ualbany mbb MBB - Game 22/Conference Game 7 - @ Patrick Gym, Burlington, VT, Thursday, February 1, 2024, 7:00PM

[cwdickens]

Vermont comes into this contest with an overall record of 16-5 and 6-0, in conference.  Are they unbeatable in conference?  No, but UAlbany will have to bring both offense and defense to the game if they want a chance to win.  No doubt, Patrick Gym will be at capacity this evening.

 

Feb 1 (Thu) 7:00 PM

AE

at 

Vermont

Burlington, VT

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[cwdickens]

LBANY MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

Tough road test ahead for Danes

 

By Pete Dougherty

UALBANY AT VERMONT

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Patrick Gymnasium, Burlington, Vt.

TV/Radio: ESPN+ (streaming), WTMM 104.5 FM

Jim Franco/Times Union archive

UAlbany’s Sebastian Thomas said of Vermont: “I just know they win. They have a winning culture. They’re hard to beat. ... It'll be a test for us.”

ALBANY — At one time it was quite the rivalry. The University at Albany and Vermont men’s basketball programs combined for 15 of the past 21 America East titles, although 10 of those belong up north to the Catamounts, who have maintained a level of excellence.

Vermont, the two-time defending champion, has won 20 consecutive conference games, the longest current streak in Division I, and will attempt to extend that Thursday night at home against a Great Danes program that is trying to return to the level of its past glory.

 

UAlbany (11-10, 3-3) seeks its first winning season since 2017-18. The Great Danes have won just one of the past 15 meetings against the Catamounts — a 63-62 victory in 2021 at Burlington — with the 14 losses by an average of 14 points.

“It’s a game people circle on their calendar because of the history, what’s happened before our time,” third-year UAlbany coach Dwayne Killings said. “Our kids understand that. The interesting piece with the (transfer) portal, you’re trying to inject that into guys like Sebastian (Thomas), Amar’e (Marshall), Muneer (Newton). This is foreign territory for them in terms of the magnitude of the game, what it all means. It’s the next game on the schedule in their minds.”

Thomas (Rhode Island), Marshall (Hofstra), Newton (William Penn), Tyler Bertram (Charlotte) and Marcus Filien (Cornell) all transferred into the program last offseason, but they didn’t have to play in the America East to appreciate what Vermont (16-5, 6-0) has done.

“When I was at URI, I watched their games,” said Thomas, a teammate of the Catamounts’ Ileri Ayo-Faleye at Rhode Island. “I just know they win. They have a winning culture. They’re hard to beat. You’ve got to be very disciplined to beat them. It’ll be a test for us.”

“Defense has to be the main priority vs. them,” Marshall said after doing film study on Vermont. “You can’t close out any of those guys with a short hand because they all can shoot it.”

The Danes, finishing up a three-game road swing, are coming off an 86-79 victory at New Hampshire. They had lost their previous three games, allowing an average of 92 points.

Two of UAlbany’s three conference victories have been on the road. The Danes did not win a road America East game last season, although winning in Burlington will be a stern test. Vermont leads the all-time series, 25-9.

“What they do is they play their game there,” Killings said. “They play with great energy, they get the crowd behind them, they try to be disruptive. … They execute at a high level. What they do so well is they put pressure on you. They put pressure on your defense because they space it for their shooters, they don’t turn the ball over (league-best 7.8 turnover per game), and they share the ball and move it.”

Notes: Danes starting forward Marcus Jackson is questionable for the Vermont game because of a hand injury. He was wearing a hand split and did not practice Wednesday. “He’ll get re-evaluated, and we’ll make a decision,” Killings said. … Guard Will Amica, who hasn’t played since Jan. 2, continues to recover from a hamstring injury and also is listed as questionable.

[McFan]

As improved as we’ve been offensively we still have the ability to look like a group of guys at the local park.  No flow at all at this point

[godanesgo99]

Can't shoot this poorly against UVM and expect to have any chance to keep it a close game.

Lid on the basket.

Edited February 2 by godanesgo99

[jimbo]

Watching the ladies. I think they have a much better shot at winning. 

[godanesgo99]

What happened to Beagle?

[ctdanes]

I’d like to think we can hang with them come tourney time. They’re still better but not to an uncompetitive point. 

[dslyank]

No post game interview on radio. Beagle played 8 minutes, went to locker room never to return???

Jackson did not play at all & still no Amica. 

Agree with CT, if we ever get healthy with a full roster, I think especially at Broadview UA can beat VT.  ps must play some defense though—big IF. 

[UAalum72]

3 hours ago, godanesgo99 said:

What happened to Beagle?

Tv-13 said Beagle left due to “illness”

[UA1882]

Hoping for 8-8 on the season.  Next year is a huge year for Killings.  I have really seen nothing that makes me want to keep him.....Yet ........

[cwdickens]

Another less then healthy UAlbany team, perhaps, with Beagle and Jackson, a better result may have occurred. However, did Vermont take the foot off the petal because they have to play on Saturday?

[cwdickens]

4 minutes ago, UA1882 said:

Hoping for 8-8 on the season.  Next year is a huge year for Killings.  I have really seen nothing that makes me want to keep him.....Yet ........

Saturday is truly going to be a test for UAlbany MBB.  While UMBC may be 1-6, only one conference loss in excess of 7 points against Bryant.  Are we sure that Benson will not pull the plug on this "Great Dane Train Wreck" after this season?  I see the Transfer Portal with a few UAlbany MBB players thus making next year a rebuilding year.

[cwdickens]

2023-24 Men's Basketball Standings

 

2023-24 Men's Basketball Standings

SCHOOL	CONF	CPCT.	OVERALL	PCT.	STREAK
Vermont	7-0	1.000	17-5	.773	W8
UMass Lowell	6-1	.857	15-5	.750	W1
Bryant	6-1	.857	14-8	.636	W1
New Hampshire	4-3	.571	12-8	.600	L1
UAlbany	3-4	.429	11-11	.500	L1
Binghamton	2-5	.286	10-10	.500	W2
Maine	2-5	.286	10-12	.455	L2
UMBC	1-6	.143	6-16	.273	L3
NJIT	1-7	.125	5-15	.250	L1

Edited February 2 by cwdickens

[dslyank]

11 hours ago, UAalum72 said:

Tv-13 said Beagle left due to “illness”

From TU:  "Beagle played only eight minutes, all in the first half, and wasn’t even on the bench after halftime because he “wasn’t feeling right about playing,” according to Killings." 

What the HE!! does that mean??  Later went on to say we will talk about it.  

Is Beagle sick or just sick of playing??☹️🥴

[tnehurley]

What a crock of you know what! Possibly he may be sick of playing…..against Vermont? My guess is he will no longer be “ill” and feel right about playing on Sat. at home vs. a 1-6 UMBC team. We will see. An interesting development though. Things getting a bit tense between player and coach? Or was he just too sick to play? Either way, this team certainly needs him on the floor.