Siena Athletics

ALBANY - There have been a few constants this season for Siena.

When the Saints play well, it's likely that senior Brandon Walters is doing the same.

Walters had a career night on Thursday, posting 14 points and 12 rebounds in the 83-79 victory over Rider.

Siena jumped all over Rider early and led by as many as 21 points in the first half.

“We just came out and played harder," Walters said. "Our team chemistry has been very good and we're just trying to build on that.”

Walters has averaged 7.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in Siena's eight victories. He has also posted his only three career double-doubles (Rider, UAlbany. Mount St. Mary's) in wins. 

In the Saints eight losses, Walters is averaging just 4.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. 

“I've had an up and down season," he said. "But the coaching staff still has confidence in me.”

Walters bounced back from one of his worst games of the year, in the victory over Niagara, where he scored zero points and grabbed just two rebounds. 

“OD (Anosike) played a pheonmenal game," Walters said of his frontcourt mate. "So it took a lot of pressure off me.”

 

Walters and OD Anosike really give Siena a nice 1-2 punch down low, especially for a mid-major school.

Walters scored four of the Saints' final 11 points, running a fast break and putting back a miss and then calmly knocking down two free throws in the final moments, to help seal the victory.

Thursday's victory also got Siena back to .500 in both the MAAC (3-3) and overall (8-8). 

“We've been trying to get to .500," Walters said. "And we did it tonight.”

Here is video reaction from Monday's 64-58 St. Bonaventure victory over Siena.

Below is Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro talking about the game.



Below is senior center Brandon Walters.

ALBANY - Kyle Downey didn't do much sitting around, during Monday night's game, so while I talked to him in the locker room, I figured I'd give him a break and let him sit, rather than standing.

Downey didn't come out of the 64-58 loss to St. Bonaventure, playing all 40 minutes.

"I don't think it's going to be like that for the rest of the year," he said, seated in front of his locker.

It was the third straight game Downey has played more than 30 minutes and has to at least bring up the question that the Saints may eventually get worn down.

With the injuries to Owen Wignot (head) and Trenity Burdine (foot), Siena is only suiting up seven scholarship players and all of them are playing a ton of minutes.

Downey (37.3 min/gm) and Brandon Walters (38.0 min/gm) are both nearly playing entire games.

"I've always said tired is just a mindset," Downey said. "You're only going to be tired, if you allow yourself to be tired. If you're mentally strong, you'll be fine."

By comparison, last season Ryan Rossiter averaged 37.4 minutes per game, less than Walters is playing now.

The season before no player averaged more than Ronald Moore's 36.0 minutes per game, including Edwin Ubiles (30.9), Alex Franklin (32.9) and Rossiter (32.9).

Those teams certainly had more players, so I decided to look at Fran McCaffery's first season, when the team was very short on depth.

During the 2005-06 season, Antoine Jordan (36.4) and Kojo Mensah (35.1) averaged the most minutes.

While Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro doesn't have many other options than to play the guys that are healthy, I'm just beginning to wonder if these players will get worn down before the season is over.

The Siena Saints look to start the year off 3-0, for the first time since the 2002-03 season, tonight when they take on the Bonnies, from the Atlantic-10.

I found it hard to believe that Siena didn't start a season 3-0, when they had their incredible run of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles and NCAA tournament success, but here are the Saints' record for the first three games, dating back to '02-03.

2010-11 - 1-2
2009-10 - 2-1 (NCAA tournament & MAAC champs)
2008-09 - 2-1 (NCAA tournament & MAAC champs)
2007-08 - 1-2 (NCAA tournament & MAAC champs)
2006-07 - 1-2
2005-06 - 1-2
2004-05 - 0-3
2003-04 - 2-1
2002-03 - 3-0

That means that coach Mitch Buonaguro has a chance to do something tonight that Fran McCaffery didn't do in his time in Loudonville.

The Saints are also the only undefeated MAAC team remaining -- again it's real early, but that's a step in the right direction.

Siena is coming off of a victory at Mount St. Mary's in which freshman point guard Evan Hymes scored a career-high 30 points, becoming the first Saints freshman to score 30, since Jack McClinton did so, in 2005. Incredibly, Hymes, who is only starting because of the injury to Rakeem Brookins, is averaging 20.0 points per game through his first two collegiate games.

While the first two wins were nice and I'm sure provided a huge boost of confidence for the team, this is the Saints' first real test of the season.

St. Bonaventure sports one of the best big men in the country, in 6-foot-8 Andrew Nicholson.

Here is a link to a ESPN feature from last year, on Nicholson (right), who is a Naismith Watch List and Wooden Award candidate.

Nicholson will be a tough task for O.D. Anosike and Brandon Walters, but it should help that they can switch between two big men.

If Siena wins tonight, watch out.

ALBANY - Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro knew his team could ill afford another injury.

Bad news came on Wednesday, when the school announced that sophomore point guard Rakeem Brookins will miss the entire season because of a back injury.

Brookins has a bulging disc and a herniated disc in his back and will take a medical redshirt for the 2011-12 season.

"I feel bad for him," Buonaguro said, before Wednesday's practice. "Rahk is a warrior. He had a really good freshman year and was our leader in the backcourt."

Brookins will spend the semester back in Philadelphia, recovering and rehabbing.

Brookins averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 assists per game last season.

"He's very dissapointed that he can't be out on the floor with us," said senior Kyle Downey.

Buonaguro indicated that freshman Evan Hymes will start at point guard, next week against Navy.

Hymes will play alongside seniors Downey, Owen Wignot and Brandon Walters and junior OD Anosike.

I have plenty of stuff from today's Siena men's basketball media day.

I'll have a story in the paper tomorrow about practice starting.

"I've been anticipating this day for six months, since I got the job," said coach Mitch Buongauro.

I'm sure many Saints fans feel the same way.

Senior Clarence Jackson is still waiting for orthotics, as is freshman Trenity Burdine. Both of them will be limited in practice tonight.

Junior Brandon Walters is being slowed by a knee injury, but he's expected to give it a go tonight.

Here's Walters talking about getting the chance to play this season. The Seton Hall transfer sat out last year.