With the official start of practice just under four weeks away, there is a growing sense of anticipation and excitement surrounding the Fairfield University men’s basketball program. But there is also a sense of unease.
Senior forward Greg Nero has been bothered by severe sinus problems all summer long and continues to suffer, according to Stags head coach Ed Cooley.
“The medication he was taking didn’t work,” Cooley said from his office Thursday. “The doctors have taken him off the meds to allow his sinuses to try and heal before he goes back for additional treatment. We’re trying to get him healthy but he’s been very fatigued. He hasn’t been able to work out at all. I don’t think he’s going to play in the exhibition games.”
Nero, a 6-foot-7 forward, played most of last season with back spasms, which caused him to miss four games. Still, he managed to average 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Stags, who went 17-15, positing their first winning season since 2003-04.
There is good news, though. Another senior, 6-foot-8 forward Anthony Johnson, who missed the final 11 games of the season after doctors discovered blood clots in his lungs, has been cleared to begin running and is “about 70 percent back” according to Cooley.
“We’ve been to six or seven different doctors and he’s been given a clean bill of health by all of them,” the coach said. “He hasn’t been totally cleared to start practicing yet but there are some things he’s been doing. We are going to limit his play and slowly get him back in the mix.”
Johnson, who has been off blood thinning medicine for some time now, has been doing some weight training and basketball related activities — working on the side – on his own. Johnson averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds before being sidelined.
Another key part of the Stags lineup last season before he too was injured, 6-4 junior forward Warren Edney, is still experiencing “some pain in his foot” according to Cooley and is “not 100 percent.”
“The foot is still taking time to heal,” Cooley said. “He just had an MRI to determine how things are there. It’s a possibility that Warren will have to deal with some pain this season.”
Edney missed 16 games last season with an Achilles injury and is now dealing with high ankle sprain in his right foot. He averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds last season.
On Thursday, the Fairfield men released their 2009-10 schedule, highlighted by three games at Alumni Hall and the Connecticut 6 match-up against Central Connecticut at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The Stags open against the Blue Devils at the Arena at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 before facing Fordham at Alumni Hall two nights later. After that Fairfield hits the road for four games, with Maryland (Nov. 17) the key contest on the trip.
Other games at Alumni Hall include Holy Cross (Dec. 9) and St. Francis, N.Y. (Dec. 29). The Stags will face Sacred Heart Pioneers on Dec. 13 while defending MAAC champion Siena comes to the Arena on Jan. 16.
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