Tradition
Since the year after its founding in 1937, Siena has boasted a men’s basketball team that now-Saints captured third place in
has captivated audiences in the Capital Region and beyond. In the original glory days of the Mecca of college basketball.
the late 1940s and early 1950s, the then-Indians advanced to the National Catholic
Invitational Tournament four straight years, winning the title in Albany in 1950. After taking a step back after
Deane’s departure, a period of time
The Rev. Marcus Fitzgerald served as the department’s first athletic director, publicizing memorable only because of the
his vision “that one day Siena would gain the same national fame in basketball that full-time move to Pepsi Arena prior
has been achieved in football by Notre Dame.” to the 1996-97 season, the program
enjoyed a great renaissance that
Following the success of the early 50s, the program was well on its way, as the Indians coincided with the arrival of Head
found themselves ranked in the top-20 in successive seasons, catapulting as high as Coach Paul Hewitt in 1997. Follow -
11th following an upset of Seton Hall in Albany’s Washington Avenue’s Armory. ing seventh and eighth place finishes
in the eight-team Metro Atlantic
Siena Hall of Famer Billy Harrell was a big part of Athletic Conference in the two
the team’s success in its teenage years, drawing the years prior to his arrival; the Saints
praise of national publications on his way to being averaged 22 wins in Hewitt’s
drafted by both the National Basketball Association three seasons at the helm.
(Minneapolis Lakers) and Major League Baseball The run was highlighted by
George Bruda helped the Siena Indians to the
(Cleveland Indians). “The Flash” was a United successive postseason appear-
National Catholic Invitational Cham pionship as a
Press Honorable Mention All-American as a ances in his final two
senior in 1950.
senior in 1952. years, the first of
which was a return-trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1999.
Over the next 20 years, the program
struggled, winning no more than 14 games Louis Orr continued the success in 2000-2001, leading the program to
in any season. During that time, the Saints another 20-win season. The following season, the Rob Lanier era
played in the longest game in NCAA began. Lanier became the first coach in program history to
history, a six-overtime loss to Niagara in orchestrate consecutive postseason appearances in his first
1952-53 (now the second longest). The two years as head coach. In 2002, the Saints rallied from a
following year, the player who provided sub-par regular-season to win four MAAC Tournament
the brightest moments during the “dark games, advancing to the NCAA Opening Round where they
Howie Tucker was a member of years,” Bill Kirsch, a 5-8 guard who was
Doremus
became just the second team in Tournament history to win a
Siena’s first team in 1938. He was
described as a “set-shot artist,” supplied one of
Bennerman
game with a losing record. Siena knocked off Alcorn State 81-77
the first person inducted into the
the most memorable moments in program history, in Dayton, Ohio before succumbing to eventual National Champion Maryland
Siena Sports Hall of Fame.
sinking a 60-foot shot at Madison Square in Washington, D.C. two days later. In Lanier’s second year of work, the Saints
Garden to beat Iona at the buzzer. Sportswriter David Eisenberg described the won 21 games including two Postseason NIT clashes on their home floor.
shot as “the most sensational basketball shot in Madison Square Garden history, a
three-quarter courter from 60 feet out.” Just over four years ago, an exciting new chapter in Siena basketball began as Fran
McCaffery became the 14th coach in program history. McCaffery made an imme-
In 1972, the former set-shot standout took over diate impact, guiding Siena to the fifth
as head men’s basketball coach and athletic greatest turnaround in all of Division I in
director. It was under his leadership, and through his first year, and to a 20-win season and
his imagination, that Siena was given Division I MAAC title game appearance the following
status in 1976. After a brief incubation period, the year. In his third season, the Saints enjoyed
program began to flourish, and has since periodically one of the great years in program history,
experienced the national acclaim Fitzgerald dared winning the MAAC regular-season and
dream of over 60 years ago. postseason championship before stunning
No. 4 seed Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tourna -
Head Coach Mike Deane guided Siena to the ment First Round. Last year, McCaffery’s
promised land of college basketball, the NCAA Saints equaled a program-record with 27
Tournament, for the first time in 1989—the year wins and made another run to the Second
after the program made its initial NIT appearance. Round of the NCAA Tournament. They won
Billy Harrell was a United Press
After capturing the nation’s attention throughout the MAAC regular-season and Tournament
Honorable Mention All-American
the season as a result of a measles outbreak on Championship before knocking off Ohio
in 1952.
campus that forced several games (including the State 74-72 in double overtime in the First
Siena president, Fr. Kevin Mackin, presents
North Atlantic Con - Round of the Big Dance.
Billy Harrell with a replica banner and a
proclamation from the governor’s office.
ference Tournament) to be quarantined, Siena knocked
off third-seeded (and 13th ranked) Stanford in
Greensboro, N.C. to become one of the NCAA’s first From four Catholic Invitational
“Cinderella teams.” Mark “Showbiz” Brown, Siena’s Tournament appearances, to five
all-time leading scorer with 2,284 career points, keyed National Invitation Tournament
the win with a game-high 32 points. bids, to five berths in the NCAA
Tournament. From the Washington
Deane’s teams won 20 or more games four times in Avenue Armory, to the Alumni
his eight years with the program, and advanced to the Recreation Center, to the state-of-the-
NIT three times, capped off by an unforgettable 1994 art, 15,500-seat Times Union Center.
run. In his final season at the helm, the Saints played The scope has changed in the 68
well into March thanks in large part to the efforts of Bill Kirsch starred at Siena in seasons of Siena basketball, helping to
another 2,000-point scorer, Doremus Bennerman. the 1950s before returning to carry through the bold ideals set forth
Bennerman went on to earn NIT Most Valuable
his alma mater in 1972 as head Jack Hogan, a member of the 49-50 NCIT
those many years ago by Rev. Fitzgerald.
Player honors after setting the Tournament record
coach and athletic director. Champion ship team was one of nine former
with 174 points (including a school-record 51 at
It was under his leadership that players in attendance at the recognition cere-
Madison Square Garden against Kansas State) as the
Siena obtained Division I status mony. He is escorted to center court by Siena
in 1976. cheerleader Joa White.
60 2009-2010 Siena College Basketball
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