COLLEGE SPORTS – The roster reshuffling is already underway.
The age of the NCAA’s transfer portal and the ability for college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness has made change a constant in college basketball, with teams — especially at the low- and mid-major levels — often forced to almost completely retool their rosters from season to season.
It’s something that both Capital Region men’s basketball head coaches — Siena’s Carmen Maciariello and UAlbany’s Dwayne Killings — will have to navigate this offseason, with both programs needing to restock the shelves following a swathe of departures.
As of Wednesday, Siena is set to see the departure of eight of its top nine scorers from the 2022-23 season, while UAlbany has seen its top-two scorers enter the transfer portal amid a host of other departures.
Here’s a look at how both programs’ rosters currently stand heading into the offseason.
WHO’S IN THE PORTAL?
To put in briefly: A bunch of guys.
Six players in total — two from Siena, four from UAlbany — have entered the transfer portal since the teams’ seasons concluded.
In the last week, Siena’s two most foundational players — point guard Javian McCollum and do-it-all wing Jared Billups — both put their names into the transfer portal.
McCollum, a 6-foot-2 guard who averaged a team-best 15.9 points per game this past season, entered the portal last week and immediately drew interest from several high-major programs.
The 6-foot-4 Billups, who averaged 8.1 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds this season while serving as the team’s best defensive stopper, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday. Speaking to the Gazette on Tuesday, Billups said that returning to Siena was “definitely a possibility.”
UAlbany has seen four players enter the portal, including the team’s top-two scorers last season in 6-foot-5 forward Gerald Drumgoole Jr. and 6-foot-10 forward Jonathan Beagle, the reigning America East Rookie of the Year.
Drumgoole and Beagle combined to average 28.1 points and 12.7 rebounds this past season.
The other two Great Danes to enter the transfer portal were backup guard Malik Edmead and sparingly-used big man Japannah Kellogg.
As of Wednesday, only Drumgoole and Kellogg have announced their commitments for 2023-24. Drumgoole committed to Delaware, while Kellogg announced his intention to transfer to Division II Concordia St. Paul.
WHO’S GRADUATING?
Siena had a veteran roster in 2022-23 with a number of fifth-year seniors and graduate students, all of whom won’t return next year.
That list includes the team’s second- and third-leading scorers, forward Jackson Stormo and guard Andrew Platek, along with guard Jayce Johnson and forwards Jordan Kellier, Michael Baer and Eduardo Lane.
Between graduates and players in the transfer portal, Siena needs to replace nearly 85% of the team’s total minutes played from this past season.
UAlbany’s losses to graduation are relatively smaller, but senior forward Trey Hutcheson and graduate student guards Sarju Patel and Da’Kquan Davis all played at least 19 minutes per game and combined to average 20.2 points.
WHO’S COMING BACK?
The deadline for entering the transfer portal doesn’t arrive until May 11, but for now, both the Saints and the Great Danes have a few important players slated to return next season.
As of now, Siena is set to return only three players who played significant minutes in 2022-23. Headlining that group is guard Michael Eley, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year. The 6-foot-4 Eley averaged 9.4 points per game as a freshman.
Point guard Zek Tekin, who started five games when McCollum dealt with injury issues, is also slated to return, as is backup big man Killian Gribben.
Forward Sveinn Birgisson played 23 minutes over 10 appearances as a freshman, but could be pushed into a more prominent role next season, as could Shenendehowa High School graduate Mason Courtney and Niskayuna native Brendan Coyle. Taihland Owens is also on the Siena roster, but has never played in two seasons with the Saints due to a knee injury.
UAlbany will be banking much of its hopes on the return of forward Justin Neely, the 2021-22 America East Rookie of the Year, whose 2022-23 season was cut short after just 25 minutes of action following a torn ACL suffered in the Albany Cup against Siena.
Forward Aaron Reddish had an up-and-down season, including a stretch where he didn’t dress for multiple games when Killings said the sophomore “failed to live up to certain program standards,” but returned for a prominent role late in the season.
Also due to return is Amsterdam native Marcus Jackson, who arrived on campus as a walk-on last fall and became the team’s starting point guard. Forward Tairi Ketner and guards Ny’Mire Little and Will Amica could also be back, though Ketner is working with UAlbany’s football team this spring as a defensive lineman, while Little and Amica are coming off season-ending injuries.
WHO’S COMING IN?
No players currently in the transfer portal has committed to either UAlbany or Siena, but both Maciariello and Killings will certainly be active in attempting to replenish their rosters.
Meanwhile, both teams have three players committed to join their freshman classes next season.
Siena’s incoming freshman class currently consists of 6-foot-5 Texas guard Bralyn Smith, 6-foot-8 Virginia forward Michael Ojo and 6-foot-9 North Carolina forward Maximus Frazier.
UAlbany’s three signed players are 6-foot-2 Maryland point guard Zane Adnan, 6-foot-6 New Jersey forward Cornelius “Boog” Robinson and 6-foot-8 Massachusetts forward Jack Margoupis.
Reach Adam Shinder at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Adam_Shinder.
Categories: -Sports-, College Sports, Email Newsletter, Siena College, Sports, UAlbany
