3 People first team All Conference
NEW YORK - The SienaSaints aren't going to sneak up on anyone this season.
A year after throttling SEC power Vanderbilt by 21 points in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Saints were unanimously chosen by the league'scoaches to win the MAAC again in 2008-09.
Fairfield was picked second, Rider third and Niagara fourth.
The Saints placed three players on the Preseason All-MAAC team, including Preseason Player of the Year
Kenny Hasbrouck, who averaged 15.3points and dropped 30 on Vanderbilt. Junior swing
Edwin Ubiles and junior forward
Alex Franklin joined Hasbrouck on thepreseason team.
With so much talent coming back and expectations sky high for a return to the Big Dance, is there a danger of complacency?
"Sure, a lot of danger," Siena head coach
Fran McCaffery said at MAAC Media Day at the ESPNZone in Manhattan. "That'swhy we put this schedule together because if we don't play well early, we will be humbled. And we'll go into the conference hungry. If we play wellagainst those teams, we'll go into the conference confident that we can play well. So obviously I was concerned about that."
Siena has seven national TV games this season, including tilts against Tennessee in the Old Spice Classic (Nov. 27), at
Pittsburgh (Dec. 17) and at defending national champion
Kansas (Jan. 6).
McCaffery wanted to put together a tough schedule to prepare his team for league play, and ultimately another run to the NCAAs.
"It's a realistic goal [to for farther in the NCAA]," he said. "It might be easier to go farther than it is to get through this league.People forget, we were down 17 against Loyola in the semifinals, so it's very difficult to get through this conference."
McCaffery added that the MAAC is especially loaded this year with a number of players "who are NBA prospects." A year ago, Rider star
Jason Thompson was chosen No. 12 in the NBA Draft.
"I think Ubiles, Hasbrouck and
[Ryan Thompson of Rider] for sure," he said in reference to potential NBA players. "I think
Tyrone Lewis [of Niagara] is special, and I think the next step would be some of these new guys coming into the league who I haven'tseen." McCaffery had in mind Iona's 7-foot transfer from Louisville,
Jonathan Huffman, among others.
In order to prepare for life in the brutal MAAC, the Saints traveled to Italy over the summer to gain some bonding and playing time.
"It was a lot of playing time for reserves
Clarence Jackson and
Ryan Rossiter, I think they did great overthere," Hasbrouck said. "Team bonding, it was just another two weeks we got to spend together away from campus. It was a great experience for us. Wegot to view the world."
Now the Saints are back home and hoping for a return to the Big Dance. But it won't be easy.
"When you have three first-team all-league players, certainly the expectations are that you're to win the conference," Rider coach
Tommy Dempsey said. "And I think the conference is going to be very competitive. They're still going to have to get up and play everynight, so nobody in this league is going to roll over, so they'll have their work cut out for them."
NOTEBOOK
You think doors have opened up for Rider now that
Jason Thompson went to the NBA? Seventeen players showed up for the school's MidnightMadness, including St. Patrick of Elizabeth sophomore
Michael Gilchrist. "Recruits view your program a little bit differently now becauseyou have that NBA [guy]," Rider coach
Tommy Dempsey said. "Being a lottery selection has enabled some other kids to say, 'Hey,if I can go somewhere and have a big career, it doesn't really matter where I go. If I'm good enough, I'm going to make it to theNBA.'"…Dempsey on
Ryan Thompson: "What makes Ryan so special is his versatility. He shot over 40 percent from 3. He can take itin the lane. He's a tremendous passer. Second on our team in assists. Second on our team in rebounding. There's nothing on the basketball court that hecan't do, so that creates a lot of matchup problems.
PRESEASON POLL
1. Siena
2. Fairfield
3. Rider
4. Niagara
5. Loyola
6. Manhattan
7. Iona
8. Canisius
9. Saint Peter's
10. Marist
PRESEASON ALL-MAAC TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Jonathan Han, Fairfield
Ryan Thompson, Rider
Alex Franklin, Siena
Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena
Edwin Ubiles, Siena
SECOND TEAM
Anthony Johnson, Fairfield
Gary Springer, Iona
Brian Rudolph, Loyola
Antoine Pearson, Manhattan
Tyrone Lewis, Niagara
Harris Mansell, Rider
THIRD TEAM
Frank Turner, Canisius
Marquis Sullivan, Loyola
Devon Austin, Manhattan
David Devezin, Marist
Wesley Jenkins, St. Peter's
..
Little Thompson is a nice player...but he's getting a lot of hype off of his name now.
NEW YORK - The SienaSaints aren't going to sneak up on anyone this season.
