ALBANY, N.Y. – The eight-seed University at Albany men's basketball team visits defending champion and top overall seed Vermont to kick off the 2024 Jersey Mike's America East Playoffs.
 
Game Info
March 9, 2024 at No. 1 Vermont (3:00 pm)
Championship Central | Live Stats | ESPN+ | 104.5 FM The Team | Game Notes | Tickets
 
Leading the Pack

• UAlbany is on the road this season; Vermont is at home
• UAlbany ranks second in the America East in scoring offense, Vermont ranks sixth
• Vermont leads the America East in scoring defense; UAlbany ranks eighth
• UAlbany is 5-2 in seven previous playoff games against Vermont, including 2-1 in games in Burlington
• Saturday is the first playoff meeting between UAlbany and Vermont since the 2017 America East championship game
• UAlbany is 8-13 in America East quarterfinals, with the last victory coming in 2017 against Hartford
• Vermont has not lost in the quarterfinal round since 2009

Scouting Vermont
The Catamounts are holding their opponents to just 62.9 points per game, a rate that ranks 10th nationally among Division I programs.  Further, Vermont fouls at the 14th-lowest rate, and turns the ball over at the 10th-lowest rate in the country.  Three Catamounts average double-figure scoring, but none more than TJ Long's 12.0 points per game.  Four more average 7.3 points per game or higher.  Vermont has won at least a share of each of the last eight America East regular season titles, and 13 of 20 dating back to the 2004-05 season.  Additionally, Vermont has won seven America East Tournament titles since the 2009-10 season, including five of the last seven, four of the last five, and each of the last two.  The Catamounts had won 23-straight games against America East opponents, before getting upset at NJIT on February 8, 63-61.  In 57 meetings against the Catamounts, UAlbany is 15-43.
 
Last Time vs. Vermont
February 22, 2024 | UAlbany hosted standings leader Vermont for the first time in the new Broadview Center, and fell to the Catamounts by 14, 94-80. Tyler Bertram continued his hot streak at home from three, shooting a perfect 6-6 in the first half and finishing 7-8. In his last three home games, Bertram has shot 23-34 from deep. The Great Danes trailed by eight less than four minutes into the game, and by as many as 13 in the first half, but closed within three with 2:12 before the break before the Catamounts pulled away to lead by six after the first half. Mid-way through the second, UAlbany closed within two, but Vermont regrouped to lead by 11 less than two minutes later.
 
Last Time Out
The Great Danes closed the 2023-24 regular season with a visit to Bryant with a chance to clinch the seven-seed in the America East Tournament.  UAlbany jumped out to a four-point halftime lead over the Bulldogs, but Bryant regrouped in the second half to outscored the Great Danes by eight to clinch the victory, 83-79.  Muneer Newton had a career night, recording a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.  Sebastian Thomas scored 19 points, Amar'e Marshall scored 14, and Tyler Bertram scored 12.  Bryant's Rafael Pinzon led all scorers with 27 points.
 
Around the America East
The field for the 2024 Jersey Mike's America East Playoffs has been set.  Defending champion Vermont once again clinched the regular-season title and top overall seed, and will play eight-seed UAlbany.  UMass Lowell locked up the two-seed, thanks to a 2-0 record against three-seed Bryant, despite the two teams finishing with matching 11-5 records.  The River Hawks will host seven-seed UMBC and the Bulldogs will host six-seed Maine.  The final matchup will take place between four-seed New Hampshire and five-seed Binghamton.
 
Saturday's America East Games

• No. 6 Maine at No. 3 Bryant, 2:00 pm
• No. 7 UMBC at No. 2 UMass Lowell, 3:00 pm
• No. 5 Binghamton at No. 4 New Hampshire, 3:00 pm
• No. 8 UAlbany at No. 1 Vermont, 3:00 pm

