2014-15 Rhode Island Hoops: Yes We Still Exist

HomeRunBaker

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I know it was announced that Hurley was not going to Rutgers but those types of announcements in college sports don't always mean all that much.
This isn't a random "vote of confidence" or "I want to stay here for a long time" comment. This is the prime season for coaching movement so official announcements this time of year are pretty rock solid. I'm still amazed Hurley continues to refuse bigger paydays. Is it family that is keeping him in Kingston for now?

Is EC definitely coming back?
It would probably take a life altering event (girlfriend having child, family living in the street, etc) for him to not return to URI next season. He isn't a graduating senior so he'd have to sit out a season if he transferred and he's off the NBA radar after missing this season to the ACL.
 

yeahlunchbox

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This isn't a random "vote of confidence" or "I want to stay here for a long time" comment. This is the prime season for coaching movement so official announcements this time of year are pretty rock solid. I'm still amazed Hurley continues to refuse bigger paydays. Is it family that is keeping him in Kingston for now?
I think there's a few things at play. First, everyone seems convinced that Hurley is on the mercenary side of coaches, probably because he left Wagner after just two years, but I think his overall history suggests the opposite. He spent ten years as a high school history teacher/coach when he was offered low level college head coaching positions and an assistant job at Pitt. He seems to trend more towards his father who spent his career at one high school then Bobby who's seemed to be looking for the next opportunity. Second, supposedly his wife loves living in the area and he has at least one son in high school, which is a tough age to uproot a family. Third, I do believe he feels an obligation to his first recruiting classes at URI. Fourth, I don't think he's ready for a third rebuild in the last 7 years. I think he's ready to see the fruits of his labor. And fifth, I think coaches on the A10 level are getting savvier about which jobs to take and which ones to let pass. It's better to let offers from poor P5 programs pass, win on the A10 level and eventually you'll get better offers. Why jump to Rutgers when they show no signs of being able to compete on the Big 10 level when you could wait it out a few years, hopefully make the tourney a couple times and get better offers?
 

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T&A
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(I couldn't find a 2016 URI Basketball Thread and at this point, why bother creating one?)

What a disappointing season for Rhody. The expectations of being a top 25 team were probably a little bit too lofty, but a preseason look at the talent on this team looked like they would be in the running for an at large big from the A10. This team can be really fun to watch at times and then completely maddeningly inept and frustrating. Matthews has either not come 100% back from his injury or just never took the next leap in development to become a consistent difference maker.

The long suffering fans of URI basketball are going to suffering for a bit longer.
 

EL Jeffe

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The Fordham loss was pathetic. Hurley just isn't a particularly good coach, but I doubt they can realistically do better than him. It's a shame because there was some legitimate talent to work with this season but this team clearly doesn't have it this year. I'll still take this over the Baron era though. Hurley is just good enough to build an upper middle of the pack A-10 team.
 

gingerbreadmann

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What a great moment watching URI win the A10 tournament. The camaraderie that team has is delightfully obvious. Particularly cool in light of the grim outlook in this thread just a few weeks ago.
 

EL Jeffe

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Well I really nailed that hot take from the other week. But whatever, class of '95. Woohoo!
 

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T&A
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My broadcasting the demise of this team was clearly premature. What a great tournament, they looked like world beaters for stretches over the past three games.

I'm guessing that myself and a lot of rhody fans underestimated the effect some key injuries had on this team. It wasn't just losing Martin and Garret for stretches of games but also the growing from their replacements both being true freshman.

It's a fun team to watch when they are playing well and they certainly earned this conference championship. They look like they will be a tough out later this week.

And it's a cherry on top if stealing a tournament spot somehow hurts PC from getting in or forces the Friars to a play in game :)
 

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T&A
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That was a ton of fun to watch. Sad to see their hot shooting streak from the A10 tourney come to an end but the effort on the defensive end is fun to watch. It'll be a fun game against Oregon.
 

moondog80

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Agree. The only concern is the same one I have with PC (I root for both teams), that it's now just a matter of time before Hurley/Cooley leave for a bigger program. But I'll forget about that for now, we're onto Oregon!
 

HomeRunBaker

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Agree. The only concern is the same one I have with PC (I root for both teams), that it's now just a matter of time before Hurley/Cooley leave for a bigger program. But I'll forget about that for now, we're onto Oregon!
The life and times of a stepping stone program. It is what it is. Have to enjoy the good times because they can change in a hurry.
 

moondog80

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The life and times of a stepping stone program. It is what it is. Have to enjoy the good times because they can change in a hurry.

Agree. You can't get mad about it because if/when they leave, URI/PC will just turn and poach a rising star from some team below them on the food chain. Win tomorrow though and I think Hurley never coaches a game in Kingston again.
 

yeahlunchbox

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I'll be surprised if Hurley isn't back next year. I think his likelihood of jumping has always been overhyped, people paint him as someone that hops around constantly, but he stayed almost a decade at a high school. Also, I don't see him leaving the northeast, and I'm not seeing an open job in this region that's better than URI.
 

moondog80

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I'll be surprised if Hurley isn't back next year. I think his likelihood of jumping has always been overhyped, people paint him as someone that hops around constantly, but he stayed almost a decade at a high school. Also, I don't see him leaving the northeast, and I'm not seeing an open job in this region that's better than URI.
I think he'd fit well at Georgetown, but it looks like they're afraid to fire JT3.
 

