It’s impossible to know just “what” a team is going to be by the end of season while they are still dealing with injuries and developmental growing pains.
Fordham Men’s Basketball has started Atlantic 10 play with a lackluster 2-3 record, but it is evident that health and maturity have stifled the team’s ability to illustrate its full potential. Road wins against George Washington University and Saint Bonaventure University required the kind of work ethic that made last season’s bunch successful, but home losses to La Salle University, Davidson University and Loyola University Chicago presented a few issues that could be cause for concern.
The leadup to conference play was intense but not ideal for the Fordham Rams.
After thoroughly defeating Fairleigh Dickinson University, the team proceeded to lose its next two games against Tulane University and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Each of these contests were decided by fewer than five points and came just before what may have been the most fitting four-game prelude to the Rams’ conference schedule.
Fordham defeated reigning NIT champion North Texas University 60-59 on Dec. 17 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. An Abdou Tsimbila slam dunk at the buzzer cemented what was a comeback win. However, the optimism that came with such a victory was short-lived, as the men in maroon were trounced 77-55 by Rick Pitino’s St. John’s University Johnnies at Madison Square Garden the following Saturday, and five days later they suffered a 82-80 home loss to Central Connecticut State University.
The boys from the Bronx concluded the non-conference portion of their season with an 87-78 comeback win over Columbia University, but by that time there were already a number of questions regarding the health of sophomore forward Joshua Rivera and the team’s general development.
The team’s A-10 opener against George Washington University proved to be an instant classic that momentarily quelled these fears. Without Rivera, Fordham defeated the Colonials in a 119-113 overtime thriller. Japhet Medor finished with a team-high 24 points and drilled five three-pointers in the process. Additionally, Kyle Rose and Antrell Charlton combined for 40 points while Sophomore Elijah Gray posted a career-high 22 points with the help of an 8-10 clip from the free throw line.
The win showed a glimpse of what this season could be for a Fordham team that is still growing. While it was not the Rams’ best defensive game, they were able to keep up with GW’s duo of Darren Buchanan Jr. and James Bishop IV. The tandem combined for a sizzling 70 points and were able to score at all three levels. Even still, the Rams used a 9-0 start to set the offensive pace early in the game and continued to show resilience even when the Revolutionaries garnered serious momentum.
That same weekend, the Rams returned to the Bronx and dropped a tight 81-76 affair to the Fran Dunphy-coached La Salle Explorers. The team that hails from Philadelphia received five double-figure scoring outings and specifically benefited from a complete statline from Jhamir Brickus. The senior did a fantastic job of picking his spots and working as a facilitator on the perimeter. All told he tallied 14 points, five dimes and four rebounds. Additionally, he hit a key layup that made it 74-68 with just over three minutes to play.
The Rams trailed the entire second half and trimmed the La Salle University lead to two points with 2:08 remaining, thanks to a Gray three-ball. But, a Daeshon Shepherd three-pointer gave the Explorers a 79-74 edge that would help them outpace Fordham.
With a 1-1 A-10 record, the Rams traveled to Olean, N.Y. in search of another road victory. They delivered a gutsy 80-74 win. Rose played arguably his best game as a Ram. Despite dealing with some sickness during the contest, he managed to deliver 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Romad Dean and Medor were also key to the win. Medor put up 16 points while Dean scored eight bench points and swiped down two boards.
Chad Venning led the way for St. Bonaventure. The big man cashed in a game-high 22 points along with seven boards. He dominated the painted area for a vast majority of the game and worked in conjunction with Charles Pride who tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds of his own. The bunch from Western New York never gained full control of the game but did manage to tie it at 70 apiece with under two minutes to play in regulation. Ultimately, Fordham prevailed against a squad that entered that weekend ranked 64th in the NET and 74th according to KenPom.
Rivera made his return against the Bonnies, and while he only played 10 minutes, his size and athleticism made a difference in terms of spacing and defensive tenacity.
The Rams’ past two games were vaguely similar competitions that highlighted some of their weaknesses. Both were home losses. They fell to the Davidson Wildcats and Loyola Chicago Ramblers, 79-69 and 65-61 respectively. Fordham had a halftime lead in both games and shot below 40% from the field in each instance.
On a more granular level, the men in maroon may have won the contest against Davidson with a more offensively experienced group. Medor left the game in the first half with an ankle injury after only playing eight minutes, and it was clear Fordham was struggling to have a consistent initiator. Rose, Tsimbila and Charlton all contributed points, but their game is not necessarily defined by offense.
Will Richardson poured in a team-high 16 points, and Gray was not far behind with 12 points of his own. Both of these players have been relied on for their offensive skill but are not efficient enough to carry the load that would have defeated Davidson. The two sophomores may have combined for 28 points but did so on a combined 8-27 clip from the field.
Medor missed the contest against the Ramblers, and while Fordham had a lead at halftime, it became evident down the stretch that the team could have used his offensive skill set. Des Watson, Philip Alston and Dame Adelekun combined for 51 of Loyola Chicago’s 65 points. Meanwhile Fordham received a team-high 15 points from Richardson and 11 points from both Gray and freshman Jahmere Tripp. Rivera tallied six points in 19 minutes while slowly working his way back into the frey.
It is not yet known when Medor will return, but his absence gives the Rams an opportunity to see how much their young core has grown. Without Medor, players such as Richardson, Gray, Dean, Rivera and Tripp will have to simply find ways to score and convert at the free throw line when opportunities arise. Fordham currently holds the A-10’s second-worst free throw percentage.
On the other end of the court, Charlton, Tsimbila and Rose will have to continually lead by example as the Rams hope to improve upon their defensive identity. At present the team has given up the fourth-most points per game in the A-10.
This season’s team is much different from the one that energized Rose Hill last season. But, it would be foolish to write off these Rams before seeing how their young core develops on offense or allowing the unit’s seasoned veterans enough time to work with freshmen and sophomores who are now being asked to be jacks of all trades.
Men’s basketball will have a busy week ahead of them. They’ll travel up to New England for a date with University of Rhode Island this Wednesday and quickly pivot towards a Saturday showdown against Duquesne in the steel city.
