PHILADELPHIA -- Aiming for its first-ever and America East's eighth NCAA win in men's basketball, Albany takes on Duke on Friday at 12:15 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center. The game will be nationally televised on CBS with Kevin Harlan, Len Elmore and Reggie Miller on the call.
The 15th-seeded Great Danes (24-10) beat Vermont in the America East title game on Saturday to win its third-ever league crown and reach the NCAA tournament for the third time. The second-seeded Blue Devils (27-5) received an at-large bid out of the ACC.
Albany vs. Duke, 12:15 p.m. (CBS) -- March Madness Live | Albany Radio
NCAA Primer
A Record Five Are Alive
For the first time in America East history, five men's basketball teams will play in the postseason, besting the league's previous high of three. Albany will play in its third NCAA tournament since 2006, while Stony Brook will make its third NCAA appearance in the last four years. Vermont received a bid to the College Basketball Invitational and made its fifth-straight postseason appearance and ninth in 11 years. Boston U. and Hartford each played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The conference has had at least two teams playing into the middle of March in three of the last four and nine of the last 11 years. Overall, 25 teams have reached the postseason in the last 11 years.
ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER WIN
For the fourth time in the last five years, an America East men's basketball team won a postseason game, the only such stretch in conference history. Stony Brook beat UMass in the NIT on Wednesday, the conference's third-ever NIT win and 13th in the postseason all-time.
America East in the NCAAs
Vermont's win over Lamar last season was America East's seventh all time in the NCAA Tournament. The Catamounts were also the last team to earn an NCAA win before last year. That came in 2005 as a No. 13 seed with a 60-57 overtime victory over No. 4 seed Syracuse. The Catamounts, the only current league member with an NCAA win, join Northeastern as the only programs in conference history with multiple NCAA victories. The Huskies won three games in a three-year span 30 years ago (1981, 82, 84). Siena (1989) and Drexel (1996) have the league's other wins. The highest seed America East teams have received was No. 11 which has happened three times (Northeastern 1981, '82, '84). Boston U.'s No. 12 seed in 1997 is the league's best since it expanded to 64 teams.
Albany Great Danes (24-10)
The America East champion for the third time since 2006, Albany will make its third-ever NCAA tournament appearance. Holders of its third 20-win season at the Division I level and first since the 2006-07 campaign, Albany set a Division I program record by winning its 24th game on Saturday. The Great Danes are balanced ranking fourth in scoring (64.4 ppg) and third in points allowed (60.3 papg). It also does damage at the foul line, leading the league in free throw percentage (.734) while getting to the line over 20 times per game. Mike Black, a first-team all-league performer and the Most Outstanding Player of the conference championship, leads Albany and ranks fourth in the league in scoring (14.9 ppg.).
The Great Danes' Ride
Albany's trip to the NCAA tournament was unlike any other team's in America East history. The Great Danes won their three tournament games by a combined seven points, the fewest of any America East champion, to become the lowest-seeded team (No. 4) to ever win the league title. All three of the Great Danes' games came down to the wire. Sam Rowley hit a layup with 19 seconds left against Maine in the quarterfinals to deliver a 50-49 win. Against top-seeded Stony Brook in the semifinals, Albany nearly squandered a 10 -point lead with just three minutes left, but Mike Black came to the rescue but hitting a driving layup with 2.7 seconds left to break a 59-59 tie and give Albany a 61-59 win. In the championship game at Vermont, Albany scored 10 of the game's final 14 points en route to a 53-49 win. Jacob Iati scored eight of those points, including a pair of huge three-pointer to turn a 45-43 deficit into a 49-45 lead with under two minutes left.
Why Not Us
In 2006, Albany made the first of consecutive NCAA appearances and nearly shocked the world. The 16th-seeded Great Danes led top-seeded and No. 1 ranked UConn, 50-38, with 11:26 left, before the Huskies scored 34 of the game's final 43 points to win 72-59 avoid becoming the first No. 1 to lose to a No. 16. Albany received a 13 seed in 2007 and fell to No. 4 Virginia in Columbus.