Rhode Island Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Rams

Rhode Island Basketball has made the Round of 32 in consecutive seasons, but they have lost most of their main contributors. How will the Rams fare in 18-19?

URI has reemerged on the national radar after making the Round of 32 in the last two seasons. In 2017, The Rams knocked off Creighton in the first round before losing a back and forth game against Oregon. Last season, URI was even more successful in the regular season and defeated Trae Young’s Oklahoma squad in the first round. Unfortunately, Duke’s frontcourt was too much to overcome in round 2, but it capped off an important two-year run for the program.

There is often a price for success in conferences like the Atlantic Ten as URI’s head coach, Dan Hurley, left for a bigger paycheck and a bigger brand at UConn. David Cox, his former assistant, takes over, but many of URI’s main contributors over the past few seasons have exhausted their collegiate eligibility.

Jared Terrell is the biggest loss as he was URI’s best player and is currently on a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves which shows his talent level. Terrell is a physical 6’3” guard who could create offense and knock down long-range shots. He averaged 16.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and shot 41% from three, but also made a significant impact defensively.

Fifth-year senior EC Matthews was the team’s second-leading scorer and is also gone after an injury-plagued career. The smooth lefty was an important piece who could also make shots and attack the basket. Andre Berry had a breakthrough senior season where he emerged as a consistent offensive force in the paint. He was a valuable asset who you could give the ball to in the post when you needed to get a basket.

Stanford Robinson was always an underrated piece for URI and the impact of his departure will likely be understated as well. Robinson was a versatile defensive stopper who could guard 1-4 and typically manned the small-ball four position. He was not a major offensive threat, but he was capable and averaged 8.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Lastly, sixth man Jarvis Garrett is the final major departure. Garrett was an extremely experienced player who could make shots, handle the ball, and defend opposing lead guards.

Clearly, URI has lost a significant amount of talent, including four of their starters, but they have players who can step into bigger roles and reduce the impact of these key departures. This article will preview URI and analyze their starters, reserves, and non-conference schedule. It will conclude with some major questions and a prediction of where the Rams will land in the A-10 and nationally.