New-look Siena optimistic about MAAC, Italy trip

Infused with seven newcomers and a returning nucleus, Carmen Maciariello is intrigued by Siena's potential after three straight top-three finishes in his first three years at the helm. (Photo by Siena Saints Men’s Basketball)

While Iona commanded most of the attention in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference last season before Saint Peter’s historic NCAA Tournament regional final run last March, there was a third program threatening to steal the spotlight before the league descended upon Atlantic City for its postseason festivities.

Siena, the regular season champion of 2020 and 2021 that could very well have captured the postseason crown two years ago if not for the start of the pandemic, and last year had it not drawn Iona in the quarterfinals due to the MAAC’s COVID-induced seeding according to wins, was primed to strike as a dark horse of sorts before the final weekend of the regular season. However, losses to Niagara and Canisius, with star forward Anthony Gaines tearing his ACL in the latter game, sent the Saints on a tailspin before a shocking tournament quarterfinal loss to Quinnipiac that deflated a balloon from which most of the air had already been extricated.

However, a retooled Siena roster has honed its craft in the Capital Region this summer in advance of a 10-day trip to Italy that will give the Saints much-needed experience as they take aim yet again at a MAAC that is still anyone’s game as far as a league favorite is concerned.

“We made it to the MAAC tournament with gauze pads and Ace bandages, and probably some super glue holding some things together on these guys,” head coach Carmen Maciariello reflected prior to Siena’s departure. “It was unfortunate, but a top three finish and these guys worked hard. Now it’s turning the page. These guys want to win a championship. That’s why they came to Siena.”

“Our guys don’t want to finish third this year. They want to win the league, and I think we have a hungry group with older guys that have all different shared experiences, but also went through something last year that we never could get the steam we needed. We roll with the punches, we continue to adapt, adjust and manage, and for me, the true beauty is these guys being able to stay healthy and enjoy the game they love.”

Senior Jackson Stormo leads the charge in the frontcourt, a mainstay in the Saints’ lineup the past two years who also continues the presence of a vocal leader in the paint and in practice, something Maciariello has had on all his teams going back to Elijah Burns in his first season, Manny Camper en route to MAAC Player of the Year honors, and even Gaines last season. Stormo has already shown Siena's incoming forwards the ropes too, which makes the transition easier down low while the backcourt prepares to be led by a pair of sophomores in Jared Billups and Javian McCollum.

“I think Jackson as a person is a phenomenal kid,” Maciariello said of Stormo. “He’s got a big heart, and now he’s gotta take that next step and do it not only by his actions, but also using it in the spoken word. Guys are seeing that, but I also think guys are seeing how talented he is, especially the younger, newer guys, and even my staff. I think that alone is going to help him lead. When your best players are your hardest workers, usually everything falls into line.”

“I just think they’re competitors,” he added with regard to Billups and McCollum, the former of whom having played most of his freshman campaign on a fractured wrist that forced him to use his non-dominant left hand through summer workouts. “I think both these guys need to take a big jump for us to be successful. Jared has got to shoot the ball better from three and understand how he can score with his shoulders and his strength, and Javian’s gotta be a leader. He’s gotta be the straw that stirs the drink, the guy that’s the most loved-up guy on campus. Those are the guys that you know are special, and he’s got that in his personality. You could see the fire when he was healthy on the court. I was practicing him in a Tom Brady red jersey so he didn’t get hit, but at the end of the day, we need those two guys to stay healthy, stay the course.”

Michael Baer and Jordan Kellier also return to provide interior depth, with Jayce Johnson and Andrew Platek back to shore up the backcourt as all four are healthy for the first time since the start of last season. Seven newcomers are donning the green and gold for the first time, though, and Maciariello believes each one can contribute enough to make the Saints a formidable unit heading into the November 7 season opener at Holy Cross.

“Michael Eley is an interesting story,” he said of the Indiana native who will compete for minutes off the ball. “He had some American Athletic Conference offers at an early age, then he was going to go to prep school. He came on a visit and we had a candid conversation about what was expected of him, and he’s kind of a hidden gem. He’s a 6-foot-4 two guard, he’s athletic, he can shoot, he’ll help us defensively. Killian Gribben, who played for the under-20 Irish national team, will contend for minutes up front with Eduardo Lane, who came from San Jose State and is finally healthy. (Lane’s) a lefty who can stretch the floor, but people don’t know that he can shoot pretty good.”

