While UAlbany’s men’s basketball team might not be off to the start it envisioned under new coach Dwayne Killings, it might have found a key piece to the future in freshman Justin Neely. He’s averaging a little less than seven points a game, but leads the team in rebounding.
“I know we’re going to be competing against some of the top teams,” Neely said. “We play with a high level on the court in everything we do, and it’s everything I hoped it’d be and more. For me, it’s a learning process and I’m enjoying every second.”
What You Need To Know
- UAlbany men’s basketball isn’t off to the start it wants, but has found what could be a key piece to its future
- Freshman forward Justin Neely has emerged as a future face of the team
- He says he’s ready to lay the foundation for a successful program and win at the same time
Neely has made his presence felt in the locker room, and his play has garnered outside attention, as he was named the America East Rookie of the Week twice so far this year.
“It’s more so just trying to play the game the right way and do the right things on the court and try to help as much as I can to get us a win,” Neely said. “To be recognized as that is amazing. It’s a blessing to me but it’s just part of the process.”
And like all freshmen, Neely had his ‘welcome to college basketball’ moment right before the Thanksgiving holiday when he rattled home a go-ahead three pointer in the Great Danes’ win over Eastern Illinois.
“It felt great,” Neely said of the win. “Big-time play from Dre Perry making the extra pass. It was a great statement I felt like I made, and we just build on from that. We were 0-5 before that, so getting that first win felt amazing. We just have to keep competing at a high level and we’ll be all right.”
That play sett the tone for what Neely and his teammates want to accomplish. And while the product on the court might not be what the Great Danes want, Neely and his teammates are laying the foundation for future Great Danes.
“We’ll have a bar set for what we achieve this season and for the next few years,” he said. “We just keep building on that and raise the bar each year so the guys coming in know how it’s supposed to be run and the way we need to play, perform and practice, and we’ll just build on that.”
