According to the Times Union, Mitch Buonaguro would be very interested in the job. The NY Times is reporting that Iona coach Kevin Willard has been hired at Seton Hall. Read More »

Here’s Siena’s offical press release:

Iowa Set to Name McCaffery Men’s Basketball Coach McCaffery to be Introduced at News Conference Monday in Iowa City

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The University of Iowa will name Fran McCaffery as its next head men’s basketball coach in a Monday morning press conference tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m. central time (12 p.m. eastern) in Iowa City, according to the university’s website. Siena representatives will be made available at a press event in the Alumni Recreation Center on the Siena College campus Monday at 1:30 p.m.

Siena Director of Athletics John D’Argenio made the following statement. “On behalf of the Siena community I would like to congratulate Fran on being named the head coach at Iowa. I thank him for his dedication and commitment to Siena basketball the past five years and for his commitment to the values and traditions of Siena College. When Fran accepted the opportunity to coach at Siena, we knew that he was a skilled coach, recruiter and mentor and that he could help us bring success back to Siena basketball. His accomplishments brought national recognition to Siena and instilled pride in the campus and Capital District community.”

The Siena administration and student-athletes will make no further comments until Monday’s press event.

McCaffery led the Saints to a 112-51 record in his five seasons at Siena, including three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and a pair of First Round victories.

McCaffery guided Siena to 27 wins each of the past two seasons, tying the program’s single season record. The 2009-10 team finished 27-7 overall and 17-1 in the MAAC, capturing both the regular season and tournament championships for a third straight season.

A Philadelphia area native, McCaffery previously had head coaching experience at Lehigh and UNC-Greensboro before arriving in Loudonville.

Update 1:33pm–

Siena’s Athletic Director John D’Argenio released an official statement;

There are many questions about Fran and his future and about the course of action Siena may take. Out of respect to him, his family and others we will hold any comments until the appropriate time.

Original Post–

According to Doug Gottlieb at ESPN, Fran McCaffery has accepted the head coaching job at Iowa University. An official announcement is expected tomorrow. Kudos to Pete Iorizzo, who pinpointed earlier in the week that the Big Ten school was on the coach’s radar.

“There are many questions about Fran and his future and about the course of action Siena may take. Out of respect to him, his family and others we will hold any comments until the appropriate time.”

To the fan that doesn’t know Siena all too well, here’s the the thirty thousand foot view– It’s pretty remarkable what Fran McCaffery was able to accomplish in 5 seasons. He took a program that was in the dumps in 2005 and brought the team to 4 MAAC title games, 3 NCAA Tournaments, and 2 second round appearances. He brought the program so much respect that literally nobody wanted to schedule Siena this past off-season.

We polled our readers earlier this week and 61% of you believed that Fran would leave this off-season. Unfortunately, you were right.

I too have said countless times that this would be the year he goes. Think about it from his perspective– his stock will never be higher than it is right now. With three starters leaving, and a bench that probably played a combined average of 40 minutes per game, it will take 2-3 years to build the program’s prestige level back to where it is right now. Granted, the big three always gave us the best chance to win playing 34 minutes a game, but it’s short term gain for long term pain.

I can say one thing for sure– these kids will be fine. Personally, I know they all have great heads on their shoulders, and we should all look forward to an exciting competitive season next year, regardless of who gets the new job. There’s a lot of raw talent on that bench, and it’s going to be an interesting transition year.

Well with that out of the way, let’s get back to reality… let the job search begin. Who should Siena hire? Leave your thoughts in the comments…

Siena spread the scoring around with Alex Franklin leading the way with 23 points. Clarence Jackson added 20 points coming off six 3-pointers and two foul shots. Once again, Ryan Rossiter puts up a double-double effort with 19 points and 12 rebounds. During the game Ronald Moore became the 35th player in Siena history to reach the 1,000 career scoring mark. Siena shot exactly 50% from the field and hit nine 3’s. The Saints extended their 10 point halftime lead up to 23 points less than ten minutes into the second half.

Scott Machado led all scorers with 24 points. Big man Alejo Rodriguez had a double-double of his own with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Known as one of the conference’s best 3-point shooting teams the Gaels were hampered in the first half after going 0-8 from 3-point range. They ended up shooting 4-18 from beyond the arc and 38% from the field. One positive that can be taken away for this team was their 90% foul shooting numbers.

• D’Argenio: Capacity could be higher next season
  

  With average attendance better than 7,400 the past two seasons, Siena may raise its capacity at Times Union Center next year, athletic director John D’Argenio said Thursday.
  The school has hired a sports consulting firm to find an appropriate capacity and to determine which seats should be covered with tarps and curtains.

