ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's basketball team is set to kick off the 2023-24 campaign with a trip to Massachusetts to take on the UMass Minutemen. The Great Danes overhauled the roster during the offseason and are looking to rebound after a tough year. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on NESN and ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team in Albany.
Game Info
Tuesday, November 7 – vs. UMass
7:00 p.m. EST
NESN |
ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team |
Live Stats
New Look Danes
The Great Danes have an almost entirely new team, with nine new student-athletes joining the quad along with six returners. Returning for UAlbany this year is
Jonathan Beagle,
Justin Neely,
Marcus Jackson,
Aaron Reddish,
Ny'Mire Little, and
Will Amica. New to the team is
Marcus Filien,
Amar'e Marshall,
Sebastian Thomas,
Jack Margoupis,
Bautista Giralt,
Muneer Newton,
Zach Matulu,
Tyler Bertram, and
Zane Adnan.
The Returners
- Jonathan Beagle returns for year two in Albany after capturing the America East Rookie of the Year crown last season. The Hudson Falls product was the best player on the court for the Great Danes, leading the team in field goals, rebounds, and blocks. He averaged 31.7 minutes as a freshman, 12.4 ppg, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He won the conference's Rookie of the Week title a historic nine times, more than any player in UAlbany history.
- Justin Neely returns after missing most of the 2022-23 season due to injury. However, in his rookie season, Neely found immediate success on the court while cruising to the America East Rookie of the Year title. He averaged 6.4 ppg and led the team in rebounding, averaging 4.4. On the season, he totaled 186 points, 129 rebounds, 12 assists, 12 steals, and two blocks in 465 minutes.
- Aaron Reddish, a former America East All-Rookie Team selection, returns for year three. In 26 games last season, the 6-7 forward averaged 8.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, and 0.7 assists. Reddish has been known to stretch the floor, locking down opponents on defense while also finding success with the three, shooting at a clip of 34.5%.
- Marcus Jackson was thrust into a starting role last season as a freshman, proving to be one of the hardest working members on the team. He made 28 appearances, making 19 starts and averaging 19.8 minutes. He recorded a season-high 15 points against New Hampshire and a season-high eight rebounds against NJIT. On the year, Jackson averaged 4.0 ppg, 1.2 apg, and 3.4 rpg.
- Ny'Mire Little appeared in nine game last year before missing the rest of the season due to injury. The second-year player showed a lot of promise early on, scoring a season-high 11 against Presbyterian in the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach. Over the nine-game stretch, Little averaged 3.4 ppg while totaling 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
- Will Amica was limited to just nine games in 2022-23 due to injury. He averaged 6.9 minutes and 1.3 ppg. He recorded a season-high eight points in UAlbany's win over Immaculata on Nov. 8.
The New Danes
Tyler Bertram – Gr. | Guard | 6-3 | Cooperstown, N.Y.
Bertram transfers to UAlbany after playing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Binghamton, and UNC-Charlotte. He played in 13 games for the UAB Blazers this last season, totaling 58 minutes of action. He shot .389 from the floor while totaling 20 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Before transferring to UAB, Bertram enjoyed a solid two seasons at America East rival Binghamton. With the Bearcats in 2021-22, Bertram played in all 29 games, making 18 starts. He averaged 9.0 points per game and led the team with 59 made shots from beyond the arc. He was as shooting threat from deep, converting at a rate of 39% from deep. He finished with double-digit scoring numbers 12 times for Binghamton, making at least three or more three-pointers 10 times throughout the year.
Marcus Filien – Gr. | Forward | 6-7 | Rensselaer, N.Y.
Filien transfers to UAlbany after spending the previous four years at Cornell, last season being named the team's captain. The big man averaged 2.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.6 steals while playing 13.8 minutes per contest. He saw the court in all 28 games the Big Red played in 2022-23, making one start on senior day. He scored a season-high nine points against Yale in January and played a season-high 24 minutes against Penn on the road in February. Filien played three seasons for the Big Red dating back to the 2019-20 season. Cornell's 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sebastian Thomas – Jr. | Guard | 6-1 | Providence, R.I.
