ALFRED, NY – Following a fourth straight appearance in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament last season, the Alfred University men's basketball team is looking forward to the start of the 2025-26 campaign. The team will welcome a mix of returning and first-year student-athletes to the roster.

The Saxons will be led by Head Coach Erich Kaempffe, who enters his fifth season with the program.

"We always want to play our best basketball in January and February," Kaempffe said. "I thought we did that last season; and then our postseason game at SUNY Poly was a great playoff basketball game - we just came up a point short.  I think our team will use that as motivation. We will try as hard as we can to get back to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament."

Last season, Alfred University finished with a 14-12 overall record, including a 10-6 record within Empire 8 competition. The Saxons won six of their final seven games in the regular season to earn the No. 5 seed in the E8 Championship Tournament, coming up short in the first round of the postseason to No. 4 SUNY Poly. Over the course of the season, Alfred University led the conference scoring defense (61.6) and finished second in turnover margin (+2.81).

"Our defense will continue to be our identity," Kaempffe said. "Offensively, there is always a chance that some shots are missed, and we want to win on the nights the ball doesn't go in. We want to always make the extra pass and create the best shot available. We were in the top third in the conference in rebounding last season and had by far the best scoring defense in conference competition, so those are things we'll lean on."

Amoi Charles (Elmont, NY/H. Frank Carey) will be among the returners for Alfred University this winter. Last season, Charles enjoyed a breakout season in which he was named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team. Charles wrapped up a successful junior season in which he totaled 300 points, 161 rebounds and 19 assists. On the defensive end, Charles was credited with 40 steals and 27 blocks for the Saxons. Charles registered double-digit scoring figures in 15 contests for Alfred University, including three double-double performances.

Tyler Hind (Randolph, NY/Randolph) enters his senior season with AU, having been named to the All-Empire 8 Third Team following the 2024-25 campaign. Hind led Alfred University with a team-high 323 points and 80 assists this past season to go with 72 rebounds. Hind additionally recorded 26 steals and five blocks on the defensive end.

Franlys Valenzuela (Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic/San Ysidro) is looking forward to returning to the Alfred University lineup ahead of his senior season. Valenzuela has previously cracked the all-time record books with Alfred University Men's Basketball, currently averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. During the 2024-25 season, Valenzuela was top 10 in the nation in rebounding before being listed as part of the All-Empire 8 Second Team.

"We are fortunate to have three experienced All-Conference players on our roster; and I know they'll lead the right way," Kaempffe said. "We love the leadership we have and are looking forward to including our talented first-year class. College basketball is a grind of a season, so everyone on the roster needs to remain ready."

Alfred University will begin their 2025-26 regular season against Lycoming College on Friday, November 7 as part of the Crossbar Alfred Classic. The first round of the tournament will take place on the Alfred State College campus, while the consolation and championship games will be hosted by AU. The Saxons will open Empire 8 competition at home against Nazareth University on December 6. The 2025-26 Empire 8 Championship Tournament is slated to run from February 21-28.

"We want to get off to a good start this season," Kaempffe said. "There were a lot of close games early last season that we're hoping to flip some results on. Our success will depend on our ability to continue to improve from now through the end of February. Our ultimate goal is to return to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament and give ourselves a chance. I love our group and am excited to see how they progress this year."