the Informer

This Saturday, the University of Albany men’s basketball team will look to topple the No. 1 seed giant, Stony Brook. The team’s eighth seed was finalized when the Great Danes lost to Hartford in overtime in the season finale. Albany will attempt to regain the championship form they had in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007 as they try to pull the upset over Stony brook.

Junior co-captain Tim Ambrose has been a key player in the Great Danes’ offense, leading his team in scoring for the second consecutive year. The six-foot, 220-pound, guard contributed to the team in numerous ways, specifically excelling at generating scoring opportunities. Along with his 391 points, he dished out a team-leading average of 2.8 assists per game, seventh best among the America East Conference rankings.

The Brentwood, N.Y. native also used his athleticism in grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game, the 17th best in the conference. Ambrose has also been great at the charity strip this season, knocking down 76 percent of his free throws, eighth best in the conference. Ambrose’s achievements include being named to the 2009 America East All-Conference Third Team and to the conference’s 2008 All-Rookie team.

Another impact player for the men’s team is senior Will Harris. The 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pound, Virginia transfer proved to be very reliable in scoring in 2009-2010. He solidified one of the forward positions throughout the season, earning more minutes on the court than every other player besides Ambrose.

Harris’ ability find the basket is one of his best attributes, finishing the season averaging 12.6 points per game, the 14th best in the conference. Harris’ 47 percent shooting mark from the field was also among the leaders in the America East Conference and proves that he shoots accurately and looks for the high-percentage attempt.

In his first season playing with the Danes, the co-captain earned a spot on the 2009 America East All-Conference Third Team.

In order for head coach Will Brown and his team to pull off the upset in the first round, two goals need to be met. The conference leader in rebounds, Tommy Brenton, needs to be restricted from getting second chance shots off the glass. Another objective is to contain the guard duo Muhammad El-Amin and Bryan Dougher from putting up big numbers, both of whom have averaged over 13 points per game this season.