In a raucous Rose Hill Gym, Fordham came out of the gate slow but recovered in time to win their first postseason game in thirty years over former Patriot League rival Army. By virtue of Fordham’s first round win, the Rams will host the Terriers of Boston University on Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm.
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to end for Fordham. With a 12-0 run to begin the game, it looked like the Rams were on their way to an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time since 1994. However, with under 10 seconds to go, the clock finally struck midnight on this magical season as freshman Samantha Clark was whistled for a questionable offensive foul giving St. Joes their first A-10 championship since 1999.
I write this open letter to you to implore you to look deeper than RPI, SOS, and wins and losses. I ask that you select on more variables than simple statistics, because they often fail to grasp the growth and maturation process of a basketball team. I ask that you consider a few things, statistical and otherwise, when you consider the Fordham Rams for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament...
It wasn’t supposed to end this way. A magical run to the Atlantic 10 Final by Fordham women’s basketball ended in bitter disappointment at the Barclays Center, as the Rams fell to the Hawks of Saint Joseph’s, 47-46. Saint Joseph’s, by virtue of their tournament victory, claimed the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and the league’s championship trophy. For Fordham, the loss dimmed hopes of an NCAA tournament berth as the Rams wait to hear of their postseason fate on Monday night.
What: Big East Tournament, Championship Game
When: March 16th, 2013 - 8:30 PM
Where: Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Who: Syracuse Orange vs. Louisville Cardinals
Syracuse
From #1 Georgetown all the way down to #14 DePaul, every team in the 2013 Big East Tournament senses the increased importance of one of College Basketball’s greatest five-day stretches. For one final time, storied rivalries will be played out at Madison Square Garden starting Tuesday night. No longer will we see overtime thrillers between Syracuse and Connecticut, or Buzz Williams yelling in the face of an official as Pittsburgh gives him the business.
On Saturday, Kenny Ducey and Steve Simineri chatted with Lenn Robbins, who covers College Hoops for the Post, and Marc Berman, the paper's Knicks Beat Writer.
Robbins previewed a great championship week ahead by discussing some bubble teams, such as Kentucky, as well as discussed the state of the Big East. Hear why he thinks the Big Ten is the NCAA's superior conference, even though the Big East is projected to have more teams in the tournament at the moment.
It would be easy for a team to be content with securing an A10 berth with four games remaining in the conference slate. Of course the Fordham Women’s Basketball team isn’t nearly done completing one of the most drastic turnarounds in the nation just yet.
Brad Johansen, a national basketball broadcaster for CBSSports Network and the voice of the Xavier Musketeers on Fox Sports Ohio was at the Cintas Center on Wednesday to see his Musketeers take on Fordham. He may have been at the arena to watch Xavier, but surely he was also scouting the Rams before he commentates the Fordham v. Butler clash on Saturday afternoon in the Rose Hill Gym.
A split of a two game conference road trip would be considered a major success a year ago. After all, the Rams only won one of their seven conference road games in 2012. In 2013, however, the achievement is disappointing for a new look team with a new found confidence.
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