Men's Basketball

Saying Greg Nero had an immediate impact would be quite the understatement considering he accomplished something in his first six games that no other Fairfield University basketball player could claim in the program's 50-plus year history. The forward led the team in scoring in each of the first six games of the season, which broke down to a 16.8 scoring average. He led the team in scoring just one more time in 2006-07 with a 14-point night against Rider. He captured two Rookie of the Week honors during that six-game run, which eventually led him to All-Rookie honors at season's end. He finished the season as the team's number two scorer with 9.4 points per game. By the end of the regular season, Nero ranked sixth among MAAC freshmen for scoring, placed seventh in the conference with 1.03 blocks per game and 10^th in the MAAC with a .757 free throw percentage. He tallied 10 or more points in 16 games, which included a career-high 23 points against Holy Cross in the second game of the season. He was one of only two players on the team to score more than 20 points in a game, joining Michael Van Schaick for that distinction. He found his three-point range at the end of the season. After making just one of his first 14 long-range jumpers, he netted four of his last seven three-point attempts. Nero developed into one of the team's top free throw shooters, as his 88 charity tosses were second only to Van Schaick's 96. He placed second among his teammates with 33 blocks, one off the team lead, and rejected at least one shot in 17 games. He tallied a personal-best five blocks at Canisius, one more than his previous high of four set at Fordham. He capped his season with 15 points and four rebounds in the MAAC tournament quarterfinal game against Loyola.

Before Fairfield: Nero was a forward at Red Hook High School prior to his enrollment at Fairfield, and helped the program to four 20-plus win seasons. In his senior season, Red Hook posted a 24-2 record, which raised his four-year record at the high school to 95-8. That type of success allowed Red Hook to capture the Section 9 championship four times. He played an instrumental part in the team's success, averaging 24.3 points per game as a senior. With that strong effort, Nero ended his career with a 19.1 scoring average. He served his teammates as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons. Nero earned a spot on the All-State first team as a junior and as a senior, and collected three conference (MHAL) most valuable player awards. He was also selected as the Dutchess County most valuable player as a junior and as a senior. With his size and work ethic, Nero could become a solid player for Head Coach Ed Cooley, especially down low. However, Nero is equally effective from outside, sporting three-point range.