Around the country hoops season 2023....

[Clickclack]

4 hours ago, cwdickens said:

Really?  Next thing you will be a Guttuso supporter....

That's the difference between you and I. I will cheer for anyone as long as they put the program in position to succeed. With me, program is always first. Even with Gattuso, he wins, HE gets the credit for it. Two good years in 10 years isn't great but we'll see if this year can be a launchpad to something bigger than a one year blip on the rader. If it is, he should get extended if he continues to win etc. If next year he goes back to 3 wins, he should be held accountable for that. You can't have a good year once every 5 or 6 years and expect to keep your job. He may be turning the bend but to early to tell. HIs record here speaks for itself. 

It's not personal but mediocrity or worse can only be tolerated so long, I recognize programs eb and flow. People like you will cheer on mediocrity or worse as long as your friends and family get to collect a paycheck even if they are killing the program. 

Albany basketball was no longer competitive with the top of the AE, it was not a threat to win the AE, had an awful record against the top of the AE (Vermont), the product was boring. The contract was honored and change was made. I know it upset a lot of folks who put family and friends before the program. Last time I checked, UA doesn't hand out life-time contracts, like I said, the contract was honored and school chose to go in a different direction. The rest is history...jury is out and I know in some eyes maybe the jury is closed on the replacement and a verdict has been reached. To each their own, but doesn't invalidate the a change needed to be made. Of course, in my opinion. All we can hope for us DK starts to move program in the right direction of we'll have a new coach in two years, as we should. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Clickclack

[dslyank]

21 hours ago, Clickclack said:

Just so there is no confusion, my comment was directed at him being the reason for UML's early success. That's it...

Sorry Clack, I misinterpreted your post and actually agree that crediting Iati for massL's success was/is certainly a stretch.

[Clickclack]

5 hours ago, dslyank said:

Sorry Clack, I misinterpreted your post and actually agree that crediting Iati for massL's success was/is certainly a stretch.

I could have been more clear...have a great one!

[cwdickens]

just a reminder, UMass - Lowell wins and losses the three years prior to Iati joining the staff was 39-48, since Iati joined the staff, the record is 44-25.  I guess, we have to agree to disagree on Iati's impact.

[Eli]

11 minutes ago, cwdickens said:

just a reminder, UMass - Lowell wins and losses the three years prior to Iati joining the staff was 39-48, since Iati joined the staff, the record is 44-25.  I guess, we have to agree to disagree on Iati's impact.

"Correlation does not imply causation." Maybe they started eating better. Maybe they started sleeping better. Maybe they got a new personal trainer. It could be literally anything lol. He clearly didn't tip the scales much at UA as a coach while he was great on the floor.

[cwdickens]

As bad as things have been with the UAlbany MBB program, however, we never had claim to be the worse DI school ranking.  Siena has grab that distinction: 

SIENA MEN’S BASKETBALL

 

Underdog Saints keep believing

 

By Mark Singelais

Stephen Weaver/Special to the Times Union

Siena freshman guard Michael Evbagharu said the team can’t lose belief in itself despite several blowout losses this season.

LOUDONVILLE — The Siena men’s basketball team is coming off its latest blowout loss. The Saints ranked last among the nation’s 362 Division I teams through Monday, according to the NCAA’s NET Rankings.

That’s a lot for the potentially fragile psyches of a very young team to absorb. Freshman guard Michael Evbagharu said the Saints can’t allow themselves to lose faith entering Wednesday’s nonleague game against Bryant at MVP Arena.

 

“Just got to move on and continue to believe in ourselves,” Evbagharu said. “That’s all it is. Can’t really get down on ourselves. Yeah, we’re a younger team. We all know that. I’m pretty sure a lot of other people know that as well. But it’s nothing to get down on ourselves. Just have to keep that same belief.”

Siena (2-6) lost 80-48 at Mount St. Mary’s on Sunday, the Saints’ third defeat of more than 30 points this season. They also lost by 42 at Richmond and 35 at home to the University at Albany in the Albany Cup. That doesn’t even include a 20-point setback at American.

