Scouting Report: Albany Great Danes

It has been a tough start to the season for the Albany Great Danes. Things did not go well in their home opener against Towson. However, since then, they have been competitive against La Salle, Harvard, and Eastern Kentucky. First year head coach Dwayne Killings has played a solid schedule of mid-major opponents, so the Great Danes will be battled tested entering Rupp Arena this evening.

The transfer portal was an important tool for Coach Killings as he tried to quickly build a competitive roster. He was able to land star Division II transfer Matt Cerruti and Temple graduate De’Vondre Perry who have so far been the Great Danes two best players. Starting center Paul Newman was a four year contributor at Bucknell, but hasn’t played a ton of minutes yet this season for Albany. Freshman Justin Neely is considered by many to be one of the best newcomers in the American East as well.

This team will likely press Kentucky for stretches tonight and try to create some easy offense with their defense. Two of the things they do best are create turnovers and get to the free throw line. Albany was able to turn Eastern Kentucky over 15 times on Saturday and shot 26 free throws. Let’s dive into the scouting report and learn a little more about the Albany Great Danes. Reminder, tonight’s game is only available on ESPN+ and SEC Network+. If you need help figuring out how to watch, we have you covered.

Albany Great Danes Personnel

Starters

#5 Jamel Horton: 6’4″ 190 lbs, Senior Guard

7.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.5 apg

Bigger guard that will be their primary ball hander. Non-shooter. Closeout short. NO RIGHT HAND DRIVES!!! You want to closeout short so he can’t blow by you going to his right. Once you takeaway his ability to attack the closeout get up in him and heat him up. Be aggressive defensively trying to get steals and create turnovers. Get into the gaps off of him when he doesn’t have it. Be aggressive going to help when others drive it. 14 turnovers in 4 games. Hop under the ballscreens and handoffs. Get the ball stopped in transition. No layups for him.

#20 Matt Cerruti: 6’4″ 190 lbs, Graduate Student Guard

12.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.3 apg

Very skilled guard. SHOOTER!!! NO 3’s! 9/17 from 3 so far this season. Have to be tight to him at all times to take away his attempts. Get over the ballscreens and handoffs. Chase him off of downscreens and flares. Tighten up as the ball is driven towards you. No help off of him. Once you take away the initial catch-and-shoot he is looking to drive it right and will finish with a floater. Get your hands up to contest it. We want to run him off of the three point line. Make him drive it. Really pressure him on the perimeter. Make him uncomfortable. No help off of him. Be tight. No 3’s!

#3 Trey Hutcheson: 6’5″ 195 lbs, Junior Guard/Forward

6.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg

Shooter! No 3’s! 12 of 18 shots have been 3’s. Need to be there to take away the catch-and-shoot 3’s. Looking to drive it right after you take away the initial catch-and-shoot. Chase him off of downscreens and flares. You have to switch when he ballscreens to take away the 3. He likes to slip the ballscreens to a pop. If there is no screen, there is no switch. Very good cutter off of the ball. Likes to cut along the baseline. Pressure him on the perimeter. Be tight to him. No 3’s.

#2 De’Vondre Perry: 6’7″ 220 lbs, Graduate Student Forward

12.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.8 apg

Strong 4-man. More of a driver than a shooter. NO RIGHT HAND DRIVES!!! He really wants to use his physicality and drive it right. Loves to attack closeouts. Closeout short to take away the initial right hand drive. You can pick your spots to get up in him and pressure after you closeout short to guard the initial right hand drive. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. You have to be very physical on his left shoulder. 13 turnovers in 4 games. Be aggressive and try to steal the ball. You can help off of him when he doesn’t have it. Go create turnovers in the gaps. Need to find him and box out when the shot goes up. Come help when he drives it and steal the ball.

#24 Paul Newman: 6’9″ 225 lbs, Graduate Student Center

2.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.0 apg

Back to the basket 5-man. Lefty. Left hand, right shoulder in the post. Very talented big man that just hasn’t played many minutes this season. Need to get him off of the block. Do your work early. His percentages will go down the further off the block you make him catch it. Better finisher than free throw shooter. Foul if you are beat. No And-1s. Be physical on his right shoulder inside. Good offensive rebounder. BOX OUT!!!

Bench

#12 Justin Neely: 6’5″ 200 lbs, Freshman Forward

7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.8 apg

Talented backup forward. Undersized but athletic and strong. Good driver. Really wants to drive it right. No right hand drives!!! Loves to operate from the short corners and high post. Do not let him beat you going right. Will spin back right to finish. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Be willing to come help off of your man (not #20) when he has the ball. Make him give it up. Throw a hand up to contest if he shoots. Very good offensive rebounder. Box out!!!

#4 Jarvis Doles: 6’9″ 215 lbs, Graduate Student Forward

3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.5 apg

Big, physical backup forward. Non-shooter. Closeout short when he is on the perimeter. Be in help off of him. Right hand driver. No right hand drives! Wants to attack closeouts. Come help and take it off of him when he drives. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Make him score over you. Box out!

