New men’s basketball coach Jamion Christian is familiarizing himself with the region.
Saints’ new coach is building links to area sports community
The Siena men’s basketball team doesn’t hold its first official practice until Sept. 29.
Nonetheless, new head coach Jamion Christian has had a lot on his plate since the school year began — on and off the court.
He’s putting the Saints through the limited workouts allowed by the NCAA until practice begins.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said Tuesday. “We’re establishing a new identity about how we like to work and our workouts are really competitive. I’m a data-driven guy, so we’re charting every single shot taken and where it’s taken from. We’re taking every opportunity we can to make sure we know where they stand every day.”
The Saints are also incorporating freshman point guard Georges Darwiche and redshirt freshman walk-on guard Jimmy Raliff, who joined the team right before classes began and weren’t around for the summer program.
The past couple of weeks, Christian has also busied himself getting familiar with the Capital Region sports scene.
He said he’s taking the team to Albany’s Palace Theatre on Saturday to see the premiere of the documentary “The Minor League Mecca,” about the Albany Patroons’ successful first run in the Continental Basketball Association from 1982-92. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Capital District YMCA and Siena athletics, according to the movie’s website.
Christian noted the coaching talent that came through the Patroons, including 11-time NBA champion Phil Jackson, George Karl and Bill Musselman.
“It’s important for me with our guys, helping the guys understand the history of sports here in the city of Albany,” Christian said. “In large part, they love Siena basketball, but they also love sports in the Capital Region.”
On Monday, Christian attended his first Coaches vs. Cancer dinner, the event that annually brings together Siena and Ualbany for a common cause. It was held at the Albany Capital Center and Christian attended with his wife, Allie.
Christian said he didn’t have a comparable event in his previous six years at Mount St. Mary’s in Maryland.
“It’s amazing event, bringing around so many people in the area,” he said. “It’s our first time really getting our feet wet with it. I was really impressed with the level of care and compassion and the level of impact.”
It allowed him to spend a little more time with Ualbany head coach Will Brown, whom Christian had met a couple of times since his hiring in May. Christian thanked Brown and his wife, Jamie, for helping Allie Christian know what to expect at the dinner.
On Sept. 10, Christian went to breakfast with Valleycats manager Jason Bell, who had won the New York-penn League title a day earlier. Bell showed up Siena’s practice the following day and they went out to Dinertime in Latham to exchange ideas for a couple of hours.
They first met when Christian threw out the first pitch at a Valleycats game at Bruno Stadium in June.
“He and I keep in touch,” Christian said. “I love his enthusiasm and the way he teaches the game. This guy is a rising star.”