ALBANY, N.Y. - An interesting dichotomy exists within the University at Albany women's basketball program on the eve of the season opener. There lies the expectations that accompany a program that has won five consecutive conference titles, but also an uncertainty surrounding the ushering in of a new coaching staff.
The expectations may feel even higher this season than others, with the program coming off a 28-5 record a season ago, culminating not only in an unprecedented fifth consecutive America East title, but also the program's first-ever NCAA tournament victory. And while those milestones can help a program take the next step, this team needs to do so under a reconstruction of the player and coaching personnel.
Indeed, the 2016-17 team feels different. Yes, veteran players like senior guard Imani Tate and junior forward Tiana-Jo Carter return, providing familiar faces for the crowd to recognize. But Shereesha Richards has departed after a four-year assault on the UAlbany program record book, leaving behind a program that has an established championship pedigree.
“What sets championship teams apart from other teams is that they know that to get a championship isn't about wanting it,” said new head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. “You have to work for it. Everybody wants it. It's the teams that work hard for it that end up accomplishing it. So that understanding, for a new staff coming in to a program, generally takes a year or two to build. We are fortunate enough to take over a team that already has that concept down.”
Of course, one player does not make a team, and this squad returns eight members from last season. The backcourt will feature a veteran presence in Tate, who recently earned America East Pre-Season All-Conference accolades. The backcourt squad also features returning veterans Aubrey Hernandez and Bose Aiyalogbe. Finally, three freshman join the backcourt in Khepera Stokes, Mackenzie Trpcic, and Kumsal Aslan.
“The one thing that I've learned from my years as an assistant and even as a head coach the last few years is that you can't stick to your philosophy,” said Coach Mac. It's not a be-all-end-all philosophy. So I tweak what I do to cater to the team and the makeup we have right now.”
The hybrid players on the team consist entirely of veterans, starting with Carter, last year's America East Sixth Player of the Year. This group also features Bailey Hixson, Jessica Féquière, and Cassandra Edwards.
The frontcourt sees the return of Heather Forster, as well as new blood in the form of sophomore Chyanna Canada and freshman Alexi Schecter.
“One of the things I love about freshman is that they come in to college with high expectations and wide eyes and they're thirsting for the knowledge that you're giving them as a coaching staff,” said Coach Mac. “I couldn't ask for more from a freshman group than to have that anticipation to want to grow and learn. One thing that I love that our freshmen are doing right now is they're not scared to deliver the ball, so it's encouraging our upperclassmen to run hard for them.”
The only pieces of connective tissue on the coaching staff come in the form of Director of Operations Elizabeth Tapler, who enters her second season with the team, and new graduate assistant manager Erin Coughlin, who joins the staff after a four-year stint as a player. Otherwise, the coaching staff is entirely new, starting with new head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee.
Coach Mac arrives at UAlbany after coaching at the University of Pikeville for the last three years. Previously, she won the 2006 NCAA championship as an assistant coach at Maryland. She brings with her an up-tempo offensive philosophy she hopes will help her team impose its will on its opponents.
“What my ideal philosophy for basketball would be is that every possession, as a team, we force the tempo,” said Coach Mac. “So when we have the ball on offense we're forcing the tempo so if a team tries to slow us down, it's not going to be an option. I like when teams even try to attempt to slow us down because it works our advantage.
“Defensively, we're really trying to disrupt what the other team is doing offensively. So it's really making each possession count, both on the offensive and on the defensive end, which takes a lot of discipline and a lot of conditioning. It's an up-tempo style that also requires them to be cognitive thinkers on the defensive end and make the offense react to our defense not us constantly trailing the offense.”
Backing up Coach Mac are Yolanda Griffith, AJ Cohen, and Tony Perotti.
“You just say Yolanda Griffith's name and certainly she brings credibility to herself and our coaching staff,” said Coach Mac. “She has the pulse of what the players are feeling and what they're going through because she was a player not long ago. Even though she's older and more mature as a coach so she brings a high level of intensity and perfection to what she brings to the table as a coach, not just for the post players but across the board. I think she is someone the players can depend on for that knowledge and also she is someone they can depend on to know what they're going through as student athletes. She builds confidence in them without question. And when you get a compliment from Yolanda Griffith as a player, it means a little bit more. And it also means a little bit more when she's critiquing you, because you're being critiqued by one of the best.