Thomas transfers to UAlbany after spending the previous two seasons at the University of Rhode Island. He played in 31 games for the Rams last season, making 13 starts and averaging 22.9 minutes on the court. He shot 34.0% from the field and averaged 5.9 points, 2.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.94 steals. He saw a season-high 39 minutes of action on the court in a February outing Against George Washington, just before posting his best numbers of the year three days later at Fordham. In that game, Thomas recorded 16 points while going 5-13 from the field, sunk four free-throws, and notched three steals. He finished the year carrying a top-150 assist rate nationally and finished seventh in the Atlantic-10 in assist percentage.
Amar'e Marshall – R-So. | Guard | 6-4 | Montclair, N.J.
Marshall spent the last two seasons with the Hofstra basketball program. He redshirted his freshman year before hitting the court for the 2022-23 season. The New Jersey native played in 28 games for the Pride, starting in three. He averaged 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 12.4 minutes while shooting .430 from the field and .405 from beyond the arc. Marshall won the Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) Rookie of the Week award four times throughout the course of the year. His best game came on Dec. 7 when he dropped 24 points on 10-17 shooting against #4 ranked Purdue.
Zane Adnan – Fr. | Guard | 6-2 | Gaithersburg, Md.
Adnan, a 6-2 point guard from Gaithersburg, Md., comes to UAlbany after attending Bullis School. He brings a competitive swagger and versatile perimeter skill set to the Great Dane family and is known for his ability to create, make winning plays, and defend multiple positions. His brother is a member of the top ranked Stanford soccer team. This past summer, Adnan was a member of the Indonesian national basketball team.
Zach Matulu – Fr. | Guard | 6-2 | Albany, N.Y.
Matulu is a Capital Region product, having played high school basketball for Shaker in Latham. He served as a captain of the Shaker basketball team, proving to be one of the best players in the Capital Region over his high school career. He has been described as hard working, intelligent, committed, and a leader by the Shaker coaching staff.
Jack Margoupis – Fr. | Forward | 6-8 | Sutton, Mass.
Margoupis joins the program as a 6-8 forward. A Massachusetts native, he played at Cushing Academy his senior year. His relentlessness, shot making ability, and skill set will be a weapon from multiple positions on the floor.
Bautista Giralt – Fr. | Center | 7-0 | Buenos Aires, Argentina
Giralt comes all the way to Upstate New York from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before joining the Great Danes, he attended the Florida Day School where he averaged 11.0 ppg his senior year. Giralt is a member of the Argentina Junior National Team and has played in the World Cup, FIBA Americas, and South American Championship.
The Opponent
The Minutemen were picked to finish 14
th out of 16 schools in the Atlantic-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Senior forward Matt Cross was named to the preseason All-Atlantic 10 Third Team coming off a season in which the team went 16-16 overall and 6-12 in conference play. UMass and UAlbany matched up last season in Amherst, with the Minutemen edging the Great Danes by a score of 87-73. The Great Danes struggled in the first half, committing 10 turnovers and shooting just 25% from the field. The second half was a different story, with UAlbany shooting above 50% and outscoring UMass 52-41. Former Great Dane
Gerald Drumgoole Jr. led all players with 20 points. He went 6-14 from the field and 6-13 from beyond the arc. He led the team with five assists and 33 minutes played, while also collecting six rebounds. UAlbany finished with 19 turnovers, UMass committed 12.
Broadview Center
The Great Danes are set to open the brand-new Broadview center in a Nov. 29 matchup against Boston University. Formally SEFCU Arena, Broadview Center underwent transformational renovations over the past year, upgrading fan amenities and installing new basketball locker rooms while also rotating the aspect of the court. The building is in the process of finishing construction, with the team's game against BU marked as the first official event held in the arena. Due to its construction, UAlbany played all of its home games last season at Hudson Valley Community College.
