Tracking Our *CURRENTLY* Signed/Committed Recruits

[ayteefie]

but I don't think that means we should get on here and mock and make comments that serve no other purpose.

[fordahmballer]

Two of the favorites emerged to battle it out for the championship of the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest Sunday evening at Hoop Group Headquarters in Neptune. The 32 team 17 & Under division came down to the Playaz from NJ and Juice from NYC.
 
NJ Hoops
 
Juice 17's

The NYC team came out with a hard fought 81-75 victory. Juice took an early lead and went in at halftime with a 49-38 advantage behind 15 first half points from 6-foot-5 Rice NY Sr. James Stukes. The Playaz made their run mid way through the second half before Juice pulled away late.

Stukes finished with 23 points and 9 rebounds. 6-foot-6 Paterson Catholic Jr. Fuquan Edwin led the Playaz with 28 points.

6-foot-7 Fordham bound Thomas Jefferson Jr. Joel Wright had 14 points in the championship and was named Tournament MVP.

[Stick]

This kind of crap makes me ill.  Honestly I am a Fordham supporter as are most of the posters on this board but I'll continue to have a negative attitude about a negative performance.  Nobody WANTS the team to do poorly, we are all here venting, b*tching and moaning, or cracking wise about a program that is flat-out awful right now.  So cut the holier than thou act, everyone here is a fan, a supporter or an interested party and to call someone's fanhood into question is the last act of a desperate sycophant, parroting the official line because they lack the courage or capacity to question that and stand for a higher vision. 

NYRambler, I think you are overreacting a bit, and making a personal attack on me seems a bit much.  Perhaps I shouldn't have said "are you really a Fordham supporter".  I didn't mean to imply that I think there are a bunch of Iona fans on here.  I realize that there are currently many disgruntled Fordham fans and for good reason.  What I don't always agree with is the way posters go about expressing their displeasure.

The comment in question (even though it was probably made partly as a funny comment) could potentially be damaging to the program.  Nobody really knows for sure who reads this board, but it seems likely that some recruits and some friends and family of recruits do.  Maybe they wouldn't be impacted by comments like that, but maybe they would.  I don't think any of us want to lose recruits because of comments made on this board.  The comment made could have been interpreted to mean that ram it 66 thought that Joel Wright should not come to Fordham because of our head coach.

You might say that if we get some good players this year and next and the record improves a lot, it could take "change" at Fordham longer to occur as a result, and that could be bad for the program longer term.  I might agree with that to an extent.  However I still think that the best thing for the program is to get some good players in here in the next couple of years and try to improve as quickly as possible.  Everything else should hopefully then work itself out.  Perhaps that is overly optimistic, but I don't think another 2 years of 3-26 would be good for the program.

I understand the desire for change, but I think that some posters should use more discretion.  Another point to make is that some comments can read quite differently than intended.  Peer review your own posts!

Also, I apologize to the moderator for getting off topic.

[PhillyNY]

But Stick, does this mean that the change we need is supposed to come from a bunch of teenagers? As the saying goes, the fish stinks from the head. My son is HS Junior, and if he were a hoops player I would not want him anywhere near RH. For the record, FU is not on his list, anyway.

[Stick]

You are entitled to have your preferences, PhillyNY.  You are also entitled to push those preferences on others, but doing so will probably hurt Fordham in the short term.  Short term always impacts the long term to some extent. 

I'm not sure if I understand your saying.

[PhillyNY]

Stick,

What I'm saying is simply that our athletic administration is a mess; our coaching staff is a mess; and there seems to be no plan in place to fix them. Would you send your son to play in this environment?

[Stick]

We clearly have a bit of a mess on our hands, however I don't think whether or not I'd send my son to play in the current Fordham environment is relevant.  I don't think of Fordham basketball players the same way I think of my son.  In addition, everyone is different and there are some people that will thrive in a situation that others might do poorly in. 

[b.mann]

Does anyone know if ALL of our recruits are on campus for the summer...and whether or not they are all eligible from the get-go? Also what are the chances of signing one more player for this year just in case eligibility or injury becomes an issue? GO RAMS!

[friarsbob]

All but Gaston are here--many enrolled in summer school. No official word yet on Gaston's clearance--may just be that with his many schools--ST. Anthonys, St. Benedict, NE prep, there is just more to review. Let's hope. Also might mention that many former players are here helping to run Caoch Wittenberg's summer camp (Stout, Seabass--Dunstonn has been seen--though he is not involved in the camp). So maybe the stories about coach losing the respect of his players is a bit overblown. Maybe last year was just the exception--and in that case maybe the fault lies more with the players. I have heard that Moore and Blue were never team players.