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T&A
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What a crummy lose. Martin with complete zeros across the board on the stat sheet and Matthews with 2 points in the 2nd half. Hard to close out a win against a quality opponent when the two guys that are supposed to be your best players give you basically nothing.

The early foul on Martin basically changed the game (though the way it was being called, he was likely due for foul trouble no matter what). He never got into the flow of the game or any type of rhythm. I also thought that Hurely was way to conservative with his minutes in the second half. Yes he got 3 fouls, but the team sorely missed his rebounding and presence inside. I feel pretty bad for Martin, he must be taking this lose hard. After the long journey to get into that position, putting up goose eggs in your final game must really hurt.

Overall though this was a fun ride. URI's ceiling as a program has always been "put up competitive games in the tournament" and they achieved that this year.

Not sure what to think about next year. Every guard on the team is coming back, the back court is going to be very good. But to say they will be lacking in Bigs is putting is lightly. Langevine played a great game last night, but his offensive game is generally lacking, even for a true freshman. Akele is tall, but built like a twig and offers zero presence on the boards. This season they had a 6-8 and a 6-10 freshman on the roster but neither saw any type of minutes.

I guess right now it's going to be hope Langevine learns a bit of touch around the basket, force feed Akele protein shakes and live with the growing pains from the other young Bigs.
 

yeahlunchbox

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In the post game Hurley said Martin was dealing with a knee injury since the A10 tournament.

I think the hope is that they get a grad transfer big that can be productive next year and pray that the 2018 recruiting class is successful
 

EL Jeffe

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Hurley et al put together a really, really nice recruiting class:

Brendan Adams, 6'4" PG (#131 on Rivals)
Amir Harris, 6'4" PG
Tyrese Martin, 6'4" SG
Dana Tate, 6'7" F
Jermaine Harris, 6'9" C (#76 on Rivals, ESPN's #7 ranked C)

This team is set up to continue being a legit Top 25 type team for the next few years (at least), which seems unbelievable considering how far they fell after Harrick left the program. We'll see if Hurley sticks around if they have another good run this year, but I'll certainly enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
 

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T&A
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Saturday was a very satisfying day for the program and Rhody fans. It's one thing to just win a rivalry game, but it's even more fun when your rival melts down in front of you. Watching PC argue among themselves on the court and whine incessantly to the refs just made the win that much more enjoyable to watch. The Ryan Center being sold out and loud made it even better. Then the cherry on top was an expected contribution from an exciting freshman. Sure Rhody doesn't have any big men, but it's a fun team to watch and should continue to be an existing season. The game on Wednesday against a good Alabama team looms large. A win there will give Rhody three nice out of conference wins assuming that Seton Hall and PC live up to expectations the rest of the season.

It's been a while, but it's finally a good time to be a Rams fan again.
 

Norm loves Vera

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Rhody has won 14 in a row and looks like the class of the A10 this year. Their next game is Friday, when they host 2nd place Davidson. URI is 12-0 at home at the Ryan Center thus far. Now that the NFL season is over, Ram Fever will begin in earnest. The game is on ESPN 2.
 

EL Jeffe

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It's been a really fun year, for sure. They're experienced, they're athletic and they're pretty skilled. Size issues haven't really popped up yet, but their lack of quality Bigs will likely be what ends their season next month.

I really, really hope Hurley sticks around because next year's team is set up to be even better. As I wrote earlier, they've got a high-end recruiting class coming in next season. No idea what sort of defections would come with Hurley leaving, and you have to figure he'll be sought after considering how successfully he's built the program.
 

wonderland

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This team is gonna be a handful in the Tournament.
That was a good win tonight. I thought it was a tough spot for them - heightened expectations and ranking against a solid team. Many weaker teams have stumbled in that spot but they cruised to a win. A good win from where I sit.
 

Brand Name

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Moving the Line
At the game tonight, in 211 Row D in a Keaney blue sweater, black purse (say hi!). Gosh I'm going to lose it for the seniors tonight, what Jersey Dan has done to revolutionize this program. EC coming in and his resilience from the ACL injury, becoming Batman and Batman. Jermaine Harris coming in next year. Stanford's D will be gone, the screen game with Berry, Garrett's unselfishness, as a true leader off the bench.

These are the good times. This is going to be beautifully melancholy, much like the sun's daily set: A day ending, surely, but the sun shall rise once more before you know it.
 

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T&A
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That was ummm weird last night.
I want to say just say that dems the breaks and some nights shots just won’t fall but that level of shooting futility is hard to fathom.

Big picture it probably doesn’t matter and is just a blip on the radar during an amazing season. But I do feel disappointed for the Seniors.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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Phew...and we skate to the next round. Win again tomorrow and I'll feel the past week and a half was the exception and not a trend.
 

