The Albany Patroons 2022 Season

One period away from perfection

By ChuCk Miller

After a COVID-shortened 2020 season, and an absence from The Basketball League while the Armory was used as a FEMA run vaccination facility, the Albany Patroons returned in 2022 with a vengeance.

Under newly-signed head coach Will Brown, the former UAlbany head coach guided the Patroons to a blistering 22-3 regular season record, best among all TBL clubs. That record included a stunning 13-0 at home, the second time a Patroons squad has swept all opponents at home in a full regular season since the George Karl-led Albany Patroons went 28-0 in the 1990-91 Continental Basketball Association season. The Patroons went on to win their division, the TBL Eastern Conference Title as well as the TBL Eastern Regional Championship.

The Patroons’ victories included several games in which the outcome wasn’t “Who will win,” but rather, “How much will the Patroons win by?” That included a 13499 punching on March 4th against the Massachusetts Monarchs; a 147-103 beatdown of the Connecticut Cobras on May 5th; and a 139-79 mutilation of the TriState Admirals on May 21st. The victories also included a 97-90 home win against the National Basketball League of Canada’s London Lightning; in which the Patroons sent the Canadian visitors back across the border with its first loss of their season.

AJ Mosby, a plucky point guard from Alcorn State, led the Patroons in scoring with an average of 20.4 points per game; he would later be named Albany’s representative in the TBL-NBL All-Star Game, where he amassed a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Not to be outdone, Patroons center Anthony Moe nearly averaged a double-double of 17.2 ppg and 8.9 rpg –including missing a few weeks for an overseas contract.

For the postseason, every series turned into a nail-biter. In the first round, Albany lost the opening contest in Atlantic City, then returned to the Armory and claimed two straight wins to advance. After a two-game sweep against the Patroons’ next opponent (Huntsville), Albany faced a strong Kokomo BobKats team and their noisy fans, who took the first game 123-110. The Patroons then returned home and the fans made some noise of their own – bringing pots and pans and whatever they could bang as loud as they could, boosting Albany to two straight wins and the TBL Championship finals.

After splitting two games with the Shreveport Mavericks, the luck of the gold and kelly green finally gave out. Shreveport tied the final game on a last-second heave, and eventually won the match in overtime, 137-132, becoming the first visiting team since 2009 to win a championship on Albany’s home court. The loss also ended a Patroons home winning streak – which extended all the way to 2019 – at 28 straight home contests.

The Patroons return to the Armory for their 2023 campaign, ready to take on any and all opponents in The Basketball League – and to once again return to the championship to hopefully claim its fourth title in 40 years.