Siena Saints Blog: Who do you think was the biggest All-MAAC Team snub?

Steve Amedio: This one is easy: Frank Turner, Canisius, who got picked for the third team. The guy has been underrated his entire career. He currently ranks 4th in scoring, 5th in Field Goal percentage, 2nd in assists, 1st in steals and 15th in REBOUNDING and he’s only 5-foot-10! Without him, Cansius wins a lot fewer games. Second team? OK, maybe. But, third team? That’s a travesty. The knock on him, early in his career, was that you could turn him over. Not any more … he’s third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Not to knock other players, but he’s had a far better season than Iona’s Scott Machado, who plays the same position and was voted to the second team. I have no problem with Machado being on the second team. He had a nice season. But, Turner had a better season. And, I think he’s had a better season than Ryan Thompson, who is on the first team. Thompson had a terrific six game stretch in February, but I don’t think you should be on first team for six games. If he had 25 good games this year like everyone expected, Rider would have finished third, as predicted, and not have a 16-15 overall record.

I also think Ubiles should have been first team, but not so overwhelmingly so like Turner. On the women’s side, I think Brittane Russell of Canisius also should have made first team, rather than second team. She is one of five players nationally in the last 20 years to record career totals of 1,200 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists and 300 steals. She is 15th nationally in steals this season. She is 10th in scoring in the MAAC this season, 1st in steals, 4th in assists. She is just a disruptive defensive presence on the court and should clearly be the Defensive Player of the Year. That should count for something, too.

Siena Saints Blog: Who is your dark horse team for the MAAC Basketball Championships?

Steve Amedio: Let me go on record as saying that Siena will win the tournament, and with ease. The only team this dominant relative to everyone else I’ve ever seen was the La Salle teams of Lionel Simmons (1986-97 through 1989-90). This Siena team isn’t that good, but the distance between it and everyone else is as great as I’ve ever seen. Heck, the conference’s second-best team, Fairfield, played the entire season without two key starters and half the season without a third key starter. If there is a team that will cause some trouble, my pick is Saint Peter’s. The Peacocks have two good post players, two good perimeter players and a little bit of depth. That said, they’ll have to play Siena in the semifinals, so their season ends there.

Siena Saints Blog: Who do you think the coaches will give Player of the Year award to?

Steve Amedio: My guess is that Alex Franklin of Siena will be the Player of the Year. He is the league’s most-unstoppable inside force, and has been consistent from start to finish. If Ryan Rossiter got the award, though, I’d have no complaint. But Franklin is a senior and Rossiter is a junior. My only “pulse” about how coaches vote is that they almost always favor the senior when it comes time to vote for the top award.

Siena Saints Blog: Who should the Saints be scared of more: Rider or St. Peter’s?

Steve Amedio: I think that one’s pretty clear. Siena has beaten Rider by 22 points in Albany and by 26 at Rider. Rider doesn’t seem to match up very well with Siena. Their team chemistry just doesn’t seem to be there this season, and Siena plays hard and well on the defensive end and has kept Ryan Thompson in check so far. I actually thought Saint Peter’s had a shot at Siena when they played in Jersey City, N.J. Siena was without Edwin Ubiles, but still won by eight with a great defensive effort. My thought, though, is that Saint Peter’s matches up a little better with Siena. Still, the matchup definitely favors Siena by a lot should they play Saturday.

Siena Saints Blog: It’s simple, sometimes, to overlook the Women’s side of the MAAC but are we seeing the best MAAC player ever finish this week in Marist’s Rachel Fitz?

Steve Amedio: Rachele Fitz is certainly among the best ever in the MAAC, but not in the Lionel Simmons’ class as far as being head and shoulders above everyone else on the men’s side. Fitz is like Chinese water torture, she hurts you little by little. Her game is a lot more subtle than most real stars, but she does everything well. Anyway, she’s in the discussion along with Loyola’s Patty Stoffey and, maybe, Siena’s Melanie Halker.

Siena Saints Blog: We got your prediction on the Men’s side, how do you see the women’s tournament ending up? Will Marist’s reign on the conference end?

