Fordham SportsNet

Here are some thoughts about Fordham basketball to hold you over as I write my game story from today’s 77-58 loss to Rhode Island:

I interviewed Jio Fontan yesterday after practice for a feature story I’m writing for collegechalktalk.com. Fontan is an outstanding basketball player. That I already knew. Game after game throughout this season the freshman point guard has dazzled us with his basketball savvy and skills. Talking to the St. Anthony’s product yesterday, I got to know Fontan on a much more personal level. This is a young man with respect for himself, the university, the game of basketball, and everyone around him. He’s been blessed with great talent, but he’s also a hard worker who continues to develop into one of the better point guards in college basketball. Again, I’ll be writing a story on Fontan for College Chalktalk in the near future, but for now you should know that he’s happy here at Fordham and believes that the program’s future is bright.

More than an hour after practice had ended yesterday, assistant coach Steve Treffiletti was working with Alberto Estwick on the freshman’s jump shot, and then later on Trefiletti moved to the other end of the court to work with Herb Tanner. While that extra work didn’t pay immediate dividends today (Estwick was 1-of-7 from the floor and Tanner shot 0-of-4 from the floor), it was nice to see the two stay after practice and work on an area of the game that has been a weakness for Fordham all year (The Rams shot 37 percent from the floor today). It was also nice to see the camaraderie Treffiletti had with the guys on the team, as well as his willingness to work overtime.

Trey Blue is back at Rose Hill. The freshman guard was on the bench today wearing dress pants and a tie. Blue recently returned to Fordham after leaving the team for personal reasons less than two weeks ago. His status for the rest of the year is uncertain, but there’s a good chance we won’t see No. 3 in uniform again.

Luke Devine (Photo courtesy of Joe DiBari)

I had a chance to catch up with Luke Devine following today’s game. The senior was upbeat despite the team’s 3-21 record. Among the highlights of our discussion, Devine talked about the academic standards at Fordham and how the education he has received here will help him in his future beyond basketball. Devine cherishes his role as a team leader, is flattered by the praise head coach Dereck Whittenburg has bestowed on him all year, and appears grateful for the opportunity to play college basketball at this level. Another really nice kid with a good head on his shoulders.

Finally, Mike Moore, who scored a career-high 28 points in today’s loss, was named to the Atlantic 10 Honor Roll yesterday. Moore averaged 22.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in losses to Xavier and Temple.

Charles Costello