Oh, Those Siena Saints: What's in Store for This Year's Team?

Remember the Siena Saints?

If you don't, I'm sure Vanderbilt's Commodores have some not-so-fond memories of last year's crew from Albany.

The only thing is...

Last year's Saints team is the same as this year's Saints team, minus sharp-shooting Tay Fisher. Coach Fran McCaffery also added freshmen Owen Wignot and Kyle Downey to the squad.

Other than his big game heroics in the MAAC conference tournament and the first round matchup against Vandy, Fisher was nothing more than a mediocre guard who happened to have a good three-point shot.

Not much news has been released on Wignot or Downey other than their positions and heights.

Wignot is a 6'5" forward, and Downey is a 6'2" guard.

Chances are neither of them will start because Siena returns its entire starting lineup from last season.

Senior guard Kenny Hasbrouck will lead the Saints. Hasbrouck scored 30 points in Siena's tournament victory over Vanderbilt. Hasbrouck shot 39 percent from three-point range last season, and averaged 16 points per contest.

Ronald Moore, now a junior, will run the point for the Saints. In 2007-08, Moore averaged 8.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.1 boards per game as a 6' guard. Moore has improved since his freshman season and has developed into a true point guard.

A member of last year's All-MAAC First Team, Edwin Ubiles will be Siena's small forward. Ubiles averaged 17 points and 4.5 rebounds, shooting a spectacular 42 percent from beyond the arc. Ubiles was not all offense, though—he also averaged a steal and a block per game.

Alex Franklin, who will assume the role of Siena's power forward, developed as a big man in between his freshman and sophomore seasons. His points and rebounds doubled, as he averaged 15 points and 7.8 boards last season. Franklin has shown signs of dominance down low.

He might not produce the most respectable statistics, but center Josh Duell is the most aggresive Saint. He hustles all over the court, making the gym floor shake when he dives after a ball. The 6'7" transfer from Vermont is involved in every play.

In a league like the MAAC, experience is crucial, and the Saints certainly have experience. Their starting lineup will now begin its second year together, and every member in the lineup has improved.

The question is, have they improved enough?

After advancing to the second round of last year's NCAA tournament, the NCAA scheduling committee stuck the Saints with an extremely tough schedule.

McCaffery's Saints open at home against Boise State and host Cornell five days later, but the non-conference schedule only gets harsher.

The Saints travel to Florida on Nov. 27 for a tournament where they play Bruce Pearl's Vols of Tennessee. Depending on the outcomes of the first-round games, Siena will oppose either Wichita State or Georgetown.

A week later, the Saints get a breather against Albany, but then travel to Pitt, host Buffalo, and finish the non-conference schedule on the road against St. Joes, Holy Cross, and Kansas.

Yes, that is the Kanas Jayhawks, the reigning champions.

Siena is the favorite to win the MAAC because of their starting lineup, but it will be interesting to see what the Saints can do against the top-notch non-conference teams.

It is certainly not out of the question for the Saints to beat some of their prestigious opponents, but the wins certainly will not come easily.

There will be more to come on the MAAC, look for "Around the MAAC: Season Preview" to be posted by next weekend.