Steve Amedio: Will Marist win the tournament? Yes but they appear more vulnerable than in the past. They don’t have a presence yet, and only get consistent scoring from three players. But that’s enough for a team that lost just three times. Throw out Sunday’s loss at Manhattan, that was a fluke. Iona, though, forced Marist to go overtime on Friday in a game that Marist needed to win to clinch the regular-season title. The Gaels are very good, clearly the second-best team in the league and the one team at least capable of pulling off an upset. That said, Marist is extremely well coached, can play in a variety of ways and is the most-intelligent team on the court in the league. They rarely make mistakes.

• Saints rebound from ugly loss, beat Canisius
  

  Ryan Rossiter said a Canisius fan at the Koes­sler Center was on Rossiter’s case all afternoonon on Sunday, at one point telling Siena’s junior center that he’d “never be in Vogue” magazine.
  Maybe not, but perhaps Rossiter could make the cover of “Seventeen,” because that’s how many rebounds he had against Canisius, one short of a career high as the Saints rebounded from their first loss in two months by beating Canisius, 74-57.

• Saints bounce back to beat Griffs
• Siena rebounds, routs Canisius

Even without Ronald Moore for 15 minutes of the first half, the Saints were able to hold a 10 point differential at the half. The Griffs could never trim it to less than 7 after the break.

The absence of one Kyle (Downey) has given another Kyle (Griffin) a chance to step up. Today he was perhaps as impressive as he’s ever been– finishing up with 5 assists in limited minutes. Griffin is more a of a stop and pop kind of shooter, as he brought the ball down in transition and scored his only bucket. Today’s game didn’t feature any follow up to the Robert Goldsberry drama from last month.

Siena will head back to campus and then continue their current road trip. Next Saturday morning features the highly anticipated Siena @ Butler Bracket Buster.

Canisius is led by G Frank Turner who is 2nd in the MAAC in scoring with 16.9 ppg. Turner is also among the top three in the conference for assists, averaging over 5 per game. His counterpart, G Julius Coles also contributes on the offensive end with 15 ppg.

Since the Golden Griffins last played Siena back on January 11th, they have gone 4-5. During that stretch Canisius went into overtime 3 times beating Manhattan and Niagara and falling to St. Peter’s College. Their record places them in the middle of the MAAC standings along with Rider and Niagara. They have been given James Madison University for their BracketBusters opponent.

As a team Canisius is 2nd in the MAAC in rebounding with 38.8 per game. However, they average more than 10 points less per game compared to Siena, and they are last in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (30.1%). This will be a big mental test to see if Siena can leave their loss to Niagara in the past and not fall victim to what would be their first back-to-back loss of the season.

Jackson has started all 17 games, averaging 25.6 mpg. His 40 made 3-pointers and 38.5% from 3-point land are by far the best on the team. Not only is Jackson contributing on the offensive end with his 14.5 ppg, but he is also tied for most steals with 32. His season high in scoring so far was 25 points against UAlbany. Coach Fran McCaffery recently commented on Jackson’s impact to Siena:

We’ve seen a very consistent Clarence Jackson. He’s had a couple off games, but pretty much night in and night out he’s been pretty good. He’s not turning the ball over like he did as a freshman… We used to hide him a little bit defensively, but now we’re, ‘OK, now you got so-and-so.’ He’s becoming the kind of complete player we always thought he could be.

Meanwhile, Downey has started one game (Niagara) and averages just over 15 mpg. After overcoming some early season struggles, he now is putting up 5 ppg and has connected on 9 three’s. Known for his defensive hustle and high basketball IQ, Downey is often asked to be involved in a variety of game situations. Now that he is getting into a bit of a rhythm, the coaches have been relying more and more on Downey. The past two games he has played 24 and 29 minutes, and has put up his first multi 3-point game of the season against Canisius. McCaffery’s comments on his dependable 6th man:

(Kyle) is rock solid. In the Mount St. Mary’s game it didn’t seem like we could make a shot, and he comes in and makes two shots right away…He’s probably as good driving the ball as he is shooting from the outside…He’s got to keep working to get more minutes and stay ready if somebody does have an injury he’ll be able to step in. I have no problem starting him. When Eddy (Ubiles) was late, we started Kyle.

