Saints, adjusting to life without Penn, face Fairfield on Monday
Siena men's basketball coach Jimmy Patsos spent his Saturday afternoon watching a team that plays even slower than his own does these days. Slower than anyone in the country, as a matter of fact, with great success.
Invited by a Siena donor, Patsos went to the Carrier Dome and saw second-ranked Virginia smother Syracuse 59-44.
"It was just good to go and watch a game,'' Patsos said. "Just sit there, 10 rows up in the stands, with my little notes. Me and my notes."
The Cavaliers are last in Division I in adjusted tempo out of 351 Division I programs, defined as number of possessions per 40 minutes, according to statistican Ken Pomeroy. Syracuse isn't in any hurry, either, at 339th.
While no one's comparing Siena to Virginia, an Atlantic Coast Conference team with the nation's best defense, Patsos did look to Virginia as a blueprint for his own shorthanded team.
"I just learned how patient they were and they didn't turn the ball over and they got a million defensive rebounds,'' Patsos said. "If you hold teams to one shot and don't turn the ball over, you're going to be in the game."
After the game, Patsos returned to Albany for a late-night session to watch video of Fairfield. The Saints (7-17 overall, 3-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) meet the Stags (9-13, 4-7) on Monday night in Bridgeport, Conn.
Then at Sunday's practice, Patsos read aloud from the Syracuse-Virginia box score as his players stretched. He noted the Cavaliers played just seven men, while the Orange used only six. Siena could also go with a smaller rotation out of necessity.
Siena will be without starting freshman point guard Roman Penn for the second straight game and possibly a lot longer than that. He was still in a boot with crutches on Sunday after being diagnosed on Friday with a stress injury to his left heel. He's still due to undergo an MRI exam.
He missed the 51-47 loss to Manhattan on Friday, Siena's lowest-scoring performance of the season and third straight game being held under 60 points. The Saints are ninth in the MAAC in scoring at 67.5 points per game.
"A few days (of preparation) helps, but it's hard to replace a player like Roman,'' junior forward Evan Fisher said. "He just does so much for us. It's not just taking care of the ball."
Siena might also be without freshman guard Jordan Horn, who gave the Saints six minutes vs. Manhattan despite a sprained ankle. He didn't practice on Sunday.
Siena will hope to get more out of sophomore guard Khalil Richard, who didn't attempt a shot in 21 minutes against Manhattan while playing with a bruised right hand and wrist.
Milking the shot clock, Siena has dropped to 284th in the nation in tempo, third-slowest in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference only to Manhattan and Saint Peter's.
"It's not that I don't want to still score fast,'' Patsos said. "I will. But who's going to run in transition? .... How are we going to run, anyway? Who's going to run?"
Patsos noted Monday's game could be higher-scoring simply because the Stags play a lot faster than Manhattan or Saint Peter's, Siena's last two opponents. Fairfield is 75th in tempo.
Fairfield is led by 6-3 senior guard Tyler Nelson, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, who averages a league-best 21.5 points per game. He had 32 in a 103-100 overtime win over Iona last Monday and then poured in 26 in a 79-78 victory at Monmouth on Friday. The Stags love to shoot 3-pointers with 26.9 attempts per game, second in the MAAC.
The Saints are trying to rebound from a tough Manhattan loss, when they gave up 19 offensive rebounds and botched an inbounds pass with 2.1 seconds left.
"We just keep fighting,'' freshman center Prince Oduro said. "I feel like we're getting closer and closer. Just little things ... If everyone could just be one or two plays better, that could be the difference."
Siena is 1-11 on the road this season.
Siena men's basketball coach Jimmy Patsos spent his Saturday afternoon watching a team that plays even slower than his own does these days. Slower than anyone in the country, as a matter of fact, with great success.
Invited by a Siena donor, Patsos went to the Carrier Dome and saw second-ranked Virginia smother Syracuse 59-44.
"It was just good to go and watch a game,'' Patsos said. "Just sit there, 10 rows up in the stands, with my little notes. Me and my notes."
The Cavaliers are last in Division I in adjusted tempo out of 351 Division I programs, defined as number of possessions per 40 minutes, according to statistican Ken Pomeroy. Syracuse isn't in any hurry, either, at 339th.
While no one's comparing Siena to Virginia, an Atlantic Coast Conference team with the nation's best defense, Patsos did look to Virginia as a blueprint for his own shorthanded team.
"I just learned how patient they were and they didn't turn the ball over and they got a million defensive rebounds,'' Patsos said. "If you hold teams to one shot and don't turn the ball over, you're going to be in the game."
After the game, Patsos returned to Albany for a late-night session to watch video of Fairfield. The Saints (7-17 overall, 3-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) meet the Stags (9-13, 4-7) on Monday night in Bridgeport, Conn.
Then at Sunday's practice, Patsos read aloud from the Syracuse-Virginia box score as his players stretched. He noted the Cavaliers played just seven men, while the Orange used only six. Siena could also go with a smaller rotation out of necessity.
Siena will be without starting freshman point guard Roman Penn for the second straight game and possibly a lot longer than that. He was still in a boot with crutches on Sunday after being diagnosed on Friday with a stress injury to his left heel. He's still due to undergo an MRI exam.
He missed the 51-47 loss to Manhattan on Friday, Siena's lowest-scoring performance of the season and third straight game being held under 60 points. The Saints are ninth in the MAAC in scoring at 67.5 points per game.
"A few days (of preparation) helps, but it's hard to replace a player like Roman,'' junior forward Evan Fisher said. "He just does so much for us. It's not just taking care of the ball."
Siena might also be without freshman guard Jordan Horn, who gave the Saints six minutes vs. Manhattan despite a sprained ankle. He didn't practice on Sunday.
Siena will hope to get more out of sophomore guard Khalil Richard, who didn't attempt a shot in 21 minutes against Manhattan while playing with a bruised right hand and wrist.
Milking the shot clock, Siena has dropped to 284th in the nation in tempo, third-slowest in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference only to Manhattan and Saint Peter's.
"It's not that I don't want to still score fast,'' Patsos said. "I will. But who's going to run in transition? .... How are we going to run, anyway? Who's going to run?"
Patsos noted Monday's game could be higher-scoring simply because the Stags play a lot faster than Manhattan or Saint Peter's, Siena's last two opponents. Fairfield is 75th in tempo.
Fairfield is led by 6-3 senior guard Tyler Nelson, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, who averages a league-best 21.5 points per game. He had 32 in a 103-100 overtime win over Iona last Monday and then poured in 26 in a 79-78 victory at Monmouth on Friday. The Stags love to shoot 3-pointers with 26.9 attempts per game, second in the MAAC.
The Saints are trying to rebound from a tough Manhattan loss, when they gave up 19 offensive rebounds and botched an inbounds pass with 2.1 seconds left.
"We just keep fighting,'' freshman center Prince Oduro said. "I feel like we're getting closer and closer. Just little things ... If everyone could just be one or two plays better, that could be the difference."
Siena is 1-11 on the road this season.
