As the Fairfield Men’s Club Basketball team watched the clock tick down until the buzzer, they had finally done it. They were going to Nationals.
The Stags came into this season after a heartbreaking 2023-2024 season looking for revenge. Their dramatic turnaround comes from going 10-5 and missing the regional tournament last year to coming out on top of the North Atlantic East tournament and making the national club basketball tournament this season.
Winning their last 7 regular-season games and going 13-3, helping them clinch a spot in the regional tournament, was not something any of them could have hoped for.
With a double overtime win against Iona University and a buzzer-beater win against Yale.
Junior Captain Sean Vinson: “Winning regionals was a great feeling. It definitely felt like validation for all the time and energy that the team has put in. Some guys came straight from class at 9 o’clock, immediately with their school bags. It really highlights the dedication of these players—they truly bought in.”
Fairfield averaged 67 points a game and only allowed 56 points a game. Their defense is the true domination of the team.
The Stags are very well-rounded. With star first-year JJ Honekamp, who leads the charge for the team. “He can drop 30 any game he wants.” Captain Sean Vinson says.
Well, he staggers with his playmaking ability from the forward position. Being more of a point forward type of player, and helping the Stags’ offense run smoothly.
This is a true underdog story. When you look at the teams Fairfield will face, such as Ohio State, the University of North Carolina, and James Madison University, the level of competition becomes clear.
Fairfield has an undergraduate population of just over 5,000 students, which makes it more difficult to find the talent and depth needed to reach this stage.
But it is not all about talent. Team captain Sean Vinson credits the team’s chemistry for their success. “The biggest factor for our team is our sense of camaraderie. It enhances our defense and rebounding. The best part is that the players genuinely want to support each other,” Vinson said.
These guys have become more than a team; they are a family, a brotherhood that nobody would have expected to happen coming into college.
These students did not come here to play basketball at such a highly competitive level, but they have performed like no other Fairfield Club Basketball Team has done before and made their first national
The Stags go into Nationals as a six-seed out of eight remaining club basketball teams.
Being a lower seed does not hurt the confidence of the group. “The goal for the team is to win the national championship. I think we have a good group of guys who really have a chance.”
No matter how the tournament ends, this run has already solidified the team’s legacy. They’ve proven that heart, hustle, and a tight-knit culture can go toe-to-toe with size, funding, and big-school prestige. And if the Stags have their way, they’re not done yet.
They look to stun the collegiate club basketball world and win at the national stage.
They will play 3-seed UNC on Friday, April 11, in Erie, Pennsylvania.
