Feb. 21, 2005
As children, they grew up dreaming of playing for Siena.
Brent Sniezyk and Gary Holle, both natives of the Capital Region had thought about this day (their last game at Pepsi Arena) long before their arrival at Siena four years ago.
Sniezyk caught the attention of area sports fans with a spectacular high school career at nearby Broadalbin-Pert High School, where he averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds in helping his team capture the Section II Championship as a senior. Today marks the 121st game of his ever-improving college career.
"Brent is the best leader I have ever been around in my coaching career," head coach Rob Lanier said. "He is a wonderful person, and a player who has the ultimate respect of his teammates."
Set on finishing his career the right way, Sniezyk has played his best basketball of late. He has averaged nearly nine points and seven rebounds over the last 10 games, providing a source of energy as the Saints try to gather for more late-season heroics. One of the strongest and toughest players in program history, Sniezyk will be remembered for his highlight reel dunks and upbeat attitude.
"It has been a great ride," Sniezyk said. "It has been a dream come true to play in front of so many friends and family members for my career. We have so many great memories to look back on."
Rather than shy away from the legacy of his father, Gary Holle chose to follow the same path and attend Siena. The elder Holle was one of the top athletes in program history, excelling on the court for the then-Indians before being drafted in the 13th Round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Holle's Siena career has been a lesson in persistency. A seldom-used reserve throughout his first two years, Holle worked tirelessly to earn his opportunity.
"Gary represents everything that Siena is about," Lanier said. "He is a tremendous kid with an extremely unselfish attitude. He is only concerned about his teammates and the success of the program. I am convinced if you cut him, he would bleed Green and Gold."
Holle has broken out of his reserve role this season to become a regular in the starting lineup. He has averaged five points and 3.3 rebounds while playing 20 minutes per game as a senior. Always a fan-favorite, his career has been marked by exponential improvement. His development has served as a source of inspiration for those close to the program, and no doubt other youths in the community who now look to follow his legacy.
"I'm thankful for all the opportunities and experiences I have had here at Siena," Holle said. "The past four years have been amazing, and I want to thank everyone out there who helped make them so special."
As a child, he never heard of Siena.
Tommy Mitchell took the 1,620-mile journey from Tyler, Texas to Loudonville, N.Y. in January of 2001. He left behind all he had known to play Division I basketball for a coaching staff that would leave just four months after he arrived.
Mitchell never suited up for Louis Orr, and was left with a painful decision before his freshman season even began. It wouldn't take long to realize he made a good choice.
Less than a year after Orr left, Mitchell left Siena fans with one of the most indelible images in Capital Region sports history. After the Saints marched through the MAAC Tournament with four improbable wins, the freshman guard hoisted himself to the top of the basket. The image of him sitting on the rim with hands raised 10-feet above the Pepsi Arena court swarmed with his classmates was played throughout national media outlets during the month of March.
The following season, he produced one of the top sophomore seasons in program history, averaging 13.6 points per game. The Saints won 21 games that year, including two Postseason NIT games here at Pepsi Arena. Mitchell reached double figures in eight of the last nine games that season and scored 20 points four times during that stretch. He scored 23 in the first round win over Big East foe Villanova.
Since that point, Mitchell has had to overcome some of the same trials and tribulations that lined his path to Siena. A self-described family man, Mitchell rarely sees his parents or siblings, and recent team struggles have complicated his final two seasons with Saints.
"It is really difficult to not see my family," Mitchell said. "I wouldn't trade my Siena experience for anything, I just wish they could have all shared in it more."
Individual accomplishments have continued to come Mitchell's way. He became just the 30th player in the storied history of Siena basketball to score 1000 career points earlier this season, and he could finish as high as 22nd on the school's scoring charts.
The Siena senior class leaves with memories rivaled by only a select few fellow alumni. They have played basketball on the shores of the Mayan Riviera, the Las Vegas Strip and at the top of the Rocky Mountains. Their legacy will be marked by their participation in both the NCAA and NIT Postseason Tournaments.
It's been an experience only a child would dare to dream.
