Rhode Island basketball: Rams could be the heroes of the mid-majors
The Rams blitzed Dayton to clinch their first-ever outright A10 regular season championship. Coach Dan Hurley’s talented veteran roster features “Batman and Batman” with four Robins.
Senior guards Jared Terrell and EC Matthews receive plenty of recognition and rightfully so. This dynamic duo combines for 30.8 points per game and has been dubbed Batman and Batman. However, Terrell and Matthews receive plenty of help from their excellent sidekicks.
Coach Hurley’s rotation includes six guards: Terrell, Matthews, and the four Robins (Jeff Dowtin, Stanford Robinson, Fatts Russell, and Jarvis Garrett). Each of these six brings unique skills and valuable contributions to the team.
Terrell and Matthews are high volume scorers; Robinson is a great cutter with a crafty offensive repertoire; Dowtin is an excellent playmaker and a creative finisher in the paint. Russell and Garrett are smaller guards that make an immediate impact off the bench. Russell is a beautiful passer with amazing court vision. Garrett is instant offense and can score in a hurry (17 second-half points against Davidson).
What do these six guards have in common? All are outstanding defenders. Ultimately, the Rams’ identity is their defensive tenacity, a perfect representation of their coach’s mentality. Coach Hurley has built this team on the principles of defensive pressure and relentless effort.
While the defense may be the Rams’ primary strength, Rhode Island excels on offense as well. The Rams’ are active on offense, always moving without the ball. Additionally, they are an unselfish team and generate fantastic ball movement to create open shots.
Also, they are an excellent offensive rebounding team. Sophomore big man Cyril Langevine is a tremendous athlete and has been a nightmare matchup for A-10 opponents all season. His frontcourt mate Andre Berry is not as athletic but his soft touch and great post moves are assets to this squad.
What is the ceiling for this team?
While tournament success is largely a product of matchups, these Rams absolutely have the talent, depth, and leadership to reach the Final Four. Rhode Island has five seniors, tournament experience, and an elite coach. This combination will make the Rams a daunting opponent in March. Furthermore, they’ll be a nightmare to play on short rest given their style of play.
Also, they are a balanced team in every sense. They are equally good on offense and defense, great in the backcourt and frontcourt, and their scoring distribution is balanced (seven players average at least 6.0 ppg). The Rams will also punish opponents in their transition game and force plenty of turnovers.
Plus, they have a roster full of superheroes. Do you really feel comfortable picking against them in the tournament knowing this? I certainly don’t. The Rams are contenders: you’ve been warned.