Former Albany Academy basketball player Marcus Filien is transferring home to play for the University at Albany.
The Great Danes announced Friday the signing of Filien, a Rensselaer native who spent the past four years at Cornell.
He is the son of the late Patrick Filien, a Saint Rose graduate who worked as an assistant coach at UAlbany from 2005 to 2011 before becoming athletic director and head men’s basketball coach at Bryant & Stratton. Patrick Filien died of complications from COVID-19 in February 2021 at 51 years old.
Marcus Filien, a 6-foot-7 forward, served as Cornell’s team captain last season and averaged 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds.
“I am very excited to come back home and join the UAlbany community,” Filien said in a news release. “I chose UAlbany both for its outstanding graduate programs, as well as the opportunity to compete for a driven, intelligent and highly skilled coaching staff. It means everything to be able to play for the hometown team.”
As an Albany Academy senior, Filien averaged 14 points and 8.1 rebounds to help the team to the state Federation final. He played a postgraduate year at Phillips Academy Andover (Mass.).
In the news release, UAlbany head coach Dwayne Killings said he admired Pat Filien when both were in the America East. Killings worked as a Boston University assistant.
“Upon our arrival to Albany, one of the first calls I ever made was to his family to get to know the communit,” Killings said. “To be able to coach Marcus in his final year of eligibility means a lot.”