Here's the latest in the series looking at MAAC programs.
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FAIRFIELD WOMEN:
2010-11 RECORD: 10-8 in MAAC play, 17-13 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: It wasn't that long ago when this past season's record would have been a source of considerable pride. From 2001-02 through 2006-07 the program went six straight years without bettering the .500 mark. That stretch cost veteran coach Dianne Nolan her job. In came Joe Frager, who helped turn the program around, returning it to some semblance of when it was traditionally around the top of the league standings. In Frager's first three years the Stags finished 22-9, 18-13 and 20-14. Year No. 4 of Frager's tenure looked like more of the same ... maybe a little better ... as Fairfield opened with a 10-4 mark in league play and a 17-8 overall record. And, then, came the season's last five games, all losses. Albeit, the setbacks came against quality teams: Loyola (which finished 2nd in the MAAC, Manhattan (3rd), Marist (1st) and twice to Siena (4th). It still was a good, solid season, but just not as good as it looked like it might have been before the losing streak. Overall, Fairfield had success despite a lack of a true post player and without much depth. Still, 2010-11 marked the program's fourth consecutive winning season, and there doesn't look like there's an end to that streak of success on the horizon.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Junior Taryn Johnson, a gifted and versatile forward, averaged 12.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and blocked 55 shots on the season. Sophomore Katelyn Linney, who burst on the scene as a freshman (10.2 points, 67 3-pointers) stepped it up as a sophomore (12.7 points, 76 3's) as one of the most-dangerous snipers in the conference. Desiree Pina, who began her career as an off-guard, had a solid second season as a point guard. Role players Joelle Nawrocki (5.5) and 6-1 Brittany McFarlane (4.8, 6.4) were valuable contributors. The team also opened strongly, starting 10-3 with the only losses coming to Villanova, Hofstra and Rhode Island, all from higher-level conferences. As always, the result was better than the parts would have indicated. Much of Fairfield's success came from its work on the defensive end where it ranked fourth nationally in fewest points allowed.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The Stags didn't "step up" against quality opponents like their predecessors did. Fairfield was the only MAAC team with a win over Marist in both the 2008-09 and '09-10 seasons. But, in 2010-11 Fairfield went 0-8 against the four teams that it finished behind in the conference standings. The Stags struggled to score points, finishing 296th of 330 Division I teams nationally in points-per-game average, and that was never more evident than late in the season when it scored 44, 45 and 33 points in its final three contests. It lost by a 36-33 score to Siena in the MAAC tournament's quarterfinal-round contest as the teams combined for the lowest point total in a conference tournament game in the league's 30-year history. Johnson, at 5-11, was the team's only player who had any success inside, and she struggled against taller opponents. Pina fell off considerably, dropping to 9.9 points per game after averaging 12.1 as a sophomore. Her outside shot was wildly inconsistent, and she finished with a field-goal percentage of .292 enabling opponents to back off her defensively. There wasn't much depth. Offensive-minded sophomore Laura Vetra and slender 6-2 freshman Katie Cizynski both contributed some off the bench, but no other player averaged more than 8.2 minutes of playing time per game.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Only Nawrocki graduates, meaning six of the seven-member playing group returns. The expected year's improvement should mean more of the same, at the very least ... another winning season, another run at 20 victories. Plus, two key players (Johnson and Pina) will be seniors, and that type of experience never hurts. The program, though, didn't seem to address its greatest need: a post player. McFarlane, a 6-1 junior, might help address that need. Otherwise, recruiting brought in only more help for the backcourt with the top recruit likely to be Felicia DaCruz, a four-year starter at Albertus Magnus H.S. in Bardonia, N.Y., who will probably serve a one-year apprenticeship behind Pina. Still, Frager has shown he knows how to get the best out of his teams and how to overcome deficiencies. The coming year's Fairfield team will have some deficiencies, and Frager will find a playing style that best suits the talent he has.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: Considering that the team's top three players are back, as well as six of the top seven ... it's hard to envision anything other than an improvement over last season's solid record. The prediction here is that Fairfield will be in the mix, right behind Marist, battling for second or third place.
NOTE: This wraps up the post-season reports on each of the men's and women's conference teams. Next up we'll start taking a team-by-team look at new players joining leauge programs for the upcoming season.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Off-Season: Iona Women Set To Rebound
Here's another in the series looking at MAAC programs.
