* – Mass Mutal Center
** – MSG

Hewitt’s record at Siena was 66-27.

Vermont: L, 80-76

Offense: C, Meager 3-14 from 3, 36.8% from the field, 23-29 from the free throw line, salvaging a passing grade.

Defense: C+, Outrebounded 44-30, allowed 47.3% from the field, forced 13 steals.

Overall: C, An inexperienced group showed glimpses of talent and were in this game down to the final possession.

Highlight Reel: Ryan Rossiter’s 27 points and 10 rebounds, season high 13 steals.

Minnesota: L, 76-69

Offense: B, Stellar 51% from the field,  9-17 (52.9%) from 3, only 53% from the line, season high 24 turnovers.

Defense: C+, Held Gophers to 7-22 from 3 (31.8%), forced 15 turnovers.

Overall: B-, To be able to go on the road in a hostile environment against a Power Conference foe and compete deserves some credit.

Highlight Reel: Clarence Jackson’s season high 29 points, “Rahk’s” 2nd half was a fab frosh performance.

Northeastern: W, 84-68

Offense: A, Shot a season high 56.9% from field, made 60% from 3, and 80% from the line, 20 turnovers kept this from an A+ performance.

Defense: A, Held Huskies to 40.7% from field, 29.6% from 3, outrebounded first opponent of season 37-24.

Overall: A, biggest margin of victory of the year (16 pts.).

Highlight Reel: Sensational senior performances from Rossiter and Jackson, 28 and 24 points respectively.

Butler: L, 70-57

Offense: C-, 2-11 from 3, 7-15 from the line, 45.3% from field which salvaged  this grade.

Defense: C+, Outrebounded 39-31, allowed 8 three’s, 8 steals.

Overall: C, competed against an experience group from Butler who was last season’s National Runner Up.

Highlight Reel: Rossiter dominates Matt Howard putting up 26 points and 15 rebounds.

Princeton: L, 86-77 OT

Offense: C, 38.6% from field, 5-20 from 3, 25 second chance points, 3-12 from field in OT.

Defense: C-, allowed season high 25-31 from the line, outscored 17-8 in OT, lost 6 point lead in final minute.

Overall: C+, were able to compete on the road after a strong conference victory over Rider, unable to do the little things down the stretch.

Highlight Reel: Ryan Rossiter season high 21 rebounds.  Five starters in double figures.

UAlbany: L, 88-82 OT

Offense: C, 19 turnovers, 44.6% from field, 17-21 from the line, second best offensive output of year with 82 points.

Defense: D, Season high 88 points allowed, 8 steals, allowed Albany to make 4-4 from field and 8-9 FT’s in OT.

Overall: D, Losing to your crosstown rival deserves a failing grade.

Highlight Reel: Trenity Burdine has a breakout game filling in for the injured Owen Wignot scoring a career high 14 points.

Florida Atlantic: W, 72-69

Offense: B, Outscored FAU 44-36 in the paint, and 10-4 on fast break points, made as many free throws as FAU attempted.

Defense: B, Held FAU to 4-21 from 3, 7 steals which lead to 15 points.

Overall: B, The first home win of the year against a team that entered this contest with a top 50 RPI.

Highlight Reel: Ryan Rossiter’s 7th double double in 9 games, 27 pts. 13 rebs.

Georgia Tech: W, 62-57

Offense: B+, Outscored Georgia Tech 18-5 from the line, outshot the Yellow Jackets 45.8% to 30.8% in 2nd half comeback.

Defense: A+, Execution of 2-3 zone was flawless in 2nd half holding Georgia Tech to 21 points, allowed 4-22 from 3, pounded the glass for 41-36 advantage.

Overall: A+, 2nd straight home win. A victory against an ACC foe deserves the best non-conference grade of season.

Highlight Reel: The 2-3 zone.  Best coached game of year.

