| Fairfield Stags | |||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Fairfield University | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference | MAAC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Fairfield, CT | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach | Ed Cooley (2nd year) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Arena | Arena at Harbor Yard (Capacity: 9,500) |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Stags | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Colors | Cardinal and White
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960, 1961, 1962, 1986, 1987, 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Conference Tournament Champions | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986, 1987, 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Conference Regular Season Champions | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||
The Fairfield Stags men's basketball team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. Fairfield University is a private co-educational undergraduate and master's level university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England Member Institutions The MAAC has ten Member Institutions Associate Member Institutions Men's Lacrosse Mount Saint Mary's Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Ed Cooley (born September 10, 1969 in Providence Rhode Island) became the 11th men's college basketball head coach of the Fairfield University The Arena at Harbor Yard is a 10000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Bridgeport Connecticut. The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield Connecticut. Cardinal is a vivid Red, which gets its name from the Cassocks worn by cardinals The family of birds takes its name from the color White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye The 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division Fairfield University is a private co-educational undergraduate and master's level university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Member Institutions The MAAC has ten Member Institutions Associate Member Institutions Men's Lacrosse Mount Saint Mary's The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations Division I (or D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States The Stags play their home games in the 9,500 seat, state of the art Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut and recently played two games in Alumni Hall back on the campus of Fairfield University during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. The Arena at Harbor Yard is a 10000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Bridgeport Connecticut. Alumni Hall is a 2479 seat multi-purpose Arena on the campus of Fairfield University located in Fairfield Connecticut. Fairfield University is a private co-educational undergraduate and master's level university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England The team is currently coached by Ed Cooley. Ed Cooley (born September 10, 1969 in Providence Rhode Island) became the 11th men's college basketball head coach of the Fairfield University
The Stags have experienced the thrill of post-season tournament action twelve times having competed in the NAIB Tournament in 1951; the NCAA DII Tournament in 1960, 1961 and 1962; the National Invitational Tournament in 1973, 1974, 1978, 1996 and 2003; and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1986, 1987 and 1997. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 (with the exception of 1944 The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship has been conducted since 1957 The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The National Invitation Tournament is an annual US Basketball competition The National Invitation Tournament is an annual US Basketball competition The National Invitation Tournament is an annual US Basketball competition The National Invitation Tournament is an annual US Basketball competition The National Invitation Tournament is an annual US Basketball competition The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination Tournament held each spring featuring 65 College basketball teams in the The 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division In the 1973 National Invitation Tournament, the Stags advanced to the second round where the team lost by one point to eventual National Champion Virginia Tech. The National Invitation Tournament is an annual US Basketball competition And in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, the Stags nearly achieved a historical upset of top-seeded North Carolina after leading the Tar Heels by seven points at halftime. The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division The team also won the MAAC Regular Season Title in 1986 and the MAAC Championship Tournament in 1986, 1987 and 1997.
Individually, Joe DeSantis earned All-American honors in 1979; Darren Phillip was the nation's top rebounder averaging 14 rebounds per game in 2000; and Deng Gai was the nation's top shot blocker in 2005 averaging 5. Joe DeSantis (born September 24, 1957 in Bronx New York) is currently the Color commentator for the radio and TV broadcasts of Fairfield Darren Phillip (born March 18 1978 in London England) is an American professional Basketball player with CAI Zaragoza in the Liga Española Deng Gai (born March 22, 1982 in Wau Sudan) is a Sudanese professional Basketball player formerly in the NBA. 5 blocks per game which ranks #5 on the NCAA's all-time blocked shot average list. Thirteen Stags have been either drafted or signed to play in the National Basketball Association.
