On Saturday, the Siena Saints played their first game of the Gerry McNamara era, an exhibition game against the Division III Liberty League member Hobart Statesmen. With the Saints introducing almost a whole new roster, this game served as a tune-up game for a team predicted to finish ninth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this season.
While the game resulted in a victory for Seina, 75-53, it raises more questions than answers regarding the team going forward.
It’s best to start with the positives before going into any further problems with the team. Siena was great on defense throughout the game, only allowing 53 points and forcing 17 turnovers. The team was also great in transition or when the half-court offense broke down. They were always the team on the winning end of those situations, whether it resulted in a turnover or points for the Saints.
While Siena was great on defense, the offensive side raises the most questions.
Starting with opportunities caused by their great defense, the team barely converted off turnovers. The Saints forced 17 turnovers but managed as many points off of turnovers.
That failure to capitalize also extended to their half-court offense. A lot of the times that a play broke down throughout the game, the play was initiated by Siena. Usually, after a pass or two and maybe a screen, either a player would be out of position or Hobart would read the play, which resulted in either one of twelve Siena turnovers or the play would break down. There were various points in the game where Hobart seemed like a more cohesive and more put-together team than the team two divisions higher.
That’s where essentially any problem with the Saints stands. The team is great defensively, but they’re a mess on offense. Guard Justice Shoats, who had a team-high 13 points, four steals, two blocks, four rebounds and three assists, and guard Major Freeman, who is a preseason All-MAAC second-team member, shouldered a great chunk of the offense on Saturday. If the team can’t become one cohesive unit, they will likely end up towards the bottom of the MAAC, then in contention for a conference championship.
But this is only an exhibition game. They still have time to work things out and build the chemistry missing during their exhibition game before the regular season starts. With a new coaching staff and roster filled with newcomers, Siena boasts plenty of potential, but it will be a work in progress throughout the season.