Fairfield Closes Out Their Non-Conference Schedule Topping Le Moyne

December has treated the Fairfield Stags well. 

A defeat to Iona on December 1st was Fairfield's last loss of the month as the Stags have now won six in a row to close out their non-conference schedule, defeating Le Moyne 78-to-72.

The surf got a bit choppy following the Dolphins' late runs in each half, but the Fairfield's pressure on defense helped secure the victory. In total, the Stags forced twenty Le Moyne turnovers -- a season high for the Dolphins --  and Fairfield's starting backcourt of Caleb Fields, Jasper Floyd and Jalen Leach snared a total of a dozen steals. 

Fairfield's offense was fueled by fifth-year guard Caleb Fields, whose career-high 27 points was bookended by three early three-pointers and a perfect finish at the charity stripe. 

Finishing with a double-double and five assists, junior guard Jasper Floyd finished with his best game since the victory against Yale while senior guard Brycen Goodine hit double-digits off the bench for the fourth time in six games, securing his role as one of the best bench scorers in the MAAC. Freshman big Peyton Smith tied a career high with three assists, showcasing his strong and precise low-post passing. 

After missing the first nine games of the season due to injury, Birima Seck suited up for his fourth game this season. Despite his modest numbers in the box score, Seck's defensive versatility, especially on the perimeter, was on full display while his presence is allowing Coach Casey to experiment with more five-out motion looks, adding new wrinkles for future opponents to scout. 

No team in the MAAC is riding high with as much momentum as the Stags. They resume their conference play on Friday as strong favorites when they visit Siena.

NYC Metro Area Top-Ten Following the Holiday Break

In the perpetually busy college basketball season, this week’s holiday break allowed for a rare respite for teams to rest and evaluate following the first eight-week span of the season.

Using the MBWA's criteria, here’s my current Top-Ten ranking of NYC Metro Area teams:

1) St. John’s: 8-4

Rick Pitino is back in the Big East and after St. John’s has spent most of the last two decades as an afterthought in the Big East, the buzz is back in Queens.

Anchored by the return of Preseason All-Big East First Team selection Joel Soriano (17.7p, 10.8r, 2.3b), the Red Storm look like a good bet to finish the regular season at or above .500 in conference play for just the second time this decade. 

With twelve new pieces and a deeply experienced roster (5th nationally in D1 experience, according to KenPom) there is an undeniable depth and ceiling of this squad, especially with UMass transfer RJ Luis returning following a shin injury. 

2) Princeton: 11-1

I’ll be honest: following the graduation of First Team All-Ivy forward Tosan Evbuomwan and the transferring out of Ryan Langborg (Northwestern) and Keeshawn Kellman (FGCU), I did not expect Princeton to continue their impressive streak as the strongest program in the Ivy.

Early season wins over Rutgers, Hofstra and Duquesne catapulted the ascension of the Tigers’ newest wave of talent, headlined by sophomores Xaivian Lee (16.9p, 3.3a 39.7 3P%) and Caden Pierce (13.5p, 9.0r, 2.8a). 

The biggest difference between this season and last is that every key rotation piece can shoot from three, providing the Tigers with elite spacing potential for Pierce to work his magic inside the Princeton offense. 

3) Rutgers: 7-4

The Mawot Mag effect is real. 

Between last season and the start of this season, the Scarlet Knights are 18-8 with Mag on the floor and 8-11 in his absence. The 6’7 senior is the heart and soul of Rutgers’ vaunted half-court defense with a motor and switchability that has earned him the title as one of the best defenders in the nation. 

In what Rutgers lacks in star power, they make it up in depth – ten players average between 12 and 28 minutes per game. In order for Rutgers to take the next step as a potential tournament team, its guards need to vastly improve their offensive efficiency – Noah Fernandes, Derek Simpson and Jamichael Davis all shoot under 38% from inside the arc. 

4) Seton Hall: 8-5

It has been a strange two weeks for Seton Hall: a trying victory over Monmouth followed by its best shooting game of the season against Missouri followed by a home thrashing of UConn followed by a twenty-point loss to Xavier. 