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IONA WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 7-11 in MAAC play, 11-20 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: It's far too easy to say 2010-11 was a disappointing season for the Gaels, and it was. But, Iona no longer lives and dies with a single year's result. This is a program in fine shape, molded so by head coach Tony Bozzella, who will be entering his 10th season directing Iona. There wasn't much talent in place when he arrived and his first team finished 1-27. But, in the five years from 2005-06 through 2009-10, his teams averaged 18.8 victories per season. Iona has become one of the conference's top women's programs in recent years, and a one year anomaly won't change that. And, things surely would have been better this past season had stellar point guard Suzi Fregosi been healthy. Instead the player who is arguably the conference's best pass-first point guard suffered a hip injury in Iona's eighth game and never returned. Without her, the on-court direction wasn't nearly as good, as evidenced by the fact that the team lost five league contests by six points or less with three of those in overtime contests. Reverse just three of those decisions and the Gaels would have finished a respectable 10-8 in league play. Instead, they had to rely on career-long reserve senior Marissa Flagg to step in at the point. And, while Flagg performed admirably ... she wasn't anywhere near the player that Fregosi is. Team ball movement suffered and a number of players didn't have the production expected of them.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: After the loss of Fregosi, not much. Again ... five losses by six or fewer points, a sign that the team was close but not quite good enough. Still, it was competitive most nights. Kristina Ford, a workhorse 6-1 senior-to-be forward had a nice season (12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds). She had a strong 18-point, 9-rebound effort in the team's final game, a 59-47 loss to Manhattan in the first round of the conference's post-season tournament, maybe a sign that a spectacular senior season is coming up. Departing senior Anda Ivkovic finished her strong career averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in her final year, finishing with 1,163 career points. Jackie Marshall, a freshman guard, had one eye-opening performance, scoring 17 points while hitting five three-pointers in 21 minutes of time in an early February game against Rider. Flagg, a career-long reserve who averaged less than two points per game over her first three years, did better than expected as Fregosi's replacement, averaging 6.5 points and 2.9 assists per game.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Enough that Iona followers should just discount last season as one-of-those-years and move on. But, to summarize ... Start with the loss of Fregosi, the floor general. Her loss was as significant as any in the conference this past season, and severely hindered the Gaels. Even before that, sophomore Diana Hubbard, who looked like a promising up-and-coming player in 2009-10 as a rookie, suffered a preseason concussion, missed the team's first six games and, then, struggled after that. She averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds, numbers that basically matched her freshman production (7.0, 2.5). Ivkovic was returning after a late 2009-10 season ACL injury, was forced to wear a restrictive knee brace all season and was clearly not the player she was previously. On top of everything else, Iona wasn't its usual physical force inside, getting outrebounded by an average of three per game. And, Iona had been picked to finish second in the conference, so things were pretty disappointing overall.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Probably a return to something approximating the 18.8 wins-per-year average of the previous five seasons. Every key player other than Ivkovic returns. Flagg also graduates, but Fregosi is expected back, which should jump-start the offense considerably. While Fregosi doesn't score much (she averaged 2.4 points per game before getting hurt last year), everyone else's scoring seems to go up when she's delivering passes. It means Ford will probably be one of the better scorers in the league this coming season. And, Hubbard should make the move forward expected of her this past season that, probably because of the early season concussion, never happened. There is height in place, too. Malica Paligoric (4.8, 4.2) is a 6-3 center and Tomica Bacic (7.6, 5.6) is a 6-0 forward/guard, and both are seniors and might deliver more than last season. Bozzella has also been adept at finding players from overseas, and brings in Jiya Dorcas-Eya, a 6-2 forward originally from Nigeria. Dorcas-Eya, though, played last season at Northwest Florida State Junior College and only averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds there. The top incoming player appears to be guard Damika Martinez, a 5-7 point guard from Meriden, Conn., who was rated one of the top 25 high school point guards in the country last season.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: That pick for Iona to finish 2nd last season will probably carry over to this year. If Fregosi and Hubbard are healthy, Iona is likely to finish in the top four spots this year with a second-place finish a reasonable prediction.
Up now ...
IONA WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 7-11 in MAAC play, 11-20 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: It's far too easy to say 2010-11 was a disappointing season for the Gaels, and it was. But, Iona no longer lives and dies with a single year's result. This is a program in fine shape, molded so by head coach Tony Bozzella, who will be entering his 10th season directing Iona. There wasn't much talent in place when he arrived and his first team finished 1-27. But, in the five years from 2005-06 through 2009-10, his teams averaged 18.8 victories per season. Iona has become one of the conference's top women's programs in recent years, and a one year anomaly won't change that. And, things surely would have been better this past season had stellar point guard Suzi Fregosi been healthy. Instead the player who is arguably the conference's best pass-first point guard suffered a hip injury in Iona's eighth game and never returned. Without her, the on-court direction wasn't nearly as good, as evidenced by the fact that the team lost five league contests by six points or less with three of those in overtime contests. Reverse just three of those decisions and the Gaels would have finished a respectable 10-8 in league play. Instead, they had to rely on career-long reserve senior Marissa Flagg to step in at the point. And, while Flagg performed admirably ... she wasn't anywhere near the player that Fregosi is. Team ball movement suffered and a number of players didn't have the production expected of them.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: After the loss of Fregosi, not much. Again ... five losses by six or fewer points, a sign that the team was close but not quite good enough. Still, it was competitive most nights. Kristina Ford, a workhorse 6-1 senior-to-be forward had a nice season (12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds). She had a strong 18-point, 9-rebound effort in the team's final game, a 59-47 loss to Manhattan in the first round of the conference's post-season tournament, maybe a sign that a spectacular senior season is coming up. Departing senior Anda Ivkovic finished her strong career averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in her final year, finishing with 1,163 career points. Jackie Marshall, a freshman guard, had one eye-opening performance, scoring 17 points while hitting five three-pointers in 21 minutes of time in an early February game against Rider. Flagg, a career-long reserve who averaged less than two points per game over her first three years, did better than expected as Fregosi's replacement, averaging 6.5 points and 2.9 assists per game.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Enough that Iona followers should just discount last season as one-of-those-years and move on. But, to summarize ... Start with the loss of Fregosi, the floor general. Her loss was as significant as any in the conference this past season, and severely hindered the Gaels. Even before that, sophomore Diana Hubbard, who looked like a promising up-and-coming player in 2009-10 as a rookie, suffered a preseason concussion, missed the team's first six games and, then, struggled after that. She averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds, numbers that basically matched her freshman production (7.0, 2.5). Ivkovic was returning after a late 2009-10 season ACL injury, was forced to wear a restrictive knee brace all season and was clearly not the player she was previously. On top of everything else, Iona wasn't its usual physical force inside, getting outrebounded by an average of three per game. And, Iona had been picked to finish second in the conference, so things were pretty disappointing overall.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Probably a return to something approximating the 18.8 wins-per-year average of the previous five seasons. Every key player other than Ivkovic returns. Flagg also graduates, but Fregosi is expected back, which should jump-start the offense considerably. While Fregosi doesn't score much (she averaged 2.4 points per game before getting hurt last year), everyone else's scoring seems to go up when she's delivering passes. It means Ford will probably be one of the better scorers in the league this coming season. And, Hubbard should make the move forward expected of her this past season that, probably because of the early season concussion, never happened. There is height in place, too. Malica Paligoric (4.8, 4.2) is a 6-3 center and Tomica Bacic (7.6, 5.6) is a 6-0 forward/guard, and both are seniors and might deliver more than last season. Bozzella has also been adept at finding players from overseas, and brings in Jiya Dorcas-Eya, a 6-2 forward originally from Nigeria. Dorcas-Eya, though, played last season at Northwest Florida State Junior College and only averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds there. The top incoming player appears to be guard Damika Martinez, a 5-7 point guard from Meriden, Conn., who was rated one of the top 25 high school point guards in the country last season.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: That pick for Iona to finish 2nd last season will probably carry over to this year. If Fregosi and Hubbard are healthy, Iona is likely to finish in the top four spots this year with a second-place finish a reasonable prediction.
