ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany men's basketball team faces off against America East rival Binghamton this Thursday in the first conference game of the season. Tip at SEFCU Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. The matchup will be available on ESPN3 and broadcast on ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team in Albany.
 
Game Info
Thursday, Jan. 6 – vs. Binghamton
SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y.
7:00 p.m. EST
ESPN3| ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team | Live Stats  | Tickets
 
Head Coach Dwayne Killings on the Start of Conference Play
"We are so excited to start league play Thursday night against a very good Binghamton team. Competition this conference season will be at an all-time high, as the league has showcased its ability against a plethora of Power Five opponents. That means it's anyone's race this year."
 
Leading the Pack

• The Great Danes are averaging 58.7 ppg, with opponents averaging 67.1 ppg. The team is shooting 39.7% from the field, 29.9% from three, and 67.4% from the charity stripe.
• The Great Danes have more steals than their opponents, with 87 in favor of UAlbany and 69 in favor of their opposition. The team trails in rebounds, with opponents out-rebounding UAlbany 453-372.
• De'Vondre Perry leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 ppg and shooting 48.4% from the field. He has shot 33.3% from three-point range and has pulled in 5.3 rebounds per game. He is averaging over 32 minutes per game on the court.
• Matt Cerruti leads the team shooting from beyond the arc, shooting at a clip of 43.8% (minimum 10 attempts) from three and averaging 4.0 attempts from deep per game. He is second on the team with 9.0 ppg, shooting 41.8% from the field.
• Jamel Horton leads the team in assists per game (4.2).
• Justin Neely, now a four-time America East Rookie of the Week, leads the team in rebounds with 67 on the season – averaging 5.6 per contest. In his last game against Lehigh, the rookie recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

 
Scouting Binghamton
Binghamton comes into Thursday's game with an overall record of 4-6, and a 1-0 mark in America East action. The Bearcats kicked off conference play this past Sunday, knocking down UMass Lowell 68-63. Juniors Jacob Falko and Tyler Bertram scored 20 points apiece to pace the team in a game where the Bearcats were down three starters. The game was close, featuring 13 lead changes with neither team leading by more than eight points.
 
On the season, Binghamton is averaging 70.9 points per game offensively, with opponents scoring 67.8 points on average. The scoring is led by three players averaging double digits in Dan Petcash (11.3), Tyler Bertram (10.9), and Kellen Amos (10.0). Bertram has been successful from beyond the arc, shooting .407 from three-point range. Defensively, Ogheneyole Akuwovo, a 6-9 junior, leads the team with nine blocks. Christian Hinckson leads the team in steals with nine.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes went out with a bang before the holiday break, taking down Lehigh 68-52 in dominating fashion.

• The team shot 43.6% (24-55) from the field and 45.5% (5-11) from three. Lehigh shot 38.8% (19-49) from the field and 25.0% (5-20) from three.
• UAlbany out-rebounded Lehigh, 38-28.
• UAlbany turned the ball over just 10 times (14 times for Lehigh) and forced seven steals.
• 10 of the 11 players who saw the court scored for the Great Danes.
• De'Vondre Perry led the way for the Great Danes, scoring 18 points and swatting away three blocks.
• Justin Neely posted a double-double with 11 points and 14 blocks.
• Luke Fizulich (9) and Ny'Mire Little (8) both posted single-game highs this season with points scored.

 
Rookie Madness
Freshman Justin Neely has been named the America East Rookie of the Week four times this year, earning back-to-back titles on Nov. 22 and Nov. 29, on Dec. 13, and most recently on Dec. 27. The rookie is averaging over 18 minutes per game, fifth on the team, and leads the team in rebounds.
 
Postponements
UAlbany has had two games postponed this season due to COVID-19, a Dec. 28 matchup against Bucknell and a Jan. 2 matchup against Vermont. Both games have yet to be rescheduled.  
 
To view all America East schedule adjustments, click here.
 
