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The Kentucky Wildcats have reportedly added Albany to the 2021-22 schedule, according to Jon Rothstein and The D1 Docket.
The connection here lies with new Albany head coach Dwayne Killings, who played at UMass in the late 90s under Bruiser Flint, who is now on the Kentucky coaching staff. Flint took over the UMass job after John Calipari left to coach the New Jersey Nets. Killings was actually a ball boy for UMass when Calipari was still there.
Killings previously served as associate head coach at Marquette under Steve Wojciechowski.
Albany finished 7-9 in a pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 outbreaks. It was the third-straight losing season under then-head coach Will Brown, who had a 315-295 record over two decades with the program.
The Great Danes last played in the postseason in 2017 via the CIT. Their last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2015.
Albany was decimated from the transfer portal this offseason, which included leading-scorer C.J. Kelly transferring to, ironically, UMass. Seven other players also entered the portal, so there’s no question this will be a major rebuilding year for the Great Danes.