Rutgers-Newark Athletics

By Jim Hague

When Chris Foreman was attending Union High School, he was interested in attending Rutgers-Newark, much like his childhood friend and high school teammate Doze Ikwuegbu.

“We have been real close friends since fifth grade,” Foreman said. “We’ve played a lot together since then. I always played in a summer league, where Doze was the point guard and I was the two (shooting) guard. We always had that connection.”

However, when it came time to choose a college, Ikwuegbu had already settled on Rutgers-Newark, while Foreman went a different route.

“I got the letter from Lycoming and I went there instead,” Foreman said. “Rutgers-Newark was interested, but the financial aid worked out better at the other school.”

“We wanted both,” Rutgers-Newark head coach Joe Loughran said. “We recruited both and thought we had a good chance.”

Foreman remained at Lycoming for two seasons. Last year, he averaged 10 points and three rebounds per game as a starter for the Crusaders.

However, after two years, Foreman longed to come home. And the natural place for him to attend school would be where his best friend was.

“Whenever there was a break, I would always be on (Rutgers-Newark) campus with Doze,” Foreman said. “I used to sit and be with the team. I got familiar with them. I liked it a lot. I wanted to get back to familiar territory. Doze is part of the reason why I’m here.”

Whatever the reason, Loughran is glad that Foreman is back home and ready to help the Scarlet Raiders.

“He’s a valued asset here,” Loughran said. “He’s a guy who can shoot the ball well. Doze gave me the heads-up, saying that Chris wanted to come back. Doze had a huge impact on Chris coming here.”

Foreman was a three-sport athlete in high school, competing in basketball and track as well as football, where he was the starting quarterback.

“Basketball has always been my main sport,” Foreman said. “But football helped me a lot. I learned to take a lot of hits and keep coming back.”

It also made Foreman a stronger athlete and person.

“He’s very strong,” Loughran said. “He spends a lot of time in the weight room. He’s a tough kid. I think a mix of all that helps him as a basketball player.”

Foreman has found a niche as a bench player for the Scarlet Raiders.

“It took a little time for him to get used to us,” Loughran said. “He’s adapted very well. He knows what he’s doing. He can make a shot and that’s huge for us.”

Foreman has already displayed impeccable range in his outside shot. In fact, Foreman leads the Scarlet Raiders in 3-point field goal accuracy (10-of-18, .588 percentage) and is tied for 3-pointers made with John Snow with 10. Incredibly, ten of Foreman’s 12 field goals made this season have been from behind the arc. Foreman connected on all four of his 3-point attempts in a recent win over NJAC rival Montclair State.

After seven games, Foreman is averaging 6.5 points per game.

“He’s getting better at it,” Loughran said. “In terms of doing what he can to help us, he’s getting much better.”

Foreman said that he always had the ability to hit the long range shot, going back to his high school days.

“That’s my game,” Foreman said. “I’ve always been good at shooting the ball. I always have been able to shoot the ball.”

Foreman credits the shooting drills he learned in high school from Union assistant coach Frank DeLuca.

“His shot was automatic,” Foreman said. “Doze and I used to do extra shooting drills with him. He was amazing. It’s good to have confidence in your shot.”

Foreman likes playing with the Scarlet Raiders.

“I like the team,” Foreman said. “We’re more of a defensive team. We all know what we can do. We have great pieces to the puzzle.”

One of which is Foreman.

“He’s a very good kid,” Loughran said. “The other kids all like him. He’s a big-time asset for us. We’re fortunate to have these kinds of players who can knock down a big shot. It’s hard to find. At the end of the day, we’re confident that Chris can make that shot. When he’s on the floor, we don’t lose much with him.”

Foreman is majoring in marketing at R-N. He doesn’t know what field he would like to pursue upon graduation.

But he knows one thing. He’s home again and playing with his buddy.

“That’s a good thing,” Foreman said. “I just hope I can build on what I’ve already done so far.”