Weekend Preview

The Stags are off to a hot 15-4 start that included an 8-1 record in MAAC play. On Friday the stags embark on a 4 game home stand. Today we preview the first two of the stags next four opponents.

Stags next two opponents:

Friday January 28th vs Manhattan Jaspers- For a team looking to make there first NCAA tournament appearance in 14 years, this is a MUST win for the Stags. Manhattan is having one of their worst years (if not the worst) in recent memory. However, they are not a team to overlook. They played a solid Georgia team to a three point loss back in late November, but since then they have really been bad. Of their nine MAAC games so far, they have one win over a struggling Niagara squad, and only three of their 8 loses were decided by 10 points or less. Ouch. However, this is a young team that is going to be playing with a purpose on Friday night. Their freshman point guard Michael Alvarado is putting up 10.6 PPG, and 3 APG, while sophomore swing-man George Beamon is quietly the seventh leading scorer in the MAAC at 15 PPG. This team does have some offensive firepower, and something to prove. However, they are very young and that offense will likely be neutralized by Fairfield's stifling defense.

Prediction: Stags: 68 Jaspers:53
Stags struggle to find their grove early on, but settle down over a pesky Manhattan squad in a game that is not as close as the score indicates. The Jaspers just do not have the man power to hang with the stags for forty minutes.

X Factor: Ryan Olander will be the X factor in this one along with the stags depth on the bench. Look for an Olander double double Friday night. I also see a big game out of Colin Nickerson in this contest. Manhattan's guards will struggle with his athleticism.

Sunday January 31st vs Canisius Golden Griffins- Ahhhhh could we be looking at the classic trap game!? Not with this years Stags team. With the huge game against Iona looming five days after this match-up some may think trap game. Think again. Canisius is a team that Fairfield has quietly dominated over the past three years. However, it seems as if every time these teams play it is close. I do not think anyone will forget when the Stags held a twenty-one point lead at the half in MAAC quarterfinals last year only to see it evaporate in the second half. Luckily, we had Derek Needham and he put up a career high 29 in that victory. Now to recent memory. The stags played against a very scrappy and athletic Griffins team in Buffalo and gutted out a 67-60 victory. Two days later, the same Canisius squad stunned Iona in Buffalo on a Gabby Belardo layup with 4 seconds left on the clock to seal the 75-73 victory, and this senior laden squad may be finding there stride. Senior Elton Frazier and sophomore point guard Belardo lead the Golden Griffins averaging 11.3 PPG. Seniors Greg Logins and Julius Coles are both averaging double figures in scoring this year, and rounding out the starting five is scrappy senior Robert Goldsberry. This is a team that has underachieved so far this year. They have 4 senior starters have all gotten pretty significant playing time since their freshman year, and this is NOT a team one wants to see in the MAAC tournament. I honestly see the Golden Griffins making a run in March, as there is simply to much talent and experience on this team not too.

Prediction: Stags 67 Golden Griffins 59

This game will be your typical Fairfield-Canisius match up where no one in the stands will be able to breath easy until the final whistle. Although Canisius is athletic enough and experienced enough to beat the Stags, I just do not think they are quite at the level of the stags just yet. This is a game that the Stags should win with their high expectations. However, LOOK OUT for this Golden Griffins team in March. I would not be surprised if this team sneaks themselves to the MAAC championship game.

X factor: In this match up, I think your X factor is Derek Needham. Balardo has filled the point guard position well for the Golden Griffins after the graduation of their all-MAAC point guard Frank Turner. However, Needham is the better PG. If the Griffs contain Needham and shut down Olander, they can win this game. But Needham has proven this year time and time again that he is a clutch performer. I think he puts up 20 points and 6 assists to lead the stags past a solid Golden Griffins squad.

Stay tuned as next week we preview two highly anticipated games as the Stags host the second place Iona Gaels on Friday February 4th at 9 PM, a game that will be televised on ESPN U. Two days later on Sunday February 6th, the Stags host the Rider Broncs at 3:30 PM. All games will be held at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard!

