The men's basketball huddles up before a game against Fordham in Alumni Hall (Ana Ziegler/The Mirror).
In a little less than a year the entire look of the Fairfield men’s basketball team has changed drastically. Only senior forward Anthony Johnson was in the starting lineup last season. Three starters are injured, with two expected to miss the entire season. One starter graduated and the other left the team in the middle of his senior season.
But that does not mean that the Stags are not talented. Redshirt freshman Shimeek Johnson, and two Chicago-area natives, freshmen Derek Needham and Colin Nickerson, have moved into the starting lineup to start the season. As a result, the Stags were picked fourth in the MAAC preseason coaches poll, but they remain distant from the big three teams in the MAAC: Niagara, Rider and Siena.
Last year was an up-and-down one for the Stags, plagued by injuries to key players and the loss of Jon Han at midseason. But Fairfield managed to finish 17-15, giving head coach Ed Cooley his first winning season as a head coach. This year Cooley will look for last year’s role players to step into a lead role.
“Because of the guys that are not here, stemming from last year, it is allowing guys to take bigger roles,” Cooley said. “Those guys weren’t in those roles last year early. Because of that this year it is really paying off. We are growing.”
An exhibition game loss to Bridgeport was not the start to the season Cooley expected, but Fairfield bounced back with an exhibition victory against Stonehill and wins over Central Connecticut State and Fordham.
“Young teams grow, but I am hoping we will be better next time out,” Cooley said following the loss to Bridgeport. “At the same time I still like my team, I do like what I have, and I think it is just a matter of time that we hit our stride,” Cooley added.
Lone Returning Starter Steps into Starring Role in Frontcourt
Anthony Johnson scored 18 points in the season-opener and will look to provide a dominating presence inside. Cooley has praised Johnson for slimming down and getting into better shape, following a season that was cut short at the midpoint after a blood clot was found in Johnson’s lungs. The injury threatened Johnson’s playing career, but he was able to work his way back.
While Johnson returns as the lone starter from opening day last season, he says that he has developed a good relationship with his teammates, even though they have not played in actual games together much or at all.
“All of them had potential. They have the opportunity and are taking advantage of it,” Johnson said. “I mean we played in the summer, we played in preseason, by the time games come around you’ve played with your team long enough to know them. In open gym you play with different guys, you switch the teams.”
Joining Johnson in the front-court are four very different players. With the loss of Warren Edney to a season-ending injury, the Stags are left with senior Mike Evanovich, junior Yorel Hawkins and sophomore Ryan Olander to provide Johnson with help. Evanovich, a threat from long range, scored 7.5 points per game last year and had a team-high 50 three-pointers. Olander scored 3.4 points in his freshman season. Hawkins (8.4 points per game in 2008-09) was a starter last season, but at 6-5 he is an undersized forward. He has yet to play this season after his appendix was removed on the first day of practice.
Redshirt freshman Shimeek Johnson, who went to high school in Siena’s backyard in Albany, also earned a starting role and is a versatile player who can handle the ball, shoot from the outside and score inside.
New Dynamic Duo in the Backcourt
After four years featuring Jon Han and Herbie Allen in the backcourt, a new duo, this time from Chicago instead of New York, has stepped in, Derek Needham and Colin Nickerson.
Starting in the backcourt will be the freshman Needham, along with junior Lyndon Jordan, who filled in for the Stags last season and averaged 4.6 points per game. Freshman Colin Nickerson has begun the season as a starter, but will likely be replaced by Hawkins when he is healthy. Backing up Needham at the point is Jamal Turner, a slasher who is tough defensively and strong at keeping his team calm. Sophomore Sean Crawford, who like Turner and Jordan earned starting minutes at the end of last season, has been dealing with an injury to start the season, but will also be a key bench player.
The Stags will need production from the three newcomers, as well as a now-healthy Anthony Johnson if they want to knock off Siena and end the Saints run at the top of the MAAC, a difficult challenge for any team, but one that is even harder with the Stags youth.
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