When Terrence Todd talks about the fast-paced, guard-oriented style of basketball the Fairfield men will play this season, his smile widens.
The Stags certainly will not be the most physically imposing team to step on a basketball court this season. And they'll have their nights when the perimeter shot isn't falling or the halfcourt offense stagnates without a major low-post option. But with Todd at the helm, and a supporting cast of players with similar styles, Fairfield should be entertaining to watch. And it will win its share of games as well.
"It's different from any other team I've been on since I've been here," said Todd, a senior guard and one of the best players in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. "We're more up-and-down, a fast-paced game, a lot of guys who can shoot. That's how I had been playing the game my whole life, and it feels good to be playing like that again with other guys that can do the same. It's going to be a fun year."
I think this story really captures what this season and this team is all about. And I agree that this team is going to be exciting and a difficult team to play. But when the terms "scrappy" and "team effort" are used to describe a teams strength , sometimes those words can have multiple connotations.
It is a positive to be "scrappy" and "team effort", but it sometimes can have a meaning that the team lacks talent...... I do nopt think that is the case here. Todd and Max have shown the ability to create offense and take over games. In addition, I think the addition of Han and Herbie gives us two more players that can create off the dribble...... so I think we have way more offensive creators than in the past. You can also add Danny Oglesby as teh wild card to that also.
So offensively I think we can be successfull many different ways, even inside with players that can drive the middle...... assuming it is an "open" middle.
There are that we don't have individual talents is in Defense and Rebounding. Both of those will need the team/scrappy approach. IMO, overall team quickness has been improved and that will probably be our personality on "D", while I think that the boxing-out that I have seen, will be our peronality on rebounding. A prediction..... we will lead the league in favorable over the back fouls.
This team will be so different it will be hard to determine if it will result in more or less wins...... but it will be interesting and exciting to find out.
