I haven’t written much this weekend or responded to emails.

Kudos to Ronald Moore.

I haven’t written much because my perspective has changed.  Actually, it’s a reflection of how my twenty year viewpoint as a Siena fan has changed over the past five months.

After Siena made their run in 1989, and went to the final four of the 1994 NIT, I was thinking about the future.  I thought Siena could become Lasalle or better.  Then Mike Deane left and we had to suffer the Bob Beyer years.

Once Paul Hewitt came and revived the program, the same expectations arose.  Then he left.

This year, as a direct result of their success last year, my views changed.  I decided to ENJOY the success, without delving in to possible future aspirations.

ESPN touted Siena (along with other major media) as a preseason top 25 team.  I drank the kool-aid.  I bought in to the hype.  After the losses in Orlando at the Old Spice Classic, though, I changed my attitude.  Immediately.  I don’t know why, but it happened.

I decided to enjoy the wins.  I went to half a dozen games, and listened to the radio broadcasts or watched the televised games on DVR when I couldn’t make it.  It completely changed my view as a fan.

We may lose head coach Fran McCaffery this time.  Perhaps he stays – he is almost 50 years old, and there’s no guarantee that even if he signs a multi-year million dollar contract at a big school like Virginia the odds are that he wins more and has more success at a school like Siena.

But like Deane’s and Hewitt’s departures before, I’m now used to it.  So I’ve focused on the players, and the current success, and had more fun this year than ever before as a Siena fan.

With luck, we’ll keep Coach Fran.  Without it, though, we return four incredible starters next year, we get to put in the offensive and burgeoning defensive skills of Clarence Jackson to the the starting lineup, and welcome a highly regarded recruiting class while developing underclassmen Owen Wignot and Kyle Downey and adding the abilities of Lasalle transfer Kyle Griffen.

The future is bright, but I am basking in the glow of the present.  Never before has a Siena team been this successful or well regarded in the national spotlight.  We’re finally being talked about in the same breath as perrenial mid-major successes as Xavier and Gonzaga.  While I had always aspired to attain the successes of those programs for the Siena base, though, I’m not as focused on it as I have been in the past.  The program is in good hands, and they’ll still most likely never have the financial resources of those schools.  So I’ve decided to soak this in, watch my DVR’d replays from the past month, and look forward to whatever happens in the future not with bated breath or unattainable expectation, but gleeful anticipation.

There is a silver lining here – in the unfortunate instance that Coach Fran decides to move on there will be a VERY talented veteran coach waiting in the wings who may be able to step in and take the reigns at what now has to be one of the most desired mid-major programs in the northeast.  Tim Welsh is being mentioned, which would bring instant credibility to the program.  Perhaps someone else steps in with the vision of Coach McCaffery to continue strong recruitment and scheduling to continue the evident success which the program currently possesses.  Perhaps Coach Fran stays.  If he does, my newfound Zen-like vision will enjoy much satisfaction.

But I won’t look to the future.  I won’t be sad if Fran leaves – I’ll wish him well and thank him for the memories.  What I will remember is a regular season win over Stanford, a blowout tourney win versus Vanderbilt, and a 27 win season which saw us play the big boys and beat a Big Ten team for the chance to take the best team in the country down to the wire.

I’ll enjoy watching Siena come from behind to take a four point lead over #1 Louisville with seven minutes left in regulation in the second round of the NCAA tournament.  I’ll thrill at jumping up and down like a ten year old with my best friends in the bar watching Ronald Moore hit his two legendary three point shots against Ohio State for the win.

But I will not worry about if Siena ever gets any more recognition again by the national media – they got it this year.  They’ve arrived.  The Siena College men’s basketball team is now where I had always envisioned it could be, and they are enjoying what I’ve always wanted them to be: a nationally recognized program.

Here’s to an unbelievable season by your Siena Saints.  As fans enjoy it, revel in it, spend your summer soaking it in.  It will be just as good next year possibly better.  But don’t worry about it, don’t fret – just enjoy it.  The program has arrived, and it will succeed.