By Joe Budzelek (@JBudzelek)
NEW YORK — On Friday night, Fordham extended its home winning streak to three games with a convincing 80-58 victory over LIU, stymying the reigning Northeast Conference champions and preseason favorite to repeat in the NEC.
Entering the contest averaging double figures apiece, Akira Jacobs and Amir Lindsey combined for just ten points, opening the door for Fordham’s underclassmen to step into the spotlight. Kelvin Odih, Roor Akhuar and Abass Bodija took full advantage, accounting for much of the Rams’ offensive production in an encouraging collective effort, combining to score a total of 39 points.
After a sluggish start, Fordham found its rhythm and pushed the pace behind a pair of Odih highlight-reel finishes that electrified the Rose Hill crowd and provided an early glimpse of what the St. John’s transfer could bring to the Rams this season.
Defensively, Akhuar was particularly disruptive on the perimeter as the Rams introduced a zone for the first time this season to neutralize the impact of LIU’s leading scorer, Daquan Davis, who converted just two of his eleven field goal attempts. Akhuar was instrumental in Fordham’s defensive effort, while his 13 points marked the first time in his career that he had scored in double figures in consecutive games.
Overall, Fordham’s dominance over LIU was built largely on the strength of its blue-collar identity, and nobody embodied that approach more than Bodija. The redshirt sophomore big man was a force in the paint from the opening minutes, eventually finishing with a career-high 23 points and the first double-double of the season — the third of his young career — as the Rams cruised to victory over the Sharks.
For head coach Mike Magpayo, however, Bodija’s performance was less of a surprise than another indication of what he believed was coming. Magpayo has been bullish on Bodija’s potential since the summer, repeatedly identifying the Australian forward as an under-the-radar player capable of taking a significant step forward. Friday’s performance offered perhaps the clearest glimpse yet.
“We spliced up some video of what opposing teams have been saying about our bigs and our rebounding,” Magpayo explained postgame. “I could tell from Abass’ early rebounds that he was ready to go. He was just grabbing everything above the rim.”
Bodija credited the coaching staff’s challenge to the frontcourt with setting the tone for his performance, particularly following the team’s previous outing against Iona.
“The coaches challenged our bigs after Iona, particularly with being physical on the glass, finishing around the rim and bringing that presence in the paint,” Bodija said. “That was something I wanted to establish from the start, whether it was rebounding, finishing or just being physical.”
The challenge wasn’t necessarily anything new for Bodija, who understood that improving his motor and consistency would be central to taking the next step in his development.
“Coach challenged my work ethic toward the end of last year, particularly my motor,” he said. “That was something I kept in the back of my mind throughout the summer. I wanted my motor and work ethic on the court to be as high as possible, and I think that elevated my game tremendously.”
A relationship built on taking chances
Perhaps the most compelling part of Bodija’s emergence is the path that brought him to Fordham in the first place.
Magpayo and Bodija’s relationship dates back to their time at UC Riverside, where the coaching staff took a chance on the Australian forward as he worked through an injury and continued developing his game, eventually taking another chance on one another when Magpayo made the move to Rose Hill, despite Bodija never having suited up for him at Riverside.
“Don’t get me emotional, because I already got it,” Magpayo said when discussing Bodija. “I talked to him on the phone three weeks ago, and I got emotional. I hung up on him because of that.”
Magpayo paused, but then continued, reflecting on the journey that brought Bodija to this point.
“He was rehabbing an injury, and he had been away from basketball for a couple of years,” Magpayo elaborated. “Both of us took a chance on each other. I’d seen his film from when he was 14, 15 and 16 years old, and he decided to come to Riverside and rehab with us while redshirting. Then we took another chance on each other when he came with me to Fordham.”
What has impressed Magpayo most isn’t simply the production, but the consistency and leadership Bodija has developed along the way.
“We could see it in the summer and the fall,” he said. “The consistency was there. He’s found his voice and developed some leadership qualities. That’s why I said at the A-10 meetings that he was my under-the-radar guy. I guess he won’t be under the radar anymore. They’ll know about him now.”
A deeper group with plenty of room to grow
While Bodija’s performance was the headliner, Friday also offered another encouraging look at the depth Magpayo is beginning to develop throughout his rotation. The Rams received contributions from several underclassmen, with Odih providing an offensive spark and Desmond Bellot, Jr. becoming the first freshman off the bench in both halves.
Still, the head coach was quick to emphasize that Friday’s result was another step in the process rather than a finished product.
“If we’re not our best selves, you can lose to anybody. But if we are our best selves, we can beat anybody,” Magpayo said. “We’re a work in progress. We’re not a finished product at all. Today was another glimpse of what we can do.”
Magpayo pointed to the contributions throughout the rotation, noting that Fordham still has plenty of room to grow, including from players who haven’t yet reached their full potential.
“That’s what’s so exciting about it,” he proclaimed. “We haven’t really seen Jack Whitbourn get going yet. You’ve now seen what Roor Akhuar can do for two games in a row. We were able to go to Kelvin Odih, and Desmond gave us great defensive minutes. I’m telling you, Hassan (Koureissi) is going to have some big games, too. It’s really fun to have some depth, but we’ve got to keep growing. We have a long way to go.”
For Magpayo, Bodija’s career night was about more than 23 points or another double-double. It was the embodiment of a relationship that began years ago, when both sides took a chance on one another, and the result of a summer’s worth of work to become a more consistent presence on both ends of the floor. Magpayo has spent much of the past several months identifying Bodija as one of the Atlantic 10’s potential breakout players.
After Friday’s performance, that prediction is looking less like an ambitious projection and more like a glimpse of what’s ahead.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this guy,” Magpayo said.
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