With the New Year successfully wrung in, a new year of Atlantic 10 play begins Sunday for the Colonials when they take on Fordham in the Smith Center.

The Rams enter the game as the surprise of the league at 9-2, thanks to a schedule that was definitely on Santa’s nice list. 6-5 LIU Brooklyn is the only team sitting above .500 that the Rams have beaten so far, and it took overtime to do so, but Fordham has looked strong in some blowouts.

Here’s what to expect from the game:

The Case for the Colonials:

Fordham’s reboot under new head coach Jeff Neubauer has focused on defense. Neubauer brought an aggressive (dare we say havoc-like) style designed to force turnovers with him from Eastern Kentucky, and has successfully implemented it in the Bronx.

Neubauer has praised guards Mandell Thomas, who leads the rams with 16.2 points per game, and Nemanja Zarkovic for their on-ball defense and Fordham has been the beneficiary of 19 turnovers per game against weaker competition, but the approach may not hold water against a seasoned Colonials lineup that should be able to pass out of traps and stay cool under any pressure.

GW is averaging 11 turnovers per game and 14.3 assists per game.

Meanwhile, the Rams have struggled with their own ball-handling. Fordham is already committing 15.1 turnovers per game and, against an opponent better acquainted with the concept of defense than some of the other teams the Rams have butted heads with, they could struggle to hold onto the ball.

Fordham has also committed 14 more fouls than GW in two less games so far this season. If the Colonials get to the line while also extra possessions of turnovers, the Rams could be hard-pressed to make any runs.

The Case for the Rams:

Fordham has looked energized by a renewed emphasis on defense, but their offense has improved as well from last season, when they finished 4-14 in the A-10.

The Rams are shooting 47.7 percent, third in the A-10, and hitting 40.1 percent of their three-point attempts after ranking 329th in the nation last season in three-point percentage.

The difference has been passing. Fordham tops the A-10 with 18.3 assists per game. Senior forward Ryan Rhoomes is, though not quite to the extent of senior forward Kevin Larsen, a big man who excels at making the extra pass and is averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game to go along with 14 assists and 23 blocks on the season.

This more balanced offense has helped former A-10 all-rookie selection Jon Severe round back into form. He isn’t averaging the gaudy numbers from his first season, when he set a new Fordham freshman scoring record, but has matured. Severe is the type of athletic driver that can give a team like GW trouble, and scored 12 points in GW’s win at Fordham last year during a down year in which he missed time and averaged just 6.7 points per game.

Winning has also brought some confidence back to Rose Hill, and the players seem to be enjoying it. With everyone buying into his system, Fordham should be eager to test itself against a league contender.

The Bottom Line: It’s good for both teams, and the A-10 overall, that Fordham comes into the game with a bit more juice. It’s unlikely to change the result, as the Rams have not beaten an opponent of GW’s caliber, but the game should be more interesting than last year’s matchup, a 20-point GW road win.