2023-24 MBB Preseason Expectations and Predictions

[cwdickens]

2 hours ago, Eli said:

That's good to know but makes me wonder why this is the first time I'm hearing of it? Ticketing office has never mentioned this. Do you have a link? Any idea if that is also applicable to single-game tickets? I graduated in '16 so I got 3 more years of this perk (at least for season tickets - which I do not currently have).

If I can get 50% off, I might just buy season tickets and give them to a friend.

The notation is located on the bottom of the price and seating chart.

Look for the real small print.  Could they make the print any smaller for this disclosure?  Not likely.

[olddog71]

The ticket prices sound very fair to me. I like the discount options.

Hopefully, ticket prices will rise next year because (1) the team did better than expected this year and (2) the demand for the tickets has risen.

[cwdickens]

Open practice next weekend, Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Physical Education Building.

From Instagram posting:

ualbany_mbb

 

OPEN PRACTICE 🗣

Join us next week ahead of the @ualbanyfootball Hometown Heroes game and get a sneak peek at this year's squad 😤

We'll see ya there 👋

[cwdickens]

Jonathan Beagle has deal with Novus Clothing Co.

novusclothingco

 

Excited to welcome @_jbeagle15 to the NOVUS Athlete family!!

America East Rookie of the Year, and one of the Capital Regions finest, the hometown hooper is ready to lock in on the court for UALBANY. UA you Know!

[cwdickens]

Lifted from today's Times-Union, I particularly liked Jonathan Beagle comment at end of the article.  Even Jonathan realizes the importance of the different background that Whitesell brings to the team.

UALBANY MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

Whitesell brings experience

New Danes’ assistant was head coach with two teams

 

By Mark Singelais

Ken Smith/University at Buffalo Athletics

New UAlbany men’s basketball assistant Jim Whitesell brings 28 years of head coaching experience.

ALBANY — Jim Whitesell, who helped one State University of New York men’s basketball program reach national prominence, made the four-hour trip on the Thruway to assist another SUNY team trying to build a winner.

After eight years with the University at Buffalo, the past four as head coach, White-sell joined the staff of UAlbany coach Dwayne Killings this summer. UAlbany announced Whitesell’s hiring as assistant coach two weeks ago.

 

“When coach (Killings) called me, I was kind of like, ‘Interesting opportunity,’ and once I got a chance to meet him, I was really impressed, the young staff they had and his vision with the group,” Whitesell, 63, said. “So it’s been fun. I’ve really enjoyed it. Grateful to be here.”

Whitesell served as Buffalo’s associate head coach under Nate Oats from 2015 to 2019. During that time, the Bulls became one of the country’s best mid-major programs. They made three NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the second round twice.

After going 32-4 in 2018-19, Oats left to become head coach at Alabama. Buffalo elevated Whitesell to head coach, but he was unable to keep the Bulls at an elite level. While still respectable, Buffalo went 70-49, including 45-27 in the Mid-American Conference, during his four seasons and didn’t reach the NCAA Tournament.

Whitesell, an Iowa native, was fired March 11 after going 15-17 with a 9-9 MAC record last season.

“Loved the experience there,” Whitesell said. “Lot of great friends, and really proud of the work we did.”

Whitesell, who earned an annual base salary of $300,000, received a $500,000 buyout, according to the Buffalo News.

Whitesell said he wasn’t sure if he was going to coach anywhere this season until he got a phone call from Killings in late April. Killings, 42, saw an opportunity to add someone with 28 years of head coaching experience, including 11 at the Division I level. Whitesell had a 109-107 record over seven seasons at Loyola (Chicago) from 2004 to 2011.

“He’s got a lot of experience,” Killings said. “He’s been a head coach at two really good programs, Buffalo and Loyola of Chicago. He’s a really good person. He’s fun to be around. We met each other this summer and it feels like I’ve known him for a long time. I felt like to get where we want to go, we just needed somebody that had some experience, and we have a really good young staff.”

Whitesell joins a staff that includes assistants KJ Baptiste and Ryan Daly, assistant coach for operations Dan Madhavapallil and video coordinator Matt Cerruti, a UAlbany alum who rejoined the program this year. All four are younger than 30 years old.

Whitesell said his coaching duties will lean more toward the defensive end, where the Great Danes, who went 8-23 last season, were statistically one of the worst teams in the country. But Whitesell said he’s here to lend a hand wherever he’s needed.

He said he takes from his experiences working as an assistant under Rick Majerus at Saint Louis, Steve Lavin at St. John’s and Oats.

“Each one of them, the ask was a little bit different,” Whitesell said. “Which was great from my viewpoint and was interesting to me. Same thing here: ‘DK, what do you want me to do? Anything I can do to help.’ ”

Killings, entering his third season as a head coach, said he won’t hesitate to turn to Whitesell for in-game advice or even to draw up a play in the huddle.

