Albany Message Board

[scrybe]

I certainly don't believe the Sooners should disrespect Albany – and I don't believe they will. OU IS, like many have posted already, simply better, and probably at every position. But strange things – and big upsets – can and do happen in the tourney. Albany is obviously a proud team, and well coached as well. I believe they'll put up and fight, and I'd be disappointed if they didn't.

 

[ChongoChingi]

I certainly don't believe the Sooners should disrespect Albany – and I don't believe they will. OU IS, like many have posted already, simply better, and probably at every position. But strange things – and big upsets – can and do happen in the tourney. Albany is obviously a proud team, and well coached as well. I believe they'll put up and fight, and I'd be disappointed if they didn't.

Exactly! It would be the upset of the first round. But, they are a team that won't go down without their best shot at the Sooners.

 

[DenverSooner]

OU wins by 20.

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

I certainly don't believe the Sooners should disrespect Albany – and I don't believe they will. OU IS, like many have posted already, simply better, and probably at every position. But strange things – and big upsets – can and do happen in the tourney. Albany is obviously a proud team, and well coached as well. I believe they'll put up and fight, and I'd be disappointed if they didn't.

You guys need a like button on this board because I would use it on that post. I agree with everything in it. As I said earlier, I really hope they can keep it close with at least a slight chance to win in the end. A blowout, which is very possible would suck but playing a team at OUs level it's always a possibility for a team like Albany.

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

It is not even close. I mean no disrespect to Albany but they probably are not even a mid major. These are most of the teams Albany played (losses in parenthesis): N.J.I.T. (I have no clue who that is but would guess New Jersey Institute of Technology) (11), Quinnipiac (15) , Colgate (17), Holy Cross(16), St. Francis (PA) (15), Bucknell (14) , Siena (20), Yale (10), Fairfield (24), Niagara (22), Maine (27), New Hampshire (13), Mass-Lowell (17), Binghampton (26), Stony Brook (11), Hartford(17), UMBC (26), and Vermont (13). In my opinion that isn't even a mid major schedule.

If you consider the Missouri Valley a classic mid major conference these are some non conference games for Wichita State: New Mex St, Memphis, Tulsa, Utah, St. Louis, Seton Hall, Alabama, Loyola Marymount, George Washington, Hawaii, and Alabama. I don't know a lot about those teams this year but they are much bigger names than the names on Albany's schedule.

OU played 17 games against tournament teams plus games against Tulsa, Washington, Creighton, and Missouri. All four of those teams would stand out on Albanys' schedule even though three of them were not that good this year (and Washington was better before that kid got kicked off the team).

Well, the second half of that list is our conference so no getting around that. Our coach always has two games in the OOC schedule against larger programs. This year it was Providence and UNLV. We played Providence very close to the end and got pretty well smoked by UNLV. The rest he takes from comparable conferences to help the kids prepare for teams like the ones we would play in our conference. It would make zero sense to play all teams from top conferences and maybe win one but mostly get smoked constantly.

A couple years ago we did beat Washington on the road early in the season after they won their conference the year before. Best OOC win we've ever had.

 

[DenverSooner]

I know it is your conference and I get why your coach would schedule that way. My point is simply that OU fans are too pessimistic Nothing against Albany but they really atent even playing the same level of college basketball. Basically this game is like a FCS school playing OU in football. No OU fan would act like OU might lose going into that game.

I am glad you are optimistic and a good fan. However that does not change the fact that not one player at Albany would merit a scholarship at OU.

 

[MercedeSooner]

NJIT beat Michigan.

 

[chuckb]

Kenpom has us predicted to win by 12. I'd take that. Additionally, it has Albany as the number 133 team in the country, hardly a team who has no one who would even merit a scholarship at OU. Just for comparison, Washington, who beat us, is the number 124 team -- pretty comparable to Albany. Texas Tech is the number 154 team and they, too, almost beat us (albeit on their home court).

We had better be ready to play.

 

[DenverSooner]

Kenpom has us predicted to win by 12. I'd take that. Additionally, it has Albany as the number 133 team in the country, hardly a team who has no one who would even merit a scholarship at OU. Just for comparison, Washington, who beat us, is the number 124 team -- pretty comparable to Albany. Texas Tech is the number 154 team and they, too, almost beat us (albeit on their home court).

We had better be ready to play.

Every kid at Washington is all conference in the American East.

You don't have to say SIlly things just because an Albany fan is present. The kids in the Anerican Easy do not. Merit scholarships in the power five as well as the mid majors. That is why they are playing in the American East. With that said they are substantially better athletes than I was.

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

I know it is your conference and I get why your coach would schedule that way. My point is simply that OU fans are too pessimistic Nothing against Albany but they really atent even playing the same level of college basketball. Basically this game is like a FCS school playing OU in football. No OU fan would act like OU might lose going into that game.

I am glad you are optimistic and a good fan. However that does not change the fact that not one player at Albany would merit a scholarship at OU.

Agree with all your points. I don't think any Albany player on this current roster would get a scholarship at OU or they wouldn't be at Albany. Even though it is called a mid major but it's a really a low major. I think the staff and the program could do well in a real mid major conference but we are still years away from that. Hell, we have only been D1 for 15 years. First 5 were a disaster and then made it to tourney 5 out of 9 seasons. The program is on the rise!

