Jeff Neubauer imparts words of wisdom in the huddle as Fordham begins 2015-16 season with opening practice Saturday afternoon at Rose Hill Gym. (Photo courtesy of Jaden Daly)
Fordham officially opened its new era Saturday afternoon, with head coach Jeff Neubauer conducting his first practice since taking over last March, playing equal parts instructor and teammate during a spirited drill session at Rose Hill Gymnasium.
"I think our group has really had the right approach and attitude," Neubauer commented shortly after putting his new team through its paces on both sides of the basketball. "They want to get better, and they're very eager to be winners."
Admittedly, the Rams' new leader is still putting the puzzle together in terms of his rotation and starting lineup, revealing that he did not yet have a first unit per se, although it appeared as though most of last year's returning starters are on track to see a majority of the minutes this season.
Fordham opens the season at Texas-Arlington on November 14, but in the meantime, here are some observations from watching practice No. 1 up close and personal:
- This isn't going to be the same Fordham team people have grown accustomed to.
It only took a few minutes to notice the change in tenor under Neubauer as compared to his predecessor, Tom Pecora. Whereas the Rams were notorious for playing tentative and predictable basketball in Pecora's five-year tenure, Neubauer was unafraid to mix it up, displaying facets of an uptempo offensive attack paired with a pressing defensive scheme that emphasizes constant awareness of where the ball is at all times. "Our guys did certainly play very hard in this first practice," the coach highlighted, "and that's what we're after, is to fly around and play with incredible energy."
- Jon Severe did more than just go through the motions defensively.
During his first two seasons, much had been made of Severe's tendency to take possessions off, a characteristic that landed him in Pecora's doghouse through much of his sophomore campaign despite his scoring prowess. Under Neubauer, and granted, this was only the first practice of what could end up being a very long season, it seems as though a fire has been lit under the Brooklyn native. On more than one occasion, he hounded Mandell Thomas up and down the floor, not once giving his backcourt partner a moment's peace during one-on-one drills.
- Ryan Canty may be in the best shape of his career.
Time will tell whether or not the fifth-year senior's back will be able to withstand an entire season, but any apparent rust in the rebounding extraordinaire's game looked mainly nonexistent. "He's been super," Neubauer gushed. "During the summer, he was really just trying to get back into a rhythm, but right now, he really is playing with a lot of passion, he's playing with a smile on his face. I like the effort that he's giving." Look for Canty to see minutes off the bench at the beginning of the season in relief of Ryan Rhoomes and Christian Sengfelder before potentially taking on a bigger role as the season goes on.
- Speaking of Sengfelder...
The German forward, now the Rams' top returning forward following the transfer of Eric Paschall, has started to develop more of a post game after playing most of his freshman season as a stretch four. Sengfelder is still a work in progress down low, but spent the bulk of the practice session working on his moves under the basket and in its vicinity, something that should enable him to have more of an impact on Fordham's interior presence.
- An interchangeable and deep backcourt.
Backcourt depth was always a calling card of Fordham under Pecora, who left the cupboard full for his successor. At first blush, it looks as if Antwoine Anderson will get an increase in minutes after working alongside Mandell Thomas throughout the afternoon, with the two alternating between running the offense from the point guard spot and playing off the ball. After those two, Nemanja Zarkovic remains a steady hand as he goes into his sophomore season. Behind Severe, all three of the Rams' freshman guards are capable shooters, particularly Jahshire Hardnett, the 5-11 left-hander from Mississippi, who drained several NBA-range threes from the corners.
Neubauer preached this in every defensive workout, which comprised the majority of the practice on the whole. "We've got to think of ourselves as defenders," he stated matter-of-factly, even after complimenting the unselfish play of his team on the offensive end. "We have to have a defensive DNA, and our guys are beginning to understand that."
Prior to GW game @ Rose Hill Mike Lonergan summed up TP's team pretty well "they can't score in the half court". I'm expecting to see much improved dribbling from AA; he certainly has the athletic ability.
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