MAAC MidSeason Review

The MAAC Blog has done their mid season storyline segment. I was surprised that they hardly mentioned Fairfield except they have Cooley as their Coach of the Year and they do have Derek Needham as one of the top 10 players of the league (even though they spelled his name wrong).

There is no mention of how they expect the Stags to fair in the second half of the season and they do not really mention how great Iona has done.

The coach of the year would be very difficult to choose right now. Yes, Cooley has done a GREAT job this year with the absence of Nero and Hawkins and Edney still trying to become what they once were. Even with the struggles of Needham and the at times pathetic offensive displays of shooting the ball anywhere on the court. With all that stacked against him, he has found a way to win and make a defense that is currently the second best in the nation.

With all that said Iona has also done a great job, but things have come much easier to them.. It will be interesting to see how things will go on February 4th.

Derek Needham wins Co-Player of the Week

Derek Needham has been chosen as the MAAC Player of the Week for the first time this season. Needham averaged 18.3 points and five assists per game in helping the Stags post wins at Rider, at Canisius, and at Niagara. He started the week by shooting 58 percent from the field which resulted in 27 points in the victory against the Broncs. Six of his seven field goals in that game came from behind the three-point line. He followed up with 19 points against Canisius, hitting four of six three pointers and six of 12 shots overall. He finished the week with nine points, highlighted by a critical three-point shot that halted a Niagara comeback bid late in the second half.

Loyola 66 Fairfield 65

The Fairfield University men's basketball team (12-4, 5-1 MAAC) ended their 11 game winning streak as they were edged by the Loyola Greyhounds (7-9, 3-3 MAAC). Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-This is the first loss for the Stags since late November when they were defeated by St.Joseph at the Webster Bank Arena. Speaking of streaks, this is the first time they lost at Loyola since 1998. They previously had a 13 game winning streak on the road against the Greyhounds.

-This is by far the most points that they allowed to a MAAC team and the most points given up since November 15th when they lost to Rutgers. This is the second most allowed in any game on the season.

-Ryan Olander sat after he picked up his fourth foul, he only played 28 minutes on the game. When he went on the bench Justin Drummond went on a tear and scored 7 points.

-The Stags did have a chance at the end of the game but Ryan Olander could not hit the three pointer, and the Greyhounds followed with a dunk off the inbounds (even though it might have been a 5 second violation)

This was a bad game all over. The defense really struggled as Loyola seemed to be able to score at will, and they did hit alot of clutch threes when they needed it the most. Without Olander, the Stags seemed very thin and Loyola took advantage and really killed the Stags in the paint and all over on offense.

The key stat is of course: 8-19. That is what the entire team did at the free throw line. It was really embarrasing to say the least. They were getting better at the line in recent games but obviously not here. Needham, Edney, and Hawkins who are the team's best free throw shooters went a combined 4-12 from the line. Inexcusable as those three players should be your leaders that step up in crunch time, but Fairfield seemed to be lacking leaders down the stretch.

Before the game the team watched the match between Buster Douglass and Mike Tyson and the coaches explained that they could become like Mike Tyson and just settle to be good, or they could stay hungry. Obviously, they got knocked out.

Player of the Game: Derek Needham with a team high 14 points (4-7 from 3) and 4 assists.

Up Next: The Stags travel to Rider to play the Broncs on Monday 1/17 at 7 PM.

Fairfield 70 St. Peters 43

The Fairfield University men's basketball team (12-3, 5-0 MAAC) won their 11th straight game blowing out the St. Peters Peacocks (8-8, 3-2 MAAC) at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. Click for a full recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Fairfield has won 11 straight games the longest since the 1961-1962 season when the Stags pulled off 13 consecitive victories. It is the eighth longest streak in the nation.

-The Stags are now ranked second in the nation in scoring defense.

-The Peacocks have lost 12 straight games against the Stags and have never beaten Ed Cooley. Despite starting both Ryan Bacon and Wesley Jenkins who were both injured earlier in the week.

-St.Peters was the second to last team to allow 70 points to an opponent. (The Stags have still not allowed that many). Fairfield could have scored more if they kept the pedal to the metal.

