ualbany wbb Can Colleen Mullen recruit the 2022 NYS Class B Girls MVP Tournament Player? (and other recruiting news Summer 2023)

[cwdickens]

Payton Graber, daughter of former UAlbany MBB player and HOF member Jason Graber, was named the 2022 NYS Class B Girls MVP Tournament Player.  How sweet would this be to have a daughter of a MBB player/HOF and UAlbany graduate to follow in her father's footsteps.  Further, she would join Lilly Phillips as second Great Dane team from NYS Girls Championship team.

I am unaware if she has committed elsewhere.  

Schalmont captures state championship in dramatic fashion

 

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by cwdickens
clarification

[tnehurley]

That would be great. Among other things, it would hopefully help attendance, with one more local player in the mix. Would prefer that she was 6’ 4” of course (we need height!), but I’m nit-picking. I wonder how much recruiting Coach Mullen is doing with the possibility of a full roster returning.

[cwdickens]

4 hours ago, tnehurley said:

That would be great. Among other things, it would hopefully help attendance, with one more local player in the mix. Would prefer that she was 6’ 4” of course (we need height!), but I’m nit-picking. I wonder how much recruiting Coach Mullen is doing with the possibility of a full roster returning.

More often then not, someone is leaves for a range of reasons .... Payton's height will help in the future ..... if all thirteen players return .... I believe there is room for one more player

[Dane96]

She has been recruited by UAlbany, Columbia, and a host of other D1's. 

[UAalum72]

No mention of recruiting in the TU's post season story

UAlbany women's basketball will return tournament team next season

Decortes and Hahne will use their graduate year. Lucia will be in a boot for six week with a stress reaction in her left leg, which could develop into a stress fracture if untreated.

[tnehurley]

3 new Lady Danes signed and they look to be really good. None from the USA:

Marie Sepp 5’5” from Estonia. Karyn Sanford 6’0” from Norway. Taylor Moffat 5’8” from Australia. Sanford and Moffat both are supposed to be great 3 pt. shooters, and both, especially Sanford, expected to make an immediate impact. Team will be on campus for July workouts. 

 

 

[cwdickens]

I saw this article ... as I recall she was considering some very good academic schools for D1 career... how did she end up at Hudson Valley Community College?  While HVCC is a great community college, I thought she was heading elsewhere. I hope Coach Mullins has her eye on this potential recruit.   OK, dad can you bring your daughter to your alma mater?

 

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

 

Graber named Player of the Year

GRABER

Hudson Valley Community College women’s basketball freshman Payton Graber (Schenectady/ Schalmont) was named the NJCAA Region 3 Player of the Year as voted on by the Region 3 coaches.

Graber started all 17 games she played and finished the season averaging a program record 24.8 points per game and ranked second in scoring among the NJCAA.

[cwdickens]

Just a reminder to Colleen Mullen....

CAMPUS WATCH

 

Graber makes NJCAA Division III All-America team

 

By Bill Arsenault

Vincent Giordano / HVCC Athletics

Schalmont High graduate Payton Graber of the Hudson Valley Community College women's basketball team averaged 24.8 points and 9.4 rebounds this season.

Freshman Payton Grab-er wrapped up a standout season with the Hudson Valley Community College women’s basketball team by being named to the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III All-America team that was announced last Tuesday.

The 5-foot-8 guard from Schenectady, and a Schalmont High graduate, led Division III in scoring most of the season and finished second with a 24.8 average. She led the 10-10 Vikings in rebounding (9.4). steals (81) and assists (61).

Prior to her latest honor, Graber was named Region III and Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year.

Trevor Green, a standout on the Hudson Valley men’s team, was named an NJCAA All-American honorable mention selection. Green, a 6-3 guard from Troy and a Lansingburgh High graduate, averaged 21.7 points a game and became just the fifth player in team history to better 1,000 points in his career. An all-around performer, he also averaged 8.7 rebounds with 107 assists and 53 steals.

[UAalum72]

Channel 13 reported last night that Meghan Huerter has transferred from Providence to Albany. 5’11” guard, I think 2 years left. 

[dslyank]

Wow, surprised she did not pick $lcc. Major family connections. Both parents (I think), plus dad color commentator on $lcc radio broadcast for years. Not sure if he is still on the radio or not, but now the family runs an indoor sports/basketball facility in Clifton Park/Loudonville. 

[cwdickens]

11 hours ago, UAalum72 said:

Channel 13 reported last night that Meghan Huerter has transferred from Providence to Albany. 5’11” guard, I think 2 years left. 