“We had conversations this summer, and I said to our guys, ‘You have to throw out your ego to be a really good team,” Killings said. “There might be some things (Whitesell) might have seen that I never have and I’d be foolish not to turn to him and say, ‘What do you think? ‘ To get a win, if I have to hand the (white) board to him one time, so be it.”

Whitesell is selling his house in Buffalo. He and his wife, Connie, a business coach, are renting a home in Saratoga Springs. While Whitesell said he’s having fun working with his new team, sophomore forward Jonathan Beagle of Hudson Falls returned the sentiment.

“Bringing in coach Whitesell helps a lot, obviously,” Beagle said. “He’s an older guy, brings a new kind of energy to the team, so I think that helps a lot, for sure.”

[Dane96]

This seems to be a perfect marriage on paper, and is EXACTLY the hole that needed to be filled.  Whether Killings did this on his own or was politely nudged to do so, ultimately he made the call and it is the right one.  I think this has some good potential to help DK learn about being a HC and maybe fill some gaps in his background.  Good stuff, and DK should be commended for making the hire. 

[cwdickens]

From an Instagram, that posted today:

 

Our first Mentality Club winner of the season! Shoutout @marcus_.jackson for giving it everything you got 👊💥

#UAUKNOW #MENTALITY

[cwdickens]

I saw an article from bustingbrackets.com by Joey Loose ranking D1 coaches from #1 to #362.

For the 2023-2024 season our coach comes in at 321 down from 307 last season.

The primary reasons for the ranking:

• The team's record for the 2022-2023 season
• Killings unresolved off court issues

Edited October 5, 2023 by cwdickens
grammar

[UA1882]

Did anyone attend the open practice ? And if so any early analysis ? 

[cwdickens]

The link to the article referenced above:

Ranking all 362 D1 Head Coaches for 2023-2

[godanesgo99]

So it's just over 2 weeks until the season starts. Is it me, or does this season mark a new low of pre-season coverage, chat, interest, etc....

Who is going to start? What are expectations for this season? What is the team going to look like? Who spent the summer in the gym and looks different? Rumors about the team? Crickets everywhere. 

The last few years have had less preseason press and info than the WB years, but even last year the Gazette ran multiple preseason articles about the team. There were media days. I haven't seen anything in weeks.

\Bitchwhinecomplain 🤣

Edited October 18, 2023 by godanesgo99

[UA1882]

10 wins is my expectation.  Obviously I hope for more.  It really depends on Neely and Beagle. If they both got a lot better we can have a decent team.  If not 10 wins max. 

I am a little surprised about the coverage as well.  But maybe that's what you get when you were one of the worse teams in the country last year.  Need to build hope, hopefully that starts this year.  

[McFan]

I'd say it's a few things (and the first three deserve a "thanks Captain Obvious" response):

1. The teams performance in recent years does not get a fan base excited. 

2. The coaches issues (and I'll leave it at that).

3. Playing at HVCC last year, although that should be offset by the buzz of a new arena.

4. Last, but in my mind certainly not least, is the transfer portal.  I see it having it's effect on teams at this level.  There's almost no watching a kid grow.  No way of knowing what to expect from year to year.  Little connection to the players as they are rarely here for more than a few years.  I think winning overcomes some of this but for me it's tough to stay as connected when it's a different set of players every year.  

My prediction/expectation - who knows.  I'm hopeful better than last year and a healthy Neely alone should do that.  Other than that I've got nothing.

[dslyank]

1 hour ago, McFan said:

I'd say it's a few things (and the first three deserve a "thanks Captain Obvious" response):

1. The teams performance in recent years does not get a fan base excited. 

2. The coaches issues (and I'll leave it at that).

3. Playing at HVCC last year, although that should be offset by the buzz of a new arena.

4. Last, but in my mind certainly not least, is the transfer portal.  I see it having it's effect on teams at this level.  There's almost no watching a kid grow.  No way of knowing what to expect from year to year.  Little connection to the players as they are rarely here for more than a few years.  I think winning overcomes some of this but for me it's tough to stay as connected when it's a different set of players every year.  

My prediction/expectation - who knows.  I'm hopeful better than last year and a healthy Neely alone should do that.  Other than that I've got nothing.

Nice post. Not much more needs/can be said at this point! ++

[cwdickens]

1 hour ago, McFan said:

I'd say it's a few things (and the first three deserve a "thanks Captain Obvious" response):

1. The teams performance in recent years does not get a fan base excited. 

2. The coaches issues (and I'll leave it at that).

3. Playing at HVCC last year, although that should be offset by the buzz of a new arena.

4. Last, but in my mind certainly not least, is the transfer portal.  I see it having it's effect on teams at this level.  There's almost no watching a kid grow.  No way of knowing what to expect from year to year.  Little connection to the players as they are rarely here for more than a few years.  I think winning overcomes some of this but for me it's tough to stay as connected when it's a different set of players every year.  

My prediction/expectation - who knows.  I'm hopeful better than last year and a healthy Neely alone should do that.  Other than that I've got nothing.

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