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THE OBSERVER November 10, 2021
Sports & Health
7
Aura of Optimism for Fordham Men’s Basketball
The Rams return for the 2021-22 season, looking to move on from failures of previous campaigns By CHRIS MURRAY Asst. Sports & Health Editor
Fordham men’s basketball is back at Rose Hill, but it is not the basketball team of years past. The Rams are led by a new head coach, former Lehigh and Villanova Assistant Coach Kyle Neptune, and have thoroughly overhauled the roster from last season. Fordham lost its first, second and third leading scorers to the transfer portal in Chris Austin (University of Portland), Joel Soriano (St. John’s University) and Ty Perry (University of Buffalo). They are just three of the 11 former Rams who were on the roster last season but who did not return this year. This turnover allows for the Rams to start the Neptune era with a nearly blank slate, filling in roster holes with freshly scouted transfer students and recruits of their own. Neptune and his coaching staff were very particular about the types of players they wanted to bring to Rose Hill.
“ Honestly once we got
(the new players) to campus, I wish we could take more credit for this, but our guys were seamlessly drawn to each other. ”
Kyle Neptune men’s basketball head coach
“When we were recruiting guys, the things that we were really steadfast on were that they were into education and valued education and they loved basketball,” Neptune explained. “Honestly, once we got (the new players) to campus, I wish we could take more credit for this, but our guys were seamlessly drawn to each other.” The similarities between returning and incoming players has laid the foundation for a tightly-woven group with high levels of chemistry. Most importantly, they dissolve any rocky transition points between new and old eras of Fordham basketball, with basketball itself being the sole priority.
Despite this, Neptune and the Rams face daunting challenges ahead, as they try to flip the page after a disappointing 2-12, lastplace performance in 2020-21. Last season, Neptune asserts, is far from an indictment of how the 2021-22 campaign will unfold. “We’re building from the ground up. We don’t care about what happened last year — we’re worried about this year,” Neptune said. Despite any changes to the program, many still predict that Fordham will finish last in the Atlantic 10 (A10) Conference. It is easy to dismiss any potential for improvement considering the strength of the teams entering the A10 in the upcoming season. The St. Bonaventure Bonnies won the A10 Championship last season and are returning all five of their starters from that successful campaign. Meanwhile, the University of Richmond Spiders are returning many of their starters from a 2020-21 season that saw them contend for an NCAA Tournament bid prior to the COVID-19 pause disrupting the squad’s continuity. In addition to these A10 powerhouses, Saint Louis, Dayton and Virginia Commonwealth University all have lofty expectations entering this year. Nevertheless, there may be cause for optimism at Rose Hill. Incoming transfer student Darius Quisenberry, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) ’22, played at an All-Horizon League level while averaging 15.1 points per game and starting 77 out of 80 games played during his three-year stint at Youngstown State University. Fordham also added Antonio Daye Jr., Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, an explosive guard who transferred from Florida International University and averaged 17.1 points per game and 4.7 assists per game last season. Quisenberry and Daye add scoring dimensions that have previously been lacking for the Rams, granting that their skills transfer to A10 competition. Along with Quisenberry and Daye, Neptune also recruited numerous Penn State University transfers. D.J. Gordon, FCRH ’25, a 6’5” wing, will immediately look to make an impact on both ends of the court. Forwards Abdou Tsimbila, FCRH ’24, and Pat Kelly, Gabelli School of Business
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORDHAM ATHLETICS
Rams practice one-on-one drills in the Rose Hill Gymnasium as preparation for the 2021-22 season.
Kyle Neptune and the men’s basketball team are ready to begin this season even with players who have transferred in or out.
Chuba Ohams, GSAS ’22, dribbles at practice earlier this season. He had been out on injury rest for most of the past two years.
at Rose Hill ’25, also Penn State transfers, will look to cement their spots in Neptune’s rotation early on. The Penn State connection likely stems from the experience of Associate Head Coach Keith Urgo, who spent 10 seasons with the Nittany Lions and was referenced in numerous player interviews when questioned as to why they chose to attend Fordham. The newcomers are rounded out by Kam’ron Cunningham, FCRH ’23, a high-flying transfer student from Mississippi Valley State University who averaged 10 points per game last season, and junior college transfers Rostyslav Novitskyi, FCRH ’24, and Antrell Charlton, FCRH ’24. A final intriguing prospect is 18-year-old player Zach Riley, a sharp-shooting guard from New Zealand who was awarded the National Basketball League Youth Player of the Year Award after posting 10.6 points per game and shooting 38.5% from three for the Auckland Huskies last season. He recently committed to Fordham and the Rams hope for him to join the team this season.
One player who is not new to the program but certainly feels like an addition is forward Chuba Ohams, GSAS ’22. Ohams broke out during the 2019-20 season by averaging 11 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Injuries, however, have plagued his past two seasons, and he only appeared in one game last season.
“ We’re all in on these
guys ... I really believe in them and the staff believes in them. ”
Kyle Neptune, men’s basketball head coach
Nevertheless, Ohams is a strong rotation player on the team who is in a unique position as a returner and graduate student to lead the 2021-22 Rams. He joins Jalen Cobb, FCRH ’23; Josh Colon-Navarro, GSAS ’22; and Kyle Rose, FCRH ’23, as returning rotation players who
can make impacts on and off the court for the new-look Rams. It would be unreasonable to expect a one-year leap from last place in the A10 to a conference title for Fordham. But all signs point toward the team heading in the right direction, and an improvement to the middle of the pack is not out of the question. “I’m optimistic about our team. I love our team, and I think we have a great group of guys,” Neptune remarked with a growing grin on his face. “We’re all in on these guys ... I really believe in them and the staff believes in them.” With a new coaching regime and a litany of new faces on the court, there seems to be something worth smiling about brewing in the Rose Hill Gymnasium. Uptempo, high-scoring guards have arrived, and the Rams’ mentality has adjusted. And as Fordham looks to improve this season, fans will once again be in the stands to cheer them on. While the past has offered little to look forward to, this fresh start could be the beginning of an era of prosperity.