Off-Season: Rider Women to Move Up
Here's another in the series looking at MAAC teams.
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RIDER WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in MAAC play, 5-25 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: Like any young, developing team the Broncs improved as the season went on. After an 0-14 start, things certainly couldn't have gotten much worse. Here, though, was another case of a resilient group which played hard despite the poor start to turn things around somewhat afterwards. Rider won five of its next 15 games after that 0-for start before losing its play-in round game in the conference tournament. The team was among the youngest in the conference without a single senior on the roster. Its group of young players showed considerable improvement as the season progressed, particularly rookie forward McNeshia McKenzie, who played like an emerging MAAC standout late in the season.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The team's biggest plus was, well, its "bigness." A front line of 6-3 senior-to-be center Sarah Homan and 6-2 junior Caitlin Bopp was among the better inside tandems in the league. Homan, who averaged 6.1 rebounds, had a massive 19-point/20-rebound effort in a late-season double-overtime victory against Iona. Bopp averaged 8.6 rebounds per game, second-best in the conference. McKenzie averaged 7.3 rebounds per game and had a 19-point/14-rebound performance in that victory over Iona. Shereen Lightbourne, a 5-10 junior guard (9.6 points) also had a nice second season and looks like a fixture there for the next two seasons. Ali Heller's 44-percent shooting from 3-point territory ranked among the top 15 nationally. And, point guard Alyssa Parsons held up for the season after a remarkable physical recovery from torn ACLs and subsequent surgery on each of her knees in the past three years.
WHAT WENT WRONG: A lot, particularly on the offensive end. No scorer averaged double digits on the season. Rider's .332 percent shooting was 8th-best among the 10 conference teams, while opponents' .420 field-goal percentage was last on the defensive end. Rider allowed 68.7 points per game, also worst among conference teams. Its turnover total (an average of 22.5 per game) also was the highest total in the league, a full turnover per game worst than the 9th-place team in that statistic. The team's top two scorers (Lightbourne and McKenzie) were a sophomore and a freshman, respectively, never a successful recipe. Neither Bopp nor Homan, despite their toughness and ability to grab rebounds, is much of an offensive threat. Heller, to date, is a one-dimensional player who does little else other than make 3's when she's open. And Parsons, while an admirable example of perseverance related to her contributions after two major knee surgeries, was the least-productive point guard in the league with just 44 assists against 81 turnovers. Two other contributors, 5-6 guard Dior Brown (4.9 points, 3.2 assists) suffered a late-Jan. shoulder injury and never returned. And, Carleigh Brown, a 6-0 forward (3.3, 3.4) also battled a variety of injuries. Still, the five league victories wasn't an embarrassment for a program that has struggled in its 14 MAAC seasons, compiling a 60-192 record to date in league play.
WHAT'S AHEAD: More height is coming with 6-3 center/forward recruit Marritta Gillcrease, a highly touted recruit from the Pittsburgh area. If nothing else, Rider will have the tallest front-line in the MAAC next season. But, the greatest need is to find a floor general, a capable point guard. And, there appear to be two strong possibilities: Manon Pellet, a 5- point guard from Marseille, France; and, Kornelija Valiuskyte, a 5-8 point guard from Lithuania who played at The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla., this past season. If either one has any significant impact then things can get a lot better for a team that has a lot of other pieces. The hope here is that their additions can relegate Parsons to a reserve role, where she'll be more effective. McKenzie, a prototypical small forward, is an exceptional athlete and a talent and looks to have the type of ability to make her one of the conference's better players over the next three years. She had back-to-back 20-point plus efforts in mid-February and averaged 14.5 points per games over Rider's final eight games. There should also be considerable depth since every player on last year's roster is expected to return and an incoming group of five freshmen looks like one of the league's better incoming groups.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: Don't expect Rider to suddenly compete for a league title, but do expect it to be among the most-improved teams in the conference. How much improved? If its returnees make off-season improvements and if a point guard steps up ... the Broncs could challenge the program's all-time best MAAC record of 10-8. If that doesn't happen this year, it almost assuredly will the following year. It looks like some real good days are ahead for the Rider women's program.
Up now ...
RIDER WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in MAAC play, 5-25 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: Like any young, developing team the Broncs improved as the season went on. After an 0-14 start, things certainly couldn't have gotten much worse. Here, though, was another case of a resilient group which played hard despite the poor start to turn things around somewhat afterwards. Rider won five of its next 15 games after that 0-for start before losing its play-in round game in the conference tournament. The team was among the youngest in the conference without a single senior on the roster. Its group of young players showed considerable improvement as the season progressed, particularly rookie forward McNeshia McKenzie, who played like an emerging MAAC standout late in the season.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The team's biggest plus was, well, its "bigness." A front line of 6-3 senior-to-be center Sarah Homan and 6-2 junior Caitlin Bopp was among the better inside tandems in the league. Homan, who averaged 6.1 rebounds, had a massive 19-point/20-rebound effort in a late-season double-overtime victory against Iona. Bopp averaged 8.6 rebounds per game, second-best in the conference. McKenzie averaged 7.3 rebounds per game and had a 19-point/14-rebound performance in that victory over Iona. Shereen Lightbourne, a 5-10 junior guard (9.6 points) also had a nice second season and looks like a fixture there for the next two seasons. Ali Heller's 44-percent shooting from 3-point territory ranked among the top 15 nationally. And, point guard Alyssa Parsons held up for the season after a remarkable physical recovery from torn ACLs and subsequent surgery on each of her knees in the past three years.
