Danes still seeking identity
Team trying to adjust to having 5 newcomers in the playing rotation
The names on the front of the uniforms are the same, but many of the players donning them have changed, and adjustment is taking the University at Albany basketball team some time.
Beginning this weekend, when the New Jersey Institute of Technology visits SEFCU Arena for a pair of America East games, the Great Danes hope to get into a rhythm as they try to find their identity. Barring further COVID -19 interruptions, Ualbany should flow into a schedule of back-toback games each week.
The bye weekends built into the conference schedule have been used.
Now it’s time for the
Danes (1-5 overall, 1-3 conference) to figure out how to improve on last season’s 14-18 record.
“The squad that we have this year is different than the last two years I was here in the sense of how we run the floor,” said junior guard Antonio Rizzuto, who was appointed team captain Tuesday night. “I see a ton of it at practice. I see little glimpses of it when we’ve been playing these games.”
Rizzuto’s observation was in response to a question about Ualbany trying to reach the 70-point mark. The Danes have been held between 60 and 66 points in each of their games, and their 63.7 average ranks eighth in the 10-team America East.
There have been other issues, all correctable in the players’ and coaches’ minds, that have
emerged in losses, none of which have been by more than eight points.
In their latest setback, a 67-64 nonconference loss at St. Joseph’s, the Danes had a seasonhigh 19 turnovers, an area that had been a strength.
“Some of the mistakes are just like bonehead mistakes,” junior guard C.J. Kelly said.
Kelly is among five newcomers, all upperclassmen, who are in the playing rotation. Among the returning players, Adam Lulka (broken nose) and Cameron Healy (oblique) have spent more time out of the lineup than in it.
“We’ve got good pieces,” Ualbany coach Will Brown said. “We’re only going to get better as we move forward. Whether we have Healy or Lulka on the floor, we’ll just continue to get better, but our ceiling ’s a lot higher with those two guys healthy and able to play consistent minutes.”
Lulka played six minutes against St. Joe’s and is expected to be available longer against NJIT (4-4, 3-3). Healy, who has missed the past four games, could play, but his court time will be monitored closely.
Another area in which the Danes are looking for increased production is on the glass. They rank last in the league in rebound differential at minus-6.5, although NJIT is next-to-last at 5.4.
“Rebounding has been an issue for us,” said Brown, who often during Lulka’s absence was forced to play a four-guard lineup. “On the offensive end we’re getting one shot, and there’s too many times and key situations our opponents are getting multiple opportunities because they’re rebounding the ball. A prime example is late in the game at St. Joe’s, with like 40 seconds to go, they miss a free throw. We give up a freethrow rebound, so now they get possession again and another 20 seconds on the shot clock in a two-point game.
“We’re right there, but we have to learn from our mistakes, learn why we got beat. It’s not only the learning piece, it’s now carrying it over to the court in practice and game day to make sure we make those necessary adjustments. Then if we can get ourselves to 70 points offensively, we’ll win an awful lot of games the rest of the way.”
Notes: Brown said freshman Will Amica is still sidelined by a head injury. Amica has yet to play this season . ... The Sunday game has been pushed back to 5 p.m. because of the women playing at noon at SEFCU Arena.