ALBANY - Occasionally, quarterback Buddy Leathley will turn a handoff into a scramble.

It's something that running back Drew Smith can appreciate.

See, Smith used to be a mobile quarterback, while playing at Guilderland High School.

Now, he's the tailback and Leathley, who took over the starting job from Dan Di Lella, is the mobile quarterback.

“We joke about it sometimes,” said Smith, who would still prefer to get the ball.

Leathley's legs may be one of his most dangerous weapons, but they are also something he needs to learn how to keep under control.

“He’s got to do a better job of holding onto the ball,” said UAlbany coach Bob Ford after Wednesday's spring practice on University Field.

Leathley (who is seen in the above picture, throwing a touchdown in last year's spring scrimmage) was dynamic in his rookie season, but he has to cut down on turnovers.

“We have to stop that,” Ford said. “If we can’t stop that, we’ll keep searching. He can’t turn the ball over.”

While Leathley is just a red-shirt freshman, he has stepped up in leading the Great Danes through the start of the 2011 spring practices.

“He’s leading with his actions,” said fellow frosh, running back Dillon Romain.

“The team believes in him and follows him a little bit,” added Ford.

Two starters (Chris Wilk - ILB; Kyle O'Keefe - OG) are out with injuries.

The spring practices culminate with the intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, April 9, at 3 p.m.

"You hope to be healthy,” Ford said. “When it’s all said and done, you want to come out of this thing healthy.”

Here's a quick recap of what Ford thought about each area (this isn't quotes, but rather a paraphrase)

• Defensive line should be strong
• Three inside linebackers should be good (4 or 5 in the hunt for the fourth)
• Solid at safety and corner spots
• Very good at punter
• Fairly decent at kicker
• Offensive line "highly suspect"
• Wide receivers and running backs are very good
  

Former Bishop Maginn star Taran Buie is in the news again.

Again, it's for all of the wrong reasons.

The Penn State University basketball player, who was suspended from the team in December, was involved in a fight on St. Patrick's day.

Buie, 19, was arrested along with one other basketball player and two football players.

Here is a link to the report.

Buie's brother, Talor Battle (who also played at Bishop Maginn), just finished up one of the most successful Big Ten career's, scoring more than 2,000 points and leading his team to the NCAA tournament.

The 2011 football season isn't too far off. At least it feels like football weather outside.

Here is the schedule, just released today for the University at Albany football team.

The season opens at Colgate on Saturday, Sept 3.

The Great Danes are currently going through Spring Practice and the Spring Game is on Saturday, April 8.

2011 University at Albany Football Schedule

September

3 (Sat.), at Colgate, 6:00
17 (Sat.), Maine, 6:00
24 (Sat.), at Columbia, 12:30.

October

1 (Sat.), at Saint Francis, Pa.*, 1:00
8 (Sat.), Duquesne*, 1:00
15 (Sat.), Robert Morris* (HC), 1:00
22 (Sat.), at Central Connecticut State*, 12:00;
29 (Sat.), at Wagner*, 1:00.

November

5 (Sat.), Bryant*, 1:00;
12 (Sat), at Monmouth*, 12:00
19 (Sat.), Sacred Heart*, 1:00.
*NEC game

Here are the stats for those named to the Lou Henson mid-major All-America team, with one addition.*

*Siena's Ryan Rossiter who ranks 9th in scoring and 1st overall in rebounding, of the 25 players chosen, was left off of the team.

If Rossiter, isn't chosen as an All-American by another publication, that is a mistake, in my opinion.

What else could he do (his team's average record notwithstanding)?

Edwin Ubiles (15.3 points per game) was named to the team after the 2009-10 season.

Kenny Hasbrouck (14.6 points per game) was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American after the 2008-09 season.

Ubiles (17.0 ppg) and Hasbrouck (16.1 ppg) were named to the CollegeInsider.com's mid-major All-America team after the 2007-08 season.

