Siena Basketball

Erin Tobin had quite a night Thursday.

For starters, her Siena Saints defeated the Manhattan Jaspers, 94-71, at home. During halftime, Tobin banked home a one-handed fling from half court and won $500.

Then her boyfriend, who was hiding inside a giant Dunkin' Donuts costume, dropped down to a knee and proposed.

She said yes.

[Facebook, h/t ABC Action News]

Coming into the MAAC tournament, Siena fans knew that chances for winning a fourth straight MAAC title were slim. The Saints, who have been in the NCAA Tournament as MAAC champions the last three years, went 8-10 in the MAAC this year and are the No. 7 in the tournament.

However, they were still hopeful for at least one win in the MAAC tournament.

On Friday night, the MAAC tournament kicked No. 8 Niagara playing No. 9 Marist. Marist jumped out to an early lead and took down the favored Purple Eagles for the Red Foxes first MAAC Tournament win since 2009.

Following the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game came No. 7 Siena and No. 10 Manhattan. The Jaspers had hopes since they had already beaten Siena once during the regular season, but everybody knew the Saints were the more talented team with MAAC Player of the Year Ryan Rossiter.

The game was a game of runs and it was close throughout.

Manhattan struck first with an early 19-11 lead. The Jaspers came out lead by junior Kidani Brutus, who scored nine of the first 11 Jasper points. 

The Saints came right back to keep close with the underdog Jaspers, and finally an anticipated 14-1 run by Siena gave the Saints a 40-33 halftime lead over the Jaspers.

The Jaspers made a move about midway through the second half, cutting the lead until they finally took the lead back with 9:16 remaining. George Beamon's jumper with 7:05 left in the game gave the Jaspers a 55-52 advantage.

But just as Siena had done all game, it put together a good run and held a 63-61 lead in the final seconds of regulation.

With possession in the hands of the Jaspers, Michael Alvarado, who became nationally famous for making a 60-foot shot to beat Marist back in January, knocked down a shot from the left elbow to send the game into an extra session.

But in overtime, Siena came out as the stronger offensive team.

The Jaspers were outscored 5-3 in the final five minutes and made no field goals. Their three overtime points came on 3-for-4 shooting from the foul line.

The Jaspers held what would be the final lead of the year with 2:17 left after a pair of Beamon free throws put the Jaspers on top by a score of 66-65.

And after Manhattan got the ball back with a chance to extend the lead, Alvarado overthrew freshman Rhamel Brown and the pass went out of bounds off Manhattan.

Siena capitalized off the turnover as Owen Wignot, who scored all five overtime points for Siena, drained a three-pointer.

Manhattan made one last defensive stand in the final minute to get the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game, but the Jaspers failed to convert.

The Jaspers offense seemed like a mess and the ball ended up in the hands of Beamon, a 16 percent three-point shooter, for a last-second three-point shot. The shot fell short and the buzzer sounded.

So, once again, head coach Barry Rohrssen, who should be fired after yet another losing season, failed to come up with a play that would give the Jaspers a good look at the basket, and the result was a Manhattan loss.

Clarence Jackson led all scorers with 24 points on 9-for-20 shooting. The senior made six three-pointers.

MAAC Player of the Year Ryan Rossiter had yet another double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

For Manhattan, five players scored in double-digits.

Brutus led the Jaspers with 16 points. The stocky junior also corralled seven rebounds.

Manhattan's leading scorer Beamon scored 14 points and also had seven rebounds and three steals.

Demetrius Jemison and Rhamel Brown each had 13 points. Jemison recorded his third double-double as a Jasper with the addition of 10 rebounds. Brown had a strong game with his points coming on 6-for-7 shooting from the field.

Lastly, freshman Mike Alvarado scored 10 points. The freshman struggled in the first half, but his second half additions were mainly what kept the Jaspers in the game down to the final buzzer.

With the win, Siena advances to the quarterfinals to play No. 2 Iona on Saturday night.

Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.  

1. Fairfield Stags

Key Returning Players: Greg Nero, Derek Needham, Yorel Hawkins

Key Recruits: Majok Majok, Maurice Barrow

The Fairfield Stags are the frontrunners in the MAAC for the upcoming season. In the MAAC championship game last season, the Stags took first-place Siena into overtime before falling just short of a win. Since then, Fairfield has only gotten better. 

