Game #7 - 11/29/2023 - BU at Albany - Broadway Center - 7PM

[Clickclack]

Up next, big opener at Broadway Center. Sorry I won't be there in person...

 

[Eli]

This is confirmed as the opener? Wish I could be there...arena looks beautiful even if the product on the floor is less so.

[Clickclack]

13 minutes ago, Eli said:

This is confirmed as the opener? Wish I could be there...arena looks beautiful even if the product on the floor is less so.

Give them a chance...they looked good today, granted, against a D3 team.

[olddog71]

Speaking of DIII, remember how UA struggled against a couple of those teams at the beginning of last season?

[UAalum72]

From today’s TU, team has practiced at Broadview, Seb Thomas said “The rims are a little bit stiff”

Neely will not play, has another doctor appointment this week.

[cwdickens]

UALBANY MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

Danes seek win in new arena

 

By Mark Singelais

ALBANY — The blowout win over Siena could lure fans to Wednesday’s home opener. A $12 million, refurbished arena will make them comfortable.

Now it’s up to the University at Albany men’s basketball team to christen the building with a victory over Boston University at the renovated Broadview Center on campus.

 

The Great Danes (3-3) enter the game with the momentum of a 35-point blowout of Siena in Sunday’s Albany Cup at MVP Arena.

“If I was being honest, obviously, the game against Siena was a huge thing for us in the community to tell people what kind of team are we, what are we capable of,” UAlbany head coach Dwayne Killings said. “Now we have the new arena. I think there’s some interest about the arena, our team, so you’ve got to take another step. You’ve got to perform.”

At the same time, Killings cautioned his team needs to do more than just step on the court that’s been rotated 90 degrees from its old position, when the building was still known as SEFCU Arena.

“The message to our team is, it’s not about performing tomorrow at 7,” he said. “It’s about practice, it’s about preparation, it’s about the film work, about the things we need to do, the habits we’re trying to build. But it’s a big-time opportunity. I’m very grateful for our president, our athletic director, putting this project forward because I think it’s a huge statement about how important basketball is and what we’re trying to do on our side of town.”

UAlbany sophomore guard Marcus Jackson, an Albany Academy graduate, was part of last year’s team that played its home games at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy during the makeover.

“I’m excited,” Jackson said. “Personally, I can say the same thing for (Jonathan) Beagle (sophomore forward from Hudson Falls). We’ve never had the opportunity to play a home game at UAlbany, even being here a year already. It’s actually pretty dope.”

The Great Danes have practiced inside Broadview Center, which has a new seating capacity of 3,800, a reduction of 700 after the reconfiguration with additional chair-back seating and hospitality areas.

“I’d definitely say it feels like a home court,” Jackson said. “We’ve been able to be in there for a good amount of time now. We’ve been getting in there a little bit early while certain technical stuff was getting worked on. But definitely feels like a home court and we’re appreciative of it.”

Jackson said it hasn’t been an adjustment to the shooting background or lighting at Broadview Center. Teammate Sebastian Thomas, a junior guard, did notice at least one thing.

“Got to get used to the rims,” Thomas said. “The rims are a little bit stiff. But like Marcus said, it’s just basketball. Ball and a hoop. Hopefully the ball goes in tomorrow night for us.”

Thomas didn’t have to go through last year’s trials because he was at the University of Rhode Island.

“Multimillion dollar project, I’m just excited to see all the fans,” Thomas said. “Hopefully, it gets packed out. I think the atmosphere will be great tomorrow.”

Fans will get another look at red-shirt sophomore guard Amar’e Marshall, a Hofstra transfer who scored a career-high 33 points against Siena.

“Being a transfer student, the guys telling me the gym they were coming from, and having the opportunity to be the first guy to play on that court is definitely an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to get it started,” he said.

Boston U. (2-4) of the Patriot League has beaten Bryant, an America East rival of UAlbany. The Terriers have no one averaging in double figures in points, but freshman guard/forward Makai Baptiste (8.3 ppg) won his league’s Rookie of the Week Monday.

Note: UAlbany redshirt sophomore forward Justin Neely (ACL) said he won’t make his season debut on Wednesday. He has another doctor’s appointment this week.

UALBANY VS. BOSTON UNIVERSITY

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Broadview Center, Albany

Radio: WTMM 104.5 FM

[Eli]

Really wish I was able to make it.

[Clickclack]

18 years I spent shlepping to that old arena...and with 1 year to go I move. Will be there in spirit and watching...what an incredible looking place. 

[alum73]

You both will be missed.

 

[ctdanes]

Place looks awesome. Hope it’s full and the team plays well tonight 

[Clickclack]

30 minutes ago, alum73 said:

You both will be missed.

 

Give'm hell today alum73...let me hear you on TV. Let's go DANES!

[UAalum72]

Wyland said there are still lots of tickets available.

[jimbo]

Broadway Center? They’re paying big bucks for this. Broadway Center is in Schenectady…l where NYS Lottery’s HQ is. 

[Clickclack]

22 minutes ago, jimbo said:

Broadway Center? They’re paying big bucks for this. Broadway Center is in Schenectady…l where NYS Lottery’s HQ is. 

Do you mean Broadview?

[jimbo]

1 hour ago, Clickclack said:

Do you mean Broadview?

I mean what I’m seeing…the topic says Broadway and the opening line of your first post says Broadway…probably damn autocorrect.