On coach's 59th birthday, will a road win be in the cards?

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Siena men's basketball coach Mitch Buonaguro will celebrate his 59th birthday in hostile surroundings on Tuesday, facing St. Bonaventure in a nationally televised game in Olean.

"Happy Birthday to Coach B," Siena sophomore guard Rob Poole said. "Hopefully we get a win for him. Maybe a card signed by the team or something."

Buonaguro could use the victory more than the Hallmark greetings with the Saints (2-6) trying to snap a four-game losing streak, most recently a 69-56 loss to rival UAlbany on Saturday night.

Now the Saints must take on the Bonnies, the defending Atlantic 10 champions, with a short turnaround and a 41/2-hour bus trip. The game will tip off at 9 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network.

Poole said a victory would give the Saints a boost going into their opening weekend of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play against Rider on Friday and Manhattan on Sunday.

"It could give us a lot of confidence coming back here against Rider and Manhattan," Poole said. "St. Bonnie's a great team. ... They haven't missed a beat even though they lost their best player."

Poole was referring to forward Andrew Nicholson, a first-round pick of the Orlando Magic in the NBA draft last June.

The Bonnies are off to a 4-2 start, beating western New York rival Buffalo 82-79 on Saturday night.

Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro said he watched film of St. Bonaventure's five-point loss last week at Ohio, which reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season.

"People think because they lost Nicholson, they'd be way down," Buonaguro said. "They're not way down ... I think they're a little underrated, actually."

St. Bonaventure senior guard/forward Chris Johnson, who averaged 6.6 points per game last year off the bench, has risen that figure to a team-leading 16.2 ppg. He's shooting 54.8 percent from the field, including 10-for-18 from 3-point range.

The Bonnies have beaten Siena the past two years, coming to Albany for a 64-58 victory last season.

The Saints once again will try to correct their offensive woes after scoring 56 points against UAlbany, the fourth time they've been held below 60 this season. Siena also committed 18 turnovers against the Great Danes.

Getting scant production from his big men outside of 6-foot-8 O.D. Anosike, Buonaguro might go more often to a smaller lineup with 6-foot-6 Trenity Burdine at power forward and three guards.

"I think the issue right now is scoring," Buonaguro said. "People ask me why we're going small, and that's the reason why. Trenity has given us good minutes. He's played well. You have to figure out what can get some points on the board."

Buonaguro said he hopes to give a few more minutes to freshman point guard Chris Leppanen of CBA in order to give starter Evan Hymes some rest.

Hymes ranks third in the nation with 5.37 turnovers per game and, in Buonaguro's opinion, tries too hard at times to pick up the scoring burden with guard Rakeem Brookins out with a back injury.

"I've just got to pick and choose when to shoot and when not to shoot," Hymes said.

 

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Siena looks to help out Hymes



Turnovers are killing the Siena men?s basketball team entering Tuesday?s game at St. Bonaventure.

In their six losses this season, the Saints have committed 94 turnovers that have led to 104 opponent points, or averages of 15.7 and 17.3 per game.

The easiest target for criticism is Siena sophomore point guard Evan Hymes, who?s third in the nation with 5.375 turnovers per contest. However, Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro was cautious about pointing the finger at Hymes during today?s media luncheon.

?I think our decision-making has hurt us in games,? Buonaguro said. ?I think a lot of it is maybe people trying to do too much. I don?t want to blame Evan because Evan is a terrific player. We?re going to need him to play well.?

Buonaguro said the 5-foot-8 Hymes is shouldering a significant burden with backcourt mate Rakeem Brookins out for at least the next three weeks with a back injury.

?I think he understands what he has to do to make the team win,? Buonaguro said. ?He also has to score without Brookins on the floor. He?s feeling pressure from a lot of areas.?

Hymes was asked if he?s trying to do too much with Brookins out.

?Yeah, a little bit,? he said. ?Rahk gives us 12, 15 points, and that?s what we don?t have right now. Our offense has been a little shaky. I?ve just got to pick and choose when to shoot and not to shoot.?

Hymes has gotten into trouble while driving to the basket and having teams collapse on him with bigger bodies. In those instances, Hymes has had trouble locating open shooters.

?I?ve got to get better at pitching it out quick and was working on that today at practice,? Hymes said. ?I know other teams, they collapse fast, and that?s when I have problems. I try to go too deep, and by the time I want to kick it out, they?re already there, and that causes a turnover.?

Buonaguro said he feels Hymes is as good a player as last season, when he earned MAAC All-Rookie honors.

?I don?t think it?s his talent level,? Buonaguro said. ?I don?t think he?s a worse player (than last season). It?s the decisions he makes once he gets in the lane. Sometimes in the lane he?s going up, they?re hitting him and shots aren?t falling, so it?s frustration. But he?s also made some good plays. He?s not playing that bad. He?s averaging 14 (points) a game.?

Buonaguro said he?d like to get Hymes, who?s averaging 35.5 minutes per game, more rest by giving playing time to backup point guard Chris Leppanen, a walk-on freshman from CBA.

Leppanen did work with Siena?s first team during practice on Monday.

?Not too many people can play 40 minutes and perform at 100 percent for 40 minutes,? Hymes said. ?It?d help a lot. I have all of the trust in Chris to come and do a great job.?

Leppanen, who has appeared in four games this season, said he?s ready to help in whatever fashion he?s needed.

?If coach thinks I?m ready, then I?m glad to hear that,? Leppanen said. ?I think if I do what I do in practice, and so far in the four games I?ve played in, I think I?ve done pretty well, so I?ve just got to run the offense and pick and choose when I want to go ahead and try and score the ball. I think we?re a lot better when we?re pushing the ball.?