AE in '04-05 (Albany and other teams)

[AlbanyObserver]

I really believe the sky is the limit for UAlbany next season. Basically, it will be an entire facelift. I just read that Vermont's Sheftic has elected not to use his medical redshirt to return next year and join the Army instead. UVM will still be tough with Coppenrath and Sorrentine. However, Northeastern will lose three starters (six seniors), BU two starters (five seniors) and Hartford two starters (Parker and Stys). Albany will have the talent for a top-four conference finish and a chance to do major damage in the AE Tourney next year.

 

Where is the tourney next year???? Albany should definitely put in a bid to host it at the RACC, if not next year, then '05-06. That home court advantage could be huge for a team like Albany or Binghamton (with their new Events Center). Billings should have a monster senior year. Can't wait to see Zoellner serve as our equalizer against their Jolly Green Giant!!!!

[Patch]

As much as I hate to look past this year - 04/05 is interesting to say the least!!!

 

Just add the people we have sitting out now (Jamar, Lucious and Zoellner) and were a top four team now.

 

But lets take a closer look

 

Guards

 

Iati 5'9" - tremendous 3 pt shooter/ very good FT shooter

Wilson 6'1" - tremendous scorer/penetrator who can stick the 3 (38% 02/03) ROY and All AE as a Frosh

Jordan 6'2" - extremely strong going to the hoop, All MAAC 02/03

Bauman 6'2" - combo guard outstanding shooter.

Lillis 6'4" - combo guard, very athletic, very good shooter

Levi 6'6" - The Ultimate Warrior!!!!

Johnson 6'1" - solid and gaining DI experience

Cheese 6' - unknown quantity

 

Small Forward or Wing types

 

Jordan 6'2"

Levi 6'6"

Lillis 6'4"

Martin 6'7" - gaining needed DI experience, solid 3 point shooter

"Q" 6'6" - very athletic

Knotts 6'6" - has alot of potential but has really been an under achiever so far.

B Wilson - good 3 point shooter who has the potential to play some 3 or 4/5

 

Power Players Centers/Power Forwards

 

Zoellner 7'1" - could be a program maker - supposedly better than originally thought

Dyson 6'9" - major DI body as skills develop could be major impact player

Hughes 6'8" - wait and watch

B. Wilson 6'8"

Wyatt 6'6" - fits into the same mold as Knotts

Knotts 6'6"

 

The one thing we will have is depth at every position - by next year we'll have a nice blend of youth and veterans. We should be able to play alot of different styles due to the different talents we have. Should be very interesting.

 

Practices should be very intense to say the least. Take a day off and lose your spot.

[DaneFan2k3]

Although the idea of hosting at the RACC is a good one from the standpoint of just having it in town, as we have discussed on the board, the RACC probably can't host something of that magnitude without looking foolish. I think the America East knows that.

 

Also, who is to say that they really want to get it out of Boston, where the conference offices are located? It's almost more central in a way, considering it's home to two schools, Maine and UNH are closer to Beantown than Albany ... Hartford is probably equidistant ... That is 5 of 9 ... UMBC is probably flying either way, so they don't care ... leaving just the three NY schools and Vermont with the drive (and really only Binghamton going out of their way).

[Patch]

DaneFan2K3

 

 

Boston last year did a terrible job (bathroom space was non existent and the bathrooms were filthy, the actual arena had a terrible odor, parking was poor, the support staff was ineffective, housing for out of towners was expensive and limited, the PA system left alot to be desired) and attendance was putrid.

 

I understand the concerns about hosting at the RACC but two years would give us enough time to rectify not all but many of the problems.

 

Again "is the glass half empty or half full"??? If we can pull off the "Big Purple Growl" we can host the tourney. The tourney should also have a carnival like atmosphere like the BPG.

 

"I see the glass as half full" but that's just my opinion.

[Dane96]

Trust me...UA can get its ###### together when it wants. They hosted the DIII tourney in 1994. It was amazing...averaging I think a bit over 3500. The Elite 8 final had 4500+. It was loud, wild and we should have won (phantom foul w/ 2.4 left cost us the game by a bucket). It was a tremendous atmosphere....and the place looked absolutely amazing.

[AlbanyObserver]

I think schools around the conference will begin to complain if you see the tourney stay in Boston for say the next four years. You need to have a good facility in order to host the thing and I feel Binghamton and Albany definitely qualify. Maine, UNH and Vermont don't fit the bill right now. If they want to upgrade to a basketball-only facility, I am all for them hosting. Maine plays above their hockey rink and the other two schools have high-school sized gyms. I heard UVM might be building a new hoops facility in the next couple of years. By keeping a rotation of locations, you can make the concept fresh every year and many fans like to see new places.

 

Also, another point, despite the AE office being located in Boston, what if BU and/or Northeastern leaves the conference in the next few years??? If none of the Boston schools are still around, why would you have the tourney in this locale??? Northeastern can't even sell out there own on-campus bandbox. They also have the option of hosting in their hockey arena which absolutely blows.

