Among the five MAAC games on tonight's schedule is a rematch of last year's title game between Rider and Siena.

Both teams are unbeaten in the MAAC, the game's on TV (ESPNU) and I'd consider the highlight of a five-game MAAC slate that also includes the renewal of the increasinly bitter Fairfield-Loyola rivalry.

For some extra insight on Siena, I traded questions with Pete Iorizzo, who covers the Saints for the Albany Times Union and on his always-informative blog.

Here are my questions and Pete's answers.

Q: The Saints got some pretty serious pre-season hype. Have they justified it?

A: Yes and no.In one sense, Siena’s done almost everything that could be reasonably expected. The only “bad” loss came in the Old Spice Classic, when Siena fell 72-70 to Wichita State. Since then, Siena’s won eight of 10 games, with the only two losses at Pittsburgh and at Kansas.

On the other hand, Siena couldn’t possibly live up to some of the ridiculous preseason expectations.

Siena’s not a fringe Top 25 team, as was suggested in some quarters. It’s a very good, above average mid-major team.

But one of the 25 best teams in the country? No.

Kenny Hasbrouck, the preseason MAAC player of the year, is averaging just over 12 points. Is he underachieving or just sharing the wealth?

Hasbrouck, as even he would admit, underachieved for about a monthlong stretch. He acknowledged that he was saddled with some mental baggage – all the expectations, all of his NBA dreams, etc. That, combined with all the attention he receives from opposing defenses, sent him into a slump.

But he’s out of it now. He’s reached double-figures in the past four games after getting there just four times in the previous nine. During these past four games, he’s averaged 16.3 points and shot 44 percent from 3-point range. Those are the kind of numbers Siena fans are much more accustomed to seeing.

What's gotten into Ryan Rossiter? And who else that might have been under the radar entering the year has really stepped up?

Rossiter is easily the most improved player on the roster. He runs the floor well for a big man, which gets him lots of easy scores in transition. He’s also worked hard on his low-post moves, so he’s an option in the motion offense that Siena didn’t have in the past.

Also, keep an eye on Clarence Jackson, who should be the first guard off the bench. Jackson, a 6-3 off guard, is shooting just 26.6 percent from 3 for the season, but he’s capable of much better. He’s effective off the dribble, too, when defenders fly out on him.

It's pretty clear Siena fans don't like Rider very much. From a Saints viewpoint, is this a brewing rivalry, or are the Broncs just one of many teams that happen to be gunning for Siena's crown?

Though the first statement certainly seems to be true, I haven’t heard anything out of the players to suggest this is a major rivalry. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the quotes from Rider players earlier this season are hanging in the locker room. I do know at least a couple players heard about those.

What's your prediction?

Rider looks like a team that will get better as the season goes along. It will be a serious threat to knock off Siena at Alumni Gym, I think, but I don’t see it happening Friday. Siena wins, 79-71.