The only major loss that the Stags are faced with is the loss of forward Anthony Johnson. Johnson averaged 16.1 points per game and 9.8 rebounds. The most likely replacement for Johnson will be fifth-year senior Greg Nero.

The Stags will also have 6'8" freshman Majok Majok in the post. The other key freshman for the Stags is Maurice Barrow, a 6'4" forward from New York. 

Fairfield will also return Derek Needham and Yorel Hawkins. Needham was easily the best freshman in the MAAC last season, averaging 16.2 points per game and 5.2 assists. As a senior, Hawkins will be one of the leaders on this team. Hawkins averaged 14.6 points per game in the 2009-10 season.

The 2010-11 Stags have the raw talent and the experience to be the best team in the MAAC. Siena will give them a tough fight, but the Stags will be in first place when March comes around.

2. Siena Saints

Key Returning Players: Ryan Rossiter, Clarence Jackson, Kyle Downe

Key Recruits: Rakeem Brookins, Trenity Burdine

Siena could definitely end up as the best team in the MAAC for the fourth straight year, but it will be more difficult than in the past. The Saints' graduating class contributed 30.4 points per game last season. In addition, the Saints are losing one of their leading rebounders from last season and Ronald Moore's 7.8 assists per game.

However, Siena will return Clarence Jackson, Kyle Downey, and Ryan Rossiter. These three will have to step up as veteran leaders on this team. Jackson and Rossiter are seniors, along with 6'5" forward Steven Priestley, while Downey is a junior. Rossiter and Jackson each scored more than 13 points per game last season, while Downey averaged five points per game and shot 40.4 percent from the field. 

The Saints will also need contributions from junior Owen Wignot and sophomore O.D. Anosike, who each averaged 2.7 points per game last season.

Siena will also have the addition of freshmen Rakeem Brookins and Trenity Burdine, and Seton Hall transfer Brandon Walters.

Brookins is a 5'11" point guard with an all-around balanced game. He can score and pass, drive for layups, and hit jump shots. Burdine is a 6'5" wing forward with a nice stroke from downtown. Walters, a 6'9" center, averaged 1.9 points per game in 2008-09 with Seton Hall. Walters is not too talented, but his size alone could have some impact against the not as good MAAC teams. 

Siena might not have Fran McCaffery around anymore, but it does still have a coach who possesses experience with Siena. Mitch Buonaguro has been with Siena since 2005 and was with the school for its three-peat.

3. Iona Gaels

Key Returning Players: Scott Machado, Jermel Jenkins, Alejo Rodriguez, Kyle Smyth

Key Recruits: Jayon James, Sean Armand, Michael Glover

Iona is supposed to be good this year, but could still surprise some and move even higher than third place by the end of the season. The Gaels have a lot of experience and talent in their upperclassmen and will also have some new, incoming players that can add to the team's game.

Scott Machado and Alejo Rodriguez will be the main upperclassmen on the team, and Jermel Jenkins and Kyle Smyth will back them up. 

Machado led the team with 12.5 points per game last season. He is an all-around talented player and a natural leader on the team.

Rodriguez has the ability to be a monster in the post, but sometimes size and foul trouble limit him. Against some of the big men in the MAAC, he still should be able to dominate.

In addition, the Gaels are bringing in some new and good recruits. Jayon James leads the recruiting class as a 6'5" forward. He was ranked the 34th best small forward in the 2010 recruiting class. James is talented in multiple ways on the court and has a thick build. One source compared him to former Niagara star Charron Fisher. 

The Gaels will also have Michael Glover and Sean Armand to help out the starring crew. Glover originally committed to Seton Hall, but decommitted and went to the College of Eastern Utah for two years. Now, Glover is back and ready for Division I ball and should get playing time with Iona. Armand is a 6'4" shooting guard from CJEOTO Academy in New Jersey with a great stroke from the perimeter.