St. Bonaventure: L, 82-79

Offense: B+, season high 11 3’s, +9 assist to turnover ratio, 100% from the line.

Defense: C-, -8 in the rebound department, allowed 48.2% from field, gave up season high 50 points in one half, 7 steals.

Overall: B-, Competed throughout the contest and the lack of execution down the stretch cost the Saints the game.  Great team performance.

Highlight Reel: Career high’s from Kyle Downey, “Rahk” Brookins, and Jonathan Breeden (21, 18, and 15 respectively).

St. Joseph’s: L, 58-48

Offense: D, Shot 32.8% from field, 2-17 from 3, 4-11 from line, season low 48 points.

Defense: B+, Held St. Joe’s to 36.2%, and 5-22 from 3.  Allowed season low 58 points.

Overall: C-, Offense was out of gas.  The defense kept them in the game in the worst offensive output of year.

Highlight Reel: The final whistle of this barnburner.

What a night to be at the Times Union Center as the Saints provided yet another thrilling victory over a power conference foe, giving all the Siena faithful an early Christmas present!  The arena was abuzz with energy for the long awaited return of former Siena coach, Paul Hewitt, to the place where his career took off to new heights.  One can only hope that with this marquee victory tonight it will send Mitch Buonaguro and this team to even newer heights.

I have not scene or felt the energy in the Times Union Center like it was last night since the Stanford upset in 2007.  When Rahkeem “Rahk” Brookins drove to the lane, made an acrobatic lay-in and converted a conventional three point play, putting the Saints up 43-42, the atmosphere in the arena was electric.  At that moment this was Siena’s game to lose, and they did not disappoint as they held Georgia Tech to a meager 17 points up until the final minute of the 2nd half en route to the 62-57 upset.

This coaching staff deserves a ton of credit.  When they have time to prepare and develop a gameplan they give this team the tools to compete with anyone in the country.  The word around the college basketball scene is that Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro is one of the best X’s and O’s guys in the country, and who could argue after witnessing the preparedness of this team last evening.

The entire team deserves credit as well with the execution of a gameplan that was near flawless and the gutsiness it showed.  The defense put on an absolute clinic in the 2nd half.  That defensive performance was by far the best defense I have witnessed by a Siena team.  Missing co-senior leader Clarence Jackson and numerous question marks surrounding the health of Rossiter, Wignot, and Burdine, this team rallied together and won this game with pure desire and guts.  One thing you cannot teach is hustle and effort and this team aced that test last night.  A sured sign of things to come for this team as they wrap up the non-conference slate and enter MAAC play.

Room for Improvement

Inbounding the basketball against the press is one of the concerns heading into the Christmas break.  The game almost got out of hand in the first half as the Saints allowed six uncontested points off inbounding the ball, and burned two timeouts on one possession.  Personnel management by Buonaguro has been a cause for concern at times.  With the Saints up 20-10 with 9:51 to go in the 1st half, and four bench players on the court, Georgia Tech went on a 10-3 run, and cut the lead to three in a matter of minutes, completely changing the momentum of the half.

Keys to Success

Defense Defense Defense.  The key to this game was the defensive effort in the 2nd half.  The execution of the 2-3 zone would have made even the master of the 2-3 zone Jim Boeheim proud.  Once again the Saints made more free throws than their opponent attempted, 18-5, which they have accomplished in each of their four wins.  This was the best coached game of the year.

Five Facts

1.  Siena won back to back games for the first time this year.

2.  Ryan Rossiter had 8 offensive rebounds and a game high 13 rebounds.

3.  Siena has won four straight games following finals.

4.  Georgia Tech’s Mfon Udofia was held to no points, after he scored a career high 26 against Siena last year.

5.  Saints allowed a season low 5 free throw attempts.

Five Questions

1.  Where does this win rank in Siena history?

2.  When will Clarence Jackson return?

3.  Did Georgia Tech have an offensive rebound in the 2nd half?

4.  When was the last time Siena held a team to less than 40% shooting?

5.  Who will be the next power conference team to fall victim to the Saints?

Five Words

Best defensive half of year.

