When Gerry McNamara took over the Siena Men’s Basketball team in 2024, he had high expectations of what the team was capable of going into his first season as a head coach. As an assistant coach at Syracuse University for a number of years, he brings his vast experience to his second season at Siena. These high expectations have not faltered when going into year two; winning a MAAC Championship is still at the forefront of Siena Basketball’s minds.
Last year, the Saints came up short in the first round of the MAAC Championship, with a modest 14-18 record in the regular season. However, with veterans like seniors Justice Shoats and Brendan Coyle, Siena is looking to improve upon last year’s record. Shoats, the center of the offense, led the team last season with 515 points and an average of 16.1 and average points per game. Coyle is a force to be reckoned with beyond the arc; he led the team in 3 pointers, recording 94 last season, and is looking to further help the team on that side of the offense.
The addition of transfer students and freshmen should be exciting to watch this upcoming season as well. Riley Mulvey, a transfer student from Iowa and an Upstate New York native, is making his way back east to his father’s alma mater. Standing at a staggering 7 feet, Mulvey is certain to make an impact in the paint. The 2025 class is loaded with talent, with versatile guards like Owen Schlager and Christian Jones coming in ready to make an impact. Both earned accolades in their respective regions and McNamara is excited to give them the opportunity to succeed at the next level.
When speaking about Schlager, McNamara said, “He has great size, is a terrific decision maker in the pick and roll game, and if he gets downhill, [he] is a handful attacking the rim.”
The MAAC has been growing in competitiveness in recent years, with various teams taking the crown at the end of the season. Siena won the MAAC regular season when COVID-19 cut the MAAC tourney short, when the Saints were awarded the championship as the top seeded team at the time of cancellation. The Saints hope to retake the throne, despite tough rival opponents in Iona University and the current champions, Mount St. Mary’s. Last season, Siena lost both of their matchups to their coveted rival, Iona. However, they split the series with Mount St. Mary’s, which could give hope to this upcoming season; if the Saints are able to overcome the MAAC Champions and Iona Gaels, this could mean big things for the 2025-2026 season.
The Saints’ schedule features several key matchups, with the University at Albany standing out as one of the most important. The annual Albany Cup is the matchup that the Capital Region looks forward to each year, where the best collegiate team in the area is crowned. Although the Danes got the better of Siena in last year’s matchup, Siena looks to improve their standings by getting a win against a larger school, especially to their crosstown rivals.
Gerry McNamara sums up his goals for the upcoming season by saying in a recent interview, “[I’m] excited about who we retained, excited for who we have back, and hopefully we put a championship up on the board for Siena.” Definitely an exciting season anticipated.