Fordham at UMASS 2/3/21 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

The Fordham Rams travel on the road to William D. Mullins Memorial Center to take on the UMass Minutemen. Fordham has dropped six in a row and is coming off a 86-62 loss on their home floor to Duquense dropping the Rams to 1-8 on the year. UMass had a three-game win streak snapped with a 69-60 home-loss to Davidson dropping to 5-4 (4-2 conference). 

UMass loves to push the tempo and comes in averaging 80.2 points per game ranking 35th in the country in scoring offense. The Minutemen have lived up to their name this season and are 21st in adjusted tempo but have at times struggle to score the ball efficiently and are shooting 41.6% from the field.

Sophomore center Tre Mitchell has been a force to be reckoned with in the paint averaging 20 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, both team-highs. Mitchell was the A-10 ROY last season and despite standing at 6’9 can step out and hit the three, cashing in on 37.9% of his 3.2 attempts from beyond the arc. Fellow sophomore Noah Fernandes is the distributor dishing out 5.2 assists and adding 11.9 points per game.

Fordham is the nation’s worst scoring offense averaging just 51.2 points per game on just 34.6% shooting. The Rams have struggled to get anything going and despite playing at the 341st fastest tempo in the country, also rank 356th in effective field-goal percentage. And when you’re playing slow and not making shots, you’re not going to win a whole lot of games. 

Leading the way for the Rams is junior guard Chris Austin is leading the way in scoring with 12.1 points and is a true-score making 35.8% of his 5.9 attempts from beyond the arc. In the paint, it’s Joel Soriano operating in the paint with 10.2 points and pulling down a team-high 8.9 boards per game. Distributing the offense is Jalen Cobb averaging 4.2 assists per game and adding 6.8 points.

UMass and their up-tempo play has led to a struggling defense that is allowing 74.3 points per game ranking 268th in the country in scoring offense. Opponents have been able to score the ball at will averaging 46.8% from the field, the 300th defensive field-goal percentage nationally. Fordham is holding teams to 67.3 points per game ranking 102nd in scoring defense but opponents are shooting 44.5% from the field.