Here's a shoutout to John Berardino, who hails from where the following team is located.
Fairfield Stags
Type: Private
Enrollment: 3,500
Located: Fairfield, Connecticut
Conference: MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
Coach: Ed Cooley (4th year)
Record: 18-5
Conference Record: 11-2
The Fairfield Stags are a big surprise this year in the MAAC, given the recent success of the Siena Saints. Fairfield's last NCAA appearance was in 1997, but in 2010, they advanced to the CIT (College Invitational Tounament). They were down 27 points in the 2nd half in their opening round game against George Mason, remembered for their absolute Cinderella Final Four run in 2006, but rallied to defeat the Patriots in overtime 101-96.
Points leader: Derek Needham (13.8 PPG)
Rebounding leader: Ryan Olander (7.2 PPG)
Assists leader: Derek Needham (5.0 APG)
This Fairfield team wins through defense. Early in the year, they held Savannah State to 39 points, including 15 in the first half, in a close 41-39 win. They are currently 258th in NCAA D1 in PPG, but their tight defense keeps them winning. When their defense falls apart, they have a very difficult time, as evidenced in their most recent game, a loss against Rider 96-87. But the Stags are still two games up in the MAAC. Their next game is against Manhattan, an abysmal team who they barely beat 51-49 at home. They also have an interestingly placed lone OOC game against a decent Austin Peay team that will be a better measure of how good this team is.
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