Oct. 26, 2010
NEW YORK, N.Y. - The three-time defending MAAC Champion Siena men's basketball team was selected to finish second while the women's team was slotted eighth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll announced this afternoon at the annual MAAC Media Day Tuesday at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill. Senior forward Ryan Rossiter was tabbed the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, while Clarence Jackson for the men and Serena Moore for the women were also First Team selections.
Fairfield, which took the Saints to overtime in last season's MAAC Championship Game, was selected to win the league followed by Siena, Saint Peter's, Iona and Rider to round out the top-five. Loyola was selected sixth, followed by Canisius, Niagara, Manhattan and Marist.
The Saints, who won a program record-tying 27 games last season, received three first place votes from the league's head coaches, while Fairfield took home six votes and Saint Peter's one.
Rossiter, who was named to the All-MAAC First Team following last season, averaged 13.8 points and a league-leading 11.1 rebounds as a junior. He also led the conference in field goal percentage at 57.1%.
Jackson was named to the All-MAAC Third Team at the conclusion of last season after averaging 13.6 points per game. He was sixth in the league with 1.6 steals per game and shot 35.7% from three-point range.
The women's team returns two starters from last year's squad which finished 11-18 overall and was seventh in the MAAC at 8-10. Defending MAAC Champion Marist was a unanimous selection to win the conference, with Iona, Loyola, Fairfield and Manhattan rounding out the top-five. Niagara was picked sixth followed by Canisius, the Saints, Saint Peter's and Rider.
Moore, who earned Second Team honors as a junior, returns as the team's leading scorer. Last year she averaged 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds to rank her seventh and fifth in the MAAC respectively. Marist's Erica Allenspach meanwhile was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year.
The men open the 2010-11 season on Nov. 13 at Times Union Center against Vermont, while the women begin a night earlier on UHY Court against Navy.
