Team preview: Albany

Blue Ribbon Illustrated previews the 2005-06 college basketball season, exclusively on Insider.

Updated: October 17, 2005, 6:30 PM ET
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(Information in this team report is as of October 1.)

COACH AND PROGRAM

Since he was selected interim head coach of a 1-7 team on Dec. 20, 2001, Will Brown has lived through his share of dark days with the Albany basketball program. That's one of the main reasons he's not going to shy away from the spotlight cast on his Great Danes this season.

"One of my goals when I took over was to get this program to the point to where we are the hunted and not the hunter any more," Brown said.

That point may have arrived. Albany, entering its seventh season as a Division-I program, improved its record by eight games last season and has many of the key components in place to make a run at its first America East championship and NCAA Tournament berth.

"Leagues go in cycles," said Brown, who last season led Albany to its best conference record since it joined the America East in 2001-02. "We finished fourth and have the most coming back, I think we've got a tremendous chance.

"We are going to be very, very deep and very, very talented. And that's a good problem to have after three years ago when we struggled to put five guys on the floor."


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