Glad though that some of you guys are being nice and humoring me a little bit. haha!

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

Forgot to add that a couple sites I've seen gives Albany a 10% chance of winning the game. I'll take it.

 

[WaymanFan]

Denver, the pessimism may also be attributed to past early flameouts. When seeded #4, we've lost to a #13 three times out of four. Those three losses were against teams similar to Albany in talent. We lost to a #12 last year that probably wasn't much better than Albany. Most of us don't think we'll lose, but it's not out of the ordinary to believe that if we don't come to play, we certainly can lose.

As for no Albany player meriting a scholarship at OU, I will disagree from what I've seen. Both Rowley and Singletary could play in our league, maybe even a couple of others. Heck, we offered a scholarship to Richard Peters, and he's like the 7th leading scorer on their team.

 

[DenverSooner]

Denver, the pessimism may also be attributed to past early flameouts. When seeded #4, we've lost to a #13 three times out of four. Those three losses were against teams similar to Albany in talent. We lost to a #12 last year that probably wasn't much better than Albany. Most of us don't think we'll lose, but it's not out of the ordinary to believe that if we don't come to play, we certainly can lose.

As for no Albany player meriting a scholarship at OU, I will disagree from what I've seen. Both Rowley and Singletary could play in our league, maybe even a couple of others. Heck, we offered a scholarship to Richard Peters, and he's like the 7th leading scorer on their team.

Where do they play?

You guys are the biggest bunch of brown nosers. An opposing fan visits and you act like Albany is the equivalent to a Big XII school.

 

[DenverSooner]

Agree with all your points. I don't think any Albany player on this current roster would get a scholarship at OU or they wouldn't be at Albany. Even though it is called a mid major but it's a really a low major. I think the staff and the program could do well in a real mid major conference but we are still years away from that. Hell, we have only been D1 for 15 years. First 5 were a disaster and then made it to tourney 5 out of 9 seasons. The program is on the rise!

Glad though that some of you guys are being nice and humoring me a little bit. haha!

I am not trying to be mean. I think you are a great fan. You shoukd be happy and Albany could win. Gulf coast won last year. A 15 seed beat Iowa State several years ago.

I just think some OU fans are silly. If they respect you, then have the respect to be honest. It is OK to say the schedules are not comparable. It is OK to say the talent is not comparable.

If Albany wins they do it with heart and luck. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

I am not trying to be mean. I think you are a great fan. You shoukd be happy and Albany could win. Gulf coast won last year. A 15 seed beat Iowa State several years ago.

I just think some OU fans are silly. If they respect you, then have the respect to be honest. It is OK to say the schedules are not comparable. It is OK to say the talent is not comparable.

If Albany wins they do it with heart and luck. Nothing wrong with that.

Appreciate the comment about being a great fan. I try for my school.

I don't think you're being mean at all. You are being very realistic. Albany's athletes are not in the same class as OUs and I'm OK with that. We are who we are. I'm just enjoying being in these conversations year after year. I just want ONE. Just ONE! They don't need to make a big run in the tourney because that is near impossible at their level.

The close to the game we get, the more hype I read the more I feel like we're going to get blown out.

I'll say this, you guys are much nicer than the Florida Gators fans were to me on their board last year and I thank you for that.

 

[MichaelM]

I think many of us are still gunshy from last year. NDSU fans seemed pretty confident... and then they won.

 

[Northbase]

There is a reason you play the game, because, anything can happen.

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

Denver, the pessimism may also be attributed to past early flameouts. When seeded #4, we've lost to a #13 three times out of four. Those three losses were against teams similar to Albany in talent. We lost to a #12 last year that probably wasn't much better than Albany. Most of us don't think we'll lose, but it's not out of the ordinary to believe that if we don't come to play, we certainly can lose.

As for no Albany player meriting a scholarship at OU, I will disagree from what I've seen. Both Rowley and Singletary could play in our league, maybe even a couple of others. Heck, we offered a scholarship to Richard Peters, and he's like the 7th leading scorer on their team.

Missed this post and the more I think about it, if anyone on Albany had any possibility of playing at a much higher level it is our PG Singletary. He handles the ball well, drives the ball really well, shoots 40% from 3 and is clutch late in games. His very first D1 game @ Providence he played a great game against their guards, drove the ball inside against their bigs and scored 18 points, 3 assts, 3 boards and 2 steals. He hit a game winning 3 on the road against UVM and about 4 other late clutch shots throughout the season. I only say this because I think guards can make the transition much easier than a big man like Sam Rowley. Rowley would need to play further from the basket offensively where he is less effective but is strong enough to rebound with taller players. Just think it would be tough for his to score consistently playing against bigger players every game.

 

[geeoh]

I think many of us are still gunshy from last year. NDSU fans seemed pretty confident... and then they won.

Just as a means of comparison: NDSU was 62nd in KenPom last year. Albany is 132nd this year. Not saying we can't lose, but this isn't the same sort of matchup.

 

[sybarite]

I'm not so sure that we all understand the difference in Albany and Albany State. May end up in Columbus, Georgia.