Here are some quick comments about last weekend’s Red and White basketball scrimmage and the upcoming season.
Coach Tim O’Toole can’t help but be pleased with his depth in the backcourt. With both of last year’s starters – Tyquawn Goode ’05 and Terrance Todd ’06 – working together on the red team, senior Kudjo Sogadzi hit seven-of-eight field goals en route to a game-high 15 points for the white team. That was with standout transfer Danny Oglesby ’07, who was on the bench with an injured ankle.
Sogadzi and Oglesby, who will probably come off the bench, are good enough to start on most mid-major teams. In fact, O’Toole hasn’t yet named his opening night starting lineup, so they could be good enough to start on this team, too.
I don’t like the Stags’ new cut-off style uniforms. Other college teams, have gone with the look over the past few years, but they’re goofy looking. I doubt that the university decided to ditch the traditional tank tops in order to sell more merchandise, but the idea did cross my mind.
The Stags should play at least two or three regular season home games at Alumni Hall. Playing in an oversized venue like the Arena at Harbor Yard, no matter how nice the place is, is a crucial disadvantage. Alumni Hall would be sold out and very loud, and playing there would get students excited about the team.
The pep band is a lot better this year, but they still should leave most of the cheering to the fans. They’ve added about ten people, and I’m no expert on trumpets and saxophones, but they must be pretty good. All good home court advantages include good bands, and these guys are really good. Just don’t start chants when there’s no chance of getting the rest of the crowd involved.
If fans can’t get excited about the team this year, they have absolutely no school spirit. These guys very well could have Fairfield written on brackets all across the country in March, the ultimate measure of publicity and school pride. Last year the managed to have a winning record in the second half of the season without Deng Gai or Todd, both of whom are back in the lineup, and Gai is completely healthy.
With a resolution nowhere near in the investigation into alleged illegal activities in the program, people shouldn’t worry about it right now. When the resolution finally comes, we’ll get to it. Since that probably won’t happen this season, let’s enjoy this team for what it is, a legitimate NCAA tournament contender. They’re innocent until proven guilty, and they’re a darn good basketball team.
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