomas averaged 22.8 minutes, 5.8 points and 2.8 assists per game for Rhode Island last season. Alan Hubbard/PhotoByFriday via URI Athletics UAlbany junior guard Sebastian Thomas said the number of losses the Danes had last season left him unsure of his level of interest in the school at first. At first, Sebastian Thomas wasn’t interested in transferring to the University at Albany men’s basketball program. He wouldn’t return head coach Dwayne Killings’ phone calls. Thomas had 23 reasons for his indifference. The Great Danes went 8-23 last season and finished last in the America East Conference. “Just looking at the record last year, it was kind of hard,” Thomas said Wednesday with a laugh. “I’m here now, so hopefully we can turn it around.” Killings is counting on Thomas, a 6-foot-1 junior guard who played the past two seasons for the University of Rhode Island, to be part of a big turnaround. The Great Danes open Nov. 7 at UMass. “I think he’s got a chance to be the best point guard in the league,” Killings said. “My standard for him is really high and I think there’s some days where, it may not be his favorite thing, but I think he’s got a chance to have a perfect game. When I’m saying that, 10 assists, no turnovers. He has the ability to impact the game on offense and defense. He’s got a gift. He makes players better.” Even with UAlbany’s addition of Thomas and four other transfers, the America East coaches don’t expect the Great Danes to be much better than last season. The Great Danes were chosen seventh of nine teams in the preseason coaches’ poll announced Wednesday. “I don’t agree with it,” Thomas said. “I think we’re better than that, but it is what it is. Being picked seventh, I think on the positive side, nobody expects us to do good, so I feel we can prove a lot of people wrong in our conference and hopefully this season we’re higher than seventh.” Vermont is the preseason favorite to win its third straight league title, followed by UMass Lowell in second. Unlike some who might transfer down from an Atlantic-10 school, Thomas did not ride the bench at URI. He played in 32 games as a sophomore last season and started 13 — the first six and final seven. He averaged 22.8 minutes, 5.8 points and 2.8 assists per game. Thomas had an assist/turnover ratio of 1.6, which would have ranked 10th in the league if he’d qualified. The lefty Thomas shot only 34 percent from the field, 25 percent from 3-point range. The Rams went 9-22 under new head coach Archie Miller. Thomas, a Providence native, decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal after the season. Killings’ initial attempts to contact Thomas were met with silence. “To be honest, when I first entered the portal, I wasn’t that interested in Albany,” he said. “I wasn’t answering DK’s phone calls at first. It took a while to warm up. But then ultimately I got down here on a visit, going into the visit with the mindset that I can’t picture myself here and ended up loving it. One thing that stood out to me was the relationships built here, how open everyone is, how DK is with his players. I feel like I really need that personally. That’s something that attracted me to come here.” Killings credited UAlbany assistant Ryan Daly with being persistent in his pursuit of Thomas. He said Thomas had “impressive” offers from other schools, including within the America East. When they first sat down, Killings said, Thomas didn’t seem open to the idea of coming. “We were resilient with him,” Killings said. “The second meeting, we sat down and I thought his mind was open to the program because we talked about, ‘We didn’t have the success we wanted this past year, but here’s our plan for you and here’s an example of things that we’ve done within our program.’” Killings and Daly sold Thomas on the renovated Broadview Center, previously known as SEFCU Arena, and the chance to play with sophomore forward Jonathan Beagle, the America East Rookie of the Year. “He started to see the potential,” Killings said. “I know the threat we are to this league and any team we play. A lot of it’s going to be because of the young man to my left (Thomas).” Notes: Redshirt sophomore forward Justin Neely, coming back from an ACL tear, is “progressing really well” and has a Nov. 2 appointment with his surgeon to be evaluated for a clearer idea of his return, Killings said. … Sophomore guard Marcus Jackson, who fractured his left wrist, will be evaluated in early November. Killing said it’s “not super serious.”… Beagle is day-today with a rolled ankle.

