OD Anosike and his counterpart Brandon Walters both put up double-doubles on the night. Anosike now leads the nation in consecutive double doubles at 12, after his 23 point and 14 rebound effort. Walters had his best night of the year with 14 points and 12 boards. As Doug Sherman mentioned on the broadcast, OD Anosike is clearly playing his way into the conversation for MAAC Player of the Year. As a team, Siena snagged 15 offensive rebounds and combined for their highest point total of the season.

Kyle Downey put up 11 points and added 6 rebounds and 6 assists on the night. Downey fouled out on a cheap call and got a technical to end his night. In the first half, Downey picked up his third foul with 6:30 to go and Mitch Buonaguro elected to leave him in the game, despite having both Walters and Hopper on the bench. The Saints played at their own pace– slowing it down to protect the guys in foul trouble.

Brandon Penn closed the night with 15 points and 13 rebounds for Rider, and Jonathon Thompson led the way with 16 points and 7 assists. Both teams shot exactly 28-64 from the floor.

Breaking:Manhattan defeats Iona 75-72 in New Rochelle with :01 to go.

Down five on the road, in the hostile “Zoo”, staring 1-4 in the face, what do you say to your team as a coach heading into the locker room? How is this team going to respond in the face of adversity? Quite resoundingly, with a 20-1 run in the 2nd half. That put the game out of reach, and proved yet again they are still the top dogs of the MAAC. The Saints held Rider, a team averaging above 50% FG, to just 26.7% in the 2nd half– just 24pts. That 2nd half is the way a winning team responds, showing us all a glimpse of what’s to come from this team in the months ahead.

Room for Improvement:
OD Anosike and his foul trouble is a concern, evident against Rider, playing a season low 8 minutes. The need for a sixth man night in and night out is still a question mark, albeit last night was a step in the right direction as the Saints outscored Rider’s bench 21-11.

Keys to Success:
The bench stepped up for the starters and contributing on the offensive end, outscoring Rider by 10. The team played the zone to near perfection as Rider coach Tommy Dempsey said, “I think their zone bothered us”, and were able to shut down a very hot shooting team in the 2nd half. The ability to go on a big run, and prevent your opponent from responding, is a sured winning characteristic.

Five Facts:
1. Saints had five bench players on the floor @ 14:36 of the 1st half, the 1st time this season.
2. The bench outscored their opponent (21-11) for the first time all season.
3. The Saints held the Broncs to 38.3% from the field, a season best.
4. Saints had a season low 12 turnovers.
5. Siena made more FT’s (19) than Rider attempted (14), 2nd time this season, both wins.

Five Questions:
1. Where was OD Anosike last night?
2. How many MAAC games will Siena win this year?
3. Who will be the sixth man of the year on this team (Kyle Griffin or Davis Martens)?
4. When was the last time the Saints bench outscored their opponent prior to last night?
5. Is Ryan Rossiter one of the top 10 big men in the country?

Five Words:
The Standard of the MAAC.

We break down the Saints and Broncs who hook up in the first MAAC matchup of the 2010-11 season the day after Thanksgiving.

Siena Saints Blog: Will Rider’s hot start inflate expectations on what fans might have believed was intended to be a re-tooling year?

Ben Doody/The Trentonian: I wouldn’t be so quick to call it a re-tooling year given the overall level of play in the MAAC. Yes, Ryan Thompson is gone, but this team has everyone else back and has two seniors and two juniors in its starting lineup. And remember, Rider lost Jason Thompson, an NBA lottery pick, after the 07-08 season and saw its MAAC win total decrease by only one the following year.

Sometimes it helps when the team isn’t built solely around one player, and that’s how things were — justifiably so at first — last year with Ryan. It was built around him to such a degree that when he played poorly in the first half of the season, Rider was completely lost. To say the least, this year’s team is more balanced.

If this was the MAAC of the last two years, with a dominant Siena team and a few other proven contenders, I wouldn’t consider Rider a threat. But given the lack of a dominant team in the league, I think Rider has a chance to be pretty good in the league — and maybe even win it if things break the right way.