International imports Zekeriya (Zach) Yigit Tekin of Turkey and Sveinn Birgisson of Iceland will have their opportunities to afford an impact as well, with the former earning plaudits for his basketball instincts as he continues to adapt to the American style and game.

“Zach is everything we thought he was,” said Maciariello. “We watched tons of film on him, he’s just a super high-IQ point guard, he’s making reads and plays just off natural instinct. Svenni from Iceland, is like a three-four who can shoot it, can put it down. I think he’s going to be a really good player for us. Mason Courtney and Brendan Coyle are two guys that are walk-ons, but are doing a great job of making shots.”

“I’m hoping to play everybody on this Italy trip just to make sure they get a taste of international competition. I think when you have a synergy that kind of seeps in, that’s what leads to special seasons. And that’s our goal every year. We’re looking to grow our collective unity and our love for one another on this trip, but then I want to see us defend at the highest level, I think that’s non-negotiable. I didn’t think we were good enough on the backboards last year, and we want to make sure we’re getting second chance opportunities on the rim. Hopefully that leads to some aggression for us, and I want to be able to score the basketball, I want the ball to move.”

Siena had hoped to be more of an uptempo outfit last season before circumstances dictated otherwise, so the focus on pushing the ball more has been central to Maciariello’s vision this season as he hopes to use the experience in Italy as a harbinger of things to come during the season.

“I want to play with pace and take great shots,” he reiterated. “You should hopefully see the ball hit multiple sides and us playing off of Stormo and playing off the high ball screen. I would say there’s more of a concerted effort to make sure we know how hard we have to cut and how much better shape we have to be in. Having 11 new guys last year, there was a lot to be a taught and I’m not sure we were able to pick up all the little nuances. This group here, I ask them before I put in anything.”

“We’re in a great spot. I really love this group. I’ve used the words ‘collective unity,’ just making sure that everyone understands it’s from the first guy all the way down to volunteer assistants, managers. The love for Siena basketball has to be at the highest level from A to Z, and I think that’s what these guys have understood. There’s that we, not that I or me attitude. It’s been really, really invigorating.”

Andre Curbelo opens up on leaving Illinois, choosing St. John’s, and his expectations coming home

Andre Curbelo drives inside during St. John’s first exhibition game in Dominican Republic. Illinois transfer will team with Posh Alexander to run Red Storm offense. (Photo by St. John’s University Athletic Communications)

The transfer portal is now as much a part of college basketball as a federal tax return is to working Americans. You take the good with the bad, and hope for the best.

Relative to the hardwood, a refund occasionally pops up when an incoming student-athlete is attracted to a program and is rejuvenated, looking to once again establish himself in a new or otherwise familiar locale. For St. John’s, it may be more of the latter in the case of Andre Curbelo, who returns to the New York area he called home upon arriving from his native Puerto Rico after two seasons at the University of Illinois, who recruited the flashy point guard out of Long Island Lutheran in Brookville.

Curbelo, the Big Ten Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman in Champaign alongside eventual first-round NBA Draft pick Ayo Dosunmu, battled through a rocky second season marked not only by a concussion, but the lack of a confidant and positive presence in his immediate proximity following the departure of assistant coach Orlando Antigua — his lead recruiter — to Kentucky, two factors that led him back to the Big Apple.

“It was a tough year, a roller coaster,” Curbelo recalled as he described his emotions and thought process behind leaving the Illini and joining Mike Anderson and the Red Storm, who had shown mild interest in him out of high school before signing Posh Alexander and thus backing off on recruiting Curbelo. “When you’re not able to play for about two months, athletes tend to get a little bit discouraged and down, ‘when am I gonna get back,’ this and that. There were a lot of thoughts in my mind, was I going to get back? Was I going to be the same player? Clearly, I wasn't, but that’s in the past. I just gotta move on with a different mindset. I’m in a different place.”

