Fairfield Stags
Metro Atlantic (17-15, 9-9)
Seed: #
RPI: 94
Big Wins: 11/29 American (82-73), 12/1 at Holy Cross (78-66), 12/14 Drexel (66-60)
Bad Losses: 1/4 at Iona (60-64), 1/26 at Manhattan (60-65), 2/12 at Marist (66-75)
Coach: Ed Cooley
Probable Starters:
Herbie Allen, Senior, Guard, 9.6 ppg, 2.8 apg
Lyndon Jordan, Sophomore, Guard, 4.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Yorel Hawkins, Sophomore, Forward, 8.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Greg Nero, Junior, Forward, 12.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg
Mike Evanovich, Senior, Forward, 7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Sean Crawford, Freshman, Guard, 1.8 ppg, 1.0 apg
Ryan Olander, Freshman, Forward, 3.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Jamal Turner, Freshman, Guard, 0.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg
Why They Can Surprise:
Few teams in the nation had to deal with as much adversity as Fairfield this season. However, Coach Ed Cooley still held his team together and ended the year with a winning record and a decent showing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Guard Herbie Allen deserves most of the credit for holding this team together. The senior averaged 9.6 points and 2.8 assists on the season, but really stepped up his game late in the year when the Stags needed him the most.
Others have had to step up late in the year because of injuries too. Lyndon Jordan has reached the double digit mark in scoring during eight of the last ten games of the season. Jordan had not even played in a game for over ten minutes before January 6th and now he could play all 40 minutes. Going to extremes like that is not easy and Jordan has done an admirable job. Jamal Turner was put into a similar situation. While he will not score much at all, Turner is a decent passer and rebounder.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The backcourt was not always such a mess. Jonathan Han was the team’s leading scorer and point guard before being suspended and subsequently leaving the team. The defections keep coming. Forward Anthony Johnson was a solid interior scorer and the best rebounder on the team before being lost for the year with blood clots. Fellow forward Warren Edney was a dynamic scorer who could finish inside and out, but he has practically been out since the New Year.
Who To Watch:
Greg Nero was added to the list of injuries for a little while. He missed the last four games of the regular season with a back problem. The 6-7 junior returned for the team’s two MAAC Tournament games in a limited capacity. Nero, who is the team’s best scorer without Han and best rebounder without Johnson, will have to be at or near full strength if the Stags want to win a game. The other forwards are Yorel Hawkins, Mike Evanovich and Ryan Olander. Hawkins is a decent scorer and slasher and Evanovich is now the best outside shooter on the team and his versatility adds another dimension to the offense.
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 65.4 (222nd in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.3 (152, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.1 (240, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.5 (184, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.3 (159, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.3 (198, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.7 (257, 7)
Rebound Margin: -1.1 (227, 7)
Assists Per Game: 13.3 (139, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (134, 3)
Joel’s Bracket Says:
