In a New York minute, the Fordham University Rams have gone from last in the Atlantic 10 (A-10) to its hottest team. The recipe? A “junkyard dogs” mentality, as the players call it, and a side of Dae Dae Reaves.
The graduate student guard is not just the conference’s top scorer, but its best clutch player. Over the team’s now-four-game winning streak — its longest in-conference heater since 2023’s 25-8 “Rose Thrill” season — Reaves has propelled the Rams to heights few projected.
“I really do see a ridiculous amount of potential here at Fordham,” said first-year Head Coach Mike Magpayo, whose team entered the season as the A-10’s projected last-place finisher, but now is likely to receive a bye in the conference championship.
With Reaves and senior backcourt partner Chris Henry forming the first layer of defense, Fordham now ranks 12th in the country in points allowed per game. Over the past two weeks, the Maroon have put opponents in what fans call “Fordham Hell.”
Take the Rams’ Feb. 14 overtime victory at the University of Rhode Island. Trailing the entire game, the Rams whipped up a secret ingredient: a late-game kill switch that turns an already-top-ranking defense impenetrable.
With Rhode Island leading 60-52 with 5:08 to go, Fordham held its rival Rams without a field goal the rest of regulation — they didn’t make one in overtime, either.
During those 10 minutes, Fordham interwove stops with scores, including a slam from junior Rikus Schulte and a bank three from freshman Roor Akhuar to send it to overtime.
With the game knotted at 64, Henry pulled up for a contested late-shot-clock three and drilled it — Fordham didn’t look back, breaking hearts in a 70-66 Valentine’s Day win.
“This team is so together, so there’s always a chance,” said Magpayo postgame. “I always feel pretty good that we’re going to fight the fight … We’ll see if we keep it going.” They have.
Returning to the Rose Hill Gym — where the Rams opened conference play 1-5 — Fordham exorcised its home demons in two consecutive “prove-it” wins.
Against Loyola University Chicago, Fordham held the Ramblers to just 59 points, the lowest by a Fordham opponent in conference play this season. As the Rams’ 19-point lead dwindled to one, it was Reaves’ clutch gene that turned a loss into a win.
In the final five minutes, Reaves tallied a rebound, a steal, a score and two game-sealing free throws. He finished with 24 points, 7-for-12 shooting, 9-for-9 from the line, adding seven rebounds and two steals.
“The mindset was just, ‘we can’t lose on our home court,’” said the guard. “Playing at the crib, you gotta win. It’s mandatory.”
For a unit that had failed to get over the hump in close home games, it felt like a turning point.
“I was celebrating harder than the guys in there. I took off my shirt and everything, but that’ll tell you the focus that these guys have right now.”
Henry credited the team’s chemistry — and Reaves — for the triumph.
“[Magpayo] told us to look each other in the eye and say we’re going to win it and then that brought a spark … and it’s also Dae Dae Reaves over there, y’know,” he said, smirking at his teammate.
With a three-game streak on the line, Fordham faced the same Davidson College team that sunk the Rams to a season-worst 1-6 record weeks ago.
With the biggest crowd of the season behind it, Fordham led wire-to-wire in the second half, securing a 63-59 win.
After a slow start from Reaves, Fordham got contributions from graduate students Marcus Greene and Louis Lesmond, each beginning to thrive in fluctuating roles.
“It just galvanizes us when those guys play well off the bench,” said Magpayo. “[Greene] was really the reason for our lead in the first half.”
Lesmond nabbed a tide-shifting steal in the first, while Greene revitalized the crowd with an and-one layup minutes later.
After a clutch Greene three expanded Fordham’s lead to four with 11 minutes left, it was Reaves’ time.
Sitting at six points, Reaves scored 15 of Fordham’s final 17 to will the Rams to victory, earning “M-V-P” chants from a captivated crowd.
“It definitely felt good,” said Reaves. “Hearing that from the crowd and then just closing the game out. We work on situations during practice, so that kind of just all came together.”
In a month, two games against Davidson brought Fordham from rock bottom to its highest peak. When the game ended, the team paraded the gym, thanking a rising congregation of fans brought in to the program’s new era.
After a midweek bye, the Rams look to keep cooking — and get more revenge — in a Saturday showing at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). VCU ranks second in the A-10 and beat Fordham, 63-59, three weeks ago.