“AJ brings a comfort level to the team in that I know that he knows everything that I'm putting in, that I'm trying to do. More importantly what AJ brings is a high level of energy and enthusiasm. He's very fun to be around. Even on our grueling days when we're getting after the players, they can count on AJ to be in their corner as someone to crack that joke, someone to be that positive reinforcement. What's new to this staff and this team isn't new to him, because he's been with me the last couple years so he helps me implement those new things.
“Coach Tony has been in two highly successful programs, at UCLA and LSU, and he brings with him a deep knowledge of guard play. He's coached some great guards. He knows what our guards need to do in order to be successful. I ask him a lot, defensively and offensively, to get our guards to that next level. He is extremely knowledgeable on the court”
For the fifth consecutive season, UAlbany's conference opponents selected the Great Danes as the preseason America East favorite. UAlbany earned 60 total points, including five of eight possible first place selections. UMBC followed in second place, earning 53 points and two first place votes. Maine trailed in third with 51 points and two first place votes of their own. Binghamton ranked fourth with 49 points.
“I think it's a really solid conference,” said Coach Mac. “I think as you go down the conference you see teams like Stony Brook, Binghamton, and UMBC all on the rise. They have a lot of players returning that were quality players. So I think the conference could be a dogfight because you have good teams now from top to bottom.”
The schedule consists of 13 non-conference games, only five of which come at home. The team opens the season at the Kentucky Classic, and will face Kentucky on Saturday, November 12, and then Miami on Sunday, November 13. In the first home game of the season, the Great Danes will face Army as part of a double header with the men's game against Oneonta on Wednesday, November 16. Three days later, the women will host former America East rival Boston University on Saturday, November 19.
UAlbany will hit the road to fit in one more game before the Thanksgiving, visiting Fordham on Tuesday, November 22. On Sunday, November 27, the team returns to action when the host Siena, representing the first time that UAlbany will host the Albany Cup.
That same week features two more games, both of which come on the road. First, the women will visit St. John's on Wednesday, November 30, and then Yale on Saturday, December 3. The team returns home for a match against Fairfield on Tuesday, December 6, before hitting the road once more for a match at Wagner on Saturday, December 10.
The final non-conference home game comes on Monday, December 12 when the Great Danes host Post. They will play one more game before Christmas, Sunday, December 18 with a visit to St. Bonaventure. The final non-conference game on the schedule also represents the final game in 2016, for which the team will visit Dartmouth on Thursday, December 29.
“Once we start conference play we should be confident in what we're doing, executing well, and there shouldn't be a let down with our execution no matter who is in the game,” said Coach Mac.
After the New Year, the schedule turns exclusively to conference play, with the usual slate of 16 America East games. The Great Danes will host the first two such matchups, UMass Lowell on Wednesday, January 4, and then Stony Brook on Saturday, January 7. UAlbany hits the road for three of the next four games, starting with a road trip to New Hampshire on Wednesday, January 11.
After a brief home respite against UMBC on Monday, January 16, the team will travel to Binghamton on Thursday, January 18, and then to Maine on Sunday, January 22 for the first of two regular season rematches between last year's America East finalists. Maine and UAlbany split their regular season matchups last year, before UAlbany earned a one-point victory over the Black Bears in the America East championship game.
The Great Danes will play their next two games at home, first against Vermont on Thursday, January 26, and then against Hartford on Saturday, January 28. At this point, the schedule doubles back and will feature the second matchup against each America East opponent.
Wednesday, February 1 sees the team visit UMass Lowell, followed by a trip to Stony Brook on Saturday, February 4. The team will host New Hampshire on Monday, February 6, as well as Binghamton on Thursday, February 9. A one-game road trip to UMBC on Wednesday, February 15 precedes the final regular-season home game of the season, the second rematch against Maine on Saturday, February 18. The Great Danes spend their final two regular season games on the road, Thursday, February 23 at Vermont and Sunday, February 26 at Hartford.
The America East Tournament in Portland, Maine, begins Saturday, March 4 with the quarterfinal round. The semifinals follow on Sunday, March 5, also in Portland. The finals on Friday, March 10 moves from Portland to the home floor of the highest remaining seed of the two championship game participants.
Season tickets are currently on sale, starting as low as $50. For more information, visit ualbanysports.com/tickets, call the ticket office at 518-442-DANE, or email the ticket office at GreatDaneTickets@albany.edu.