There’s a legit mystery of this team – what exactly is this Seton Hall team? Their physicality, size and athleticism is never easy to play against, but are they more than a middling Big East squad? 

5) Hofstra 7-5

Hofstra’s solid start comes as no surprise. The offense still hums smoothly, led by the dynamic duo of Tyler Thomas (22.1p, 3.3a, 39.5 3P%) and Darlingstone Dubar (17.8p, 40 3P%). They are a fantastic shooting team, especially from three, and they move the ball beautifully and play solid interior defense. 

Hofstra’s non-conference schedule, which ranks within the 80th percentile nationally, according to KenPom, was highlighted by winning the Gulf Coast Showcase, which was immediately followed by a home win over South Florida and a road victory over Iona. 

Just one game away from CAA conference play, the Pride are amongst the upper echelon of their conference, alongside UNCW, Charleston, Drexel and Delaware, so Saturday’s matchup against St. John’s is an opportunity to finish the calendar year with fireworks. 

6) Monmouth 7-5

It’s only December and Monmouth already has as many wins as last season, highlighted by non-conference victories over West Virginia and Belmont.

The biggest difference between this season and last? Bucknell transfer Xander Rice (19.3p, 3.6a) has brought swagger, fearlessness and star power to the Hawks’ offense while Tulsa grad transfer Nikita Konstantynovskyi is a steady and reliable low-post security blanket. 

After a trying first season in the CAA, Monmouth has got the talent and depth to hover around the .500 mark during conference play and they’ve got a projectable ceiling considering the impressive development of homegrown underclassmen Jack Collins, Jaret Valencia and Cornelius Robinson. 

7) Marist 7-3

5-1 in their last six games, and nearly beating a struggling Notre Dame team, Marist keeps on winning. 

Are the underclassmen this good? Is the strong shooting start legit? With the seventh easiest non-conference record in the nation, one cannot help but wonder whether the Red Foxes’ recent success is a mirage. 

That being said, the MAAC is the least predictable it has been in recent memory, so a physical, defensive team like Marist has as good of a shot as any to finish the season as the top team in the conference.

8) Fairfield 6-6

It has been a tale of two seasons for Fairfield – a late offseason coaching change and injuries across the lineup sputtered the Stags through a 1-6 start, but Fairfield has been winners of their last five games, highlighted by a road win against Yale and a dominant victory over in-town rivals Sacred Heart.

While freshman big Peyton Smith has played admirably following the injuries to portal additions Alexis Yetna (Seton Hall) and Birima Seck (New Mexico), the Stags’ resurgence has been sparked by its backcourt, with returning guards Jalen Leach, Brycen Goodine, Caleb Fields, alongside JUCO addition Jasper Floyd, all scoring double-digit averages per game. 

Yetna has yet to return, but Seck’s return earlier this month has provided the Stags with athleticism and length unforeseen in the frontcourt this season. Once Yetna returns, Fairfield will be one of the most dangerous squads in the wide-open MAAC.

9) Columbia 8-3

8-1 in their last nine games, the Columbia Lions are amidst its best start since the 1978-79 season. 

Yes, only three teams have faced a weaker non-conference schedule than Columbia, according to KenPom, but the Lions’ synergy on offense are the fruits of the labor of Jim Engles and his staff’s steady construction of this year’s lineup, which features four three-star recruits. 

Last year’s lineup was one of the greenest in the nation, but those growing pains helped Columbia enter this season with the most minutes’ continuity entering this year. 

The biggest difference between this year’s rotation is Engles’ embracing of small ball, which has increased the skill level on the floor both in the Lions’ ability to shoot from three – a 37.2 3P% ranks within the top 50 nationally – and share the ball smoothly – a 60% assist to field goal made ratio ranks within the top 40. 

Between Princeton, Yale and Cornell, the top of the Ivy is excellent, but Columbia has an outside shot to sneak into the fourth and final Ivy Madness spot, which will be hosted at Levien Gymnasium, Columbia’s home court. 

10) Iona 5-7

Jim Valvano. Jeff Rutland. Tim Cluess. Rick Pitino.

