Fairfield enters conference play on a losing streak
Fairfield enters MAAC play beginning Friday against Iona after its game with Siena was postponed.
The Stags enter conference play at 0-4 after falling to Hartford for a second time, 67-54, Monday night.
Fairfield has been hampered by playing an eightman rotation according to coach Jay Young in part because Rice University transfer Zach Crisler and Richmond University transfer Jake Wojcik were deemed ineligible by the NCAA.
“We are a little disconnected right now. We are trying to figure some lineups out,” Young said. “We are down to eight guys in our rotation because of two players declared ineligible by the NCAA that we were hoping to have in Zach Crisler and Jake Wojcik. That was a tough hit for us. Then with a few guys injured, we are down to eight scholarship players right now. I am proud of their effort but we got to clean up so much right now to be a better basketball team.”
Two bright spots for the Stags have been freshmen Jalen Leach and Supreme Cook.
The 6-foot-4 guard Leach is scoring 9.7 points a game with a high of 13 against Stony Brook while the 6-9 forward Cook has 8 points and 8 rebounds a game with a high of 11 rebounds against Stony Brook.
“Our freshmen have played really well. I have been happy with Jalen Leach and Supreme Cook. Those two guys have kind of jumped right and played well in with very limited practice time,” Young said. “Our other guys have been inconsistent. We have had some good moments from everybody and some bad moments. We have to get more good moments if we are going to be a good basketball team.”
Young did say that while he needs more consistent play from his older players, they have been instrumental in helping guide the team through the uncharted waters of constantly changing schedules and modified practices.
“We are fortunate because we have a good group of guys who have good habits when it comes to that type of stuff. You rely on your upperclassmen for a lot of things, but certainly to reinforce the culture, being on time, working hard,” Young said. “Then from a basketball standpoint, teams that are playing well right now are teams with some veteran guys and teams that are struggling are teams with a lot of new guys and limited practice time. In such a crazy year you are looking even more for your seniors to step up and be great leaders.”
GETTING IN THE GAMES
With conference play set to begin in the MAAC this weekend, the focus moves to getting in the requisite number to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor said league play is beginning with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over every team.
“We are still in challenging days as we move into the start of conference play this weekend,” Ensor said. “We have had our fair share of disruptions, not unlike any other conference. We have four men’s teams and three women’s teams that have not played a D-1 game yet. That is an issue for us as we try to aim for the 13 D-1 games to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The conference season should help with that.”
The MAAC will allow teams to add games and has already discussed several possibilities including Niagara and Canisius playing a third regular-season game against each other.
“We will look at options of adding additional games if we need to. We want to help those programs that are off to late starts because of disruptions caused by the pandemic,” Ensor said. “We can add a third conference game if we needed to. It wouldn’t count in the standings but would gives teams an opportunity to get an additional game on their schedule. There is a mutual reliance with the teams in the conference to get those games played.”
Ensor said the possibility of teams picking up games from outside the MAAC exists, but is not ideal with the league preferring to insulate once conference play begins.
“If we get to that point that could certainly be an accommodated. We want to make sure we get the conference games in first. Our first option would be to fill in with a conference opponent. If there was a nonconference opponent that didn’t have a game I’m sure we would work it out,” Ensor said. “The challenges you have there are that there are expectations within the 11 schools in terms of what we are doing with protocols, quarantining and testing. Any time you get outside the family, so to speak, you have to be concerned about what the other group is doing. You don’t want a disruption happening right before the conference tournament.”
MAAC BOOKS
In November the MAAC started the program “Time Out for Black Lives” as a way to raise awareness about the greatness of black culture.
It launched the interactive website timeoutforblacklives.com where student-athletes and coaches narrate books with positive messages about Black culture and history. The program aims to inspire and educate youth, athletes, families and fans.
The program is a part of the MAAC’s “United for Justice” campaign.
New Iona coach Rick Pitino participated in a similar program while coaching in Greece and helped the MAAC in launching its own program. Pitino’s reading of “A Nation’s Hope” about Joe Louis was among the first videos posted on the site.
Rider coach Kevin Baggett was among those coaches eager to get involved.
“I thought coach Pitino brought a great idea to the MAAC,” Baggett said. “The name of the book I read was ‘I Got Next.’ I am always excited to give back to black kids or any kids. It is important we reach out to these youngsters. We are there role models and I embraced it and so did the other coaches in the league.”