Common Opponents

• Dartmouth
  • UAlbany: 12/2 vs. Dartmouth, W, 73-68
  • Vermont: 11/29 vs. Dartmouth, W, 64-53
• NJIT
  • UAlbany: 1/6 at NJIT, W, 79-73; 2/15 vs. NJIT, W, 83-58
  • Vermont: 1/13 vs. NJIT, W, 76-55; 2/8 at NJIT, L, 61-63
• Binghamton
  • UAlbany: 1/13 vs. Binghamton, W, 95-75; 2/8 at Binghamton, L, 57-69
  • Vermont: 1/18 at Binghamton, W, 82-62; 2/3 vs. Binghamton, W, 62-49
• UMass Lowell
  • UAlbany: 1/18 vs. UMass Lowell, L, 76-97; 2/24 at UMass Lowell, L, 95-104
  • Vermont: 1/25 at UMass Lowell, W, 72-65 (OT); 3/2 vs. UMass Lowell, W, 74-62
• Bryant
  • UAlbany: 1/20 vs. Bryant, L, 89-98; 3/5 at Bryant, L, 79-83
  • Vermont: 1/27 at Bryant, W, 67-57; 2/24 vs. Bryant, W, 65-48
• Maine
  • UAlbany: 1/25 at Maine, L, 73-81; 3/2 vs. Maine, L, 71-74 (OT)
  • Vermont: 1/6 vs. Maine, W, 65-58; 2/17 at Maine, W, 68-57
• New Hampshire
  • UAlbany: 1/27 at New Hampshire, W, 86-79; 2/29 vs. New Hampshire, W, 91-67
  • Vermont: 2/15 vs. New Hampshire, W, 70-54; 3/5 at New Hampshire, W, 68-64
• UMBC
  • UAlbany: 2/3 vs. UMBC, L, 102-114; 2/17 at UMBC, L, 75-80
  • Vermont: 1/11 vs. UMBC, W, 77-72; 2/10 at UMBC, W, 72-70

All-Conference
Two players from UAlbany, Sebastian Thomas and Amar'e Marshall, earned America East All-Conference honors.  Thomas, who leads the team in scoring, assists, steals, and minutes, earned a spot on the America East All-Conference Second Team.  Marshall earned Third Team honors, ranking second among Great Danes in scoring and steals.
 
Eight Seed
After a year away, the Great Danes will once again make an appearance in the America East playoffs.  At the start of the last day of the regular season, UAlbany had an outside chance at securing the seven-seed, with a win over Bryant, and wins by Maine and UMBC.  The Black Bears defeated UMass Lowell, but Binghamton beat UMBC and Bryant beat UAlbany, leaving the Great Danes with the eight-seed and headed to defending champion and top-seed Vermont in the quarterfinal.
 
Seniors
Before the Great Danes final regular-season home game of 2023-24, the team held a brief ceremony to honor the members of this year's squad's senior class: Will Amica, Tyler Bertram, and Marcus Filien.  Amica is the last holdover from the previous coaching staff, and Bertram and Filien are graduate transfers who joined UAlbany this season.
 
A New Record
Sebastian Thomas set a new UAlbany single-game program record, scoring 42 points in the Great Danes' game at UMass Lowell on February 24, 2024.  Thomas reached this m ark by shooting 15-28 from the floor, including 4-9 from three, while hitting all eight of his free-throw attempts.  He surpasses the record of 41 set in 2020 by Cam Healy.
 
Rebrand
On February 21, 2024, the America East revealed a new brand identity, including a new primary logo, wordmark, and conference tagline, "Where Champions Rise".  The new mark includes a bold font that clearly and proudly declares the conference name, America East. The shield design indicates strength and emphasizes the conference's tight-knit geography along the I-95 corridor. The star and Americana color scheme are an ode to the conference's roots as well as its expansive and successful 45-year history.  As part of the conference rebrand, the new mark and color scheme will begin appearing on all conference content and collateral immediately, including a new-look official conference website, americaeast.com, that was developed in partnership with SIDEARM Sports. A soft implementation will take place on campuses this winter and spring with a full integration launching for the 2024-25 academic year.
 
Promoted
On February 15, Mike Walker, a freshman forward from Brooklyn, N.Y. and Xaverian High School, was named to the men's active roster.  Walker earned his roster spot after spending his time in the program this season as a member of the team's practice squad.  Walker made his game debut that night, checking in during the final minute of UAlbany's victory over NJIT.
 
