At a preseason interview prior to the men’s home opener, Fairfield men’s head coach Ed Cooley stressed the importance of an optimistic attitude.
“The important thing for us this year is to have the players stay positive – especially the freshman,” he said.
Based on the start of the season, that slogan is being tested immediately.
After a 63-47 loss to St. Joseph’s on Tuesday, Fairfield fell to 0-3 on the season. The Stags were very competitive in the first two games, yet failed to capitalize on a few opportunities.
Despite great play on the defensive end of the floor, their downfall early on has been on offense. The team struggled mightily with turnovers, totaling 22 in the double-overtime loss to American and then finishing with 24 in their defeat at the hands of Holy Cross 67-65.
Turnovers are normally the signs of a young team, which this Stags are. It is not uncharacteristic for even the top tier teams in the nation to begin the season turning the ball over far more frequently than a college team should.
In the grand scheme of things, that fact that Fairfield was highly competitive and in a position to win the games against the Eagles on Friday night and again with the Crusaders on Sunday shows that this team may be ahead of schedule.
Both teams were far more experienced, labeled by Cooley as “senior-laden”.
In the American game, the Stags seemed poised for a victory after getting out to a comfortable 50-45 lead with 1:43 remaining in the first overtime.
Devin Johnson ’10 then fouled three-point shooter, Andre Ingram, who made the shot and the free throw for a one-point deficit.
“It hurts. Again, that was a freshman in there,” Cooley said. “I’m just glad we contested the shot. It’s a teaching point.”
Sophomore guard Jonathan Han, who played 46 minutes by the time the night was over, ran the length of the court and drained an NBA three-point shot to send the game to a second overtime.
American’s senior lineup was un-phased. The Eagles proceeded to outscore the Stags 6-1 in overtime to win the game.
Two days later in Worcester, Fairfield was once again in position to win the game.
Facing a 56-52 deficit late in the second half, Mike Van Schaick hit a three-point shot to make it a one-point game with a little over 45 seconds remaining.
The Stags made the stop on defense, as they had done so many times on the night, and now had control of the game in their hands. One of two free throws was enough to tie the score.
In overtime, the Stags ran a four-point lead at 63-59. Keith Simmons led Holy Cross on a 6-0 run as a response. Freshmen Greg Nero tied the game on a lay up with 34 seconds left.
It wasn’t enough, as the Crusaders were fouled and hit both free throws with only two seconds remaining. This time around, Han couldn’t put together a miracle finish to tie the game.
Han has done a tremendous job at the point this year, especially in the opener at Alumni Hall. He ran the new offense very well and did a great job of not turning the ball over.
Another positive thus far has been the contributions of the freshmen class, especially Greg Nero, who was named MAAC men’s basketball Rookie of the Week. Nero totaled 37 points this week, including an impressive 23 point effort against Holy Cross.
The loss to St. Joseph’s is the first big test of Fairfield’ season and only a sign of things to come.
On tap: the men are heading to Hartford for the Hispanic Fund Classic to play three games in three days. Jim Calhoun and the Huskies will be there waiting for them.
“Obviously it’s a tough schedule,” Cooley said. “But the important thing is to generate excitement in the community about this team and about this program. I’m just laying the foundation for the future”.
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