Game #29: 2/26/2020 @ 7PM @ UMass- Lowell

[Clickclack]

18 minutes ago, UA'08 said:

I’ll play this game of 7 degrees of WB to narrow down the source! I’d say it’s someone with ties to Zach Bye former color guy and Joe Cremo’s PR man! Bye and Pelletier were teammates at saint rose.

But I also think not liking your boss is pretty common 😂

This is a silly game and hopefully not true. If it is even remotely true then the program is more rotten at it's core then any of us imagined. The only assistant I'd keep is Iati and demote him back to Assistant and not Associate HC. An an honest assessment needs to be made by someone other then Coach Brown if the other two are an asset to this program. In all my interactions with CB, he's been good to me. I think he's a good man and has done a lot for this program. It's run clean, we don't have real academic or other issues that bring shame to a program. I wish him the best and it will be someone else' call to see if he can or should be given time to recover from this but I think in a moment of honesty even he would say the last few years have been an abject failure. This year in particular has been absolutely shameful and disgraceful. True, it's just basketball and no one is dying here so in the greater context of life, not a huge deal but this is a complete embarrassment for the University and this athletic department. I understand the concern of being a lame duck coach but right now offering an extension unless it's with a ZERO dollar separation clause is simply foolish. 

 

You have to start somewhere to stabilize this program...start with a long HARD look at the staff and then recruit over EVERY SINGLE PLAYER. Let them compete for minutes. You have MULTIPLE kids that have completely regressed. You have one starter who in their last few games has scored 8, 0, 0, 2, 8, 3, 0, 5...averaging 2.9ppg over that span...Fruscio can get you 2ppg by accident. That's a STARTER! This is absolutely FRIGHTENING! For the entire conference slate...your front court rotation consists of a guy averaging 5.8ppg, 3.8ppg, 3.2ppg, 2.8ppg, 1.6ppg...you could add them all up and the entire front court averages 17ppg. No one is untouchable from the coaches on down.

 

Let the bodies hit the floor! What's left is left...

 

 

[nysteve661]

If you think we are tough on the state of the program, go look at the SBU board.  They are saying Geno Ford is running the program into the ground and dark days ahead after losing to Hartford. They are in 2nd place,  one of their best players has been out(Olaniyi), and on their 3rd coach in 4 years.  Tough crowd over there.

Edited February 27, 2020 by nysteve661

[Dane Pound]

23 minutes ago, nysteve661 said:

If you think we are tough on the state of the program, go look at the SBU board.  They are saying Geno Ford is running the program into the ground and dark days ahead after losing to Hartford. They are in 2nd place,  one of their best players has been out(Olaniyi), and on their 3rd coach in 4 years.  Tough crowd over there.

Stony Brook without Olaniyi:

Beat Maine and Bing.

Lost to UNH, Hartford and Vermont.

Similiar to what we've done without Healy, or similar to what we've done with the post-injury version of Healy we've had since he came back. 

[dslyank]

4 hours ago, UA'08 said:

But I also think not liking your boss is pretty common 😂

I guess you are right. I was a high school teacher and pretty much hated some of my principals. Just not sure if it is a good thing in a coaching and assistant coach context..

Also to clarify:  not sure if the SOURCE does not like Brown and making claims about Pelletier also not liking Brown; or if indeed Pelletier initialed the comment. 

Anyhow,  I agree with Clack. Keep Iati not as #2, get rid of the rest. Re-assess ALL players.

[ctdanes]

Is french a senior? I guess he's starting for senior night

[nysteve661]

47 minutes ago, ctdanes said:

Is french a senior? I guess he's starting for senior night

He is a junior but he announced the other day that he is getting his degree in May and will enter the grad transfer portal for a final year of eligibility hopefully closer to California.

[Dane06grad]

I have always been against the JUCO heavy route we take too, which is why I felt better about this roster going forward. Unfortunately like most of you, I don't feel good about it today. Our starters and core are mainly 4 year guys. Healy, Rizzutto, lulka, hanks, Desousa, hutchinson. Dougherty was a 4 year guy who was supposed to be solid. Thats a lot of 4 year guys getting significant minutes. I thought finally we restocked with 4 year guys who will develop and hopefully lead us into the next good run. Doesn't look like that will happen sitting here tonight. Things could be different next year, and I hope they will be.