#10 Aaron Reddish: 6’7″ 185 lbs, Freshman Forward

3.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.5 apg

Athletic backup forward. Capable shooter. Just play him straight up. Give it a hard contest when he shoots it. Right hand driver. No right hand drives! Get up and pressure him to make him uncomfortable. Should be able to take it off of him. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it. Come help and take it off of him when he drives. Box out.

#0 Ny’Mire Little: 6’4″ 203 lbs, Freshman Guard

2.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.3 apg

Backup guard. Willing shooter shooting a bad percentage. 1/10 from 3 and 3/16 from the field. 8 turnovers in 4 games. Get up and really pressure him. Wants to drive it right. Make him uncomfortable and take it off of him. You can help off of him when he doesn’t have it, then go pressure him when he gets it back. Pick him up full court.

#30 Chuck Champion: 6’4″ 185 lbs, Graduate Student Guard

0.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.5 apg

Strong backup guard. Will handle the ball some when he is in there. Closeout short and make him shoot 3’s. No right hand drives. He wants to attack your closeout. After you closeout short to stop the drive you can get up and pressure him. Make him uncomfortable. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it.

Albany Great Danes Offense

The Albany Great Danes are primarily a 4-around-1 Motion team. They will look to use their athleticism and size on the wings to exploit the matchups that lean in their favor. Physical forward #2 Perry will have a lot of actions run for him in the half court. He likes to attack off the dribble to his right hand. They keep good spacing in their Motion to try and attack the gaps.

Through four games, the Great Danes are one of the worst offenses in terms of adjusted efficiency per KenPom. They do get to the free throw line a lot due to their physicality and willingness to just put their head down and drive the basketball. We should be able to use their aggressiveness to our advantage and force a lot of turnovers. Be aggressive defensively and go take it off of them as they drive the ball.

4-around-1 Motion

This is what a lot of Albany possessions will look like in the half court. They keep their spacing high and wide on the perimeter to allow for driving lanes. As they move the ball, they will cut through as the ball handler looks to attack. Here, the ball gets reversed back around to #5 Horton who is able to get into the paint. We never want to leave #20 Cerruti! Just make #5 finish the floater instead of giving up this inside-out three. He is too good of a shooter.

The Great Danes like to use this little pitch back pass from the trail spot to get the ball moving. #2 Perry does bring it up the floor some when he rebounds and he will toss it to a guard and cut to try and create a driving lane. There is quite a bit of ball screening in their Motion as well like you see here. #5 Horton just pulls it out and calls for a ballscreen. He rejects it, gets downhill, and once again finds #20 Cerruti for a three. DO NOT LEAVE HIM!!!

Horns-Flex Screen

From a Horns alignment, Albany goes Flex to try and get the ball inside to #2 Perry. Against a lot of teams on their schedule, his size and physicality presents a matchup problem. We will have to be ready to bang around with him inside. He loves to initiate the contact. Once he starts dribbling when can aggressively come help off of anyone besides #20 Cerruti. Make him pick it up and try to steal the ball from him when he is in the post. Harvard gets him to miss because he had to spin to his right shoulder. Be physical on his left shoulder and make him shoot it back into you like this with his right hand. All right hand.

Middle Ballscreen for #2 Perry

This is one of the set plays they will call to try and exploit a mismatch for #2 Perry. Anytime there is a forward-on-forward ballscreen like this we want to switch it. Same for ballscreens set elbow-to-elbow which they will do for him as well. When you switch you need to get over and cut off the right hand drive. He is physical and will finish through contact at the rim. Make him come back to his left hand.

Slip Ballscreen to Pop

#3 Hutcheson is their second best shooter and really likes to slip the ballscreen into a pop. We want to switch all ballscreens that he sets, but if there is no screen there is no switch. Be ready for plays like this clip and stay tight to him when he slips.

OB Under-Elevator Doors

Just be ready for this OB Under play. They will run it at some point tonight. You should be able to see it coming when #20 Cerruti is on the block opposite the ball. You need to either bust through the elevator doors with him or communicate the switch to take him away from three.

Albany Great Danes Defense

The Great Danes are primarily a man-to-man defensive team. They are very aggressive in the passing lanes and on the ball trying to get steals. There will be quite a bit of full court pressure as well. We should expect to see a 1-2-2 trapping press. They will begin trapping in the backcourt and continue beyond half court. We just have to be sharp with our passes and drive the ball hard in a straight line when it is available. The clip below is a look at their 1-2-2 pressure.

Keys to the Game-Albany Great Danes

• No 3’s for #20 Cerruti. He is a knockdown shooter and their only guy we really have to key on. We want to be aware of #3 Hutcheson as well, but No 3’s for #20.
• PRESSURE!!! Get up in these guys defensively and pressure the ball. Be aggressive in the gaps trying to take it off of guys as they drive. Go dig the ball hard out of the post. You can leave anyone besides #20.
• Play without fouling. Don’t let your defensive aggression lead to silly fouls. Some fouls when going for a steal are okay. 14 or fewer free throw attempts for them.
• Play free on offense. Let it fly from beyond the arc. Push the ball hard in transition. Aggressively drive it. Let our defensive stops lead to quick offense.