Another newcomer to New Rochelle is Head Coach Tim Cluess. Cluess was previously the head coach at Division II powerhouse C.W. Post. During his last three years with C.W. Post, Cluess was 79-12. Cluess has already put together a good recruiting class for Iona, and now we will have to see how he does during games.

4. St. Peter's Peacocks

Key Returning Players: Ryan Bacon, Wesley Jenkins, Nick Leon

Key Recruits: None

St. Peter's had a surprisingly good year last season and finished fourth in the MAAC. The Peacocks do not have anybody new who will make a big impact from the start, but they are returning all of their main players.

Ryan Bacon, Wesley Jenkins, and Nick Leon all averaged in double digits last season. These three have the talent to lead St. Peter's to another solid season, but they will need to do a lot of the work.

5. Niagara Purple Eagles

Key Returning Players: Anthony Nelson, Kashief Edwards

Key Recruits: Skylar Jones, Malcolm Lemmons, Marvin Jordan

The Purple Eagles are in some trouble for the upcoming season. 54.7 points of Niagara's 72.2 points per game from last season graduated in June and the Purple Eagles will need to find some new sources for scoring. Niagara is bringing in a solid, but not stellar recruiting class. The young freshman will not be good enough to fill in the voids that last year's seniors left, so the Purple Eagles will need some of the older veterans to step up and have big years. 

Niagara is bringing in three solid guards in Skylar Jones, Marvin Jordan, and Antoine Mason.

Jones is a 6'3" shooting guard who is reported by ESPN to have a "solid jump shot" and a "strong ability to slash to the basket." Jordan, who has no relationship to the family of Michael Jordan, is a 5'11" point guard from Illinois. He is supposedly very quick with and without the ball and can be great in transition. Mason is a solid shooter, but appears to be known more for his leadership skills. 

The Purple Eagles will also have the additions of Malcolm Lemmons and Joseph Thomas. Thomas is supposed to be nothing special, but Lemmons is a good wing player.

With the bottom half of the MAAC being fairly weak this season, Niagara might still be able to finish in the top half if it can start gelling early on.

6. Rider Broncs

Key Returning Players: Novar Gadson, Mike Ringgold, Justin Robinson

Key Recruits: Daniel Stewart

Rider is taking a big hit with the graduation of Ryan Thompson. Thompson was the team leader and easily the most talented player on last year's team. In addition, Thompson was a player who was a threat on any spot of the court. Without a versatile player like Thompson, the Broncs will be forced to change part of their style of playing.

The main players on Rider's squad this year will be Novar Gadson and Mike Ringgold in the post, and Justin Robinson as a guard. Last year, Robinson averaged 13.2 points per game while Ringgold and Gadson each scored 11.2 points per game. These three upperclassmen will need to help the team out with their skills and experience.

Rider's biggest addition is Daniel Stewart. Stewart is a 6'6" power forward who was graded an 86 on ESPN. Stewart is supposedly a great athlete and a solid scorer in the paint. 

7. Manhattan Jaspers

Key Returning Players: Andrew Gabriel, George Beamon, Mohamed Koita

Key Recruits: Mike Alvarado, Torgrim Sommerfeldt, Roberto Colonette, Robert Martina

Manhattan is looking to shake off a very disappointing 2009-10 season. Head Coach Barry Rohrssen is bringing in what is easily his best recruiting class since joining the Jaspers. 

Manhattan's biggest disadvantage will be its lack of experience. The Jaspers only have five returning players on scholarship, and only two are seniors (Nick Walsh and Andrew Gabriel). The fact that a chunk of Manhattan's experience will have to come from sophomores George Beamon and Mohamed Koita, who both did not get much playing time last season, is disturbing. 

However, the Jaspers could find some experience from other sources. Manhattan will have three junior college players entering its program for the upcoming season. All of them will be entering their junior years.

Robert Martina is the first of the three. Martina is a 6'8" power forward from Miami Dade Junior College. He is said to have a strong post game and the ability to play on the wings.

Second is Roberto Colonette. Colonette is also a power forward. He is on the skinny side, but Coach Rohrssen sees a lot of potential in him.

Third is Kidani Brutus from Carl Albert State College in Oklahoma. Brutus is a 6'1" shooting guard.