 

As for the extension part, not sure how you could extend anyone at this point in time. Unless a real crazy run comes in the tourney and all these sophomores show up and show up big, I think any extension would be tough. 

[godanesgo99]

I think this slide coincided with Doherty leaving the program. Did something happen we don't know about that shook up the team? I'm not making any accusations, just an observation.

[Bball2020]

Browns job is fine until next year, i like Brown but cannot see an extension unless team finishes top 3-4 next year. They have a solid core of sophomores who went 7-9 this year with an obvious first round exit. Juco is the only answer and will be boom or bust for albany. Will brown has saved his job twice already therefore whos to say he wont pull it off again if team is competitve next year he stays. Benson cares about football and albany is no duke they dont run out coaches LOL. This team is flawed offensively, rebounding as well. Could blame it on a bunch of players but bottom line is there not good enough, as i watch the other teams i think Brown deserves credit for seven wins based on the lack of talent here. Who would have guessed after the five frosh closed out last season that they would show up this year that way- not us, not the coach. Time to retool and move on. I do think pretty much all the sophomores are good moving forward along with hutch, but will need more talent and athleticism quick. I can see brown getting extended next year if good year or even getting a one year legacy offer. Hes been there damn near twenty years. Will be hard to move on. Also- albany is such a low level program who would really replace him? A d2 or juco coach? Ive been to a few games the program has no money. The front row of games who i would assume are boosters are every day joes, bank tellers, middle class and contractors lol. The facilities suck and not saying they need to hang onto brown but i cant imagine trying to recruit to those facilities compared to stony, vermonts building new and all the suburban campuses. Lets hope the next ray sanders, mike black, travis charles and juco stud is coming in next year! 

[Bball2020]

Next year: hutch, healy, rizzuto, lulka, desousa, jojo, hank if he comes back, amica, now they need three athletic jucos and I can see that team finish top 4. Check the america east standings, league is uncharacteristically competitive this year, doubt its that balanced next year. Healy player of year candidate as losing clark will bring the ball movement back , less turnovers, more of a team feel .To my point, wb stays again. 

[Clickclack]

1 hour ago, Bball2020 said:

Browns job is fine until next year, i like Brown but cannot see an extension unless team finishes top 3-4 next year. They have a solid core of sophomores who went 7-9 this year with an obvious first round exit. Juco is the only answer and will be boom or bust for albany. Will brown has saved his job twice already therefore whos to say he wont pull it off again if team is competitve next year he stays. Benson cares about football and albany is no duke they dont run out coaches LOL. This team is flawed offensively, rebounding as well. Could blame it on a bunch of players but bottom line is there not good enough, as i watch the other teams i think Brown deserves credit for seven wins based on the lack of talent here. Who would have guessed after the five frosh closed out last season that they would show up this year that way- not us, not the coach. Time to retool and move on. I do think pretty much all the sophomores are good moving forward along with hutch, but will need more talent and athleticism quick. I can see brown getting extended next year if good year or even getting a one year legacy offer. Hes been there damn near twenty years. Will be hard to move on. Also- albany is such a low level program who would really replace him? A d2 or juco coach? Ive been to a few games the program has no money. The front row of games who i would assume are boosters are every day joes, bank tellers, middle class and contractors lol. The facilities suck and not saying they need to hang onto brown but i cant imagine trying to recruit to those facilities compared to stony, vermonts building new and all the suburban campuses. Lets hope the next ray sanders, mike black, travis charles and juco stud is coming in next year! 

So sick and tired hearing how UA isn't a good program, how UA is such a low level program, how UA has horrible facilities, how UA has no budget and no support. This is completely HORSE $iena! Let me be clear again...anyone claiming that the reason UA is in the position that it is, is simply out of their ever loving mind. 

Albany MBB budget stands at $1.853mill dollars a year, Vermont is at $1.763mil, UMBC spends $1.548mill,  SBU spends $2.193mill for athletic year 2018, Hartford $1.802mill, latest numbers available. Albany offers COLA just like other programs. Hartford has comparable facilities, UVM has the worst facilities in the AE although they broke ground on a new facility last year. 

