Ugh. Just ugh. That might have been our best chance to break the curse in quite some time. Credit SPC, though. They played a very physical game, locked down on defense and made some timely shots (that were also well contested by the way). We had our chances; the culmination/combination of some missed free throws, 50/50s not going our way and uncharacteristic ball handling sealed our doom. We certainly had our opportunities including some frenetic possessions where we had multiple looks at the basket but it just wasn’t our night…again… that said, I certainly did not expect the season that we had. 22 wins. Some amazing individual and team performances along the way. Yes, the sting of losing a game where we had a 10pt lead in the second half will take some time to fade but, overall a really good season.
A few comments about AC.; the venue is pretty cool and the perfect size for a MAAC tournament. The place is old and sure could use some upgrades ibut i was pleasantly surprised. SPC maybe had twice as many fans there as did Fairfield but, combining the two, a decent atmosphere in the arena. Not sure how it looked on TV but it felt decently full. I know it was Sham Jam yesterday but I felt like we had minimal student attendance yesterday (surprise, i know). the Fairfield fans that weee there were loud and into the game but i would have loved to see 200-300 students make the trip down. i mean, we had the chance for a double boom with the women and men. i guess we need some sustained success to get the students meaningfully engaged.
The surrounding neighborhood is like a demilitarized zone; nothing like that strip club directly across the street to set the mood..that said, the boardwalk offers plenty to do; more than say Albany or Bridgeport. yeah, it may be on the southern end of the geographic footprint of the conference but its not a terrible place to host a tournament.
a little rambling for sure but I am working on like 3 hours of sleep. congrats to the team, they left everything on the court - every night. now, lets build on this and take that next step next season..!!
19% from 3pt land...still a tough one to swallow...that was the game.
That aside I am really thankful for this team. They, in a very unexpected manner, gave us a glimpse back to the glory days of Fairfield basketball. It was a joy to watch Caleb lead and will his team to victory game after game. It was a joy to watch the feathery smooth moves of Jalen dropping dimes and leaving opponents in disbelief. It was a joy to watch (and listen) to Coach Casey molding this team and just seemingly knowing all the right buttons to push all season long. I don't know what next year will bring, but for the first time in a long time, I am finally excited about the future of the Fairfield Stags men's basketball program. Go Stags!
Last Edit: Mar 17, 2024 7:47:52 GMT -5 by Stagophile
I thought that this was our best opportunity in the last 27 years to return to the tourney. Here is what I saw as I watched last night. St Peter’s drives into the lane, takes a short jumper, misses, gets the offensive rebound and scores. Fairfield answers with a 3pt attempt that misses. One and done! I am tired of watching athletic forwards from other teams savage us the lane. Casey’s highest priority should be to recruit forwards capable of getting into the lane, securing offensive rebounds and scoring. With the departure of Fields and Yetna, Casey must consider this option. Otherwise next season we will be complaining about our inadequacies with near the basket.
This fan of well over 50 years wants to thank Coach Casey and the entire team for for providing an enjoyable season. Of course losing in the final is a BIG disappointment and is hard to accept. Once u get a taste of winning u always want more! I can’t say enough good things about Caleb Fields. He was an iron man all season. Truely a great stag and he will be difficult to replace.
It was mentioned a few times in the end of the regular season Twitter space that Jaden Daly hosted —- it’s extremely difficult to beat the same team three times in the same season when there isn’t a huge talent disparity between the two teams. Our win over Iona in the tourney and last night’s loss seem to demonstrate the wisdom of that statement.
19% from 3pt land...still a tough one to swallow...that was the game.
That aside I am really thankful for this team. They, in a very unexpected manner, gave us a glimpse back to the glory days of Fairfield basketball. It was a joy to watch Caleb lead and will his team to victory game after game. It was a joy to watch the feathery smooth moves of Jalen dropping dimes and leaving opponents in disbelief. It was a joy to watch (and listen) to Coach Casey molding this team and just seemingly knowing all the right buttons to push all season long. I don't know what next year will bring, but for the first time in a long time, I am finally excited about the future of the Fairfield Stags men's basketball program. Go Stags!
This fan of well over 50 years wants to thank Coach Casey and the entire team for for providing an enjoyable season. Of course losing in the final is a BIG disappointment and is hard to accept. Once u get a taste of winning u always want more! I can’t say enough good things about Caleb Fields. He was an iron man all season. Truely a great stag and he will be difficult to replace.
Truly the best statement that depicts what this season has meant for all of us Stag fans. Already I am excited for next season as I'm sure all the rest of us are. Go Stags!
This will probably be mentioned quite a bit in the next few days; according to St. Peter’s coach, Mason, MAAC tournament MVP Corey Washington paid his own way to fly up from Arkansas to try out for a scholarship. He had no scholarship offers after his senior season in high school. After working out with the team, Mason offered him a scholarship.
Post by alsostagparty on Mar 17, 2024 10:29:16 GMT -5
That was a heartbreaking disappointment after that big lead, but all in all it was an entertaining season that kept me glued to ESPN+ on my iPad even during other commitments. A very unexpected twist of fate had us all worried at the beginning of the season so the end result is a rousing success regardless of last night. We found our coach who promotes a fun style of play. Our players are more athletic and versatile and first-rate gentlemen. I appreciate everything that everyone put into this season. Let’s leverage this into a great upcoming recruiting season. Fairfield Stags are moving up!
Last Edit: Mar 17, 2024 10:30:13 GMT -5 by alsostagparty
Great point, also! Coming off a 22 win season playing up tempo basketball and having a new coach instead of one in limbo should be an easier sell than last year. The portal is already filling up.