No. 10 seed must grab four upsets in a row
LOUDONVILLE -- The Siena men's basketball team needs four victories in four days to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.
That's a reach, to say the least, given that a No. 10 seed has never won a single game in the event.
Yet senior guard Tommy Mitchell said he has faith as No. 10 Siena meets No. 5 Iona today in a first-round game at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
That's because Mitchell was a freshman on the 2001-02 Saints, who won four games to capture the MAAC Tournament title, the only team to do so in the tournament's 24-year history.
Granted, that Siena team was a seventh seed and the Saints were playing on their home court at Pepsi Arena. But Mitchell said he has that 2001-02 feeling as this year's tournament opens.
"It's evident from the way we've been playing toward the end of the season," Mitchell said. "I'm sure guys felt that Siena was definitely going to give up at the end of the season. All of a sudden, we're winning by double digits, where this was the same team that was getting blown out at the beginning of the year."
The last-place Saints enter today's game at 6-23, the most losses in the program's history. But they have won two of their past three, falling to Iona 75-72 in the regular-season finale Saturday in New Rochelle.
In today's rematch, the Gaels (13-15) will probably be without senior center Greg Jenkins, who is listed as doubtful after taking a hard fall on his back against Siena last Saturday.
Freshman forward Gary Springer is serving a one-game suspension after being ejected against Siena for taking a swing at sophomore David Ryan.
"It may change something for them, but we're going to play like (Jenkins and Springer) are going to be there," Siena freshman guard Jack McClinton said. "We still need to be prepared for whatever's going to happen. The stakes are too high right now in the tournament."
And they're also high for embattled Siena coach Rob Lanier. Rumors about his job security have swirled all season, and an impressive performance this weekend could help his cause.
McClinton said the Saints are playing in part for Lanier's future.
"We're all together as a family," McClinton said. "You can say we're doing it for (Lanier). We're one family, so we're doing it for each other."
The winner of today's game meets No. 4 Saint Peter's on Saturday. The Saints blew double-digit, second-half leads in both losses to Saint Peter's.
"I'm pretty excited, to tell you the truth," Siena senior center Brent Sniezyk said. "The fact our team has stuck together this long and is playing our best basketball means a lot for us."
LOUDONVILLE -- The Siena men's basketball team needs four victories in four days to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.
That's a reach, to say the least, given that a No. 10 seed has never won a single game in the event.
Yet senior guard Tommy Mitchell said he has faith as No. 10 Siena meets No. 5 Iona today in a first-round game at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
That's because Mitchell was a freshman on the 2001-02 Saints, who won four games to capture the MAAC Tournament title, the only team to do so in the tournament's 24-year history.
Granted, that Siena team was a seventh seed and the Saints were playing on their home court at Pepsi Arena. But Mitchell said he has that 2001-02 feeling as this year's tournament opens.
"It's evident from the way we've been playing toward the end of the season," Mitchell said. "I'm sure guys felt that Siena was definitely going to give up at the end of the season. All of a sudden, we're winning by double digits, where this was the same team that was getting blown out at the beginning of the year."
The last-place Saints enter today's game at 6-23, the most losses in the program's history. But they have won two of their past three, falling to Iona 75-72 in the regular-season finale Saturday in New Rochelle.
In today's rematch, the Gaels (13-15) will probably be without senior center Greg Jenkins, who is listed as doubtful after taking a hard fall on his back against Siena last Saturday.
Freshman forward Gary Springer is serving a one-game suspension after being ejected against Siena for taking a swing at sophomore David Ryan.
"It may change something for them, but we're going to play like (Jenkins and Springer) are going to be there," Siena freshman guard Jack McClinton said. "We still need to be prepared for whatever's going to happen. The stakes are too high right now in the tournament."
And they're also high for embattled Siena coach Rob Lanier. Rumors about his job security have swirled all season, and an impressive performance this weekend could help his cause.
McClinton said the Saints are playing in part for Lanier's future.
"We're all together as a family," McClinton said. "You can say we're doing it for (Lanier). We're one family, so we're doing it for each other."
The winner of today's game meets No. 4 Saint Peter's on Saturday. The Saints blew double-digit, second-half leads in both losses to Saint Peter's.
"I'm pretty excited, to tell you the truth," Siena senior center Brent Sniezyk said. "The fact our team has stuck together this long and is playing our best basketball means a lot for us."
