UAlbany Men's Basketball Fast Freshman

University at Albany men’s basketball coach Will Brown has compared watching his team play last season to sitting in the dentist chair with no Novocain.

That grind it out style was how the Great Danes had to play to be successful.

This season, Brown might not be pain-free, but he’ll be out of the dentist chair and into the fast lane as he turns up the speed on his offense.

“This year we should be getting out in the open the floor, transitioning and attacking the rim,” sophomore guard Tim Ambrose said.

There are eight new faces on the UAlbany squad as this season begins with a date against No. 23 Villanova tomorrow night, and Brown thinks all of them can fit in with his new up-tempo style.

“I just think that we have enough athletes that can go up and down the floor,” Brown said.

There is one big difference this year though, a question mark, at the game’s most important spot.

Gone is Brian Lillis, a player who was thrust into the point guard position and added that to his do-everything type of year.

In step two freshmen, Anthony Raffa and Mike Johnson.

“The point guard position is probably the most important position on the team,” said senior co-captain Brian Connelly. “It’s the floor general and we have two rookies doing it.”

Raffa is a 6-foot energy-filled, self-proclaimed pass first guard from New Jersey, who averaged more than 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game, two years ago as a senior in high school. Raffa competed last season at Winchenden Prep School in Massachusetts.

Johnson, 6-1, is your typical New York City style point guard, who is physical, intense and fast-paced.

Both are filled with confidence that they can not only run UAlbany’s offense, but that they can jump right into the Division I level and make an impact.

“The best thing about those two is that they’re fierce competitors and they challenge each other,” Connelly said. “They force each other to get better every day.”

One of the main reasons why Brown has shifted to a quicker tempo is because he has the point guards to play that style.

“They both have shown flashes,” Brown said. “They both have gotten a lot better, and I think both of them can really cause problems for opponent on both ends of the floor.”

Both players are comfortable with a quick play offense.

“I like to run up and down because that’s what gets my energy and intensity going,” said Raffa, who says he feeds off of the crowd.

“I want to run all day,” adds Johnson.

While there are some differences to their respective games, they also think that there are some similarities.

“We have a lot of similarities, like our intensity level, our work ethic and our confidence is high,” Johnson said. “We both feel that we can be that guy and should be that guy and it shows in our play.”

While Brown hasn’t made a decision of who will start the season opener, he knows both will play significant minutes and a significant role in how the Great Danes fare this season.

In giving his team the opportunity to run, he’s made a deal with them.

The first 10 seconds of the shot clock are theirs, to play transition and get a quick look, but the next 25 are his, to run his sets and get good looks at the basket.

“The one thing with playing fast is that you really have to do a good job of valuing the basketball and understanding shot selection,” Brown said.

While this year will be a change, even the returning players seem to be in favor of the new style.

“I feel we can be a tough team to match up against as long as we execute our offense,” Ambrose said. “Anybody on the perimeter as well as some of the big guys can score one-on-one.”

Much like the team chemistry, the style of play will have to progressively get better as the season goes along.

“It’s like a big family with us and it shows on the court,” Johnson said. “We’ve been playing well together as of late and we’re just trying to expand on that.”

Connelly has seen the team take major strides in between the team’s two scrimmages, adding that the improvement was “incredible.”

“With experience and enough practice, I think we can grow to be one of the top teams in this league,” Connelly said.

By Andrew Santillo