Magpayo had spent the previous five seasons at the helm of UC Riverside and led the Highlighters to two 20+ win seasons while cultivating recognition for his unique analytics-first approach.
When he arrived in The Bronx this offseason, he immediately rebuilt this Rams roster and used that analytical based style to help navigate the transfer portal by recruiting undervalued talent.
Dejour Reaves’ arrival from Iona, Zarique Nutter’s signing from Georgia State and Christian Henry moving over from Eastern Michigan were the highlights of Fordham’s transfer class. But additions like Rikus Schulte, Abass Bodija, Akira Jacobs, Marcus Greene, Louis Lesmond and more all represent depth, significant potential and the opportunity for growth on Rose Hill.
However, the Magpayo era started off by going anything but according to plan as the Rams lost their season opener at home to KenPom’s 356th-ranked team this preseason: NJIT.
Nutter struggled shooting on the night and went just 5-of-16 from the floor and 0-for-3 from deep and though he finished with 15 points, it forced Reaves to do much of the early lifting. He managed 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals while the rest of Fordham’s rotation was fairly quiet allowing NJIT to see out the eventual 72-61 win.
It’ll be one of the Atlantic 10’s biggest upsets this season but the Rams were able to respond with a blowout win over Mount Saint Mary (D3) in which Nutter led the way with 19 points while Bodija had a double-double. It’s a new look group but after being punched in the mouth early, it was easy to see Fordham building some confidence.
That dominant win gave way to Tuesday night where the Rams welcomed Wagner to The Bronx and, in a back-and-forth bout, Fordham prevailed 63-61 with a game-winner from Reaves in the waning seconds.
H2 | :6.0
Fordham – 63
Wagner – 61Dejour Reaves has struggled shooting tonight but somehow, someway, just connected on a turn around jumper as the shot clock expired to give Fordham the lead with six seconds left! @mid_madness pic.twitter.com/subiYzWjFD
— Riley Frain (@rileyfrain) November 12, 2025
Fordham went down double-digits early, was losing by seven at the end of the first half, battled seven different lead changes in the second half and still prevailed. Even amidst all that adversity and in the wake of everything that had built up over the past two weeks, Magpayo’s confidence never waiver.
“These guys have pride,” he said. “I saved it till this morning before shoot around but we showed them all the comments [on social media] from last week. These guys have pride and heart and I knew it. I told them even if [our mentality] came into question, I’m there with these guys and I’m gonna fight.”
Reaves was the perfect example and after a slow shooting start in the first half, he still worked his way to 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and of course, the eventual game-winner.
Even on a night in which he struggled from the field, making just 5-of-14 shots, Reaves said it’s a testament to the belief and trust that his head coach and teammates have placed in him.
“My coaches and every single player on the team, they’ve got a lot of faith in me,” Reaves said. “[Whether] I’m having a good night or an off night, they want me to take that shot each and every time. Knowing that they have confidence in me, I feel like I can make that shot ten times out of ten.”
This biggest development from the night was the emergence of junior forward Rikus Schulte who actually began his career in the A10 with Davidson back in 2023-24. More recently, he made 33 appearances under Magpayo at UC Riverside but only averaged 3.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG.
Against Wagner, he finished with a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds, using the size and physicality of his 6-foot-9 frame to draw fouls and get to the free throw line where he hit on 6-of-8.
Schulte’s early signs of improvement are no surprise for Magpayo who’s seen the work he’s put in over the last two years and thinks he can be a key contributor for the Rams in conference play.
“I really believe if you have a great attitude and a great work ethic in this program then you’re going to develop,” Magpayo said. “[Rikus] is a stud and I love when great things like 14 [points] and seven [rebounds] happen to guys that work hard. He’s in Rose Hill every single morning at 9am getting extra shots up.”
Henry too showcased some blossoming ball-handing ability and went on to contribute nine points, six assists and two steals to help complete the comeback effort.
With Fordham desperate for a point guard who can slow down the offense and provide some consistent stability to the backcourt, Henry’s development isn’t lost on this program either.
“He’s doing a great job of putting everybody in the right positions all the time,” Reaves said. “I’m not a point guard so I’m learning a lot of little stuff from him which is really helpful and he’s coming along for sure.”
“He’s the truest point guard we have,” Magpayo added.
While it’s only a two-point win in a game which the Rams were favored by 12.5, it’s hard to ignore the early signs of growth and the roles players like Reaves, Schulte and Nutter have worked into.
There’s certainly tougher tests on the horizon, like a visit to Iona on Friday for a meeting with Magpayo’s former colleague in Dan Geriot. But for now, the new Fordham head coach is thrilled with the way his team responded against a Seahawks program that’s underrated in the national landscape.
“These are moments that can be catalysts for this team,” Magpayo said. “Because now there’s that belief in the work that they put in, and they put in a hard six or seven days until today, so I’m proud of them. We’ll keep building, we’ve got a lot to get better at.”
