Too bad but was expecting this as I’m sure others were. He was recruited as a scorer and it was great to see him finally put it all together this year. He almost had a 50/40/90 season in-conference. I am curious to see how high he’ll go. Assuming he moves “up” the coaching staff can use Jalen’s development as a recruiting pitch of what’s possible at Fairfield.
Now is the time we will see if the Casey hire pays off. Interested to see how it plays out with big shoes to fill. Hopefully his style of play attracts some solid athletes.
Wish Jalen the best. A quality person representing the university. Gave the Stags four years, overcame injuries, and put in the work. Hope he’s happy where he lands.
Really enjoyed watching Leach develop into an outstanding MAAC player, and seems like a quality person, at least from afar. I am curious as to what Jalen's expectations are. A higher mid-major roster? A spot on a major conference roster? A NIL raise? He is a very good player in the MAAC, but even in the MAAC we saw him struggle in the tourney when opponents ratcheted up their physicality and interior defense. And his distance shooting was not as reliable as his paint scoring. Will he get similar minutes in a stronger conference? Not picking on Jalen; I have the same questions about a lot of players entering the portal from other teams.
Post by alsostagparty on Mar 20, 2024 8:58:45 GMT -5
After four years at Fairfield gradually getting his moxie back, he probably realizes his experience has peaked at Fairfield, especially with his buddy Fields moving on. I can’t blame him if he just wants a change of scenery but $ in an overseas pro career or big league NIL $ may be more appealing than doing the same routine over again.
It will be a challenge to assemble a team with as much potential next year. I ain’t saying Casey can’t do it, I’m just saying the odds of getting back to a title game are iffy. It’s no dynasty yet.
It's going to be very hard for mid-majors to retain all-conference players with almost any amount of eligibility remaining. Hard to develop a team from year to year... you almost need to get lucky with "strategic injuries" and guys making leaps from one year to the next... along with bringing in transfer talent.
But... everyone is dealing with the same factors and Fairfield shouldn't be in any worse situation relative to the rest of the MAAC. Have to adapt.
I expected this because Leach is a senior and will graduate from FF in may. He is following the lead of AJR and Maidoh who are both FF graduates He and his teammates gave the loyal stag fans something to finally cheer about after a long drought and I appreciate his efforts. Ps- How long can it be for GoodIne to enter the portal?
My guess it’s a business decision. Why risk getting hurt.
I can understand it whether it was Leach’s or Casey’s decision. I just hope if it’s completely Leach’s decision that he told Casey of that before the school paid the money to be in this tournament.