siena/marist...

[IE]

Haddix, Mensah begin to practice


LOUDONVILLE -- First, the good news: Michael Haddix and Kojo Mensah practiced with the Siena men's basketball team on Wednesday for the first time in over three weeks.



Now, the bad: there is no guarantee the two will play when the Saints play at Marist on Friday night.

Haddix, the 6-foot-7 junior center and leading scorer for the Saints, has been out with a broken left leg; Mensah, a 6-0 freshman guard, has been sidelined with a stress fracture in his left leg. Both were given medical clearance to participate in non-contact drills at Wednesday's practice and that's all they did.

"I have no idea if they will play against Marist," Siena coach Rob Lanier said. 'Right now I am planning for Friday as though they were not going to play."

Haddix averages team highs in points (16.3) and rebounds (6.6) for the 3-9 Saints. Mensah, who was starting at point guard, averages 8.0 points and 3.2 assists.

Haddix, wearing a blue brace on his left leg, ran the court in no discomfort when the Saints were doing layup drills at the end of practice and said he felt fine. He wants to play on Friday but the decision is not his.

"If I get to play, I would hope I would be able to play a lot," Haddix said. "But I'm just not sure. I didn't feel any pain at all and the leg feels a lot better than it did a week ago."

Mensah also said he was pain free and hopes he can go in full contact drills today. Lanier said neither will play unless they are able to practice.

"Oh, my goodness, it felt good to be out there," Mensah said. "The drills didn't bother my legs at all. It bothered my wind, though."

Freshman guard Albert Fisher, who has missed the last three games with a bruised sternum, went through full contact drills Wednesday and will likely play Friday.

 

[IE]

Siena to meet the Brady bunch


The phone in Matt Brady's office at Marist College has been ringing nonstop this week.




Brady is in his first year as Marist College coach. Tonight, at the McCann Center in Poughkeepsie, the Red Foxes play Siena, the school that Brady played for and graduated from in 1987.

He's 22nd on the school's career scoring list and is regarded as one of the best point guards to play at Siena. He also interviewed for the head coaching job at Siena in 2001, the year it hired Rob Lanier.

You get the picture. Tonight's game should be a big deal to him, as should the rematch Feb. 18 at Pepsi Arena.

"My stomach might turn a little bit when the game starts," Brady said. "After that, though, I'm just looking at this as a conference game with Siena and we both need a win."

Marist and Siena both are 1-1 in the league. Both played difficult nonleague schedules, and as a result come in well below .500 -- Siena at 3-9, Marist at 4-7.

Lanier recognizes the subplot involving Brady, not that he gets caught up in it.

"I think the media cares, and that's good," Lanier said. "Anytime there is something intriguing it's good, because it creates interest. I know Matt fairly well and I have always had great respect for him as a coach."

Siena is nearly past its nonleague schedule, with only a home game against Penn a week from Saturday remaining. The Saints have taken their lumps -- six of their eight nonleague losses were by double digits.

Some were expected -- Syracuse, Pepperdine, even Vermont, a force in America East. But a blowout loss to the University at Albany? No wonder the players are eager for a fresh start against league competition.

"This is like the second part of the season for us now," Siena senior guard Tommy Mitchell said. It seems as though everyone he knew from his days at Siena College wants to chat up Brady this week.

"This is the time when we really want to do well. We want to set ourselves up for a good position in the (MAAC) tournament. I really think those nonleague games helped us a lot, even though we didn't have a good record."

Marist already is on the way to improving from last year's 6-22 finish. The Red Foxes easily could be 2-0 in the league, having lost by a point at Rider before beating Saint Peter's in Poughkeepsie. Marist dropped nonleague games to St. John's (74-66) and Notre Dame (88-73) and Vermont (90-70), which beat Siena 77-52.

"I think we have some nice pieces to the puzzle," Brady said. "We have a team trying to get better. I like where we are right now and our kids are really intent on improving, and we think we can have a winning season."

 

[superbook]

I heard a rumor that Haddix willl play in a brace...these games are typically determined by a final shot...I took Siena +6 for a small play...maybe Box has heard more...

 

[Box and one]

I have a friend of mine who will be at the game.He's going to call me during the warmups and watch Haddix and Mensah.Not sure if he can tell anything by the layup drill.Problem is I'll be out of my house during the pre-game.Trying to figure out how I can get this message to you guys.If there not dressed that will be big news.
Marist feels they will play.It's a league game,Brady's alma mater,etc.This is a rival game too.
I'll post it in a few minuts.I just got home.