The Jaspers might also find some experience in Alabama transfer Demetrius Jemison. Jemison played three years at Alabama, but sat out last year due to injury.

Unfortunately, the experience that Manhattan will be able to get out of these players will be very limited. The Jaspers will be forced to sometimes count on their incoming freshman. 

The main freshman in the Jaspers' class is Torgrim Sommerfeldt from Norway. Sommerfeldt is a 6'6" shooting guard and can cause a lot of mismatch problems in the MAAC. ESPN reports Sommerfeldt as an "excellent shooter off the catch with great size and a quick trigger."

Second is point guard Mike Alvarado. Alvarado is described on ESPN as "a jack of all trades." He was elected to the New York City team in the Jordan Classic in April where he scored eight points and had a handful of assists.

Manhattan has the talent to do even better than seventh in the MAAC, but the question is if they have the coaching. If Rohrssen proves that he has the brain to be a good game coach, the Jaspers could surprise everyone and move up towards the top half of the MAAC.

8. Loyola (MD) Greyhounds

Key Returning Players: Jamal Barney, Anthony Winbush, Shane Walker

Key Recruits: Dylon Cormier

The Greyhounds are returning a good chunk of their main players for this season, but that is not going to be enough for them to progress in the MAAC this year. The fact that Loyola lost one of its best players in Brett Harvey and is not getting any big recruits makes me think that there is no way this team can progress this season.

Jamal Barney was the team's leading scorer in 2009-10 with 12.6 points per game. Loyola will need more from him in order to win games.

The Greyhounds also return Anthony Winbush and Shane Walker. Walker averaged 8.7 points per game, and Winbush scored 7.3 points per game before an injury ended his season in mid-late January. These two juniors will also need to step up their games this season.

Dylon Cormier is the only recruit who appears to have the talent to make an immediate impact at Loyola. Cormier is a 6'1" point guard who knows how to score.

The other main freshman on the roster will be Pierson Williams and Justin Drummond. Williams is supposedly a very good shooter, while Drummond is a solid shooter, but still has a lot to work on with his jump shot.

9. Canisius Golden Griffins

Key Returning Players: Julius Coles, Greg Logins

Key Recruits: Ashton Khan

Canisius only had two seniors last year, but one of them, Frank Turner, was far and away the best player on the team. Turner led the team with 16.2 points per game and 5.7 assists per game. In addition, he averaged over five rebounds per game. Turner was the glue of the team and the only part of his game that won't be missed is his 3.3 turnovers per game. 

The Golden Griffins will have Julius Coles and Greg Logins, each who averaged in double digits last year, return to lead the team this year. A lot will be asked of them as the senior leaders on the team. 

Canisius will also have to look for contributions from freshmen Chris Manhertz, Eric Kindler, and Ashton Kahn. Manhertz is a 6'5" small forward who is supposed to be an all-around balanced player. Kahn is a combo guard with an okay jump shot and a good drive. Kindler is a 6'5" forward who averaged 20.4 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game in his senior year of high school.

10. Marist Red Foxes

Key Returning Players: Candon Rusin, Devin Price

Key Recruits: Jay Bowie

Unfortunately, it looks Marist will have to prepare for another miserable season. Although the Red Foxes should be able to have a better season than last year (where they only won one game out of 30), there should be no hopes to finish higher than ninth place. Marist will have its best players from the 2009-10 season returning, but that is not saying much.

The only decent freshman that the Red Foxes are adding is Jay Bowie. Bowie is a versatile small forward who can shoot from the perimeter. He will be expected to be a big player on this team from the start.

The best that the Red Foxes can hope for in the 2010-11 season is besting last year's team by winning multiple games.

Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter for college basketball news or reach by him email at jessekr@heschel.org.

Biggest winner of Selection Sunday? One could make a strong case for the Siena Saints, who will play the Purdue Boilermakers this Friday at 2:30 ET. 

Despite being the No. 13 seed, the Saints will not lose this game. Here are five reasons why.

1. Rebounding

If Purdue wasn't a solid rebounding team with Robbie Hummel, they certainly aren't without their stud junior. The Boilermakers have been out-rebounded 178 to 119 in the five games since Hummel tore his ACL while the Saints have averaged 4.1 more rebounds per game than their opponents.

