As Fairfield enters their fifth season under the leadership of Jay Young, the Stags have yet to finish with a winning conference or overall record during that time, making Stags fans anxious to watch a consistent winner in their first full season in the beautiful new on-campus Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
Deliberate tempo, aggressive attacking the rim, strong work on the boards and a physical, focused defense are the touchstones of the Young-led Stags, but last year, shooting woes were the main culprit for the team’s 3-8 finish, with a team 28.5 3P% ranking amongst the lowest in the nation.
Simply put, this season is essential to build confidence under Young and the upward trajectory of the program, but amid uncertainty, the Stags have the pieces to surprise.
Even with a brand new frontcourt and three of the team’s leading scorers departing via the transfer portal (Supreme Cook to Georgetown, TJ Long to Vermont and Allan Jeanne-Rose to CCSU), the return of a veteran backcourt, the possibility of breakouts, a few of which are thanks to recent additions in the transfer portal, bring plenty of intrigue to the new-look Stags.
The strongest certainty for Fairfield is returning fifth-year senior Caleb Fields, who achieved career highs last season in points, assists, steals, three-point and free-throw percentage (11.7p, 2.4a, 1.4s, 32.1 3P%, 81.2 FT%) after starting his career at Bowling Green for three seasons.
In addition to the development of his offensive game, Fields also finished the season ranked as the team’s third best defender, according to EvanMiya.com, and will take another step in his performance if he is able to improve his efficiency finishing at the rim (43.2 2P% last season). Most impressively, per KenPom.com, Fields had the team’s lowest turnover rate, despite his ball-heavy role.
Outside of Fields, it is hard to pinpoint surefire starters on the roster, but fans are banking on both returning senior Brycen Goodine and sophomore James Jones to break out. There’s good reason for that potential.
Goodine, a former four-star recruit and rotational piece for both Syracuse and Providence, played just four games last season due to a knee injury sustained in November, but his length, smooth athleticism and success on the perimeter in limited time (6 for 13 from 3) gives Goodine the tools to possibly develop into one of the most valuable two-way weapons in the MAAC.
James Johns Jr., the son of third year assistant coach James Johns Sr, picked Fairfield after receiving early offers from UConn, Miami, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Penn State and three A-10 teams, making his commitment a recruiting boon that easily ranked Johns as the program’s top-rated recruit of all-time.
Averaging about twelve minutes per game in his freshman season, the 6’6 185 Johns produced modestly, but showcased his willingness to create offense from all three levels. As he gets stronger and gets more reps, expect Johns to score more efficiently and finish consistently in traffic while his length and athleticism will help him continue to develop into a major asset as a perimeter defender.
The duo’s biggest threat to a starting role is returning senior guard Jalen Leach. Last season was a bit of an enigma for the guard from Nyack, NY as Leach started 26 games, earning the most playing time of his career, but in turn, finishing with career lows with a 43.0 2P% and 25.7 3P%.
However, considering shooting was an overall concern for the Stags as a whole, perhaps Leach’s proficiency on the line (83.3 FT%) hints that last season was an aberration and improvements in his efficiency could be on the horizon.
Considering the overall length of the aforementioned trio, it is certainly possible for Leach, Goodine and Johns to all start alongside Fields and a big, providing Young with an athletic, versatile backcourt that provides the Stags with auspicious shooting from the perimeter.
Speaking of bigs, the exodus of Supreme Cook (Georgetown), Chris Maidoh (Stony Brook) and Makai Willis (Louisiana-Monroe) forced Young and his staff to completely rebuild the frontcourt in short order, a task that did not get solidified until later in the summer, but the results look well worth the wait.
Committing in mid-July, New Mexico transfer Birima Seck, an athletic and toolsy power forward, was the first frontcourt pickup.
Originally from Senegal, the 6’11 200 forward was offered by the likes of Kansas, Texas Tech and Arizona State during his time at Dream City Christian School before landing at Albuquerque.
Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal wrote of Seck: “He’s a former soccer star that can run the floor, use his agility to create problems for defenders and has great footwork. He’s got some stretch-4 to him and I think he was at his best when playing a little farther from the rim than some might expect of a 6’11 guy,” which in turn, would allow the Stags to open up more space for cutters and penetrating guards.
Grammer adds: “defensively, he’s a good shot blocker and rebounder, but is foul prone. Gets too active at times, but also in playing limited minutes at UNM, played more with a reckless abandon than he likely will if his minutes are going to be consistently over the 20 minute mark. His length allows him to block and alter shots without him dropping his hands.”
A project that has been steadily developing for two years, Stags fans should be excited that Seck’s “improvements he was making on defense – not just coaches talking about a kid getting better, but you could tell he was a better player the day he left UNM from the day he arrived.”
Calling Seck “a happy, positive and likable guy there is,” Grammer sums up: “He’s still getting better and I think has a chance to be a really good piece to a team’s puzzle because he not only has that length, but is really starting to realize the best ways to use it on the court.”
