Non-conference play is beginning to wrap up for the plethora of mid-major programs in the Northeast, and its departure signals the most important time of year is right around the corner. 

If they haven’t already, all basketball conferences in this area of the nation will begin conference play at some point around the new year. From the leagues with one true favorite (Ivy- Yale, America East- Vermont) to those where supremacy still feels up for grabs (MAAC, CAA), the next two months will bring on plenty of tight finishes and passionate crowds while establishing stars. If you’re a reader of Basket Under Review, it’s a safe assumption that you love college basketball all months out of the year, but this period is really your time to shine.

Let’s dive into some of the happenings in the Northeast this week that could be good omens for certain schools down the stretch. 

Win of The Week: Albany Great Danes

Since Will Brown left in 2021, there admittedly hasn’t been much to celebrate with the men’s basketball program at Albany. The Great Danes have gone 25-41 in America East play over the first four years of Dwayne Killings’ tenure, and their current record of 4-10 doesn’t offer much hope on its face, especially when three of those wins are against non-D1 opposition. 

It was that fourth win, however, that was big enough to earn the team a spotlight in this week’s roundup. On Wednesday, Killings’ squad made the short trip to Stony Brook to take on the CAA’s Seawolves. Geno Ford boasted a team that won four of its last five games, including upsets of legitimate Loyola Marymount and Columbia sides. KenPom had Stony Brook as a 10-point favorite. Although both schools battled it out in the same conference for 21 years, all signs showed that the Seawolves had a clear advantage. 

Final score: Albany 71, Stony Brook 55. 

After surrendering the first eight points, the Great Danes took control of the ballgame and never let up, working their way up to a consistent lead by the midway point of the first half. Although Killings is known for teams that do their best work on offense, this win came off a strong defensive showing, as the Seawolves found themselves in multiple 3+ minute scoring droughts. The performance was impressive enough to move Albany up 18 spots in KenPom, a noticeable jump this far into the season. 

While the team backslid a bit in a Sunday loss to Cornell, Wednesday’s showing gives Great Danes fans some reason for optimism. For starters, the team’s offense was led by two sophomore returnees – Amir Lindsey and Zacharie Matulu – who have steadily improved in larger roles. Lindsey currently has the highest PRPG (3.0) of any non-Vermont player in the America East while Matulu’s rim-and-three game is one of the most efficient in the conference. 

Both players and the rest of the roster figure to benefit from a much lighter America East slate, one that will see them play exactly one (1) program better than their worst D1 non-conference opponent. 

A visual explanation of the previous paragraph.

The America East this year is a race for second place behind Vermont, but that No. 2 seed is a valuable one, boasting up to two guaranteed home games in the conference tournament. Don’t let its current record fool you: Albany may be there come March. 

Player of The Week: Gus Yalden, Vermont

It’s an America East-centric roundup this week, with the “Gus Bus” happily picking up quite a few more riders after the big man’s recent showings. 

Yalden is one of the most well-known players in Northeast college basketball currently, having gone viral in high school for his unassuming frame coupled with his deadly game. A four-star recruit, Yalden saw no playing time after committing to Wisconsin and played sparingly last season at Seton Hall. 

Maybe a little too soon, Courtside Films.

Looking to regain the role that gave him fame, Yalden transferred to known regional juggernaut Vermont in the spring. The decision has paid dividends for him. Over his first 11 games with the Catamounts, the 6-foot-9 big has averaged 17.7 points and 4.7 rebounds, operating as the center of attention on offense every night.  

When I say Yalden’s the center of attention for this Vermont team, I mean it. The big has an absurd 36% usage rate, tied for tops in the nation. While Yalden’s on the court, 38.6% of Vermont’s shots come from him, a percentage that’s No. 1 in the country by a landslide. Still, the Indiana native manages to be an efficient player with an eFG% of 63.8 and a true shot % of 65.2. These numbers coupled with some early Catamounts success have made Yalden the leader for conference player of the year by a landslide. 

Over the week of Dec. 14-20, Vermont played three games with two wins and a close loss to a strong Iona squad. Over just 66 minutes of playing time in that span, Yalden averaged 21 points on 57.5% shooting, including going 6-of-14 from three. 

His game on Wednesday against another top MAAC contender in Siena was his magnum opus thus far in college, considering the level of competition. Yalden put up 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, dominating a good big man in Tasman Goodrick down low and hitting three triples. 

Storyline of The Week: Columbia Battling on The Boards

In just his first year in the Upper West Side, Kevin Hovde has done an outstanding job at Columbia. The former Florida assistant has the Lions at 9-3 with only one loss outside Quad 1, making his team the top threat to Yale in the Ivy League. 

Looking at Columbia’s offensive profile, two areas explain its success: three-point shooting (38.4% as a team) and a 38.7 offensive rebounding %, 17th in the nation. The Lions have secured 10+ offensive rebounds in seven of their nine wins, leading to more scoring opportunities for a unit that really needs them at times. 

The Lions in good company.

The triumvirate down low of Mason Ritter, Connor Igoe and Ryan Soulis have all contributed to the team’s success on the glass. All three rank in the top 500 nationally with OREB% numbers above 8, with Igoe and Soulis hovering around 1.5 OREB per game. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound Ritter stands out above his teammates with an impressive 2.6 OREB per contest, including a six-offensive board affair in a November victory over UMass Lowell. 

In order to hang around with Yale and Cornell’s turbocharged offenses in the Ivy, the Lions will need to continue to create plenty of second chances. Their early returns and their reputation as the conference’s tallest team (average height of 6-foot-5.9) are signs that they can do just that.