Siena at Bryant

Nevada Smith spent five years on Marquette’s staff before Siena hired him in April, and Marquette attempted 25.8 threes a game last season to Siena’s 17.9. The Saints scored 70.4 a game for the previous head coach. Their three leading scorers, at 18, 13.1 and 11.3 a game, are not on this roster, and eight of its 16 players are freshmen. Smith calls the offense he is installing organized chaos, with shots early in the possession clock, and Marquette scored 75.2 a game with him on the staff. Siena’s games averaged 136.2 combined points last season, and Bryant’s averaged 137.3. Siena’s half of that was played for a head coach who has left. Bryant’s leading scorer, at 12.9 a game, is at Pitt; only two of its five leading scorers are back, and seven of its 17 players are freshmen. Bryant took 26.2 threes a game, and its offense depended on its own gym: 74.8 points a game across 13 home games, 57.6 across 18 on the road. That same Bryant team gave up 72.5 a game and 80 or more in seven of its 31 games. Jamion Christian said Bryant prioritized playmaking in this year’s recruiting after a year of struggling to create advantages off the bounce, and with a new Siena system on the other side, the OVER is the bet tonight.