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Fairfield Athletics Director Gene Doris said Thursday morning while the school is keeping an open mind when it comes to the constant shuffling occurring in college athletics, for the Stags “there’s nothing going on with anybody” at this time. The Stags are currently one of 11 schools in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The award-winning FU student newspaper, The Mirror, reported this week the school could be looking to conferences jump and the Colonial Athletic Association seems to be its target.

In The Mirror story, Joe Klauder, Fairfield’s associate director of athletics/compliance and recruiting, was quoted as saying: “If we did switch into the CAA, [it would] put a big Fairfield name in Boston, and deep in the heart of Virginia.” AND “It could academically diversify us in regards to the applicant pool,”

Doris said Klauder, who previous worked at a CAA school in Hofstra, did not realize he was being interviewed for a story about conference jumping at the time and believed it was a conversation for a school assignment.

Since started jumping conference to conference – primarily chasing football – Doris has maintained the same mantra when it comes to Fairfield.

“We are always willing to listen and look to better ourselves,” he reiterated Thursday. “But nothing’s imminent.”

Doris said the only school he knew that was on the move right is Davidson, which is reportedly headed to the Atlantic-10.

“Do I know all conferences are looking at people? Yeah, including the MAAC,” said Doris, who latter in the conversation went on to further discuss MAAC expansion. “Things might not change at all. Who knows who the No. 12 school will be or if the MAAC will go to 14 teams.”

The uncertainty figures to linger since the major conference likes the ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12 and PAC-12 might not be done reshuffling. And once one of them makes a move, it will have a trickledown effect on the next tier of conferences like the new Big East, the A-10 and CAA.

“It’s like watching the NFL draft, everyone wants to get the best fit,” Doris added.

The CAA has already taken several large hits with the departures of Virginia Commonwealth, George Mason and Old Dominion. While the conference might have a more appealing financial picture than the MAAC for a school, who knows what schools will even be in the league in a few months.

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The Fairfield Stags have beat two MAAC schools three times this season, but they try to pull off the opposite against Manhattan Jaspers in the semifinals at the MassMutual Center. Tip off is 4:30 p.m.
After the Jaspers knocked out defending champion Loyola 55-52 early Sunday morning, Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson said it didn’t matter who the Stags were playing in the semifinals, he was just happy to have another game to prepare for Sunday.
In two previous meeting with Manhattan this season, the Stags have fallen short 62-40 and 34-31 (which was the lowest scoring MAAC game ever).
The Stags (19-14) actually hope for another ugly game with the Jaspers (13-17).
“Our defense – that’s how we measure if we are playing well or not,” Fairfield senior guard Derek Needham said. “If we are not scoring and giving up points, it’s a terrible game for us. Holding people to fewer points, 40-point games, for us, we like that.”
Going into the tournament, the Stags were the top defense in the MAAC (59.6 ppg). In two tournament games, Fairfield has allowed a combined 89 points (44.5 per game) while battling through some offensive lulls.
“People don’t believe me, we do want to score more,” Johnson said. “I think there were a lot of jump shots, there was good offense, that didn’t go in and that would have given us some separation.
“We want to score more, but if it’s a grind it out and it’s a heart game, I do want to be a part of that. I love to see that and I thought our guys played inspired. Too many times last year we didn’t get that.
“I thought we were the more talented team (last year), but we were not always the most inspired team. This year, it’s clear to me with Derek leading and Dez (Wade) and Colin (Nickerson), that we are an inspired team because we are not the most talented team.”

PITCHING IN: Wade has not made a field goal in two games, but that doesn’t mean he has not been involved while trying to comeback from minor left knee surgery.
The 5-foot-8 Wade, who went 0-for-5 against Rider, has three steals, four rebounds and even two blocks in two games. He’s only points – three – game at the foul line against Saint Peter’s.
“That’s a senior,” Needham said. “He doesn’t want to go home, so he’s going to make any play he needs to make whether it’s diving on the ground or giving it a tip. He doesn’t want to leave just like me and Colin doesn’t want to leave.”
Johnson continues to be pleased with the contributions of all three seniors – Needham, Colin Nickerson and Wade.
“It doesn’t always have to come in points or assists,” the coach said. “Dez is showing a lot of guys, Colin has been outstanding defensively and obviously Derek has scored which does help us on the offensive end.”

PASSIONATE COACH: The fired up personality of Sydney Johnson on the sidelines in the postseason is something his players love to see.
“He wants to win just as bad as we do,” Needham said. “When you get that from your coaching staff as players, it’s hard not to be motivated to play.”

ANOTHER RISING ROOKIE: All five freshmen have contributed during the season, but 6-6 forward Coleman Johnson might have been the latest to bloom after missing the start of the season due to a knee injury.
The freshman, from Paul VI High School in Virginia, has filled out a stat sheet in two tournament games with a combined six points, six rebounds, and four blocks.
“He’s getting there,” Johnson said. “He knows what I want out there. I want a tough kid. He has all the tools and he comes from an outstanding high school program, but I’m on him pretty hard.
“It’s a tough league and in order to take that next step and show his toughness, that he belongs out there on the court. We have gotten that the last couple games and hopefully we will see more of that.”

NOTE: Freshman Marcus Gilbert left Saturday’s game against Rider with a left finger injury and came back to the bench with his ring and pinky fingers taped together. He did not return, but Johnson did not rule him out for Manhattan.

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ON A MISSION: The Fairfield Stags ended a three-game losing skid with their opening round MAAC win against Saint Peter’s. Fairfield, which plays No. 2 Rider tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals, was glad to enjoy victory again, but the Stags are not getting carried away.
“A little bit, but not much,” junior Maurice Barrow said, when asked if the Saint Peter’s win was a relief for the team. “It gives us momentum into the next game, but you can’t slack off.”
“We’re just trying to get one win at a time,” senior Derek Needham added.

ROOKIES NO MORE: Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson has mixed and matched his rookies in the line up all season, but against the Peacocks only freshman Amadou Sidibe, who was the co-MAAC Rookie of the Year started. Barrow started in place of Marcus Gilbert, who was an all-conference rookie-team selection.
Sidibe led the Stags with 13 rebounds and six points. Gilbert came off the bench to score six points and Coleman Johnson had two points, four rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes.
One of Johnson’s blocks came at a critical time for the Stags. With the teams tied at 46-46, off a Needham 3-pointer, Johnson stuffed Yvon Raymond going in for a go-ahead layup with 3:22 to play.
“We tried to tell them to just keep going,” Needham said on advice for the freshmen. “It’s a MAAC Tournament game and they are the hardest games in your career to win basically. We just tell our freshmen to keep going; we are going to need you down the stretch.”

QUOTABLE: Sydney Johnson on the Stags extending their season:
“I’m just excited to see Derek, Colin (Nickerson) and Dez (Wade) in a Fairfield uniform one more time.”

Mo Barrow on when Needham has the hot hand:
“When he steps up we just try to keep looking for him. He’s made big shots for us to win games in the past and we’re going to keep looking for him. If he’s off, he’s a shooter. Shooters shoot and he just has to keep shooting.”

TIDBITS: The Stags had 16 offensive boards against the Peacocks and converted them into 13 second-chance points. … Fairfield prevailed in a rough night at the foul line for both schools, hitting 12 of 22 (Saint Pete was 4 of 9). The Stags were only 4-for-10 in the final minute, though.