WHAT WENT WRONG: A lot, particularly on the offensive end. No scorer averaged double digits on the season. Rider's .332 percent shooting was 8th-best among the 10 conference teams, while opponents' .420 field-goal percentage was last on the defensive end. Rider allowed 68.7 points per game, also worst among conference teams. Its turnover total (an average of 22.5 per game) also was the highest total in the league, a full turnover per game worst than the 9th-place team in that statistic. The team's top two scorers (Lightbourne and McKenzie) were a sophomore and a freshman, respectively, never a successful recipe. Neither Bopp nor Homan, despite their toughness and ability to grab rebounds, is much of an offensive threat. Heller, to date, is a one-dimensional player who does little else other than make 3's when she's open. And Parsons, while an admirable example of perseverance related to her contributions after two major knee surgeries, was the least-productive point guard in the league with just 44 assists against 81 turnovers. Two other contributors, 5-6 guard Dior Brown (4.9 points, 3.2 assists) suffered a late-Jan. shoulder injury and never returned. And, Carleigh Brown, a 6-0 forward (3.3, 3.4) also battled a variety of injuries. Still, the five league victories wasn't an embarrassment for a program that has struggled in its 14 MAAC seasons, compiling a 60-192 record to date in league play.
WHAT'S AHEAD: More height is coming with 6-3 center/forward recruit Marritta Gillcrease, a highly touted recruit from the Pittsburgh area. If nothing else, Rider will have the tallest front-line in the MAAC next season. But, the greatest need is to find a floor general, a capable point guard. And, there appear to be two strong possibilities: Manon Pellet, a 5- point guard from Marseille, France; and, Kornelija Valiuskyte, a 5-8 point guard from Lithuania who played at The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla., this past season. If either one has any significant impact then things can get a lot better for a team that has a lot of other pieces. The hope here is that their additions can relegate Parsons to a reserve role, where she'll be more effective. McKenzie, a prototypical small forward, is an exceptional athlete and a talent and looks to have the type of ability to make her one of the conference's better players over the next three years. She had back-to-back 20-point plus efforts in mid-February and averaged 14.5 points per games over Rider's final eight games. There should also be considerable depth since every player on last year's roster is expected to return and an incoming group of five freshmen looks like one of the league's better incoming groups.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: Don't expect Rider to suddenly compete for a league title, but do expect it to be among the most-improved teams in the conference. How much improved? If its returnees make off-season improvements and if a point guard steps up ... the Broncs could challenge the program's all-time best MAAC record of 10-8. If that doesn't happen this year, it almost assuredly will the following year. It looks like some real good days are ahead for the Rider women's program.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Off-Season: St. Peter's Women Improving
After a brief early summer vacation break, it's time to resume the series looking at conference programs. We've got four more women's teams to feature.
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SAINT PETER'S WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in MAAC play, 6-25 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: An 0-11 beginning didn't exactly create optimism, particularly since the team's top inside player, Charlene Riddick, suffered a season-ending injury in the Peahens' eighth game. To that point, she averaged 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Afterwards, Saint Peter's really had no inside presence. But, things did get slightl better. The team went 6-14 after the difficult beginning, and ended strong by winning its three straight late-season games, two at the end of the regular-season (including an impressive 60-57 victory over second-place Loyola) followed by a play-in round victory over Rider in the conference tournament. Overall, senior-to-be forward Jynae Judson picked up much of Riddick's slack, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. And, a group of young players, led by guards Teresa Manigrasso and Aziza May, noticeably improved as the year went on, surely creating some future optimism.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The team's resiliency. An 0-11 start could easily have discouraged this group, but it didn't. Judson, a 5-10 forward, had a borderline first-team all-star season (she was picked as a second-team all-league selection, averaging 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. Two freshmen, off-guard Teresa Manigrasso (7.5, 2.6) and point guard Aziza May (5.2, 3.0, 3.1 assists) had nice rookie years. Both were inconsistent, but when they were at their best it was easy to see that the Peahens' backcourt is set for the next three seasons. Another senior-to-be, 5-9 forward lauren Morris also had a solid year (7.4, 2.6), as did 6-2 Quiana Porter (3.9, 4.6), who showed some signs that she might be the answer to finding an inside player for the coming season. Graduating senior Jessica Coles, a slender 6-footer, had one career game ... a 25-point, 9-rebound effort against Iona in late January, but there weren't enough of those type individual efforts overall this past season. Still, the late-season run should create some optimism for a program that has struggled in recent years.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The early season loss of Riddick was an immediate set-back, and the 0-11 start wasn't exactly encouraging. There wasn't a lot of inside help. Coles, built like a small foward, was the team's biggest starter. Scoring was extremely difficult to come by, although that was a trend throughout the league for women's teams this past season. Judson's 13.2 point per game average was the only one close to double figures. Next best was Manigrasso's 7.5 ppg. mark. Manigrasso and May, while both obviously talented young players, were both freshmen and played like first-year players too often. May, who looks like she could become one of the conference's better point guard, had 115 turnovers against just 97 assists. Judson, who justifiably had the ball in her hands almost every trip down court, had 122 turnovers. As a team the Peahens had just 280 assists against 574 turnovers.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The Peahens are one of several MAAC teams that appear to have a bright future based on having solid young talent. How quickly that talent develops will determine how quickly the Peahens return to at least a competitive level. But, this team clearly has a chance. Judson, with any improvement, will be one of the conference's better players. And, Morris will help out along the front line. But, neither of those seniors is taller than 5-10. The Peahens need height. Porter, at 6-2, could provide that, but she'll have to be better than she was this past season. Manigrasso and May look like they'll eventually be one of the best backcourts in the MAAC, along with another young guard, 5-2 sophomore-t0-be Khadija Young, who played well off the bench this past season. But that perimeter threesome will all just be sophomores this season.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: There's enough talent here to ensure the Peahens won't be a bottom-dweller, and will definitely show improvement this coming season. The question, though, remains, how much they can improve. There doesn't appear to be enough talent in place to challenge for the top few spots. Somewhere between fourth and eighth seems to be the best guess, depending on how quickly an inside presence develops and how big an improvement the young perimeter players can make as sophomores.
Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in MAAC play, 6-25 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: An 0-11 beginning didn't exactly create optimism, particularly since the team's top inside player, Charlene Riddick, suffered a season-ending injury in the Peahens' eighth game. To that point, she averaged 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Afterwards, Saint Peter's really had no inside presence. But, things did get slightl better. The team went 6-14 after the difficult beginning, and ended strong by winning its three straight late-season games, two at the end of the regular-season (including an impressive 60-57 victory over second-place Loyola) followed by a play-in round victory over Rider in the conference tournament. Overall, senior-to-be forward Jynae Judson picked up much of Riddick's slack, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. And, a group of young players, led by guards Teresa Manigrasso and Aziza May, noticeably improved as the year went on, surely creating some future optimism.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The team's resiliency. An 0-11 start could easily have discouraged this group, but it didn't. Judson, a 5-10 forward, had a borderline first-team all-star season (she was picked as a second-team all-league selection, averaging 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. Two freshmen, off-guard Teresa Manigrasso (7.5, 2.6) and point guard Aziza May (5.2, 3.0, 3.1 assists) had nice rookie years. Both were inconsistent, but when they were at their best it was easy to see that the Peahens' backcourt is set for the next three seasons. Another senior-to-be, 5-9 forward lauren Morris also had a solid year (7.4, 2.6), as did 6-2 Quiana Porter (3.9, 4.6), who showed some signs that she might be the answer to finding an inside player for the coming season. Graduating senior Jessica Coles, a slender 6-footer, had one career game ... a 25-point, 9-rebound effort against Iona in late January, but there weren't enough of those type individual efforts overall this past season. Still, the late-season run should create some optimism for a program that has struggled in recent years.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The early season loss of Riddick was an immediate set-back, and the 0-11 start wasn't exactly encouraging. There wasn't a lot of inside help. Coles, built like a small foward, was the team's biggest starter. Scoring was extremely difficult to come by, although that was a trend throughout the league for women's teams this past season. Judson's 13.2 point per game average was the only one close to double figures. Next best was Manigrasso's 7.5 ppg. mark. Manigrasso and May, while both obviously talented young players, were both freshmen and played like first-year players too often. May, who looks like she could become one of the conference's better point guard, had 115 turnovers against just 97 assists. Judson, who justifiably had the ball in her hands almost every trip down court, had 122 turnovers. As a team the Peahens had just 280 assists against 574 turnovers.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The Peahens are one of several MAAC teams that appear to have a bright future based on having solid young talent. How quickly that talent develops will determine how quickly the Peahens return to at least a competitive level. But, this team clearly has a chance. Judson, with any improvement, will be one of the conference's better players. And, Morris will help out along the front line. But, neither of those seniors is taller than 5-10. The Peahens need height. Porter, at 6-2, could provide that, but she'll have to be better than she was this past season. Manigrasso and May look like they'll eventually be one of the best backcourts in the MAAC, along with another young guard, 5-2 sophomore-t0-be Khadija Young, who played well off the bench this past season. But that perimeter threesome will all just be sophomores this season.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: There's enough talent here to ensure the Peahens won't be a bottom-dweller, and will definitely show improvement this coming season. The question, though, remains, how much they can improve. There doesn't appear to be enough talent in place to challenge for the top few spots. Somewhere between fourth and eighth seems to be the best guess, depending on how quickly an inside presence develops and how big an improvement the young perimeter players can make as sophomores.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Former Bronc Kara Borel Riding to Help
Kara Borel was a 5-foot-9 forward who had one of the more-consistently solid careers in the history of Rider women's basketball.
Playing from 2003-05 through 2006-07, she averaged between 6.0 and 8.3 points in each of her four seasons, and between 4.8 and 7.2 rebounds. She had assist totals of 71, 77, 81 and 82 in her four seasons.
You might say that she did a little bit of everything.
And, now, she's doing a little bit more.
Borel. an East Stroudsburg, Pa., native who is now 25 years old, has embarked on a 13,500-mile bike ride designed to visit every state capital in the 48 contiguous states over the next six months. She began riding last Monday in Augusta, Maine, and arrived 600 miles later in Albany, N.Y. on Saturday afternoon.
Borel, though, isn't just treking around the U.S. for fun or adventure. She's doing it to raise money for charitable causes.
"After losing my godmother and cousin to illnesses, it was kind of something to give people hope," Borel told the Albany Times Union newspaper when she stopped for a day in New York's Albany capital.
She lost those family members in 2009, her godmother to breast cancer and her 24-year old cousin to primary pulmonary hypertension after complications from a lung transplant.
Not long after that she opted to use her athletic abilities to spur action and raise money for charitable causes as she bikes throughout the U.S.
So far, she has raised more than $700 in donations contributed on her website.
Those who would like to contribute can do so through the website at http://www.rideforlives.com/
There, she states the goal of the ride: "(It is) is to inspire and motivate individuals to serve and cause the effect they wish to see within society."
Or, as she told the Times-Union: "The goal really is to inspire people to do at least one act of kindness that will go a long way for people."
Over Borel's four seasons at Rider she accumulated 311 career assists, more than any other member of the program during her time at the school.
Now, though, she's on her way toward delivering even more meaningful assists.
Playing from 2003-05 through 2006-07, she averaged between 6.0 and 8.3 points in each of her four seasons, and between 4.8 and 7.2 rebounds. She had assist totals of 71, 77, 81 and 82 in her four seasons.
You might say that she did a little bit of everything.
And, now, she's doing a little bit more.
Borel. an East Stroudsburg, Pa., native who is now 25 years old, has embarked on a 13,500-mile bike ride designed to visit every state capital in the 48 contiguous states over the next six months. She began riding last Monday in Augusta, Maine, and arrived 600 miles later in Albany, N.Y. on Saturday afternoon.
Borel, though, isn't just treking around the U.S. for fun or adventure. She's doing it to raise money for charitable causes.
"After losing my godmother and cousin to illnesses, it was kind of something to give people hope," Borel told the Albany Times Union newspaper when she stopped for a day in New York's Albany capital.
She lost those family members in 2009, her godmother to breast cancer and her 24-year old cousin to primary pulmonary hypertension after complications from a lung transplant.
Not long after that she opted to use her athletic abilities to spur action and raise money for charitable causes as she bikes throughout the U.S.
