Nov. 5, 2009
Bronx, N.Y. -
PHOTO GALLERY
A venue known more for its music memorabilia took on a sports theme last night as the Fordham University men's and women's basketball squads hosted the 2009 Tip-Off reception at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square.
Fordham supporters were able to mingle with men's head coach Dereck Whittenburg and women's head coach Cathy Andruzzi as well as meet members of the 2009-10 men's and women's programs.
Frank McLaughlin, Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation, led off the program, welcoming those in attendance and letting them know just how important their support is to the basketball programs. He also mentioned the strong work ethic of the members of the basketball programs.
"We're all very proud of our student-athletes," said McLaughlin. "They excel not only on the basketball court but they also work extremely hard on the academic side and do a great job representing Fordham."
McLaughlin spoke of the importance of the men's team playing two games at off-campus venues, a December 19th match-up with Villanova at the Izod Center and an Atlantic 10 game at Madison Square Garden with Dayton on January 13th, and how important it is for the fans to turn out for those games.
Each coach was then asked to say a few words and introduce their teams with both coaches speaking about the foundations they are building with their respective programs. Andruzzi started by thanking all those involved with the reception and discussed her squad.
"We're building our program on a foundation of strength and integrity," said Andruzzi. "Every member of the program since I have been here has graduated and that's what we strive for."
Andruzzi reminded the fans to mark December 5th on their calendar. That will be the day the Rams retire the jersey number of Anne Gregory, Fordham's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, as part of Women's Basketball Alumni Day. For more information on the day click here.
Andruzzi went on to point out that the annual Fordham Holiday Classic is becoming more popular and has already attracted Yale, Cornell and Villanova for next year. She also broke the news that the women's basketball team will appear on television this year as the Duquesne game has been moved from January 16th to January 17th so that it can be televised live on the CBS Regional network at noon.
The women's squad returns seven players from last year, who will be joined by seven newcomers. Leading the veterans will be senior forward Randall Hurst, who averaged team-highs 12.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg in 2008-09, along with sophomore guard Becky Peters, who enjoyed a solid rookie season, averaging 10.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg, both second best on the squad.
Andruzzi sees the most improvement coming in the post area, where the Rams now have five players that will rotate at the spot. She also mentioned how the backcourt is getting stronger and how she is bringing in quality players to be more competitive in the Atlantic 10, the top non-BCS conference in the country.
After each member of the women's team introduced themselves, it was time for the men's team to take the stage as the 2009-10 Rams introduced themselves to the crowd before Whittenburg took the microphone to address the supporters.
"I think it's great for the administration showing its support for the program," said Whittenburg, referring to the decision to raise funds for an advertising campaign that has spread the word about Fordham basketball in radio, newspaper and billboard placements.
He also mentioned how the basketball program is helping to promote other Fordham sports via his web site at www.coachwhittenburg.com, which features not only pieces on the men's basketball program but on other programs as well. Last year, women's basketball, softball, baseball, and football were among some of the other programs that were highlighted on the web site.
Whittenburg went on to speak of the state of the men's basketball program. "When I started at Fordham our motto was `Passion and Patience'," said Whittenburg. "Now we have to continue to build on that, continue to grow as a program and continue to improve."
Although Whittenburg will see six new faces suit up for his side this winter, there is still plenty of experience returning, led by sophomore guard Jio Fontan and senior captain Brenton Butler, who will be expected to provide the young team with leadership and guidance. Fontan is coming off a thriving freshman campaign, a season in which he led the team in scoring and was selected to the 2009 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team. Butler, who missed most of last season after suffering an injury in the seventh game of the year, appears fully healed and is ready to get back on the court.
The 2009-10 season starts on Friday, November 13th, for both programs as the women host Albany in the Rose Hill Gym at 6:00 p.m. followed by the men hosting Maine at 8:00 p.m. Season and individual game tickets are available on-line by clicking here.
