Busting Brackets
Fansided

Atlantic 10 Basketball: 2020-21 power rankings heading into conference play

By Benjamin Zacher

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 15: The Atlantic 10 logo on the court before the game between the George Washington Colonials and the Richmond Spiders at the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center on January 15, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 15: The Atlantic 10 logo on the court before the game between the George Washington Colonials and the Richmond Spiders at the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center on January 15, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Joel Soriano Fordham Rams (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Joel Soriano Fordham Rams (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

14. Fordham Rams

  • 2020-21 record: 0-2 overall, 0-2 A-10
  • Previous ranking: 14th

I will give Fordham the benefit of the doubt – at least, a little bit.  They were one of the last teams to get their seasons underway after COVID-19 issues at both Fordham and opposing schools forced the Rams to postpone all games prior to the holidays – with the start of their season finally set for December 30th.

The issue for the Rams is that they have played two games against two of the worst teams in the A-10 – and have been destroyed both times.  Their season-opener against George Washington – just days after the Colonials lost their second-best player – saw the Rams get blown out at home, 71-47.  Days later, on January 2nd, Fordham lost by an even wider margin at La Salle, 89-52.

The Rams have been a mess offensively, ranking among the nation’s worst from beyond the arc (14.6%, 338th) and inside on two-pointers (38.6%, 334th).  They are just as bad on the other end of the court, allowing teams to shoot 58.9% inside (329th), and they are just 1% shy of being the worst team in Div. I in 3P% defense, allowing teams to drain 49.0% of their outside shots.

If there has been a bright spot for the Rams, it has been the inside play of sophomore Joel Soriano, who has recorded double-doubles in both of Fordham’s games thus far.  Against GW, he recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds as well as four blocks, and followed that up with a 16-point, 13-rebound performance at La Salle.

The road does not get any easier for Jeff Neubauer’s Rams – their next three games come against Dayton, Duquesne, and Saint Bonaventure, all sleeper teams in the Atlantic 10.

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