Rams Kick Off Basketball Season: How Well Do You Know Fordham Basketball?

1. On Saturday, December 5, Fordham will retire No. 55 in honor of Anne Gregory O’Connell, FCRH ’80, during halftime of the Rams’ game against Rider University. She’ll become the first woman to have her number retired at Fordham, and only one of two former basketball players to receive the honor. Who was the first Ram to have his number retired?

Joseph Paterno

Bryant Dunston

Ed Conlin

John Andariese

In 2005, Fordham retired No. 11 in honor of Ed Conlin, CBA ’55, a two-time All-American. Conlin, who played in the National Basketball Association for seven years, was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. He later played for the Detroit Pistons for a season before finishing his career with the Philadelphia Warriors.

Explanation

In 2005, Fordham retired No. 11 in honor of Ed Conlin, CBA ’55, a two-time All-American. Conlin, who played in the National Basketball Association for seven years, was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. He later played for the Detroit Pistons for a season before finishing his career with the Philadelphia Warriors.

2. Last season, guard Jio Fontan finished among the top 15 in the Atlantic 10 in five different categories. In which of the following categories was he not among the league leaders?

Field Goal Percentage

Rebounding

Assist-to-Turnover Ratio

Minutes per Game

Fontan, who led the Rams and all Atlantic 10 freshmen in scoring and assists, finished fourth in the league in assists, ninth in scoring, 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio and 15th in field goal percentage.

Explanation

Fontan, who led the Rams and all Atlantic 10 freshmen in scoring and assists, finished fourth in the league in assists, ninth in scoring, 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio and 15th in field goal percentage.

3. On Wednesday, January 13, the men’s basketball team will play Atlantic 10 rival Dayton at Madison Square Garden. The game will be the Rams’ 114th overall at the World’s Most Famous Arena. When was the last time the Rams played at the Garden?

1975

1991

2001

2002

The Rams lost to St. John’s 81-53 on December 7, 2002.

Explanation

The Rams lost to St. John’s 81-53 on December 7, 2002.

4. Earlier this year, former Ram Mobolaji Akiode, CBA ’04, established a nonprofit youth-sports organization in her native Nigeria. What is the name of her organization?

World Hoops Nigeria

MOAK Sports

Hope 4 Girls Nigeria

Baseline Nigeria

Akiode’s Hope 4 Girls Nigeria program fosters self-confidence, cultural tolerance and teamwork through the game of basketball. It includes literacy programs and basketball clinics run by college coaches from the United States and Africa.

Explanation

Akiode’s Hope 4 Girls Nigeria program fosters self-confidence, cultural tolerance and teamwork through the game of basketball. It includes literacy programs and basketball clinics run by college coaches from the United States and Africa.

5. Which website described Fordham’s freshman class as one of the top 25 the nation?

Scout.com

SI.com

CBS Sports.com

DraftExpress.com

Dave Teleps, a recruiting expert with Scout.com, had this to say about Fordham’s freshman class: “None of the guys are in our top 100, but I thought of Fordham's recruiting class as a Top 25 class in the nation,” he wrote. “Lance Brown is a stud and Chris Gaston is a late bloomer. Jio Fontan and now this? This is a program to keep an eye on.”

Explanation

Dave Teleps, a recruiting expert with Scout.com, had this to say about Fordham’s freshman class: “None of the guys are in our top 100, but I thought of Fordham's recruiting class as a Top 25 class in the nation,” he wrote. “Lance Brown is a stud and Chris Gaston is a late bloomer. Jio Fontan and now this? This is a program to keep an eye on.”

6. Who was the leading scorer for the Fordham Rams women’s basketball team last season?

Randall Hurst

Becky Peters

Kristina Bell

Tiffany Stokes

Guard Randall Hurst led the Rams in scoring last year with an impressive 12 points per game, good enough for 16th overall in the Atlantic 10. She was also 15th in the conference with a team-leading six rebounds-per-game, and led the Rams with four double-doubles.

Explanation

Guard Randall Hurst led the Rams in scoring last year with an impressive 12 points per game, good enough for 16th overall in the Atlantic 10. She was also 15th in the conference with a team-leading six rebounds-per-game, and led the Rams with four double-doubles.

7. On Saturday, December 19, the men’s basketball team will play Big East powerhouse Villanova, a Final Four team last season, at the Izod Center, in East Rutherford, N.J. Coincidentally, the game comes almost 27 years to the day of the Rams’ first game at the Meadowlands, a victory against which Big East team?

Georgetown

St. John's

Seton Hall

Syracuse

The Rams beat the Syracuse Orangemen 79-78 at the Meadowlands, on December 12, 1981.That year, the Rams, led by team captains Tony Foust and David Maxwell, finished second in the MAAC conference and earned a trip to the National Invitational Tournament.

Explanation

The Rams beat the Syracuse Orangemen 79-78 at the Meadowlands, on December 12, 1981.That year, the Rams, led by team captains Tony Foust and David Maxwell, finished second in the MAAC conference and earned a trip to the National Invitational Tournament.

8. In 2004, Rams Coach Cathy Andruzzi was inducted, along with her college teammates, into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Her college team, ranked No. 2 nationally during the 1972-1973 season, was the first women’s team inducted into the hall of fame. Which school did she play for?

St. John’s

Manhattan

Queen’s College

Columbia

While attending Queen’s College, Andruzzi was a member of the first women’s team from New York City to play for a national championship, and the first women’s collegiate team to play at Madison Square Garden.

Explanation

While attending Queen’s College, Andruzzi was a member of the first women’s team from New York City to play for a national championship, and the first women’s collegiate team to play at Madison Square Garden.

Rams Kick Off Basketball Season: How Well Do You Know Fordham Basketball?

2.

What first name or nickname would you like us to use?

2. Last season, guard Jio Fontan finished among the top 15 in the Atlantic 10 in five different categories. In which of the following categories was he not among the league leaders?

3. On Wednesday, January 13, the men’s basketball team will play Atlantic 10 rival Dayton at Madison Square Garden. The game will be the Rams’ 114th overall at the World’s Most Famous Arena. When was the last time the Rams played at the Garden?

4. Earlier this year, former Ram Mobolaji Akiode, CBA ’04, established a nonprofit youth-sports organization in her native Nigeria. What is the name of her organization?

5. Which website described Fordham’s freshman class as one of the top 25 the nation?

6. Who was the leading scorer for the Fordham Rams women’s basketball team last season?

8. In 2004, Rams Coach Cathy Andruzzi was inducted, along with her college teammates, into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Her college team, ranked No. 2 nationally during the 1972-1973 season, was the first women’s team inducted into the hall of fame. Which school did she play for?