America East Basketball News & Notes: Albany Has a New Man

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The Albany Great Danes welcomed the new voice that will be responsible for taking the men’s basketball program back to the upper half of the America East Conference. That man is Dwayne Killings who has been involved with the game of basketball over the past 18 years both in the college ranks and in the NBA. He comes to Albany to help right a ship that has taken a bit of a tumble of late. Killings has spent time with Boston University, UConn, Marquette, and Temple at the NCAA division one level. In the NBA, he has been with the Charlotte Bobcats as well at the D-league. His many stops have given him the opportunity to build relationships throughout the game with people that Albany hopes will turn their program around.

People in the game say that Killings is a great coach, recruiter, and leader of men. His hiring has been endorsed by the likes of Kentucky’s coach John Calipari and Team USA Women National Coach Dawn Staley who called the hiring “A grand slam for Albany.” Killings has won at all levels he has coached in. He has ties to the Northeast that should help in bringing players to Albany. In late March, he was introduced as the new head coach of the program by the school’s president Dr. Havidan Rodriquez and Director of Athletics Mark Benson. Both gentlemen talked about his “high character and high integrity.” It is those qualities that jumped out at both of them and led them to hire him.

Killings believes he can do amazing things at Albany and has promised to bring an America East banner to the program. He has already begun to shape the roster. His first recruit is a 6-4 guard out of Chester, PA. by the name of Ny’Mire Little. He will be graduating from Westtown school outside of Philadelphia this spring. He played for Seth Berger this year after beginning his high school career at Archbishop Carroll. In a shortened season because of Covid-19, Little averaged 16 points a game with four rebounds and four assists while shooting 43% from behind the arc. His best game this past year was a 40-point performance against Rock Top Academy. He chose Albany because he trusted and believed in the staff. He thinks that Albany can help him not only become a better person but also help get him to the next level.