-Derek Needham led all scorers with 16 points going to the free throw line 10 times which accounted for half of his points. Ryan Olander recorded his third double double with 15 points and pulling down a game high 12 rebounds.

This was a great game. It is obvious that the team is improving with every game. The defense was spectacular but the Peacocks did miss a lot of easy put backs and close layups. Every time that the Peacocks thought about going through the hole they clogges up the middle and the team was quick recording 8 steals and 7 blocks.

Ryan Olander was a beast on the boards. He made it look easy in this game and got a lot of key rebounds. He would reach for the long rebound and was able to power through to get the close tips. He also DID NOT MISS a shot going 7-7 from the floor and even 1-1 from behind the arc. He had a perfect game and only committed two fouls early in the second half. This was the best that I have ever seen him, he just seemed to play with confidence.

Despite going only 4-12 from the floor and 0-4 from three, Derek Needham looked like last year's version. That was the immediate feeling. He had a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. But what made you the happiest was the way he drove to the hoop and either pulled up for a fading layup or rose above everyone to get a near easy layup. The shots just did not go in. Simple as that. If he continues with the way he played today, his numbers will improve.
Player of the Game: Derek Needham and Ryan Olander. Arguably the best they have both been this year.

Up Next: The Stags will go for 12 in a row as they travel to Loyola University on 1/14.

Derek Needham Puts on a National Display

Derek Needham led the nation in assists on Tuesday. His 13 assists were 1 shy of a career high and the third time he has finished in double figures. The next closest was 8 by Dayton's Josh Parker and Columbia's Noruwa Agho. Needham finished with 8 assists in the first half. The guard had more assists than the entire Syracuse team.

Fairfield 72 Howard 52

The Fairfield Mens Basketball team (5-3, 1-0) defeated the Howard Bison (1-8) at Alumni Hall last night. It was the team's fourth straight win as the Bison and have now dropped eight consective decisions. View the complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Yorel Hawkins had a game high 16 points, the most he has scored all year.

-Derek Needham only had 7 points BUT a season high 13 assists.

-Maurice Barrow had a career game with 10 points and 9 rebounds

-The team shot 51.9 percent from the floor while limiting Howard to a 40 percent margin.

-They did have 9 of their 14 turnovers in the second half.

I really think this is one of the best games that the team has played. The people that you needed to step up really did and Needham finally found that his game is when he dribbles and splits the defenders. Even if he just had 7 points he really took the game over

Up Next:
The Stags travel to Albany to face the Siena Saints on the 10th.

On the Right Track

After not having a scorer reach double figures, four Fairfield student- athletes registered more than 10 points in the win against Norfolk State, the most this season in any game. The team had no more than two double-digit scorers in one game in the previous four outings. Warren Edney led all Fairfield scorers with 20 points, followed by starters Derek Needham (17 points) and Keith Matthews (15 poitns). Jamel Fields came off the bench to score 15 points as well.

Warren Edney also became the First player to score twenty points in a game. It was his first twenty point performance since he tallied 24 in the 2008-09 season opener against Memphis.

Needham Breaks Streak

Derek Needham's struggling start to the season continued at Penn State. The sophomore only managed to score 6 points. It was only the second time in his career that he failed to reach double-digits in scoring breaking a streak that lasted 27 games.

In fact no Fairfield player reached double figures. The first time that has happened since December 6th, 2006 when the Stags lost to Boston College.

It's been a long road for the Stags and this could be their biggest game of the year so far. In a season where the MAAC Tournament is in your building, the fans have heard the hype, and they expect to live up to the expectations, the team can't get off to a bad start. The biggest problem has been the attendance and it will be a problem tonight as the students are all home for the Thanksgiving Break.

Penn State Video Report

On the Penn State website, assistant coach Lewis Preston scouts the upcoming game against Fairfield. He talks about all the matchups the Nittany Lions will face.

Fairfield and Rebounding

Fairfield has outrebounded the opposition in each of the first two games, and owns a +7.5 re- bounding margin. The team’s season average of 39.5 rebounds per game and the rebounding margin number both rank first among Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) teams. Ryan Olander leads the team with 7.5 re- bounds per game which is tied for fifth among all MAAC student-athletes.

