ALBANY, N.Y. – The Big Purple Growl and Ferocious Feast returns in 2023 as the University at Albany men's basketball team hosts The University of Vermont on Saturday afternoon. Tip is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. from the McDonough Sports Complex and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team in Albany.
 
Game Info
Saturday, Feb. 4 – vs. Vermont
3:00 p.m. EST
ESPN+ | ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Big Purple Growl
First and foremost, show your Great Dane pride by wearing purple! The men's hoops team will be wearing their purple uniforms and are excited to see an ocean of purple shirts, jackets, hats, and shoes spread all throughout the arena. The first 300 UAlbany students in attendance will also receive a free "Together we Growl" T-shirt.
 
Leading the Pack

• Gerald Drumgoole Jr. continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game. That mark puts him fifth in the entire America East. The Rochester native is currently shooting 35.5% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc.
• Jonathan Beagle is now a six-time America East Rookie of the Week. The Big man from Hudson falls leads all freshmen (conference games only) in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg) and ranks second in assists (2.6 agp).
• Marcus Jackson has made strides throughout the season, averaging 8.7 points over the last six games – including two career-high outings with 15 points scored. The rookie has made his way into the starting lineup for the Great Danes on a consistent basis.
• Aaron Reddish was a consistent shooter from beyond the arc throughout the month of January. The sophomore went 11-21, a 52% clip, from deep and registered a career-high scoring game (21 points) against UMass Lowell on Jan. 8.
• The Great Danes are averaging 66.4 points per game with opponents averaging 74.3.
• UAlbany is shooting 40.8% from the field, 33.0% from three, and 70.3% from the free throw line.

 
Last Time Out
The UAlbany men's basketball team fell on the road to UMass Lowell on Wednesday night by a score of 66-50.

• Gerald Drumgoole Jr. led the Great Danes with 18 points, going 5-14 from the field and 6-11 from the charity stripe. He also had a team-high three assists in 37 minutes of action.
• Sarju Patel finished with 12 points on 5-9 shooting, going 2-2 from beyond the arc.
• Marcus Jackson led the team in rebounds (8), assists (3), and blocks (1).
• Da'Kquan Davis went 3-7 from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points.
• UAlbany shot 31.5% (17-54) from the field and 42.1% (8-19) from three. UMass Lowell shot 41.1% (23-56) from the field and went just 6-23 from three.
• UMass Lowell out-rebounded UAlbany 44-29.
• UAlbany finished with 14 turnovers, UMass Lowell had 13.

 
Scouting Vermont
The Catamounts come into Saturday's contest as the best team in the conference with a 6-2 record, having won four in a row. The team last played on Saturday, Jan. 28, collecting a home win (74-68) against UMBC at home. The team heads into this weekend's game with some extra rest, not having had to play this past Wednesday.

• Aaron Deloney and Dylan Penn lead the team in scoring with Deloney averaging 11.5 and Penn averaging 11.4. Deloney is currently shooting 41.1% from the field and 38.2% from three, leading the team with 42 made long balls. Penn is shooting 49.5% from the field.
• Finn Sullivan follows closely behind, averaging 10.2 points per game. He leads the team with 20 steals this season.
• Robin Duncan leads the team in both average minutes played (30.5) and rebounds per game (6.9). His rebounding numbers put him sixth in the America East.

 
#AEHoops Notes (1.30.23)
The #AEHoops season is halfway through, and the top of the standings are as tight as they've ever been. Six teams sit within two games of first place with the season at the midway point. Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and NJIT all went unbeaten in league play last week.

• Vermont has run off four wins in a row to claim the top spot in the standings at 6-2. The Catamounts, who beat Binghamton and UMBC last week, are beating teams by an average of 17.0 points per game during their win streak.
• UNH is a game back at 5-3 after beating UAlbany and UMass Lowell last week. The Wildcats' Clarence Daniels is the only #AEHoops player averaging a double-double (15.5 ppg, 10.8 rpg).
• Winners of five of its last seven games, Binghamton also sits tied for second at 5-3.
• UMass Lowell, which is 5-4 in league play, has already surpassed the program's Division I record for wins in a season with 17.
• Maine beat UMass Lowell and UAlbany last week and has won three-straight #AEHoops games for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
• The Black Bears' Kellen Tynes leads the country averaging 3.1 steals per game.

 
Conference positioning will again prove key for the Jersey Mikes #AEPlayoffs. Every round of the Jersey Mikes #AEPlayoffs will take place on the higher seed's home court and earning home court advantage will prove crucial once again.
 
The league champion will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, where America East teams have won nine games all-time, including UMBC's historic upset of Virginia in 2018.
 
2022-23 Weekly Award Winners (Jan. 30)
Player of the Week
Clarence Daniels, New Hampshire – Jr., Forward, Brooklyn Park, Minn.

• Averaged a double-double of 17.0 points and 15.0 rebounds in leading UNH to a 2-0 week.
• Had 22 points and 13 rebounds in playing all 40 minutes of the win vs. UMass Lowell on Saturday.
• Contributed 12 points and 17 boards in a victory over UMass Lowell on Wednesday.
• This is Daniels' second #AEHoops Player of the Week honor of the season (12/4).

 
Rookie of the Week
Jaden Clayton, Maine - Fr., Guard, Whitby, Ont.

• Stuffed the stat sheet in leading Maine to a 2-0 week.
• Averaged 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in wins over UMass Lowell and UAlbany.
• This is Clayton's second AEHoops Rookie of the Week honor of the season (11/21).

 
Coming off winning its league-best ninth men's basketball title, Vermont is the favorite in the 2022-23 America East Men's Basketball preseason poll. The Catamounts, who also claimed their league-record sixth-straight regular-season title last season, edged out league newcomer Bryant atop the poll. Vermont and Bryant combined to claim four of the six preseason All-Conference team members, which was also unveiled with the poll.
 
Binghamton's Jacob Falko is the lone returning first-team All-America East team member from last season on the preseason All-League squad. He is joined by UMass Lowell's Max Brooks along with Bryant's Charles Pride, a first-team All-NEC choice last year, and Earl Timberlake, as well as Vermont's Dylan Penn and Finn Sullivan.
 
FREE with your ID
UAlbany and Hudson Valley 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 McDonough Sports Complex.
 
More UAlbany Men's Basketball
Drive the Lane with UAlbany Hoops
Postgame Show Presented by Northwestern Mutual – Capital Region
Season Tickets
SEFCU Arena Renovation
 
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.