Fordham Rams
Date: Wednesday March 5th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Rose Hill Gymnasium (Bronx, NY)
TV: ESPN+
Ranks: 226th (KenPom), 216th (Bart Torvik), 215th (Haslametrics), 217th (EvanMiya)
2023-24 Record: 13-20, 6-12 (T-10th in A10)
2024-25 Projected Record: 12-19, 4-14 (T-14th in A10)

Head-to-Head: 31-13, although the Rams have won three straight and seven of the past ten meetings (that is incredibly sad).

Last year's matchup saw Fordham top GW 119-113 in triple overtime. It's funny that the matchup was the first game in A10 play for both teams last season, while this year's matchup will be the last for GW. The Rams took a four point lead into halftime behind just unreal shooting from behind the arc. Fordham knocked down TEN triples in the first half, but GW fared well offensively as well to stay within distance. The Bronx Rams would nail their 15th three with just under two minutes to go to knot the game up at 83 all before both teams traded layups to force overtime. Fordham had a chance at the final shot in regulation, while GW and JB had a shot to win it in the first overtime. In the second extra period, the Rams fouled GW up 3, but the Revs still found a way to get the points they needed to force a third overtime. JB side rimmed his second FT and Fordham knocked the ball out of bounds. Off the inbounds, Jun was left all alone to take get the easy dunk. Three minutes into triple overtime GW held a 2 point lead thanks to a made three by JB. Unfortunately, the Buff and Blue just ran out of steam after that point. All night, it felt like whenever GW had a slim lead Fordham would always answer with a 3. They finished the game with 19 made for the game. The Rams also had a sizable edge in assist/turnover ratio. The visiting team had 20 assists to just 11 turnovers, while the Revs coughed it up 16 times to just 11 dimes. Perhaps the most surprising thing was that GW had no players foul out. Jun burst onto the scene with 38 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals (wish we could see that version again), while JB had 32 himself (to go with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and somehow three blocks). Garrett scored 17 points (and pulled down 8 boards). Both Max and Stretch finished with double doubles (Edwards 13 points/11 rebounds, Akingbola 11 points/10 rebounds). Definitely one of Babatunde's best games offensively. GW had just two bench points (a pair of FTs by Hutch), as four of the five starters logged 51 minutes. Man is it great to not have to do that now.

In the last game in NY, GW also ran into depth issues that eventually did them in. The last minute of the first half was a disaster. I don't fault the attempt to go 2 for 1, but it allowed Fordham to go the other way and drill a 3. If that wasn't bad enough Ricky turned it over and Fordham finished with a dunk just before the buzzer sounded. The Revs held on to a narrow lead for the third quarter, but ran out of gas in the final eight minutes. Fordham went on a 10-0 run around that time which effectively gave the home Rams all the momentum from that point forward. GW had ten turnovers in the second frame, and they all came in the final quarter. JB accounted for six of those. Once again, all five starters finished in double figures. BA led the team with 18 points, JB added 15 points/6 assists but just four of those points came after halftime, Ricky had a double-double (12 points/10 rebounds), and Max/Hunter had 10 points each to go with a combined 15 rebounds.

Offensive Efficiency: 197th (KenPom), 182nd (Bart Torvik), 192nd (Haslametrics), 176th (EvanMiya)
Defensive Efficiency: 257th (KenPom), 250th (Bart Torvik), 225th (Haslametrics), 259th (EvanMiya)
Pace: 55th (KenPom), 53rd (Bart Torvik), 65th (Haslametrics), 119th (EvanMiya)
Offensive Shot Quality Rank: 223rd
Defensive Shot Quality Rank: 134th
Rim & 3 Rate: 86% (101st)

Strengths (2024-25 Season):
Fastbreak Points: 12.7 PPG (57th)
Bench Points Per Game: 25.1 PPG (60th)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game: 12.2 ORPG (60th)
Three Point Attempts Per Game: 25.3 3PA (75th)
Steals Per Game: 7.7 SPG (83rd)

Weaknesses (2024-25 Season):
Turnover Margin: -1.1 TO (268th)
Scoring Margin: -3.1 PPG (287th)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: 49.3% (288th)
Winning Percentage: 37.9% (290th)
Field Goal Percentage: 42.4% (299th)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 TO/G (308th)
Scoring Defense: 77.5 PPG (313th)
Fouls Per Game: 18.6 PF/G (316th)
Field Goal Percentage Defense: 47% (326th)