JaJuan Johnson is now the only player coach Matt Painter can rely on to clean the glass while Siena has Ryan Rossiter, averaging 11.1 boards per game, and MAAC POY Alex Franklin, collecting eight per night.

2. Purdue's Lack of Three-Point Shooting

Although Siena's opponents only shoot 32.9 percent from three, anyone who watches Fran McCaffery's team should be able to recognize Siena's weakness around the perimeter. The Saints have allowed opponents to shoot over 40 percent from deep in three of their six losses.

The Boilermakers shoot an inefficient 31.9 percent from beyond the arc and E'Twaun Moore is the team's only deep threat.

3. Purdue's Lack of Three-Point Defense

Purdue's opponents have shot 35.7 percent from long range against the Boilermakers this year, and while the Saints only shot 32.3 percent this season, they have a bunch of capable shooters who will convert open threes.

Edwin Ubiles, shooting 39.4 percent from deep, and Clarence Jackson, converting 35.7 percent of his threes, will certainly take advantage of Purdue's perimeter defense.

Those are the Saint shooters everyone should know about by now, but Kyle Griffin is the unknown deep threat on Siena. He probably won't play late in the game, but he's the kind of shooter who can come in at the end of the first half and provide his team with a few quick treys.

Coach Fran McCaffery might not play Griffin, but the sharpshooter can certainly hurt Purdue.

4. Siena's Un-Foul Play

The Saints only foul 13.8 times per game, avoiding the bonus and foul trouble and keeping opponents off the line. Purdue shoots 72.6 percent from the charity stripe, and Siena won't give the Boilermakers a chance to capitalize for free.

5. Ronald Moore

Ronald Moore, the nation's assists leader, is one of the most valuable point guards in the tournament field. Pushing the tempo and distributing the ball in an effective manner, he is the catalyst behind Siena's offense.

Set to start in his fifth NCAA Tournament game, Moore brings experience to the floor. Purdue does not have a true point guard, so Siena should have an edge down the stretch of a close game.

For more mid-major basketball and tournament updates/analysis, follow Ari Kramer on Twitter by clicking here .

Conference Tournament Season is getting into full swing this weekend with a slew of conferences taking to the court. In these five conferences I am previewing today only a loss by Siena in the MAAC Tournament could have some implications on a possible at-large bid, after that everyone else is playing for an automatic berth to the big dance.

America East (QF and SF @ Hartford, Final @ Highest Seed)

Seeds: (1) Stony Brook (2) Vermont (3) Maine (4) Boston U. (5) Hartford (6) New Hampshire (7) UMBC (8) Albany

2009 Tournament Champion: Binghamton (Lost to Duke in NCAA 1st Round)

Game Schedule:

Saturday: (1) Stony Brook vs. (8) Albany, (2) Vermont vs. (7) UMBC, (3) Maine vs. (6) New Hampshire, (4) Boston U. vs. (5) Hartford

Sunday: Semifinals

Next Saturday: Final

The attention given to this year's version of Am. East tourney is negative with Binghamton deciding to pull out of the tournament. Bearcats' fans and students protested the administration's decision to take out the defending champion but it was to no avail. This gives UMBC and Albany a chance to play in the quarterfinals instead of facing each other in the play-in game.

NEC (All games @ Higher Seed)

Seeds: (1) Quinnipiac (2) Robert Morris (3) Mt. St. Mary's (4) LIU (5) FDU (6) St. Francis (PA) (7) Central Connecticut St. (8) Monmouth

2009 Tournament Champion: Robert Morris (Lost to Mich. St. in NCAA 1st Round)

Game Schedule:

Thursday: (1) Quinnipiac vs. (8) Monmouth (2) Robert Morris vs. (7) Cent. CT St. (3)Mt. St. Mary's vs. (6) St. Francis (PA) (4) LIU vs. (5) FDU

Sunday: Semifinals

Wednesday: Final

The race for the automatic berth is between the top three with Robert Morris looking to repeat as champion.

