2010-11Outlook Siena basketball is at a crossroads.
The last three years have been nothing short of magical. Lots of small college programs have their time in the sun, but the Saints have had enough March moments to turn Albany into an island getaway: Three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships celebrated on their home floor, a pair of NCAA Tournament upsets, and 77 victories in three unforgettable seasons.
What to do for an encore?
In many ways, the answer to that question will shape the future of the Siena program.
Most of the faces that have become synonymous with Siena basketball over the past five years – the most successful era in the Siena’s 70-year history of men’s basketball – have moved on. The program-changing class of Alex Franklin, Ronald Moore and Edwin Ubiles is gone. The man who oversaw Siena’s transformation into a Mid-Major power, Fran McCaffery, now calls Iowa City home.
But not everything has changed.
First and foremost, Siena basketball is still a force to be reckoned with. Armed with one of the top big men in the country, an explosive and imposing roster, and a legion of diehard fans, the Siena program is still unique, and still extremely relevant.
Fresh off its third MAAC Championship and strong NCAA Tournament showing, Siena has established itself as a consis- tent Mid-Major force. From this point forward, the expectation will always be to compete for a league title and to be recognized as one of the top Mid- Major programs in the country.
The man charged with overseeing the Saints is intimately familiar with the ambitious new expectations his program has to live up to. He played a major role in their evolution.
Mitch Buonaguro returns to the head coaching ranks after a 19-year hiatus,
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continue elevating Siena basketball in the national landscape. As we discuss on campus how best to utilize the national success of men’s basketball and the value that an elite Mid-Major program brings to the College, Mitch’s expertise and experience give us the chance to continue a very special time in Siena basketball.”
Buonaguro won’t have the same expec- tations for his program as McCaffery faced last year, but the cupboard certainly wasn’t left bare either.
Frontcourt For the past decade, the Siena men’s basketball outlook has led with the backcourt. In the guard-dominated MAAC, the Saints have had some of the top playmakers in the country. Last year, point guard Ronald Moore led the nation in assists. This year, Siena will have a much different look.
With seven players 6-5 or taller, and four 6-7 or taller, the Saints will be easy to spot in the airport. It’s a roster that boasts the deepest and most talented frontline in the league.
Preseason MAAC Player of the Year, Ryan Rossiter.
during which he became one of the most respected and well known assis- tant coaches in the country. The last five of those years were spent right here in Loudonville.
To say Buonaguro has paid his dues is an understatement. But to say he was hired simply because he has would be to badly underestimate his abilities.
“Mitch has a proven record of success as a basketball coach for the last 35 years,” Siena College director of athletics John D’Argenio said at the time of his hiring April 8. “He fits Siena’s core values and mission and we believe he will
“We are a different team than we have been in the past, a bigger team,” Buonaguro said. “Obviously a lot of our game plan is going to revolve around our post players, Ryan (Rossiter) in particular.”
Rossiter is a leading MAAC Player of the Year candidate and one of the most improved college basketball players in the nation. He has been identified as a Player to Watch by ESPN and as one of the top Mid-Major talents by FOX Sports. He set a school record with 22 double-doubles as a junior, putting an exclamation point on his increasingly impressive career.
Rossiter has given opponents some- thing else to worry about, adding 26 pounds of muscle in the off-season.
“It’s always a good sign when your best player is also your hardest worker,” Buonaguro said.
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