Projected Starting Lineup:
#0 G Japhet Medor (Graduate Student; Wellington, FL) - 13.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 spg; 38% FG, 35% 3-PT, 83% FT per 32.6 mpg/29 GP
#15 G Jackie Johnson III (Senior; Wichita, KS) - 18.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.5 spg; 43% FG, 34% 3-PT, 74% FT per 29.8 mpg/29 GP
#5 F Joshua Rivera (Junior; New Brunswick, NJ) - 11 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.1 apg; 45% FG, 32% 3-PT, 53% FT per 25.6 mpg/28 GP
#2 F Romad Dean (Junior; Freeport, Bahamas) - 7 ppg, 5.8 rpg; 44% FG, 34% 3-PT, 69% FT per 26.2 mpg/29 GP
#30 F Abdou Tsimbila (Graduate Student; Yaounde, Cameroon) - 5.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg; 54% FG, 75% FT per 19.3 mpg/29 GP

Key Bench Players:
#3 G/F Jahmere Tripp (Sophomore; Brooklyn, NY) - 8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg; 43% FG, 36% 3-PT, 70% FT per 20.5 mpg/25 GP
#13 G Zach Riley (Senior; Auckland, New Zealand) - 2.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.2 apg; 35% FG, 27% 3-PT, 65% FT per 17.9 mpg/29 GP
#24 F Matt Zona (Graduate Student; Blauvelt, NY) - 5.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg; 45% FG, 32% 3-PT, 68% FT per 17 mpg/29 GP
#8 G Ryan Pettis (Freshman; East Palo Alto, CA) - 0.8 ppg, 1 rpg; 20% FG, 17% 3-PT, 58% FT per 7.1 mpg/21 GP

Key Losses:
Kyle Rose (Graduated; Upper Marlboro, MD) - 10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.1 spg; 43% FG, 40% 3-PT, 65% FT per 28.5 mpg/33 GP
Will Richardson (Left Team; Teaneck, NJ) - 9.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.3 spg; 33% FG, 29% 3-PT, 67% FT per 27.1 mpg/32 GP
Elijah Gray (Transferred to Temple; Charlotte, NC) - 8.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg; 42% FG, 29% 3-PT, 77% FT per 18.1 mpg/32 GP
Antrell Charlton (Graduated; Live Oak, FL) - 6.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.4 spg; 37% FG, 34% 3-PT, 68% FT per 28.2 mpg/33 GP

Preview:
The start to the Keith Urgo era had so much promise. Fordham finished the 2022-23 season 25-8 and 12-6 in the Atlantic 10, as Urgo took home coach of the year in the league. That was their most total wins in 32 years. The last time they hit 20 wins as a program in a season was back when they were members of the Patriot League. It also marked their best ever season in the A10, a league they joined in 1995. Now it's worth pointing out that they thrived in one of the weakest A10s in the 21st century. As a league, the Atlantic 10 ranked 13th among all conferences in D1 two years ago, the worst mark for the conference since the 2004-05 season (the year GW won the conference tournament).

Still, by all accounts it appeared Fordham was primed to be on an upward trajectory for the first time in quite a while. Urgo was even perceived as the guy behind Fordham's relative success in the previous year under Kyle Neptune. I always thought it was a little ridiculous that Neptune was awarded the Villanova job following an eighth place finish in the A10. That's somehow even worse than Kim English getting Providence after two solid but not great years at George Mason. I still can't believe that Villanova lost to a now lifeless Columbia squad during OOC play, but I digress.

Fordham was picked seventh in last year's A10 preseason poll, which was borderline historic. In the past ten preseason polls, they've never been picked better than 11th. In half of them, they were picked dead last. It was honestly deserved following Urgo's banner year, although I will call out whoever gave them a first place vote - that was still ridiculous. Unfortunately, it was evident fairly early on that Fordham wasn't going to be able to replicate the magic two years in a row. The Rams had an uneven OOC performance, going 6-7 with horrific losses to NJIT and Central Connecticut (before they really broke through this year). They had some moments early in conference play, but really faded down the stretch, winning just 3 of their final 11 contests. If not for GW's 12 game losing sterak, I would imagine that would be one of the worst marks in the league. The general discourse following a 6-12 A10 record was whether Fordham had sunk back down to the bottom of the league. It wouldn't be the first time that happened - people forget that under Neubauer the Rams actually finished above .500 overall in his first year. The problem was every year after that Fordham performed worse and worse in conference play under his tutelage.

