New feel to Vermont trip

The University at Albany basketball team’s past two visits to Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington, Vt., were memorable, for sure.

A late January trip two years ago saw a 25-minute delay when two spectators experienced serious health issues that required first responders to act. Both fans were rushed away by ambulance and survived. UAlbany’s trek there last February was the game in which Josh Speidel, a Vermont recruit who suffered brain and other injuries in an auto accident five years ago, was permitted to take the court to score an uncontested basket.

Another notable trip to Burlington awaits this weekend. UAlbany returns for America East Conference games Saturday and Sunday in an empty gymnasium. Because of COVID-19 concerns, all America East teams are playing conference games with no spectators.

“They have what nobody else in the league has,” Great Danes coach Will Brown said. “They have an unbelievable homecourt advantage. They’ve been hard enough to play against over the years, especially the last few years, then you add that crowd. You take that out of the equation, does it make it any easier to play up there? I wouldn’t use the word ‘easier.’ It makes it different.”

Vermont (2-2) carries a nine-game winning streak against UAlbany (0-3) but no longer has two-time conference Player of the Year Anthony Lamb, who frequently tormented the Danes. Much like their opponent this weekend, the Catamounts have been slowed by COVID-related pauses.

Vermont, picked to win the America East for the fifth consecutive season, has split both of its conference series.

“People need to be careful,” Brown said. “I’ve had a couple of people say to me the last couple of days, they’re not as good, they’re vulnerable, they’re this, they’re that. It would be a huge mistake if anybody writes them off.

“They’re in a similar boat to us in that they didn’t have any nonconference games prior to entering conference play. Their first two conference games, at UMass-Lowell, none of their bigs played in that game; (6-foot-8 junior Ryan Davis and (6-8 transfer Tomas) Murphy didn’t play. They did play against NJIT. They’re just trying to figure it out as they move forward. Their personnel is good.”

The Catamounts consistently pack their 3,228-seat home, which resembles a high school gym in that there are no bleachers in either end zone. The university has broken ground on a $95 million new athletic facility called Tarrant Center, which was scheduled to open next season until pandemic restrictions delayed construction.

Whenever the new building opens, Vermont officials hope to have it full of fans, unlike this weekend.

“That’s going to be to our advantage a little,” UAlbany junior guard Antonio Rizzuto said. “I like the big crowds. It fuels the tank for some guys. It will be different. All the games now feel like scrimmages, to be honest with you. You’ve just got both teams, coaches and refs.”

UAlbany, which has led at halftime in all three of its losses, has endured disruptions of its own. The Danes have had two COVID pauses and had their schedule altered several times. The three games they have played came in a four-day span.

The weekend games will come after a 10-day layoff. As the schedule stands now, UAlbany will have another 11 days off before a home series Jan. 16-17 against NJIT.

“We’re just excited to be able to play after going through what we did in the fall and all the shutdowns,” Rizzuto said. “That fuels itself. As the season goes on, we’re going to have to pull from deep in, and the team’s energy is going to have to be at the next level to make up for the fans and everything.”

NOTES: The team won't leave for Burlington until Saturday morning, so the status of Cameron Healy (oblique), Adam Lulka (nose), Jamel Horton (back) and Will Amica (head) will be game-day decisions. Horton seems to be the most likely to play. ... The Great Danes lead the conference in turnover margin (+3.6) and assists-to-turnovers ratio (1.22).

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