Brandon Vanenburg
Four different Great Danes earned a combined seven postseason honors from the America East. Jamel Horton and Justin Neely grabbed major honors as the Great Danes efforts during the season were recognized by the conference before the start of the playoff tournament.
Jamel Horton earned the most distinguished honor for the Great Danes as he was named the America East Defensive Player of the Year, along with being named to the America East All-Defensive Teams and All-Conference Second Team. Not only was Horton crucial on defense, but he also stepped up for the team offensively when scores such as De'Vondre Perry went down with an injury. Horton led the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game while shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc, and he elevated his game in conference play averaging 16.2 points.
No one was surprised to see that Justin Neely was named the America East Rookie of the Year. Neely was a key contributor for the Great Danes as he won rookie of the week six times this season, coming just one shy of tying John Iati's record in the 2003-2004 season. He made a significant impact on the glass grabbing 126 total rebounds, which led the team.
Neely averaged 6.6points per game this season and had four games of scoring double figures including a 26 point game in a loss to Vermont. Joining Neely on the American East All-Rookie team was freshman forward Aaron Reddish, who provided an offensive spark off the bench for UAlbany.
Graduate Student Matt Cerruti was named to America East All-Conference Third Team after being the team’s second-leading scorer with 324 total points and an average of 11.2 points a game. Cerruti was the Great Danes' best long-distance shooter as he hit 49 out of 108 three and shot .454 percent from deep and he stepped up in conference play averaging 12.8 points per game, scoring in double figures in 11 of those games.
As the Great Danes season comes to a close, these players will be remembered for their contributions to the team in Dwayne Killings's first year as Head Coach of UAlbany.