#AEHoops Notes (1.3.22)

• Binghamton held UMass Lowell to 37 percent shooting en route to a 68-63 win on Sunday, its first in a league opener since the 2018-19 season.
• Jacob Falko and Tyler Bertram each scored 20 points to pace the Bearcats.
• NJIT shot 54 percent from the floor and came back from a second-half deficit to knock off Maine Sunday.
• Miles Coleman contributed 23 points and 10 rebounds off the bench to lead the way.
• Five conference games have been postponed to date. Every effort will be made to reschedule postponed games.
• Vermont will host UNH  on Jan. 6 in a game that will air on ESPNU.
• Three teams (Vermont, UMass Lowell and Stony Brook) posted 8 non-conference wins.
• UMass Lowell had its best-ever record entering conference play at 8-4, including wins at Dayton and George Washington.
• Vermont is 8-4 and finished non-league play with a .667 win percentage for the fourth time under John Becker.
• Stony Brook has won five of its last six to wrap up non-league play 8-5.
• America East teams beat two ACC squads in non-league play. UMBC trounced Pittsburgh, 87-77, on Nov. 27 while UAlbany beat Boston College, 61-57, on Dec. 13.
• Vermont, winners of five of its last seven, is in the top 100 of the NET again this week (96).

 
Drive the Lane with UAlbany Hoops
It was recently announced that UAlbany had expanded its partnership with ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team and City Line Bar & Grill. Coaches Dwayne Killings and Colleen Mullen, along with select student-athletes, will join ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team's Charlie Voelker and Dan Bahl every Monday from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. live from City Line Bar & Grill for a weekly segment entitled 'Drive the Lane with UAlbany Hoops'. 
 
Fans are invited to come out to City Line Bar & Grill to join Coach Killings, Coach Mullen, student-athletes and the ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team crew. Food and drink specials will be available on a weekly basis as the teams embark on their new seasons and talk hoops every Monday. 
 
Meet Coach Killings
Dwayne Killings, a native of Amherst, Mass., begins his journey as Head Coach of the Great Danes after previously serving at Marquette University, where he spent the previous three seasons. While at Marquette, Killings served under Head Coach Steve Wojciechowski. In Killings' three years in Wisconsin, the Golden Eagles posted two winning seasons and made one appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2020, his recruiting class ranked in the top-20 nationally and he coached 2019-20 BIG EAST Player of the Year and AP All-American Markus Howard.
 
Roster Changes
The coaching staff isn't the only thing that's new for the Great Danes. The roster has had a complete transformation from last year's squad, which made it to the America East Quarterfinals as the No. 5 seed. Nine new student-athletes are suiting up in the purple and gold for 2021-22 - De'Vondre Perry, Matt Cerruti, Gerald Drumgole Jr., Paul Newman, Ny'Mire Little, Justin Neely, Aaron Reddish, Luke Fizulich, and Tairi Ketner. Returning for UAlbany is Will Amica, Trey Hutcheson, Jarvis Doles, Jamel Horton, Sam Shafer, and Chuck Champion.
 
Along with the coaching staff, these 22 men officially make up the 2021-22 UAlbany Great Danes. In total, 16 of these individuals are new to UAlbany.
 
Coaches' Poll
A completely new team, the Great Danes were picked to finish seventh in this year's America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 34 points. Stony Brook came in atop the list with 77 points and five first-place votes, just ahead of Vermont with 74 points and four first-place votes. New Hampshire rounded out the top three with 64 points and a single first-place vote.
 
Defending champion Hartford placed fourth with 56 points, UMBC placed fifth with 49 points, and UMass Lowell placed sixth with 43 points. Following the Great Danes' seventh-place spot was NJIT (23 points), Maine (16 points) and Binghamton (14 points).
 
America East Lineup
Conference action kicks off after the new year with the great Danes traveling to face Vermont on Jan. 2. The team plays their first America East game at home that same week with a matchup against Binghamton slated for Jan. 6. Other home conference matchups include UMass Lowell (Jan. 12), NJIT (Jan. 15), Stony Brook (Jan. 22), UMBC (Feb. 2), Maine (Feb. 9), Vermont (Feb. 12), New Hampshire (Feb. 19), and Hartford (Mar. 1).
 
Secure Your Tickets
This year marks a new chapter in history for the Great Danes, don't miss out! Season tickets for UAlbany basketball can be purchased by calling the UAlbany Ticket Office at (518) 442-DANE or by visiting UAlbanySports.com/Tickets.
 
FREE with your ID
UAlbany students are welcome to SEFCU Arena and get in FREE with their student ID! Coach Dwayne Killings and the entire hoops team encourage the UAlbany student body to come out and support the Great Danes all season long.
 
Social Central
Stay up to date with UAlbany men's basketball by following the team on Twitter (@UAlbanyMBB) and Instagram (@ualbany_mbb) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the season.