Contents |
History
Dawn of the Stags
Through the efforts of Rev. Victor Leeber, S. J. , Fairfield University introduced men's basketball in 1948 and has since played 59 continuous seasons of hoops through the 2007-08 season. Fairfield University is a private co-educational undergraduate and master's level university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England Fairfield played its first-ever game against Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, NY, losing 46-78, and won its first-ever game that season against Hillyer College (now the University of Hartford), 47-37, in Bridgeport, CT at the Bridgeport Armory, Fairfield's original home court. Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn New York. The University of Hartford, often called UHA or UHart, was founded in 1877 and is a private independent and nonsectarian During the 1950-1951 season, under new Head Coach James Hanrahan, the still fledgling program experienced its first winning season with a 16-11 overall record and received the school's first ever postseason berth in the 1951 NAIA National Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. James Hanrahan (born in 1923 in Waterbury Connecticut) founded the St The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 (with the exception of 1944
Red Stags Rising
During the 1958-1959 season Head Coach George Bisacca took over the program and proceeded to elevate the Stags to a higher level experiencing only 1 losing season in 10 years. The Stags received three straight postseason berths to the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship Tournament between 1960 and 1962 and advanced to the 2nd round in 1960 and 1961. The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship has been conducted since 1957 On the heals of this postseason success, Fairfield upgraded the program up to Division 1 hoops during the 1964-1965 season. The following year, the 1965-66 team went 19-5 and became the first Fairfield team to be ranked in the UPI/AP Top 20 poll. [1]
The Golden Barakat Era
The most successful stretch of Fairfield basketball occurred under Head Coach Fred Barakat when the Stags received three berths in the post-season NIT in six years which was chronicled in the book, 25 Years Plus One: Recounting the Meteoric Rise of Fairfield Basketball, by Connecticut sportswriter, Don Harrison. Fred Barakat (born Union City NJ) became the 6th men's college basketball coach of the Fairfield University Stags in 1970 and is the all-time winningiest The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. During the 1972-73 season the Stags finished with a 18-9 overall record and were invited to the post-season NIT for the first time in the programs history. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In the 1st round, Captain George Groom led the Stags to a 80-76 victory over Marshall University playing before 13,904 fans at Madison Square Garden. Marshall University is a Coeducational public Research university in Huntington West Virginia, founded in 1837 as a private subscription Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. In the 2nd round, the Stags fell 76-77 to the eventual National Champion Virginia Tech Gooblers before more than 17,000 fans. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Virginia Tech, is a public land grant polytechnic University in The Stags followed up this success with a 17-9 overall record and a second invitation to the post-season NIT during the 1973-74 season. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In the 1st round, Captain Richie O'Connor led the Stags to a 37-32 halftime lead before falling 65-66 to the University of Hawaii before 17,739 fans. The University of Hawaii, formally the University of Hawaii System and popularly known as UH, is a public co-educational college and university system that confers The Stags returned to the post-season NIT for the third time during the 1977-78 season following the program's first 20 win season (22-5 overall) and a record point setting 123-108 victory over the then 14th ranked Holy Cross Crusaders. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The College of the Holy Cross is a prestigious exclusively undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester Massachusetts, In the 1st round of the tournament, Junior Mark Young led the Stags with a 32 performance in a 93-108 losing effort to the Dayton Flyers. The University of Dayton (abbreviated UD) is a private Catholic University operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton Ohio
Back to Back in the MAAC
During the 1995-96 season Head Coach Paul Cormier led the Stags to a 20-10 overall record, an appearance in the MAAC championship game and the program's fourth berth in the NIT. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In the opening round of the NIT, the Stags played the Providence College Friars before 6,368 fans at the New Haven Coliseum. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Led by Shannon Bowman the Stags held a 46-43 half time lead before eventually falling 78-69 to the Friars.
Picked to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1996-97, Fairfield suffered through an injury-plagued regular season and finished in last place. Member Institutions The MAAC has ten Member Institutions Associate Member Institutions Men's Lacrosse Mount Saint Mary's But the Stags made a Cinderella run in the MAAC tournament, defeating top seed Iona, St. Peter's and Canisius to capture the league's automatic berth in the 1997 NCAA Tournament despite an 11-18 record. The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division Fairfield then gave top seeded North Carolina all it could handle in the first round of the East Region in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Stags opened a 37-28 lead early in the second half before their bid to become the first 16 seed to win a NCAA Tournament game fell short, 82-74. The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination Tournament held each spring featuring 65 College basketball teams in the Stag legend Greg Francis '97 almost single-handedly upset the Tar Heels scoring 26 points including eight three-pointers. Greg Francis (born April 4, 1974 in Toronto Ontario) is the Head Coach of the Canadian Junior Men’s Basketball National Team and is the Canadian Following the game, legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith said "I had to find Francis after the game but I couldn't shake his hand because it was so hot. Dean Edwards Smith (born February 28 1931 is a retired head coach of men’s college Basketball. "[2]
O'Toole Time
In 2002, Stags basketball moved from the comfy confines of the on-campus Alumni Hall to the new state-of-the-art 9,500 seat Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, CT. Alumni Hall is a 2479 seat multi-purpose Arena on the campus of Fairfield University located in Fairfield Connecticut. The Arena at Harbor Yard is a 10000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Bridgeport Connecticut. During that same season, Head Coach Tim O'Toole '87 led the Stags to an 19-12 overall record, an appearance to the MAAC tournament championship game, and the program's fifth berth in the NIT. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In the opening round of the NIT, Nick Delfico led the Stags with 14 points in a 90-78 losing effort to the Boston College Eagles before 6,500 fans at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. The Arena at Harbor Yard is a 10000-seat multi-purpose Arena in Bridgeport Connecticut. During 2004-2005 season, Deng Gai '05 led the nation in shots blocked with 5. Deng Gai (born March 22, 1982 in Wau Sudan) is a Sudanese professional Basketball player formerly in the NBA. 5 blocks per game and graduated as number eight on the NCAA's all-time blocked shots list. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations In Basketball, a block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a shot from an offensive player
Cooley In Control
On April 11, 2006, Ed Cooley (former Boston College Eagles assistant coach) was announced as the program's 11th Head Coach ushering in a new era of Stags basketball. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Ed Cooley (born September 10, 1969 in Providence Rhode Island) became the 11th men's college basketball head coach of the Fairfield University The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. With a renewed commitment to reestablishing the winning basketball tradition at Fairfield, Coach Cooley quickly signed a talented recruiting class to join veteran leaders Michael van Schiack, Danny Ogelsby, Marty O'Sullivan, All-MAAC Rookie Herbie Allen and Jon Han (of MTV Nike Battlegrounds fame). The new Stags included 6'8" Iowa State transfer Mike Evanovich (Storrs, CT), 6'8" Anthony Johnson (Lake Wales, FL), 6'4" Devin Johnson (Richmond, VA), and 6'6" Greg Nero (Red Hook, NY). The Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University (ISU is a public land-grant and space-grant university Storrs is a Census-designated place and part of the town of Mansfield, Connecticut located in eastern Tolland County. Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10194 at the 2000 census This article is about the city of Richmond the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Red Hook is a Town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. Nero was the only one of these recruits to be signed by O'Toole, and he also led his high school squad to a berth in the New York State regional final and was the Most Valuable Player of the Mid-Hudson Athletic League. Devin Johnson was the Richmond Metro Player of the Year.
