Stags should be dancing this year.
As the Men’s MAAC basketball season draws closer and closer, our very own Fairfield Stags will be picked by numerous national analysts and experts to represent the conference in March’s NCAA basketball tournament.
We could be fortunate enough to hear the voices of Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas predict the likes of Hawkins, Edney and Needham cutting down the nets on our home court come March.
Fairfield has not made the tournament since 1997, when an upstart Stags squad led top-seeded North Carolina by 7 at the half. While a similar Cinderella story could be in the mix this year, it is still a long way off.
In studying the rest of the conference foes this year, it appears to be a three-team battle for the top spot. The likes of Marist, Canisius and Loyola appear to be headed for long, rebuilding seasons. The Greyhounds, once a yearly rival of ours, appear to be heading in the wrong direction under controversial head coach Jimmy Patsos.
The middle tier of teams in the conference will feature Manhattan, Rider, Niagara and St. Peter’s.
Each of these teams returns varying amounts of talent and experience, but they all have limitations on the roster or coaching staff.
Granted, any team can catch one of the top three on a given night, but at the end of the season expect Fairfield, Siena and Iona to be looking down on the rest of the conference in the standings.
Iona had a solid season last year but lost its head coach Kevin Willard to Seton Hall of the Big East. The Gaels return much of their nucleus with the likes of Scott Machado, Jermel Jenkins and Alejo Rodriguez.
New Head Coach Tim Cluess has a remarkable track record with Division II powerhouse C.W. Post. He compiled a 79-12 record over the last three seasons, and his first recruiting class has been highly rated within the conference.
One school that all Stag basketball enthusiasts and fans love to hate is Siena.
The Saints have won the MAAC conference each of the last three seasons and appear to have a strong team seeking a four-peat. However, this is the most vulnerable Siena squad of the last 4 seasons.
Four starts have graduated, and Head Coach Fran McCaffrey has moved on to coach the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten.
Siena still returns some talented players, including Center Ryan Rossiter, but many questions remain.
How will the team gel under new coach Mitch Buonaguoro? Buonaguoro had been McCaffrey’s right hand man since 2005 and takes over the program this year.
Fairfield should be picked as the preseason favorite this year, but it will be far from an easy road to the Big Dance.
Losing senior big men Anthony Johnson and Mike Evanovich will be tough, but a wealth of talent returns along with the new best coach in the MAAC, Ed Cooley.
Check back in a few weeks for the full season preview on our team, along with the Women’s team as well.
Both will have expectations of cutting down the nets in March and taking college basketball’s biggest stage next spring.
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