“Ever since my concussion sophomore year, I started feeling a certain way. When things don’t go your way and you don’t have that support system — Antigua had left, so I didn’t really have a person over there — I feel like I struggled a little bit more. I don’t have anything to hide, I felt alone.”

Upon entering his name in the portal following Illinois’ NCAA Tournament exit last March, Curbelo rekindled a relationship with St. John’s assistant coach Van Macon, who was the point man in his initial recruitment two years ago and offered the trust and guidance he had sought since Antigua rejoined John Calipari in Lexington.

“I see him like an Antigua guy when I was back at Illinois,” Curbelo said of Macon and their bond. “I definitely feel that vibe with him and I’m just very thankful. I rely on that relationship a lot because he probably knows more than anybody else what I was going through at Illinois. We spoke about it, and my guardian, Jay David, I’m sure they spoke about it on the phone. Having that relationship is definitely very valuable, and throughout that recruiting process, it was just great to hear from (Macon). I felt like I could trust him, and I felt that his words were wise and he meant them. It definitely helped a lot, for sure.”

“When you’re in the transfer portal, a lot of people reach out, ‘come here, come there,’ but for me, I just wanted to be home with the right people because at the end of the day, you have to make it a mental game. And with me, if you’re not mentally right, you’re not really going to perform the way you want. So coming home and having that right support system is going to help me go out there every night and feel like my family’s always in the stands.”

A high-energy personality with an ebullient smile and ever-present charisma, Curbelo is instantly recognizable on or off the court. And as far as needing to remind everyone who he is as a player, he believes that to not be necessary, as his work ethic and drive will breed success inherently.

“I’m going to say this: I’ve got nothing to prove, to be honest,” he reiterated. “I don’t think I have anything to prove. I think I’m aware of who I am and the kind of player that I am. All I gotta do is go out there with my teammates and give it my all, and the job will take care of itself. If anything, I’m going to come in more positive, smile a little more. All that helps me.”

Curbelo and Anderson have both been asked several times already this summer about the dynamic with Alexander, and how St. John’s will be able to coexist with two point guards running its offense. Anderson dismissed the notion of it being a hindrance, citing his prior two-headed floor general attacks at Arkansas as proof that such a formula was conducive to long-term results. His new backcourt addition was more pragmatic in his response, crediting his teammates for making his assimilation smoother as he counts the days before the Red Storm tips off against Merrimack on November 7.

“A lot of people are probably going to ask themselves, ‘how is this going to work?’” Curbelo revealed. “We’re getting along really good, and (Alexander) makes it easier. The guys are welcoming, but sometimes when I’m the new kid in town, I tend to get a little shy until I figure everything out, but they’ve made the process pretty easy.”

“I’m very hungry. I can’t wait. I’ve been telling everybody that I’m itching to play, and people that know who I am know that I’m anxious. I’m ready to play.”

St. John’s gears up for DR trip and first experience as a unit

St. John’s goes through final tuneups before trip to Dominican Republic, where Red Storm will play three exhibition games. (Photo by Thomas Cavanagh/WSJU Radio)

NEW YORK — Not often does one team lose its star player and raise the expectations within its walls, but after the offseason St. John’s experienced, the Red Storm emerged a stronger and deeper unit.

Julian Champagnie has since moved on from Queens to take his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers, but in his place stands a pair of highly-coveted transfers in Andre Curbelo and David Jones, supplementing the cadre of depth and versatility that the Johnnies retained heading into a pivotal fourth year under head coach Mike Anderson, a season that begins with a three-game exhibition in the Dominican Republic starting Friday and one that is anticipated to culminate in the NCAA Tournament seven months from now. But before the ball is tipped, Anderson simply wants to see what he has in the outfit that could very well have the most upside in a significantly altered Big East Conference hierarchy.

“I want to see what they bring to the table,” he said Wednesday before St. John’s final tuneup leading into its overseas excursion. “Obviously from a talent standpoint, we kind of know, but I just want to see what they can bring defensively, offensively, how they get a sense and feel for some of the other players on our basketball team. So for me, it’s more about getting familiar with one another.”

“They’re looking forward to playing against someone other than themselves. For the most part, everybody’s ready, set to go, and we’re looking forward to continuing to find out more about our basketball team. The time spent thus far has been very insightful.”

