Nico, if your reading this, without knowing you personally and who you are as a person or what both sides of this specific story are, from an outsider looking in, if this "family issue" leave of absence is more about you and Rex's relationship (as it appears everyone on this board including myself believe it is), and not about family issues back home that have nothing to do with this team, I can 100% understand your frustration on where you feel your standing is on this team, and where it should be?
From an outsider looking in, this is what I see when I observe you on game night. I don't know if this is reality or just perception but I hope and think it's pretty accurate?
Your personal relationship on the court with a majority of your teammates is a positive one. How you play together on the court is a pretty good one with most of them.
Your support of "all" of your teammates success is a positive one, whether your on the court or on the bench.
Your attitude on the court of just playing "the" game on both ends of the court is a good one, yet one that seems forced at many times as many times "the" game means Rex's game and not neccessilarily "your" game.
Don't let his mind games effect you and your play in a negative way. Let the game come to you but stop playing like a role player when your out there.
And finally, its very obvious that your relationship with Rex seems non-existent.
The guy who four plus years ago was probably in your family room selling you about who he was as a person and as a coach turned out not be the guy you thought he was.
I would not fault you at all for leaving the program and going this coming semester to some rock solid D-2 program somewhere down by your home that you can help bring a possible national title to?
At the same time, I hope you know that regardless of what Rex does to you here at Siena, if you come back, know that your coming back to a program with a fan base that appears to be very much behind you.
A fan baee that already views you as one of the all time Siena greats, regardless of whether your starting and playing 35 minutes a game or whether Rex continues with these stupid mind control games to get in your head and disrespect your talent and give you role player status.
The easy decision would be to leave the program. I totally understand that.
The harder decision and from an outsider looking in, the right decision for Nico come 1 yr, 5 yrs, 10 yrs down the road though, would be to come back with the expectation of yourself to be the bigger person, the better teammate, the better leader, the better Captain, and regardless of what Rex gives you from here on out, and finish out your career and get your degree at Siena.
It's also nice to know that though there are no guarantees, that theres a good chance Rex should be gone at the end of the year.
You leave, Rex wins. You stay. You win. Regardless of what you get basketball wise, you win.
Make them expel you. Don't let them make it so tough on you that you want to quit. Make it so that they have to expel and publicly kick you off the team for you to not be on this team.
As hard as it may be, keep fighting in a good way, and believe me, you will come out on top in this situation and in life down the road.
Remember.
You quit. Rex wins. Your just a transfer.
You stay. You win. You go down and get to have your Senior night next year and get on with your life and go down as one of the program greats who will always be welcomed back.
Past players are always welcomed back in this program. Very few times do you see coaches, especially bad ones, back around the program.
Hope you make the hard decision and come back to Albany today and are suited up for Sunday, regardless if you play or not.
Either way, wish nothing but the best for you and your family Nico.