Phoenix

I guess that makes 2 scholarships available for this coming season. In my desperate attempt to find some sort of positive here..I guess it means there won't be an absolute cliff after the 12-13 season. Creates plenty of opportunities for players to step-up this year. Possible starting line-up: PG - Black SG - Gibson? Hooley? Iati? SF - Guerrier? PF - Devlin C - Metcalf/Puk

http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205418256&DB_OEM_ID=15800

Per Andrew Santillo.. pursuing a graduate program that UAlbany doesn't have. Press conference with him and Suero at 3:30pm.

@PeteIorizzo: UAlbany AD Lee McElroy says Will Brown has been given a 2-year contract extension. The deal is being reviewed by the school's legal dept. Kind of weird to have an extension of less than 3 years. I would've preferred at least 3 for stability's sake.

The interesting thing is that's pretty much what we were last season. 13 players on the roster..2 JUCOs. Depending on what you call Iati..who's not a JUCO but also isn't a 4 year guy for UA..that means 15% JUCO and 85% non-JUCO. They fill different roles. When we need a bit more of an immediate impact at a specific position..JUCO is usually the more appealing fit. You're more likely to find a JUCO who can be immediately effective as opposed to a freshman coming in. That need can be caused by injuries, transfers, recruiting misses, etc.

Loyola University vs. Norfolk State University (Springfield Bracket) University of (sp) Albany vs. University of Missouri-Kansas City (Springfield Bracket) Seton Hall University vs. University of Washington (Naismith Bracket) Ohio State University vs. University of Rhode Island (Naismith Bracket)

· Season tickets for the new stadium will be filled based on 3 separate groups. Those who purchased football season tickets in 2011 and renew in 2012 will be given the best possible seats in the new stadium. Those who buy football season tickets in 2012 and have been season ticket holders for basketball (or football prior to 2011) will be next, followed by the general public who reserve season tickets for next year.

It was mostly me thinking out loud. That maybe '3 scholarship years + decent playing time freshman year' isn't too much less appealing than '4 scholarship years + little/no playing time freshman year'..especially if you're paying in-state tuition that first year. I've never been recruited as a DI athlete, though..so I could be way off. I'm not picturing someone who would be competing for a starting job right off the bat..just some more quality depth. Even if both Puk and Devlin come back at full health..and that's certainly a big enough if..with just 3 people on the roster taller than 6'5", even a little foul trouble could cause difficulties. Guerrier and Rowley both rebound well for their size..but it's tough to ask them to match-up against guys 3, 4 or 5 inches taller than them on a regular basis.

I wonder if bringing in a big as a 'walk-on' (DI scholarship quality) next year might not be as difficult as it would first seem. While they wouldn't get a scholarship their first year..there are plenty of scholarships (potentially) available after the 2012 season. Aronhalt, Black, Guerrier, Iati, Metcalf and Suero will all be graduating..assuming everything goes as planned. Bruxvoort and Lassen look like the only ones set at this point to receive a scholarship in 2013. Maybe the realistic chance of decent playing time as a freshman is more appealing than a scholarship for that first year? Would be even 'easier' if a player was from NYS..meaning in-state tuition. I agree with Dane Pound that another big seems to be the main (only?) serious missing piece.

Now that's certainly interesting. I'm assuming the interest had to have been pre-Iati returning. Not only do we not have an extra scholarship now..but it would seem that we're pretty well filled at the guard position (Black, Aronhalt, Suero, Iati, Watts, Gibson, Hooley and Page). And he's looking at UConn, Wake Forest and Virginia.

SBU = Sen. LaValle I'm not sure UConn and UAlbany are too analogous is this situation. UConn's the clear (large) solo flagship university in the state and had been a DI institution for more than 50 years before they transitioned to FBS. And just because progress was made..doesn't mean there wasn't push back from people who disagreed.

I know this is probably a rhetorical question..but I still don't get it? I've seen it mentioned a couple times on this board. Am I the only one who hasn't heard this stance? It's just as much a misguided broad stroke to say it's conservatives who are creating the noise because they don't want any extra penny of tax money to pay for something that isn't completely necessary to minimally function as a government/society. I think..at the basic level..it's probably mostly geographic. GSU, UNCC and USF are all southern schools where football is king..and a given.

Has Bruxvoort actually been announced yet? If not..the 'two' could be him and the BIG?

Looks like the staff is pursuing the JUCO route..which would make sense given their preference for someone who could be effective right away. From their tweets..Coach Brown was at a JUCO tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas and Coach Friel was at a JUCO tournament in Danville, Illinois.

Gleason was just named to the Colonial Council All-Stars First-Team. http://blog.timesunion.com/sidelines/2012/03/13/colonial-council-all-stars-named/

Jordan Gleason..whom we're in on..and his Watervliet team detroyed Plattsburgh 72-40 in the Section II Class B Regional in the NYS Tournament tonight.

I posted the following in a different thread after the Iati news came out. If Dane96's comments on Bruxvoort are correct..then that seems to answer my question. "This might be thinking too far ahead..but does this affect the team's scholarship situation? I believe (?) we have 13 players on scholly right now. Iati graduting would put that number at 12. I understand the Bruxvoort kid from Iowa is coming in next year..does he get the 13th? The timing seems off though..because the Iati article makes it seem as though this was a relatively recent decision..and I think Bruxvoort committed quite a while ago?" This does seem to suggest that we would have a scholarship open (Lassen is a 2013 commit..so he doesn't factor in here)..which sounds like it might apply to talk of us recruiting a big for next year. Puk sat-out/paid his way his first year..so it's not unheard of (re: Bruxvoort). I would think that the (potential) appeal could be that the player could then get 4 quality years..instead of coming in..playing sparingly as a freshman..and then having just 3 years left. I think a big could/would definitely be useful in 2012-13..so it will be interesting to see if that's how this all plays out.

True. I guess I more meant 'long-term'..instead of 'severe.' The article seems to suggest that it's still in the air as to whether or not he'll play in the next game. Meaning that it may not be a longer-term type injury..like Ogunyemi..for example.

Looks like Bruxvoort has an ankle injury. Doesn't seem too severe? http://www.kniakrls.com/2012/02/pcms-younger-bruxvoort-fills-in-admirably-for-older-brother/

21 points last night..his second consecutive 20+pt performance..puts Black at 989. Would need 11pts in his minimum 1 remaining game to eclipse 1,000 career points.

RecruitScoop lists Watervliet PG Jordan Gleason as taking an unofficial visit today.

Looks like I'm the main updater here.. Black's 23 points tonight puts him at 968. Would need to average 16ppg over the minimum next 2 games to reach 1,000 career points.

16 points tonight puts Black at 945. Would need to average 18.4ppg within the minimum 3 games remaining this season to reach 1,000.

That reading seems to make sense to me. Nice that they got the name of the university correct all the way at the bottom when they quote Coach Brown..after throwing in the 'of' instead of 'at' when they list the participating schools in the beginning. (heavy sarcasm..if it's not clear)

11 points today puts Black at 929. Would need to average 17.8ppg within the minimum 4 games remaining this season to reach 1,000.