ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's basketball team is set to play its final game of the regular season when the Great Danes host Hartford at SEFCU Arena. The game, which bears significant postseason implications, is presented by Crossgates Mall. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team in Albany.
 
Game Info
Tuesday, Feb. 28 – vs. Hartford
SEFCU Arena in Albany, New York
7:00 p.m. EST
ESPN+ | ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team | Live Stats | Tickets | Fan Program
 
Season Standings
The America East standings remain jumbled heading into the final games of the season. Vermont sits atop the leaderboard at 16-1, followed by UMBC alone in second at 10-7. Stony Brook (ineligible for postseason play), New Hampshire, and UAlbany all sit with records of 9-8. Hartford, with two games still to play, lingers with a mark of 8-8, followed by Binghamton at 8-9. UMass Lowell (6-10), NJIT (6-11), and Maine (3-14) round out the standings.
 
Leading the Pack

• The Great Danes are averaging 62.5 ppg, with opponents averaging 66.0 ppg. The team is shooting 41.6% from the field, 32.5% from three, and 71.3% from the charity stripe.
• In conference-only games, UAlbany sits second in the league defensively – allowing just 65.2 ppg. On the offensive side, the Great Danes sit in ninth place with 65.2 points scored per game.
• Matt Cerruti and Jamel Horton lead the team in scoring. Cerruti is averaging 11.4 points per game, shooting at a clip of.466 from the field and .462 from beyond the arc. Horton is averaging 12.4 per game, shooting .416 from the field and leading the team in assists with 115 on the year.
• Justin Neely, now a six-time America East Rookie of the Week, leads the team in rebounds with 132 on the season – averaging 4.6 per contest. He is followed closely by Paul Newman (4.2) and Jarvis Doles (3.9).

 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes suffered a tough loss on Saturday night, falling to rival Stony Brook on the road 50-66.

• UAlbany shot just 29.7% (19-64) from the field and 26.7% (8=30) from deep. Stony Brook shot 48.0% (24-50) from the field and 20.0% (3-15) from three.
• Jamel Horton led the offense with 14 points, going 6-17 from the field. He also led the team in assist with six.
• Aaron Reddish finished with 11 points, a career high, in 14 minutes of action.
• Matt Cerruti had four steals on defense, finishing with four points.
• UAlbany was out-rebounded 48-26, with the Seawolves collecting eight offensive boards.
• UAlbany finished with 10 turnovers, Stony Brook finished with 17.
• 23 of UAlbany's 50 points came from off the bench.

Scouting Hartford
The Hawks come to SEFCU Arena sporting a record of 10-18, going an even 8-8 in conference play. While most of the America East will wrap up regular season play on Tuesday night, Hartford will play one more – a home game against UMass Lowell on Thursday night. The team is averaging 70.5 points per game on offense while allowing 72.9 on defense, shooting .458 from the field and .374 from three-point range. Three Hawks are averaging scoring figures in double digits in Austin Williams (16.4), Moses Flowers (14.7), and Hunter Marks (11.7), who hasn't played since Feb. 9.

The Hawks last played on Saturday night, defeating NJIT 83-62 in Hartford. In that game, which was the team's Senior Night, Senior David Shriver finished with a career-high 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc. DJ Mitchell dropped 17 points in his return from injury, finishing 6-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point land.

Last Time Against Hartford
The Great Danes held the Hawks to just 52 points, the lowest amount Hartford has scored against any opponent this season, back on Feb. 5. In that game:

• Matt Cerruti (15) and Jamel Horton led the way in scoring for the Great Danes. Cerruti finished going 7-11 from the field and 1-3 from deep. Horton finished 6-11 from the field and 2-3 from three, leading the team with five assists.
• Aaron Reddish, a catalyst in the second half, finished with nine points and two steals  
• Trey Hutcheson led the team in rebounding with eight total, three of which came on the offensive glass.
• 10 different Great Danes scored.
• UAlbany finished shooting 58.0% (29-50) from the field and 50.0% (8-16) from three. Hartford shot 40.4% (21-52) from the field and 33.3% (6-18) from three.
• UAlbany won the rebounding war, 29-25
• The game featured 11 different lead changes, with UAlbany holding the largest lead at 21 points late in the game.
• Both teams committed 14 turnovers.

#AEHoops Notes (2.28.22)

• Vermont clinched the men's #AEHoops regular-season title on Wednesday, its sixth in a row and 12th overall. The Catamounts sit at 14-1 in conference play with three games remaining. The Catamounts rank 61st in the country in NET ranking, the best among regional peers (AE, CAA, Ivy, MAAC, Patriot, Ivy).
• Vermont has won 16 of its last 17 games.
• UVM received a vote in the AP Top 25 this week.
• Six teams are within one game of second place in the standings with a week and a half left in the standings. Stony Brook, UAlbany, Binghamton and UMBC are all tied at 8-7, followed by UNH at Hartford at 7-7 and UNH at 7-8.
• Hartford, winner of four of its last five games, became the lone #AEHoops team to knock off Vermont, winning a 75-74 overtime thriller on Feb. 14.
• Binghamton's 11 wins are its most since the 2017-18 season.
• America East announced a change in #AEPlayoffs dates on Feb. 9 - Link
• 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.

 
Rookie Madness
Freshman Justin Neely has been named the America East Rookie of the Week six times this year, earning back-to-back titles on Nov. 22 and Nov. 29, on Dec. 13, on Dec. 27, on Jan. 31, and most recently on Feb. 14. The rookie is currently leading 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, which has been made up. The Bucknell game has yet to be rescheduled. 
 
To view all America East schedule adjustments, click here.
 
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 Drumgoole 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).
 
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.