University at Albany freshman forward Erwann Bussing, right, dunks during the first day of practice on Sept. 21 at Broadview Center in Albany
Will Waldron/Times Union
UAlbany men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings, left, talks to freshman forward Erwann Bussing, right, during the first day of practice on Sept. 21 at Broadview Center in Albany.
Will Waldron/Times Union
UAlbany men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings speaks to reporters on Sept. 21 at Broadview Center in Albany.
Will Waldron/Times Union
UAlbany guard Ollie Engen (2) drives past teammates Tyler Jones, center, and U-Mier Graham on Sept. 21 at Broadview Center in Albany.
Will Waldron/Times Union
ALBANY — When asked about the biggest difference between playing basketball in Europe and learning the ropes in the American college game, Erwann Bussing didn’t hesitate.
“Honestly,” Bussing said, “I think it’s the physicality. That’s the hardest part. In Europe, we’re used to having contact and everything, but in the United States, I feel like it’s another level.”
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A freshman forward from France, the 6-foot-9 Bussing is one of nine international players on the University at Albany men’s basketball team. Eight of those players, including Bussing, are newcomers to the program for the 2026-27 season.
While several of those players have experience playing college basketball in the U.S. or, in the case of junior guard Ollie Engen and freshman center Callum Smith, are from just over the border in Canada, Bussing and fellow freshmen Moustapha Ndao (Qatar) and Petar Miovic (Croatia) came to the Great Danes having most recently played in the professional ranks overseas.
Bussing played for Limoges CSP in the French pro league, starring in the Espoirs Elite (U21) league while also making 11 appearances for Limoges in the Betclic Elite league, the top level of French pro basketball.
With less than two weeks until the Great Danes’ Nov. 2 regular-season opener against Division II Rhode Island College at Broadview Center, coach Dwayne Killings has seen Bussing develop into a player who can fill multiple frontcourt roles.
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“I think we’ve explored some different things,” Killings said. “Playing the four, playing the five, allowing him to initiate offense. … The main thing I said to Erwann is, ‘You played in some high-level environments. You should be super confident walking into your college basketball experience, because you’re prepared.’”
Redshirt sophomore center Kean Webb, a transfer from Portland State, has enjoyed the chance to mesh with his international teammates.
“Erwann coming from France brings a lot of the Euro style, so it gives us a lot of different looks, a lot of different things we can do,” Webb said. “It expands our game as a team.”
Danes on the mend
After injuries and availability left UAlbany scrambling to put together a competitive roster at times during its 11-21 campaign last season, Killings put a premium on fielding a healthy roster this season.
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The Great Danes haven’t been fully healthy this preseason, but as opening night approaches, the team is getting closer to full health. Thursday was only the third time all preseason UAlbany could do full 5-on-5 work, with 11 players available for full-contact work. Two other projected key pieces for the Great Danes, guard Abdoulaye Fall and forward Pedro Santos, returned to practice Thursday but have not yet been cleared for full-contact activities.
“We’re getting closer,” Killings said.
King commits
Earlier this month, Killings secured his second recruit from an incoming player in the class of 2027 when New York City guard Elijah “Eli” King committed to the Great Danes.
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King, a 6-foot-3 guard, is a standout for Eagle Academy in the Bronx, where he is the program’s all-time leading scorer. The fastest player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, King was a first-team All-Public School Athletic League performer this past season.
King joins former La Salle Institute standout and Troy native Treddy Faison as UAlbany’s first two class of 2027 commits. Faison, a guard who now plays at Winchendon School in Massachusetts, verbally committed to Killings and the Great Danes in August.
Killings is coaching the 2026-27 season on a one-year extension he received prior to the 2025-26 season.