Brady returns home
A little over a month ago, when the Siena College men's basketball team paid a visit to the McCann Center, first-year Marist coach Matt Brady said he likely wouldn't get nostalgic about playing the Saints until the Red Foxes made their annual trek to Albany.
Tonight is the night.
Brady, a 1987 Siena graduate, is second on the Saints' all-time assist list with 593 and was the team's leading scorer during his senior season. So when he leads his Red Foxes into Pepsi Arena for a pivotal matchup with the Saints, Brady admitted Thursday he'll feel a little weird.
''It's going to be a really unusual circumstance,'' Brady said, ''because I am going to know so many people in the building that I have relationships with.''
But Brady has bigger things on his mind than returning to the Capital Region to face his alma mater. The Red Foxes have been struggling mightily lately, losing six straight games after an impressive six-game winning streak.
''At this point coming off six consecutive losses like we have, this is all about trying to get a win,'' Brady said. ''I think Siena has a talented team and I think they just haven't been able to close out games. And I hope that continues against us.''
The Red Foxes' confidence seems to be waning.
During the winning streak, it seemed like the Red Foxes could do no wrong. Teammates were quick to high-five each other and there was a little bounce in the player's steps after huge wins against Manhattan and Fairfield.
That hasn't been the case during this latest losing stretch, though. Shoulders slump, heads bow, and the frustration is easily evident on their faces when adversity begins setting in.
''I think we just put our heads down too quick when the other team scores,'' sophomore Will Whittington said. ''We have to be able to come right back. We can't put our heads down when our man scores.
''We think if they make one three, then the game is over.''
While the Red Foxes have been struggling of late, the Saints have been that way all season.
Siena sports a 4-21 record, which includes a 2-12 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. That places the Saints in last place in the 10-team conference. Yes, even Loyola (Md.), which incidentally beat Siena in Albany last week, has a better record than the Saints.
However, none of that concerns Brady.
''This is going to come down to whether we can rebound the basketball and get good shots in halfcourt,'' Brady said. ''This is going to be a three- or four-minute game. I would be completely surprised if this wasn't a three- or four-minute game. I don't think anybody is going to have an appreciable lead in this game.''
Scouting report
Scouting Siena
Conference: MAAC
Nickname: Saints
Colors: Green and gold
Coach: Rob Lanier, fourth season
Record: 4-21, 2-12 MAAC
Key players: Jack McClinton, Fr., G (12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Antoine Jordan, Jr., G (7.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Tommy Mitchell, Sr., G (7.5 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Last game: Lost to Saint Peter's 80-76 Tuesday
Note: Siena has lost 12 of its last 13 games.
A little over a month ago, when the Siena College men's basketball team paid a visit to the McCann Center, first-year Marist coach Matt Brady said he likely wouldn't get nostalgic about playing the Saints until the Red Foxes made their annual trek to Albany.
Tonight is the night.
Brady, a 1987 Siena graduate, is second on the Saints' all-time assist list with 593 and was the team's leading scorer during his senior season. So when he leads his Red Foxes into Pepsi Arena for a pivotal matchup with the Saints, Brady admitted Thursday he'll feel a little weird.
''It's going to be a really unusual circumstance,'' Brady said, ''because I am going to know so many people in the building that I have relationships with.''
But Brady has bigger things on his mind than returning to the Capital Region to face his alma mater. The Red Foxes have been struggling mightily lately, losing six straight games after an impressive six-game winning streak.
''At this point coming off six consecutive losses like we have, this is all about trying to get a win,'' Brady said. ''I think Siena has a talented team and I think they just haven't been able to close out games. And I hope that continues against us.''
The Red Foxes' confidence seems to be waning.
During the winning streak, it seemed like the Red Foxes could do no wrong. Teammates were quick to high-five each other and there was a little bounce in the player's steps after huge wins against Manhattan and Fairfield.
That hasn't been the case during this latest losing stretch, though. Shoulders slump, heads bow, and the frustration is easily evident on their faces when adversity begins setting in.
''I think we just put our heads down too quick when the other team scores,'' sophomore Will Whittington said. ''We have to be able to come right back. We can't put our heads down when our man scores.
''We think if they make one three, then the game is over.''
While the Red Foxes have been struggling of late, the Saints have been that way all season.
Siena sports a 4-21 record, which includes a 2-12 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. That places the Saints in last place in the 10-team conference. Yes, even Loyola (Md.), which incidentally beat Siena in Albany last week, has a better record than the Saints.
However, none of that concerns Brady.
''This is going to come down to whether we can rebound the basketball and get good shots in halfcourt,'' Brady said. ''This is going to be a three- or four-minute game. I would be completely surprised if this wasn't a three- or four-minute game. I don't think anybody is going to have an appreciable lead in this game.''
Scouting report
Scouting Siena
Conference: MAAC
Nickname: Saints
Colors: Green and gold
Coach: Rob Lanier, fourth season
Record: 4-21, 2-12 MAAC
Key players: Jack McClinton, Fr., G (12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Antoine Jordan, Jr., G (7.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Tommy Mitchell, Sr., G (7.5 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Last game: Lost to Saint Peter's 80-76 Tuesday
Note: Siena has lost 12 of its last 13 games.
