Fordham's Ryan Rhoomes Growing into Role of Team Leader

Fordham's Tom Pecora knew he'd be coaching a young team in 2014-15. But he also knew that his veterans—two juniors and one senior—would be just as important to the team's success as the seven freshmen. 

When Pecora met the media following Fordham's win over Siena last Monday, he brought with him Ryan Rhoomes, the Rams' 6'8" junior forward, fresh off a six-point, 17-rebound, five-block performance that helped the Rams end their four-game skid.

"He dominated the backboards," Pecora said about Rhoomes during his remarks about the game. "He was solid in a lot of ways, and that was a key for us."

Rhoomes, a co-captain, led the Rams in rebounding (6.9 per game) and blocks (28 total) last season.

But this season, Fordham needs more from him. A star coming out of high school, Rhoomes has the potential to be a dominating force in the paint. With senior Ryan Canty out for the year following back surgery, he's one of just three upperclassmen who will see significant minutes. Fordham desperately needs his ability, size and leadership.

"We need our veterans just to show the way, lead the way for these freshmen," Pecora said. 

Rhoomes was a major force in the Rams' win over Siena. Both of his field goals came at crucial points in the second half. With 10 minutes, 27 seconds to go, he connected off a feed from Antwoine Anderson that put Fordham ahead by 11. With 7:19 to play and the Saints cutting into the lead, Rhoomes grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul while connecting on a layup that gave the Rams a six-point lead. Of his 17 rebounds on the night, six came on the offensive end.

Not to be overlooked was his play on the other end of the floor, where Fordham turned in its best defensive effort of the season.

"[Ryan's] out there making the calls," Pecora said when addressing the defense. "I'm doing a lot of it through him."

It was quite the journey for Rhoomes before he finally arrived at Rose Hill in 2012. As a senior in high school, he led Cardozo in Queens, New York, to the Borough Championship and the PSAL Class AAA title game, averaged 16.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Rhoomes' high school career began at Middletown South in New York. He also attended NIA Prep in Newark, New Jersey, the year before he joined the Rams.

So far this season, Rhoomes has shown flashes of what people hoped he'd be able to provide on a nightly basis. He leads the Atlantic 10 in rebounding, averaging 11.2 per game (6.2 on the offensive end). He pulled down 13 rebounds in Fordham's opening-night win over the New York Institute of Technology, 15 in the loss to UMass Lowell and then 17 in the Rams' second win of the year. He's averaging nine points per game, and he has 12 blocks through the first six games of the season.

"This year Coach [Pecora] wanted me to go out there and make up for Canty not being around," Rhoomes said after the Siena game. "I knew I had to step up on the boards."

Last Monday, on a night when freshman sensation Eric Paschall blocked a shot at the buzzer that sealed the win and garnered the attention, it was the overall play of the junior Rhoomes that was arguably the most noteworthy takeaway for Fordham.

Quotations in this article were obtained firsthand.

Charles Costello covers the Fordham Rams for Bleacher Report. A full archive of his articles can be found here. Follow him on Twitter: @CFCostello