By Joe Budzelek
“Regardless of what a player expects or wants, it’s my job to help them understand how great this place is—the support, the platform, the history—and let everything else come after that.”
Entering Year Two as the head coach of the Siena Saints, the program’s momentum forward spotlights how Gerry McNamara’s vision as a first time head coach is one not to deviate from.
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| Two of Siena's returning seniors -- guard Marcus Jackson and forward Brendan Coyle -- will be valuable scorers on the perimeter (Photo Credit: Daily Gazette" |
While a 14–18 overall record and 9–11 conference finish might look modest on paper, Siena is trending toward the top echelon of the MAAC preseason projections on the heels of the return of four starters—double-digit scorer and All-MAAC Second Team selection Justice Shoats, Brendan Coyle, and MAAC All-Rookie Team selection Gavin Doty—as well as last year’s original starting point guard, Marcus Jackson, who missed the final 17 games of the season with an MCL injury.
“Going into year two with the kind of roster we’ve retained, the expectations are obviously high,” says McNamara, “They were high in year one too, but at that point you’re still getting your feet wet and establishing your culture. Now, moving into year two with the retention we’ve had, the adjustments we made in the portal, and the really talented freshman class we brought in, we obviously have very high expectations this season.”
Two Siena basketball standout returnees earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference honors for their stellar regular-season performances. Senior Justice Shoats – the team’s leader in points, free-throws made, assists and steals – was named to the All-MAAC Second Team, while Gavin Doty – a gritty, blue-collar guard who led the team in rebounding – received unanimous selection to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Doty stepped into the starting lineup after point guard Marcus Jackson went down with a season-ending knee injury, and the now-healthy senior will reclaim a spot vacated by Major Freeman’s transfer to Charlotte. The fourth returning starter is Brendan Coyle, who had a breakout junior season, averaging nearly thirteen points and three made three-pointers per game.
Sophomore forward Tajae Jones returns as Siena’s rebounding maven off-the-bench while sophomore wing Reid Ducharme can score in bunches and provides the Saints with a steady perimeter shooter with size.
“I think our depth is much stronger this year—I can go further down the bench, which is a good problem to have,” says McNamara, “We’ve got multiple options at multiple positions. When Marcus went down, Gavin stepped up in a big way and established himself not just as one of the best freshmen, but as one of the best players in our conference. Now, with Marcus back, his physicality, defensive ability, and improved three-point shooting give us another versatile piece.
“For me, the challenge this year is finding the right balance in minutes, which might change night to night depending on the opponent. Early on, it’s about maintaining that competitive balance in practice, making sure guys are fighting for minutes while still respecting one another. I’ve been proud of how they’ve approached the summer and the start of the school year—there’s physicality, but it’s all about competition, not confrontation.
“With six returners who already know my expectations, it was easier to rebuild the culture we had last year. Adding an emotional piece like Marcus back into the mix only elevates things. I’m really excited to have him back—he’ll compete for a big role, and with multiple guys who can impact the game on both ends, I’m looking forward to seeing who asserts themselves as the season progresses.”
If the injuries again affect the backcourt this year, Siena's freshmen Christian Jones and Owen Schlager will have to step up. According to 247 Sports' composite rankings, the three-star Jones ranks as Siena's fourth highest recruit since the website launched two decades ago. The undersized point guard from Texas received his first offer from Texas A&M before multiple mid-majors joined as suitors. Before committing to Siena, Schlager was offered by five other D1 schools, including Quinnipiac and cross-town rivals. The six-foot-three Schlager is best categorized as a combo guard and received a three-star grade from Rivals.com.
Flush with returning guards, wings and forwards, Siena’s transfer portal shopping spree focused on three options that can all contribute to the frontcourt rotation.
Iowa transfer Riley Mulvey joins Siena for his final year of eligibility. The Capital Region native has strong family ties to the program—his father, Martin, was a standout soccer player who finished his career ranked second all-time in program history in both points and goals, while his uncle, Jack, holds the Siena basketball career record for rebounds per game (15.0) as well as the single-season record (19.2).
Standing six-foot-eleven and weighing 245 pounds, Mulvey is 25 pounds heavier than Siena’s heaviest rotation piece from last season. His size, combined with his veteran savvy and feel for the game, is expected to bring stability to the frontcourt.
