ALBANY, N.Y. – Winners of four-straight, the University at Albany men's basketball team hosts Division III opponent SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday night.
 
Game Info
December 5, 2023 vs. SUNY Potsdam (7:00 pm)
Live Stats | ESPN+ | 104.5 FM The Team | Game Notes
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is 2-0 at home this season; Potsdam is 1-3 on the road
• Jonathan Beagle ranks second in the America East in rebounding
• Sebastian Thomas ranks fourth in the America East in scoring and fifth in assists
• Amar'e Marshall ranks fourth in the America East in steals

Scouting SUNY Potsdam
The Bears are 1-6 through seven games this season, and 0-2 against SUNYAC opponents.  Last season, Potsdam went 9-15 overall, and 7-11 in-conference, finishing seventh in the SUNYAC and missing qualifying for the league tournament by one game.  Despite losing two All-Conference players after last season, three of the Bears' six returning players were starters in 2022-23.  Jeff Williamson leads Potsdam in scoring, averaging 11.0 points per game.  Potsdam is UAlbany's third-most played opponent in program history, with 79 meetings in the series, a total equaled by the series against Plattsburgh, and trailing only 109 meetings against Binghamton and 84 against Stony Brook.  UAlbany leads the series 56-23.
 
Last Time vs. SUNY Potsdam
November 19, 2019 | The Great Danes played their third game at home in their first four of the season, defeating visiting SUNY Potsdam 78-52 in the first leg of the Bobcats Invitational.  The Bears led by four early in the first half, before UAlbany bookended halftime with a 15-3 run to take the lead for good.  The Danes used another 15-0 run to build a 26-point lead, and held on to win by the same margin.  Kendall Lauderdale made his first career start as a Great Dane, filling in for the injured Adam Lulka, and Antonio Rizzuto made his first start of the season, after starting 21 games a year ago.
 
Last Time Out
UAlbany won its fourth-straight game, defeating Ivy League rival Dartmouth by five to cap off a big Great Danes triple header featuring football, women's basketball, and men's basketball.  UAlbany held a narrow, one-point lead at halftime, but created some breathing room in the second half to claim the five-point victory.  Sebastian Thomas led all scorers with 24 points, and added six assists, while Jonathan Beagle recorded his second double-double of the season, scoring 15 points with 11 rebounds.
 
Around the America East
Vermont has won two-straight games and has overtaken UMass Lowell for the top spot in the league standings.  The River Hawks, now second, have two fewer wins in two fewer games played than the Catamounts.  New Hampshire holds the second-highest win total in the league, with six.  UAlbany retains the league's longest active winning streak at four, and is still fourth at 5-3.  Maine's six wins match the Wildcats, to go along with their four defeats.  Binghamton and Bryant are tied at 5-4 each, just ahead of UMBC, now 5-5.  NJIT rounds out the standings at 1-6.
 
Tuesday's America East Games

• Fisher at UMass Lowell, 6:00 pm
• SUNY Potsdam at UAlbany, 7:00 pm

Helping Hand
Junior guard Sebastian Thomas tied the UAlbany men's basketball single-game record, recording 10 assists in the Great Danes' victory over Boston University on November 29.  Thomas is the first Great Dane to record 10 assists in a game since Ahmad Clark did so at Niagara on December 31, 2018, and is the sixth player in program history to hit the mark, with Jamar Wilson doing so twice in his career.
 
Three-for-Three
With the victory over Boston University, the UAlbany men's basketball team has won three-straight games.  The last three-game winning streak the Great Danes had was January 12-19, 2022, when they defeated UMass Lowell, NJIT, and UMBC.
 
Opening Night
The UAlbany men's basketball team was hosted the first game in the newly renovated Broadview Center on November 29, 2023.  It was the Great Danes' first true home game since hosting Hartford on March 1, 2022.  Playing in front of a debut crowd of 3,103, The Great Danes defeated former America East rival Boston University 86-72.
 
Player of the Week
For his efforts against Siena in the 2023 Albany Cup, as well has his performance against Army West Point in the previous game, Amar'e Marshall was named America East Offensive Player of the Week.  He averaged 24.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in two wins for the Great Danes, going off for a game- and career-high 33 against Siena.  Marshall is UAlbany's first Player of the Week since Cameron Healy on January 27, 2020.
 
For the Cup
UAlbany reclaimed the Albany Cup, defeating Crosstown Rival Siena 86-51 at MVP Arena.  It was UAlbany's first win in the series since the 2017-18 season, but their third in the last four meetings, and sixth in the last nine against the Saints.  Amar'e Marshall led all scorers with 33 points, and UAlbany shot 70% from the floor in the second half, going off for 58 points after holding a five-point lead at halftime.
 
Picked Seventh
The Great Danes were picked to finish seventh in the 2023 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll.  UAlbany drew 23 total points, just two behind projected sixth-place finisher UMBC, and ahead of both New Hampshire, with 18 points, and NJIT, with 10.  Defending champion Vermont was the preseason favorite, drawing 62 points and six of a possible eight first-place votes.  UMass Lowell trailed in second, with 55 points and the remaining three first-place votes.
 
Doc Sauers Classic
Created this season to honor legendary UAlbany men's basketball coach Richard "Doc" Sauers, the Classic, a multi-team event presented by the Albany Med Health System, will feature the Great Danes, Quinnipiac, and Army West Point.  UAlbany will first play Quinnipiac on the road on November 19, before returning to the Capital Region two days later for the program's first-ever game played at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.
 
Barclays
The UAlbany men's basketball team will play a game this season in Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  On December 10, the Great Danes will take part in the NABC Brooklyn Showcase against Temple.
 
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 the Terriers marked as the first official event held in the arena.  Due to its construction, UAlbany played home games last season at Hudson Valley Community College.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Next: UAlbany visits the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to play Temple as part of the NABC Brooklyn Showcase on December 10.