Points per game
Devon Beitzel, Northern Colorado - 21.5
Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara - 21.1
Kevin Foster, Santa Clara - 20.7
Cameron Jones, Northern Arizona - 20.1
Dominique Morrison, Oral Roberts - 19.5
Gilberto Clavell, Sam Houston State - 19.3
John Holland, Boston University - 19.2
Casper Ware, Long Beach State - 19.1
Ryan Rossiter, Siena - 18.7
Mike Smith, ETSU - 17.9
Mike Glover, Iona - 17.9
Denzel Bowles, James Madison - 17.6
Matt Howard, Butler - 16.8
Mickey McConnell, St. Mary's - 16.4
Kwame Morgan, Hampton - 16.1
Kyle Weems, Missouri State - 16.0
D.J. Cooper, Ohio - 15.8
Shelvin Mack, Butler - 15.6
Demonte Harper, Morehead State - 15.5
Justin Greene, Kent State - 15.4
Cam Long, George Mason - 15.1
Frank Hassell, Old Dominion - 15.1
Keith Wright, Harvard - 14.8
Kwazdo Ahelegbe, Northern Iowa - 14.1
Juan Pattillo, Western Kentucky - 13.7
Scott Machado, Iona - 13.4

Rebounds per game
Ryan Rossiter, Siena - 13.2
Mike Glover, Iona - 10.1
Frank Hassell, Old Dominion - 9.4
Juan Pattillo, Western Kentucky - 9.1
Denzel Bowles, James Madison - 8.8
Justin Greene, Kent State - 8.3
Keith Wright, Harvard - 8.3
Matt Howard, Butler - 7.8
Gilberto Clavell, Sam Houston State - 7.3
Mike Smith, ETSU - 6.9
Kyle Weems, Missouri State - 6.9
Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara - 6.2
John Holland, Boston University - 5.8
D.J. Cooper, Ohio - 5.0 (7.5 assists per game)
Demonte Harper, Morehead State - 5.0 (3.4 assists per game)
Dominique Morrison, Oral Roberts - 5.0
Cam Long, George Mason - 4.7 (2.9 assists per game)
Cameron Jones, Northern Arizona - 4.6 (3.2 assists per game)
Kwame Morgan, Hampton - 4.5
Shelvin Mack, Butler - 4.3 (3.6 assists per game)
Scott Machado, Iona - 3.8 (7.5 assists per game)
Devon Beitzel, Northern Colorado - 3.3
Kwazdo Ahelegbe, Northern Iowa - 3.2 (3 assists per game)
Kevin Foster, Santa Clara - 2.8 (3.6 assists per game)
Mickey McConnell, St. Mary's - 2.5 (6.1 assists per game)
Casper Ware, Long Beach State - 1.8 (3.5 assists per game)

Union falls 2-0 to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the men's hockey NCAA tournament.

New Haven Register

TROY - If anyone knows about playing a tough schedule it's newly hired Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute football coach Tim Landis.

Last season, while at San Jose State, Landis coached at Alabama (Capital One Bowl winners), at Wisconsin (Rose Bowl participants) and against Boise State (MAACO Bowl winners).

Alfred, Union and Hobart don't seem as tough, in comparison.

“When the whistle blows, it’s really about football,” he said in some of his first official statements as RPI's new head coach.

Landis brings a lot of experience as he's been a head coach at Bucknell, Saint Mary's (CA) and Davidson.

“We expect Tim to take us to a championship and to build on what Coach (Joe) King has done all these years,” said Institute president, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson.

Landis is a Division III football junkie.

On Saturday's, he prefers to look at the scores in the ODAC (where he played at Randolph-Macon), the Empire 8, the Liberty League and the Centennial Conference.

"This is where my calling is," he said of the Division III game.

The blend of RPI's commitment to academics and athletics was a perfect one for Landis.

“I’ve been at quality academic institutions,” he said. “When I saw the combination of the academics and the success level and then I saw the facilities, I thought this was almost too good to be true, in terms of small college football.”

Landis' hiring ends a two-month period since King stepped down in January.

“It’s definitely a weight lifted off everyone’s shoulder,” said sophomore quarterback Mike Hermann.

Tim Landis is introduced as the new football coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Wednesday, March 23.

LOUDONVILLE - Siena released a statement today regarding their coaching staff.

Assistant coach Adam Chaskin will not return to next year's staff.

"I'd like to thank Adam for his service to Siena the last six years," said Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro said in the school's press release. "Right now, I'm focused on moving forward and I'll begin an intensive search for his successor immediately."

Buonaguro said that would be his only comment on the matter.

TROY — It’s been a long and busy week at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

On Sunday, the men’s ice hockey team was chosen to participate in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995.

The school has also found someone to succeed veteran football coach Joe King, who stepped down in January.

Early Tuesday, a school spokesman confirmed that Tim Landis has been hired to lead the Engineers for the 2011 season.

The 46-year-old comes to Troy from San Jose State University, where he was the offensive coordinator and coached the tight ends.