Division II transfers Tasman Goodrick (Gannon) and Antonio Chandler (Southern Connecticut State) join Siena after both averaged a double-double last season. The six-foot-nine, 225-pound Goodrick finished last season as the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week while the six-foot-six, 210-pound Chandler brings tenacity on both ends of the floor.
“I think the biggest thing we needed to address was our physicality, and I think we really did that,” says McNamara, “Riley is obviously a big, intelligent center who played under a great coach in Coach McCaffrey, and I’d seen him a lot in high school. Tazzy, I think, is one of the most underrated transfers in our league—people don’t realize how good he can be. And Antonio is probably more of a four than a five. I like him there because of his ability to slash. He’s a little undersized for the five, but what’s impressed me most is his intelligence off the ball—knowing when to cut, how to get around people, and how to attack the offensive glass. He’s the type of player who can give you an eight- to ten-point stretch just through his activity and awareness.
“There might be games where we play bigger—if you add in freshman Francis Folefac at the four, Brendan Coyle doesn’t have to log as many minutes there. We got the most we could out of him at the four last year, and he’ll still play some there, but we’re significantly more physical now at those positions. That gives me more flexibility to go bigger, slide Coyle down to the three, and really play him on the wing. But I also have the luxury of going small, because he’s already proven he can play the four. Overall, we’ve got a lot more options this year in terms of physicality.”
Should more depth at the wing position is needed, freshman Isaiah Henderson could be counted on early. The six-foot-six forward played AAU ball with the Albany City Rocks, where he excelled with his perimeter play, but Henderson's overall appeal lies in his overall versatility.
One of the more interesting developments of last season was that McNamara – an alum and coaching acolyte of Jim Boeheim, a devotee of the 2-3 zone – utilized a press more frequently to make it harder for teams to game plan and execute on offense.
“As the season progressed, we didn’t change our defensive identity, but we wanted to make sure we weren’t too easy to figure out,” says McNamara, “With my background, we were always going to mix in some zone, but for me it was really about the personnel we had. I liked Gavin Doty’s activity in pressure situations, and I trusted the intelligence of our guard group to recognize when the zone broke down and still get back in front to defend in the half court.
“As the year went on, I realized more and more—starting with the work we did last summer—that our guys had gotten significantly better at it. It also helped us speed up the pace of play, which was something I wanted: to play faster, to score in the open court, and to create a quicker tempo. A lot of coaches want to play that way, but not everyone has the personnel to do it. We did, and we still do.
“I’ve always liked that style—it’s fun to play, it’s fun to coach, and I love teams that embrace it. So, heading into this season, it’s definitely a defense we’ll look to implement early.”
On the court, McNamara has quickly earned a reputation as one of the more detail-oriented and passionate coaches in the MAAC and that has rubbed on to the players he and his staff have retained and also with the incoming talent.
Off the court, between the Saints March On NIL collective and its financial affiliation with Adam Weitsman—formerly one of Syracuse’s most prominent boosters—Siena’s financial backing is keeping pace with its conference rivals. That said, McNamara brings a long track record of applying a traditional recruiting approach, one that emphasizes substance and meaning beyond simple dollars and cents..
“To be honest, after fifteen years as an assistant coach, relationships have always been at the forefront of every recruitment. Even in today’s era, I try to make that the most important thing. Regardless of what a kid expects or wants, it’s my job to help them understand how great this place is—the support, the platform, the history—and let everything else come after that.
“When I recruit a player, I want them to genuinely want to be at Siena. That’s where every roster build starts. When you get the job, you start with: who are my relationships with? Is there a transfer like Reid Ducharme or Marcus Jackson I already know? Is there a high school kid like Gavin I’ve built a relationship with? The one thing we can’t afford to waste is time. The sooner you identify who aligns with your vision of what a program should feel like, the quicker you can move past players who may ultimately only be interested in money.
“We’re trying to stick to a more traditional model: recruit kids, develop real relationships, earn their trust, and show them what Siena can provide. From there, because of that relationship, I can coach them harder, and because I coach them well, I can retain them. If you get the recruiting process right—both in terms of talent and relationship—you give yourself a better chance to build the emotional core of a true program.
That’s why I try not to deviate from what I fell in love with in the first place: creating real relationships and providing a platform for kids to become the best versions of themselves.”
While the MAAC might lack a clear-cut favorite, Siena enters this upcoming season as one of the frontrunners—alongside Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac, and Manhattan—in what should be a very competitive and deep league.
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