Record-Setting
UAlbany's game against UMBC saw numerous records set.  Tyler Bertram broke UAlbany's single-game program record for three-pointers made (10) and attempted (16), surpassing the previous marks in the former, 9, set in 2001 by E.J. Gallup and matched in 2019, and in the latter, 15, set in 2001, twice, by Gallup and equaled by Healy in 2019.  Bertram's 36 total points were tied for the eighth-highest single-game total in program history.  The game saw the first 100-point performance from a team in the new Broadview Center, UMBC (114), matched later in the game by UAlbany (102).  UMBC's 114 points were the most UAlbany had conceded to an opponent in program history, surpassing the 111 points given up at Duke in 2007.  UMBC's 69 points in the second half were the most conceded in a half in program history, surpassing the 62 given up at Syracuse in 2002.  Finally, the 216 total points were the highest total in program history, surpassing the 198 from the Great Danes' game against UMES in 2001 in triple-overtime, and was the highest-scoring game between America East teams in conference history trailing just the 224 combined points set in overtime in 1995 between New Hampshire and Delaware.
 
Charity Stripe
Junior guard Sebastian Thomas played all 80 minutes for UAlbany in consecutive road games at Maine and at New Hampshire over three days.  During that time, Thomas shot a combined 22-23 from the free throw line.  Dating back to the previous game against Bryant, Thomas hit 20 consecutive free throws over three games, before missing his 12th attempt against the Wildcats.  And in that Bryant game, Amar'e Marshall went 13-13 from the line, the second-most free-throws in a single game without a miss in the program's Division I era.  After hitting his last four free throws against UMass Lowell, Marshall boasted a consecutive free-throws streak of 17 before missing.
 
Player of the Week III
Sebastian Thomas became the third Great Dane this season to earn America East Player of the Week accolades, doing so after scoring 30 points and recording seven assists in a 20-point victory over Binghamton.  Thomas shot 12-21 from the floor and surrendered just one turnover in 36 minutes of play against the Bearcats.
 
Moving on Up
With its ninth with of the season on January 6, a six-point victory at NJIT to open America East play, UAlbany surpassed their win total from the 2022-23 season in just its 16th game.  The Great Danes eclipsed last year's win total thanks in part to a five-game winning streak in the middle of non-conference play, the longest since winning six-straight during the 2017-18 season.
 
Player of the Week II
Jonathan Beagle recorded his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and recording 12 rebounds in a come-from-behind victory at LIU at the Barclays Center.  Beagle's performance garnered America East Player of the Week honors, the first of his career.  Last season as a freshman, Beagle set a record with nine America East Rookie of the Week accolades.
 
Double Trouble II
For the second time in three games, UAlbany saw two players record a double-double in the same game.  Against LIU, at the Barclays Center, Jonathan Beagle scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.  Amar'e Marshall scored 12 and added 10 boards, his first double-double as a Great Dane.  Marshall is the fourth player this season to record a double-double, behind Beagle, Sebastian Thomas, and Marcus Jackson.
 
Slamming the Door
Trailing 68-61 with 7:22 remaining against LIU at the Barclays Center, UAlbany ended the game on a 25-1 scoring run to win by 17 points, 86-69.  Aaron Reddish hit a three to start the comeback.  Sebastian Thomas, who scored a game-high 32 points, hit a jumper in the paint with 5:36 to go to give UAlbany a one-point lead that they would never relinquish.  LIU scored its only point in the final 7:22 with 1:54 to go, a free throw, after UAlbany had scored 21-straight.
 
Double Trouble
In UAlbany's final home game of 2023, and before a four-game road swing to close out the nonconference schedule, the Great Danes dispatched NEC rival Sacred Heart by 14 points, 93-79, bouncing back after stumbling at Drexel 71-52.  Against the Pioneers, UAlbany saw four players score in double figures, while two, Jonathan Beagle and Marcus Jackson, recorded personal double-double.  Beagle, who recorded his fourth of the season, scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading UAlbany in both categories, while Jackson, recording his first career double-double, scored 15 points to go with 10 rebounds.
 
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 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: The winner of Saturday's games advances to Tuesday's semifinals.