David Bauman has always been used to being on the basketball court, especially when it comes to the big games.

On Friday, he won't mind watching from the sidelines. After all, he's going to have a great view.

Bauman, a 2004 graduate of Freeport High School, is a sophomore guard at Albany (N.Y.) University, which qualified for the NCAATournament.

Albany (21-10) captured its first-ever American East Conference title last Saturday, gaining its first berth into the tournament.

The No. 16-seeded Great Danes will face No. 1 seed Connecticut (27-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Bauman has seen action in just seven games. Still, he knows he's a valuable member to the team.

"I think, with every team, there's stuff you don't see behind closed doors," said Bauman. "My job in practice is to push the guys who are starting."

Bauman was a star player for the Yellowjackets, scoring 16.9 points per game as a junior— including a school-record tying 46-point performance against Jeannette and a Butler County-leading 67 three-pointers.

As a senior, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.4 steals and 48 treys. He was a Butler County first-team all-star as a junior; a second-teamer as a senior.

While Bauman has played only eight minutes this season, he did play in the final 90 seconds of the 80-67 title-game victory over three-time defending conference champion Vermont.

"I called him a couple of hours after they won Saturday," said former Freeport coach Garrie Davies. "I said, 'Two turnovers.' He started laughing and knew I would say that."

Despite the turnovers, Davies was glad to see Bauman get into the game, especially knowing how tough it is to crack a Division I lineup.

"It was nice that he had a chance to be a part of that," said Davies. "He's always enjoyed the whole aspect of basketball, being part of it.

"He used to be a front-line player. He said the talent level, even at a lower Division I program, is amazing," Davies added.

Bauman, a business management major, could have gone to a Division II or III school and gotten plenty of playing time, but he has no regrets.

"I'm not going to lie, last year and this year, you go from a star on the team to not getting any playing time, it's tough,"he said.

"I talked to my brothers (Alan and Adam), my mom (Jeanne) and Coach Davies and they said you have to look at the bigger picture besides basketball.

"I have things a lot of people will never do, like go to the NCAAtournament. I'd definitely rather do that than go to a Division II or III school and score 20 points a game," Bauman added.

Said Davies, "He took the best (offer) and made the best of the situation. He's playing Division I and he's always wanted to do that. He's working hard, he's lifting weights.

"The guards are (Albany's) strengths so there's been a challenge in that sense. The coaches say they've been impressed.

"He'll be successful, no matter what he does,"Davies added.

The Great Danes will have a daunting challenge against the Huskies. The odds of Albany winning the tournament are at sextillion to one (a 1 with 21 zeroes).

"I was talking to my roommate about that," said Bauman. "He saw it on the internet.

"Our coach (Will Brown) told us there's no pressure. In the preseason, we were picked to win our conference so the pressure was on us all year. This is the first time there's no pressure."

Bauman actually played against UConn star Rudy Gay in AAU ball, so the respect factor is there, but not the intimidation and fear of playing a powerhouse program.

The Great Danes had been a Division III school for decades before bumping up to Division II in the mid-1990s. After two seasons, they moved up to Division I.

Two seasons ago, the team went 5-23. Since then, its fortunes have changed and Bauman wants to continue to be a part of that.

"I've talked to the coaches about that and even talked about transferring each year, but I've noticed each year, I've improved,"he said. "If I keep doing that, there's no reason why I can't play for this team.

"It's a learning expereince. I'm almost glad I went through this,"Bauman added.

"David has a strong family background. His brothers are close and have kept him balanced," said Davies.

"The best things happen when you work hard. That's what made him a success in high school and that's what'll make him succcessful in his future."