Friday night's game between first place Siena (15-1, 22-6) and second place Niagara (12-4, 22-7) will be on ESPNU from Taps Gallagher Arena.

This obviously would have been a bigger game had Niagara not lost to Rider last week and the regular season title still been up for grabs, but still Siena coach Fran McCaffery has stayed consistent with his moniker.

“Nothing will change at all,” McCaffery said. “It will be business as usual.”

It could be a preview of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title game because these look like the two most talented teams in the league.

“We want teams to think they have to get through us to get to the MAAC championship and they feel like teams have to go through them to get to the MAAC championship,” senior co-captain Kenny Hasbrouck said. “That’s how it’s been and that’s how it’s going to be the next couple of years.”

The Purple Eagles will also be looking to prove that the Saints are nearly unbeatable in the conference this year.

“They’re definitely a good team and they’re going to try and come out and prove that they can beat us,” junior point guard Ronald Moore said.

Niagara has a lot of talent, but the key for Siena will be to keep the Purple Eagles off of the glass, especially with rebounders like Benson Egemonye and Bilal Benn.

“Our main goal is to stop them from getting second-chance shots,” Moore said.

It should be an electric atmosphere in front of what I would expect to be a sellout crowd.

“When it’s all said and done, I think our players and their players enjoy those types of games,” McCaffery said. “That’s what it’s all about — packed house, national television audience — that’s what they want.”

Prediction: Siena 90, Niagara 76 (My record is 21-7, worse than both teams - who knew)