Landis, a native of Yardley, Pa., spent one year with the Spartans.

He also has head coaching experience at Bucknell, Saint Mary’s (CA) and Davidson.

King won 152 games in 22 seasons for the Engineers and posted a winning percentage of 71.8 percent (152-59-2).

Talor Battle hit a 3-pointer to tie his team's first round NCAA tournament game with 11 seconds to play, but Temple's Juan Fernandez ended Penn State's season and Battle's college career with a shot just before the buzzer in Tuscon, Arizona.

This was the first and last NCAA tournament game for Battle, the former star from Bishop Maginn High School in Albany.

Photos are from AP

SARASOTA, Fla. — Joe Mahoney has performed well in spring training with the Baltimore Orioles.

Still, on Tuesday, the Orioles optioned the Catholic Central graduate to Triple-A Norfolk.

Mahoney was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year last season and started spring training 7-for-17 (.412) at the plate.

“He’s done a lot to put himself on the map,” manager Buck Showalter told MLB.com.

The 24-year-old started the 2010 season at High Class A Frederick, but played the last 52 games at Double-A Bowie, where he hit .319 with nine home runs and 29 runs driven in.

Showalter indicated that even if Mahoney starts the 2011 season, back in Bowie, where he finishes the year could be based on his production.

“I think he’s primed to have that year that’s similar to last year and maybe even better,” Showalter said to MLB.com.

I'm back from a weekend filled with college hoops in Connecticut.

For the first time in six years there will be no local team participating in the Division I NCAA tournament.

UAlbany, which won back-to-back America East titles in 2006 and 2007, lost in the quarterfinals to Stony Brook, which will play next weekend against Boston University in the championship game.

Siena, which won three straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles (2008, '09, '10), lost to Iona, which will play for the championship tonight against Saint Peter's.

Here are the what is to be likely the final stories of the season on both teams that ran in Monday's print edition.

Siena - No Dance for Saints this year

UAlbany - Danes already looking ahead to next season

The month of March will certainly be different for me this time around.

I've covered Siena and UAlbany for four seasons and this is the first time I won't be covering any hoops into late March.

Last season, with the coaching change at Siena, the stories didn't stop until almost May.

My question is this.

Which team will make it to the NCAA tournament first?

SIENA or UALBANY.

You have nine months to debate.

Courtesy Siena Athletics

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The Siena Saints are no longer Metro Atlantic Athltetic Conference champions.

Iona posted a convincing 94-64 victory, ending Siena's three-year reign as champions of the conference.

Mike Glover scored 31 points and couldn't be stopped by the Saints defense.

Siena seniors Ryan Rossiter and Clarence Jackson checked out for the final time with 3:38 remaining in the game, with their team well behind.

The Saints also saw their 10-game MAAC tournament winning streak snapped and it was their first loss in the tournament since 2007.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - UAlbany coach Will Brown talks about his teams 67-61 loss in the America East quarterfinals to Stony Brook.

HARTFORD, Conn. - Coach Will Brown said that his team had chance to win the game and they definitely did.

It was Stony Brook that made their chances count and ended the University at Albany's season for the second consecutive year with a 67-61 victory in the America East quarterfinal at Chase Arena on the campus of the University of Hartford.

With the Great Danes (16-16) trailing, 63-61, sophomore co-captain Logan Aronhalt fouled Leonard Hayes with 16 seconds to play, after what he thought was a missed shot.

The problem was that John Puk had actually blocked Chris Martin's shot and the shot clock was at four.

"It hit somehting, I wasn't sure," Aronhalt said. "I thought it hit the rim."

The Seawolves (14-16) made their final four free throws to escape with the victory.

Senior Tim Ambrose scored a game-high 24 points in what will go down as his final collegiate game for UAlbany.

Martin scored a team-high 18 points for Stony Brook, which advances to play the winner of the Binghamton-Vermont game, in Sunday's semifinal.

HARTFORD, Conn. - That was a pretty solid first half of play.

It was the Bryan Dougher show early as he hit four 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game.

UAlbany coach Will Brown couldn't have been pleased with that, but the Great Danes defense picked it up and Dougher didn't score for the rest of the half.

The Great Danes were led by Tim Ambrose, who finished the first half with 14 points.

UAlbany hit some three's of their own, getting two from Ambrose, two more from Logan Aronhalt and one from Mike Black.

The Seawolves finished with seven 3-pointers in the first half.

Aronhalt chipped in 10 for UAlbany, while Eric McAlister has six for Stony Brook.

