Post by words74 on Dec 2, 2009 21:47:18 GMT -5
This time he says he's not coming back.
Jio Fontan, Fordham's sophomore guard out of powerhouse St. Anthony (N.J.) High School, who was considered the centerpiece in the rebuilding of the Rams basketball program, is leaving the school effective the end of the semester, Fontan told the Daily News exclusively.
Fontan did not attend the Rams practice Wednesday and said he will not play in any further games at Fordham.
"Fordham is a great university," Fontan said. "But it's just not working out for me. I wish it would have worked out, but it didn't so it's time I moved on."
Fontan, who led Fordham in both scoring (15.3 ppg.) and assists (132 assists) last season while being named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie team, was again among the top players on a 1-4 Fordham team this season as he averaged 15 points a game. But the constant losing at Fordham was more than Fontan could take - the Rams were 4-29 in his one-plus seasons at Rose Hill - and as the defeats continued to pile up, the more Fontan was broken down, he said.
"It's breaking me down as a person," Fontan said. "I'm sad all the time. I'm down all the time and it's starting to affect my relationships with my friends and family. I don't want to be that person. I'm in a place where I'm not the same person I usually am."
Fontan, who played for the Puerto Rico Under-19 National Team last summer while competing in tournaments in France and New Zealand, tried unsuccessfully to leave Fordham last year following an abysmal 3-25 campaign. But the school refused to release him from his scholarship and after much discussion with family and family advisers, Fontan decided to return to Rose Hill hoping his sophomore season would be far better than his freshman year.
But it has been anything but.
The Rams lone win this season came against Sacred Heart of the Northeast Conference and they were embarrassed in their most recent game, a 68-44 loss to Manhattan in the Battle of the Bronx last Saturday night.
Fontan planned on speaking to his now former teammates individually following Wednesday night's practice as well as head coach Dereck Whittenburg. Fontan did meet with assistant coach Travis Lyons prior to practice Wednesday to inform him of his plans.
"It was a short meeting, maybe a minute or two," Fontan said. "He was somewhat surprised but then he shook my hand."
It may take several days for Fordham to act on Fontan's request as Athletic Director Frank McLaughlin would have to present Fontan's situation to school administration and see what action they would take. That meeting may not take place until next Monday or Tuesday. Calls to McLaughlin were not returned Wednesday night.
"It's all the constant losing and making no progress," Fontan said. "When I came back here I thought it would be the best move I could make for my career. I thought it would be positive and exciting. But (the program) is still headed in the same direction."
Asked if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that he has made a decision, Fontan said he feels better but is not relaxed entirely.
"I don't feel 100% better," Fontan said. "I still haven't been given a release. Right now I'm just glad I can say I'm making the right move and I'm glad my dad is behind me 100%. My dad had a nice conversation with Mr. McLaughlin about getting my release so hopefully that will be the case. But you can never be too sure until you have that release in your hand."
So a little over a year after arriving at Rose Hill with the mission of helping turn around the Fordham hoops program, Fontan has decided to move on.
"I meant everything I said when I got here," Fontan said. "I wanted to help push the program to a new level, but unfortunately we couldn't. It didn't work out the way we planned it."
Jio Fontan, Fordham's sophomore guard out of powerhouse St. Anthony (N.J.) High School, who was considered the centerpiece in the rebuilding of the Rams basketball program, is leaving the school effective the end of the semester, Fontan told the Daily News exclusively.
Fontan did not attend the Rams practice Wednesday and said he will not play in any further games at Fordham.
"Fordham is a great university," Fontan said. "But it's just not working out for me. I wish it would have worked out, but it didn't so it's time I moved on."
Fontan, who led Fordham in both scoring (15.3 ppg.) and assists (132 assists) last season while being named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie team, was again among the top players on a 1-4 Fordham team this season as he averaged 15 points a game. But the constant losing at Fordham was more than Fontan could take - the Rams were 4-29 in his one-plus seasons at Rose Hill - and as the defeats continued to pile up, the more Fontan was broken down, he said.
"It's breaking me down as a person," Fontan said. "I'm sad all the time. I'm down all the time and it's starting to affect my relationships with my friends and family. I don't want to be that person. I'm in a place where I'm not the same person I usually am."
Fontan, who played for the Puerto Rico Under-19 National Team last summer while competing in tournaments in France and New Zealand, tried unsuccessfully to leave Fordham last year following an abysmal 3-25 campaign. But the school refused to release him from his scholarship and after much discussion with family and family advisers, Fontan decided to return to Rose Hill hoping his sophomore season would be far better than his freshman year.
But it has been anything but.
The Rams lone win this season came against Sacred Heart of the Northeast Conference and they were embarrassed in their most recent game, a 68-44 loss to Manhattan in the Battle of the Bronx last Saturday night.
Fontan planned on speaking to his now former teammates individually following Wednesday night's practice as well as head coach Dereck Whittenburg. Fontan did meet with assistant coach Travis Lyons prior to practice Wednesday to inform him of his plans.
"It was a short meeting, maybe a minute or two," Fontan said. "He was somewhat surprised but then he shook my hand."
It may take several days for Fordham to act on Fontan's request as Athletic Director Frank McLaughlin would have to present Fontan's situation to school administration and see what action they would take. That meeting may not take place until next Monday or Tuesday. Calls to McLaughlin were not returned Wednesday night.
"It's all the constant losing and making no progress," Fontan said. "When I came back here I thought it would be the best move I could make for my career. I thought it would be positive and exciting. But (the program) is still headed in the same direction."
Asked if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that he has made a decision, Fontan said he feels better but is not relaxed entirely.
"I don't feel 100% better," Fontan said. "I still haven't been given a release. Right now I'm just glad I can say I'm making the right move and I'm glad my dad is behind me 100%. My dad had a nice conversation with Mr. McLaughlin about getting my release so hopefully that will be the case. But you can never be too sure until you have that release in your hand."
So a little over a year after arriving at Rose Hill with the mission of helping turn around the Fordham hoops program, Fontan has decided to move on.
"I meant everything I said when I got here," Fontan said. "I wanted to help push the program to a new level, but unfortunately we couldn't. It didn't work out the way we planned it."
