Rhode Island Basketball: How can the Rams match up with Duke?

Utilize a balanced offensive attack

Rhode Island excelled against Oklahoma when they played team offense. Even though there were a fair amount of isolation possessions, the Rams did dish out 16 assists on 30 made field goals. Even if Jared Terrell has a better scoring game against Duke, it would still be beneficial to move the ball and work for the best shot on every possession. This is mainly due to the idea that Duke will not allow Rhody to get any second-chance opportunities.

Head coach Dan Hurley runs an eight-man rotation and every single one of them has the ability to chip in several points. I already touched on the fact that Rhody had four players drop in double-digit points against Oklahoma but that should not overshadow the contributions of others. Each of the other four Rams all scored at least four points in the game as well.

Duke’s defense has been flawed throughout the year. As long as Rhody runs a balanced attack, it will be impossible for the Blue Devils to narrow their defensive focus to just one or two players.

Next: Ranking the NCAA Tournament 1-68

Even though Duke will be the heavy favorite in this game, Rhode Island should have a good chance to hang around. If they do, the experience advantage could turn them into a favorite down the stretch.