Albany Great Danes
Record: 24-8, 15-1 America East
Head coach: Will Brown (14th season)
Season summary: The Great Danes had a rocky start to their season, dropping six of their first eight contests. They managed to bounce back, however, and even reeled off a 16-game winning streak without one of its star players, junior Peter Hooley. Hooley averaged 13.7 points per game for Albany this season, but missed eight games during the season, traveling home to be with his mother, who was sick with colon cancer and passed away Jan. 30. Hooley’s buzzer-beater to defeat Stony Brook in the America East tournament final—securing the Great Danes’ third straight title and third straight trip to the NCAA tournament—went viral. Leading scorer Sam Rowley averages 14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and carried the team in Hooley’s absence.
How they make a run: Rowley dominates the paint and Hooley continues to play cool under pressure.
How they falter:Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
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