Now that Siena is back home from playing at Georgia Tech, it's time to focus on what is the biggest game of the year for local basketball fans -- Siena vs. UAlbany, set for 7:30 Saturday night at Times Union Center.

The double-header begins with a Siena-UAlbany women's game at 5.

Let the hype begin!!!

By noon today, there were already 11,600 tickets sold. There never seems to be a true sellout for this huge matchup, but the crowd at Times Union Center is always mammoth. Maybe this will be the year the place gets totally filled up.

Siena will be a prohibitive favorite. Although "only" 4-3 so far, the Saints picked up Top-25 votes in the preseason poll and are talented from top to bottom, even without injured star Edwin Ubiles.

Albany, much younger, is off to a 3-5 start, and will need a near-perfect game to stay with the Saints. But almost every game in this rivalry has been extremely close, even when the Saints pull away early.

In order to have any chance for the upset, the Great Danes will need more than just Tim Ambrose and Will Harris to score 20 or more. Other Danes must step up, including the newcomers. In Albany's last matchup with Florida Atlantic, Harris, Ambrose and senior point guard Michael Johnson accounted for almost all of the Great Danes' points.

Siena can score up and down its lineup and won't lack for firepower or athleticism. As UAlbany head coach Will Brown said on Rodger Wyland's "Big Board Sports" radio program this afternoon, Siena can win with an average of below-average performance, while the Great Danes must play extremely well to have any chance.

Still, the atmosphere should be perfect, with students and alumni from both programs letting their hair down and supporting their respective teams.

I guarantee that all basketball fans will enjoy this matchup, no matter what their affiliation.

I can't wait. Can you?