URI/Charlotte: Senior night pre-game montage
by JP Ram on Mar.04, 2010, under URI Basketball
This video was shot courtside March 3, 2010 prior to the URI vs Charlotte game that the Rams eventually won 80-58 to keep their NCAA tourney hopes alive. Seniors Keith Cothran and Lamonte Ulmer were able to go out winners in their last regular season game at home.
Life on the bubble
by JP Ram on Mar.04, 2010, under URI Basketball
Delroy James will have to come through on the court and in a leadership role for URI to stay on the winning track
URI basketball fans, players and coaches have to take things day by day and game by game at this point in the season – such is life on the bubble. It appeared as though the wheels had come off for Rhody after a bad loss to St. Bonny last weekend, but last night’s big win over Charlotte showcased some of the best basketball we’ve seen from the Rams in a great second half filled with intensity on both ends of the floor. What a difference a day makes.
While the past couple of weeks have been painful for fans, the tourney pundits all have the Rams very much in the mix for a bid.
Bracketology 101 had this to say after last night’s win:
The A-10 bubble battle of the night wasn’t much of a battle at all. Rhode Island ran away from Charlotte in the second half, as they outscored them by 20 in an 80-58 win. The win makes the Rams the clear-cut favorite for the fourth bid out of the A-10 for the time being. Now they must win on the road (something they haven’t done in the last three tries) against UMass this weekend to get to 10-6 in conference. The Rams will likely end up with the 5 seed in the conference tourney, and two wins (against a bottom feeder and against Saint Louis) will probably get them a bid, while a trip to the A-10 final would make them a lock. Charlotte, on the other hand, has now lost five of six and will need a win against Richmond this weekend to even get back into the discussion.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi goes a step farther, putting Rhody in the tourney as a 13 seed out of the west. (Click HERE for his latest bracket.)
What’s clear is that the Rams can once again control their destiny by winning the next few games. (Saturday’s road game at UMASS will be produced and televised by Cox Sports.) It also helps Rhody when their fellow bubble-mates, such as UCONN and Mississippi St., drop games as each of them did last night. They also have to hope that some conference favorites, like Gonzaga and Siena, can take care of business in their respective tournaments or the number of available at-large bids will shrink.
It’s very likely that URI will host a 1st round game on Tuesday at the Ryan Center. There’s no reason that URI can’t go out and get a win against UMASS, beat a team like Lasalle at home and get a W on the neutral court against someone like St. Louis. They’ve shown that, if they play as they did in the 2nd half last night, they are capable of beating any of those teams. The question will be: Is that enough? Getting to the A10 tourney finals would answer that question, but for now the Rams just have to take things one game at a time.
TONIGHT MAY BE URI’S SUPERBOWL
by Vin on Mar.03, 2010, under URI Basketball
As of today, Joe Lunardi from ESPN’s Bracketology has Rhody as one of his last 4 teams OUT of the NCAA Tournament. The loss at Bonnies hurt greatly this past weekend….but somehow the Rams are still alive. They have a terrific RPI of 35 and still have enough time to improve the resume. If the Rams beat Charlotte at home tonight, they will officially be back on the bubble!
Question Rhody fans….
Would you rather of beaten St. Bonaventure and lose tonight……..or lose to Bonnies and beat Charlotte tonight?
- Vin Parise
Vin Parise is the new college basketball analyst for Cox Sports. This season he hosted a brand new “Tip-Off” show that aired before Providence and URI games on Cox. The show was geared towards the great diehard basketball fans in the state of Rhode Island. Parise was a Division 1 College Basketball Coach for 8 years and is also an analyst for MSG Television and WFAN Radio in New York City.
Rumors are True – Billy Baron to Virginia
by Adam on Mar.02, 2010, under URI Basketball
The rumors beginning to circulate the internet are in fact true…Billy Baron is heading to the University of Virginia, not the University of Rhode Island, to play his college basketball.
I spoke with Billy earlier this afternoon and wrote the story on the New England Recruiting Report.
While you can read the full story for all of the details I’ll give you the bullet points by saying that this was an opportunity that came up unexpectedly during the course of his post-graduate season at Worcester Academy and something that he has agonized over ever since.
Ultimately he decided this was too good of an opportunity to pass up and made the decision with his father’s blessing.