• Downey aims for MAAC Tournament return
  

  Kyle Downey is hoping to recover from his broken foot in time to return for next month’s MAAC Tournament.
  The sophomore guard, who was injured during practice Jan. 19, said his recovery has gone well since he underwent surgery two weeks ago.

• Meet Firefly
  

  My esteemed colleague, Tom Keyser, wrote a nice feature story on former Siena guard Tay Fisher, now a member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
  In case you missed Fisher’s appearance at Times Union Center earlier this month, check out the video:

The Gaels are led by sophomore G Scott Machado, who is averaging 11.8ppg and 4.2 apg.  He is followed by junior F Alejo Rodriguez and freshman G Kyle Smith, who both average 8.8ppg.  Coach Kevin Willard has developed a young team by preaching defense, and the Gaels have responded – they hold opponents to just under 62ppg on less that 40% shooting.  What the team lacks in size inside they make up for by hot shooting from the outside – Iona shooters are making almost 38% of their shots from 3-point land.  Excitement has returned to New Rochelle, and this team is gunning for the first place Saints.

Meanwhile, the status quo has remained unchanged in Loudonville.  The Saints had all week to prepare for the Gaels after learning that they will face Butler in the Bracketbuster on Saturday, February 20.   The coach and players would have told you what they’ve been telling you all year, though – they truly are taking one game at a time, and all they care about at this moment is beating Iona.  Edwin Ubiles should be back in the starting lineup as he’s been seen practicing with the team all week.  Kyle Downey is still nursing his broken foot and should not be expected back until at least the MAAC Tournament.  What looked like a team who was losing players to injury has seemed to gain experience on the bench.

In what will be the third sell-out of the year, the Times Union Center will be rocking out for the “Gold Rush,” with fans being urged to all wear gold shirts or attire.  Since there are only single tickets left, and few of them at that, the powers that be have decided to  televise the game on Time Warner Cable 1.  Game time is 7:00pm.

First place is not on the line Friday night, but the Gaels want the win – an upset Friday night would go to prove that Siena can be beaten on their home-court, which is what every team is going to need to do if they want to win the MAAC tourney come March.  The Saints want to keep streaking – an at-large bid is still unlikely and would not be likely unless they ran the table, but an unbeaten conference season gets closer with each win.

Friday night may be the big match up of MAAC foes this year where the immovable object meets the unstoppable force – as Iona and Siena renew their conference rivalry fans should be in for a heck of a game.

KEYS TO THE GAME

• A HEALTHY EDWIN IS A HAPPY EDWIN: Eddie scored 15 points off the bench at Marist on Saturday, and looked good doing it.  He was active and energetic, and even though he admits that the shoulder (non-shooting) is sore he knows he can play through it.  While Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter have been bearing the brunt of the work (literally) the Saints are going to need as much of Eddie being Eddie as they can get the rest of the season.  He is the X-Factor that each team needs to scheme for, and he’s going to relied on every game the rest of the way.
• HOW DEEP DOES THE BENCH GO?: Right now, it seems to be getting deeper.  During Edwin’s absence Owen Wignot got the starting nod each time – and while he still has yet to build on his athleticism and get in the scoring column more often he has looked terrific on defense and has played very productive minutes.  Right behind him is freshman OD Anosike, who continues to mature with each game.   His rebounding ability is outstanding, as are some of the post moves he’s starting to display.  While coach has seven strong to start, he is getting Kyle Griffen, Jonathan Breeden, and Davis Martens in more – each minute a bench player takes gives the starters that much more of a rest, which is invaluable this time of year.  Unfortunately, don’t expect to see TOO much of the bench Friday night, because…
• ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?: This is the time of the year when Coach McCaffery and his Saints don’t lose.  The team’s record in February and March is stellar, much for one reason – Coach has no problem riding his starters.  Expect all five to log big minutes Friday night – the conditioning of the team is excellent, and this is nothing new to them.  They’ve been doing it for four years now.

Last season Siena lost their 13th conference game at Rider to break their undefeated streak.

SienaSaintsBlog: Who is a better contender this year: Iona or Fairfield?

Ray Floriani: A slight edge to Iona but this is really tough because the teams are fairly similar. They both defend and force turnovers. Iona’s turnover (forced) rate is 23% of opposition possessions while Fairfield is 22%.

In the non-league schedule I give Iona a slight nod. They defeated Creighton at the very competitive Old Spice Classic in Orlando and knocked off Providence on the road. Fairfield’s non-MAAC slat was not as tough as Iona’s but it was close and competitive and they gave Rhode Island a good game before dropping a close one.

