Patroons keep basketball alive in Albany

By: Jacob Freeheart

Managing Editor

“To have any affiliation with a group that’s playing like they are playing is just a dream come true,” said Albany Patroons team owner Dr. Timothy Maggs in the midst of their third win of the season over the Raleigh Firebirds.

The Albany Patroons are back for their third season after returning in 2018, coming back from a long hiatus from their sudden collapse in 2009. 

The team played a competitive game on Friday, Feb. 14, winning 136 – 121 over the Raleigh Firebirds. They came out with energy and exciting play that brought the crowd to their feet. 

Starting point guard, and current league leading rebounder, Shadell Millinghaus, said teamwork is important to their gameplay.

“We have a lot of talented guys on this team this year [and] I just try to find a way to let everyone show their talent,” Millinghaus said. “I try to communicate to my teammates and get them involved,” he continued. “My job is to do what Coach wants us to do and follow his gameplan on the floor.”

Since the win over the Firebirds, the Patroons have gone 2-2, earning an overall record of five wins and two losses. They face a great amount of pressure for their success this season, wanting to match their accomplishment from last year, where they won The Basketball League Championship. 

This brought the championship back to the Patroon franchise, making it the first since 1988. Now they seek to defend their title, but Head Coach Derrick Rowland is aware of how difficult this feat is.

“Well a championship is a very hard thing to duplicate just because the ball has to bounce your way,” Rowland said. “Last year we played four elimination games, but we got through it, so we just gotta maintain our focus and continue to get better.”

Maggs had similar thoughts about the team’s championship aspirations. 

“You always want to win a championship, but I understand how fragile that is,” Maggs said. “The key is we want to be competitive, we want players to have the right attitude, we want to see them hustle out there.”

Rowland said one of the Patroon’s biggest challenges was the team’s chemistry.

“We brought five guys back from last year and we brought in six new guys and we just have to keep working until we hit our stride,” said Rowland. “It’s going to take some time.”

In addition to adding new players to the team, the Albany Patroonsare also under a new team owner, Dr. Timothy Maggs, a chiropractor in Schenectady. 

Maggs said one reason he decided to step up was because of Rowland. 

“I am so close to Derrick Rowland and I wanted to help him a lot,” siad Maggs. “He has committed his life to the Patroons and it was painful to watch the sudden vacancy in ownership last year, leaving the team in a tough spot.”

The Albany Patroons are not the only sports organization that has undergone drastic changes as of late. The local arena football team, the Albany Empire, had their local operations forcefully ceased due to financial issues of the AFL, the league they played under.  

Sports teams in the Albany area have had their issues and difficulties over the years and one thing that can help prevent the Patroons from going under too is funding.

“[The] bottom line is money,” said Maggs. “It takes money to keep an organization healthy with advertising, marketing, travel, the whole thing.”

Creating an atmosphere and sports franchise that attracts both fans and investors through its exciting play and activities is Maggs’ priority and he knows that there is still a lot of work left to be done.

“My goal was to be the first person to get the Patroons to an exciting level so more people can come on board,” Maggs said. “No one person can do this, so I am hoping to create momentum so that others can step up, because this is just exciting basketball beyond description.”