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Rhode Island Basketball: Breaking down the Rams’ struggles

By Dave Ascoli

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 17: The Rhode Island Rams mascot and cheerleaders perform against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 17: The Rhode Island Rams mascot and cheerleaders perform against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

After two straight NCAA Tournament appearances, Rhode Island basketball has struggled a bit this season. Here are a few reasons for the up-and-down play.

The 2018-19 Rhode Island Rams certainly qualify as a ‘new look’ squad. Only one of their five starters remains from a year ago, and they’re integrating a new coach (David Cox) and four freshmen into a team that has cut down nets and hoisted trophies two years in a row. And with all those new moving parts, there have been some hiccups, which shouldn’t surprise anybody.

Rhody checks in at 8-7 (1-2 in the Atlantic 10) this season, and aside from a two-game winning streak, they’ve alternated wins and losses since opening night. Most recently, URI dropped an 84-67 decision to George Mason at home. It was a game where the Rams were favored, and it’s left Rhody fans wondering… what’s the reason for Rhode Island’s inconsistent play? And how can they build more consistency as A-10 play rolls on?

Here are some thoughts after URI’s first 15 games:

The Youth Movement

Okay, this first one’s kind of a cop-out. Rhode Island is young. Their collective roster has an average of 1.20 years of experience per KenPom, good for 309th in the country. The Rams have just two seniors, and neither of them is averaging more than seven minutes per game. In addition to the four freshmen, URI’s primary rotation is rounded out with a sophomore and three juniors.

With that comes some speed bumps. Virtually Rhody’s entire roster is adjusting to new roles, whether it be in the starting lineup or simply a minutes increase. And there’s no real solution for this… other than working through some of the growing pains as the season rolls on. Freshmen are going to make freshmen mistakes. Role-players-turned-starters are going to take time to mature.

That said, the talent is there. And David Cox said Tuesday that he doesn’t want to hear the word ‘freshmen’ as an excuse anymore.

Cox may be a rookie himself, but he’s saying all the right things. It’ll be interesting to see how his players respond.

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