UAlbany basketball's Fall looks to deliver on promise after injury-shortened season

UAlbany's Abdoulaye Fall, right, drives to the basket during a January game against Binghamton. (Jim Franco/Times Union) ALBANY - Abdoulaye Fall's first season with the University at Albany men's basketball team was over almost as quickly as it started.

>A 6-foot-8 junior college transfer originally from Senegal, Fall was expected to play a significant role for the Great Danes during the 2025-26 season, but the forward ultimately sat out the entire nonconference season and didn't make his debut until the beginning of January.

>Seven games and 215 minutes later, Fall's season was over, with a knee injury ultimately derailing his campaign.

>"Last year was a little tough for me," Fall said. "I only played seven games, and I wanted to compete for the whole season, but it is what it is."

>As UAlbany prepares to open its 2026-27 season Monday against Rhode Island College at Broadview Center, Fall should play a central role once again - though not necessarily at first.

>Nagging injuries limited the senior forward's availability during the preseason, and he was only recently cleared for full-team workouts. Coach Dwayne Killings said that Fall will start the season with a minutes restriction as he works his way back to his best.

>Another UAlbany wing, Pedro Santos, is working his way back from a fractured foot suffered over the summer. Early in the season, Killings is focused on making sure those two potential impact players are healthy for when the Great Danes hit the meat of their schedule.

>"We've had a lot of conversations internally with our athletic training staff, with our strength and conditioning staff, about what the formula is to keep them on the floor," Killings said.

>So far, Fall is happy with how things are progressing.

>"I'm feeling good right now," he said. "I've started practicing with the team."

>In his brief time on the floor last season, Fall flashed plenty of potential. Even at less than 100%, he averaged 9.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. When the Great Danes got a signature win against America East power Vermont in mid-January, Fall was one of the best players on the floor with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes while shooting 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

>"When we looked at when he was playing last year, that's what an all-league player potentially looks like," Killings said. "He's efficient. He moves so well. He's fast, he can rebound and gets out in transition. He's versatile. He can guard different guys."

>Killings and his coaching staff stressed positional versatility in building the 2026-27 UAlbany roster, and few players embody that better than Fall. When other injuries last season left the Great Danes lacking in backcourt help for all-America East guard Amir Lindsey, Fall was often looked upon to fill in as a secondary playmaker.

>Fall and guards Zacharie Matulu, Miles Rose and Wilkin Paulino are the only players to return from the UAlbany team that finished 11-21 a season ago. But, Fall also has a former teammate and friend who joined the Great Danes' fold this season.

>Like Fall, junior guard Papa Kounta is a native of Senegal who came to the United States and played at the junior college level before transferring to UAlbany. The two roomed together while coming up through the SEED Academy, a program in their home country that gets basketball players ready to play in America.

>"I can't wait to get with him on the court in a real game," Kounta said. "It's going to be a good experience, because I haven't played with him since I was like 16, 17 (years old). It's been a little while. I can't wait to play with him on the court. It's going to be a good connection."

>All that's left for Fall is putting the pieces together and staying on the floor long enough to make an impact.

>"We're putting no pressure on him," Killings said. "Just get healthy and get him on the floor, and then build it from there."

SubscribeThere’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at UAlbany basketball's Fall looks to deliver on promise after injury-shortened season.