I wouldn’t get too excited about what’s happened so far. It’s not like Rider has beaten a top 25 team or even a team that figures to win a good mid-major league. But there’s a lot of talent, there are a few players — Novar Gadson tops the list — who could take major steps forward, and again, this is a league that’s taken a major step back.

Siena Saints Blog: Amazingly Rider has come out shooting 51% from three point land and 52.7% from inside the arc, what have been the keys to Rider’s offensive surge to start the year?

Ben Doody/The Trentonian: First, Gadson is a completely different player when he plays within the offense and doesn’t try to take over. He’s one of the smoothest jump shooters in the league, but he’s put up some ugly shooting numbers for most of his first two seasons because he tries to force bad shots in traffic. This year, he’s getting open, taking good shots, and it’s showing. He’s 11-for-17 from 3 and playing like an all-league player.

The other really big thing is Rider’s bench. They’ve been starting Jon Thompson and Danny Stewart, enabling them to bring Gadson off the bench along with Jhamar Youngblood and Anthony Myles. For a change, there isn’t a single player on the roster who doesn’t belong on the floor in a Division I game.

Siena Saints Blog: How much of an advantage down the road might it be that Rider played games in Springfield at the Hall of Game Tip-Off Classic, the home of the MAAC Tournament next year?

Ben Doody/The Trentonian: Frankly, I don’t think it matters at all. I think they’ve gained something from doing as much travel as they’ve done and not letting it affect their level of play. But as far as experience in a particular building? I’m not sure it means anything.

Siena Saints Blog: In Rider’s only loss of the year, they let a 21 point lead slip away against UMass, what are the weaknesses the Minutemen were able to exploit in that game?

Ben Doody/The Trentonian: Rider really got into a funk offensively, playing with too much caution and not with the aggressive mentality that enabled them to build the lead in the first place. But a lot of it was UMass — particularly Freddie Riley and Anthony Gurley — getting really hot and Rider not having an answer. It’s also worth noting that UMass has played really well since. I don’t think the first half was indicative of the type of team UMass has. … Not saying they’re an NCAA tournament team, but they’re definitely better than the team that dug itself that kind of hole on its home court.

Siena Saints Blog: What is the match up you are looking forward to in Friday’s conference opener against the Saints?

Ben Doody/The Trentonian: I don’t think they’ll end up guarding each other, but I’ll say Justin Robinson against Clarence Jackson. They’re both seniors, they split this week’s MAAC Player of the Week honors, and they’ve both shown an ability to take over games with outside shooting.

Siena Saints Blog: What’s your prediction for Friday night’s game?

Ben Doody/The Trentonian: I’ll say Rider 86, Siena 82.

On a neutral court, I think Siena is a couple points better, but Rider has a lot going for it here: Home-court advantage, a lot of confidence riding a four-game winning streak, and, maybe most importantly, a whole week to prepare whereas Siena has a quick turnaround after the Butler game.

Ben Doody, Assistant Sports Editor for The Trentonian, covers MAAC hoops at The Full Court Press. Follow him on twitter @bendoody.

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.

I didn’t expect them to go 0-15 (from 3)…Robinson’s been on fire…They’re a team that makes three’s… We tried to get a hand in their faces…We played 30-31 minutes of zone.

Has Alex Franklin been one of your most consistent players?

Only for the past four years…Alex is a match-up problem for anybody. He’s a monster. Seeing him go 22-11 (pts-rbs) isn’t surprising.

How did it feel taking Ronald Moore out in the first half?

It was a great feeling knowing everything was under control…Kyle (Griffin) was tremendous.

Was this a statement game?

I don’t believe in statement games. It’s a long season…You can win a statement game one night and get blown out the next.

Coach Tommy Dempsey:

We dug ourselves a hole and were never close to being able to come out of it…It’s hard to get your energy up when every shot is hitting off the back of the rim.

Is this too early in the season to be a statement game?

Right now we know where we are and that’s not good enough. We’ll be a much better team the next time Siena sees us. Or else we better be.

