UAlbany Basketball Adds Croatian Forward

ALBANY -- Fran Urli has signed a national letter of intent to play for the UAlbany men's basketball team in the 2009-10 academic year.  The 6'8", 220 pound forward from Zagreb, Croatia will have two years of remaining eligibility with the Great Danes.

Urli was selected to the All-Region XIV honorable mention all-conference team in his sophomore season at Panola College in Texas.  He averaged 10.2 points and 7.1 rebounds, plus shot 48.4 percent from the field in leading his team to a 16-14 campaign.  He is the fourth player from the Panola program to sign with a Division I program.

"Fran Urli is a very skilled power forward who can score inside and out," said UAlbany coach Will Brown about a player who was a member of the Croatian U16 and U18 national teams.  "He will add talent and versatility to our lineup and I expect him to present match-up challenges for our opponents.  More importantly, Fran is a great person and an excellent student."

Gavin Glanton, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward from Forrest City, Ark. (Forrest City H.S.), Blake Metcalf, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound center from Camby, Ind. (Plainfield H.S.), and Ralph Watts, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound swingman from Peekskill, N.Y. (Peekskill H.S.), each signed during the November period. Mike Black, a 6-foot, 175-pound guard from Chicago, Ill. (Oak Park Fenwick H.S.) and Derrek Tartt, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard from Chicago, Ill. (Oak Park Fenwick H.S. / Brewster Academy), each made his commitment in April.