ESPN’s Andy Katz’s BracketBuster reactions:

This is by far the best game of the event. Siena, owner of the nation’s longest winning streak (13), may not have the numbers now to get an at-large bid, but a road win over Butler would certainly help the cause. Butler used a road win at Davidson last season as a jumping off point for a bid.

ESPN’s own Bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s take? Siena has a chance to cement an at-large berth should they stumble:

The bubble is soft enough this year to carry an at-large Siena without such a win, but I wouldn’t want to chance it. A win for the Saints at Hinkle Fieldhouse would punch their ticket should they stumble in next month’s MAAC tournament.

David Woods of the Indianapolis Star offers his take on Butler’s matchup with the Saints:

What we know is that the Butler/Siena pairing should influence what happens on Selection Sunday, March 14. Don’t expect a Hinkle Fieldhouse sellout as in 2008 and 2007 — especially not with an 11 a.m. tipoff — but there should be a big crowd for one of Butler’s most important remaining games.

Interesting that it might not be a sellout. However Woods wins most creative sentence in his second paragraph noting the Saints will be facing Indianapolis again 13 days after the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile the Iona Gaels, Siena’s opponent on Friday night, drew William & Mary out of the CAA at home. The Gaels-Tribe matchup will be on ESPNU at 9pm.

Unrelated but a good story is a piece in The Quad today about Siena’s senior class. Just to name some of their accomplishments:

Over four seasons, the class has won a program record-tying 89 games, including the last 32 in a row at home. (Franklin missed two of the wins as a sophomore and Ubiles has missed three this year due to injuries.)

Also included in the New York Times article is analysis from Siena’s radio analyst Tom Huerter on the impact of the seniors.