Adam Finkelstein
New England Recruiting Report
Adam Finkelstein is a contributor to the Cox Sports’ “Ram Report” blog. For more insight from Adam and others on major college basketball recruiting, visit www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com
NEPSAC Play-offs Next Week
by Adam on Feb.25, 2010, under URI Basketball
Virtually URI’s entire recruiting class of 2010 will be in action next week as the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) holds their Class A tournament at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.
The action will get underway this Sunday night in a match-up of the 8 and 9 seeds as well as the 7 and 10 seeds. Although the final pairings have not yet been announced Billy Baron and his Worcester Academy team are likely to be in action that night. A possible match-up for Worcester could be against MCI who features big man Levan Shengelia, another potential target for URI next season.
Sunday’s winners will return to Endicott on Wednesday for the quarterfinals. The New Hampton School will see their first round game in the quarters and that means that Kyle Cain, URI’s only member of the early signing period, will be in action.
Having the nation’s top prep school conference right in their back yard is obviously an advantage that Coach Baron and his staff are more than willing to take advantage of. In addition to this year’s group of recruits consider how many members of the current team were recruited from local prep schools: Keith Cothran, Winchendon; Lamonte Ulmer, Notre Dame; Marquis Jones, St. Thomas More; Orion Outerbridge, New Hampton; Stevie Mejia, Lawrence Academy; Ben Eaves, Worcester Academy (transfer from UConn); Lisandro Ruiz Moreno, South Kent; and Ryan Brooks, South Kent.
Coach Baron and his staff have obviously done a great job of cultivating relationships in the local prep school community so that they can tap into the annual talent. What’s equally impressive is the versatility URI has shown in recruiting that conference. If you study college rosters you’ll notice tendencies of their prep products primarily coming from one or two schools, but not URI as they’ve consistently been able to land players from just about any school in the NEPSAC.
Adam Finkelstein
New England Recruiting Report
Adam Finkelstein is a contributor to the Cox Sports’ “Ram Report” blog. For more insight from Adam and others on major college basketball recruiting, visit www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com
RAMS FROM NY ROLLING IN AT THE RIGHT TIME
by Vin on Feb.18, 2010, under URI Basketball
Nothing against Fordham, but the Rams really need ‘those’ Rams to get to town quick!
URI has been stuck on 19 wins ever since they beat UMass on Feb. 6th – nearly two weeks ago. The Rams have lost three straight tough, conference games to St. Louis, Temple and Richmond. But when you’re in need of a win, there’s no better team to play than Fordham this season. The Rams from New York are 2-22 overall and 0-12 in conference play.
The game is Saturday at 4 pm at The Ryan Center. I’d be shocked….as would a lot of people….if this wasn’t the game that marks yet another 20 win season for Jim Baron.
Adam weighs in on player profiles
by JP Ram on Feb.18, 2010, under URI Basketball
Adam Finkelstein of the New England Recruiting Report had some great feedback on the players featured in some recently posted video profiles from the NPSI.
If you didn’t see the interviews, check the postings here in The Ram Report or check out our Youtube page: youtube.com/coxsports.
Billy Baron
Billy Baron:
If you don’t know Billy Baron and you’re watching this interview it may sound as if he’s just trying to say the right thing. But what you see if what you get with this kid. He talks about work ethic and getting better and he backs it up.The improvements he has made in the last two years have been absolutely staggering and there is simply no quit in this kid. No one is going to care more or work harder for the next four years.
Levan Shengalia
Levan Shengalia:
Shengelia is going to have versatility to play at various tempos. Look for him to fill a niche of being physical under the glass, rebounding the ball, and starting the break with his terrific passing skills. His passing skills could also potentially be a big asset in a slower paced half-court game as could his well developed low post game.
Ricky Ledo
Ricky Ledo:
Ledo is a local kid whose recruiting stock went soaring upwards this summer. He has great size for the wing at 6′5″ and is an absolutely explosive athlete both in terms of his first step and leaping ability. There isn’t much he can’t do from a skill standpoint and just needs to continue developing his decision making and basketball I.Q.
Alex Murphy
Alex Murphy:
Alex Murphy had a huge game at the NPSI. He scored 27 points and was the best player in the floor in my opinion. While his size and tremendous skill set obviously make him very special what really set him apart in my book is his tremendous feel for the game.
Free Fallin’
by Mike on Feb.18, 2010, under URI on "Cox On Campus", URI Basketball
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