The weather forecast calls for rain, my understanding, this is the seventh consecutive weekend that rain has fallen on Saturday or Sunday or both days: Saturday: Rain. High near 61. Northwest wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Saturday Night: Showers. Low around 48. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Going to be a wet, cold evening in Smithfield, RI: Oct 21 (Sat) 7:00 PM AE at Bryant Smithfield, R.I. History

Time to right the ship and move forward on Friday: Oct 20 (Fri) 2:00 PM AE vs New Hampshire Albany, NY Alumni Turf AE.TV Live Stats History

A reminder that Fall Ball Scrimmage is tomorrow night, the NWS forecast follows: Friday: Showers likely, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 64. South wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Friday Night: Rain. Low around 55. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible

For me, the Times-Union has been delivering the same level of coverage for the time of year for us and the other school then throw in sports including the D1 Hockey programs at Rensselaer and Union. I have to ask this question: Who is reading the newspapers? So, if you are not going to follow UAlbany Sports on Instagram, you going to miss some things. What do you really need know?... where & when the game is going to be played and the game's result. Just rambling...

I noticed on our MBB schedule for the November 19 game at Quinnipiac, the game is referenced as the Doc Sauers Invitational. Does anyone know what this is about?

A reminder, you have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss your thoughts on the program's direction: Men's Basketball Season Ticket Holder Zoom Great Dane Fans, UAlbany Men's Basketball invites you to an exclusive preview of the 2023-24 season with Head Coach, Dwayne Killings and staff! The virtual event will take place this Thursday, October 19th at 6 pm. To register for the event, Click Here. A Zoom link will be emailed the day of the event. Looking forward to seeing everyone Thursday! #UAUKNOW | #MENTALITY CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Women's Soccer Falls at Cornell 4-0

Men's Soccer Falls at Colgate 1-0

Oct 17 (Tue) 5:00 PM at Cornell Ithaca, N.Y. ESPN+ Live Stats Preview Game Notes Int'l Stream History

Oct 17 (Tue) 7:00 PM at Colgate Hamilton, N.Y. ESPN+ Live Stats Preview Game Notes Int'l Stream History

Two tough losses..... Oct 13 (Fri) 3:00 PM AE at #20 UMass Lowell Lowell, MA L, 2-3 Box Score Recap Box Score (PDF) History Hide/Show Additional Information For UMass Lowell - October 13, 2023 /images/logos/UNC.png?width=80&height=80&mode=max Oct 15 (Sun) 12:00 PM vs #3 UNC Albany, NY Alumni Turf L, 3-4 Box Score Recap Box Score (PDF) History

On a happier note, MSOC won yesterday in the program's 500th win, Men's Soccer Defeats UMass Lowell 2-0, Records 500th Victory in Program History

As fans, we have to remember, UNH scored 51 points in their game against Towsend and still lost. For us, three more home games and one of them is William & Mary. We have a decent team with a schedule that favors us going forward as long as the team can stay focused and heathy.

The weather forecast, from the NWS, for the Durham campus of the University of New Hampshire: Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Finally, not only a conference win but a convincing win 4-0.

The time of the scrimmage... seems not gear towards season ticket holders.

Smisdom, Werbrouck Honored by America East

Kelly Named FedEx Ground FCS National Defensive Player of the Week

From an UAlbany Instagram posting: ualbanyfootball 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 💥 @dylan_kelly12 is a FORCE 😤 #UAUKNOW #WinTheDay 🟪🟨

Oct 12 (Thu) 7:00 PM AE vs UMBC Albany, N.Y. Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium Live Stats History

Oct 8 (Sun) 1:00 PM AE at Bryant Smithfield, R.I. L, 0-2 Box Score Recap Game Notes History

Just an fyi 3-1 lost to Binghamton and next up: Oct 14 (Sat) 6:00 PM AE vs UMass Lowell Albany, N.Y. Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium Live Stats History

Oct 15 (Sun) 6:00 PM AE vs Binghamton Albany, NY Robison Gym at the Kahl Campus Center - Russell Sage College Live Stats History