Derek Needham is doing a great job at the point for Fairfield. Yorel Hawkins and Anthony Johnson can score for the Stags. Scott Machado is an excellent talent at guard for the Gaels. Iona has a number of weapons as 6-11 Jonathan Huffman who can step outside and hit the three.
Fairfield hosts Siena on Saturday with a prime opportunity to prove me wrong.

SienaSaintsBlog: Who would you label as your surprise team this season?

Ray Floriani: Would have to say Iona. As noted they have great guard play with Machado , Kyle Smyth and Jermel Jenkins just to name a few. They defend and a key factor is the ability to succeed on the road. They knocked off Providence but in conference they have impressive wins at Niagara and Rider. They are 3-3 in conference but some of those wins we discussed caught the attention of many observers and not just those who follow the MAAC.

SienaSaintsBlog: When are we going to see the real Rider Broncs show up?

Ray Floriani: From a tempo free perspective Rider’s numbers are revealing. Overall the offensive efficiency is 98 and defensive is 101. In the MAAC those numbers are 93 and 97. In both cases the Broncs have a negative margin (offensive minus defensive efficiency) which does not bode well for any hopes of making a run for the title. It is still early and the Broncs are 3-3.

Their turnover rate is under 20% so they are caring for the ball but as a team they are shooting 41% from the field. That low percentage is especially harmful given an interior defense that is allowing opponents to shoot 50% from two point range.

Rider has four players averaging double figures but coach Tommy Dempsey is getting little help from his bench.
As noted, there is time but there are corrections needed on both ends of the floor. On the other hand maybe that great opening win at Mississippi State left us all expecting more than we expected.

SienaSaintsBlog: Is Ryan Thompson playing his way out of Player of the Year?
Ray Floriani: I think he’s a great player. Thompson averages 14 PPG because he is so unselfish and doesn’t force things. Those qualities were also opinions of the nine or so NBA scouts who saw Thompson in Rider’s OT loss at Rutgers.

Thompson does not have POY numbers at this juncture. But down the stretch Dempsey will probably encourage him to be less unselfish and look for his shot especially in close contests. The remainder of the season will determine if Thompson gets that POY hardware in Albany come March.

Ray Floriani is the RTC correspondent for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the Northeast Conference. Ryan Restivo is the RTC correspondent for the Colonial Athletic Association.

It should be said that in recent memory, the Saints have not been considered an exceptional free throw shooting team– not by any means compared to the rest of the NCAA. During the previous two years the team averaged 67.7%, and so far this season is shooting 64.8% from the line. Siena is more or less keeping on par with their usual free throw percentages at this point in the year– always starting out lower and improving as the season continues.

There was a stretch back in early December where the players didn’t even seem able to dream of making 65% of their foul shots. The Saints shot 10-20 in their December 7th win over Iona. This game would be viewed as an aberration if it hadn’t been immediately followed up by the team’s atrocious free throw performance against Northern Iowa, shooting just 39.1% (9-23). Coach Fran McCaffery and the players were asked if this was going to be an issue all year, or if it should be chalked up to a bad week.

Following the Northern Iowa game, Siena had an 11 day layoff, and they apparently utilized their time off effectively having not lost since. The players confirmed their poor foul line shooting would not continue past five games by posting up a 69.1% average in that span, with two 74% plus performances sprinkled in. Clarence Jackson leads the starters with 74.1% free throw shooting. He’s followed by the two forwards; Rossiter shooting 71%, and Franklin at 66.3%. Both Edwin Ubiles and Ronald Moore are hovering around the 57% mark.

The Saints have won 7 out of 8 games, and it isn’t a coincidence that their lone loss comes from the team’s only sub-50% foul shooting performance during that stretch. There are a lot of aspects Siena has improved on thus far this season, and regulating their FT% is definitely on that list. It will be interesting to see how much free throws will play a part as the year progresses, especially during close games.

If we can establish that Siena, Niagara and Rider are the likely top three in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference let’s try to hash out that next tier of contenders. It’s time to find out who is for real and who isn’t in the MAAC. Are the Gaels as good as advertised? Are the Greyhounds going to take some of their non-conference momentum into the conference season? Will the Fairfield Stags, relatively untested in the non-conference, show that they are a top 5 team in the MAAC?

Is Iona for Real?

Reasons Iona is for Real: Iona erased doubters thoughts about their right to contend in the MAAC this year with a 63-60 win in Buffalo over Niagara. All of Iona’s non-conference wins have been by eight points or more. Iona’s most impressive wins: beating Creighton (by eight) in Orlando and beating Providence (by nine) on the road. Iona wasn’t expected to win at top-25 UConn and lost by 19 but the Gaels played hard in Orlando putting up tough fights against Florida State (loss by 6) and Baylor (played the Bears to overtime but lost 72-62).

