Atlantic 10 Basketball: Rhody a wildcard, Fordham a fluke

Rhode Island showed what they can accomplish when they’re firing on all cylinders with a win over heavyweight Atlantic 10 Basketball contender VCU.

Takeaway #1: Rhody is a wildcard

Last Wednesday, Rhode Island showed what they can accomplish when they’re firing on all cylinders with a win over heavyweight title-contender VCU. The Rams had been playing well coming into that game, but it was difficult to gage how strong they actually were with three of their wins being over bottom-half teams (Richmond, St. Bonaventure, and La Salle).

As a team, the Rams have one of the top 60 most efficient defenses in basketball (according to Kenpom.com), and star players Jeff Dowtin and Cyril Langevine have both played themselves into the A10 Player of the Year conversation. Dowtin is averaging over 16 points per game and carries a 2/1 assist to turnover ratio, and Langevine is essentially a double-double factory churning out 13.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. If Fatts Russell can keep up his recently improved shot selection — 65/213 from the field to start the season and 18/42 in his last four games — that would add a much needed element of consistency to this young Rams team.

Speaking of Rhody being young, something that often comes with that territory is a high level of inconsistency. They manifested that when they lost to the previously winless (now 1-6) UMass Minutemen. UMass had faced an extremely tough schedule to that point and was better than their record indicated, but it was a game that Rhody should have won if they hope to be a title-contender.

With games against Duquesne, Saint Louis, Davidson, and Dayton next up on the schedule, these next coming weeks will be a test for Rhody. Their goal should be to come out of it playing confident and consistently, even if their record is disappointing.