SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Siena men's basketball team is a middle of the road team.

So say the coaches of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which voted them sixth in the preseason poll on Tuesday, in Springfield, Mass., the new home of the MAAC basketball championships from 2012-14.

Iona is the No. 1 team, followed by Fairfield, Loyola (Md.) and Rider.

The Saints were picked to finish second in last year's preseason poll, but struggled to a 13-18 finish, including an 8-10 record in league play, despite having player of the year Ryan Rossiter.

Junior forward O.D. Anosike was selected to the third team all-MAAC, but was the only Siena men's player honored on the preseason list.

It marked the first time in four years that the Saints haven't placed at least two players on the preseason first team. In 2008-09, Kenny Hasbrouck, Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin were chosen, while in 2009-10 Ubiles and Ronald Moore were selected and last season Rossiter and Clarence Jackson represented Siena on the preseason first team.

Siena has also had the last three MAAC postseason Players of the Year recipients in Hasbrouck ('08-09), Franklin ('09-10) and Rossiter, last season.

The preseason first team included Scott Machado and Mike Glover of Iona, and Ryan Olander and Derek Needham of Fairfield and Rider's Novar Gadson.

After a terrific end to last season, the Siena women's team in fourth place and pushed six-time champion Marist to the edge in a semifinal matchup.

Surprisingly, the Saints were selected to finish in seventh place in the preseason poll.

Gina Castelli's club lost leading scorer and rebounder Serena Moore, but have a nice core group of players, including seniors Maja Gerlyng and Cristina Centeno.

Centeno was chosen to the all-MAAC preseason second team, while Gerlyng was placed on the third team.

Here are the all-MAAC teams for the 2010-11 season.

Men's
First Team
Ryan Rossiter, Siena
Justin Robinson, Rider
Scott Machado, Iona
Mike Glover, Iona
Derek Needham, Fairfield

Second Team
Ryan Bacon, Saint Peter's
Wesley Jenkins, Saint Peter's
Ryan Olander, Fairfield
Anthony Nelson, Niagara
Novar Gadson, Rider

Third Team
Yorel Hawkins, Fairfield
Shane Walker, Loyola
George Beamon, Manhattan
Mike Ringgold, Rider
Elton Frazier, Canisius

All-Rookie Team
Maurice Barrow, Fairfield
Justin Drummond, Loyola
Michael Alvarado, Manhattan
Marvin Jordan, Niagara
Danny Stewart, Rider

Women's Teams
First Team
Taryn Johnson, Fairfield
Miriam McKenzie, Loyola
Abby Wenworth, Manhattan
Erica Allenspach, Marist
Corielle Yarde, Marist
Serena Moore, Siena

Second Team
Katelyn Linney, Fairfield
Desiree Pina, Fairfield
Anda Ivkovic, Iona
Erica DiClemente, Loyola
Katie Sheahin, Loyola
Jynae Judson, Saint Peter's

Third Team
Kristina Ford, Iona
Lindsey Loutsenhizer, Manhattan
Brandy Gang, Marist
Liz Flooks, Niagara
Cristina Centeno, Siena

All-Rookie
Jen Morabito, Canisius
Jamie Ruttle, Canisius
Monica Roeder, Manhattan
MyNeshia McKenzie, Rider
Aziza May, Saint Peter's

LOUDONVILLE - The hottest college basketball team in the area is the Siena women's basketball team.

The Saints won the fifth straight game on Monday night, defeated Fairfield 54-46.

Siena is 4-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, tied with Marist for first place.

"I think they're learning what it takes to be a No. 1 team," said Siena coach Gina Castelli at Tuesday's meeting with the media. "I'm not sure we're there yet, in terms of the mentality."

When asked what the biggest difference has been since the team started 1-8, Castelli responded teamwork.

"That's the hard thing to get," she said. "There's just a definite difference in how our players are seeing the game."

The team has been led all season by senior Serena Moore (left).

"I can't say enough about her effort," Castelli said.

The play of juniors Cristina Centeno and Maja Gerlyng have really helped boost the team.

"For Cristina to be the high scorer yesterday, that says a lot about her game and how it's evolved, especially this year," Castelli said. "Maja, obviously, has really turned it on and Serena has been the one that everyone has been concentrating on."

The Saints' next two games are at Niagara (Friday) and at Canisius (Sunday).

Marist has won the past four MAAC titles, but right now it looks like Siena has a chance to make a run for the title.

"It's tough because Marist is so good right now," Castelli said. "And then it's everybody else in the league."