2021 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships Program

2020–21 FAIRFIELD MEN’S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

MEN’S ROSTER

QUICK FACTS LOCATION FAIRFIELD, CT NICKNAME STAGS COLORS CARDINAL RED YEAR FOUNDED 1942 PRESIDENT MARK R. NEMEC, PhD

No.

Name

Cl.

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

Hometown

0 1 2 3 4 5

Caleb Green

R-Jr.

G 5-10 175 Londonderry, NH

Chris Maidoh Taj Benning Jalen Leach Jake Wojcik Supreme Cook

So.

F

6-10 190 New Carrollton, MD

Sr.

G 6-4 202 Fair Lawn, NJ

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR PAUL SCHLICKMANN HOME ARENA WEBSTER BANK ARENA (5,298) ALUMNI HALL (2,479)

Fr.

G 6-4 190 Nyack, NY

Jr.

G 6-5 190 San Jose, CA

Fr.

F F

6-9 200 East Orange, NJ

10 11 12 14 15 20 21 22 24 35

Allan Jeanne-Rose

So.

6-7 195 Saint Joseph, Martinique

Calvin Whipple

Jr.

G 6-4 195 Leominster, MA G 5-10 155 Belle Harbor, NY

Jack Mullally

Fr. Fr. Fr.

Jason Edokpayi

F F F

6-6 210 Laurel, MD

Jack Brown

6-6 195 Greenville, DE

Zach Crisler

So. So. So.

6-9 225 North Wales, PA

Mark Henry

G 5-11 266 Hamburg, NY

John Kelly

F

6-7 195 Shelton, Conn.

Jesus Cruz

Sr.

G 6-5 210 Carolina, Puerto Rico

Tshiefu Ngalakulondi

R-Jr.

F

6-7 215 Manchester, NH

PLAYER TO WATCH Jesus Cruz was chosen as a member of the 2020–21 All-MAAC preseason team as the team’s leading returning scorer. He became the program’s latest 1,000-point scorer when he scored his first basket against Iona on December 12. He is serving as the team’s co-captain for the second straight season along with classmate Taj Benning. Cruz developed into one of the team’s best defensive players with more than 150 career steals. He led the team in steals in two of his first three seasons with the Stags and has been atop of the leaders again this season. Last season, Cruz went 13 for 13 from the free throw line against Canisius which was two off the school record set which was set in 1969. NOTABLE ALUMNI Jonathan Kasibatu is in his second season as a professional basketball player, preparing for his second season in the G League. Last season, he was a member of the Long Island Nets but was selected in the first round of the league’s draft (14 th pick overall) this year by the Austin Spurs. While with the Long Island Nets, Kasibabu started 26 of his 36 appearances and averaged 7.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. As a member of the Stags’ basketball program, Kasibabu finished his Fairfield career with 1,006 points and 740 rebounds which helped him earn the 2019 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Head Coach: Jay Young (Marist ’86) – 2 nd Season Assistant Coaches: Chris Casey (Western Connecticut ’86) – 2 nd Season, Bryan Dougher (Stony Brook ’12) – 2 nd Season, Patrick Sellers (Central Connecticut ’91) – 2 nd Season Director of Basketball Operations: Jim McDonnell (Temple ’15) – 2 nd Season

HEAD COACH JAY YOUNG Jay Young is in his second season with the Fairfield University men’s basketball program. In his first season with the Stags, Young transformed Fairfield into one of the top defensive team in the MAAC by leading all conference teams in overall scoring defense (62.9 points per game) and in conference scoring defense (62.1 points per game). Before his arrival at Fairfield, Young was an assistant coach at Rutgers University, Stony Brook University, Northeastern University, Salem State College, and Fitchburg State College. He also served as the head coach of the University of New Haven and Newbury College men’s basketball programs. He led New Haven to two NCAA tournament appearances and owned a .542 winning percentage.

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