[T1L]

All but Gaston are here--many enrolled in summer school. No official word yet on Gaston's clearance--may just be that with his many schools--ST. Anthonys, St. Benedict, NE prep, there is just more to review. Let's hope. Also might mention that many former players are here helping to run Caoch Wittenberg's summer camp (Stout, Seabass--Dunstonn has been seen--though he is not involved in the camp). So maybe the stories about coach losing the respect of his players is a bit overblown. Maybe last year was just the exception--and in that case maybe the fault lies more with the players. I have heard that Moore and Blue were never team players.

Good to hear about the incoming freshman, although "all but Gaston" is the least desirable of the "all but..." combinations. He's the recruit who I imagine most everyone is thinking/hoping could have both the quickest and biggest impact.

I don't think the fact that former players chose to help with the camp necessarily prove or disprove the whole "DW loses respect" thing. I'm sure those guys have a lot of good memories of Fordham and are proud of their time here, and are willing to give back where they can even if their relationship with DW wasn't/isn't 100% perfect. As for Moore and Blue, maybe they weren't team players as you said, but it must have awfully difficult to go through last years debacle, and it's tough to blame them for being frustrated and wanting to be somewhere else.

[b.mann]

Even if Gaston isn't cleared as yet, why couldn't/wouldn't he be on campus? I thought that had been cleared. Not going to be a problem, I hope/fear. Anybody have any words of clarification? GO RAMS!

[fordahmballer]

Summer update from scout.com---


John Manning looked good in Team Takeovers 16’s game. He’s got good size at 6-foot-9, and he’s not afraid to mix it up in the paint. Roosevelt Jones is a tough dude. He got a number of buckets at the rim against the Houston Hoops 16’s. Tony Wroten can really pass the ball. His court vision is impressive and he was quite unselfish during his night game. Joel Wright is a great get for Fordham. He tore up Seattle Rotary inside for 22 points. Melsahn Basabe got better as the Gauchos game against the Oakland Soldiers went on. He was active on the glass and scored a number of put backs. He’s not there yet, but Nerlens Noel has the look of a future prospect.

Hope Whit can coach these guys a little bit...We are getting better players than we ever have, he has no excuse not to win with them!!

[txram]

Hope Whit can coach these guys a little bit...

Hahahahahaha.  Good one!  Gotta be the joke of the day!

[John]

Speaking of Fearless Leader, what has DW been doing this summer? Usually he'll coach at one of the various clinics out there, or make an appearance at some tournament, etc. He's been low profile this summer. Hopefully, he hasn't been following Jio around the globe with a begging bowl. Maybe taking a Dale Carnegie course? Trying to memorize the names of his new players? Or deep in contemplation, trying to improve that can't-miss "system" of his that will turn average players into Kobe and LeBron if they just "buy into it"? Maybe spending time in the sauna to get ready for that "hot seat" he'll be occupying this year?

[ace93]

Hahahahahaha.  Good one!  Gotta be the joke of the day!

You just can't lay off the softballs, can you? 

[fordahmballer]

RANKING OF THE TOP POWER FORWARDS AT THE REEBOK ALL-AMERICAN CAMP
 
Rank Player Height Class Position Hometown (High School) State
1. LeBryan Nash 6'7 2011 PF Dallas (Lincoln) TX
2. Khem Birch 6'9 2012 PF Winchendon (School) MA
3. Ryan Rhoomes 6'8 2010 PF Bayside (Cardozo) NY
4. Christian Griffin 6'6 2010 PF Tallahassee (Leon) FL
5. Khyle Marshall 6'6 2010 PF Pembroke Pines (Flannigan) FL
6. Joel Wright 6'6 2010 PF Brooklyn (Jefferson) NY
7. Jaylen Bond 6'7 2011 PF Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Whitemarsh) PA
8. Keaton Miles 6'6 2011 PF Dallas (Lincoln) TX
9. Donte Williams 6'9 2010 PF Ellenwood (Miller Grove) GA
10. Jalen Courtney 6'8 2010 PF Jackson (Provine) MS
11. George Matthews 6'7 2010 PF Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ
12. Tyler Olander 6'8 2010 PF Worcester (Academy) PA
13. Devonta Abron 6'6 2011 PF Seagoville (H.S.) TX
14. A.J. Avery 6'7 2012 PF Chicago (St. Rita) IL
15. Derrick Williams 6'6 2010 PF Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ
16. Mikhail McLean 6'7 2010 PF Houston (Second Baptist) TX

[rambacker]