Coaching Staff
Along with new players, the Great Danes also feature new faces on its coaching staff. Earlier this summer, UAlbany announced the hiring of Assistant Coach Jim Whitesell, Assistant Coach KJ Baptiste, and Video Coordinator Matt Cerruti.
Whitesell comes to the Capital Region after spending the last four seasons at the helm of the University at Buffalo basketball program, amassing an overall record of 70-49. In his first season as head coach in Buffalo, Whitesell led the Bulls to a 20-12 record, becoming only the second head coach in school history to win 20 games in his first year as head coach. In the 2020-21 season, Whitesell led the Bulls to a 16-9 record in a COVID-19 shortened season. The Bulls earned a trip to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship game and an appearance in the NIT, just the second in school history.
Baptiste returns to UAlbany after serving as the team's Director of Recruiting and Video in 2021-22. Last season, he served as an Assistant Coach for the Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball team, helping guide the Eagles and Head Coach Pat Chambers to a 17-15 record. It was the first NCAA assistant coaching job of his young career.
Cerruti suited up for the Purple and Gold as a graduate transfer in Killings' first year in the Capital Region. The team's top shooter, he finished the season by being named an America East All-Conference Third Team selection. Cerruti ranked second on the team with 327 points that year, averaging 11.3 per game. The sharpshooter was efficient from beyond the arc, hitting 50 of his 112 attempts from deep – good for a percentage of .446. From the field, Cerruti shot at a clip of .461 – one of the highest success rates on the team. He brought in 3.0 rebounds per game, nabbed 39 steals, and dished out 30 assists while averaging 32.3 minutes per game.
#AEHoops Notes
Vermont is once again the preseason America East favorite in the annual Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Catamounts won their fourth #AEHoops Championship in the past five seasons a year ago and have been picked atop the 2023-24 America East Men's Basketball Preseason Poll.
The Catamounts, who went 14-2 a season ago and captured their seventh consecutive regular season conference title, were picked first with 62 points and six first place votes. They return two of their top four scorers from last year, including two-time America East Sixth Man of the Year, Aaron Deloney.
After reaching the program's second #AEHoops Championship game in the last three years, UMass Lowell claimed the final three first place votes and 55 points overall. The River Hawks return a wealth of talent, including three of their starters from a season ago. Bryant was picked third with 51 points, thanks in part to a pair of preseason All-Conference honorees Sherif Gross-Bullock and Earl Timberlake. Binghamton was selected fourth with 44 points while Maine rounded out the top five with 36 points. UMBC (25) finished in sixth, UAlbany (23) in seventh, with New Hampshire (18) and NJIT (10) rounding out the poll.
The Preseason All-Conference Team featured UMass Lowell's Abdoul Karim Coulibaly, New Hampshire's Clarence Daniels, Bryant's Sherif Gross-Bullock and Early Timberlake, Vermont's Aaron Deloney, and Maine's Kellen Tynes.
Drive the Lane with UAlbany Hoops
Drive the Lane with UAlbany Hoops is officially back for a third season! 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.
Postgame Show
The UAlbany Basketball Postgame Show returns this season to 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio. The show will begin immediately following all games, home and away, for fans to listen to as they commute home or tune in from a distance.
The show is set to run for 30 minutes following the final buzzer on 104.5 The Team. Fans will hear initial reactions and a game recap to start the segment followed by interviews with the team. Coach
Dwayne Killings and select student-athletes will join ESPN Radio's Rodger Wyland and Michael Johnson Jr. to break down the contest, give insights, opinions, responses, and to discuss the team's next matchup.
Fans can tune in to ESPN Radio 104.5 the Team by turning the dial on their radio or by
streaming on their computers or smart phones.
FREE with your ID
UAlbany students can attend UAlbany basketball home games all season long for FREE. Students who attend games simply need to bring their school-issued ID cards to gain admission to the brand new Broadview Center.
Social Central
Stay up to date with UAlbany men's basketball by following the team on X (
@UAlbanyMBB) and Instagram (
@ualbany_mbb) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.
