March 19, 2026, 6:06 a.m. ET
No. 1 total seed Duke takes on No. 16 seed Siena within the first spherical of the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 19, trying to deal with enterprise and keep away from a completely devastating upset.
Only two No. 16 seeds have gained first-round NCAA Tournament video games ever, each of which got here in recent times: when Virginia misplaced to UMBC in 2018 and Purdue to Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023. Siena is additionally led by a former Syracuse legend in Gerry McNamara, who gained a nationwide championship with the Orange in 2003 and has his jersey retired within the rafters on the faculty.
Siena is not essentially the most recognizable model in faculty basketball: It has six earlier NCAA Tournament appearances in its history, final reaching the sphere in 2010. The Saints did win first-round video games in 1989, 2008 and 2009, nonetheless.
For these tuning into the David vs. Goliath-level matchup, this is what to know of Siena earlier than it takes on Duke, the present nationwide championship favourite heading into the NCAA Tournament:
Where is Siena positioned?
Siena is a personal faculty positioned in Loudonville, New York, the place it was based in 1937. Its whole undergraduate enrollment is lower than 4,000 college students.
Siena basketball nickname
Siena’s athletics groups go by the nickname “Saints,” and its mascot is a St. Bernard named “Bernie.”
Siena NCAA Tournament history
Siena has six prior NCAA Tournament appearances in its history, final reaching the large dance in 2010. The Saints even have 4 NCAA Tournament wins of their history, most lately profitable video games in back-to-back seasons towards No. 4 seed Vanderbilt in 2008 and towards No. 8 Ohio State in double additional time in 2009.
Siena made the NCAA Tournament once more in 2010, however fell to Purdue by eight factors as a No. 13 seed. Its first NCAA Tournament win got here towards Stanford in 1989 as a No. 14 seed, earlier than profitable its second recreation within the play-in spherical towards Alcorn State in 2002.
Siena has by no means made it previous the primary weekend of March Madness. Here’s a have a look at how they’ve carried out of their NCAA Tournament appearances:
- 1989: Beat (3) Stanford 80-78 | Lost to (11) Minnesota 80-67
- 1999: Lost to (4) Arkansas 94-80
- 2002: Beat (16) Alcorn State 81-77 | Lost to (1) Maryland 85-70
- 2008: Beat (4) Vanderbilt 83-62 | Lost to (12) Villanova 84-72
- 2009: Beat (8) Ohio State 74-72 (2OT) | Lost to (1) Louisville 79-72
- 2010: Lost to (4) Purdue 72-64
- 2026: vs. (1) Duke
What convention does Siena play in?
Siena competes within the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the place it has been a member since 1989-90. The MAAC options groups from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Siena gained the convention match in 2025-26 to achieve the NCAA Tournament.
The Saints have gained regular-season MAAC championships in 1991, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2020 and 2021, profitable the MAAC Tournament championship in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2026.
Before becoming a member of the MAAC, Siena competed out of the Eastern College Athletic Conference-North (ECACN) earlier than it was renamed to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) in 1989. In their final yr within the convention, the Saints gained the 1989 NAC Tournament to earn their first bid to the NCAA Tournament.
