MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Senior Night with seedings tight for Siena, hosting Niagara (2024)

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. — “I think with any program, losses are going to obviously take their toll on us, but I think we’re always optimistic. In the moment, when we do get a loss, there’s been many this year, morale gets down when we get back to the locker room,” Siena College men’s basketball senior forward Steven Lazar said, at the team’s media availability on Wednesday, before the start of practice.

“But, I think we all know that come March, it’s anyone’s game at this point.”

It’s hard to say it any better than that, as despite Siena at 4-25, losers of the last five and setting a program record for defeats in a single season in its last game, and Niagara, a game below .500 and on a three-game losing streak, there will be plenty to play for Thursday night when the two meet at MVP Arena, with the college basketball calendar having reached what is tabbed as its most chaotic time of the year.

As a bit of a calm before the storm, for a high-stakes final two games to finish the regular season, the Siena program will first honor its seniors, Lazar and manager Michael “Scribbs” McLoughlin.

With Thursday’s game being the home finale, Lazar and McLoughlin will be recognized, with a pregame ceremony. For a manager and a forward who has logged 14 career minutes and has yet to record a collegiate point across his four-year career, the celebration will be for the pairs’ perhaps unseen work and distinct dedication, brought to the limelight.

“[‘Scribbs’] has been a guy that we’ve kind of brought along from a really quiet person, that really never spoke, to now, sometimes a guy that’s cracking jokes on the side. We wanted to make sure we brought him in and helped him develop into a young man and I think we’ve definitely accomplished that,” Maciariello said.

“Steven Lazar has been here four years, he’s a pre-med student, and who knows when he’ll be operating on somebody, but he epitomizes what we want as student-athletes. He does it on the floor, he’s a willing teammate, he’s given guys rides, he’s having team meetings, he’s just basically doing everything a senior should do and does everything the right way. So, he’s a great role model, we’re thankful that they’ve been in our program and are excited to celebrate them [Thursday] night.”

Siena should have no shortage of motivation in its final game on the home floor this season, as the group sports a 2-11 record at MVP Arena.

“I think it’d be huge for us, especially for leading into the conference tournament since we got one more game after Thursday’s game [Saturday], and then also just for the fans who continue to show support this year, from the beginning all the way until the end,” Saints freshman guard Kyle Winters remarked.

The Saints also expect the visiting Purple Eagles to bring plenty of motivation to Albany. The Eagles will look to avenge a home loss to Siena, back on Jan. 15, 93-88. As for what the contest will mean towards next week’s Metro Atlantic Conference Championship Tournament, in Atlantic City, seedings, and end-of-season conference standings, the Purple Eagles (10-8 MAAC) could see plenty of volatility depending on the outcomes of the weekend, starting with Thursday.

“Two(-seed) to eight(-seed),” Maciariello said on where the conference foe could fall amongst the final standing, “I mean, think about that; that’s playing on Thursday [first-round bye] or playing on Tuesday and Wednesday, so, it’s big and they’ve been great on the road and we beat them up there, so I think they got everything to play for.”

“Obviously, we want to celebrate our guys, but we’ll be ready. [Niagara] is going to have, obviously, a ton of energy, coming off three-straight losses and we have to be ready for it all.”

Siena, tied for last in the conference standings with Manhattan, at 3-15, and even having lost to the Jaspers last Friday at home, 70-68, the Saints still hold the tiebreaker for the tenth seed, as opposed to the eleventh when it comes time for Tuesday’s games, to start the postseason tournament.

“We’ve talked a little bit about it, but it’s really just- focus on getting better, day by day. That’ll take care of itself when the time comes,” Winters said on the team’s feelings towards the potential seedings, “if we win, we could get the 10-seed, if we’re 11 we’ll just have the harder path, like it’s been all year. But, either way, we’ll be ready when the time comes.”

Winters was the standout Saint at the end of last weekend, in a loss Sunday at Quinnipiac, 71-51, as the freshman went for a career performance of 20 points, on eight made field goals, three assists, and four rebounds.

This would be without the presence of the group’s primary, ball-handlers, with redshirt junior forward Sean Durugordon (upper-body) and sophom*ore guards Zek Tekin (lower-body) and Michael Eley (illness), who have each missed at least the team’s last four games, with Durugordon not played in now four-straight.

“I’m obviously getting time now; a lot more than at the earlier parts of the season, so, it’s on me to make the right reads and make the right plays. The coaches seem like they trust me a lot more now,” Winters said, Wednesday. “I’ve obviously become more comfortable with the ball, off-ball, taking my shots, so I gotta continue to make those reads in the game, but I’ll definitely see some new reads coming out and new looks on defense coming up, now that they have more of a scouting report.”

For the final weekend, Maciariello provided an update on the status of the injured Saints, disputing any idea of resting any one particular player or managing minutes, with the postseason tournament ahead.

“[Durugordon] has to get cleared, so right now, he can still practice, but he’s got to pass a final test from ‘Doc.’ Eley will practice and Zek will practice, so, we’ll see where they are for tomorrow. In the practice yesterday, Zek tried to practice and he was in a lot of discomfort, so I’m not sure; he’s probably the only one that’s questionable. I’m hoping Eley is able to go,” Maciariello said.

“Michael has missed a good amount of time, so we want him to get back in shape and that’s where practice comes into play, and then, as he’s going in the game and when he’s in, kind of assessing that. But, I think guys need to be on the court, guys need to get [a] rhythm back when he is on a court, playing with us.”

The results of Thursday, this upcoming weekend, or the MAAC Tournament next week, won’t reverse the record-worst losses set by the team this season. Yet Maciariello also spoke on his responsibility in the outcome thus far but doesn’t expect Thursday to be his last chance to coach, at MVP Arena.

“I mean, it’s my team, it’s my roster; now, we can’t control a lot of things on the outside, but, we do the best we can with the guys that are available and we look forward to just putting a good product on the floor and being able to play as hard as we can,” Maciariello said, Wednesday.

“I have two years left and I’ve had meetings about what we’re doing next season, who we’re playing next season, scheduling and roster management; everything from A to Z…I can’t talk on recruiting, but yeah, I’ve been in Texas; I mean, I’m not sure they’d be letting me spend all this money on recruiting and traveling, if I’m not, ‘the guy,’ and why would I not be?”