Yes, Meghan Huerter spoke to WTEN concerning the reasons for entering the portal and choosing UAlbany:

• Coaching change at Providence
• Skill set was not appreciated at Providence
• Low playing tine

Why she choose UAlbany:

• Colleen Mullen and her staff's professionalism during the recruitment process from two years ago. 
• A solid opportunity at UAlbany

I am certain Meghan's mom is a Siena grad and highly certain dad is a Siena grad.  Sometimes , kids want to do their own thing.

Colleen has been a busy coach in the off season.

 

 

[jimbo]

https://dailygazette.com/2023/04/18/meghan-huerter-transferring-to-ualbany-in-hopes-of-better-womens-basketball-situation/
 

Further perspective on why UA and not LCC. Basically they are guard heavy and recruiting post players…plus she likes UA coaching staff from prior interactions. She’s played with Abby and Lilly so that couldn’t have hurt. 

[cwdickens]

As we know, recruiting goes on virtually year-round.  The summer is no exception as WBB coaches hit the road to see potential recruits.  So if you are attending Hoosier Heat, Nike TOC, Run 4 Roses Classic & Championship, look around, you may catch a glimpse of a Great Dane WBB coach.

[cwdickens]

This thread comes to a close as the student-athlete commits elsewhere:

SAINT ROSE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

 

Brown lands local stars

Saint Rose coach gets commitments from Faraj, Graber

 

By Mark Singelais

Courtesy of Daniel Ortiz

Syrita Faraj was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year for Russell Sage last season. She’s transferring to St. Rose.

Graber

College of Saint Rose coach Will Brown was hired five weeks ago. Coaching women’s basketball for the first time, he’s still finding his way around.

“Just trying to get adjusted and figure it all out,” said Brown, the former University at Albany men’s coach, who attended a recruiting event in Atlantic City last weekend.

At the same time, Brown moved quickly to add a pair of former Section II stars who were scoring machines at other local colleges last season.

Tamarac graduate Syrita Faraj and Schalmont alumnus Payton Graber each announced her commitment to Division II Saint Rose this month.

Faraj, a 5-foot-9 sophomore guard, entered the transfer portal after averaging 20.2 points per game last season for Division III Russell Sage. She was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year.

“I always kind of wanted to challenge myself to play at the higher level,” Faraj said. “I challenged myself to get Player of the Year and once I received that, I was like OK, I’m more confident in the way I play basketball. … Coach Brown got the head coach job at Saint Rose and I thought it was a good opportunity to go play Division II at Saint Rose.”

Faraj also made Lebanon’s senior national team, but couldn’t play with the team in Australia because of issues with her paperwork and visa.

After leading Schalmont to a Class B state title, Graber spent one season at Hudson Valley Community College. Graber, a 5-8 freshman guard, averaged 24.8 points per game to rank second in the nation in the NJCAA Division III.

Graber said she planned to return to HVCC for another year before Brown got the Saint Rose job. HVCC coach Keith Danzy immediately reached out to Brown about Graber.

Graber and her parents toured the campus with Brown, who was a Saint Rose men’s assistant from 1995 to 1998. She committed a couple hours later.

“Everything just felt very right and very easy,” Graber said. “I wasn’t really hoping to restart my recruiting process until I saw Coach Brown was back at Saint Rose and I wanted to give it a shot. My parents loved it, I loved it. It felt like an easy decision and the right fit.”

Graber said she’s excited to play for Brown in his first try at the women’s game.

“I thought it was a good opportunity to get to know him,” Graber said. “Obviously, he’s a very talented coach and very well known in the area, so I’m super excited to be able to work with him and get coached by him.”

Faraj said she doesn’t see that adjustment as a big deal. Saint Rose also recruited Faraj when previous coach Whitney Edwards was still there. Brown’s son Jackson, who plays for Russell Sage, let Faraj know when his father got the job.

“He’s going to push us harder, and I’ve heard really good things about him,” she said. “I mean, girls and guys are different, but it’s going to be just as good, and we’re going to be pushed to our limits.”

Brown said it’s important to him to recruit Section II, a good area for girls’ basketball. He said he’s expecting another local commitment soon he couldn’t reveal yet.

He said he doesn’t expect Faraj and Graber to put up the gaudy scoring numbers they did at their previous colleges.

“The (Northeast-10) conference we play in on the women’s side is the best in the Northeast,” Brown said. “It’s normal that as much success as Syrita had, she’s jumping up to a higher level. Do I expect her to have success? Absolutely. Do I expect her to average 20 a game, as she did this past year? I think that would be unfair. … Payton did so much for Hudson Valley, so my job is to make sure when she comes to Saint Rose, she doesn’t have to do as much as she did in junior college.”

Faraj and Graber played against each other in high school but don’t really know each other. They’ve texted to set up workouts together.

“I feel just her vision on the court and my ability to score is going to work together pretty well,” Faraj said.