Fordham's Future May Have a Much Different Look to It

The Fordham Rams finished the 2013-14 season with a record of 10-21. They lost nine of their last 10 games, including eight in a row to close out the regular season.

It's a good thing, then, that changes are on the way.

Talk about the future occupied a good chunk of time during Tom Pecora's season-ending interview with WFUV Radio.

"We're really going to look at the dynamic of the team as we move forward," he said during the interview, which was conducted on March 15, two days after Fordham's season ended in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament.

By no means was this past season a total loss. Fordham won seven non-conference games to start the season, almost pulled off two upsets (against La Salle and George Washington) at the end of the year and won the play-in game of the A-10 tournament for its first win in almost six weeks.

It was Year 4 of the Tom Pecora era at Rose Hill. Pecora is 34-85 since taking over the program in 2010. He insists better days are ahead.

"We continue to move forward," he said. "I think we're about to turn the corner in Year 5."

You can be sure Pecora is aware of Fordham's struggles over its 19 seasons in the Atlantic 10. But the head coach remains optimistic he can turn this around.

"I know it's frustrating," Pecora said. "It's been a rough 20-year run here but I was brought in to change that. I'm not about quick fixes. When we turn the corner it will be for the long term, and I anticipate it being next year."

Even though Branden Frazier was the only senior who played regularly, you can expect to see changes in 2014-15. Pecora said during the radio interview he expects one or two players to leave the program. But the big news is on the recruiting front where Pecora thinks he's making strides.

The Rams already have an official commitment from Eric Paschall, who played this season at Connecticut's St. Thomas More Prep. He'll arrive at Rose Hill with high expectations.

"Eric Paschall was named prep player of the year in New England as a 12th grader." Pecora said. "In that league you're playing with a lot of post-grad guys. That puts him in rarefied air.

"When you look at the history of the guys who've come out of there, it's a very high level. We expect him to come in and be a big part of everything we do right from the get-go."

In an interview with ESPN New York's Ian O'Connor, Paschall, who is from Dobbs Ferry, NY, sounded excited about joining the Rams.

"It's great to go somewhere 15 minutes from my house, and I think we can turn the program around quickly," he said.

Tom Konchalski, a highly respected scout and talent evaluator, thinks Fordham will be in good shape with Jon Severe, who was second on the team in scoring this season, and Paschall.

"And you have to give Tom Pecora a lot of credit for getting them," Konchalski said via the ESPN New York article. "These are signature recruits, the foundation of a program. They're the kind of kids who can raise Fordham a level in the Atlantic 10 and give them a real chance to win in that league."

Paschall's father, Juan, agrees.

"There's no better place to win than in New York, and I think Eric and Jon Severe will have Fordham winning a lot sooner than later," he told O'Connor.

Next season, the Rams will also count on Manny Suarez and Antwoine Anderson, who were both ineligible this year. And Pecora expects an additional player or two to come on board.

"We're involved with a number of point guards for next season," he said. "We are out and we're actively recruiting point guards."

Another key returning player will be forward Ryan Canty, who will be a senior next season.

Canty played as well down the stretch as anyone on the roster, giving the Rams a much-needed presence down low. In five of the last six games, he pulled down 10 or more rebounds. Against George Washington, he grabbed 16 rebounds and followed that up with 19 rebounds against George Mason and 10 more against Dayton in the A-10 tournament.

Canty took a leave of absence in November and missed six games. When he eventually returned to form, he provided a huge boost.

"One of the most impressive things was Ryan Canty's performance the last couple weeks of the season," Pecora said. "As Ryan moves into his senior year we have to make sure that he has the kind of offseason that can lead him to come in as a senior starting center for us and have the ability to put up big numbers."

Big numbers the Rams hope to get from others, too, leading to success not seen at Rose Hill in a long time.