Whittenburg's young Rams take on Duquesne, which won last meeting
Fordham men's basketball coach Dereck Whittenburg may have been spoiled by his own team's success recently.
It wasn't until a 61-57 home loss to Duquesne exactly one week ago that the second-year Rams coach came to a realization.
"That [Duquesne loss] was maybe the first time in a month that we didn't play that well," said Whittenburg, whose roster features five freshmen, including three that start. "I thought to myself, 'Shoot, this is the first time the kids looked like freshmen.' "
Fordham (12-15) gets another opportunity against Duquesne (8-21) at 6:30 tonight in a first-round Atlantic 10 Tournament game at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. "You want to play a team that just beat you, and especially at your place," Whittenburg said. "We've gotten to the point where we think we're pretty good, but we're not as good as we have the potential to be yet."
Fordham, which had won seven of 11 games before ending the season with losses to Duquesne and Saint Joseph's, has enjoyed a memorable campaign. The Rams, who went 8-8 in league play, recorded their most wins in the conference since they joined the A-10 in 1995.
Fordham also produced its most wins overall since it won 12 games during the 2000-01 season.
But all of that will mean little if the Rams don't refocus against Duquesne. "I don't think our young guys have gotten to that point where we get mad about somebody coming in and taking something from us," Whittenburg said. "That was an important game for us, and we didn't play with a sense of urgency."
The Rams might also be too young to have a sense of history, at least when it comes to Fordham in the postseason conference tournament. The Rams have never won an Atlantic 10 Tournament game, having endured nine straight first-round exits.
"We know if we don't win the tournament we're not going to play [any] postseason [games]," Whittenburg said. "I think it's good we have this edge, so we can go into the tournament with the right attitude."
Fordham men's basketball coach Dereck Whittenburg may have been spoiled by his own team's success recently.
It wasn't until a 61-57 home loss to Duquesne exactly one week ago that the second-year Rams coach came to a realization.
"That [Duquesne loss] was maybe the first time in a month that we didn't play that well," said Whittenburg, whose roster features five freshmen, including three that start. "I thought to myself, 'Shoot, this is the first time the kids looked like freshmen.' "
Fordham (12-15) gets another opportunity against Duquesne (8-21) at 6:30 tonight in a first-round Atlantic 10 Tournament game at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. "You want to play a team that just beat you, and especially at your place," Whittenburg said. "We've gotten to the point where we think we're pretty good, but we're not as good as we have the potential to be yet."
Fordham, which had won seven of 11 games before ending the season with losses to Duquesne and Saint Joseph's, has enjoyed a memorable campaign. The Rams, who went 8-8 in league play, recorded their most wins in the conference since they joined the A-10 in 1995.
Fordham also produced its most wins overall since it won 12 games during the 2000-01 season.
But all of that will mean little if the Rams don't refocus against Duquesne. "I don't think our young guys have gotten to that point where we get mad about somebody coming in and taking something from us," Whittenburg said. "That was an important game for us, and we didn't play with a sense of urgency."
The Rams might also be too young to have a sense of history, at least when it comes to Fordham in the postseason conference tournament. The Rams have never won an Atlantic 10 Tournament game, having endured nine straight first-round exits.
"We know if we don't win the tournament we're not going to play [any] postseason [games]," Whittenburg said. "I think it's good we have this edge, so we can go into the tournament with the right attitude."