So far, she has raised more than $700 in donations contributed on her website.
Those who would like to contribute can do so through the website at http://www.rideforlives.com/
There, she states the goal of the ride: "(It is) is to inspire and motivate individuals to serve and cause the effect they wish to see within society."
Or, as she told the Times-Union: "The goal really is to inspire people to do at least one act of kindness that will go a long way for people."
Over Borel's four seasons at Rider she accumulated 311 career assists, more than any other member of the program during her time at the school.
Now, though, she's on her way toward delivering even more meaningful assists.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Off-Season: Rider Maintains Consistency
Here's another in the series examining conference programs.
Up now ...
RIDER MEN
2010-11 RECORD: 13-5 in MAAC play, 23-11 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: Another very good season, the fifth straight time the Broncs have reached at least the .500 mark in conference play. Only Fairfield's string of .500-or-better records within the conference is as long. The 23 overall victories was the most by the program on the Division I level. Over the past four years Rider has 82 overall victories, another new standard. This past season was enough to get the program to a national post-season tournament for the third time in the past four years, although none of those trips was to the NCAA's or the NIT. The most-recent trip was to the College Insider's Tournament, where it dropped a first-round contest to highly regarded Northern Iowa. The Broncs, a program populated with two of the better conference players in recent history (Jason and Ryan Thompson), did its work in 2010-11 without that type singular star. Justin Robinson was the team's best, and he culminated a very nice four-year career with a 15.7 ppg. average. Mostly, though, what the Broncs did this past season was a product of team play and balance and the result was better than the sum of the parts.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The 23 wins ... a continuation of a very solid four-year run of success. There is consistent excellence here. Robinson, mostly a role player in the shadow of Ryan Thompson for the past three seasons, made the type of move forward expected of a senior, leading the team in scoring, assists and rebounding. Novar Gadson, a 6-7 small forward, also had a nice season (13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds), while 6-8 senior Mike Ringold turned in his career-long workman-like effort (12.1, 5.4). Brandon Penn, a junior, made more contributions than ever while freshman 6-7 Danny Stewart led the team in rebounding (7.1). There was even another Thompson contributor in Jonathon Thompson (6.1), no relation to the recent Rider standout brothers. And, Anthony Myles (5.9) had a nice freshman season to complete a solid 7-man playing group. Rider, too, got a little beyond-the-conference recognition when it won all three of its games in the Mass Mutual Center preseason tournament, beating USC (in Los Angeles), TCU and Loyola Marymount. A slight slip after that saw the Broncs fall to a 5-4 record but they then went 18-5 after that before losing in the semifinals of the MAAC tournament (to Iona) and, then, in the CIT event.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Rider was good enough to compete with anyone in the league, beating all nine other conference members at least once, but somehow managed to lose regular-season games to Siena (the 7th-place finisher) and Canisius (6th) that cost it a chance to compete for the regular-season crown. Head coach Tommy Dempsey, during the MAAC tournament, spoke eloquently about how his program has attained respectability within the conference and, now, needs to take the next step beyond that. It came pretty close this season, but didn't quite get there, particularly in light of blow-out losses to end things (an 83-59 loss to Iona in the MAAC tournament and an 84-50 setback to Northern Iowa in the CIT). But, Ringold suffered a severe ankle sprain in the MAAC tournament's first round and wasn't close to being productive after that. It was testimony to his toughness that he even played after that. And, Thompson was suspended for an undisclosed team violation at the end of the regular season and did not participate in the post season., compromising Rider's depth.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Definitely more consistency, although maybe not that next step into the conference's upper stratosphere. Then again, your scribe learned a hard lesson about underestimating Rider. In the 2010-11 season preview done for The Sporting News, yours truly picked the Broncs to finish eighth in the 10-team league. And, then, Rider finished tied for the 2nd spot in the regular-season standings. Dempsey, on several occasions, gave thanks to this scribe for providing some bulletin-board material for his team. Glad to help, coach. But, don't expect that kind of aid from here this season. I've learned my lesson. Your blogger sees no worse than a fourth-place finish this time. Any chance of finishing higher depends strongly on how well incoming transfer senior guard Jeff Jones, formerly a part-time starter at Virginia, can step into the role vacated by the multi-dimensional Robinson. But, Jones appears capable. He had some big games (19 points vs. North Carolina, 17 vs. Stanford, 15 vs. Duke) against high-quality opponents while at Virginia. Gadson probably needs to become even more of an offensive contributor. The other graduated senior, Ringold, provided the type blue-collar performance on a nightly basis that won't be easily replaced. Stewart, though, has the potential to step into that role. Myles should make a nice move forward as a sophomore, while the 6-8 Penn supplies more front-court size and consistency and Thompson will continue to supply quality play off the bench.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: The official prediction here is for a fourth-place finish. Anything better depends primarily on two things happening: Jones has a major impact on the court and Dempsey can find some quality bench play beyond Jones and the five other returning members of last year's playing group.
NOTE: This concludes the off-season reports on men's teams. There are still four women's reports to come. So, look for them over the next week.
Up now ...
