Aug. 31, 2007

Bronx, N.Y. - While other Fordham students are moving onto campus this weekend, the 2007-08 Fordham University men's basketball team will be dipping their toes in the waters off The Bahamas. Head coach Dereck Whittenburg has taken his team to the islands George Washington referred to as the "Isles of Perpetual June" for a five-day stay before classes start on Wednesday, September 5th.

The Rams will play a pair of games in The Bahamas, one against Guatemala University on Friday at 6:30 pm, and another against the COB Cribs on Saturday at 4 pm. The team will also have practice sessions on the trip as well as plenty of time to partake all the islands have to offer, including snorkeling and sailing. The team will return to New York on Tuesday, September 4th.

"This trip is designed to get the team some early game exposure and develop team chemistry," said Whittenburg. "Even though we're a veteran team, it still helps to have this extra time together. It also serves a great recruiting tool."

Under NCAA rules, schools are allowed to take such a preseason trip once every four years. Fordham was permitted to practice back in the Bronx prior to the trip, getting in five practices before departing. All members of the team are on the trip, with the exception of freshman Mike Moore, who could not travel due to NCAA regulations.

The Rams will be led into the 2007-08 season by seniors Bryant Dunston and Marcus Stout, who each earned All-Atlantic 10 honors last winter. Dunston, who was a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 pick in 2007, averaged 14.5 ppg, second best on the team and 16th best in the Atlantic 10, along with a team-best 7.2 rpg, ninth best in the conference. He also registered a team-high 71 blocks, third in the conference, and shot 54.5% (146-268) from the field.

Stout, an Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10 selection last year, averaged a team-high 15.3 ppg in 2006-07, 12th best in the Atlantic 10, while also leading the team in steals (49) and three-pointers made (74), ranking second and eighth in the conference, respectively.

Fordham returns its other three starters from 2006-07: seniors Kevin Anderson, Michael Binns and Sebastian Greene, along with sophomores Brenton Butler, Herb Tanner and David Boykins and juniors Chris Bethel and Luke Devine, who all contributed to the squad.

The Rams closed out the 2006-07 season with an 18-12 overall record, 10-6 in the Atlantic 10 which tied them for fourth place. The ten Atlantic 10 wins were the most for a Fordham team since the Rams joined the conference in 1995-96 while the 18 overall wins were the most for Fordham since the 1991-92 squad went 18-13, Fordham's last winning season prior to last year.