University at Albany’s men’s basketball team is off to a fiery start this year. So far, the Great Danes have earned a solid record of 7-1, after taking down some high ranked preseason teams out of conferences like the Patriot League (Colgate, Holy Cross, Boston University), Ivy League (Yale, Dartmouth), and the MAAC (Iona). They suffered their one loss during a road game against Monmouth (MAAC). The loss didn’t seem to deter the Danes from the next matchup they had against Colgate, with a 75-69 victory at the Danes home court (SEFCU Arena). This has given the Danes their impressive overall record so early in the season.
Some great pieces of Albany’s program have given the team the drive and determination to take home the America East Conference trophy this year.
The Head Coach of the Great Danes of 20 years, Will Brown, has always found ways to encourage his teams early on in the season to be unstoppable. He has been doing it year in and year out for the program in Albany, NY. Brown is the commander in chief of the team when it steps out onto the hardwood. He has a scary presence on the court; due to his deep, loud voice and not being afraid to scream at referees for bad calls.
Besides being the loudest person on the court, Brown has built a strong and talented squad. Joe Cremo, the star shooting guard of the Danes, is a homegrown player out of Scotia, NY. As a junior, he already has an impressive amount of on-court experience, along with a remarkable talent of shooting the basketball from any spot of the court, especially from the three-point line. Cremo also earned his 1000th point record for the Albany record books against Holy Cross. His stats this season have backed up the possibility of him becoming the player of the year for the America East: 34 Mins/GM, 16.8 PPG, .500 FG%, .529 3P%.
The point guard for the Danes, David Nicholas, has proven to be the leader of the team. He offers a set of skills that can only be compared to the likes of NBA star and Houston Rockets point guard, James Harden: great mid-range shooting, unstoppable dribbling moves, and an expert-level passing ability. Coincidentally, he shares the same jersey number as Harden (#13). Much like Cremo, Nicholas has also dominated the court this year with impressive numbers: 33.6 Mins/Gm, 15.8 PPG, 3.8 APG, .405 FG%. He and Cremo are going to battle for the player of the year award. But it’s a battle that the entire conference will love to watch.
Last season, the Danes were a stacked team and they ended up just taking a three-point loss against Vermont in the America East final. They had an overall record of 21-10, including 10-6 in America East play after the season ended.
The fear that’s floating around the Albany campus is that the Danes season might end on a bad note once again. They might have a great record so far, but that doesn’t mean future matchups, like Louisville and Memphis, will put up a fight against the Danes. Because just like an avalanche, once two small defeats happen, it could roll into a disastrous season.
So, let’s be safe before breaking out the doggie treats for the Danes. UAlbany has a lot to prove before becoming the America East juggernauts. The dog handler, Coach Will Brown, will be watching every dribble that these players take, and will make sure to turn them into the animals that every team in the conference will envy.
Will the Danes power through the two tough matchups this year? Will they be ready before beginning the long stretch of America East games? Only time will tell if they will be able to outlast Vermont this season for the conference championship.