Bluegrass Bound: UAlbany Men's Basketball Kicks Off 2015-16 Slate at No. 2/1 Kentucky

ALBANY, N.Y. – Coming off of its third consecutive America East title, University at Albany men's basketball opens the 2015-16 season at No. 2/1 Kentucky on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:00pm. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network as well as ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.

UNDER DANES

UAlbany men's basketball kicks off the season with an AP/USA Today Top-5 team for the first time all-time. The Great Danes faced RV/25 Syracuse to begin the 2009-10 campaign and 23/25 Villanova to start the 2008-09 slate. Will Brown has also never met a foe from the state of Kentucky. 

MID-MAJOR POLL

After finishing 2014-15 ranked No. 13 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, the Purple & Gold is receiving votes in the preseason. Will Brown & co., reached a program-best No. 12 ranking last season in the midst of a 13-game winning streak and 15-1 conference record.

HOOLEY NAMED TO LOU HENSON PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

Two-time America East Tournament Most Outstanding Performer Peter Hooley was named to the Lou Henson Player of the Year Watch List. The University at Albany men's basketball senior guard enters his final season ranked eighth in all-time scoring for the Danes.

Hooley was one of thirty honorees on the Watch List. He averaged 13.7 points per game in his junior campaign en route to America East All-Conference honors for the third consecutive year. The two-time America East Most Outstanding Performer hit a game-winning three in the closing moments of the championship game against Stony Brook to send UAlbany to its third consecutive and fifth overall America East title in 2014-15.

The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top Mid-Major player in Division I college basketball. The award is named in honor of Henson who retired after a spectacular coaching career that lasted 41 years. When he left the game in 2005 he was sixth all-time in career Division I wins with 779. He is the winningest coach at both Illinois and New Mexico State. He is one of only 12 coaches in the history of the game to take two schools to the Final Four.

THE RETURN OF HOOLEY

Peter Hooley returns for a fifth year after an up-and-down season in 2014-15. Hooley's story of perseverance became a national news story in 2015. After becoming the second-leading scorer in the America East conference, Hooley returned to his native Australia to be with his mother, Sue. Sue fought a 4.5-year battle with colon cancer before passing away on Jan. 30.

Despite missing eight conference games, Hooley returned to the Danes on Feb. 11, netting his 1000th career point on Feb. 13 at NJIT. He was a Capital One Academic All-District First Team and America East All-Academic selection for the second consecutive year. In his junior season, Hooley also earned America East All-Conference second team accolades.

After helping UAlbany to the No. 1 seed in the America East Tournament, Hooley hit the game-winning three at the buzzer against Stony Brook to send the Danes to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Consequently, he was named the Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player in the America East Tournament for the second-consecutive year. He also received All-Championship squad honors.

Hooley appeared on SportsCenter shortly after, and wrote a column for the New York Post. His buzzer-beater was the SportsCenter top play of the day (March 14), week and month of March on ESPN. The Australia native completed his undergraduate studies in May, and delivered the student address at UAlbany commencement. He also competed for his native Australia in the World University Games this past summer.

RECORD-CHASING

Peter Hooley has the opportunity to make a mark on several aspects of the UAlbany record book this season. He is 35 points shy of passing current assistant coach Jon Iati on the all-time scoring list, currently sitting at 1,108 points to rank eighth. Hooley ranks third in Division I career free throw percentage (299-365, .819) and 10th all-time in free throws made (299). Before the start of his senior season, Hooley is 25 three-point field goals away from passing UAlbany great Jamar Wilson in career treys.

AMERICA EAST PRESEASON POLL

The Danes garnered two first-place votes and a total of 55 points to take the No. 2 spot. Stony Brook edged out the Purple & Gold for No. 1 with seven first-place votes and 63 points. Vermont rounded out the top-three with 49 points, followed closely by New Hampshire at No. 4 (47 points).

For the second straight season, senior guard Peter Hooley was selected to the Preseason All-Conference team. Hooley is the two-time America East Tournament Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player, a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-Academic pick; as well as a two-time All-Championship team member. In his third season as a team co-captain, Hooley enters his final season of eligibility as one of the top scorers and free throw shooters in the league.

Fellow senior Evan Singletary garnered Preseason All-Conference accolades after making his mark as a junior college transfer last season. He was named a finalist for the Riley Wallace Award, honoring the top Division I transfer in 2015. At the point, Singletary can score, dish and hit free throws. The senior ranked sixth among league scorers with 13.0 points per game, fourth in free throw percentage (.804) and recorded 94 assists, taking All-Conference First Team accolades in 2014. He proved himself a clutch shooter at Patrick Gym last season, hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer in Burlington for a 47-44 victory.

COACHING STAFF CHANGES

University at Albany men's basketball head coach Will Brown has promoted former director of basketball operations Jared Knotts to assistant coach. A former graduate assistant for the Danes, Simon Clement replaces Knotts to take over operations duties. 

Knotts enters his first season as an assistant coach after serving four years as the director of operations under Will Brown. A four-year member of the Purple & Gold from 2003-06, Knotts will assist Brown in all facets of the program, including recruiting, player development, scouting opponents and academic advising for men's basketball student-athletes.

Clement returns to the UAlbany staff after spending one season as an assistant coach at Sullivan County Community College. He worked alongside former Great Dane standout Brent Wilson for the 2014-15 campaign, coordinating the daily operations of the team as well as recruiting visits and team study hall. Clement had an instrumental role in a 16-week run for the Generals in the NJCAA Division III Top-10 national poll.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

Senior guards Peter Hooley, Ray Sanders and Reece Williams were named 2015-16 team captains in the preseason.

Hooley is a three-time team captain, and one of three members of a returning All-America East starting backcourt for the Danes. He is a two-time America East All-Conference and All-Academic selection. The senior hit the game winning shot in the league championship last year, earning his second straight Reggie Lewis Most Outstanding Player award.

Sanders joined the Great Danes squad last season as a junior college transfer out of Pensacola State. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native was an America East All-Conference Third Team and All-Defensive selection one year ago, after starting all 33 games. An impact player on both sides of the ball, Sanders recorded double digits in scoring on 12 occasions and led the team in steals with 45. He shot 77.2% from the charity stripe and 43.5% from the field in 2014-15.

Williams was named a captain after three seasons as a walk-on for UAlbany. A 2014-15 NABC Honors Court awardee, Williams has made 16 appearances in his career. An active member of both the campus community and the Albany community at large, he is the first walk-on to be named a captain in the Division I era since current Sage College head coach Brian Barnes in 2002-03.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY

The Wildcats and their high-octane offense welcome UAlbany to Rupp Arena for the first time all-time. John Calipari's squad is a Final Four team from one season ago, with six NBA Draft picks in 2015. He has coached 36 NBA Draftees, including 25 first-round selections. In the last 10 seasons, Calipari is the winningest Division I head coach.

Kentucky returns 10 players from last year's SEC Champion and Final Four squad, including second-leading assist man Tyler Ulis. Ulis averaged 23 minutes per game in 2014-15, topping all returning players. The Wildcats are made up of five freshmen and juniors, two sophomores and just one senior.