AP Pictures from Siena's Saturday night game against Northern Iowa.

LOUDONVILLE - While the Saints have five days before their next game, Coach Fran McCaffery and the rest of his gang turn their attention to an very good Northern Iowa team today after beating Iona 73-60 Monday evening.

"They're huge," McCaffery said. "(Jordan) Eglseder and (Adam) Koch, you talk about your four and five at 290 (pounds) and 260 and I think (Kwadzo) Ahelegbe, to me, is a guy that really down the stretch last year played extremely well and is playing as well as anybody right now. To go on the road and play a team that's beaten Iowa State and beat Boston College, could easily be the best team on our schedule."

The Panthers (5-1) are ranked No. 3 in the Mid-Major Top 25, according to collegeinsider.com, while Siena (6-3) is No. 9.

Ahelegbe scored 32 points agianst Boston College and Koch is averaging 16.0 points per game.

Koch and Eglseder both scored 20 points in the Panthers last victory over Iowa State.

It will definitely be a game of contrasting styles as Siena likes to get it and go and Northern Iowa likes to run sets and play physical and I'm sure the Panthers will remember the 81-75 defeat the Saints handed them last year in the ESPN BracketBusters game.

Northern Iowa, whose only loss is to De Paul, plays Iowa (3-5) tonight at the McLeod Center.

ALBANY - Josh Duell didn't exactly jump off the page at Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobsen as he prepared to take on Siena.

How could he?

Duell has missed the 10 of the last 13 games and was averaging just 2.0 points per game.

On Saturday, in the Saints 81-75 victory over the Panthers, Duell finished with eight points, five assists and a rebound in 21 minutes.

“He really hurt us today because he has such a good feel for how to play,” Jacobsen said.

Duell said he just wanted to get back out there and try to help out.

“I think I thrived on driving and kicking to Kenny (Hasbrouck), Eddie (Ubiles) or Ronald (Moore) for open shots because the big guy didn’t come out and guard me that much,” Duell said.

Duell's impact was even bigger because of Northern Iowa's size and the foul trouble Ryan Rossiter was in.

“The key to was he gave us great minutes when Rossiter was in foul trouble,” Siena coach Fran McCaffery said.

McCaffery said he thought Duell would make a big impact down the stretch and he was right on this night.

“It’s great to see him contributing this way,” McCaffery said. “He deserves that.”

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The biggest shot of the night wasn't one from Siena or Northern Iowa - Cohoes native Brendan Bradt hit a half-court shot in the second half, which you can view above, for $25,000 from the folks at Northeastern Fine Jewelery.

“That was amazing,” sophomore Clarence Jackson said. “I saw it go in the air and turned around and saw everybody cheering and I was happy for him.”

Bradt, 25, lives in Boston and said he was "pretty nervous" about just having one attempt.
Bradt played basketball at Cohoes High and then at Hudson Valley Community College.

"Fortunately it went in," Bradt said.

Bradt said he would put some of the money towards his student loans (I know how he feels), but that he would "drink a lot tonight, I'm not going to lie."

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Jacobsen is a big time backer of the Saints making it to the NCAA Tournament.

“I watched them play a number of games on film and watching them play, this is a team that should be in the NCAA Tournament,” Jacobsen said. “They have all of the firepower that they need and are extremely well-coached.”

Asked squarely should Siena be in the tournament, he went on to say this.

“Absolutely,” Jacobsen said. “Some people may say Northern Iowa — they didn’t play very well in the first half. This game isn’t the one — it’s what they’ve done to this point.”

Siena tips off with Northern Iowa in about 17 hours and it looks like it could potentially be a sellout in downtown Albany, which is good for both programs as the game will also be on ESPN2.

I had a chance to talk with assistant coach Mitch Buonaguro about the game today, while I was waiting to talk to some players and he said he's seen 12 of the Panthers games.

Buonaguro is a master of the scouting report and he's had almost all week to dissect Northern Iowa, not good news for Panthers fans.

Meanwhile, Northern Iowa lost by one point to Drake on Wednesday, had to travel quite a long distance and apparently could be without one of their starters.

Junior guard Ali Farokhmanesh had his thigh drained on Thursday, according to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, because of an apparent staph infection.

According to the paper, Farokhmanesh, who averages 10.0 points in 29.1 minutes per game, is listed as questionable.

That would be a loss, but this team which currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference, is very balanced.

"They are always right in the game," said Siena coach Fran McCaffery. "Even when they lose, they are right there."

McCaffery said the most impressive thing about the Panthers is the way they've played on the road, where they are 7-3.

The Saints aren't too bad at home though, having won 17 consecutive games, good for the fifth longest streak in the nation, tied with Pittsburgh and Dayton.

Siena sophomore forward Ryan Rossiter said having already won the conference will not change our the Saints prepare for their last three regular season games.

“We know we’ve won the conference, but we’re not going to take anything lightly,” Rossiter said. “We’re just going to keep going out there and playing hard like we’ve done all season.”

Prediction: Siena 74, Northern Iowa 62 (In a contrast of styles, I see Siena's speed to be too much. My record is 20-7)