AP

ALBANY - By the end of the season, Mike Black and Jacob Iati may be able to write a book about their numerous injuries.

Iati drove Black to the SEFCU Arena on Thursday -- the University at Albany guards didn't discuss Black's recently rolled ankle or Iati's arthritic Achilles'.

The two had a lot of time ahead of them to discuss injuries, as the team boarded an evening bus taking them to Maine, a day early due to the impending storm.

“I guess we’ll have a gimp competition, on the way to Maine, on the bus," said Iati, before the Great Danes practice.

Black sprained the ankle in Wednesday's 79-56 victory at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

UAlbany's senior guard only played nine minutes (scored nine points) and was really a non-factor. While he's said to be day-to-day, this quote may hint at Black's status for Saturday's game at Maine.

“If he can play, he’s got to be able to start and he’s got to be able to play heavy minutes," coach Will Brown said.

Brown said the team will prepare as if Black will not play, but they will "play it by ear."

Black hasn't missed any games this season, but he has been taken out of a game because of a hip injury and was slowed in one other game due to food poisoning.

“I thought both games we played well without him," Brown said. "We have played without him, obviously we’re better with him.”

Black will receive round-the-clock treatment from trainer Jay Geiger.

“I’m going to get him as ready as I can," Geiger said.

Geiger said there was a thought of him driving Black home from the game last night, since injuries like an ankle sprain tend to swell with the up-and-down of an airplane, but in the end that wasn't necessary.

Geiger will treat him with a number of different things, including electric treatment, ice, light therapy and he spent time in the whirlpool before the team departed.

Still, Geiger was not totally sure if Black would play, saying everything is a little different on gameday.

The adrenaline -- I wish I had a box of that in the training room," he said.

If Black doesn't play, he would get an additional week to recover, as the Great Danes don't play against until next Saturday (Feb. 16), when they host Hartford.

“Obviously, our best team is with Mike on the floor," Brown said. "But we want to make sure one, he’s healthy enough to play, two, he’s healthy enough where he can make an impact and three, he’s not going to hurt himself any further.”

AP

ALBANY — Drew Smith wants to make the most of every opportunity he gets to carry the football.
 
The senior running back is averaging nearly 100 yards per game so far this season for the University at Albany.
 
Smith will be one of the keys, as UAlbany (1-0, 3-1) gets set to host league rival Monmouth (2-0, 3-1), at home, on Saturday afternoon.
 
“It’ll be a tough ballgame,” said Great Danes coach Bob Ford. “We’ll have to play well.”
 
Smith, who has 392 yards and five touchdowns already this season, has been the Great Danes leading back for the past two years. He credits maturity with helping him turn things up even another level, as a senior.
 
“I think it’s me being more mature and knowing what to do, when to go and not being reckless,” said the Guilderland High grad. “I know my sophomore year, I was running high and got dinged up.”
 
Smith and his fellow seniors haven’t lost to Monmouth in their careers. The last time the Hawks won in this Northeast Conference matchup was back in 2006.
 
Smith says he spends more time in the tub and talking to trainer Jay Geiger, if even the slightest things flares up.
 
“I know my body now,” Smith said. “I know what to expect of it. I have Omar too, to help me out.”
 
Sophomore Omar Osbourne and Smith have helped UAlbany excel in the running game this season. The Great Danes are averaging more than 200 yards rushing per game and haven’t been held to fewer than 110.
 
Smith will likely become just the third running back in school history to surpass the 3,000-yard mark for his career, joining David McCarty (2006-09) and Gary Jones (2002-03), both also Section II high school products.
 
Smith has dealt with injuries in past seasons, but he says he’s running lower now, which helps him avoid some of the more violent contact.
 
For his career, Smith has averaged 5.3 yards per carry (484 total rushes) and scored 27 rushing touchdowns.
 
All this for a guy who played quarterback in high school and initially was slotted behind Vinny Esposito in the QB depth chart for the Great Danes.
 
The goal for the UAlbany running backs is to pick up four yards per carry. Smith just wants to do as much as he can to help the team to victory.
 
“I want to make the most of every carry,” he said.

ALBANY - The news isn't good for University at Albany sophomore center John Puk.

Puk (44) underwent a surgical procedure on Thursday to deal with swelling in his left shin.

"They split that baby open," Brown said.

They had to get the poison, puss and blood out of the shin and they will take another look, during halftime of Saturday's football game.

"We should see great progress in the nest 48 hours," Brown said. "If we don't see much in the nesxt 48 hours, then we have to look at the next alternative, which I haven't discussed with our doctors or (trainer) Jay (Geiger) yet."

Puk will miss time, Brown is just unsure of how much time it will be.

"I'm not thinking worst-case," Brown said. "I'm thinking best-case right now and I don't know what the best case is right now."

As far as short-term, Brown said he could go back to a lineup he used on the team's Canada trip, in August, and play Logan Aronhalt at a forward positon, when the Danes take on Monmouth and George Mason, Monday and Tuesday, in the continuation of the Preseason NIT Tip-Off.

Brown also said that freshman guard Peter Hooley (foot) is out indefinitely and junior guard Mike Black (ankle) won't practice today or Saturday.