RANKING OF THE TOP POWER FORWARDS AT THE REEBOK ALL-AMERICAN CAMP
 
Rank Player Height Class Position Hometown (High School) State
1. LeBryan Nash 6'7 2011 PF Dallas (Lincoln) TX
2. Khem Birch 6'9 2012 PF Winchendon (School) MA
3. Ryan Rhoomes 6'8 2010 PF Bayside (Cardozo) NY
4. Christian Griffin 6'6 2010 PF Tallahassee (Leon) FL
5. Khyle Marshall 6'6 2010 PF Pembroke Pines (Flannigan) FL
6. Joel Wright 6'6 2010 PF Brooklyn (Jefferson) NY
7. Jaylen Bond 6'7 2011 PF Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Whitemarsh) PA
8. Keaton Miles 6'6 2011 PF Dallas (Lincoln) TX
9. Donte Williams 6'9 2010 PF Ellenwood (Miller Grove) GA
10. Jalen Courtney 6'8 2010 PF Jackson (Provine) MS
11. George Matthews 6'7 2010 PF Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ
12. Tyler Olander 6'8 2010 PF Worcester (Academy) PA
13. Devonta Abron 6'6 2011 PF Seagoville (H.S.) TX
14. A.J. Avery 6'7 2012 PF Chicago (St. Rita) IL
15. Derrick Williams 6'6 2010 PF Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ
16. Mikhail McLean 6'7 2010 PF Houston (Second Baptist) TX

Saw Joel Wright recently in an AAU game.  Looks like he will be a nice player for us.  Tough, aggressive with some skills and can run.

[RAM71]

Joel is a better player than Derrick Williams and I am not surprised to see him more highly ranked. He also fits better into a running system.

[rambacker]

Here is a short bio on each of our incoming and returning players, taken from our roster in the FU Sports website:

F/C Fahro Alihodzic - 6' 10, 235 lb.
Member of the Great Britain U-20 National Team...Gives the Rams a true big man who can clog up the middle...Can also step outside and hit some shots...Will play center or power forward for the Rams...Trained at the Canarias Basketball Academy (CBA) in 2008-09 with Fordham teammate Danny Thompson...Played high school basketball for one year at St. Francis de Sales in Toledo.

G Lance Brown - 6' 3", 195 lbs.
Arrives at Fordham after a solid career at Paterson Catholic High School...A strong, physical wing player who is good at drawing fouls...A hard worker on both ends of the court...Ranked 38th best shooting guard by Scout.com.

G Brenton Butler - 6' 2", 205 lbs.
Had his 2008-09 season cut short due to injury...Appears to be fully recovered and a ready to lead a young 2009-10 squad...Third on 2007-08 squad in scoring (top returning scorer)...Also showed he can hit the boards last year, averaging 3.4 rpg...Appeared in all 29 games as a sophomore, starting 21...Stepped in and contributed in a big way as a freshman for the Rams in 2006-07...Tied for third on the team in scoring...Led team in three-point shooting percentage, ranking fourth in the Atlantic 10...Named MVP as a freshman of the annual Fordham-Manhattan game...Gave the Rams instant offense off the bench...Was the starting guard for the 2006 Georgia AAAAA state champions...Played both the point and shooting guard positions in high school...A Top 20 ranked player in high school...One of three players on his high school team to sign with an NCAA Division I school...Father, Bobby, played for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL...Brother, Brice, is a wide receiver at USC.

G Alberto Estwick - 6' 3", 185 lbs.
Looks to build off a successful freshman season...Made a smooth transition from high school to the college ranks...Earned Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors...Appeared in every game as a rookie...Needs to become more consistent...Joined the Fordham squad after a thriving high school career at St. Anthony (N.J.) High School...Member of the undefeated national high school championship team in 2007-08...Brings depth and talent to the Fordham backcourt...Played AAU ball with The Playaz and the Westchester Hawks.

G Jio Fontan - 6', 170 lbs.
Enjoyed one of the most successful freshman seasons in Fordham history...Named to the Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball All-Rookie Team as well as Third Team All-Metropolitan Conference...Became the fifth Ram to earn A-10 All-Rookie Team honors, the first since 2005...Led team and all Atlantic 10 freshmen in scoring and assists...Scored the third highest point total for a freshman in Fordham history...Ranked ninth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring, fourth in assists and 12th in assist/turnover ratio.

F Brian Freeman, 6' 8", 220 lbs.
Gives the Rams another big body who can help control the boards...Averaged over 10.0 rpg over his last two years of high school...A product of The Potomac School where he led the Panthers to the 2008 Virginia Independent Schools championship.

F Chris Gaston, 6' 7", 210 lbs.
Comes to Fordham after prepping at New Hampton Prep School in 2008-09...A pure scorer who has many offensive weapons...Has the athleticism to play either forward position...A strong leaper.