A month after Seck committed, Fairfield made one of the biggest splashes this month adding former South Florida and Seton Hall power forward Alexis Yetna, a 6’8 230 Parisian who honed his craft prior to his collegiate career at the powerhouse Putnam Science Academy.
Still rehabbing from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of last season, the staff has yet to set a timetable for Yetna’s return, but there is hope he will be ready by November.
Prior to his injury, Yetna was a consistently physical force on the offense, most notably under the offensive glass, averaging 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, including nearly three offensive boards per game, throughout his career.
Proficient at putting back second chance opportunities, Yetna is also a capable shooter from the elbow and beyond, converting 63 three-pointers throughout his career at a 30% rate. If Yetna can stay on the floor, he has the toolbox to finish the season as the Stags’ most valuable weapon.
Assuming full health, it would appear that Yetna and Seck could either make up a dynamic tandem at the 5, or considering their diverse offensive skill sets, even share time on the floor together.
Out of Hudson Falls, NY, freshman big Peyton Smith is another frontcourt addition added late in the offseason. Sources shared that the 6’10 250 Smith is a “high IQ big man that is a good passer out of the post and from the middle. He is skilled, with strong post moves inside, but also can face up and drive or shoot a mid-range jump shot. He is also a good screener and ball reversal guy and is a threat on a pick and roll on a pop. Can catch-and-shoot, shoot threes and drive. Physical on defense and seeks out contact.”
The presence of Yetna and Seck will allow Smith to develop at his own pace, but if Yetna is not ready by the start of the season, Smith could be called upon to backup at the 5 from the jump.
Another potential breakout weapon in the frontcourt is returning redshirt freshman Michael Rogan, a 6’7 195 graduate from South Kent who is originally from Saratoga Springs.
His head coach at South Kent, Raphael Chillious, writes that Rogan “is able to play the small ball four in the MAAC as he has the size, length and ability to move his feet well enough on defense to keep other small ball 4’s in front of him. He’s gotten a lot stronger since he first arrived at South Kent so he should be able to wrestle guys off the glass as well.”
Reflecting on his offensive game, Chillous adds: “he will cause many teams problems because of his ability to hit trail threes, pick and pop 3s, run “ghost” action where he slips out of screens for threes, and he also has the ability to put the ball on the floor, if the opponents’ scouting report is to run him off the three-point line. He is also very crafty at setting up his defender if plays are called for him to receive and run off of screens. He’s one of the guys that if he sees his first three-point shot go in, it can be a long night for the defense.”
At the very least, Rogan should be a valuable spacer in the frontcourt rotation, allowing Fairfield’s guards space to attack inside.
Saint Joseph’s transfer Louis Bleechmore, a 6’6 205 senior originally from Sydney, is another potential stretch option for the Stags, converting 10 of his 31 three-point attempts last season. In addition to his comfort from the three-point line, about half of his field goal attempts were in the paint, which points to an attacking style Young likes from his wings.
Another frontcourt addition and probably the least likely to contribute this season is freshman wing Marouf Moumine, a Cameroonian who competed at the NBA Academy in Senegal before finishing his high school career as a post-grad at First Love Christian Academy.
Touted for his versatility on both ends of the court, Moumine’s stretch ability, work on the glass and motor are his most notable assets as he continues to round out his game.
Even with the Stags returning a variety of backcourt weapons, junior college transfer Jasper Floyd looks to immediately step in as a bench piece with a winning pedigree after helping Northwest Florida State College reach the NJCAA National Championship during the 2021-22 season.
Spending last year at Hillsborough Community College, Floyd took on a more consistent role, averaging 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game, connecting 32.1% of his attempts from three. Floyd is expected to soak up most of the backup point guard minutes behind Fields, but at 6’3 195, Floyd has the size to defend and play alongside Fields at the 2-guard.
In addition to Floyd, the Stags backcourt also includes redshirt freshman Anthony Davis Jr. and true freshman Matt Curtis, two young guards who were offered by five programs apiece out of high school.
Davis is the son of Anthony Davis Sr., an offensive tackle who started 32 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The younger Davis is an athletic 6’5 guard with a willingness to score at all three-levels and was his team’s primary ball-handler at the Miller School in Charlottesville, VA.
Hailing from Ellington, Connecticut, Curtis graduated from Northwest Catholic High School as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1911 points, leading his team to the state championship game in 2022 before completing a postgraduate year at Avon Old Farms.
Offered by Rutgers, UMass and others, the 6’4 190 freshman caught the attention of scouts due to his uncanny ability to make tough shots from all over the court, especially thanks to his quick release from the perimeter. Like Jalen Leach during his freshman season, it would not surprise if Curtis’ shooting ability earns him immediate playing time as a knockdown shooter and source of instant offense.
Currently in a weeklong trip to Costa Rica, the production on the court has been promising as the team’s shooting on the perimeter has been impressive and production has been achieved from all across the roster, signaling the team’s depth and potential as they ramp up for a non-conference schedule highlighted by visits to Boston College, Rhode Island, Drexel and in-state rivals Sacred Heart and Yale.
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