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T&A
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Two seasons in a row with a Tourney win!
Chance to get to the Sweet 16 some years is realistically URI’s ceiling as a program. This is a good time to be a Rhody fan.

Hurley frustrates me as an in game coach but can’t argue with his ability to build a program. Will be a tense off season with the UConn job and an ACC job like Pittsburgh being open.
 

moondog80

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Two seasons in a row with a Tourney win!
Chance to get to the Sweet 16 some years is realistically URI’s ceiling as a program. This is a good time to be a Rhody fan.

Hurley frustrates me as an in game coach but can’t argue with his ability to build a program. Will be a tense off season with the UConn job and an ACC job like Pittsburgh being open.
Senior laden team, gotta think he's going to jump if given the chance. But I wonder if the UConn job and its whatever conference scares people?
 

EL Jeffe

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That was a legit, gutty win on national TV. They had Oregon beat last year, so I can't write them off against Duke next round (even if Duke with all their size is probably the worst possible match-up for URI in the country - with the possible exception of Michigan State).

As an alum, I'll just enjoy this for as long as I can because I can't see Hurley being back next year.

So happy for EC that he had that moment.
 

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T&A
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Senior laden team, gotta think he's going to jump if given the chance. But I wonder if the UConn job and its whatever conference scares people?
I'm sure UConn's conference would give any coach a moment of pause. I did just a quick check of the past 5 NCAA tournaments and was surprised to find that A10 had received more tournament bids then the American. 18 for the A10 and 15 for the American, but this is mostly driven by a flukey year in 2014 where the A10 got 6 bids (they've had 3 every year since). But I also do not think tournament bids is necessarily the best measure of conference prestige. I think few would argue against saying that the American generally has a higher class of programs than the A10.

The conference is a step up from the A10, the national name recognition is a huge leap vs. URI, I'm going to assume the facilities are a huge upgrade and I'm confident that UConn is going to pay more than URI. In a private moment I'm sure Hurley would admit a preference to get a job in the Big East or ACC vs. UConn, but as you said this is a senior laden URI team and they've had success two years in a row. He may never be this attractive as a head coaching candidate again. All signs would seem to point towards him taking the UConn gig if offered unless he is extremely content at URI or confident that he can keep the program winning to wait for a power conference job.

I still think Pittsburgh would be in play for Hurley as well. Too bad that Rhody's first round games just happen to have been in Pittsburgh! Makes it too easy for them.
 

EL Jeffe

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Pittsburgh seems like a really good job: best conference in the country, PA/Ohio is a talent-rich region, excellent facilities, etc. It seems like the school would have the requisite money needed to land Hurley; all-in-all, I think Pittsburgh is definitely a more attractive destination than UConn and probably one of the very top open jobs out there.
 

Norm loves Vera

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URI promotes Asst Coach David Cox to be new HC of the men's Basketball team. Locals celebrate by raising a glass at bars from the Mews to Charlie O's. All is well in Swamp Yankee land as most of the players are staying!

"Cox’s current group of young men attended Friday’s press conference, with the exception of little-used reserve Michael Tertsea and outgoing senior E.C. Matthews. The current roster told Bjorn two weeks ago that they wanted Cox as their next head coach."

http://www.ricentral.com/sports/college/uri-names-david-cox-to-head-coach/article_b9d7dfd6-39d5-11e8-bee7-a758bcee50c0.html
 

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T&A
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Fun to see Rhody guys in the NBA Summer League....

EC Matthews was on the Memphis squad but was either just filler or was hurt again. He played a total of 5 minutes in just one game. Unfortunately for Matthews this is probably the end of his competitive basketball career unless he attempts to find a spot in one of the smaller international leagues. Never really lived up to the potential/hype but injuries, espcially the knee, really seem to have held him back.

Jared Terrell signed a 2 way contract with the Timberwolves and acquitted himself just fine in his professional games
21 mpg
9.2 ppg
40% FG%
4.0 rpg
1.2 spg
I can't find his fg% from the 3 point line, but I'd be curious to see what it was. His cieling as a pro is probably a 3 and D guy off the bench. So if he can't shoot there isn't much room for expectations.

But the surprise was Hassan Martin playing with the Celtics. Barely played in the first game but then apparently earned more time on the court.
18.7 mpg
10 ppg
56% fg%
6.0 rpg
0.90 blocks pg

Martin really played well. However, he is 6'7 and did not attempt a shot from beyond the 3 point line. In college he attempted a total of 24 threes (11 as a senior) and only hit 3.
I love watching Hass play and he has always played much much taller then his 6'7 height, but I don't think there is a place for a guy his size in the NBA that has zero ability to play away from the basket. Maybe he could put up stats rebounding, defending and blocking shots in an NBA game but his size and lack of athleticism make that seem like a pretty far fetched scenario. But despite not really being an NBA prospect he hopefully did enough in the summer league to land a spot on a G-league roster as filler or catch the eye of an international league that is higher profile then where he played in Japan last year. It was just fun to watch Hass play again though.