All-Time Head Coaches
| Years | Head Coach | Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-1949 | Joe Dunn | 9-14 | - |
| 1949-1950 | Bob Noonan | 5-16 | - |
| 1950-1958 | James Hanrahan | 82-79 | 1951 NAIB |
| 1958-1968 | George Bisacca | 151-85 | 1960 NCAA, 1961 NCAA, 1962 NCAA |
| 1968-1970 | Jim Lynam | 23-29 | - |
| 1970-1981 | Fred Barakat | 160-128 | 1973 NIT, 1974 NIT, 1978 NIT |
| 1981-1985 | Terry O'Conner | 45-68 | - |
| 1985-1991 | Mitch Buonoguoro | 80-103 | 1985 NCAA, 1986 NCAA |
| 1991-1998 | Paul Cormier | 86-111 | 1996 NIT, 1997 NCAA |
| 1998-2006 | Tim O'Toole | 112-120 | 2003 NIT |
| 2006- | Ed Cooley | 27-34 | - |
| - | Total | 767-768 | - |
Awards
All-American
All-East
All-New England
All-Metropolitan
|
League Coach of the YearLeague Player of the Year
First Team All-League |
All-Time statistic leaders
Career leaders
Single-game leaders
|
Single-season leaders
|
Stags in the NBA Draft
The following Stag players were selected in the National Basketball Association draft or signed as free agents:
| Player | Year | Round | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Rafferty | 1965 | 16th | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Bill Jones | 1968 | 7th | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Art Kenny | 1968 | 18th | Baltimore Bullets |
| Rich O'Connor | 1974 | 8th | Kansas City-Omaha |
| Phil Rogers | 1974 | 10th | Buffalo Braves |
| Danny Odums | 1976 | 6th | Buffalo Braves |
| Steve Balkun | 1978 | 7th | Boston Celtics |
| Kim Fisher | 1978 | 8th | Boston Celtics |
| Joe DeSantis | 1979 | 2nd | Washington Bullets |
| Mark Young | 1979 | 2nd | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Pete DeBisschop | 1983 | 4th | Seattle Sonics |
| A. J. Wynder | 1987 | Free Agent | Boston Celtics |
| Deng Gai | 2005 | Free Agent | Philadelphia 76ers |
WVOF radio broadcasts
WVOF is the home of Fairfield Stags men's basketball. The NBA Draft is an annual North American event in which the National Basketball Association 's (NBA thirty teams (29 in the United States and one in Larry C Rafferty (born in Brooklyn New York) is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rafferty Capital Markets LLC an investment banking and brokerage services The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short are a professional Basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short are a professional Basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Joe DeSantis (born September 24, 1957 in Bronx New York) is currently the Color commentator for the radio and TV broadcasts of Fairfield The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. The Seattle SuperSonics (also called the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional Basketball team based in Seattle Washington that played A J Wynder (born September 11, 1964 in the Bronx New York) is currently the fourth head coach of the Nassau Community College men's basketball The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Deng Gai (born March 22, 1982 in Wau Sudan) is a Sudanese professional Basketball player formerly in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short are a professional Basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania WVOF is the student-run radio station at Fairfield University in Fairfield Connecticut and the future home of the Fairfield County News Desk of Connecticut Public The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield Connecticut. Men's basketball coverage is led play-by-play analyst Bob Heussler with color commentary from Stag basketball legend Joe DeSantis '79. Bob Heussler (born Brooklyn New York, currently resides in Hamden Connecticut) is a radio sports broadcaster at WFAN in New York where he has made Joe DeSantis (born September 24, 1957 in Bronx New York) is currently the Color commentator for the radio and TV broadcasts of Fairfield [3]
See also
- Official team site
- Fairfield Stags broadcasts
- The Unofficial Fairfield Stags message board
- Mirror Sports Blog: Covering Fairfield Athletics
References
- ^ Fairfield University :: 1996 Hall of Fame Inductees
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketba/skm/sktm83.htm
- ^ Michelle Morrison, 'Basketball and the Beast,' The Mirror, November 1, 2007.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic