At Siena’s press conference addressing Fran McCaffery’s departure from the program, Athletic Director John D’Argenio announced the college’s gratitude for all the success McCaffery has brought to the capital region and claimed the coach remains on good terms with the program.

D’Argenio then spoke on the upcoming process of hiring a new coach. He stated that the school will not be hiring a consulting firm to help them find candidates, and there is no timed deadline for when they want to hire a head coach. While the program has been aware of a number of coaches expressed interest in the position, D’Argenio said he has not yet spoken directly to any candidates. However, the Athletic Director did mention Siena assistant coach, Mitch Buonaguro, as a possible option for the job.

“Mitch has been with us and a big part of our success. We need to respect that, and he’s somebody who I’m interested in talking to and I’m sure I will before the week is out.”

Next year’s seniors Ryan Rossiter and Clarence Jackson commented on the team’s reaction of being disappointed, but also realistic. Since McCaffery’s name has been speculated for a number of coaching positions the news didn’t come as a shock to his players. Rossiter talked about his feelings on McCaffery’s decision to leave Siena:

“I was angry, yes, but not at coach McCaffery. I was kind of angry that I wouldn’t be able to play for him my senior year. That’s something I would’ve loved to do. There’s no hard feelings between me and coach McCaffery…I’m just really happy for him.”

Rossiter did acknowledge some of the younger underclassmen players initially took it hard that they won’t be able to play for the man who recruited them. Even though some players may be upset, Jackson said the team veterans have already started to keep up everyone’s concentration toward next season.

“We’re coming to together and just trying to stick together…trying to keep the focus and keep the Siena logo on our chest…I think we’re doing a great job of that right now. Everybody is just trying to get past it, and we’re excited about what’s going to come next.”

The story of this game was Purdue’s defense. Big Ten Defensive player of the year Chris Kramer showed up to play. Siena came out a bit out of sync, but led going into halftime. But then, Purdue came out of the break on fire– a 13-0 run, raining threes, and shutting down Ubiles and Franklin. They frustrated the rest of the Saints as well as Siena dug themselves deeper into what was eventually a 15 point defecit.

Like this team always has been– they were resilient, even without their three point shooter Clarence Jackson. They trimmed the lead to 3 with under two minutes to go. With Lewis Jackson, Purdue’s PG on the line for a 1 and 1, he put up a shot and got an absolute gift after he slapped one off the brick of the rim and it weakly fell in. After that, the game was iced.

And so it ends… the best Siena class in history is gone. It will really be tough to watch this team without Edwin, Alex, and Ronald as we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

CBS will have highlights soon, but for more, check out the boxscore ». Congrats to the Boilermakers on a hard fought match. They were the better team today.

Saints, thanks again for a great year. And seniors, thanks for an amazing four. We’ll be talking about you and this team for years to come.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools, and this will be the first time the Saints travel to the west coast since their 2008 BracketBuster 93-70 win at Boise State. The tip is at 2:30 EST, broadcast on CBS and CBS HD.

The Saints will bring their high octane offense against their second straight Big Ten NCAA tournament opponent.  Last year the Saints needed double-overtime to overcome the #8 Ohio State Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament, before losing to #1 Louisville after holding the lead with five minutes left to play.

The Boilermakers will be without Junior All-Big Ten Forward Robbie Hummel, who tore his ACL late in the year and will miss the rest of the season.  Hummel was averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds a game.  Since Hummel’s exit, the Boilermakers have struggled, going 3-2 and culminating in a 27-point loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament. Purdue scored 11 points going into halftime, their lowest total since 1950 and the lowest ever in a Big Ten tournament game.

Purdue was ranked in the top 5 for most of the year, and were on their way to a possible #1 seed in the tournament before the loss of Hummel.  They went undefeated in non-conference play with wins over Tennessee, Wake Forest, Alabama, and West Virginia and tied for first in the Big Ten during the regular season with Ohio State.  While the loss of Hummel is significant, this is still a Big Ten team with major conference athletes and experience.

Hummel’s exit won’t mean that they will be without effective scorers.  6′10 Junior C JaJuan Johnson averages 15 points a game while grabbing 7 rebounds per contest, and 6′4 Junior G E’Twaun Moore averages 17 points a game.  It will come down to these two players finding a way to get to their averages, and having others step up, to keep up with the Saints in the scoring column.

While Purdue should still be able to get their points against the Saints, Coach McCaffery has been preaching to his players all week that this Purdue team is most likely the best defensive team they will face all year, if not the best overall team they have met.  The Boilermakers hold their opponents to an average of 60 points per game.  Purdue will play a traditional, slow-it-down/ugly-it-up Big 10 style game, even though they average over 70 points a game.  The biggest difference in both teams, and the one area that may be the deciding factor on Friday, is rebounding margin.

Purdue averages less rebounds per game than their opponents (33), while Siena averages more than 4 boards per game against theirs (38).  It’s going to be on Siena to hold the rebounding edge, and then to get out on the break and create quick scoring opportunities.  If Siena can produce off those breaks, it will allow them to set up their 1-2-2 press, which has been effective across the board at getting teams sideways all year.

Siena will be paced by Ronald Moore at the point, who leads the nation in assists.  The Siena frontcourt is led by MAAC conference player of the year, 6′5 F Alex Franklin who averages 16 points and 8 rebounds per game.  He is joined by Junior C, 6′9 235lb. Ryan Rossiter, who averages 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game, getting double-doubles in 21 games this year.  While JaJuan Johnson may be the superior athlete, Rossiter has developed in to a player that many experts have said could play in the Big East.  Rossiter’s craftiness and basketball IQ, paired with the athleticism of Franklin in the frontcourt, will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.  The Saints’ wingman is 6′6 Edwin Ubiles, who is averaging 15 ppg.  Ubiles has battled injury all year, but finished with more than 20 points in the last two regular season contests and a clutch performance in the conference tournament finals scoring 27 against Fairfield.

In last year’s NCAA tournament, Rossiter went for 16 and 15 against Ohio St. while Edwin scored 20, and Edwin led the Saints against the Cardinals with 24 points and 8 rebounds in the losing effort.

One mitigating factor for the Saints on Friday is the possible loss of two guard Clarence Jackson who was averaging 14 points per game, but rolled his ankle in practice over the weekend.  Clarence left Loudonville without crutches, and did practice today, but McCaffery still said that his playing time will be determined on whether or not he can be as explosive defensively and scoring wise as he is capable of being, and not just game ready.  He is the Saints main three point threat, so others like Ubiles, reserve guard Kyle Griffin, and probably starter in Jackson’s place Sophomore Kyle Downey will need to step up.

Neither team is much of a threat from three, though, as they both average 5 or less made per game at a clip of 32% made per team.  Spectators can expect to see a clean, hotly contested game as neither team to turns it over much, each averaging less than 12 turnovers per contest, and fouls should be kept to a minimum – Purdue fouls an average of 19 times a game, but Siena leads the nations in fouls committed with 14 per game.  If outside shooting is not the deciding factor the better rebounding team will be able to impart it’s pace on the other, and in NCAA tournament games, the team that can dictate the pace is the team that usually finds the way to win.

Unfortunately, the NCAA Selection Committee didn’t hear him.
By car it would take a Siena student from campus 2,600 miles according to Google Maps, a drive of 1 day, 18 hours to reach Spokane. Moore was right, there probably won’t be a large Saints presence for their opening round game. Team manager Tim McElvoy estimates how many fans will be in the crowd this Friday for Siena’s match up with Purdue:

“Family members will obviously be there, and then the usual die-hard fans that come to all the games,” McElvoy said. “It will definitely be an older crowd; not too many students. I’m guessing there will be around 200 Siena people there.”

The past two years Siena College has offered its students a raffle to determine who would receive the school’s limited tickets to the opening round games. The tickets this year are expected to be around $60, but there’s a good chance the tickets won’t be sold out because travel costs would be too much for most students.

