After a 1-6 start to conference play, the Fordham Rams powered through February and early March, finishing 8-10 to secure the 8th seed in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Rams open their 2026 tournament run against George Washington in the second round.
Regular Season Recap
At their best, Fordham boasts one of the best defenses in the Atlantic 10, allowing 68.4 points per game in conference play. When Fordham’s defense clicks, they can drag teams through the mud, turning opponents over and dominating off the glass. In conference play, Fordham ranks 5th in opposing turnovers per game (11.3) and 6th in defensive rebounds per game (24.1). Via KenPom, Fordham ranks 2nd in the conference in offensive rebound %, 1st in defensive rebound %.
“I told the team ‘I believe in us,’” Magpayo said following a loss to La Salle on the road. “I don’t believe in us if we’re not committed to defending and rebounding.”
Offensively, the Rams have succeeded through a front court led by Rikus Schulte, who has averaged 3.9 offensive boards per A10 game. His 70 total offensive rebounds in conference play trail league-leader Frank Mitchell by just 1. Roor Akhuar and Abass Bodija, two young bigs who can also shoot from deep, bring extra size and depth to this tough backcourt unit.
Of course, when Fordham isn’t putting boards back under the basket, they’re kicking out to A10 leading scorer Dae Dae Reaves and floor general Christian Henry. 4 of Fordham’s 8 wins have come in games where the Rams trailed at halftime. Reaves has sparked plenty of these runs with his dynamic shot selection en route to a league-leading 18.7 PPG.
Tournament Path
While Fordham’s run through conference play has been marked by comeback wins, the Rams excelled through all 40 minutes against George Washington in their last meeting. From the tip, Fordham hammered GW in the paint for 48 points down low. Despite a close first half, Fordham broke away in the second with 14 points off turnovers and 9 second chance points in the period. Dae Dae Reaves recorded 19 points and 2 steals. Fordham only shot 22% from three in this first meeting, but 3 straight games shooting over 30% from deep to finish the regular season should keep the Rams in a solid rhythm heading into Pittsburgh.
One key difference for Fordham in this second meeting is the absence of sophomore forward Jack Whitbourn. Whitbourn, who scored 10 points and recorded 12 rebounds against the Revs, has not played in a game since February 3rd due to ongoing back spasms. As of writing this preview, his status going into the tournament is unknown.
Should Fordham beat the Revs for a second time this season, they will advance to the quarterfinals to play 1-seed Saint Louis. Fordham struggled in their first meeting at Chaifetz Arena, a 78-56 win for the Billikens. While Saint Louis has shown little signs of slowing down, they are not unbeatable, and this Fordham team has grown a lot since January 14th. Recent trends may be on the Rams side, as 5 of the last 8 A10 quarterfinal games have seen the lower seed advance. As long as Fordham can defend the arc and compete on the glass, a rematch with SLU could be a lot closer.
