News
October 28, 2015Siena Men, Women Each Picked Fifth in MAAC Preseason Polls
Both the Siena Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams have each been predicted to finish fifth in their respective MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Polls revealed Wednesday night on ESPN3. Two members of each team – junior point guard Marquis Wright (Second Team) and redshirt junior forward Brett Bisping (Third Team) from the men’s squad and junior forward Meghan Donohue (Second Team) and sophomore forward Margot Hetzke (Second Team) of the women’s team – were selected to Preseason All-MAAC Teams.
On the men’s side, two-time defending MAAC Regular Season Champion Iona is the preseason favorite after receiving 10 of 11 first-place votes from the coaches and 119 points overall in the poll. Additionally, the Gaels’ A.J. English was tabbed the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.
Monmouth is projected to finish second with 105 points, followed by Rider and two-time defending MAAC Tournament Champion Manhattan who tied for third in the poll with 91 points. The Jaspers received the other first-place vote. Siena rounded out a tight top-five with 84 points.
Canisius is projected to finish sixth receiving 67 points, followed by Quinnipiac (49), Fairfield (42), Saint Peter’s (37), Marist (23) and Niagara (18) to round out the poll.
A team captain for the second straight season, Wright was named the Saints’ Doc Marcelle Most Valuable Player last year after leading the MAAC with 5.1 assists per game and ranking second in steals with 2.0. The Waldorf, Md. native was the only Saint to start all 31 games last year and added averages of 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds.
Also a team captain, Bisping returns to the Saints after playing just six games last season before suffering a season-ending foot injury in December. As a sophomore during the 2013-14 season, the Peoria, Ill. product was named the College Basketball Invitational MVP after averaging 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in leading the Saints to the title.
Expectations are high for a men’s team which returns Wright in addition to welcoming back its starting frontcourt of Bisping along with redshirt senior Imoh Silas who also missed all of last season due to injury. Established upperclassmen in seniors Ryan Oliver and junior Lavon Long also return for a Siena squad which posted an 11-20 record and finished eighth in the MAAC with a 7-13 mark during an injury plagued 2014-15 campaign.
The women’s side was a tight vote between the top-four with Fairfield emerging as the preseason pick with 113 points and five first-place votes. The Stags edged perennial MAAC power Marist which tallied 103 points and three first-place votes. Defending MAAC Regular Season and Tournament Champion Quinnipiac was third with an even 100 points and two first-place votes, with Iona rounding out the top-four with 95 points and secured the final first-place vote. The Gaels’ Joy Adams was chosen as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Saints received 78 points in the poll, with Siena’s fifth place predicted finish the program’s highest since being projected to finish third prior to the 2007-08 season. Canisius checked in a distant sixth with 51 points, with Manhattan and Saint Peter’s tying for seventh in the poll with 41 points apiece. Monmouth (36), Niagara (35) and Rider (33) rounded out the women’s poll.
A team captain for the second straight season, Donohue has started all 66 gamed during her first two seasons donning the Green and Gold. Last year the Mogadore, Ohio product averaged 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds and ranked second in the MAAC in field goal percentage (50.3%).
Hetzke was named the unanimous MAAC Rookie of the Year and a Third Team All-MAAC and MAAC All-Rookie Team selection last season. Selected the MAAC Rookie of the Week a program record nine times, the Penfield, N.Y. native ranked eighth in the conference in scoring (12.7) and fourth in rebounding (7.4).
Expectations are equally high for a women’s program which is fresh off its first winning season in 11 years and most victories in a dozen seasons which culminated in an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Championship Game. The Saints posted a 22-13 overall record last season and finished fifth in the MAAC with an 11-9 league mark. The Saints’ 13-win improvement from the previous season was tied for the second best turnaround in all of Division I.
Both teams tip off their respective 2015-16 seasons in prestigious national tournaments on Friday, November 13. The men travel to defending National Champion Duke for the 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, while the women head to sister school St. Bonaventure for the Preseason WNIT. The men’s home opener is set for Saturday, November 28 against Loyola (Md.) at noon at the Times Union Center and the women host Northeastern on Sun., November 15 at 2 p.m. in the new-look Alumni Recreation Center.
Season tickets for both programs are on sale now by logging on to sienasaints.com/tickets or by contacting the Siena Fan Relations Office at 518.487.2202 or e-mail sienatickets2@siena.edu.