The MAAC’s official blogger, Steve Amedio combines his 20 years of experience covering Siena and the MAAC at his site: Keepin’ Track of the MAAC. He’s witnessed college basketball games at over 130 different venues and wrote the MAAC Preview in The Sporting News. In our second part we talk about the two contenders right behind the Saints: Niagara and Rider.

Ryan/Siena Saints Blog:  I’ve had my doubts about the Purple Eagles and it didn’t help that they lost Tyrone Lewis to start the year. The Purple Eagles, entering Wednesday, ranked 30th in the nation shooting 41.2% of all their shots from three point land. This has led to some good wins but also a bad loss against Austin Peay and then let Akron shoot a 77.2 eFG% in a 57-point second half where the Zips shot better than 60% from two and three point range.

Steve Amedio/Keepin’ Track of the MAAC: Don’t worry about Niagara. Joe Mihalich is one of the top coaches in the MAAC. In my mind, it’s Mihalich and McCaffery, take your pick on which one is better. Lewis had a minor foot injury and missed a couple of games. He’s 100 percent now.

Niagara plays an up-tempo style, but relies even more on creating turnovers off its press. It did the same last year, but is even quicker this year. Austin Peay was not a bad loss. It’s one of the better teams in a decent Ohio Valley Conference and has three starters plus a couple of experienced reserves back from a 19-win team a year ago. Akron is a terrific team. It won the Mid-American Conference a year ago, a league every bit the equal of the MAAC if not slightly better, and is the favorite to win again this year.

Ryan/Siena Saints Blog: Only way I call Niagara’s loss to Austin Peay bad is for two reasons. First off Niagara shot 11 for 26 from three point range (42.3%), lost a 15 point lead at halftime and let the Governors shoot 63% from the field in the second half. That combined with the Akron 2nd half outburst could be a concern. It’s a small sample but Niagara has been outscored in the second half in 6 of their 10 games this year.

Steve Amedio/Keepin’ Track of the MAAC: When you go on the road and face a quality opponent, it’s never a bad loss. Siena was ahead of Temple by 14, I think, midway through the first half and that’s not a bad loss.

My guess about the Niagara-Austin Peay game is that Peay made the necessary halftime adjustments. It doesn’t surprise me that Peay shot well in the 2nd half. Niagara isn’t known for its half-court defense.

Ryan/Siena Saints Blog: Rider got off to a hot start winning big over Mississippi State but cooled off considerably. If you combine the two pre-tournament games for Rider in the Cancun challenge, they shot 18 for 64 (28.1%) from three point range and cooled down considerably. Since then they were able to win three straight home games but struggled against winless Marist and lost against LaSalle.

Steve Amedio/Keepin’ Track of the MAAC: In my MAAC blog post on Rider, my “early” report on Rider is that the Broncs have been somewhat inconsistent thus far. But, they not only have that win over Mississippi State, but one over St. Joseph’s, too. The struggle against Marist was a little surprising. I was more surprised by the loss to Sam Houston State: not by the loss, but by the margin. Rider is very talented. That front-court duo of Mike Ringold and Novar Gadson is a personal favorite. They are both warriors. I’ve gone on record to say that Gadson should have been the MAAC’s Rookie of the Year last year and not Iona’s Scott Machado.

Ryan/Siena Saints Blog: What do you think in the great debate: Niagara or Rider?

Steve Amedio/Keepin’ Track of the MAAC: I’ll take the easy way out on this and just say that Niagara and Rider will more than likely finish 2nd and 3rd without predicting the order. It could go either way. If I had to, I’d take Niagara for 2nd, but it really doesn’t matter much. The No. 2 and No. 3 teams play each other in the MAAC tournament’s semifinal round. That’s really the only night it will matter, the night that will ultimately determine which is better. Rider has that bruising front-court, but no one maximizes its talent like Niagara and Mihalich. Bilal Benn and Tyrone Lewis are just disruptive forces in the pressing defense. Plus, I like Anthony Nelson a lot as a point guard. They’ve got 5 guys averaging double figures in scoring and a sixth averaging close to nine. They’ve got more depth than last year. It’s good enough to realize that both teams are very good at this level.

