Siena center out for season with knee injury

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Siena men?s basketball center Imoh Silas will miss the entire season with a right knee injury suffered in practice last Thursday, the college announced today.

The results of an MRI exam showed a torn anterior cruciate ligament, according to Siena.

The injury is a blow to the Saints because Silas, a 6-foot-9, 229-pound senior from Nigeria, is their best shot-blocker. He started most of the season as the Saints won 20 games last year. He was expected to come off the bench behind sophomore Javion Ogunyemi this season.

?Imoh?s our family member and he has another year left to play,? head coach Jimmy Patsos said in a news release. ?Hopefully he comes back, but that?s up to him. He graduates (in May). I?d certainly welcome him back. Everybody has injuries. It?s the way of the sports world now.?

With Silas out, some of his minutes could go to 6-8 freshman forward Willem Brandwijk.

Silas started 53 of the 68 games he played the last two seasons after serving a year in residence in 2012-13 following an NCAA ruling. He?s averaged 3.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in his career.

?He?s a great character guy,? Patsos said. ?He gives us toughness and rebounding. He won some games for us last year.?

 

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Siena will be tested in first week




The Siena men?s basketball team will have its high expectations tested early and often this season.

The Saints open the year with three games in the first six days: at Massachusetts on Friday, at home against Vermont on Monday and versus St. Bonaventure in Olean on Wednesday.

UMass went to the NCAA Tournament out of the Atlantic-10 last season. Vermont is the defending America East regular-season champion and St. Bonaventure also comes out of the rigorous A-10.

?It is (tough),? junior forward Brett Bisping said today. ?I think we?ll have to utilize our depth there, and that?s where that?s going to come into play, and we?re happy we have so many people that can play.?

Still, the Saints will be without senior center Imoh Silas, who is having an MRI on his injured knee today. Sophomore guard Maurice White is also expected to be out for UMass after having a cyst removed.

?I don?t think so,? Siena coach Jimmy Patsos said. ?We hope Imoh comes back. Once again, I want those guys for the MAAC (schedule) anyways. I?d rather have them healthy for the MAAC than now. I?m interested to see if our young guys can play.?

Patsos said he hopes to get a combined 10 minutes out of freshman forward Willem Brandwijk and freshman guard/forward Jimmy Paige against UMass.

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Bisping said he?s back to 100 percent after dealing with a virus that had him running a temperature for 20 days. He returned to play 23 minutes and score 12 points in the exhibition win over Gannon last Saturday.

?They never really diagnosed me with anything,? Bisping said. ?Just a nasty bug, I guess.?

Bisping, listed at 6-foot-8 and 238 pounds, said he didn?t lose any weight during the ordeal because he forced himself to eat.

Bisping said against Gannon he was ?a little more winded than unusual. Noticeably, I didn?t play as much as I normally would, but the coaches knew that I wasn?t quite 100 percent. I?m feeling good in practice this week. I?ll be ready to go (Friday).?

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