Those one-sided losses help explain why Siena sat at rock bottom in the NET Rankings, which includes scoring margin in its formula.

Against Mount St. Mary’s, Siena was shorthanded without sophomore guard Michael Eley and freshman forward Michael Ojo, both out with ankle injuries. The Saints were making a long road trip less than 48 hours after a narrow home victory over Rider in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener.

However, redshirt sophomore forward Giovanni Emejuru didn’t want to hear excuses.

“I feel like we have enough to win,” Emejuru said. “It’s just about guys having to step up off the bench, being able to go to the bench and being able to get guys to play hard and being able to contribute to us winning. It’s essentially what we need.”

The Saints did rebound from the UAlbany blowout to beat MAAC preseason favorite Rider last Friday.

Siena head coach Carmen Maciariello said Eley and Ojo remain day-to-day. Regarding Eley, last year’s MAAC Rookie of the Year, Maciariello said it’s not clear whether he’ll be 100 percent the rest of the season. Maciariello said he encourages Eley and other injured players to be honest with him about whether they need more rest.

“You have to figure out what you can deal with, what you can’t,” Maciariello said. “Is it hurt, are you injured, is there anything wrong. And so it’s where is that threshold for him. Every person’s threshold is different.”

Evbagharu, averaging 8.4 points and 6.3 rebounds, acknowledged he’s playing through a sore back suffered in a fall against the University at Albany.

Bryant (5-4) of the America East Conference won at 10th-ranked Florida Atlantic on Nov. 18. The Bulldogs most recently prevailed Friday 69-66 at Brown, a Rhode Island rival. Head coach Phil Martelli Jr. took over in November from Jared Grasso. Fifth-year guard Sherif Gross-Bullock, a La Salle transfer, leads Bryant at 18 points per game.

“They’re more like Rider than they are Mount St. Mary’s,” Maciariello said. “I would say, more or less, their top seven guys are all guards. ... They’re going to look to drive you. They’re going to look to space you out. They’re going to play some 3-2 zone. They’re going to press. They’re going to switch everything on defense.”

Tekin’s parents support Maciariello

The parents of Siena sophomore guard Zek Te-kin sent a supportive email to Maciariello, who apologized Saturday for making physical contact with Te-kin in a timeout huddle during Friday’s win over Rider.

Zek’s father, Mustafa, confirmed in an X message they sent the email backing Maciariello.

“His parents wrote me a nice email saying they saw nothing wrong with it and coaches in Turkey do it 100 times worse,” Maciariello said. “I said, ‘Yeah, did not mean to put my hands on him.’ So, yeah, I think that’s a friendly reminder just in today’s day and age with everything on social media, especially, just to be really mindful of that. Zek’s my point guard and he said, ‘Coach, it got me to play hard and it worked.’ ”

Toys for Tots drive at Siena games

Siena will hold its annual Toys for Tots drive at Wednesday’s game vs. Bryant and the women’s contest at 7 p.m. Thursday vs. Fordham at UHY Center.

Fans who bring a new, unwrapped toy will receive a voucher to buy one ticket, get one free of equal or lesser value to a future Siena men’s or women’s home game this season. The first 50 fans to donate at each game will also receive a $5 Dunkin card redeemable at any local participating franchise.

SIENA VS. BRYANT When: 7 p.m. Wednesday Where: MVP Arena, Albany Radio: JAMZ 96.3 FM

[godanesgo99]

3 hours ago, cwdickens said:

Tekin’s parents support Maciariello

The parents of Siena sophomore guard Zek Te-kin sent a supportive email to Maciariello, who apologized Saturday for making physical contact with Te-kin in a timeout huddle during Friday’s win over Rider.

Zek’s father, Mustafa, confirmed in an X message they sent the email backing Maciariello.

“His parents wrote me a nice email saying they saw nothing wrong with it and coaches in Turkey do it 100 times worse,” Maciariello said. “I said, ‘Yeah, did not mean to put my hands on him.’ So, yeah, I think that’s a friendly reminder just in today’s day and age with everything on social media, especially, just to be really mindful of that. Zek’s my point guard and he said, ‘Coach, it got me to play hard and it worked.’ ”

Absolutely love this response. Wish more people were like this today and we could get past the weak culture we are breeding. 

