Winners of three straight after defeating Iona, Carmen Maciariello and Siena sit just a half-game off MAAC lead. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Part of Carmen Maciariello’s charm is that he is completely unlike any other man that has held the title of head men’s basketball coach at Siena College over the past decade.
The 41-year-old rookie coach lacks the fiery temper of his former boss, Fran McCaffery. He is not a grizzled New York City veteran like Mitch Buonaguro, does not balance coaching and theatrics the way Jimmy Patsos did for five years, nor does he have the boundless energy and youthful exuberance of Jamion Christian.
What Maciariello does have, though, is an endless conviction, faith that his Siena team could ultimately reach its desired heights. And in that faith, a desire to be a devoted craftsman was born, a commitment to forge a blank canvas into an iconic masterpiece.
At 10-9 just more than halfway through his first season at the helm of his alma mater, Maciariello and his Siena program are far from critical acclaim. But after the Saints’ third consecutive win, an 87-64 thrashing of four-time reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion Iona that was significant on another plane — Siena picked up its first victory away from Times Union Center this season on Friday — has shown that the once-proud powerhouse of the Capital Region could be taking formative steps to stand atop the mountain again in the near future.
“The power of belief is special,” Maciariello intoned, highlighting the meticulous attention to detail in what could be a seminal moment in this season, for better or worse. “We believe in each other, we look to compete and play for championships, and we want to win, every game we step on the court. That’s why we put together that challenging non-conference schedule.”
“We all believe in each other. We believe we’ve got everything we need to win a MAAC championship. It doesn’t matter if we had lost four games in a row in the MAAC — you guys seem to think it’s a big deal, but I never really thought it was a big deal. I knew this team would get it right, and we believe in each other. It’s about one day at a time, getting better each single day. That’s it. End of story.”
The shared commitment to collective betterment was no further evident than the offensive balance reflected in the final numbers. Siena saw an unprecedented seven players score 10 or more points Friday, a first for the program in at least 30 years, going back to the days of Mike Deane and Marc Brown.
“We’re a really good team,” sophomore point guard Jalen Pickett — one of the seven Saints in double figures at the end of the night — candidly observed. “I think this might have been our best game, with everybody just sharing the ball, staying poised and moving it. We know when we have so many guys who can just score around the same amount of points, we’re going to be really tough to beat. We’re just going to keep going, and it’s just a testament to how much we’ve improved since the beginning of the year.”
“I love our team. We have great players and everybody’s been working hard, and everybody understands the game plan. Everybody’s just really grown, and now, I think we’re getting some cohesiveness together as a team.”
Unlike last year, when Siena’s modus operandi was essentially Pickett and Evan Fisher, this year's iteration of the Saints is a much more multifaceted arsenal. The additions of Donald Carey and Elijah Burns — transfers from Mount St. Mary’s and Notre Dame, respectively — to Pickett and junior Manny Camper, who is now averaging a double-double in points and rebounds per game, has presented four proven alpha dogs that are almost impossible to contain simultaneously, and that does not even account for the supporting cast.
“When we get the bench realizing how much they impact us, we kind of challenge those guys,” Maciariello added after noting the emergence of freshmen Gary Harris, Jr., Jordan King, and Kyle Young. “And obviously Gary starting, I think that gives him a little more focus, and as a freshman, I think that’s huge to have that confidence in him. I think these guys are starting to believe in him more and more, but when it’s all said and done, they’re doing their job. They’re doing what they have to do every day in practice to get better, and then they’re holding themselves accountable, which makes it special.”
“I just think we’re a different team today than we were three weeks ago, four weeks ago. Teams grow, teams get better. I think I’m coaching them a little differently, and after that road loss at Niagara, I told these guys I was going to hold them more accountable — even with the smallest details — and not let anything slide by. We’ve also shortened our practices to 90 minutes, where we’re getting real efficient with our time and making the most out of it, and these guys have came in and understood that the mental aspect of the game is just as important as coming in and watching extra film. It’s a credit to the staff and to the program, and to all these guys being able to realize they have to do more. We have enough, like I said, to be able to get the job done, and these guys are seeing that now. It’s coming to fruition.”
Excellent write-up Jaden
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