The Jackson/Downey combo have been rotating playing time throughout the season. What pleases coach McCaffery is how well they are handling their positions on the team:

To their credit they go at each other at practice, but they have tremendous respect for one another and pull for one another, legitimately. Anything short of that and we wouldn’t be as successful as we are.

]]> http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/13/2643/a-good-problem-to-have/feed/ 0 http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/13/2671/video-on-petes-blog/ http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/13/2671/video-on-petes-blog/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:35:18 +0000 Matt http://sienasaintsblog.com/?p=2671 Pete has some video from the Alex Franklin / Robert Goldsberry saga, check it out »

]]> http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/13/2671/video-on-petes-blog/feed/ 0 http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/12/2617/video-canisius-post-game/ http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/12/2617/video-canisius-post-game/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:33:12 +0000 Matt http://sienasaintsblog.com/?p=2617
View more videos from last night by Subscribing to our YouTube channel.

]]> http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/12/2617/video-canisius-post-game/feed/ 0 http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/11/2603/recap-siena-82-canisius-70/ http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/11/2603/recap-siena-82-canisius-70/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:00:16 +0000 Tim http://sienasaintsblog.com/?p=2603 Siena (13-4, 6-0) wins their 30th consecutive home game as they defeat Canisius (8-9, 3-3) 82-70. The Saints has beaten all of their MAAC opponents this season by ten points or more.

The Saints went into halftime with a three point lead as the Golden Griffins refused to go down easily. The intensity reached a boiling point early in the second half when Alex Franklin went down hard after getting tangled up with Canisius guard Robert Goldsberry. Ryan Rossiter received a technical foul for his actions immediately following the incident– attempting to get Goldsberry away from the injured Franklin. The turning point of the game came at the 12:20 mark when the Saints were trailing 58-59. Within a three minute span, Siena led 73-60 due mainly to Clarence Jackson connecting for three 3-pointers. Four Saints players ended up in double-digits, with Edwin Ubiles leading the way with 22 points (he is simply on fire). Jackson hit two more 3’s to finish with 15 points, while Rossiter ended up with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Ronald Moore had a double-double of his own contributing 14 points in addition to his 11 assists (and only 1 turnover). Compared to the team’s recent games the Saints stuck to a more perimeter approach on the offensive end, hitting ten 3-pointers and only 12 foul shots.

Canisius senior Frank Turner demonstrated why he deserves to be in the discussion for MAAC player of the year as he scored 23 points and seemed to control nearly every offensive possession for his team. Turner managed to dish out four assists while playing all forty minutes. Rishawn Johnson added 13 points and Julius Coles put up 10 points for the Golden Griffins. Canisius out-rebounded the Saints and shot a decent percentage, but could not answer Siena’s second half run with one of their own.

Although Siena won by 12, the starters were forced to play the majority of the minutes to ensure the win. It was a fierce and physical game (even a fan got ejected), but the Saints players didn’t seem tired at any point throughout. Some credit for this must be given to the excellent bench play from the past few games that has allowed the starting squad to get the rest they needed to perform in games such as these.

]]> http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/11/2603/recap-siena-82-canisius-70/feed/ 0 http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/11/2558/preview-siena-vs-canisius/ http://sienasaintsblog.com/2010/01/11/2558/preview-siena-vs-canisius/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:07:31 +0000 Jay http://sienasaintsblog.com/?p=2558

The Siena Saints (12-4, 5-0) host the Canisius Golden Griffins (8-8, 3-2) at the Times Union Center, 7pm Monday night.  The game will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable channel 3.  The Saints are tied for the third longest home court winning streak in the country at 29 with Dayton and Pittsburgh, behind Kansas (51) and Missouri (30), and will also try to extend their unbeaten streak against Canisius to nine in a row.   This isn’t quite the same Griffs team the Saints have faced in recent memory, though.

Canisius was picked to finish seventh in the MAAC conference by the coaches in the preseason men’s basketball poll, but the team has responded well early in the season.  Their non-conference wins may not be flashy, but a win at home against an improving Iona team served notice to other conference foes that the Griffs are here to compete this year– tied for third in the MAAC.

