Takeaways from Fordham's Exhibition Win over UMBC

 

In celebration and in support of Able Athletics, a Westchester County based non-profit that provides inclusive sporting opportunities for all children, Fordham hosted UMBC in a charity exhibition on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Retrievers 79-75. 

New UMBC head coach Jim Ferry likes to push the tempo, as does Fordham head coach Keith Urgo, so once the opening-tip jitters and offseason rust began to shake off, both squads provided a glimpse to their upcoming seasons.

For the Rams, here are a few of my takeaways from the game:

Transition at Point Guard

Following the graduation of Atlantic 10 All-Conference second team selection Darius Quisenberry, UTSA transfer point guard Japhet Medor is now forced to take up the baton and he impressed in his debut after he received a waiver to immediately play earlier last week.

Scoring 23 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and also adding a pair of assists and steals, the similarities between the two lead guards are apparent: like his predecessor, Medor is an aggressive guard who can create his own offense and lead the attack with pace. 

Scoring nine points in the first half, Medor’s alpha mentality was necessitated midway through the second half when UMBC briefly took the lead. Consecutive dribble-drive makes followed by an additional four points scored from midrange floaters helped quell UMBC’s surge and flip the lead back to Fordham. 

Bottom line, with Medor leading the offense, Fordham’s pace was high. The three-level scorer will lead Fordham’s offense in a variety of ways.

In the eight minutes with Medor on the bench, fifth-year senior Antrell Charlton manned point guard. The versatile 6’5 205 veteran will continue to fill a variety of roles this upcoming season, one of which is backup point guard. Last night, the pace was noticeably more modest when Medor was on the bench, so it will be curious to see this becomes a trend throughout the season. 

The New-Look Frontcourt

A mix of fifth-year seniors and underclassmen make up Fordham’s retooled frontcourt following the graduation of starters Khalid Moore – last year’s Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team – selection and Rostyslav Novitskyi.

Like Quisenberry, Moore was an all-situations offensive weapon who last year averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 three-pointer made (35.1 3P%) and 5.4 free-throw attempts (77.1 FT%) per game. A cornerstone of last year’s offense, Moore is not expected to be replaced by one player, rather a committee-based approach.

Last night, Lafayette sophomore transfer Josh Rivera started at power forward and a total of five different players manned the four: Rivera, sophomores Angel Montas, Elijah Gray and Romad Dean, as well as freshman Jahmere Tripp.

Rivera mightily struggled with his shot (1-for-13 from the field), but the 6’6 210 forward finished his freshman season with solid shooting efficiency: 48.5 2P% and 32.8 3P%, labeling last night as a likely aberration. More importantly, he shined on the boards – 14 rebounds – and finished with three assists, four steals and a block. His combination of strength and quick footwork was an asset on the full-court press and he showed the ability to navigate through traffic on both ends. Rivera showed he can also start a possession on his own with his handle looked comfortable following a handful of his defensive boards.

Gray also impressed. The 6’8 220 forward from Charlotte played minutes at both the power forward and center position, scoring ten points and making both three-point shot attempts.One particular play of note that did not reflect in the box score was an impressive no-look pass to Zach Riley from the perimeter, who then missed the shot attempt from under the basket. 

Gray still needs to work on his lower body strength, but against smaller teams, Gray should get most of the backup big minutes behind Tsimbila, allowing Urgo to utilize five-out offenses to open up space for Fordham’s slashing guards, wings and forwards. 

If Urgo needs a more “classic big” to spell Tsimbila, Binghamton grad transfer Ogheneyole Akuwovo will be summoned off the bench. In his six minutes against UMBC, Akuwovo looked understandably lost, but as he gets more reps, his athleticism, length and rim-running ability will be an asset off the bench.

Missing almost all of last season due to a knee injury, Montas looked healthy, mobile and assertive in last night’s tilt. Listed at 6’6 228, few in the Atlantic 10 match Montas’ combination of strength and athleticism, making it easy to see why Montas has one of the highest ceilings on the roster. Scoring eight points and converting two of his four three-pointers, Montas’ situational awareness was spotlighted when he forced a turnover by saving a ball from going out of bounds, deflecting the ball off a UMBC Retriever. 

Tripp and Dean combined for thirteen minutes. Tripp’s frame is similar to Montas and suggests his long-term versatility once he gets more reps, most of which are expected to come after this season.

The 6’7 210 Dean has gotten previous rave reviews for his motor and work under the boards, and his made three point attempt was a pleasant surprise with two of Dean’s three shot attempts from beyond the arc.

Speaking of three-point shooting, all of Fordham’s potential power forwards possess the three-point shot in their arsenal, so expect the Rams to continue to let it fly from three. In Urgo’s first season, 41.7% of Fordham’s field goal attempts were from three (70th in the nation; 4th in A-10), but shot only 31.8% from three (301st in nation) and 28.8% throughout conference play (last in A-10). It’s clear that improved perimeter efficiency is essential if Fordham wants to be a serious contender in the A-10.

In summary, Fordham’s committee approach to the power forward position is just a microcosm to how Urgo is expected to build his roster rotations by more readily incorporating his maturing sophomore class along with the team’s overall depth and versatility.