2010-11Outlook
Junior OwenWignot is another versatile threatwho has seenmeaningfulminutes for a team that won 54 games in his first two years with the program. Wignot can knock down the jumper and possesses surprising leaping ability, allowing him to get to the rim in transition and off his quick first step.
Freshman Trenity Burdine is expected to add immediate depth on the wing and help replace the loss of Siena’s third all-time leading scorer, four-year starter Edwin Ubiles. Burdine has great acceleration and can finish with authority, but his adjustment period has been slowed by a foot injury.
While experience and dependability define Siena’s frontcourt, there is less certainty in the backcourt.
Backcourt Moore’s graduation may have left the biggest void. The Saints’ floor general for the past four seasons became the program’s all-time assist leader during his record-setting senior year. The
search for his replacement starts with a pair of talented underclassmen.
Freshman Rakeem Brookins was the first recruit to sign with Buonaguro, committing to the Saints in April. Like Moore, Brookins hails fromPhiladelphia, where he enjoyed a successful scholastic career at Roman Catholic High School. Brookins will give the Saints a different look at the point, as he has a reliable jumper to go along with his court vision and above- average basketball IQ.
Brookins is in a spirited competition for the starting spot with sophomore Jonathan Breeden and junior Kyle Griffin. Breeden didn’t get a ton of opportunities as a rookie shadowing Moore, but the experience he gained in practice should have him well-pre- pared to make serious contributions this year. Breeden can also knock down the 3-point shot and is playing with improved confidence. Griffin, meanwhile, joined the active roster mid-season last year, after red-shirting
following his transfer from LaSalle. The crafty guard with a smooth jump shot has persevered through three knee surgeries and may be the most trusted option at the start.
Kyle Downey will see the majority of his time at the off-guard spot. Downey has been a major contributor in his first two years, earning MAAC All-Rookie recognition as a freshman and starting Siena’s NCAA game with Purdue last year. He has overcome a slew of injuries with a blue-collar work ethic and incredible mental toughness.
Junior walk-on Conner Fenlon com- pletes the 2010-11 roster.
Schedule Siena’s 38-game home court win streak, the second longest in the nation, will be tested early and often this season. The road games are no walk in the park either. National Runner-up Butler, ACC power Georgia Tech and an ESPNU BracketBusters game highlight one of themost intriguing home sched- ules in programhistory.
The Buonaguro era tips with six of the first eight games against teams that won at least 20 games and advanced to postseason play in 2009-10. This year’s schedule also features six non- league home games, meaning Siena will play 15 regular-season contests at Times Union Center – its most ever.
On Saturday, November 13, at 7 p.m. at the Times Union Center, the Saints host Vermont. The Catamounts finished the 2009-10 season with a 25-10 overall mark, went 12-4 in conference play and won the America East Championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in school history. The 25 victories tied a school record, but the Cats have eight new faces on their roster this season.
Siena travels to play Minnesota of the Big Ten Conference on Monday, November 15, on ESPNU. The Gophers went 21-14 in 2009-10, and earned a
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