Ryan/Siena Saints Blog: I agree with you on the Niagara-Rider 2-3 argument. If you took Siena, Niagara and Rider: two of these three will play each other on Semifinal Sunday night. If it’s Niagara and Rider, we can only hope that it will be as great as last year’s game.

Story #1: Rider Falls Back To Earth

Well all that great reputation Rider built up came down to a thud this weekend with double digit losses in Charlottesville and Lexington.

Rider came out flat on Thursday night at Virginia and were able to close the lead to 5 with 6:08 to go in the first half but were cold from the field in the second half. Rider shot 35% effective FG% in the second half after shooting 47.6% eFG% in the first half. Brandon Penn led the Broncs with 10 points.

Head Coach Tommy Dempsey did not make excuses for this game. “We just didn’t play well,” Dempsey said “We couldn’t guard them.”

In game two of the road trip, the Broncs found John Wall who showed off his skills (21 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists) in a double digit loss in Lexington.

Rider was off to a good start but a few hometown calls later and Rider’s great first minute dissipated into a halftime deficit of 25. Even though this game didn’t look like a great showing for Rider, the Broncs were able to create turnovers, get a lot of open looks from behind the arc and push the Wildcats in transition off turnovers.

Just to prove some officiating inefficiency, this is the actual call for “illegal touching” (if he even touches him) on Justin Robinson. Robinson is the only guy who comes remotely near to touching Wall on this play and it was a continuation and-1.

Dempsey said he was proud of the way his team competed. Ryan Thompson led the Broncs with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Even though he had a nice line, Thompson struggled being defended by Kentucky senior Ramon Harris, going 1 for 10 from the field.

So why did Rider start so strong and now played two straight poor games against big conference teams? Well in these two games Rider went a combined 11 of 40 (27.5%) from three point range. When three pointers combine for 37% of your shots over these two games (40 of 108), it’s going to be tough when you can’t hit those shots from behind the arc.

Story #2: Niagara’s Weekend Ends With Sunday Collapse

On Friday, Niagara woke up early again, 11am this time, to beat winless Howard 82-77. A great game from inside the 3 point line was key for the Purple Eagles, as they shot 63.1% (24 of 38) from inside the arc. Anthony Nelson led the way with 18 points, Bilal Benn pulled down 12 rebounds and Niagara combined for 7 blocks in a hard fought win.

On Saturday, Niagara took it to Central Florida with a 17 point victory. Niagara with good shooting (46.2% effective FG%) and holding Central Florida to 4 of 23 (17.4%) from behind the arc and overall (35.1% effective FG%) in a convincing win. Niagara forced 23 UCF turnovers and outrebounded the Knights by 14. Demetrius Williamson led the way with 13 points as every member of the Purple Eagles scored and had at least one rebound.

However on Sunday, they let a halftime lead of 15 slip away in a 69-67 loss to Austin Peay. Niagara got out on a big 15-2 run in the first half to start the game and had a lead as large as 17 in the first half. The Purple Eagles shot 51% from the field in the first half (66.6% effective FG%) led by 8 three pointers; however, they only made 7 field goals in the second half (34% effective FG%) and Marcel Williams layup with 4 seconds to go gave the Governors their 6th and final lead of the night. Anthony Nelson led the way for Niagara with 15 points on 4 of 7 shooting. Demetrius Williamson had 12 points, all of which came in the first half. Bilal Benn added 12 points and a team-high 8 rebounds.

Story #3: The Rest of the MAAC: Did Not Impress

Frank Turner brought his best game: scoring 27, grabbing 6 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists in a 10 point victory over St. Francis (NY). Greg Logins and Julius Coles posted double digits for the Golden Griffins, scoring 13 and 11 respectively.

Iona led by 2009 Rookie of the Year Scott Machado’s 20 points and 6 assists, coasted to an 80-68 victory over Norfolk State. Iona forced 20 turnovers and made 23 free throws in their third straight win. They have proven to be a dangerous young team as Head Coach Kevin Willard told the New York Daily News, “We have six freshman and all six have worked hard and bought into their roles and paid attention to what they have to do to help us get (to 3-0).” Next stop for Iona is Orlando for the MAAC-hosted Old Spice Classic against Florida State.