Colonial Athletic Association (Richmond, VA)

Seeds: (1) Old Dominion (2) Northeastern (3) William & Mary (4) George Mason (5) VCU (6) Drexel (7) Hofstra (8) Towson (9) UNCW (10) Georgia St. (11) James Madison (12) Delaware

2009 Tournament Champion: VCU (Lost in NCAA 1st Round to UCLA)

Game Schedule:

Friday: (8) Towson vs. (9) UNCW, (5) VCU vs. (12) Delaware, (7) Hofstra vs. (10) Georgia State, (6) Drexel vs. (11) James Madison

Saturday: Quarterfinals

Sunday: Semifinals

Monday: Final

Just like many mid-major conferences, the CAA will only have one team getting into the tournament but the conference has a history of pulling upsets in the big dance, most notably was George Mason making the Final Four as an 11 seed in 2006.

MAAC (Albany, NY)

Seeds: (1) Siena (2) Fairfield (3) Iona (4) St. Peter's (5) Rider (6) Niagara (7) Canisius (8) Loyola, MD (9) Manhattan (10) Marist

2009 Tournament Champion: Siena (Beat Ohio St. in NCAA 1st Round, Lost to Louisville in NCAA 2nd Round)

Game Schedule:

Friday: (7) Canisius vs. (10) Marist, (8) Loyola vs. (9) Manhattan

Saturday: Quarterfinals

Sunday: Semifinals

Monday: Final, 7:00, ESPN2

Siena has been the top team all season and has an outside chance at an at-large bid if they get upset but will have to get alot of help from bubble teams in the BCS conferences to get in.

SoCon (Charlotte, NC)

Seeds: North Division: (1) Appalachain St. (2) Western Carolina (3) Chattanooga (4)NC-Greensboro (5) Samford (6)Elon                                                             South Division (1) Wofford (2) Charleston (3) Davidson (4) The Citadel (5) Furman (6) Georgia Southern

2009 Tournament Champion: Chattanooga (Lost to UConn in NCAA 1st Round)

Game Schedule:

Friday: (3N) Chattanooga vs. (6S) Georgia Southern, (3S) Davidson vs. (6N) Elon, (4N) NC-Greensboro vs. (5S) Furman, (4S) The Citadel vs. (5N) Samford

Saturday: (1N) Appalachain St. vs. 4S/5N winner, (1S) Wofford vs. 4N/5S winner, (2N) Western Carolina vs. 3S/6N winner, (2S) Charleston vs. 3N/6S winner

Sunday: Semifinals

Monday: Final, 9:00, ESPN2

The Southern Conference is free from the shooting skill of Stephen Curry after he graduated last season from Davidson and is a wide open crapshoot with the four straight days of play. Last season, Chattanooga had a 18-16 regular season record and won the tournament.

College Hoopla Conference Tournament Preview Schedule:

Wednesday: Atlantic Sun, Big South, Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley

 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/355918-college-hoopla-conference-tourney-preview-a-sun-big-south-ovc-mvc

Today: America East, NEC, Colonial, MAAC, SoCon

Tommorrow: West Coast, Horizon, Summit, Sun Belt, Patriot

Monday: Big Sky, SWAC, Southland, MEAC, C-USA, WAC

In college basketball, Friday nights are usually more devoted to smaller conference match-ups. While Butler and Siena picked up victories, the Ivy League had some excitement with a last-second, game-winning shot and a key win for Cornell in conference play.

The Winners

Siena (23-6, 16-1): Siena got a total of 71 points from their starting five as part of an 80-54 rout of Rider in MAAC play. Edwin Ubiles led the way with 21 points.

Columbia (10-15, 4-7): Down by one with 2.7 seconds left to play, Brian Grimes hit a fade-away jumper to give Columbia a 56-55 win over Penn.

Cornell (24-4, 10-1): In what might have been its last true test in Ivy League play, Cornell got enough to earn a 50-47 victory over Princeton. It is Cornell’s second win over Princeton in the last two weeks.

Butler (26-4, 18-0): Butler completed its undefeated regular season in the Horizon League. The game was a bit closer than most thought it would be, but the Bulldogs got a 74-69 win at Valparaiso. Gordon Hayward did not play, but Willie Veasley picked up the slack, finishing with a team-high 20 points.