If you are looking where to place the blame for the $ienaty state of the program anywhere OTHER THAN coaching, recruiting, player development...your posts can't be taken seriously. Brown deserves NO credit for putting a $ienaty product on the court unless someone can say that he was kidnapped and held in a broom closet for months on end and someone else recruited this roster. 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Clickclack

[Clickclack]

1 hour ago, Bball2020 said:

Next year: hutch, healy, rizzuto, lulka, desousa, jojo, hank if he comes back, amica, now they need three athletic jucos and I can see that team finish top 4. Check the america east standings, league is uncharacteristically competitive this year, doubt its that balanced next year. Healy player of year candidate as losing clark will bring the ball movement back , less turnovers, more of a team feel .To my point, wb stays again. 

Healy isn't in the top 6 POY candidates...Rizzuto, Lulka, DeSousa, Hanks are fringe rotation players if they come in looking like this year. Rizzuto has shown signs of life recently but his season has been a disaster. We have one confirmed starter...one for next year, Healy. None of the other kids on this roster deserve the benefit of the doubt. I like Hutch, but even he is athletically limited, lateral quickness isn't very good but at least he shows that there is something to build on. I am concerned if he can take the next step next year considering the zero steps taken by Lulka, Rizzuto, DeSousa, Healy this year. I guess we'll see. Every single one needs to be recruiter over forcing them to fight for minutes. Some of them true, like Hanks were never meant to be All-AE type talents, you need some depth and role players but the others have failed. Just my opinion. Every single one of them has turned in DISASTROUS SEASONS. 

No ones roles or minutes should be remotely safe and if they don't like it...well, that's their problem. Need more proof?

 

Healy, orating last year 110, this year...99! True shooting % down, turnovers way up (honestly he looks like he can barely dribble the ball), 3pt % down. 

Rizzuto, orating last year 102, this year 98! True shooting % down, rebounding rate same, turnover rate same, steal % up, ft rate half of what it was last year, 

DeSousa, orating last year 95, this year 94! True shooting % down, rebound rate up, turnover rate same, steal % down, ft rate half of what it was last year, 

Lulka, orating last year 108, this year 100! True shooting % down, rebounding rate down, turnover rate way up

 

It's just a bad bad team that lacks talent and poorly coached, developed. 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Clickclack

[Dane Pound]

It's unfair to slap the "disappointing" label on Cam Healy. He was pretty clearly a first or second team all-conference guys until the injury. Just over a month ago he set the school record for points in a game. You don't do that by accident.

I do agree that we went too heavy on guys who are spot-up shooters. 

[Clickclack]

10 hours ago, Dane Pound said:

It's unfair to slap the "disappointing" label on Cam Healy. He was pretty clearly a first or second team all-conference guys until the injury. Just over a month ago he set the school record for points in a game. You don't do that by accident.

I do agree that we went too heavy on guys who are spot-up shooters. 

Fair enough... He's clearly not the same player. Makes me wonder if the injury is that bad why he's playing. He seems to be moving fine out there. Not sure how he forgot to shoot. Granted... You don't shoot for 1.5 years like he did and then forget so clearly must be health related. 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Clickclack

[dslyank]

I am worried about two players for next year. Healy is Healy and his shot will come back, no worry there. I am worried about Malachi, because he is such an enigma. I am NOT a coach and never played at any high level; but I simply have no clue what do do with him. I hope the staff can figure it out and get him to play to his potential. Minimally I would think he needs to take 1,000,000,000 outside shots between now and next year. Not saying he would become a threat from out there, but if he could make a few, would give him some room to get to the hoop and also make it so other teams can't just completely lay-off him. Worried about Hutchinson. After averaging close to 10 pts per game after the first three second half AmEast games; the last 4 have been 3-4-2-0. And more troubling is even when he was scoring his shooting % not particularly good and obviously even worse the last 4. Did he just RUN out of gas; OR was he good when other teams did not know what he had and ignored him. Once the D tightened on him did the true Hutch emerge??

As for the rest of the returning team NO WORRIES--they are ALL BAD (except maybe a mediocre for Rizzutto).