The makeup of this year's St. John’s team may be somewhat different in terms of the new faces, but largely consistent with the return of Posh Alexander and Dylan Addae-Wusu to the starting backcourt, while Montez Mathis takes on more of a reserve role alongside incoming freshmen Kolby King and AJ Storr, as well as sophomore Rafael Pinzon, who is 100 percent after being sidelined for much of last year with a finger injury and a separate bout of COVID-19. Down low, Joel Soriano — who has earned plaudits from Anderson and his teammates for his conditioning and initiative as a vocal leader — anchors the paint with Jones in Champagnie’s stretch four role and the sophomore duo of Esahia Nyiwe and O’Mar Stanley spelling Soriano in the de facto center spot.

“I think Joel has picked up where he left off last year, he gives us a presence,” Anderson reiterated, revealing his enthusiasm for how he hopes his forwards will perform. “Esahia continues to be that glue guy, but even more so, I think he’s a lot more comfortable passer, being able to catch and finish. I’m excited about those front line guys, and of course, you’ve got to remember, O’Mar had his moments last year.”

One of the major questions surrounding the guards on the corner of Union and Utopia is that of how Curbelo will mesh with Alexander, as both are pure point guards who also have a knack for scoring when needed. Anderson was quick to point out that some of his best teams in the past had a dual point guard attack, which he insists will be more of a boon for the Red Storm than a bane, and heralded Curbelo’s immediate impact as a veteran whose objective has been to acclimate the younger underclassmen behind him to life in college basketball.

“They like to give it up,” Anderson said of Alexander and Curbelo, and their respective tendencies to be facilitators. “They also like to score, too. If I’ve got two point guards out there on the floor, I think that bodes well for our basketball team.”

“(Curbelo) commands their attention. They’re always going to know he’s there. I think his demeanor on the floor, he’s always teaching. He had a moment the other day where he got after Kolby and it got a little physical, but that was Andre’s way of saying, ‘Hey, I gotta get you ready, man. You gotta help us, I gotta get you ready.’”

St. John’s has employed a businesslike approach through its ten allotted practices before arriving in the Dominican Republic, where its three games will take place Friday, Sunday and Monday. But regardless of records and results, the main reward for this potential sleeping giant is the chance to enhance an already strong team bond that could, if coagulated properly, prove to be the adhesive that lands the Johnnies among the field of 68 for the first time since 2019.

“The bonus to me is guys spending time with one another,” Anderson said. “These guys have been here all summer. You don’t have all the distractions, just a team and a basketball. I just think you’ll get a little sneak preview of what’s to come.”

Rutgers bids adieu to two program faces, but maintains team chemistry with veterans, newcomers

Rutgers players and head coach Steve Pikiell huddle at mid-court during Monday’s offseason workout. (Photo by Jaden Daly/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Winning truly does change perception.

Just within the last decade, Rutgers was still the low-hanging fruit on the college basketball tree, with fans and insiders alike piling on to take shots at the Scarlet Knights for the mere convenience and sheer ease of ripping a program once thought of as the worst among Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

A half-dozen years later, Rutgers is now synonymous with the high standard of consistent success, thanks in large part to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances — a third straight would have come if not for COVID — and the rebuild by head coach Steve Pikiell and his staff from the ground up to usher a new era into existence on the banks of the old Raritan.

“It used to be the place where coaches came to leave, and now they stay,” Pikiell said Monday as he addressed the changing culture, one of the many topics broached during a summer workout open to the media. “It used to be the place where coaches come to get fired, and now I’m going into year seven. That’s not the narrative anymore, and I’m excited that that’s changed. We’re all really valued, and that’s a really good sign, too.”

“This team is bigger than the tournament,” Paul Mulcahy added, stressing the lofty goals he and his teammates continue to place upon themselves. It’s an expectation, and we want to win the Big Ten. We’ve got bigger goals than making the tournament.”

For a team losing both of its twin-engined heart and soul in Ron Harper, Jr. and Geo Baker, such hefty aspirations might appear easier said than done. But with a veteran nucleus anchored by Mulcahy, Cliff Omoruyi and Caleb McConnell returning, not to mention the furthered development of role players such as Dean Reiber and Mawot Mag, plus the infusion of transfer guard Cam Spencer and a pair of promising freshmen in Derek Simpson and Antwone Woolfolk, the future is no less bright for the Scarlet Knights than it was at this time one year ago.