“Congratulations to Mitch and his team, they played very hard. We just missed some shots in the second half and just didn’t knock them down.”

“We prepared an awful lot for the 2-3 zone, and I thought early in the game we settled for some threes… We settled down, started getting inside. [In the] second half, [we] started getting some of the same looks but they didn’t go down for us.”

“I thought it would be fun until the ball went up. I thought we gave a great effort, just didn’t do a good enough job on the boards. In the second half, 30 percent [shooting] is not good enough to win.”

“We just had looks and couldn’t make them. It’s that simple. Just one of those things.”

On Ryan Rossiter’s game-high 19 points, 13 rebounds

“He’s a big time player. [He] did a really nice job of hanging in there. did a really nice job of battling and helping his team.”

Siena Head Coach Mitch Buonaguro

“I’m just elated with the win, [with] how far we’ve come… [I've] said all year, we’re a good team and I think tonight we proved it. The defense tonight was as good as it can be. To hold Georgia Tech to 21 points, an ACC team, in the second half is phenomenal..”

“I’ve always liked the zone and thought it was instrumental tonight.”

“Rossiter could not have played better. He played like an All-American.”

“[Late-game execution] was a lot better. The ball was executed to perfection. I thought Brookins was great, I thought he was phenomenal, to withstand that kind of pressure.”

“I thought Downey was phenomenal. He played with tremendous intensity, made some big buckets. Obviously, he’s getting healthy and he’s going to be a big player for us. If he can play like this against Georgia Tech, he’s going to be great in league play.”

“I’ve said all along, this team, I really like. I’ve always thought we have a lot of guts and a lot of tough kids. We haven’t beeen healthy. Even tonight we didn’t have Clarence [Jackson] and were still able to win the game. Brookins, for a freshman, has a lot of guts. He’s to be commended for hat. Anosike is to be commended, he really played hard inside. Martens had nine rebounds, he’s really coming on for us. Tonight we proved we’re a good team.”

On Clarence Jackson missing tonight’s game

“I asked him before the game and he said he couldn’t go. It was up in the air until right before tipoff.”

On preparing for Georgia Tech

“We had done a good job of scouting them. We had a lot of time to prepare — eight, nine days to prepare for [this] team. I kind of pride myself on that. We knew what they were doing with the zone defensively, and we matched up accordingly.”

“I spent about six days on fundamentals, guarding the drive, blocking out. We outrebounded Georgia Tech… I went back to the basics. I went to the back basics of the zone. I thought the zone tonight could be very effective. [Siena assistant coach] Craig Carter did a great job scouting. We knew exactly what they were going to do and we executed.”

On OD Anosike’s awkward fall off a dunk

“OD was cramping up. He played so hard, he just got some cramps in his legs.”

This time, the Saints managed to topple Georgia Tech, 62-57, while playing in front of an enthused and vocal crowd of 7,468 fans in Albany’s Times Union Center. The Saints claimed the Yellow Jackets of the Atlantic Coastal Conference as their latest victims, adding their pelts to a growing list of power six conference victims that includes Ohio State and Vanderbilt.

As per his usual, senior Ryan Rossiter anchored the Siena win, contributing 19 points and 13 rebounds to lay the cornerstone for the upset victory. Prior to tipoff, Rossiter’s availability for the game was in question due to a sinus infection, but when his team needed him most, the veteran answered the call of duty.

The Saints also found themselves without the services of senior guard Clarence Jackson, who missed the contest with an ankle injury. “I asked him [about the injury] before the game,” Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro said, “and he said he couldn’t go. It was up in the air until right before tipoff.”

