Men's Basketball Opens 2016-17 Season At Fairfield In Crosstown Classic
11/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes | ESPN3 | Live Stats
Sacred Heart (0-0) vs. Fairfield (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 11 - 7 PM
Webster Bank Arena - Bridgeport, Conn.
Setting the Scene... The Sacred Heart men's basketball team opens its 2016-17 campaign Friday night against crosstown rival Fairfield at Webster Bank Arena.
Last Time Out... SHU was upset at home in the NEC Tournament quarterfinals by LIU Brooklyn 84-76 at the Pitt Center on March 2, 2016. The Pioneers shot 51.4% from the field in the second half, but couldn't overcome the Blackbirds' 14-point halftime lead. SHU finished the season 12-18 after going 11-7 in conference play to tie for second place.
All-Time vs. Fairfield... Friday night marks the seventh meeting all-time between the Pioneers and the Stags. Fairfield has won all six meetings.
Pioneers On The Airwaves... Earlier this week, SHU announced a deal with WSTC 1400AM to air all Sacred Heart men's and women's basketball home games as well as feature both head coaches on the Bruce Hall Second Opinion weekly. Men's Basketball will appear on TV six times this season, beginning with Friday's game at Fairfield on ESPN3.
Preseason Prognostication... The Pioneers were picked to finish eighth in this season's Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches. SHU outplayed its projection last season, being picked seventh and finishing in a three-way tie for second. In 2014, the Pioneers were picked to finish last in the NEC and tied for fifth.
Riding A Wave... After going 1-3 to open NEC play last season, with three consecutive losses, SHU finished the regular season with 10 wins in its last 14 games. The Pioneers did not lose consecutive games during that 14-game stretch. SHU scored at least 75 points in seven of those games with a 6-1 record. Sacred Heart shot 53.6% from the field, 42.9% from the three-point line, and 90.5% at the free throw line in those games.The Pioneers had a +5.4 rebound margin during this stretch as well.
The Quincy Quotient... SHU's top returning scorer is sophomore guard Quincy McKnight, who averaged 11.4 points per game last season on his way to a spot on the NEC All-Rookie Team. He was also third on the team in rebounding at 5.3 per game. McKnight scored in double figures in nine of his first 10 games, and in 21 of 27 games overall. He was named NEC Rookie of the Week five times last season, twice in the last four weeks of the regular season.
Look Who's Back... Despite losing three of its top four scorers from a year, Sacred Heart does get forward De'von Barnett back this season after redshirting the 2015-16 year. In his first two seasons, Barnett averaged 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. As a freshman in 2013, Barnett was an NEC All-Rookie Team selection after averaging 11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He shot 57.1% from the field as a sophomore in 31 games, second-best in the NEC.
Scouting the Stags... Fairfield was picked to finish fifth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Stags were 19-14 last season, a 12-win improvement from the season prior. Fairfield went 12-8 in the MAAC to earn the #5 seed in the MAAC Tournament. The Stags fell in the semifinals to top-seed Monmouth 76-63 and earned a berth into the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Junior guard Tyler Nelson is Fairfield's leading returning scorer, averaging 16.0 points per game last season while leading the MAAC in free throw percentage at 88%.