The Griffs are led by versitile 5′10″ senior guard Frank Turner.  A true stat stuffer, Turner leads the league in scoring with 17 points per game, averages 5.1 assists per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 2.3 steals per game.  Turner is the cornerstone of the team, and while names like Ubiles, Franklin, Thompson, Lewis, Harvey, and Benn may be thrown in to the hat for Player of the Year consideration, Frank Turner has to be at or near the top of the list.  He is a consistent and dynamic performer, and a huge reason why the Golden Griffins are working their way up the conference ladder for the first time in a long time.

Turner is followed in scoring by 6′4″ junior guard Julius Coles, who is averaging 15.1 points per game, and 6′7″ junior forward Greg Loggins who is averaging 10.9 points per game.  One of the key things to watch in this matchup though is going to be the battle of the boards – while Siena outrebounds it’s opponents 39-35.6 each game the Griffs also have a positive advantage in team rebounding, edging their opponents 37.8-35.6 per game.  The X-Factor for the Saints in this game may be the balanced scoring of its team, and if the Griffs can’t fully scheme for it and keep them off the glass then it may be a difficult night for them.

Siena’s scoring race has been as fun to watch as a Saratoga race card – Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin are now tied for the lead with 15.3 per game.  While Clarence Jackson is as explosive as anyone on the team, he is sometimes an anomaly – he has led or tied for the lead in scoring in six games this year, but also threw in a few head scratchers.  As impressive as his defense has been at times this year, his defensive intensity and rare carelessness with decision making on the court has found him in coach McCaffery’s dog house on a couple of occasions.  Meanwhile, junior Ryan Rossiter is the stalwart down low, averaging almost a double-double with 12.6ppg and 9.8rpg.  No one man is called upon to shoulder the load night in and night out.  What is most likely going to be the linchpin for this team down the stretch is the now evident emergence of its bench players.

Sophomore guard Kyle Downey seems to have completely returned from a back injury during the offseason and looks like a completely different player – while he is not shooting prolifically from three-point range he is hitting crucial field goals, and his defense and rebounding has stepped up in the minutes he gets to spell the starters.  Freshman forward OD Anosike had the best game of his early career on Saturday against Niagara, scoring 6 points, and grabbing 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in 22 minutes of play.  If Coach McCaffery can continue to get production from these two and set a solid 7-man rotation, then any other quality minutes he can get from reserves Kyle Griffin, Davis Martens, and Jonathan Breeden will be icing on the cake.  It looks like the depth issue that hindered the Saint’s chances to get an ‘up’ non-conference win early in the season may be behind them as the squad looks to make a strong run through the MAAC schedule.

KEYS TO THE GAME

• Let’s Get Physical?: The Saints continue to rank high in the nation in fewest fouls committed, 5th currently with 14.4 per game – that stat is going to be tested by the strong and physical Golden Griffins.  If the Saints can absorb the contact and not get in to foul trouble while maintaining an edge in rebounding then they should have a great shot at getting the win.
• How Much Can You Bench?: The Saints almost got themselves in to uncharacteristic foul trouble against Niagara, but the reserves did a fine job logging minutes and producing quality play.  Downey and Anosike will continue to be the first two off the bench, but in this game the play of sophomore forward Owen Wignot and freshman forward Davis Martens could prove to be even more valuable if coach McCaffery finds a way to extend the bench even more.  The size and athleticism of Wignot and Martens could give different looks for the Saints against the physicality and post prowess of the Griffs.
• More Cowbell?  How About More Free Throws?: The Saints still average a paltry free throw shooting percentage of 65.4% halfway through the season, but they have averaged better than 70% in their last few games.  For a team that gets to the line as much as they do, and as much as they should on Monday night, the improved free throw shooting is a welcome sight.

NOTES

• The Saints are outscoring their opponents 79.2-61.8 in the friendly confines of the Times Union Center.  Who doesn’t long for someone to put up some big bucks and re-name it the Knickerbocker Arena again?
• Siena has a +17 scoring advantage in MAAC games, winning each MAAC contest by double digits, and the team leads the league in scoring, margin of victory, field goal percentage, rebounding, assists, and steals.
• While the Saints went 16-2 in conference last year, and are certainly trying to at least reach that mark again this year, the record for consecutive victories belongs to the 1988-99 squad who won 14 in a row.

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