F Khiry Gordon, 6' 7", 188 lbs.
Sat out the 2008-09 season due to academics...Gives the Rams size and strength up front...Averaged 13.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg in 2007-08 at Solebury Prep prior to arriving on Rose Hill.

F Jacob Green, 6' 9", 220 lbs.
Stepped in and contributed as soon as he became eligible last December, at the end of the Fall semester...Gave the Rams a presence under the basket...Led team in blocks and was third in rebounding...Transferred to Fordham from West Virginia...Sat out the 2008 spring and fall semesters...Appeared in ten games in 2007-08 for the Mountaineers, scoring eight points (0.8 ppg) while grabbing 20 rebounds (2.0 rpg) and blocking four shots...Best game was a six-rebound, three-steal, two-block, two-point contest against Maryland-Eastern Shore on November 27th...Named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll at West Virginia in 2006-07...Sat out the 2006-07 season at West Virginia.

G Brennen Melvin, 6' 5", 195 lbs.
Brings a wealth of talent to the 2009-10 Fordham squad...An All-State performer in high school at Bishop Verot in Ft. Myers, Florida...Received Mr. Basketball honors...Led team to its first state final four as a senior...Set school career assist and rebounding records...Appeared in the FACA North-South All-Star Game.

G Herb Tanner, 6' 4, 170 lbs.
Brings experience to the Fordham backcourt after appearing in 28 games as a sophomore and 27 more as a junior... A strong, tenacious defender... Joined the team in December of 2006... Made an immediate impact, appearing in 21 games... One of the quickest players on the roster... Gives the Rams athleticism and depth at guard... Prepped for a year at Stoneridge Prep School in California... Cousin, Raheem Brock, plays for the Indianapolis Colts.

G Danny Thompson, 6' 4", 200 lbs.
Will give the Rams another guard who can shoot and defend...Brings international experience to the Fordham backcourt...Trained at the Canarias Basketball Academy (CBA) in 2008-09 with Fordham teammate Fahro Alihodzic.



 

 
 
 





 

[RamRunner12]

The more I think about it, the more I think Melvin could turn out to be a real contributor for us and a great get.  A 6'5" guy who shot 40% from deep and played PG in HS? I'm thinking good things...

[ramdude]

i didnt know butler was a top 20 ranked player in high school.....and im sure we were all pleased with the "presence" of tanner and jacob green last year.

[RAM71]

Joel Wright is ranked #152 in the Class of 2010 by Bob Gibbons. He is among 7 A-10 signees to date to be ranked in the top 175.

[Stringer Bell]

Here's the link to the entire list http://www.bobgibbons.net/index.php?/weblog/article/class_of_2010_post_summer_top_175_player_ratings/. 

It's by far the best 2010 ranking I've seen.  It's the only list that has Kyrie Irving in the top 5, Jayvaughn Pinkston in the top 25 and didn't get suckered into overrating "high-potential, average-production" guys like Shaquille Thomas, Cameron Ayers and C.J. Aiken.  Dayton-bound PG Juwan Staten is completely deserving of his top 50 ranking, he'll be a great addition to the league.  I think Joel's ranking is very fair and I think it could improve if he maintains his interior ability and works on his outside shot. 

[joeb]

hate to be negative but (hey im an  FU grad ,) thats all they could come up with for gaston's bio? lazzzzzzyyyyyyyy

[b.mann]

Just making sure...is everyone on campus, attending class, and ready to go? GO RAMS!

[rambacker]

Just making sure...is everyone on campus, attending class, and ready to go? GO RAMS!

In a word, yes. 

A footnote:  I'm hearing that Freeman may be the best athlete on the team.  Considering the athletic ability of Gaston and Thompson, that's a big statement.

[b.mann]

Does anyone have any idea where our recruited class for this year would rank in comparison with those of the rest of the A10? I'd have to think that with Gaston, Brown, and Freeman, and a couple of X factors, we must have done all right. I wouldn't be surprised to see two and maybe three of them starting by year's end. GO RAMS!

[ayteefie]

In a word, yes. 

A footnote:  I'm hearing that Freeman may be the best athlete on the team.  Considering the athletic ability of Gaston and Thompson, that's a big statement.

Its not a statement when it is not attributed to someone.

[rambacker]

Its not a statement when it is not attributed to someone.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......................

[B2Bomber]

uh......we need some BEEF on them bones....too many skinny, underdeveloped (physically) players.   

Need to get some RED MEAT and PROTEIN in them boys.....I don't like em skinny boys....

WHERE'S THE BEEF?