The Rams did fare decently during non-con play this season, going 8-5. They had a GW-American moment in a loss at Manhattan, but did top Seton Hall (something VCU couldn't do). Big losses to St. John's, Penn State, and San Francisco were at least understandable. Once the Atlantic 10 season began though things have gone off the rails. Fordham began their slate 0-6, with four of those losses by double digits. They enter tomorrow's game on their second six game losing streak in A10 play, so this definitely does not feel like a Duquesne situation from last year. The Rams have also dealt with some adversity as Will Richardson left the team for personal reasons at the end of November. After a promising freshman year, Richardson never quite looked like the same player. More recently, the school suspended Urgo in January for four games, citing "recruiting violations". Based on the information that has come out about that, it appears that the violations were relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps it's an indication that they are trying to force Urgo out. That's something to monitor going into the offseason.

Under Urgo, Fordham has turned into an uptempo team, a far cry from the plodding Neubauer days. He has improved their offense, but they haven't had an above average unit on that side of the ball since 2013-14 under now Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora (per KenPom). They've been fairly bad taking care of the ball all three years. This year's GW team may be the first to actually take advantage of that. They have embraced the three ball, but have been pretty brutal with their shooting efficiencies. As a result, they often crash the glass for second chance opportunities, which GW will have to limit tomorrow. Defense has generally been Fordham's calling card, but this year's team just doesn't have the same ability as previous teams. They don't turn teams over as much as they used to or block as many shots. In fact, on paper Fordham's defensive goals align well for GW. Urgo teams usually run teams off the three point line (this year's Rams are fourth nationally in defensive three point attempt percentage) and they've always been brutal when it comes to fouling other teams (like bottom 50 bad). GW will need to do their part when it comes to knocking down their free throws though.

This year's Ram squad is anchored by a two-headed attack at guard in Jackie Johnson III and Japhet Medor. Johnson returns to the A10 following two seasons at UNLV. He definitely stood out in his rookie season at Duquesne, and his familiarity with the league has certainly helped his transition to Fordham. Johnson has embraced his role as a full time starter this year after he was a bench guy in his time in Sin City. He is their go-to scorer, as he leads the league in both field goals made and attempted (where he ranks 38th and 17th nationally, respectively). For the year, Johnson averages 18.6 ppg, which is second in the A10 after Reed Bailey of Davidson. He also ranks top 100 in the nation in both three point makes and attempts. The only game in which he has finished under 10 points this season has been against VCU. It's worth noting that the Kansas native is prone to turning the ball over, as he has nearly as many assists as turnovers this year.

Medor returned to the east coast after spending the 2022-23 season at UTSA. He has improved on his three point shooting percentages compared to his time in San Antonio, but has also become much less efficient inside the arc. Most notably, Medor has really shined as a passer in 2024-25 - he's 78th in the country in assist/turnover ratio which is far and away the best mark of his career. Opponents have to respect his three point shot (shoots 35%) but if you close out on him too hard he will attack the basket. Medor is 97th nationally in made FTs this year. He enters the GW game on a cold streak, having shot under 40% from the field in five straight games. While Medor/Johnson form a relatively small backcourt in terms of size, both players are pesky on-ball defenders - they combine for over three steals a game. Medor has actually posted multiple steals in five straight games as well.

Fordham's top four scorers on the year all have names that start with the letter 'J'. Joshua Rivera and Jahmere Tripp have the versatility to play a number of spots on the floor. Rivera, who began his career at Lafayette, has three level scoring ability. He entered the starting lineup a couple weeks ago after coming off the bench for much of the year. Much like Daniel Rivera of UMass, the Fordham Rivera is not a good FT shooter (a career 50%). Tripp, a key bench guy for the Rams, is a product of Our Savior Lutheran - the same school as Max and CJ. I'm sure he will be motivated to get the best of his former teammate. He doesn't take a lot of threes, but is the best shooter by percentage on the team. Tripp has finished in double figures in two of the last three games after posting more modest stat lines for much of February (he has been close to fouling out in his last two). He's a do-everything kind of wing who can handle the ball, play good defense, and rebound.

