Re: Greg Nero Signing Story -- Fairfield Stags Hoops Forum

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, [8], 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 06:50:51pm 11/18/05 Fri,
Author: Stagophile
Subject: Re: Greg Nero Signing Story
In reply to: Oldfox 's message, "Greg Nero Signing Story" on 06:11:50pm 11/18/05 Fri,

Thanks OldFox! We have ourselves a special player. I can't wait to see him in a Stags uniform. He sounds like a very versatile player. His coach sees him playing "extensively at guard" this year, but, he averaged 17 rebounds per game last year.

11/18/2005
Red Hook's Nero to attend Fairfield on full scholarship
By: Don Treat , Freeman staff

RED HOOK - Greg Nero made it official shortly after 12 noon Thursday. Red Hook High senior Nero signed a national letter of intent to attend Fairfield University on a full basketball scholarship.

With his parents, Joe and Tina, on hand along with coach Rod Chando and many school officials, Nero put his name on the dotted line during a brief ceremony in the high school conference room.

"Fairfield is close to home (less than a two-hour drive) and had everything to offer I wanted," Nero said of the Division I Connecticut school. "I made a verbal commitment in May. I knew it was where I wanted to go.

"It took a load off my back not to have people calling any more."

Freeman Player of the Year Nero recalled last April when 12 coaches contacted him in a week.

"I couldn't get anything done in school," he said. "I'm glad it's done with."

While Purdue and Stanford were among those interested in Nero, he liked the Fairfield campus and the prospect of more involvement right away.

"My brother (Jamie) didn't have that great an experience (at Navy)," Nero said. "He didn't play a lot, and I want to have a lot of playing time. I made four visits to Fairfield. I went there for the first time as a sophomore, and the last time I went was my official visit.

"I loved it there and didn't want to leave."

Coach Tim O'Toole told the 6-foot-7 Nero he would probably play small forward for the Stags. Fairfield belongs to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference which will bring Nero close to home for games at Marist and Siena.

The Stags open their season tonight at St. Francis. Last year, Fairfield was 11-7 in the MAAC and 15-15 overall.

Nero enters his final scholastic season with 1,349 career points. Before challenging the school mark of 1,768 held by Jesse Cort, Nero must first catch his brother at 1,444.

Red Hook's season begins Dec. 9 at Saugerties. Chando plans to use Nero extensively at guard with occasional duty at forward and center.

"Greg worked hard on building strength in the off season and has gone from 190 to 218 pounds," Chando said. "He's ahead of where Jamie was at the same point.

"Jamie only weighed 188 pounds as a senior."

After graduating from Red Hook in 1997, Jamie Nero attended the Navy prep school for a year before entering the Naval Academy. He served on a ship during the early stages of the Iraq invasion and since returned to Annapolis, Md. as a supply officer.

"Jamie teaches a course in leadership at the academy," Joe Nero said. "We see him about every six or seven months."

Greg Nero followed the career of his brother through high school and college. The eldest Nero brother, Erik, opted to bypass an opportunity to play collegiate basketball at Skidmore in order to attend Siena.

"I really only talked to Jamie a couple of times about my college situation," Greg Nero said. "I learned through his experience.

"I talked more to the people from my City Rocks AAU team (based in Albany)."

Along with Chando, school support came from former athletic director Andy Seidel and successor Tom Cassata.

Joe Nero teaches accounting at Red Hook, and his youngest son plans to concentrate on business and English courses at Fairfield.

As a junior, Greg Nero averaged 21 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and four assists. The Raiders finished 23-2, losing in the regional final to Peekskill (Section 1).

Advancing to Glens Falls for the state semifinals and a shot to win the Class A championship remains the ultimate goal.

"We had the weapons to do it the last two years," Nero said. "The difference this year is that we're going to do it."

�Daily Freeman 2005

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? -- Frank F, 07:07:07pm 11/19/05 Sat, [1]

"Coach Tim O'Toole told the 6-foot-7 Nero he would probably play small forward for the Stags."

Everyone knows if you are 6-7 you are a center for Fairfield. Our small forwards are 6-2 or 6-3, tops. This is fact.

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]