Siena center, out for a month with a broken left leg, to return vs. Fairfield
LOUDONVILLE -- For the first time in a long time, good news came Tuesday to the Siena basketball team.
Michael Haddix, who has missed the past month because of a broken left leg, will be back in the lineup tonight when the Saints play Fairfield at Pepsi Arena.
How much Haddix, the best player on a disappointing team, will play -- and how effective he'll be -- remains to be seen. Haddix, naturally, said he is fully recovered and would like to play all 40 minutes. Siena coach Rob Lanier said Haddix will come off the bench.
"I expect that when he's out there, he will give a great effort," Lanier said. "We will monitor his wind and try not to extend his minutes too long so we can have him at the end of the game."
Haddix went through full-contact practices the past three days and did not experience any discomfort in his leg.
"He was in a couple of scrums, and a couple of times he was at the bottom of the pile," Lanier said. "We all held our breath when that happened. but he was fine."
"I think I am going to be OK," Haddix said. "I will give Coach as much as he needs. I think I can give him 40 minutes."
The last time Haddix played was Dec. 11, when Siena defeated Iona at Pepsi Arena. It was in that game that he hurt himself and missed the next five.
During that stretch, Siena went 2-3. With Haddix in the lineup, Siena went 1-7.
Haddix is the lone Siena player scoring in double figures (16.3).
Lanier said the return of Haddix does not mean all that ails the Saints is over.
"When Mike was out, we wanted to have other guys step up and get better," Lanier said. "And we did get that. Jack (McClinton) played well, and against Marist (77-66 loss Friday night) I thought that Antoine (Jordan) and Tommy (Mitchell) played better. We have to have guys make shots in order to have Mike's inside presence be a factor."
In the six games Haddix has played against Fairfield in his career, he has averaged 11.5 points and 8.1 rebounds. His best game came last year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, when he had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the Saints' 66-63 upset victory in the quarterfinals.
Fairfield played that game without 6-foot-9, 250-pound Deng Gai, who was injured. Gai is the best shot blocker in the MAAC, averaging 4.8 per game.
"Deng Gai is a great shot blocker, and I know he did not play the last time," Haddix said. "But I am confident I can go out there and play with him."
Siena also got some bad news, learning that freshman point guard Kojo Mensah has been injured again. Mensah, who sat out three weeks with a stress fracture in his left leg before returning against Marist, took a knee to his left shin Thursday and did not practice Friday.
Lanier said Mensah will not play tonight and probably won't dress.
Mensah spent time Tuesday shooting at a side basket and limping noticeably.
"I don't think I can play, the pain is pretty bad," Mensah said. "I can't even walk good right now. This is very frustrating, to get hurt again. I haven't been 100 percent for the whole year."
LOUDONVILLE -- For the first time in a long time, good news came Tuesday to the Siena basketball team.
Michael Haddix, who has missed the past month because of a broken left leg, will be back in the lineup tonight when the Saints play Fairfield at Pepsi Arena.
How much Haddix, the best player on a disappointing team, will play -- and how effective he'll be -- remains to be seen. Haddix, naturally, said he is fully recovered and would like to play all 40 minutes. Siena coach Rob Lanier said Haddix will come off the bench.
"I expect that when he's out there, he will give a great effort," Lanier said. "We will monitor his wind and try not to extend his minutes too long so we can have him at the end of the game."
Haddix went through full-contact practices the past three days and did not experience any discomfort in his leg.
"He was in a couple of scrums, and a couple of times he was at the bottom of the pile," Lanier said. "We all held our breath when that happened. but he was fine."
"I think I am going to be OK," Haddix said. "I will give Coach as much as he needs. I think I can give him 40 minutes."
The last time Haddix played was Dec. 11, when Siena defeated Iona at Pepsi Arena. It was in that game that he hurt himself and missed the next five.
During that stretch, Siena went 2-3. With Haddix in the lineup, Siena went 1-7.
Haddix is the lone Siena player scoring in double figures (16.3).
Lanier said the return of Haddix does not mean all that ails the Saints is over.
"When Mike was out, we wanted to have other guys step up and get better," Lanier said. "And we did get that. Jack (McClinton) played well, and against Marist (77-66 loss Friday night) I thought that Antoine (Jordan) and Tommy (Mitchell) played better. We have to have guys make shots in order to have Mike's inside presence be a factor."
In the six games Haddix has played against Fairfield in his career, he has averaged 11.5 points and 8.1 rebounds. His best game came last year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, when he had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the Saints' 66-63 upset victory in the quarterfinals.
Fairfield played that game without 6-foot-9, 250-pound Deng Gai, who was injured. Gai is the best shot blocker in the MAAC, averaging 4.8 per game.
"Deng Gai is a great shot blocker, and I know he did not play the last time," Haddix said. "But I am confident I can go out there and play with him."
Siena also got some bad news, learning that freshman point guard Kojo Mensah has been injured again. Mensah, who sat out three weeks with a stress fracture in his left leg before returning against Marist, took a knee to his left shin Thursday and did not practice Friday.
Lanier said Mensah will not play tonight and probably won't dress.
Mensah spent time Tuesday shooting at a side basket and limping noticeably.
"I don't think I can play, the pain is pretty bad," Mensah said. "I can't even walk good right now. This is very frustrating, to get hurt again. I haven't been 100 percent for the whole year."