A pair of international forwards in Romad Dean and Abdou Tsimbila will anchor Fordham's starting frontcourt. Dean is their top rebounder who takes nearly 60% of his attempts from 3. Prior to the St. Joe's game where he went 2/3 from distance he was 1/22 from behind the arc. Sounds very Gerald-like. Tsimbila, who began his career at Penn State, is an efficient finisher around the hoop offensively, rebounds at a good clip, and provides some rim protection defensively. Unfortunately, the Cameroon native can be prone to fouling, as he's been charged with four fouls in four of the last five matches. In general, don't expect him to be a focus of the offense as Tsimbila has not scored in double figures in any conference games this year.

Notre Dame transfer Matt Zona, senior Zach Riley, and freshman Ryan Pettis round out the Ram rotation. Zona held a GW offer over six years ago and is finally getting his first chance at real minutes after warming the Irish bench for much of his career. He's just 5/18 (28%) overall and 1/9 (11%) from 3 in his last three games but is still a threat to make an open three when given the opportunity. Riley is a New Zealand native. He's never been a particularly efficient offensive player but he plays hard and competes on the glass. Riley scored just six total points in February so it would be a surprise to see him suddenly explode tomorrow. Pettis hails from the Bay Area. He will see spot minutes, but hasn't made a field goal in 2025 and has just scored three points overall in the new year. Pettis has good positional size for a guard but has struggled to shoot for the most part this season.

It would be nice to see GW stop losing games to Fordham that they shouldn't, but it's always tough on the road. The Rams will be playing loose and motivated to win their final home game of the season (even though it won't be senior night). The biggest concern for GW tomorrow will be the offenisve rebounding from Fordham. If they can limit that, they have a good shot at winning, barring yet another three point shooting explosion from them like last year. The Rams are dead last in defensive efficiency during conference play by a sizable margin. GW will need to avoid the scoring droughts. Going to Slim should be effective, as he has a couple inches on Tsimbila and should be able to find success against him. However, the guards will need to provide support. At the very least, they will need to come close to the production of Johnson/Medor on the other side. GW should be able to generate turnovers tomorrow, and hopefully the 50-50 balls go GW's way a bit more as well.

Projected Score: GW 76, Fordham 72. 64% chance to win (KenPom). Bart Torvik predicts a 57% GW victory. ESPN gives the Revs a 58.7% chance at a W.
 

Worst to first rarely happens in any sport.   A 500 record with a middle of the pack finish has to be deemed a successful season after finishing 4-14 and in last place just a season ago.  Further, a 20 win regular season has a nice ring to it, especially if you just look at the record and not the OOC schedule.   Once upon the time, 20 wins plus a win or 2 in the conference tournament  put you firmly on the NCAA bubble and assured you of at least an NIT bid.  I think for the A-10 these days, it is more like 25-26 wins needed to have a hope to go dancing as an at large.    The line tonight is 3.5.  This is another game in which I see us either winning and easily covering or losing outright.  Sadly, one GW tradition over the past several years seems to be losing the last game of the season and then the first game in the tournament, with one of those loses coming against Fordham.    I always considered that a mixed blessing.   On one hand, yes, it sucks to end your season like that.  On the other hand, for me it somewhat eased the depression caused by the interminally long off season.   

20 wins has a nice ring to it. I hope me saying that isn't a kiss of death.

Free Quebec wrote:

Gwmayhem wrote:

This should be the mantra for the rest of the season.  Play together and play smart. 
 

Holy crap! Until now I didn’t realize Jamion Christian was posting under the name Gwmayhem!

I guess personal attacks are OK based on who is making them. 

Free Quebec wrote:

Gwmayhem wrote:

This should be the mantra for the rest of the season.  Play together and play smart. 
 

Holy crap! Until now I didn’t realize Jamion Christian was posting under the name Gwmayhem!

Say's the guy who posts under various monikers along with his alter ego Dude!

Not to be a downer, but why does Drumgoole start?  Caputo has better options, doesn't he?  I think Darren, Bevins and Nessah are all more reliable and equally as good defensively.

sound on the broadcast going in and out for anyone else?

Dominant half, oustanding D

Gwmayhem wrote:

Free Quebec wrote:

Gwmayhem wrote:

This should be the mantra for the rest of the season.  Play together and play smart. 
 

Holy crap! Until now I didn’t realize Jamion Christian was posting under the name Gwmayhem!

I guess personal attacks are OK based on who is making them. 

That wasn’t a personal attack - it was a joke  (well it was kind of an attack on Jamion).

Great half.  Hopefully we’ll learn from last game and not let up to start the second. 

I think this is the best interior passing we’ve had since Mike Hall and Omar Williams were on the team. Really impressive in the first half