 

In my opinion, allow Binghamton to host next year and give it to Albany in 05-06. That would give UA two or more years to plan. I see the UAlbany-Binghamton rivalry taking off soon. The Bearcats have some passionate fans and will draw well in the new facility. I think the Albany-SBU rivalry is losing some of its luster. They don't seem to draw well being in LI. Also, I don't think they have one fan or poster located on the AE message board.

[statefan]

I think I remember the subect coming up at one of last year's luncheons and it being stated that a bid proposal to host the 2005 AE tournament was in the works. Originally there was some thought about seeking the 2004 tournament, but I understood that was vetoed by the league office as they did not want to compete with the MAAC. My concern is that if Binghamton gets the 2005 tournament to show off their new facility, we may be blocked in 2006 again by the MAAC conflict. By 2007, Jordan, Zoellner and Levine will have graduated.

 

The RACC would be an excellant venue for the AE tournament, and the increased hotel room space available along Washington Avenue is very helpful. Personally, I was very disappointed by the 2002 tournament at Northeastern and the 2003 at Boston U. Both venues were old, dirty and primarily hockey venues, without good sight lines or speaker systems for basketball . No great effort was made to put forth a festive or welcoming atmosphere. I don't remember what they posted as attendance, but the venues had an empty feel to it. There was very little community support, and in fact none when the home teams were not playing. I know it sounds like a shill; but I am sure we would do a much better job.

[DaneFan2k3]

I agree that if it does happen, it's going to have to be in an off year for the MAAC Tournament. There simply wouldn't be a reason to do it in the same year, as it would crowd the hotels and jack up the prices, not to mention take attention away from one or the other (probably in the MAAC's favor).

 

I could see America East doing something with Albany and Binghamton, where one gets the women while the other gets the men, and then flip flop the following year.

 

Or throwing Albany a bone with the women's tournament to see if the RACC can measure up first, and if it does, they could be in for the men as well. I think that it's more than just the arena itself that would pose concerns.

 

Remember, they've all been on campus before. I don't know much about other schools' facilities, but I'm sure they have more than a couple hundred parking spaces within 300 yards of the arena. For the home opener vs. Army, I got there "late" (quarter of) and had to park on the curb (not in an actual spot). All other late-comers had to park in Dutch or Indian and walk over in the 2 degree cold. That's not something they are going to look upon with great appreciation I'm sure.

 

Someone on this board has $20 million to pony up for a four-tier parking deck in the lot, which would connect on the third floor to the RACC Arena balcony, thus making the building face the parking lot and allow entry ... right??

[Patch]

DaneFan2K3

 

I can always count on you being upbeat and positive.

 

Thank you for protecting me from the Scrooge types of the world.

 

Happy Holidays!!!

[Dane Pound]

Someone on this board has $20 million to pony up for a four-tier parking deck in the lot, which would connect on the third floor to the RACC Arena balcony, thus making the building face the parking lot and allow entry ... right??

Going by the standards for announced attendence that Danefan2K3 has pointed out where the actual number of fans is overstated. Do you think I could pony up a couple of hundred bucks the University would announce it as a gift of $20 Million?

It would do wonders for my tax refund.

[Dane96]

For big games (football and hoops) the university closed sections around the gyms and had people park on the curb in the past along University Drive. They have also used the school shuttle in the past to get people from Dutch/Indian.

[DaneFan2k3]

I think that students were getting off shuttle buses for the last game (Army) as well, but I think the general public is going to be loathe to walk from those lots to the RACC in the dead of an Albany winter. Especially visiting team fans.

 

I think the parking issue is at least as big as the bathroom issue in terms of any conference tournament. There is a decided lack of parking overall on campus, but parking deck costs have risen to levels where the per sqare foot cost just isn't recoupable over the life of the deck ... even though building up (not out) makes the most sense on a campus confined on all sides by roadways ...

[Dane96]

I agree about the costs. My sisters last year at UMD college park saw the same problem (1998). They sucked it up and started bldg. highrise pkg garages. UA talked about it for a bit. Bottom line...it will be a reality not just for sports...but for any new projects. It is a must for the campus.

 

As for the shuttles...i meant they shuttled people from the lots....not the kids from the dorms...but that is good too!

[professor]

They shuttled kid's to the Army game from the dorms!

[Dane Pound]

The bathroom problem I could maybe see but I don't see the parking as being a problem. After the last two AE tournaments I've been to they would never move the tourney back to Boston after having it in Albany or Binghamton for that matter. To me the Big Purple Growl has been run far better than either the NU or the BU AE tourneys.

If fans are devoted enough to drive from wherever they are to Albany to see the AE tourney they won't mind walking a 1/4 mile or so from Dutch/Indian to the RACC. We walked just as far from the parking to the arena at Northeastern and had to pay steeply for our parking privledge. The old folks at the $iena games probably walk just as far to the Pepsi from wherever they park in downtown Albany. Besides most of the conference tourneys have not had that many people. There are probably more people at the BPG.