RIDER MEN
2010-11 RECORD: 13-5 in MAAC play, 23-11 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: Another very good season, the fifth straight time the Broncs have reached at least the .500 mark in conference play. Only Fairfield's string of .500-or-better records within the conference is as long. The 23 overall victories was the most by the program on the Division I level. Over the past four years Rider has 82 overall victories, another new standard. This past season was enough to get the program to a national post-season tournament for the third time in the past four years, although none of those trips was to the NCAA's or the NIT. The most-recent trip was to the College Insider's Tournament, where it dropped a first-round contest to highly regarded Northern Iowa. The Broncs, a program populated with two of the better conference players in recent history (Jason and Ryan Thompson), did its work in 2010-11 without that type singular star. Justin Robinson was the team's best, and he culminated a very nice four-year career with a 15.7 ppg. average. Mostly, though, what the Broncs did this past season was a product of team play and balance and the result was better than the sum of the parts.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The 23 wins ... a continuation of a very solid four-year run of success. There is consistent excellence here. Robinson, mostly a role player in the shadow of Ryan Thompson for the past three seasons, made the type of move forward expected of a senior, leading the team in scoring, assists and rebounding. Novar Gadson, a 6-7 small forward, also had a nice season (13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds), while 6-8 senior Mike Ringold turned in his career-long workman-like effort (12.1, 5.4). Brandon Penn, a junior, made more contributions than ever while freshman 6-7 Danny Stewart led the team in rebounding (7.1). There was even another Thompson contributor in Jonathon Thompson (6.1), no relation to the recent Rider standout brothers. And, Anthony Myles (5.9) had a nice freshman season to complete a solid 7-man playing group. Rider, too, got a little beyond-the-conference recognition when it won all three of its games in the Mass Mutual Center preseason tournament, beating USC (in Los Angeles), TCU and Loyola Marymount. A slight slip after that saw the Broncs fall to a 5-4 record but they then went 18-5 after that before losing in the semifinals of the MAAC tournament (to Iona) and, then, in the CIT event.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Rider was good enough to compete with anyone in the league, beating all nine other conference members at least once, but somehow managed to lose regular-season games to Siena (the 7th-place finisher) and Canisius (6th) that cost it a chance to compete for the regular-season crown. Head coach Tommy Dempsey, during the MAAC tournament, spoke eloquently about how his program has attained respectability within the conference and, now, needs to take the next step beyond that. It came pretty close this season, but didn't quite get there, particularly in light of blow-out losses to end things (an 83-59 loss to Iona in the MAAC tournament and an 84-50 setback to Northern Iowa in the CIT). But, Ringold suffered a severe ankle sprain in the MAAC tournament's first round and wasn't close to being productive after that. It was testimony to his toughness that he even played after that. And, Thompson was suspended for an undisclosed team violation at the end of the regular season and did not participate in the post season., compromising Rider's depth.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Definitely more consistency, although maybe not that next step into the conference's upper stratosphere. Then again, your scribe learned a hard lesson about underestimating Rider. In the 2010-11 season preview done for The Sporting News, yours truly picked the Broncs to finish eighth in the 10-team league. And, then, Rider finished tied for the 2nd spot in the regular-season standings. Dempsey, on several occasions, gave thanks to this scribe for providing some bulletin-board material for his team. Glad to help, coach. But, don't expect that kind of aid from here this season. I've learned my lesson. Your blogger sees no worse than a fourth-place finish this time. Any chance of finishing higher depends strongly on how well incoming transfer senior guard Jeff Jones, formerly a part-time starter at Virginia, can step into the role vacated by the multi-dimensional Robinson. But, Jones appears capable. He had some big games (19 points vs. North Carolina, 17 vs. Stanford, 15 vs. Duke) against high-quality opponents while at Virginia. Gadson probably needs to become even more of an offensive contributor. The other graduated senior, Ringold, provided the type blue-collar performance on a nightly basis that won't be easily replaced. Stewart, though, has the potential to step into that role. Myles should make a nice move forward as a sophomore, while the 6-8 Penn supplies more front-court size and consistency and Thompson will continue to supply quality play off the bench.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: The official prediction here is for a fourth-place finish. Anything better depends primarily on two things happening: Jones has a major impact on the court and Dempsey can find some quality bench play beyond Jones and the five other returning members of last year's playing group.
NOTE: This concludes the off-season reports on men's teams. There are still four women's reports to come. So, look for them over the next week.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Off-Season: More Success for Faifield Men
Here's another in the series looking at MAAC programs.
Up now ...
FAIRFIELD MEN
2010-11 RECORD: 15-3 in MAAC play, 25-8 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: It's awfully difficult to look at a regular-season conference title, a new program record for single-season victories (24-7 in 1985-86 was the previous best), and a victory in a national post-season tournament and see anything but overwhelming success. But ... the post-season tournament was the NIT. The chance at an NCAA berth was lost when Saint Peter's upset the Stags in the semifinal round of the MAAC tournament, at Fairfield's Arena at Harbor Yards home court, no less. And, then, more disappointment. Five-year head coach Ed Cooley, who took Fairfield through probably its most-successful five-year run in its Division I history, moved on to Providence. Along the way, though, there were plenty of bright spots. Sophomore guard Derek Needham had a nice season, 6-11 junior center Ryan Olander made major strides as a player and could really have a major impact in the coming year. Freshman 6-7 forward Maurice Barrow broke in well and showed signs of better things to come. Same with another freshman, guard Jamel Fields who was in the starting lineup by year's end. Seniors Yorel Hawkins and Warren Edney, both 6-5 swingmen returning from injuries, didn't quite play up to their pre-injury standards but both were solid contributors. The Stags won a first-round NIT game, 62-60, over Colorado State and, then, lost 62-58 in the second round to Kent State.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: A 1-3 start and a 1-2 finish, but a 23-3 record in between. Needham didn't quite have the season he had as a freshman, and Olander and Hawkins (10.1 ppg. each) tied as the team's No. 2 scorer. Mostly, points weren't easy to come by, but Fairfield more than made up for that by making scoring difficult for opponents, too. The Stags' 57.8 points-per-game average of opponents was No. 2 nationally. Cooley proved to be a terrific program architect and a master motivator. His direction of the program likely will be missed, but Johnson had great success at Princeton, lifting the Tigers to the Ivy League title this past season and a 25-7 record just three years removed from a 6-23 finish in 2007-08. It's a rarity that a MAAC school can attract a successful coach from another Division I program to fill an opening. That Fairfield did so is evidence of the financial support the school is willing to give the program, because Johnson didn't come cheaply.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Offense, expected to improve, just didn't materialize as expected. Needham, as talented a player as there is in the league (and your scribe picked him, in preseason, to be the conference's Player of the Year), fell off statistically. He averaged 14.1 ppg. as a soph, down from 16.4 as a freshman. His assist total dropped, too. And, his shooting percentages (.357 from the floor, including .309 from 3-point territory) left plenty to be desired. Nickerson, who had 14 and 10 points in the MAAC tournament's final two games as a freshman, also failed to make much improvement as a soph. He averaged 5.9 points, only a slight improvement from 5.5 as a freshman. Some of that might be attributed to better overall balance. Olander became more of an offensive force, and Barrow had a nice freshman season. Fields, another freshman, cut into Nickerson's minutes. And Hawkins and Edney were both able to play as seniors, although neither one looked as good as they did before injuries curtailed their respective careers (Edney missed all of 2009-10, while Hawkins missed more than half of it). Then, too, the saga of Greg Nero, a front-court warrior, went on. Nero battled a variety of injuries and other health woes in recent years and tried to play this past season, but finally gave it up only a few games into the season.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Should be many good years ahead. Fairfield will certainly contend with Iona for the regular-season crown with your scribe giving Iona the edge primarily because the Stags will have more transition (a new coach, two new key players) to deal with this season. But, if the new players (Wade and Sanders) can fit in quickly ... it would surprise no one if the Stags captured their second straight MAAC title. Wade is a lightning-quick point guard who, in two years at Houston, became one of just three players in that program's history to turn in back-to-back 100-assist seasons. And, Sanders had three-year scoring averages of 11.3, 12.9 and 11.3 at Boston College. He averaged 4.4 rebounds there as a junior and, at 6-foot-5, should help up front. Both could really impact Fairfield. Wade could allow Needham to work mostly as shooting guard, probably his best position. And Sanders could be among the best players in the MAAC. There is also considerable depth in the program. Four of the starters for the Stags' last few games this past season are back. This year's team has a nice blend of veterans, but the future beyond is solid, too, as only Olander and Sanders are seniors.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: We're predicting a second-place finish for Fairfield, but it should be a year-long battle with Iona for the top spot. If some positive chemistry develops within considerable transition, it's not hard to envision Fairfield winning a second-straight conference championship.