The winner of this game punches the first ticket into the semifinal.

It should be a good second half.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The first thing Ryan Rossiter said to his teammates after Michael Alvarado's game-tying shot was words of encouragement and leadership.

"Let's go," he said once he got back to the huddle. "We're going to win."

Rossiter scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, just another day at the office for the MAAC's Player of the Year.

"When you got a Rossiter, he's like another coach," said Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro. "He's in the huddle. He's great. To coach Ryan Rossiter in my first year at Siena is an unbelievable thing. He's great, great kid and a great player."

This game took a great deal to come out on top and the Saints will have to turn right around because as they left the postgame press conference, it was already past midnight.

"I'm not that concerned," Buonaguro said. "We're have a game plan put together tonight and hopefully it works."

The Saints will take on No. 2 seed Iona, who they split two games with during the regular season.

"We're going to have to play really well to win," Buonaguro said.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The way the Siena women's basketball team played in the first half, you'd think there was no way they could win.

Siena overcame a eight-point halftime deficit to post a 36-33 victory at the Arena at Harbor Yard, in the quarterfinals of the 2011 MAAC tournament.

The game is the lowest scoring combined score in MAAC tournament history, breaking last year's record of 70, when Siena topped Rider 45-25.

The Saints scored a whopping 29 points in the second half, compared to just seven before intermission.

Maja Gerlyng led the way with 14 points.

Siena (14-15) takes on five-time defending champion Marist in the semifinals, at 11:30 a.m., on Saturday.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - To say that the Siena women's basketball team shot poorly in the first half would be an understatement.

The Saints made just three field goals and trail 15-7 at halftime of their quarterfinal with Fairfield.

Siena posted two victories over the Stags in the regular season and did lead 2-0 and 4-2, before they couldn't find the basket.

Siena's Leading scorer Serena Moore picked up her second foul with 6:17 remaining and headed to the bench.

Fairfield missed their first 12 shots, but then finished the half by making six of their last 15 shots.

Maja Gerlyng leads the way with five points for the Saints, while Katelyn Linney has six for the Stags.

The winner of this game gets five-time defending champion Marist, who defeated Saint Peter's 61-33.

Here are the men's postseason awards for the America East Conference.

2011 America East Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams

First Team – Tim Ambrose (Albany), Troy Barnies (Maine), Evan Fjeld (Vermont), John Holland (Boston U.), Darryl Partin (Boston U.).

Second Team – Tyrone Conley (New Hampshire), Chris De La Rosa (UMBC), Bryan Dougher (Stony Brook), Gerald McLemore (Maine), Joe Zeglinski (Hartford).

Third Team – Logan Aronhalt (Albany), Brendan Bald (Vermont), Mike Black (Albany), Mahamoud Jabbi (Binghamton), Morgan Sabia (Hartford).

All-Defense – Brendan Bald (Vermont), Milton Burton (Hartford), Patrick Hazel (Boston U.), Mahamoud Jabbi (Binghamton), Chandler Rhoads (New Hampshire).

All-Rookie – Jordon Bronner (New Hampshire), Luke Devlin (Albany), D.J. Irving (Boston U.), Dom Morris (Boston U.), Brian Voelkel (Vermont).

All-Academic – Billy Allen (Albany), Logan Aronhalt (Albany), Brian Benson (New Hampshire), Jacob Iati (Albany), Andrew Rogers (Maine).

Kevin Roberson Player of the Year: John Holland, Boston U.

Defensive Player of the Year: Brendan Bald, Vermont

Rookie of the Year: Brian Voelkel, Vermont

Coach of the Year: Mike Lonergan, Vermont

Here are the women's America East postseason awards that were announced Thursday afternoon.

The big winner's from UAlbany were sophomore Ebone Henry and Julie Forster, who were honored on all-conference teams, the all-defensive team and Forster on the all-academic team.

Henry was named America East Defensive Player of the Year.

The men's awards will be announced today at 4 p.m.

All-Conference First Team
Player School Class Position
Ebone Henry Albany So.
Chantell Alford Boston U. So.
Andrea Holmes Binghamton Jr.
Erin Brown UMBC Jr.
Michelle Kurowski UMBC

All-Conference Second Team
Viive Rebane Binghamton Jr.
Mo Moran Boston U. So.
Denise Beliveau New Hampshire Jr.
Kirsten Jeter Stony Brook Sr.
Tonya Young Vermont Sr.

