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August 16th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Fordham
Rams
Overall Rank:
#86
Conference
Rank: #6 A-10
2005-06:
16-16, 9-7, 5th (t)
2005-06
postseason: none
 Fordham is
slowly crawling out of the cellar and their ascent continues
with postseason hopes spurning all over the Bronx. Coach Dereck
Whittenburg returns four starters to a team that placed fifth in
the Atlantic 10 and is brimming with confidence after a nice run
in the conference tournament.
Who’s Out:
Jermaine Anderson, who averaged 15.6 points, 3.4 assists and 3.7
rebounds as a senior, will leave a gaping hole in the
backcourt. That hole was supposed to be filled by Penn State
transfer Marlon Smith, but his status is uncertain and it seems
less certain that Smith will don the Fordham uniform with each
passing day. Guards Corey McCrae, Nicholas Vita and Tom Tubridy
saw most of their action off the bench last year and add more
questions to the increasingly slim backcourt.
Who’s In:
The
backcourt will find some depth with newcomers Herb Tanner,
Brenton Butler and Dave Boykin. Tanner, who can play either
guard spot, is a solid scorer. He can shoot from the perimeter
and get to the basket and is the most likely freshman to make
major contributions. Butler is a hard working shooting guard
who will battle for some minutes as well. Boykin is a decent
floor leader and could end up to be a great pickup for the
Rams. Boykin had back surgery in 2005 and, now healthy, will
add some depth at the point. Small forward Dan Landisch’s stock
soared over the last year and, if he continues to improve,
Landisch will make some noise at Fordham before his collegiate
career is through.
Who to Watch:
Over
the past two seasons Bryant Dunston has cemented himself as a
star in the A-10 and a future NBA draft pick. As a sophomore
last season, the 6-8 forward led the Rams with 16.1 points, 7.6
rebounds and 2.4 blocks. He’ll have some help up front with
returning starter Michael Binns and experienced junior Sebastian
Greene. All three can step outside and hit the long ball or
battle in the paint. Emerging sophomores Chris Bethel,
Demetrius Phillips and Luke Devine will provide depth at the
three, four and five spots. If Coach Whittenburg wants the best
five on the floor, he may start three players over 6-7.
Final
Projection:
Kevin Anderson
is an offensive liability, but he can run the point well enough
to keep Marcus Stout at the two guard spot. Stout averaged 13.0
points as a sophomore and will be asked to carry the scoring
load in the backcourt with the absence of Jermaine Anderson and
McCrae. There are too many questions on the perimeter for the
Rams to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992
and, with the new 32-team NIT, it will be tougher for Fordham to
make the NIT. If any of the newcomers can add some quality
depth, an NIT trip is very plausible. The good news is the fact
that most of the impact players are juniors. One more year and
we’ll be talking about breaking that NCAA drought.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Kevin Anderson,
Junior, Guard, 3.2 points per game
Marcus Stout,
Junior, Guard, 13.0 points per game
Michael Binns,
Junior, Forward, 5.6 points per game
Sebastian
Greene, Junior, Forward, 4.3 points per game
Bryant Dunston,
Junior, Forward, 16.1 points per game
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