Losers

Princeton (16-8, 7-3): Princeton had its last chance to make things in the Ivy League interesting but let it slip away with a tough 50-47 loss to Cornell.

Marist (1-27, 1-16): Yes, that record is correct. The Red Foxes lost by 23 at home at the hands of St. Peter’s on Friday night. Marist mustered up only 39 total points in the game and will end its season with the leader in the MAAC Conference: Siena.

With only two MAAC games left, it is time to take a look at the conference's Player of the Year candidates.

Alex Franklin, Siena, Sr.

2009-10: 16 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, 2.5 turnovers per game, 1.4 spg, 57.3 percent FG, 67.9 percent FT, 1.63 points per shot

MAAC: 16.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 56.9 percent FG

Considered by many as a POY sleeper in the preseason, in the shadows of Ryan Thompson and teammate Edwin Ubiles, Siena's versatile power forward has emerged as a favorite to collect the MAAC Player of the Year award.

Franklin is a special player whose value to Siena extends beyond his statistics. Athletic and 6'5", the senior can defend a variety of positions well. He also has developed into an adept ball-handler, who has the confidence and ability to dribble up the court or drive from the wing. 

His versatility also makes it hard for opposing coaches to plan on defending Franklin.

Edwin Ubiles, Siena, Sr.

2009-10: 14.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2 turnovers per game, 1.1 spg, 47.6 percent FG, 61 percent FT, 37.5 percent 3 PT, 1.14 points per shot

MAAC: 16.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 50.8 percent FG, 48.6 percent 3 PT

Edwin Ubiles' struggles during out-of-conference play are irrelevant now. The senior Saint caught fire and produced one of the conference's best statistical campaigns. Hitting more than half his shots and averaging 16.8 points per MAAC game, Ubiles is clearly one of the best players in the league.

Siena hasn't played many close MAAC games, but Ubiles has provided for the Saints in the clutch. He extended Siena's lead to four points with 21 seconds remaining against Loyola-Md. with a trey as the shot clock expired. Less than three weeks later, his jumpshot with 25 seconds left against Fairfield put the Saints up five and forced the Stags to foul.

Some Siena fans say they're disappointed by Ubiles' "underachieving" season, but he has really stepped up his game in MAAC play.

Ronald Moore, Siena, Sr.

2009-10: 6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 7.6 apg, 2.8 turnovers per game, 1.8 spg, 30.7 percent FG, 61.2 percent FT, 20 percent 3 PT, .87 points per shot

MAAC: 7.1 apg, 1.4 spg

When it comes to scoring, Moore is not a threat. But, the senior's court vision and distributing skills more than make up for his scoring inability. Moore leads both the MAAC and the nation in assists and changes games by beating the defense down the floor.

Chances are he won't take home the award because of his miserable shooting percentages and inefficiency, but his value to Siena will be crystal clear, if it isn't yet, when the Saints are Moore-less next season.

Ryan Thompson, Rider, Sr.

2009-10: 17.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 turnovers per game, 1.1 spg, 42.6 percent FG, 81.2 percent FT, 33.6 percent 3 PT, 1.41 points per shot

MAAC: 16.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 35.9 minutes per game

As his statistics show, Thompson played better in non-MAAC games. He has struggled from the floor in most of Rider's losses, costing his team elite status in the MAAC. He simply has not performed at the level expected of him.

Because he underperformed immensely as the Preseason Player of the Year, Thompson will likely not receive the postseason accolade.

Frank Turner, Canisius, Sr.

2009-10: 16.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 turnovers per game, 2.1 spg, 48.7 percent FG, 71.3 percent FT, 32.8 percent 3 PT, 1.47 points per shot, 38.5 mpg

MAAC: 16.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 5.6 apg, 3.7 turnovers per game, 1.8 spg, 45.9 percent FG, 70.4 percent FT, 38.9 mpg

Turner rebounded from a dreadful junior season to assemble the best campaign of his career. The senior is among the league's top five scorers, second in assists, and first in steals and minutes played. 

He has only scored in single-digits once in MAAC play.