While those students hoping for a Buffalo or Providence playing location are disappointed, there is still a tremendous energy on campus surrounding the basketball team. While Purdue is in the Big Ten Conference and had an excellent season, they are by no means a basketball powerhouse. Robbie Hummel is quickly becoming the most talked about name amongst the student body, along with Purdue’s offensive struggles since losing him (scoring in the 40’s twice and scoring above 70 just once).

If there is one good thing to come out of the Saints playing in Spokane it will be that the site will be truly neutral. As any Siena student who traveled to Dayton last year can tell you, it was a virtual away game for the team as Ohio St. fans greatly outnumbered those who made the trip from Loudonville.

So students are slightly bummed about the location of the game, and are seriously worried about Clarence Jackson’s sprained ankle that he suffered during practice last week. However, just because the team will be in another time zone, it won’t prevent campus from basically shutting down and Albany bars from being packed as students and fans will be glued to their televisions to watch their Saints.

Who is Siena? Haven’t I seen this name the past two years in my bracket? This name is so familiar I should just pick them right? Yes, and yes.

It’s a great day in sports; it’s the day that you spend penciling in teams in your bracket, until you can’t even read through the erase marks. Many of you are here now doing your due diligence on the 2010 Siena Saints.

If your team is in, congratulations, and good luck, unless of course you’re a Purdue fan, in which case we wish bad things upon you, well, that was a little dramatic– we wish your team plays extremely poorly on Friday night. We mean like first half Purdue poorly.

Recent History

The 2008 Siena Saints dominated Vanderbilt in the first round as a #13 seed. Their 21-point win over Vanderbilt was the most lopsided #13 over #4 seed win since 1985. They would go on to lose to Villanova in the second round.

Last year, #9 Siena took #8 Ohio State to double overtime in the first round. This is where PG Ronald Moore got his name on the map, knocking down two crucial threes in the closing seconds of each OT. In the second round, they were right with Louisville with about five to go, but the #1 seed proved too much for Siena to handle.

This Season

Siena has since lost one starter and one bench player in each year, but this has not stopped them. The Saints attempted to schedule up again this season, but nobody wanted to play them. Siena had their chances for quality wins against 4 NCAA Tournament teams; they lost a close one against Temple, lost at Georgia Tech (without Ubiles), competed closely with Northern Iowa, and got smoked by Butler.

Siena simply dominated the MAAC conference this season. Including the conference tournament, the Saints were 20-1 this season. In their last three games, they have trailed by 6+ points at half and have come back to win, including an overtime victory the Championship game. Siena trailed by as much as 15 points in the first half. One thing is for sure, if you let this team hang around, they will come back– they are resilient.

The Starters

PG Ronald Moore
Moore leads the nation in assists, but more importantly, is the most clutch player perhaps in Siena’s history. Ronald may only be shooting 23% from three this season, but two of those three pointers have come in the closing minutes of the Saints’ past two games.

SG Clarence Jackson
Clarence is the three point specialist for Siena, but has proven that he has the ability to drive the ball to the hoop with authority.

SF Edwin Ubiles
Ubiles marks the top of Siena’s 1-2-2 press. He has great length, anticipation, and the most NBA potential on this team. Edwin appears to be finishing off his Siena career strong, shooting 47.8% from the field in his last five games. Ubiles can simply do it all.

PF Alex Franklin
Conference Player of the year, MAAC Tournament MVP, there is not much else you really need to say about Franklin, who has greatly improved his ability to put the ball on the deck and go one on one. Alex’s strength is not found anywhere else in the league, and he has proven he can match up with bigger Div. I talent.

C Ryan Rossiter
Ryan Rossiter is sometimes overlooked, but it is hard to overlook his presence coming into this game. He is 5th in the country, averaging over a double-double per game, 21 this season. Rossiter is the smartest player on this team, and fights for every rebound.

Quick Facts

• Location: Albany, NY
• Enrollment: 3,000
• 6th NCAA Tournament Appearance
• Siena has the second longest home court winning streak (38) in Division I

Catch the 2009-10 Siena Saints video highlights and more HD video at our video page.

