Men's practice update

I have a class during men's basketball practice today, so I am not able to go, but I met with Coach Cooley before practice for a preview of the St. Peter's game tomorrow night.

• Cooley and the other coaches have been breaking down film of St. Peter's for the past 20 hours, "dissecting who they are and what they do." He thinks that the Stags will need to do a good job against their zone pressure and rebound the ball. They also must identify one of their better shooters, Raul Orta, and make sure that they defend him. Orta is a 36.4 percent shooter from three point range, 51-for-140, and averages about 7 threes a game. He is the team's leading scorer, averaging 14.6 points per game. Orta scored only two points in the Peacocks loss to Marist on Tuesday. Fairfield will look to keep his scoring down again.
• Cooley again put emphasis on taking one game at a time, while staying focused on the little things, such as blocking out, gaining extra possessions through the hustle points and having a clear perspective of how to guard people. "The key to us every game is how well we defend. If we come out with a defensive mind set, we will have an opportunity to win," said Cooley.
• While not focusing on the MAAC Tournament yet, Cooley did say that "anytime you feel you can get a bye, it puts you in a better chance for success, whether it be an extra day of rest, more time to prepare, it also helps move your program forward."
• The team remains sick. Cooley said that four or five players are under the weather, as the flu is going around campus. He hopes that they will be feeling better tomorrow, but the team will be playing with "a bunch of sick guys tomorrow"
• Danny Oglesby `07 is off suspension, but missed Tuesday's game with the flu. Oglesby practiced yesterday and will again today. Cooley said that "he is a guy we need to get back into action."

-Tom Cleary