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We are still about 3 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with new Siena coach Gerry McNamara, who talked about winning an NCAA title and his expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in Scranton, PA, where you were a 2-time Associated Press State Player of the Year and finished high school as the #7 all-time scorer in state history with 2917 career PTS: what made you choose Syracuse for college? A number of reasons, but 1st and foremost was my relationship with the staff. Scranton was just a 2-hour drive down I-81 and they offered me a scholarship the 1st time they saw me, which meant a lot. It was an opportunity to play at a high level and still have my family be able to come see me play.

You were a player/assistant for Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim: what made him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He was completely transparent, told you the truth, and desired more from his players. He was really demanding but his consistency is what I took from him the most: he never let his emotions get too high or too low and his energy in practice never changed. If you were 1 of his guys, then he wanted you to go out and make plays: once you earned that trust he would let you play with plenty of freedom.

In the 2003 NCAA title game you scored 18 PTS/6-10 3PM in a 3-PT win over Kansas: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? It was a dream come true: it is the only time in my life that I ran when the buzzer went off but did not know where I was going! It is a goal that I kept chasing as an assistant coach because the feeling of winning is an addiction, and any competitor wants to get back there. I was lucky to play with a great group of guys and we were able to capitalize on it.

In the 2004 NCAA tourney you set a school record with 43 PTS/9-13 3PM in a 5-PT win over BYU: was it just 1 of those situations where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I think so, but it was more out of necessity. BYU was destroying our 2-3 zone and Hakim Warrick got in foul trouble so we were trailing for most of the 1st half. I became a bit more aggressive and found some windows to create some space to get my shot off. Once the 1st couple of shots went down it was hard to guard me because I still could drive to the basket and get fouled. I took 16 FTs…but am still angry that I missed 4 of them.

In the 2005 World University Games gold medal game you scored 13 PTS for Team USA in a win over Ukraine: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? That is 1 memory that I cherish as much as anything. In 4 years of college I got to win 1 NCAA title, 2 Big East tourneys, and then a gold medal while playing for Jay Wright: what an experience! I got to fly to Turkey and stay in the university village with all the other athletes: I am still in touch with a lot of those guys. You saw last summer what it meant to the guys in the Olympics: that was my mini-Olympics.

You still hold several school records with 400 3PM/88.8 FT%/4799 minutes played and are top-5 in several other categories with 258 STL/648 AST/2099 PTS: how were you able to balance all the different aspects of your game? I tried to be a complete player. My position now would be considered a “combo-guard” but I just tried to make shots, make good decisions, and make the people around me better. I attribute that to having good coaching in high school/AAU that focused on winning. I always judged myself by whether I won or lost so that is how I approached the game. I did not get a lot of REB…but I held up my end of the bargain at the 3-PT line. You must understand who you are as a player and how you can impact the game.

Last year your #3 jersey was retired by Syracuse: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is probably my most emotional accomplishment. 1 of the main reasons I chose Syracuse was due to how many great players had come through the program, and it continually humbled myself. To be recognized and have my jersey up there with guys I had idolized is every player’s dream after you hang it up. It is gratifying that people appreciated how I played and what I contributed to the program.

Last March you were hired as head coach at Siena: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I took the job because I was offered it! It is hard to get head coaching jobs, and it is something that I have dreamed of. Siena has a great tradition/proven history of success in the NCAA tourney, and it has been terrific so far. I could not have imagined leaving Syracuse for anything less: there is a high standard here and people care about the product and show up to games. The 1 thing at Syracuse is that the fans always showed up because they were passionate about the program. It is about something bigger than yourself, so I put the pressure on myself to be great.

You have 2 grad transfers and no seniors on your roster: have you figured out who your team leaders will be this year? I really love the maturity/approach of guys like Marcus Jackson/Major Freeman, who have such a great feel for the overall intensity it takes to impact winning and the work that goes on behind the scenes. They have bought into it and those 2 have set the table by example.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I always have high expectations: we had a team meeting about that and set the standard high. If you want to accomplish all those things then you must put in the effort. I go back to Coach Boeheim’s consistency: by the end of the season you want to be the most polished version, and you must work each day to reach those goals. When I wake up in the morning, I need to be the 1 to push them to get there.