This Siena class is undoubtedly one of the best to ever touch the Loudonville campus. These seniors will be playing in their fourth straight MAAC championship game on Monday night, having won two of three entering Monday night’s game.

The Saints are 15-0 when four Saints score in double-figures this year and have been led by the starters.

MAAC Player of the Year Alex Franklin has carried the Saints in this MAAC Tournament. Franklin scored Siena’s first points of the tournament and has been strong ever since, scoring 41 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in the two MAAC Tournament games thus far. Franklin broke out late his freshman year with a 27-point performance in the 2007 MAAC Championship game, where Siena fell to Niagara in Bridgeport, CT.

First Team All-MAAC junior Ryan Rossiter has risen to the stage of the MAAC Tournament, scoring 10 points in both games and grabbing 30 rebounds. Rossiter matched his career-high with 18 rebounds in Sunday’s 72-62 win over Rider in the semifinal game.

First Team All-MAAC senior Ronald Moore has been a steady force for the Saints and scored double-digit points for the first time since January 28th in the Saints’ semifinal win. Moore totaled 15 points in Siena’s win over Rider. Moore needs two assists to overtake Marist’s Jared Jordan for the MAAC record (813) and for 25th in Division I history. Moore has scored 7.6 ppg in his three MAAC Championship games.

While Edwin Ubiles was disappointed with his second-team All-MAAC standing, the senior has come through well in championship games. Ubiles has shot 48.5% from the field all-time in MAAC Championship games.

Third team All-MAAC junior Clarence Jackson carried the Saints on Sunday, overcoming a 2-15 day against Manhattan by scoring 15 of his 17 points in the second half in the Saints win over Rider Sunday.

The Stags bring in MAAC Rookie of the Year Derek Needham who has been proven to be unstoppable in his first year. Needham has been a playmaker off the dribble all year, scoring 29 points in their Quarterfinal game win over Canisius and 17 points in their win over Niagara.

They also bring in the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in Anthony Johnson and the 6th Man of the Year in Mike Evanovich. Johnson recorded a crucial steal on an entry pass and blocked an Anthony Nelson drive to the basket in the span of a minute. Johnson scored 21 points in their win over Niagara in the semifinal game. He has been dominant on the glass this year but recorded just two blocks in Siena’s meetings with the Stags. Evanovich was held to just 11 points in his two meetings with the Saints this year.

Siena will also be defending the nation’s second longest win streak at home at 37 games. Siena is 5-1 all-time in the MAAC Tournament against Fairfield. The Saints are 4-3 in MAAC Championship games and, with a win, will be first for All Time Tournament wins, over Iona’s 4.

Clarence Jackson, who shot just 2-15 in the Quarterfinal game, came alive in the second half with a three pointer at 15:59 to give Siena a one point lead. Jackson then made another three pointer with 11:16 to go to give the Saints another one point lead. Jackson scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half on 6-9 shooting.

Ryan Rossiter converted a basket in transition, grabbed a rebound and scored a two with 9:21 to give the Saints a 53-48 lead. Rossiter focused on defense against the Broncs, pulling down 18 of the team’s 39 rebounds. He asserted his defensive presence early and often, not allowing any Bronc to drive to the basket with ease.

The MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Player Ryan Thompson and Player of the Year Alex Franklin, carried their teams early. Senior Ryan Thompson scored Rider’s first 12 points. Franklin and Moore combined to score 11 of the first 13 Siena points. Moore found his shooting stroke, scoring 15 points on 5-10 shooting and recorded 10 assists.

Thompson struggled to score in the second half, scoring just 6 points on 3-6 shooting. The Preseason MAAC Player of the Year exited to a standing ovation in the second half, finishing up with 21 points to lead the Broncs. Mike Ringgold scored 20 points and grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds.

Siena did not trail at halftime in consecutive home games this season, yet has won both games in this weekend’s MAAC Tournament by double digits.

Siena will face the winner of Niagara vs. Fairfield at 7PM tomorrow night on ESPN2.