Several reserves played key roles to complement Rossiter’s stellar turn in the win. Forward O.D. Anosike added 11 points, including several rim-rattling slam dunks, and snatched eight rebounds to aid Rossiter in the post. Guard Kyle Downey also added 12 points and six rebounds to the mix, in addition to several key plays snagging vital rebounds or hustling for loose balls. Sophomore reserve forward Davis also contributed some big-time play in an expanded role, chipping in eight points and nine rebounds, with many of them coming in the most opportune of moments.

The contest featured Siena’s first home matchup against a team from a Big Six power conference since 2007, and the disparity was evident from the opening minutes. The Saints found themselves outsized and “out-athleted,” so to speak, playing against the taller, more athletic Yellow Jackets.

On several occasions, various Georgia Tech players threw down thunderous slam dunks, including alley-oops and a putback slams. Yellow Jacket junior Iman Shumpert led the Yellow Jackets’ aerial assault, scoring on a variety of dunks and reverses to tally 10 points on 4-11 shooting. Teammate Glen Rice Jr. led the team with 15 points and chipped in on the glass, adding nine rebounds. Even the normally hostile Times Union Center crowd couldn’t help but ooh and ahh, marveling at the aerial theatrics on display.

After the game, Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt congratulated Siena, a place he previously coached from 1997-2000 where Hewitt made an NIT and NCAA Tournament appearance, on their effort.

“Congratulations to Mitch and his team, they played very hard,” Hewitt said. “We just missed some shots in the second half and just didn’t knock them down.”

In a homecoming game of sorts, however, Hewitt said he found himself as the hunted this time around.

“I thought it would be fun until the ball went up,” Hewitt said. “I thought we gave a great effort, just didn’t do a good enough job on the boards [...] We just had looks and couldn’t make them. It’s that simple. Just one of those things.”

For the game, Siena outrebounded Georgia Tech by a margin of 41-36. Both teams shot similar percentages from the field; Siena made 36.8% of its field goals, while Tech made 24 of 62, good for a 38.7% clip.

Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro credited his team’s defensive success with a switch to a 2-3 defensive zone and a lot of preparation time.

“I spent about six days on fundamentals, guarding the drive [and] blocking out,” Buonaguro said. “I went back to the basics. I went to the back basics of the zone. I thought the zone tonight could be very effective. [Siena assistant coach] Craig Carter did a great job [of] scouting [Georgia Tech]. We knew exactly what they were going to do and we executed [...] The defense tonight was as good as it can be. To hold Georgia Tech to 21 points, an ACC team, in the second half is phenomenal [...] I’ve always liked the zone and I thought it was instrumental tonight.” ”

The victory stands as Buonaguro’s first signature win as head coach of the Saints.

“I’m just elated with the win, [with] how far we’ve come,” Buonaguro said. “I’ve said all along, this team, I really like. I’ve always thought we have a lot of guts and a lot of tough kids. We haven’t beeen healthy. Even tonight we didn’t have Clarence [Jackson] and were still able to win the game. [I've] said all year, we’re a good team and I think tonight we proved it.”

The 2010-2011 incarnation of the Siena Saints has finally shown that it’s ready to play with the big boys.

Game Notables

CONTINUED CLANK: O.D. Anosika sunk his first three throw attempt of the game with 3:25 remaining in the first half, drawing applause from the audience. Anosike has developed a reputation as a notoriously bad free throw shooter…

FROM THE HUNTER TO THE HUNTED: Prior to the game, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt reflected on the time he spent coaching at Siena. “A lot of the energy and the juice that we got came from the crowd,” Hewitt said of his time spent coaching Siena at the Times Union Center. “The crowd has to understand they have a role in this thing too. They have to keep pumping these kids up until they [get their] legs under them.” Hewitt’s remarks proved quite prescient. He was Siena’s coach for its first season of playing all of its home games at the Times Union Center in downtown Albany, back during the 1997-1998 campaign.

