Siena Saints

It has been a long time since fans have watched the Siena Saints or the UAlbany Great Danes in person. It was weird last year calling the UAlbany games with Rodger Wyland for ESPN3 & 104.5 FM The Team. There were no fans and it seemed like nobody else was talking, just us. However, the strangeness is beginning to dissipate as fans have returned to sporting events. Things aren't perfect but we are truly getting back to some sense of normality in sports venues.

The UAlbany and Siena men's basketball coaches, Dwayne Killings and Carm Maciariello, may not face each other on the court this year but they are continuing the tradition to team up for the 16th annual Coaches vs. Cancer Basket "Ball", Monday, October 4th at the Albany Capital Center. This is a tremendous evening of true community camaraderie centered around our two Division I college basketball programs. It is definitely one of the best events of its kind.

It was hot in the UHY Center on the campus of Siena College in Loudonville, NY yesterday afternoon. I arrived a little early to set up for The Drive with Charlie & Dan from 3p to 7p. Dan is on vacation and my guest host was finishing coaching his team. Siena men's basketball coach Carm Maciariello was running the 2021-22 Saints through some 4 on 4 drills, all part of the summertime process, which Tuesday included being my co-host. The heat didn't deter any of the players, some in green, some in gold. They were going after it, happy to compete.

These are great experiences for student-athletes. Experiences are recruiting tools. Siena men's basketball coach Carm Massariello knows how important these types of games are on many levels. First, the Saints will receive a nice check for playing in the game. Mid-major programs need guarantee games to survive. Next, the mid-Atlantic states are a nice recruiting area for Coach Carm. There are plenty of great high school basketball student-athletes in the Southern New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area that Massariello would like to introduce to Siena College. Lastly, his players get to play against a team coached by a New York basketball legend.

It's hard not to be skeptical of the NCAA or some of the larger conferences, aka the Power 5 schools, when it comes to things like, well, paying student-athletes above and beyond their tuition, room and board and more recently, a "cost of attendance" stipend. Yes, they are institutes of higher learning but over the years even some of the most prestigious universities in the United States, such as Notre Dame, Stanford, Duke and even Harvard have been marred by athletic scandals. Then add in the football and basketball powerhouses that occupy your tv screen every week and the list of improprieties would make your head spin.

Pandora’s Box has now been opened. The NCAA ruled that student-athletes may now own their NIL (Name, Image & Likeness). The ruling seems like it would be a common sense decision and it should be but it’s not.

Summer camps are a long standing tradition in most places but especially in the Capital Region. Parents often use camps as a way of keeping their kids constructively occupied during the summer months. Sports camps are especially popular locally. Unfortunately, it looks like some of the most popular camps will not operate for a second consecutive year.

the Drive with Charlie and Dan will continue to bring you a fun look at sports, life and entertainment, with awesome local and national interviews everyday from 3 to 7pm on 104.5 FM.

During his weekly call with Levack and Bahl on 1045 The Team ESPN Radio Siena Saints Men's Basketball coach Carmen Maciariello told us all the reasons he's excited about the new coach added to his staff. Bobby Castagna joins Coach Carm's staff and bring years of NBA and college basketball experience with him. Not only experience but the clear respect of Maciariello and many pro coaches.

With the school year starting to wind down at Siena College the focus will be shifting wholly to preparing for the upcoming MAAC season for the basketball program. Workouts are still restricted but come June the hope is it'll be as close to normal for Head Coach Carmen Maciariello and the men's basketball team. Not only will practice get closer to normal, the coming schedule for the 2021 - 2022 season will look far more normal than last year as well. Coach Carm shared the latest on what we can expect this year.

While I'm sure John Lumpinski was disappointed about his near no-hitter, the MAAC gave him something to smile about Monday morning.

During Siena Men's Basketball Coach Carmen Maciariello's weekly appearance with Levack and Bahl on 1045 The Team ESPN Radio he updated us on transfer portal news and hinted to more reinforcements heading to Loudonville. The early days of the NCAA Transfer Portal the Siena Saints have dealt with losing some key players but when you talk to Coach Carm he's attacking this new challenge like he does every other one, full steam ahead.