Siena's Smith brings experience in Iraq to bench-warmer role

It looks like only three venues, and not four, will be considered for hosting future conference post-season tournaments when presidents from league schools meet on Monday to decide where the event will be played in 2012, '13 and '14.

My good friend and one of college basketball's best beat reporters Pete Iorizzo of the Albany Times Union, has reported on his blog that the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., which had submitted a proposal to host the tournament, has withdrawn from consideration.

That's probably a good move since the last time the event was held in that area (at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, N.J.), attendance was its lowest since the late 1980's.

You can find Pete's blog report here: www.blog.timesunion.com/collegesports

Still in the running are the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn., and the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.