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LAFAYETTE at Fordham, Noon: It's Lafayette's first game in 10 days. Can the Leopards top their former leaguemates from the Bronx? Not out of the question. The Rams, who lost in double overtime to Holy Cross earlier this season, are 3-8 and riding a two-game losing streak. Most of those losses have come on the road, though. Fordham has only played twice (both losses) thus far in cozy (the polite way of saying antiquated) Rose Hill Gym.

Fordham does have a win at Virginia. And it also has 6-2 senior guard Jermaine Anderson. If Lafayette is to win this one, somebody will need to make sure to keep a hand in Anderson's face. The Rams' leading scorer (16.3 ppg) is a 50-percent shooter from the field so far this season. That is impressive for a guard, more so when you realize more than half of his 120 shots have come from 3-point range, where he has been just as deadly as he is inside the arc (33-66). And don't foul the guy, he is 26-29 (89.7 percent) from the line.

Sophomore Bryant Dunston (6-8), last season's Atlantic 10 rookie of the year, will pose a challenge inside for the Leopards, who are deep at the guard spots but less so up front. Dunston is averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and just under 3 blocks per game.
Lafayette notes | Fordham Web site | USA Today matchup | Fordham radio

Brown at ARMY 1 p.m.: Jim Crews insists Army is getting better. We were ready to believe that when the Black Knights won at Columbia. Since then, though, they have lost three straight to mediocre DI competition (they do have a win over D3 NY Maritime in that stretch), leaving us less convinced.

A win over 2-8 Brown would be a positive sign. A loss would probably confirm our suspicion that the Columbia game was a fluke. One interesting note: although Brown has been pretty pathetic this season, both their wins have come on the road.

In fairness to Army, they have been without the services of sophomore guard Jarell Brown the last three games. Brown, who has been sidelined with an unspecified stress fracture, was averaging a team-best 13.9 ppg before being shelved. He will not play today. No word on when he might return.
Army notes (pdf) | Brown notes | USA Today matchup | Gametracker

The Citadel at NAVY 3 p.m.: After the Mids beat Division III Susquehanna Thursday night, Billy Lange told Bill Wagner of the Annapolis Capital, "We always have a postgame prayer and Leonard Green said 'Thank you Lord for getting us back to 5-5."

Now we are pretty sure of two things: 1) God is way too busy with wars, famines and natural disasters to be worrying about who wins a basketball game (besides, wouldn't he side with the David-like Lutheran school against the Goliath from a military academy?) and 2) If Navy needs divine intervention to be at .500 playing an early season schedule that included two D3s, Morgan State, Howard and Brown, then Lange is in the wrong business.

Navy should not need any external help against the Citadel. Yes, the Bulldogs are 6-5. But take a look at the wins. Army (by only 2 points) and Stetson (0-10) are the only DI teams they have beaten. The other wins: Asbury (an NAIA Christian school), Florida Christian, Atlanta Christian (so much for God deciding games, eh?) and Webber International (an NAIA business school).

One Navy note: The Mids have announced junior guard David Rhoiney will undergo reconstructive surgery on his left thumb next week and will miss the remainder of the basketball season. That will have no impact on the Mids rotation. Rhoiney has played in only three games, though he did get a start in the win over Brown.

Rhoiney was the backup at the point last season behind Corey Johnson, who is also out indefinitely with a knee injury. Rhoiney is the second player Lange has lost this week. Lange confirmed earlier this week that 6-8 freshman forward John Bailey has left the team. That appears to leave Navy with 13 healthy bodies, though you never know who the Mids might have stashed on their jayvee squad.
Navy notes (pdf) | Citadel notes | USA Today matchup | Gametracker