All-Conference Third Team
Julie Forster Albany So.
Kerry Cashman Boston U. Sr.
Alex Young Boston U. Jr.
Ruthanne Doherty Hartford
Topé Obajolu UMBC Jr.

All-Defensive Team
Julie Forster Albany So.
Ebone Henry Albany So.
Chantell Alford Boston U. So.
Topé Obajolu UMBC Jr.
Kirsten Jeter Stony Brook Sr.

All-Rookie Team
Jasbriell Swain* Binghamton
Rashidat Agboola Boston U.
Taylor Clark Hartford
Ashleigh Roberts* Maine
Kelsey Hogan New Hampshire

All-Academic Team
Player School Class GPA Major
Denise Beliveau New Hampshire Jr. 3.56 Kinesiology
Julie Forster* Albany So. 3.96 Business administration
Michelle Kurowski UMBC Jr. 3.82 Psychology
Viive Rebane Binghamton Jr. 3.58 Psychology
Mary Silvia* Hartford Sr. 3.90 Entrepreneurial studies

Coach of the Year
Phil Stern, UMBC

Rookie of the Year
Jasbriell Swain, Binghamton

Defensive Player of the Year
Ebone Henry, Albany

Player of the Year
Chantell Alford, Boston U.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The first women's quarterfinal is over, with No 2 Loyola (Md.) beating No. 7 Canisius in overtime.

I forgot to post the major awards last night.

Postseason MAAC awards
Women's
Rookie of the Year - Jamie Ruttle, Canisius
6th Player of the Year - Ali Heller, Rider
Defensive Player of the Year - Katie Sheahin, Loyola (Md.)
Coach of the Year - Brian Giorgis, Marist
Player of the Year - Erica Allenspach, Marist
Men's
Rookie of the Year - Danny Stewart, Rider
6th Player of the Year - J'Hared Hall, Loyola (Md.)
Defensive Player of the Year - Anthony Nelson, Niagara
Coach of the Year - Ed Cooley, Fairfield
Player of the Year - Ryan Rossiter, Siena

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Siena senior Ryan Rossiter wins the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

University at Albany sophomore captains Logan Aronhalt and Blake Metcalf talk about the upcoming 2011 America East tournament.

LOUDONVILLE - Before Wednesday's practice at the ARC, Ryan Rossiter was asked about the possibility to be named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

“I don’t really care,” he said. “My main goal is a championship. That’s all I’m focused on. It’d be great if I went down there (Bridgeport, Conn.) tomorrow and I won it, but that doesn’t change my mindset or how I think when I’m entering the tournament.”

He would be the fifth Siena player to win the award and the third consecutive Saints player, following Kenny Hasbrouck (2009-09) and Alex Franklin (2009-10). The other two are Doremus Bennerman (1993-94) and Marc Brown (1990-91).

Rossiter said it would be great to follow his former teammates and friends, Hasbrouck and Franklin.

“That’d be great company to have,” he said. “Kenny and Alex were tremendous players and two of my good friends, so following stride with them would be really important to me. If it happens, it happens. If not, so be it.”

The three-time defending champions begin their MAAC tournament play, Friday night, at 9:30 p.m., against No. 10 Manhattan.

The Saints have tried to remain positive, but now it's one loss and the season is over.

“We’re aware of that,” Rossiter said. “We’re just trying to take it one game at a time.”

Here are my selections for the All-America East teams.

Again, this is how I would select, if I had a vote, not necessarily how I think everything will shake out.

First Team
John Holland, Boston University
Evan Fjeld, Vermont
Tim Ambrose, UAlbany
Chris De La Rosa, UMBC
Troy Barnies, Maine

Second Team
Mike Black, UAlbany
Gerald McLemore, Maine
Tyrone Conley, New Hampshire
Darryl Partin, Boston University
Joe Zeglinski, Hartford

Third Team
Logan Aronhalt, UAlbany
Mahamoud Jabbi, Binghamton
Joey Accaoui, Vermont
Morgan Sabia, Hartford
Bryan Dougher, Stony Brook

Rookie Team
Brian Voelkel, Vermont
Luke Devlin, UAlbany
D.J. Irving, Boston University
Dom Morris, Boston University
Chase Plummer, UMBC

The last players I eliminated were sophomore Brendan Bald of Vermont from the third team and freshman John Puk from the rookie team.

The New York Daily News is reporting that Barry Rohrssen will be fired after his fifth season is over at Manhattan.

Here is a link to the story.