Here's the thing. Ryan Olander is 7 feet. Derek Needham is 5'11''. Olander had one more rebound than the guard in the Rutgers game. Needham is your second leading rebounder. With a team with strong freshmen, Hawkins, Nero, and Olander who would have thought Needham would be your second leading rebounder?

Fairfield Struggling in the Paint

After scoring 36 points in the paint against Sacred Heart, the Stags managed just eight points in- side the lane versus Rutgers. The lack of inside scoring forced Fairfield outside in the second half against the Scarlet Knights. The Stags made six field goals in the second half, five of which were from three-point range.

That includes 0 in the second half. In fact I think that the only two pointer they had was Derek Needham thinking he was taking a three. Shooters will have off nights that is why it is so important to have a close range game that Fairfield does not have. Nero only had one point in the game. Edney only one in the second half. Those players need to be in the top 5 in scoring on a nightly basis.

Derek Needham is Cooling Off

Stags star guard Derek Needham has struggled out of the gate so far in the season. Although he is the only Stag to score in double figures in both games he is shooting 8-31 from the floor to go along with a 3-16 percentage from behind the arc.

The Stags leading scorer shot 38 percent from the floor last year and 30 percent from three. He also has 11 turnovers in the first two games with only 8 assists. The guard has scored in double figures in all but one of his collegiate games.

I know it is only the first two games but the game against Sacred Heart scared me a little. Last year he had 14 assists against the Pioneers this year he only had 4. It's really hard when your best scorer is your point guard. When Siena had Ronald Moore, all they needed was clutch baskets and alot of assists. Needham needs to be in the top of the team in scoring and a leader, and a passer, and s steal machine.

Rutgers 68 Fairfield 53

The Fairfield University men's basketball team (1-1) dropped their first game of the year against the Big East team in the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-1). Click here for the complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-Warren Edney had 12 points in the game but only 1 in the second half.

-Greg Nero had 1 point

-Derek Needham had a team high 14 points but went 5-20 from the floor including 2-10 from behind the arc.

-The Stags did not have one point in the paint in the second half.

Well if the Stags keep playing like this, I think the MAAC is much more wide open than others think. They could not get anything going on offense. I do not know how a team does not score a close range shot in the second half. What is also disturbing is that Derek Needham only had one less rebound than Ryan Olander. Olander is the big man and the leader without Anthony Johnson and he NEEDS to get more boards. Not just him but the rest of the team as well.

The Game Ball Goes to: Colin Nickerson, He went 2-4 from three and did not have to play after he fouled out

Up Next: The Stags travel to Penn State to play the Nittany Lions Friday at 7:30.

Men's Basketball Picked Number 1

The Fairfield University Men's Basketball team was picked to finish atop of the conference on Tuesday at Media Day. The Stags picked up 96 votes which was 5 more than runner up and 3 time defending champions Siena. The squad has been picked first by numerous college basketball magazines, including SI and ESPN.

The team also includes a couple of players who were named to all-MAAC teams. Derek Needham and Yorel Hawkins both picked up the preseason nods. Needham, the MAAC Rookie of the Year, was picked to the conference first team. The sophomore guard was named to the All-American freshmen team last year and broke almost every Fairfield freshmen record as he was the team's leading scorer and in the top ten in the nation for assists among freshmen. The freshman led the team to the Championship game and one shot away from upsetting the Saints. He became one of the most successful freshmen athletes ever to pass through the MAAC by winning a record 10 Rookie of the Week awards.

Sophomore slump? It's happened to the best of them. Teams are no longer going to have to worry about Anthony Johnson and will be focusing more on Needham. Can he handle the pressure of leading the team that is supposed to win the title?

Yorel Hawkins was picked to the finish on the All-MAAC Second Team. The senior was injured at the end of last year which forced him to miss several regular season games plus the conference tournament. He was one of the leading scorers on the team before falling victim to the injury bug, can he sustain it this year? He is going to be asked to score at will and become their offensive threat. He has never had that responsibility before and it will be interesting to see if he can handle it.

