Sean Durugordon to make much-anticipated Siena debut following court ruling

Thanks to the recent court ruling regarding two-time transfers, a reeling Siena team has reason for optimism entering Tuesday night’s matchup with Cornell. Former Missouri and Austin Peay guard/forward Sean Durugordon makes his debut for the Saints at MVP Arena after missing the first ten games of the season.

Durugordon, a Harlem native who transferred out of Missouri after the 2021-22 season, averaged 12.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG for Austin Peay last year in the ASUN. He committed to Siena in May after visiting both Siena and Iona.

As a 6-foot-5-inch wing with a game predicated on length and strength, he provides experience and scoring to a Saints team that badly needs it. Siena currently sits at 2-8 and is ranked 360 out of 362 teams in KenPom, already suffering four losses of 30 points or more.

Head coach Carmen Maciariello was quite vague when talking to reporters this week about what Durugordon’s responsibilities would be.

“I told Sean to do what he’s done [in practice] since he’s been here,” Maciariello said. “Just play good basketball. Make the right reads, dribble, shoot, pass, score, rebound, defend — and he’ll be asked to do all of it.”

So, how does he make this impact? Let’s dive in.

Durugordon’s best trait is his ability to win extra possessions for his team on the offensive glass. He was top 10 in the ASUN in offensive rebounding rate last year despite his height.

While offensive rebounding is the one thing that Siena has excelled at this year, the Saints will take all of the extra possessions they can get. Durugordon uses his 6-foot-11-inch wingspan to rebound over guards and forwards, and can use his physical body to establish positioning.

On the ball, Durugordon’s biggest strength is the ability to get to the basket on the drive. His physicality and frame allow him to use contact to his advantage to create easy looks at the rim.

Maciariello also believes in Durugordon’s mid-range game. While he didn’t take a ton of mid-range jumpers last season, he certainly can knock them down when he gets to his spots.

While he’s not a primary ball handler, he’s absolutely a player who can take the ball and get a basket. Siena, which ranks 346th in effective field goal percentage and 359th in turnover rate, can badly use somebody like that.

Durugordon ranked in the top 100 nationally in turnover rate, as his goal with the ball was to use his strength to get to the basket. He struggled with efficiency last year, but…