IN THE FLESH: Former Siena Saint and area legend Prosper Karangwa was in attendance for Wednesday night’s game…

THE INJURIES KEEP PILING UP: Rossiter was forced to leave the game with about a minute left to play in the first half after a collision with Georgia Tech player Mfon Udofia, who inadvertently smacked Rossiter in the face. As it turns out, Rossiter had been poked in the eye and had his eyelid briefly inverted, but nonetheless managed to return to the court to start the second half. O.D. Anosike scored 11 points, throwing down several two-handed jams, but came up lame after his last. With 7:10 remaining to play, Anosike threw down a two-handed slam, but cluched his hip after landing and collapsed to the floor. The Saints were forced to call a timeout and team trainers attended to him for several minutes as he lay prone on the floor.

The Yellowjackets were supposed to come to Albany with area native Brad Sheehan on the roster, but Sheehan graduated last year and opted to forgo his final year of eligibility.  This will mark the first time, though, that former Siena head coach Paul Hewitt returns to the area to face his old team.

Hewitt brings a team to Albany that is still somewhat a work in progress, having lost Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors to the NBA draft last year.  That’s not to say the Yellowjackets are lacking talent.  They are led by 6’5″ junior guard Iman Shumpert, who fills up the stat sheet and leads the team in scoring with just over 15 points a game.  6’6″ sophomore swingman Brian Oliver is second on the team in scoring, putting in 12 points a game.  6’5″ sophomore guard Glen Rice, Jr. is the other player on the team averaging double digits in scoring with 10 points a game.  The Yellowjackets will also have the luxury of throwing 6’11″ freshman center Daniel Miller in to the mix to try and stop the inside game of the Saints, who scored inside at will against Florida Atlantic last Monday.

The Saints come in to the game with some personnel issues of their own.  Clarence Jackson is nursing another ankle injury after Kyle Downey fell on him at the end of practice on Monday, and Ryan Rossiter missed practice on Tuesday with a sinus infection.  The Saints will get Owen Wignot back, however, as he has been cleared to play after showing no remaining concussion symptoms.  Wignot actually started in last year’s game against the Yellowjackets replacing an injured Edwin Ubiles, and played well scoring 7 points in 24 minutes of action before fouling out.  Kyle Downey will be an added luxury as he looks to be getting healthier after scoring 8 points in 28 very productive minutes on both ends of the court.

The non-conference schedule is quickly coming to a close, with road tests against St. Bonaventure and St. Joseph’s remaining, and the Saints need to continue to develop quickly with the next conference game looming against a much improved Iona team at the TUC on January 3rd.  The Saints have a chance to win this game if they can keep the turnovers down like they did against FAU, but they will have a harder time trying to outrebound Tech.  A win, while unlikely, would go a long way to begin building valuable momentum as this new team heads in to the new year.

John Bird (From the Rumble Seat): Shumpert is the better handler and the more confident of the two. Hence, the better assist:turnover ratio and greater number of free throw attempts. Oliver is a better pure shooter but he doesn’t have the slashing ability of Shumpert. It’s hard to really compare the two though as Oliver is a shooting wing while Shumpert is a point-wing hybrid player. They both have different skill sets and are incredibly vital to any possible successes this season may bare.

SSB: Last year it was a coming out party for Mfon Udofia against Siena. How consistent has his play been this season?

Bird: Mfon’s minutes dropped off big time last year after conference play started. If you were to break his 2009-2010 season into thirds, he averaged 28 minutes in the first third, 23 in the second, and only 10 minutes in the final. I think youthfulness set in for Mfon and general fatigue. This season, he still hasn’t really recovered from last season’s slump. He’s got 11 assists to 16 turnovers and is only scoring 9 points a game. Maurice Miller and Iman Shumpert are handling a majority of the vital point guard duties while Mfon spells Maurice and Iman at 1.

SSB: How has the fan base reacted to Dustin Ware’s daggar, the 1 point loss at home against Georgia. Has Georgia Tech had difficulty defending the perimeter?