WVOF Greg Nero Interview

WVOF had the chance to talk with Greg Nero and this is what he had to say about his status, sickness, and the upcoming season:

Q: First and foremost, how are you feeling so far?
A: Pretty good I'm just happy to be back. I'm trying to get things going on all cylinders again. Mentally and physically, I'm not there yet but I'm very optimistic and I hope to contribute alot to the team this year.

Q: How hard is it to transition back into the college game?
A: It's tough. I mean physically it's alot [with] practice getting in shape. It's a pretty hard schedule to follow when you haven't done it in a couple of years and I'm still feeling kinda on edge about whether I can pull it yet off this year. But my performances have been going up each week so we're all pretty optimistic about how I will be doing this year.

Q: How did you feel about watching the team go all the way to the MAAC championship last year?
A: I was excited to see them do it because I thought they had more talent than Siena in the MAAC championship game and they could've had them really. I was excited to watch the new guards, Derek Needham and Colin Nickerson. I thought they looked really good. I thought they have a lot more potential to develop. I am also excited about the new freshmen we have coming in this year. I think we can do something special this year.

Q: Is there any one game you're looking forward to in particular?
A: I'm looking forward to playing against Siena because I want to give my best shot to them. The last two years I felt like I haven't been able to give them my best shot. I want to redeem myself. So, I'm looking forward to the first time we play Siena, especially at the Times Union Center. I want to beat them there at home.

Q: Can you make a pitch for the Fairfield students to attend the basketball games?
A: Come to our games. We're picked pre-season number one this year or we should be. We got a full stacked lineup and it's going to be fun. It's going to be exciting. So come on it's gonna be a good time at Alumni Hall or Harbor Yard.

Q: You're probably going to be preseason number one. Is there any added pressure on the team?
A: There's always pressure every year, particularly this year. We have a lot of expectations probably for our team but we set our own expectations. We don't really worry about what the media or the fans want us to do. We already have high expectations for ourselves and we want to achieve our goals. We want to be the top team come the conference tournament in March.

Gettin Lite is back on

WVOF has announced that Gettin Lite is back on the air for it's third season. It will actually be filmed and broadcasted for the Ham Channel and Youtube. Past guests include:

Derek Needham
Yorel Hawkins
Stephanie Geehan
Desiree Pina
Brianna Dixion

The show will be on the air Tuesdays at 8PM and on youtube whenever the show is finished editing.

A look at Fairfield Men's Basketball OOC Schedule

There are 52 days left until the Stags tip off the year. The 2010-2011 Stags will face 10 different conferences in their out-of-conference schedule. Coach Cooley has said that, "this could be our most challenging non-conference schedule since I've been at Fairfield". The Stags will play four home games with the biggest name being Saint Joe's on November 23rd. Throughout the next 52 days we will have an in-depth look at each game to get you ready for the season.

11/13 vs Sacred Heart University at Mohegan Sun
This game will kick off the Stags 2010 season. It will be part of the 2nd annual "Connecticut 6" series of games. For the first time this rivalry game will not be played at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

The last time these two teams faced each other it was a breakout game of freshman Derek Needham. This was the game when people started looking at how good the first year player was. The guard recorded a double double with 19 points and a game high 14 assists. The Stags won 93-77. The Pioneers are a very young team they graduated their 4 top scorers from a year ago and around 75% of their total offense last year. The player to watch out for in this freshman class is Chris Evans. He was one of the most highly regarded prospects in Connecticut.

Personally I don't know why this game is being played at Mohegan Sun. I mean it's great to have a good venue for this rivalry game but this was one of the few games the Fairfield fans actually attended. If your going to complain that no one goes to the games than don't take away one of the most hyped games. It doesn't become a rivalry when both schools are an hour away from the venue. In a year where Women's Soccer drew 950 people on a Friday night and both teams are the buzz on campus already, record attendance figures might be in store.

The Pioneers do not have what it takes to keep up with the Stags and the Stags should roll over them and win the opening game of the year.

PREDICTION: Stags 90 Pioneers 60