Loyola could not score (31.2% effective FG%) and could not stop Jeremy Goode (23 points) and Jean Cajou (16 points) in a 63-44 defeat to their local rival Mount St. Mary’s. Brett Harvey led the way for Loyola with 12 points.

The Manhattan Jaspers could not keep up with William & Mary who made 12 three pointers in a 75-70 defeat. Antoine Pearson led the way for the Jaspers with 24 points on 7 of 12 shooting. Pearson made 5 of 8 three pointers. Nick Walsh scored 16 for the Jaspers as their only other double digit scorer.

St. Peter’s was awake for this afternoon game with Youngstown State, but could not convert from behind the arc in a 68-56 loss. Wesley Jenkins led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds but made the only two three pointers the Peacocks had all night. Youngstown State was carried by Kelvin Bright’s 20 points on 6 of 10 shooting, 14 of which were scored in the second half.  Ryan Bacon, who poetically scored the first points of the morning on ESPN’s Tuesday Marathon, had 5 blocks for St. Peter’s.

You can take a look at my season ending essay to get a feel of what I was thinking going into this essay. I’ve been working on other writing projects, and working in general like we all do, but my time between the final buzzer against Louisville until now has been far from idle.

I have studied and reveled in all the polls. Yes, all the polls in which the Siena Saints have been ranked in the Top 25. The Men’s Basketball team has been projected by numerous sporting publications to start the season as one of the best 25 teams in the country. Many have begun to believe, others still think the ranking is too high. It’s difficult to absorb the ramifications. As I promised to do in my season-ending essay I will not look to the future with rose-colored glasses, those days are over. In examining the goings-on of the men in green and gold I’ll take a look with close scrutiny while still maintaining the game to game enjoyment and growth of the program.

We live in a reality as Saints fans that is more clear-cut than ever before. But as a fan who has endured much, I write as a semi-impartial journalist who is here to make even clearer the realities that truly exist in the world of Siena men’s basketball fandom.

The Saints enter the season as the favorites once again, voted to finish first in the MAAC almost unanimously for the second consecutive season, with the sole dissenting vote coming from Tommy Dempsey, the head coach at Rider. A lot of Siena fans bashed the vote, but if you look at it objectively, it makes sense. I picked Rider to finish second – they return possible player of the year Ryan Thompson with experienced scorers and possess one of the best starting five players in the conference. Niagara should be a tough out once again, and the conference looks to be as difficult to win from top to bottom as it has ever been.

Anything can happen in March, before the big dance. Anything. Dempsey knows this, Joe Mihalich knows this, and everyone has to accept it. It’s the price of being a fan.

Am I trying to hedge my bets that Siena won’t win the MAAC tourney and get to the big dance? Hardly. I just know that as a lifelong Saints fan, and as a sports fan, and as someone who understands the complexities of competition it is difficult for any team to repeat, much less do it three times in a row.

If the Saints are fortunate enough to win the MAAC tourney for the third consecutive time it will be the first time in 20 years that a team not named La Salle has accomplished the feat. Siena has the personnel, it’s been well documented. Coach Fran McCaffery has said that this year’s team belongs to the senior PG Ronald Moore. He is the floor general, he has sneakers made of pure speed, and his basketball IQ and instincts are exemplary. He will make the team go, but add returning seniors Edwin Ubiles, Alex Franklin, junior Ryan Rossiter prowling in the post, and junior Clarence Jackson to the mix, you have a blend of players who know the McCaffery system and are going to spend forty minutes a night running and gunning until their opponent is gasping for air. The leadership, experience, and ability to create within the coach’s system should provide for fireworks and offense that will enthrall anyone watching a Saints game this year.