Bird: This is a tough question to answer. Having a losing record against Georgia is one of the many talking points for anti-Hewitt fans. Tech fans are really upset with the loss but they do so a light at the end of the tunnel with this team. There’s some semblance of an offense but the talent just isn’t there to punish garbage teams like Georgia.

To answer the question about 3 point defense…Yes, we had a terrible night against Northwestern (12 of 19 on 3′s) but we’re not that bad otherwise. Our problem is that we’re trading 3′s for 2′s. The best example is the loss to Georgia in which we weren’t confident enough in our shooters to take a 3 at the end of the game and instead take a layup with 6 seconds left WTF!@#$@#$ I’d say our defense is either on or off. There is no middle effort. Hopefully, Sienna experiences a focused defensive effort.

SSB: GT played then ranked #10– now #5 Syracuse tight the whole way a few weeks ago at the Legends classic. What did you learn about the team during their stay in Atlantic City?

Bird: We learned that Syracuse is just a more talented version of Georgia Tech. A chaotic, pressing team with a lot of athletic players. Georgia Tech plays a team identical to Syracuse every year (UNC) and has a great deal of success against athletic man-man defenses. Hewitt actually has a winning record against UNC so the close game against the Orangemen didn’t really surprise me while neither did the losses to precise, shooting teams (ala Kennesaw State and Northwestern).

SSB: Last season we asked if Paul Hewitt was really on the hot seat. How does his current status compare to this time last season?

Bird: His status is about the same. Until Georgia Tech completes the rennovations to Alexander Memorial Coliseum and finishes out the contract for Chan Gailey (ironically coaching your Bills), we won’t be able to afford Paul Hewitt’s mega-buyout. A lot of Tech fans were hoping St. John’s would take a chance on Hewitt in the Summer but Hewitt knew what he had going on at Tech (a cruise control recruiting hot bed and a ridiculous contract). Plus, we hear that his wife loves Atlanta and doesn’t want to leave.

SSB: What are your expectations coming into Albany? Predictions?

Bird: I think Siena’s relatively soft start leads me to believe that Tech will take care of business on the road. We’ve dealt with some pretty tough teams this season already and won’t sleep on Sienna like we did against Kennesaw State. I expect Tech to win by 10 with our poor shooting and the road venue keeping it close.

The Saints will put their 43 game home winning streak on the line against Vermont on Saturday November 13th at 7pm. They will then travel to Minnesota for a contest slated to be aired on ESPNU. Besides the impending BracketBuster game, this is the only time the Saints are scheduled to be televised nationally this season. Two notable home games are Butler, Tuesday 11/23 and Georgia Tech, Wesnesday 12/22.

Siena’s longest road trip is just three games this season; the western New York Canisius and Niagara split, followed by a short trip down to Marist that following Friday. The Saints will close out the season on February 27th against Marist, which we anticipate will be Senior day.

Rumor has it that Boston College head coach Al Skinner has been contacted and is talking to St. John’s about their opening. Should Skinner leave, McCaffery might be considered in Chesnut Hill but people in BC believe that McCaffery is the front runner at St. John’s.

Hofstra’s Tom Pecora has been signed to be Fordham’s next head coach, leaving an opening at Hofstra.

Rumors have swirled that McCaffery visited Seton Hall today and are in serious talks with him about their head coaching job. McCaffery met with officials from the South Orange, NJ school on Saturday and The Star-Ledger confirms mutual interest.

However Hewitt has moved into the top candidate to fix St. John’s and might leave an ACC opening, an opening McCaffery might be able to fill according to the Star-Ledger:

Wednesday afternoon, WFAN-AM reported that McCaffery visited Seton Hall earlier in the day and left without signing a contract. The radio station also reported that McCaffery is now expected to speak to Georgia Tech. However Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Hewitt — who met with St. John’s on Tuesday about their vacancy — has not been fired or left Tech.