ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) — Just as players are lost to the transfer portal, players are gained. The UAlbany men’s basketball team has looked to the portal to help rebuild their roster, getting their first portal commitment Monday.

Former UAB guard Tyler Bertram announced his commitment to the Danes on Twitter. The Cooperstown native played at Charlotte and Binghamton before UAB.

Bertram tallied 22 points against UAlbany in February of 2022 with the Bearcats. “One of the biggest things, when I played them it was like a big rivalry matchup for Binghamton versus Albany since it was right down the road,” said Bertram. “You could just feel the atmosphere and the coaches, you could tell they were into it and I think I could tell from the other side seeing coach Killings coach that he’s a fiery coach and gets his players to play for him, so being able to see that and witness that helped me make my decision as well.”

Bertram didn’t see much time at UAB, but averaged 9.0 and 10.8 points per game in his two seasons at Binghamton.