Now is the time to enjoy what’s going on, but to also understand that the future is bright in Loudonville, while also uncertain and possibly maddening. The pipeline seems to be working as coach continues to recruit well and to add players who are not only skilled but fit well in his system. This is the first time in the history of the Siena Saints when continuity seems to be working, and the coach is not only reloading each year, but truly building a program. The 2009-2010 season has one minimum goal – yes, one main goal – to return to the NCAA tournament and try to win at least one game in the big dance. Why just this one goal? Because if it doesn’t happen then everything the program has worked for will take a step back due to the amazing pre-season hype and rewards extolled on the players and coaches. If the Saints make it to the dance and lose, then at least they had the shot. Gonzaga, in making the progression they’ve made to get where they are today, lost a number of first round games in a row, but the fact that they continued to make it year after year is what got them to their perch. It’s what enabled them to be able to play BCS schools on a regular basis. It is the one goal that Siena needs to continue to set and attempt to make – returning to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament year after year.

Professional golfers repeat the cliché when playing in tournaments that the event can not be won on the first day, but it can be lost. The same can be said for mid-major basketball programs. Close is nice, but without getting over the hump continually then programs can not evolve in to perennial threats.

This is where Siena is trying to get to, and the last two years were huge hurdles that were leapt. The mountain is large, though, and the summit is still far away. If the Saints are fortunate enough to make the sweet sixteen this year then they’ve come pretty close to reaching their goal, I’d go as far to say as they made it. Then, next year, the journey begins anew, albeit starting closer than they’d ever started before.

This is not a primer on how to be a Saints fan – you all know how to do that already. It is just one voice saying things that need to be said. It’s cautious optimism, hiding a passion that knows that every non-conference win is a step closer to that holiest of college basketball grails – the at-large bid. The schedule isn’t as strong as last year, but with a pocketful of non-conference wins Siena will continue to garner attention based on all the looks that were given to them in the preseason.

I can’t wait to see the development of Kyle Downey and Owen Wignot, who should develop to be a huge addition off the bench as possibly the sixth man. He will be challenged by OD Anosike as the other player off the bench who could have a growing impact in the frontcourt, even as a freshman. There is a depth to this team that has possibly never been seen before– freshman guards Denzel Yard and Jonathon Breeden adding their versatility to the backcourt, La Salle transfer Kyle Griffen, and big man Davis Martens coming in midseason to give the Saints more options.

Capital District residents have been waiting for this era of Saints basketball to arrive since the 1989 win over Stanford in the NCAA tournament, and it is finally here. On Friday, the Saints will open the season on the road against Tennessee State. Road wins are always tough to come by, and the opening game result will go a long way to setting the tone for the season. The non-conference schedule doesn’t let up, with the home opener against CAA powerhouse Northeastern coming the following Tuesday. Temple, St. John’s, Georgia Tech, St. Joseph’s, Mount St. Mary’s – each win is step closer to what every Siena fan wants – a 25 win season and a chance to win the MAAC championship.

Get nervous before every game, listen to the General and Tommy Heurter, watch Sportscenter if we get ranked in the top 25 for highlights, read up on the next game and prepare if we don’t. It’s a long season, but the offseason has been more than rewarding. Let’s hope there are plenty of prizes on the way as the men of the Green and Gold pursue their third straight MAAC championship and postseason NCAA berth.

Get ready to march, and if the Saints are playing in March, get ready to scream. I’ll be right there next to you, ready. Have fun, Saints fans!

The thought really hasn’t even creeped into our minds. Right now we’re not in ‘must-win’ mode, we’re in ‘must-improve’ mode. Siena will be a good test for us. The only opportunity to avenge last year’s [MAAC Championship] loss will be in March.

Honestly, for the most part I like his answer; “our focus isn’t on that, our focus is on improving as a team”. But you’re going to tell me it’s not on your minds at all? The thought hasn’t even come up? The thought will come up when you’re walking into the TUC, it’s only natural.

He recently moved Ryan Thompson (who Coach Dempsey calls the most versatile player in the league), to the PG position. Coach Dempsey wants the ball to be in Ryan’s hands a little more, which will make Justin Robinson more effective.

Game Notes: Download