Unfortunately for Turner, his Canisius Golden Griffins are currently in seventh place and can finish no higher than fifth, severely inhibiting him from receiving the award.

Rico Pickett, Manhattan, Jr.

2009-10: 17.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 1 apg, 2 turnovers per game, 1.3 spg, 43.6 percent FG, 69.6 FT, 33.3 percent 3 PT, 1.09 points per shot

MAAC: 20.9 ppg, 47.7 percent FG, 36.9 percent 3 PT

Playing for ninth place Manhattan, Pickett likely won't garner enough votes to win the accolade. However, his first season as a Jasper is worthy of recognition.

The junior started slow, but improved in conference play, leading the league in scoring.

Ryan Rossiter, Siena, Jr.

2009-10: 14.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.5 spg, 1.1 bpg, 58.7 percent FG, 76.4 percent FT, 1.62 points per shot

MAAC: 15.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 1.5 spg, 1.2 bpg, 60 percent FG, 79.8 percent FT

Rossiter leads the MAAC in a few major categories, including rebounding and field goal percentage.

The fundamentally-sound center won't win Player of the Year in 2009-10 because he is a junior on the same team as senior candidates Franklin, Ubiles, and Moore.  However, he could be a favorite as a senior.

Derek Needham, Fairfield, Fr.

2009-10: 16 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.5 apg, 3.9 turnovers per game, 1.9 spg, 38.9 percent FG, 71.5 percent FT, 29.8 percent 3 PT, 1.17 points per shot

MAAC: 16.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.1 turnovers per game, 1.8 spg, 39.3 percent FG, 67.9 percent FT

The MAAC hasn't seen a freshman like Needham in quite a while. He's in the top five in scoring and assisting, and is tied with Frank Turner as the league's best pick-pocket.

A lock for MAAC Rookie of the Year, Needham has virtually no chance of earning Player of the Year despite leading an injury-plagued Fairfield team to a top-four finish. You will see his name in this discussion in each of the next three years.

My winner: It's extremely difficult to choose one Siena player to collect the accolade, but Alex Franklin is my pick. His value to the Saints extends to both ends of the floor, and he has been an absolute monster this season.

For more MAAC and mid-major basketball, follow Ari Kramer on Twitter by clicking here .

If you didn't know yet, the Siena Saints are the MAAC regular season champions. However, if you think the Saints are a lock for the NCAA tournament, you are wrong.

Siena currently stands at 22-5 overall with a 15-1 mark in MAAC play, but don't let the attractive win total deceive you. Eighteen of Siena's wins have come against teams with RPI's worse than 100; 14 of Siena's victims post sub-150 RPI's.

Unfortunately for the Saints, the selection committee doesn't give a hoot about how many sub-100 wins a program has. It takes sub-100 losses, of which Siena has one, into account, but for wins, it scrutinizes a program's success against top 50 teams.

For that reason, Siena's BracketBuster date with Butler this weekend is a must-win for the Saints, who are 0-3 against top 50 teams this season. Butler has the 16th best RPI, and a Saints win on the road would provide Siena with a crucial top 50 win.

Despite having a winless record against top 50 teams, Siena has the 35th best RPI. A win at Butler could improve the Saints' RPI to a rating hard for committee members to vote against.

With Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, and Matt Howard, the Bulldogs are the obvious favorites. The Saints will likely struggle to contain the versatile Hayward, but otherwise Siena matches up well with Butler.

The frontcourt is Siena's biggest advantage. Whereas the Bulldogs only have Howard in the post, the Saints have Ryan Rossiter and Alex Franklin.

Hayward, Butler's leading rebounder, will be tough to keep off the glass, but Rossiter and Franklin are better rebounders than the stud sophomore and Howard. Franklin is stronger than both Hayward and Howard and should be able to produce on offense while Rossiter will benefit from Butler's focus on Franklin.

In order to win, Siena will need its bigs to stay out of foul trouble. The Saints will also need Ubiles and Franklin to limit Hayward on offense as much as possible.

A win will do wonders for the Saints' at-large chances.

For more MAAC and mid-major basketball, follow Ari Kramer on Twitter by clicking here.