In the first half of a game that the Rams would like to forget, Will Tavares appeared to come down with a calf injury. He ended up missing the rest of the game, and as the contest continued on, he could be seen at the end of the bench in street clothes. Usually, even when a team’s best scorer goes down with an injury, it can find other ways to score. For the Rams vs. Duquesne, that did not happen. The Rams only put up 15 points in the second half and started that half without a point until the 13 minute mark, when the game was already lost.
If the injury turns out to be a serious one, I don’t know where the scoring is going to come from for the Fordham basketball team. Joseph Chartouny is incredibly talented, but at times, he is way too unselfish with the ball. He passed up multiple opportunities to score yesterday against Duquesne, and wound up with only 3 points (coming after a game in which he posted a season-high 26 points).
Depending on how long Tavares will be out, if indeed he does miss a couple games, it is going to be hard for the Rams to put points on the board. Chartouny is going to have to completely change his mindset to that of a scorer. In fact, he should probably do that whether Tavares is playing or not. In games where he has 15 or more points, the Rams have boasted a 5-1 record, which makes them 1-8 in the other nine, when he has less than 15.
Injuries throughout this season have really hurt Fordham this year, and pending on how severe the injury to Tavares is, it could be the tipping point. He has led the team this year, currently averaging 16.5 ppg, and the game yesterday was the first time he hasn’t reached double figures this season.
The solution is quite simple, but it relies on Chartouny wanting to become a great scorer. He definitely has the talent, but now he has to take charge. When that happens, it will open up shots for Ivan Raut and company from distance, and what ensues will be a new and improved offense. But it all starts with Chartouny taking (or at least trying to take) that first step.
The Rams will play St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, led by two of the best guards in the country, and we will see if Tavares will be healthy enough to play. If not, the Rams will need someone to step up and score the ball. Will Chartouny take the challenge… time will tell.
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