Counter-Arguments: Iona dropped two straight MAAC home contests; a two point loss St. Peter’s and a 13 point loss to Siena in December. They went on the Buffalo swing and beat Niagara but lost by 12 at Canisius Monday night. The Gaels, who shot 39.9% (30th nationally) from behind the arc entering tonight, went 7 for 30 from three point range (23.3%) and were out rebounded by 12 against a team that isn’t necessarily dominant inside.

Verdict: Iona is most likely for real this year and could be contending for a #4-#6 seed.

Is Loyola (MD) for Real?

Reasons Loyola (MD) is for Real: Loyola’s best win this year is their big win over Indiana in the Big Ten. It is big in the historic context: it was Loyola’s first win over a Big Ten team in school history. Loyola led by as much as 24 points during that game and Brett Harvey has been on a hot streak as of late, despite not playing last night against Siena. Second team All-MAAC member Jamal Barney has been the leader for the Greyhounds, taking most of the shots and shooting 42% from the field.

Counter-Arguments: Loyola dropped a game in overtime at Coppin State, a team with only one other Division-I win. A 19 point loss at Mount St. Mary’s does not help define this team’s profile either. The Mountaineers have lost eight straight which included a tough overtime loss at Siena. A three point win over 1-12 UMBC doesn’t impress either.

Barney and the Greyhounds had a chance to impress on Monday night but failed to do so in a 20-point home loss to Siena. They had to try and play the Saints with Brett Harvey sitting out due to an undisclosed injury. The Saints got lucky to be spared of Harvey in the lineup and took advantage, leading by as many as 30 points on Monday night.

Verdict: It is difficult to see given the current situation. If the Greyhounds lose Brett Harvey for a significant amount of time, Loyola would be at a huge loss. They have two more tough games at Fairfield and home Sunday against Iona. If Harvey is back and they can split or win both, we are looking at a real contender.

Is Fairfield for Real?

Reasons Fairfield is for Real: The Stags have started out really well, starting 10-3 and got off to a 3-0 start in the MAAC. One thing we know for sure, Derek Needham is a top candidate for MAAC Rookie of the Year. Needham has won or shared the award five times already this season. The true freshman has scored double digit points in every game but one this season. Junior Yorel Hawkins has been impressive as well in 2009-10. Hawkins has significantly improved his field goal and free throw shooting from last year, he leads the team in field goal percentage at 53.9% coming into Monday night.

Counter-Arguments: Fairfield won seven non-conference games so far this year. However their strength of schedule out of conference ranks 2nd to last in the MAAC and ranked 337th in the nation of 347 going into Monday night. Fairfield ranks in the middle of the pack of the MAAC in three point shooting. The assist (204) to turnover (194) leaves much to be desired.

Verdict: Even though they lost at Niagara, Needham made a career high 12 field goals and scored a career high 28 points. There is chance that Fairfield is a team that is shining through smoke and mirrors right now but they should be locked into at least a #6-#7 seed range.

Marist Notches Win #1!

Marist went 7 for 17 from three point land and got an even performance from their entire team in their first win of the season, a 72-66 win over Manhattan. Marist has guaranteed themselves not going winless this year. How did they follow that up? By losing at St. Peter’s by 12.

Marist has only had one win streak, a streak of two on December 23 and 28 of 2008, during the Chuck Martin era.

When not worrying about Siena’s chances in the MAAC this season, Ryan is writing about Fantasy Baseball on Rotosavants.com, reporting on the Colonial Athletic Association for Rushthecourt.net and writing on his own website: RyanRestivo.com.

Siena will look to continue the momentum from their 17-point win over St. Joseph’s Tuesday night. Siena out rebounded St. Joseph’s 40-29 and totaled 18 offensive rebounds Tuesday night. Ryan Rossiter set a new career high in offensive rebounds (11), Alex Franklin recorded his second straight double-double and Ronald Moore dished out 12 assists for the second straight game.

The Peacocks are led by a pair of talented juniors Wesley Jenkins (14.0 ppg) and Nick Leon (12.1 ppg). Jenkins has scored double digit points in every game but one this year. Ryan Bacon, a 6′7″ forward, is also pulling down nearly 8 rpg. This season St. Peter’s has had some trouble scoring and shoots 26.2% from behind the arc, good for 332nd in the nation. Their offense ranks 303rd in Kenpom’s efficiency ratings, ranking them 9th among MAAC teams, only above winless Marist.

Siena is currently tied with Missouri with 26 consecutive home wins, trailing Dayton (27), Pittsburgh (29) and Kansas (49). A win would give the Saints their first three game win streak of the season.