Following his championship tenure at St. Thomas Aquinas and rise to national prominence after FDU’s tournament win over top seed Purdue, Tobin Anderson was a universally praised hire as Gael Nation hopes that Anderson becomes the next great head coach in New Rochelle.

However, despite their brand new roster and starting the season with Osborn Shema on the shelf, few expected the Gaels to enter the new calendar year with a losing record. 

In order for the Gaels to solidify themselves as one of the favorites in the MAAC, Anderson needs to discover his most dangerous lineups while still leaning on the team’s depth to best utilize the full court press.

After a twenty point win against Colgate and a visiting tilt this Saturday against the 8-3 Harvard Crimson, there is potential for Iona to enter the new year with positive momentum.

Just missed the cut:

Fordham 5-7

• Recent home losses against NJIT and CCSU have questioned the defensive potential of this year’s squad. 

Stony Brook 6-6

• 4-1 in their last six was highlighted by wins over Bryant and Norfolk State.

After a Strong First Half, Fairfield's Second Half Lapses Secure Iona's First MAAC Victory

 

By Joe Budzelek (@stf_ncaa)

Entering MAAC play winless against Division 1 opponents, Fairfield continued their snide with a 67-to-78 defeat against Iona on Friday night in their conference opener.  

With both teams facing injuries in their veteran backcourts -- Alexis Yetna and Birima Seck for Fairfield; Osborn Shema for Iona -- last night's rotations were younger and smaller than both Chris Casey and Tobin Anderson would care for.

That being said, the Stags' guards and wings made it difficult for Iona to convert under the basket, especially in the first half. “We’re competing extremely hard," says Fairfield head coach Chris Casey, “In the first half, we had a chance to get a lead and play from in front. We turned it over a few too many times and we did not make open shots and free throws. You have to make those against a good team like [Iona]."

Fairfield held most of Iona's roster below their season averages in scoring, but seven three-pointers made from Iona grad transfer Wheza Panzo was the deciding factor in last night's loss. “I thought we did a pretty good job [defending] besides Panzo. One guy made seven threes. We goofed up some switches on him. I thought the switching helped us overall, but we lost him on a few plays. He’s going to make open shots. Overall, we did a decent job on everybody [else]," says Casey.

Even with Yetna and Seck not expected to return until at least late December, the Stags certainly have pieces that are securing their value in the rotation. In the backcourt, veteran returning guards Caleb Fields and Jalen Leach combined for 33 points, 5 assists and just 3 turnovers in 70 total minutes play. 

Over the last two games, JUCO addition Jasper Floyd has scored 40 total points, but his 6 turnovers last night hint towards the growing pains he will work through as he gains more experience in conference play: “He’s getting his first taste of Division 1 basketball and playing significant minutes too," says Casey,  "I have a ton of confidence in Jasper, he’s going to be out there for us. He’s tough, he gets to the basket, he spends a lot of time in the gym shooting the three.” Few teams in the MAAC have a guard of Floyd's size and physicality who can score at will. Along with the athletic and now healthy Brycen Goodine, Fairfield's guards are tough and can be productive.

However, with Fairfield's marquee transfer additions still on the mend, the Stags allow too many second and third-chances for opponents. “What hurt us was defensive rebounding," says Casey, as the Stags secured only 58% of their defensive rebounding opportunities, perpetuating a defensive rebounding rate that currently ranks in the bottom ten-percentile nationally, “We got to find a way to dig out 50/50 balls."

For now, wings Louis Bleechmore and James Johns Jr. will be asked to continue to fight above their weight class as they share the de facto power forward position. Between the two, Bleechmore showed more defensive versatility and grit. So far, his shot has yet to fall consistently (42.1 2P%, 27.8 3P%), but his true form and 37.1 3P% from his time at Harcum College (JUCO) bode well for his offensive potential. 

Despite the loss, the Stags started the game solidly and have clear areas to focus on as they continue through the early stages of the season. “We’re competing extremely hard. We’re playing hard. We’re for each other", reflect Casey, "The biggest thing for us is we got to go from being competitive to learning how to win games.”