Both Ed Cooley and Joe Frager, the men’s and women’s head basketball coaches, came into Fairfield with the reputations of being top recruiters. So far, both have lived up to the hype.
Frager was hired by Fairfield late in the 2007-2008 recruiting season but made a big splash with the signing of Joelle Nawrocki ’11.
The men’s basketball team will look toward this year’s class, especially junior transfer Michael Evanovich and freshmen Lyndon Jordan, Yorel Hawkins and Warren Edney to replace the scoring of last year’s star Michael Van Schaick ’07.
On the women’s side, Nawrocki will be a welcome addition to a team that brings back all five starters from last year.
Nawrocki, who is from Unionville, Conn., joins Mesha Joseph, Ayriell Robinson, and Niya Santiago (all recruited by former coach Dianne Nolan) in the class of 2011.
She averaged 15.8 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game as a senior at Farmington High School, earning her a spot on the Hartford Courant and New Haven Register All-State First Teams. Nawrocki was also a McDonald’s All-American Nominee.
Frager, who was named the Division II Recruiter of the Year, has a head start on the 2008-2009 recruiting season by getting a verbal commitment from Sarah Paulus, sister of Duke University’s star point guard Greg Paulus.
Paulus, who will play her senior season at Christian Brothers Academy, chose Fairfield over Syracuse, Villanova and Marist.
In an interview with the Syracuse Post-Standard, Paulus said that Frager was a big reason why she chose Fairfield, since he had just won the D-II National Championship when she signed.
Cooley has already signed two cornerstones for the class of 2012, both from New England: guard Jamal Turner, from Roxbury, Mass., and Ryan Olander, from Storrs, Conn.
Cooley knew Turner from when Boston College was recruiting him and Turner appreciated that he knew more about him than most coaches.
“He was looking at me when he was at BC,” Turner said to newenglandrecruitingreport.com. “He’s been evaluating me for a long time and he has faith in me.
“Why would I want to play for a coach who only sees me play once or twice in July?” said Turner.
Joining Turner is Olander, a 6-foot-11-inch forward.
Olander was a Second-Team All-Courant player as a junior last year, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The two coaches are helping to spread the name of Fairfield throughout the country, bringing in top recruits from both the New England region and beyond.
Both are on the way to success and, with the recruits they have signed, the future is bright.
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