“You're going to miss some things with Geo and Ron, but I think we’ll be a little bit different defensively,” Pikiell admitted. “We’ll be different offensively in some ways, too, but I’m excited about that. This offseason has been good for us, it’s been good for me to figure it out. Anytime you get the leading dunker in the country back, you get the leading assist guy in the best league in the country and you get the best defender in the best league in the country, you feel pretty good about your team.”

“When guys graduate, other guys get opportunities. I feel very confident (Reiber) and Mawot are going to have really good years. Dean can guard threes, too, so his versatility excites me. I can play him a lot of different ways, I could go from playing Cliff — who’s above the rim — to playing Dean, who’s going to shoot threes from way deep when you move him around. I like the versatility of Aundre (Hyatt), Oskar (Palmquist), Dean, Mawot.”

The versatility of the Scarlet Knights’ interior was perhaps the boldest takeaway Monday afternoon, other than Spencer’s dead-eye accuracy playing off the ball alongside Mulcahy. Starting with Omoruyi, who appears to have been unleashed offensively, each Rutgers forward appears to have expanded on his skill set, which opens up a myriad of avenues for a team that relied heavily on Harper to plug those holes in the past.

“We’re going to expect a lot of (Omoruyi) this year,” Pikiell cautioned. “He’s going to have to play more minutes. He became almost a double-double guy every night, he’s gotta get to that point, and I know he can do that. It’s just been fun. He’s been a fun guy, and he’s improved as much as anybody in his two years.”

“This year, he’ll take on a new dimension, because I’m going to let him shoot the ball. Even last year, I was encouraging him to shoot the ball. He’s going to be a tough guy to match up with in the league (with) the way he runs and the way he’s committed to improving his game. His ceiling is so high.”

Omoruyi’s backup, who blossomed as a 3-point shooter down the stretch in pivotal Big Ten contests last season, has also added a new facet to his repertoire, which will open the door for his employment as more of a traditional big who can space the floor and offer a second post presence.

“I’ve done a lot of ball handling recently and working on my mid-post, just trying to create my own shot a little bit more,” Reiber revealed. “Playing a lot in the Big Ten last year made me realize everyone goes 110 percent, so you’re able to do a lot more when the pressure’s on. I feel like I’ve got a lot under my belt, so the experience compounding is going to help immensely, especially for the young guys coming in that don’t really know the Big Ten.”

While Simpson and Woolfolk, the two freshmen who signed last season, are still unproven under the lights, each has already offered mounds of potential. In fact, the former already turned heads with his athleticism and resemblance to Baker, whose former No. 0 the New Jersey native now dons to begin his collegiate career.

“He’s one of the most athletic guards we’ve had, I think, since Corey Sanders,” Pikiell said of Simpson, effusive in his praise. “He’s above the rim, he shoots the ball effortlessly, has a good feel for the game. Now he’s kind of learning our defenses and the things we want him to do, but his ceiling is tremendous and he’s really coachable, which I really like. He and his roommate, Antwone, have been really good additions to us. Antwone’s going to be really good, too.”

Rutgers went through a similar period of questioning last year when Pikiell promoted his team’s prospects before, during and after a rocky non-conference season, and is now facing the same uncertainty — to an extent — this year as its vocal leaders must be replaced. However, players and coach insist the synergy has not dissipated, cultivating further amid the incumbent players and new arrivals. 

“We’re really connected right now,” Mulcahy said. “We’re communicating at a high level, especially with a couple of the new guys. They’ve jumped in, their voices have been great. We’re really competing, and this group really loves basketball, which is fun to be around. There are a lot of voices who have been here, so we’re good.”

“It’s been a great group,” Pikiell echoed. “The newcomers have done a great job of picking up stuff, what I call our defensive vitamins, every day. It gives them a chance to get a really good feel, and it gives us a chance to try some different things and learn a lot about our team. We’ve got a good balance of the veteran guys that have been around, and the newcomers bring in some great energy, so that’s been fun for us.”