Tip-Off Time: UAlbany Men’s Basketball Sets Sights on Season Opener Showdown Against Army West Point
“That’s not your game!”
Afterwards, Killings went out of his way to praise Shaker High’s redshirt freshman for the hard work and dedication Killings wants to see from the entire team. This is a sign that the Great Danes have part of their identity but are still rounding it out. They will be in full form ahead of Monday night’s season opener at Army West Point.
UAlbany is coming off a 13-19 season, the Great Danes’ third straight sub-.500 season since Killings was hired in 2021, marked in part by the departure of sophomore starting forward Jonathan Beagle in February.
Then leading scorer Sebastian Thomas transferred, not an unusual development these days, but the Great Danes returned Amar’e Marshall, who started all 32 games last season and averaged 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
As of Friday, Killings was putting the final touches on the starting lineup for the Army game.
Meanwhile, the Great Danes were attempting to put the finishing touches on injury recoveries, including three players promising ample playing time: Marshall (thumb on shooting hand), Saint Joseph’s transfer Kacper Klaczek (toe) and Alcorn State transfer Byron Joshua . (Shoulder) He is expected to start at point guard.
“We have a lot to prove,” Killings said. “We also have to declare who we are as a team and how we are going to play. We’ll move fast and be good on the glass. We want to be a good half-court team. When we do that, it changes the expectations of the team, but the reality is who you are on game day.”
UAlbany was ranked seventh out of nine teams in the America East preseason coaches poll, with Vermont receiving eight votes and UMass Lowell receiving one.
Killings paid more attention to the preseason All-Conference team than the rankings after Marshall, who was named to the second team in the postseason last year, was eliminated.
“I thought the biggest disdain was Amar’e Marshall,” he said. “I thought he was completely rude. I think he’s a first-team all-league player, if not the league’s player of the year.”
The Great Danes entered their season opener Tuesday with a 100-57 win over Division III SUNY Potsdam at Broadview Center.
Joshua was able to make plays, and Matulu especially shone.
“We talked a lot about valuing energy and maximum effort, and he really did that,” Killings said. “I did my best to compensate for that and that’s why he got the opportunity to start.
“He sets an example of how we want to play. I get ready for work and get really exhausted in the weight room. That’s why he’s gained 12 pounds of muscle since last year. We can all raise our level to the level of effort he puts in. Is he the perfect player? No, but his efforts are really, really good.”
“I thought we played well,” senior forward Aaron Reddish said. “He said. “We have some cleaning to do. We did well and the effort was there. I enjoyed it.”
“It was a really good place for us to see who we were as a team,” said Iona transfer Sully Adewale. “We finally showed the team coming together, playing with the right reads and being who DK knows we can be.”
Reddish is one of five players returning from last season.
He acknowledged that the Great Danes need to be a better defensive team than they were in 2023-24, when UAlbany lost seven games in which opponents scored at least 90 points.
This included a 114-102 loss to UMBC at Broadview on Feb. 3.
“Coach has been supportive of us about protecting the ball and being in the right position,” Reddish said. “It’s important to get the job done early, protect your home and paint, and take pride in your defense.”
“The biggest part is can we guard the ball?” Killings said. “Last year, we struggled to keep the ball, and I think we had a hard time rebounding because our second and third defenses weren’t good enough.
If we can get the ball better and rebound the way we want to, we can be a much better half-court defensive team. “It’s a must if we want to be a legitimate group this year.”
The first defensive assignment will require UAlbany to keep an eye on two of Army’s sharpshooters, Jalen Rucker and Ryan Curry.
Rucker, a senior guard, scored 1,290 points in three seasons at Army, but did not play last season after announcing on social media that he would transfer in 2023.
The Army did not transfer him because of academy regulations that require cadets to complete educational and military service obligations once they begin their third year.
UAlbany’s non-conference schedule also includes road games against Syracuse and Georgetown, a three-game tournament in Puerto Rico and the annual Albany Cup game against Siena at Broadview for the first time since the renovation.
“It’s going to be a really tough game because of the size of it,” Killings said. “I know Gerry (new Siena coach Gerry McNamara) is building something really special there. They will have a hard time. They will come here prepared and ready to win.
“There are no easy nights. But we have to challenge ourselves to grow and strive to be a championship team.”
Beyond simply being fully healthy, Marshall needs to get back into the swing of the team after missing so much time.
Killings said UAlbany’s chances for success would be seriously hampered if Marshall and Klaczek didn’t make big plays.
“We give him the ball a lot and try to make decisions and get his legs and timing back,” Killings said. But he’s making a mistake and I tell him, ‘Okay. Let’s get it out of the way,’” Killings said. “I know it’s coming because he’s a really good basketball player.
“Be confident. Maintain your posture. He had two good habits: Sunday and Monday. He will find it. I am sure of it. But he lost track of time.”
No matter who is on the court, the Great Danes must play without ego, Killings said.
“It shows what kind of team you have, who joins the group and who is selfless enough to truly celebrate the success of others,” he said. “I try to find out who is putting their head down because they don’t get what they want. “For us to be a legitimate competitor, we need everyone’s buy-in.”
“We’re a lot more versatile on both ends,” Reddish said. “We play together. Everyone touches the ball and gets a feel for the game. “If everyone has a role and everyone commits to it, we can win a lot of big games.”