A lighter, hungrier Lauderdale returns for UAlbany

Albany

Kendall Lauderdale is only 90 percent the player he was last season for the University at Albany basketball program.

In this case, that may be a good thing.

Lauderdale, a 6-foot-8 senior power forward, lost between 20 and 25 pounds over the offseason.

"He came back in the summer," coach Will Brown said, "and I was like, 'Who are you?' "

A transfer from San Bernardino (Calif.) Valley College, Lauderdale played 11.5 minutes per game off the bench last season, his first at UAlbany. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds, getting into all 32 games for the 12-20 Great Danes.

He went home to Fullerton, Calif., determined to sport a different look when he returned.

"I went vegan for two or three weeks I was there," Lauderdale said. "Then I was only eating a little bit of chicken here and there. I cut out beef when I went back home. I was eating a bunch of fruit, nuts and a little bit of honey on top of it."

Lauderdale said he went from 260 pounds to somewhere between 235 and 240.

"I'm actually back to my old high school days, where I'm getting up and down the court, jumping again," he said. "I'm feeling a lot more energetic."

As his 17-point, nine-rebound performance last season at Stony Brook would attest, Lauderdale can be a force inside for the perimeter-oriented Danes. According to Brown, it was Lauderdale's defense that kept him from getting more court time.

"He took to heart what I told him at the end of last season in our meeting," Brown said. "I said, 'None of my concerns are offensive, it's all defensive stuff. You need to be able to guard ball screens. You need to be able to rotate quickly.' For him, he worked hard and has done a good job with his diet."

"It's my last year here," Lauderdale said. "I'm trying to make an impact. I'm trying to take this...