Wait and see.

There's a lot of that going around whenever a new basketball season starts. You have to wait and see how the freshmen will adjust to the college game. You have to wait and see how the sophomores will develop their game. You have to wait and see if the juniors will accept more responsibility on the playing floor as potential starters or key reserves. And, you have to wait and see if the seniors will assume the leadership necessary for team success.

Wait and see implies patience. And as most Fairfield basketball followers learned last year, Head Coach Ed Cooley is a patient man. But, waiting and seeing may not be an option for the Fairfield University men's basketball team in 2007-08.

There can't be any wait and see attitude when the Stags are looking at Wake Forest University as the season opener on November 9. And, the staff cannot wait and see when the schedule sends the Stags to Big East opponents Cincinnati and Georgetown over the following two weeks. Toss in teams like Saint Joseph's, and the start of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference slate in early December, and you can see why patience is not an option for the coaching staff.

Fortunately, Coach Cooley has experience on the roster with the return of Marty O'Sullivan, Mamadou Diakhate, and Geoff Middleton. O'Sullivan represents the team's most experienced player, and provides the team with a strong, inside presence. The forward led the team in rebounding a year ago after missing his junior campaign with an ankle injury. His ability to distribute the ball makes him equally dangerous, finishing with more assists (53) than turnovers last season.

Diakhate will bolster the front court as well, giving the coaching staff an option as a starter or as a reserve. He appeared in 26 games last season and collected one start, a number which may increase this year. The senior is one of the team's most accurate shooters, shooting 48 percent from the floor and 73 percent from the free throw line. He netted two of his three three-point attempts, the first of which was a buzzer beater to send the Iona game into overtime.

Middleton offers the Stags another inside player who can contribute both offensively and defensively. The forward placed second on the team in blocked shots as a sophomore, showing his ability to have an impact inside the lane. He is also a solid shooter, hitting 63 percent of his field goals a year ago and 52 percent over the last two seasons.

The back court will be in the capable hands of juniors Jonathan Han and Herbie Allen; the two players finished second and third among their teammates for three-pointers made last year. Han emerged as the Stags top play maker, dishing off a team-high 145 assists (4.5 per game). Defensively, Han was the team's leader with 46 steals. Allen was also solid defensively with nearly a steal per game (26 in 32 games). The guard averaged 5.8 points last season, a number aided by his 22 three pointers. Both players will factor into this year's lineup, especially with the graduation of leading scorer Michael Van Schaick.

Up front, junior Mike Evanovich will make his debut with the Stags in 2007-08. The forward came to Fairfield University after playing one season at Iowa State. His size will bolster the Stags in the front court, especially on the defensive end. His shooting range makes him an offensive threat from anywhere on the court, having the ability to shoot the three pointer and post up in the paint.

Coach Cooley's first recruited class came into its own last season, led by MAAC All-Rookie forward Greg Nero. The forward led the team in scoring in each of the first six games of 2006-07, the first freshman in program history to accomplish that task. He was the team's leading scorer throughout the first half of the season before settling in the second spot by season's end (9.4 points per game). Nero was second on the team with 33 blocks, one off team leader Anthony Johnson.

Johnson was third on the team in scoring last season with an 8.6 scoring average. He was the team's top shooter among regulars with a .534 field goal percentage. He was less than a rebound off the team lead with 4.8 caroms per contest. Johnson's ability to play over the rim makes him a formidable foe for the opposition on both ends of the court.

Devin Johnson provided ample support to the cause as both a starter and as starter, acquiring 19 starts in his 32 appearances. Johnson averaged 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a rookie, doing most of his damage on the inside. Johnson's ability to go to the basket makes him a threat, but his ability to pass the ball off the drive (24 assists) makes him even more dangerous.

Joe Bajda and Jimmy O'Sullivan round out the sophomore class, with O'Sullivan making his debut this season. Bajda came off the bench for all three of his appearances, securing one rebound and three minutes of work. Bajda will continue to challenge for playing time in 2007-08.
O'Sullivan, the younger brother of Marty, comes to Fairfield after playing guard at McQuaid Jesuit. He was part of the state championship team that posted a 29-1 record during the 2002-03 campaign. An All-City and an All-Greater Rochester player, O'Sullivan averaged 16 points per game as a senior.

Coach Cooley brought five newcomers to campus this season, namely freshmen Warren Edney, Sean Grzeck, Yorel Hawkins, and Lyndon Jordan as well as junior Rob Sisca. Sisca transferred from the University of Vermont and will need to sit out the 2007-08 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Edney averaged 16.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a member of the James Madison High School team. He secured the District Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the year award during his career. Grzeck secured All-Conference and All-Area accolades as a junior and as a senior at Hoggard High School. The guard set the school record for career three pointers (160), and left the program as the all-time leading rebounder.

Hawkins played with Grzeck during the East-West All-Star game in North Carolina last season. Hawkins helped Apex High School win back-to-back Tri-Seven 4-A basketball championships. He scored better than 20 points per game and grabbed just under nine rebounds per contest.
Jordan averaged 15 points and seven assists while at Winder-Barrow High School. He was also active with the ball on the offensive and defensive ends of the court, averaging seven assists and two steals per game. Sisca played in 55 games at the University of Vermont where he averaged 4.1 minutes per outing. He left Weston High School as the program's all-time leader in three pointers made (173) as well as the record holder for three pointers in a season (69). He averaged 22 points per game as a senior, which helped him collect All-State honors.

"Our freshmen have a chance to have an impact on the upcoming season," Coach Cooley said. "Warren has tremendous athletic ability. His body type is ideally suited for our style of play. Yorel has a chance to be an impact player and has a great upside.

"Lyndon is an exciting guard who knows how to run a team and also has a knack for scoring. He has great vision on the court. I am very happy to add Sean and Rob to our roster as well. I believe both will be able to contribute to our program with their shooting range and ability to crash the boards."

Fairfield will play another challenging schedule in 2007-08. In addition to its ACC and Big East opponents, the Stags will play representatives from the Atlantic 10 (Saint Joseph's), the Colonial Athletic Association (William & Mary), the Patriot League (Holy Cross and American), the Ivy League (Yale), and the Northeast Conference (Sacred Heart and St. Francis). Plus, the Stags will face its usual daunting schedule against the MAAC.

Fairfield will participate in the O'Reilly Bracket Buster this year, playing its game on the road after hosting William & Mary a year ago. The Stags have played Loyola-Chicago and Cal State-Northridge in this tournament. This year's opponent will be announced in late January.

"Our goal is to play the most competitive schedule as possible that will challenge our student-athletes night in and night out," Coach Cooley said. "I believe we have accomplished that goal with this year's schedule."

Regardless of where the schedules sends them on any given night, Coach Cooley knows that he has the proper mix of talent and experience on this year's roster that will be able to succeed against any team that sits on the other bench.

While it's impossible to gauge wins and losses during the pre-season, Fairfield University basketball fans will just have to wait and see how the talent and experience translates into wins.