A-10 school nabs big get in Fontan

After Jiovanny Fontan finishes his education on and off the court at the famed St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, N.J., he'll suit up for one of the rising powers in the Atlantic 10. The Rivals150 guard made his decision on Thursday.

Fontan, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound point guard, verbally committed to Fordham shortly after visiting the New York City school.

The No. 137 ranked player in the class of 2008 had interest from the likes of St. John's, Delaware and Oklahoma but said he felt the biggest connection with the Rams and head coach Dereck Whittenburg.

"They've recruiting me the most and when I visited there, I really felt good about them," Fontan said. "I met the players and talked to the coaches. I had a chance to meet a lot of the people there like the teachers, some of the students, the athletic director, everyone. They were all just good people. I got a real good vibe there about them. There was a family feel to it all. It seemed like the best situation for me and something that I wanted to do."

Fontan is a spring steal for the Atlantic 10 school and his mature and well disciplined game should fit in well with the system that Whittenburg has employed at Fordham.

"That was a big reason why I picked them," Fontan said of the style of play. "Coach Whitt has been successful with three guards in the past and with him playing that position, I can see what he wants to do even more. They want to get up and down and when I join the team as a freshman, I'm going be able to be around good players in Brenton Butler and Herb Tanner. Coach said he wants to score about 80 points a game and you need good guards to do that."

Playing close to home and playing for a coach he can relate to was key, according to Fontan.

"Wherever he has been, he's won. He won as a player, he's won as a coach and I'm ready to be a part of that," Fontan said. "The A10 is a great guard conference, it's close to home, my family can see me and I figured why do I want to wait?"

That was music to Fordham's ears this March.