[jimbo]

Anyone else see that article about the player from St Rose….Sagnia, 6-10 out of Gambia? He was at St Francis in Brooklyn last year when they dropped all sports. He found St Rose, transferred and is playing now….and now St Rose is shutting down. That’s some bad luck and or timing right there. 

[UA'08]

1 hour ago, godanesgo99 said:

Absolutely love this response. Wish more people were like this today and we could get past the weak culture we are breeding. 

Should have sued the school.

[Clickclack]

6 minutes ago, UA'08 said:

Should have sued the school.

Kids smart...gonna keep it in his back pocket for when he gets benched. 

[cwdickens]

7 hours ago, godanesgo99 said:

Absolutely love this response. Wish more people were like this today and we could get past the weak culture we are breeding. 

I find part of the response inappropriate and with no basis in fact.

[Clickclack]

Siena got worked again...we are fast approach Will Brown taking over at LCC.

[cwdickens]

$iena may still believe, however the lopsided losses continue....

ST. BONAVENTURE 89, SIENA 56

 

Saints routed again

 

By Mark Singelais

Stephen Weaver/Special to the Times Union

Siena’s Michael Eley, shown against Holy Cross earlier this season, had six points in his return from a sprained ankle in Saturday's loss at St. Bonaventure.

A lopsided defeat at St. Bonaventure’s Reilly Center isn’t unusual for the Siena men’s basketball program.

A blowout loss just about anywhere has become the norm for this year’s team.

 

St. Bonaventure graduate guard Mika Adams-Woods scored 23 points on 9-of-9 shooting as the Bonnies stomped the Saints 89-56 Saturday to take back the Franciscan Cup.

In its last three trips to Reilly Center, Siena lost by 42 points in 2018, 28 points in 2021and 33 on Saturday.

The Saints (2-8) suffered their fifth loss this season by 20 or more points and fourth by greater than

30.

“I’m not sure if we think we’re good,” Siena head coach Carmen Maciariello said on 96.3 FM after the game. “We show up and we can compete for a time and then we say, ‘Oh, OK, I know what this is about.’ And then they punch you in the mouth and we don’t respond.’

Siena is off until a Dec. 19 game against Cornell at MVP Arena.

“These guys, the ones that want to compete, will compete and they’ll play,” Maciariello said later in a video provided by Siena athletic communication. “If there’s guys that can’t compete or can’t cut it, they don’t have to play ... I think they all have the ability to compete. I think sometimes things happen where they don’t want to battle through certain situations.”

Maciariello made his team stay on the court and watch St. Bonaventure celebrate with the Franciscan Cup, which Siena won 76-70 in Albany last year.

“We’re going to watch,” Maciariello said. “I had two cups in my office earlier in November. I don’t have any more cups in my office. It’s not acceptable.”

Siena lost the Albany Cup to the University at Albany 86-51on Nov. 26 at MVP Arena.

The return of Michael Eley from a sprained ankle gave the Saints a brief lift. He made his first two jumpers and scored six points as the Saints took an 11-9 lead with 14:46 remaining in the first half.

But St. Bonaventure dominated the remainder of the half to take a 46-25 halftime lead.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I had a little quicker sub for certain guys when they’re not doing things they’re supposed to do,” Maciariello said. “We can want to win every nonconference game. If this team is going to win the MAAC, they have to understand how they have to play and understand what they have to do, day in and day out.”

Eley finished with six pointson3-of-13shooting,including 0-of-7 on 3-pointers. Michael Evbagharu and Mason Courtney led Siena with nine points each.

Chad Venning added 20 points for St. Bonaventure of the Atlantic 10, which improved to 7-2. Adams-Woods is 20-of-21 from the field and 9-for-9 from 3-point range over his last two games.

Siena, ranked 362nd and last in Division I in NCAA NET Ranking, entered the game as a 221/2-point underdog.

[Eli]

🤣🤣🤣

[tnehurley]

“If this team is going to win the MAAC”……..???????