Up now ...
FAIRFIELD MEN
2010-11 RECORD: 15-3 in MAAC play, 25-8 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: It's awfully difficult to look at a regular-season conference title, a new program record for single-season victories (24-7 in 1985-86 was the previous best), and a victory in a national post-season tournament and see anything but overwhelming success. But ... the post-season tournament was the NIT. The chance at an NCAA berth was lost when Saint Peter's upset the Stags in the semifinal round of the MAAC tournament, at Fairfield's Arena at Harbor Yards home court, no less. And, then, more disappointment. Five-year head coach Ed Cooley, who took Fairfield through probably its most-successful five-year run in its Division I history, moved on to Providence. Along the way, though, there were plenty of bright spots. Sophomore guard Derek Needham had a nice season, 6-11 junior center Ryan Olander made major strides as a player and could really have a major impact in the coming year. Freshman 6-7 forward Maurice Barrow broke in well and showed signs of better things to come. Same with another freshman, guard Jamel Fields who was in the starting lineup by year's end. Seniors Yorel Hawkins and Warren Edney, both 6-5 swingmen returning from injuries, didn't quite play up to their pre-injury standards but both were solid contributors. The Stags won a first-round NIT game, 62-60, over Colorado State and, then, lost 62-58 in the second round to Kent State.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: A 1-3 start and a 1-2 finish, but a 23-3 record in between. Needham didn't quite have the season he had as a freshman, and Olander and Hawkins (10.1 ppg. each) tied as the team's No. 2 scorer. Mostly, points weren't easy to come by, but Fairfield more than made up for that by making scoring difficult for opponents, too. The Stags' 57.8 points-per-game average of opponents was No. 2 nationally. Cooley proved to be a terrific program architect and a master motivator. His direction of the program likely will be missed, but Johnson had great success at Princeton, lifting the Tigers to the Ivy League title this past season and a 25-7 record just three years removed from a 6-23 finish in 2007-08. It's a rarity that a MAAC school can attract a successful coach from another Division I program to fill an opening. That Fairfield did so is evidence of the financial support the school is willing to give the program, because Johnson didn't come cheaply.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Offense, expected to improve, just didn't materialize as expected. Needham, as talented a player as there is in the league (and your scribe picked him, in preseason, to be the conference's Player of the Year), fell off statistically. He averaged 14.1 ppg. as a soph, down from 16.4 as a freshman. His assist total dropped, too. And, his shooting percentages (.357 from the floor, including .309 from 3-point territory) left plenty to be desired. Nickerson, who had 14 and 10 points in the MAAC tournament's final two games as a freshman, also failed to make much improvement as a soph. He averaged 5.9 points, only a slight improvement from 5.5 as a freshman. Some of that might be attributed to better overall balance. Olander became more of an offensive force, and Barrow had a nice freshman season. Fields, another freshman, cut into Nickerson's minutes. And Hawkins and Edney were both able to play as seniors, although neither one looked as good as they did before injuries curtailed their respective careers (Edney missed all of 2009-10, while Hawkins missed more than half of it). Then, too, the saga of Greg Nero, a front-court warrior, went on. Nero battled a variety of injuries and other health woes in recent years and tried to play this past season, but finally gave it up only a few games into the season.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Should be many good years ahead. Fairfield will certainly contend with Iona for the regular-season crown with your scribe giving Iona the edge primarily because the Stags will have more transition (a new coach, two new key players) to deal with this season. But, if the new players (Wade and Sanders) can fit in quickly ... it would surprise no one if the Stags captured their second straight MAAC title. Wade is a lightning-quick point guard who, in two years at Houston, became one of just three players in that program's history to turn in back-to-back 100-assist seasons. And, Sanders had three-year scoring averages of 11.3, 12.9 and 11.3 at Boston College. He averaged 4.4 rebounds there as a junior and, at 6-foot-5, should help up front. Both could really impact Fairfield. Wade could allow Needham to work mostly as shooting guard, probably his best position. And Sanders could be among the best players in the MAAC. There is also considerable depth in the program. Four of the starters for the Stags' last few games this past season are back. This year's team has a nice blend of veterans, but the future beyond is solid, too, as only Olander and Sanders are seniors.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: We're predicting a second-place finish for Fairfield, but it should be a year-long battle with Iona for the top spot. If some positive chemistry develops within considerable transition, it's not hard to envision Fairfield winning a second-straight conference championship.
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