URI Basketball Set to Defend A-10 Championship in 2017-18
Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team
URI Basketball Set to Defend A-10 Championship in 2017-18
Following last season's Atlantic-10 (A-10) Championship and run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Rams were picked to finish first in the At-10 this season and are ranked just outside of the top 25 in the AP Poll, ranked 28th.
Depth at Guard Position
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As far as starters go, URI returns redshirt senior E.C. Matthews, who averaged 15 points per game last season, senior Jared Terrell and sophomore Jeff Dowtin.
Matthews and Terrell were named to the first and second preseason All-Atlantic 10 team respectively, while Dowtin returns after starting the final 19 games of his freshman season.
Off the bench, the Rams bring on senior Jarvis Garrett, who averaged six points per game last season, and freshman Fatts Russell.
Redshirt senior Stanford Robinson's status is uncertain after he was arrested last week and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and simple assault.
Robinson was expected to be a key scorer off the bench for URI after he poured in 21 points in last season's NCAA Tournament loss to Oregon.
"We have a press release that we have put forth, the situation has been going on for about two months. I guess you will find out sometime close to tip-off what his status is," said URI head coach Dan Hurley on Thursday.
Questions Up Front
Berry is a 6'8" senior who has played in a total of 30 games for URI, coming off the bench in all of them. For his career, he has averaged a total of six minutes of action, two rebounds and two points per game.
Langevine is a 6'8" sophomore who played in 35 games for URI last season and started five of them. He averaged three points and five rebounds in 13 minutes of action per game.
"Cyril Langevine is a better rebounder than Kuran or Hassan ever was. Andre Berry is one of the best offensive rebounders I've ever coached.' Said more of his concerns at the defensive end," said Hurley on his weekly radio show.
Junior Nicola Akele leads the rest of the forward group, having played in 67 games in his career and starting six of them.
Looking Ahead
URI hosts UNC Asheville as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament, before visiting Nevada for their first road game of the season.
The Rams then host Holy Cross before heading to the Barclay's Center for the NIT tournament where they will face Seton Hall.
URI then have home games against Brown, Providence, Iona, Florida Gulf Coast and the College of Charleston, while playing Alabama on the road.
Rhode Island opens conference play on December 30.
See the Projected Starting Lineup in the Slideshow Below
.@RhodyMBB not on anybody’s top 20 backcourt lists? More guards here than at Rikers Island.
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) November 1, 2017
16. Gonz 17. Lou 18. Rhode Island 19. Cincy 20. Seton Hall 21. NWestern 22. Baylor 23. Xavier 24. Purdue 25. UCLA
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) November 6, 2017
URI Rams Basketball 2017-18 Projected Starting Lineup
Guard
E.C. Matthews - Redshirt Senior
E.C. Matthews returns for his redshirt senior season, now two years removed from ACL surgery. The Rams will need him to regain his form.
Matthews missed a couple of weeks during the preseason with knee tendinitis, but has since returned to practice and did play in URI's "secret scrimmage" against Harvard last week.
Prior to the start of this season, Matthews was named to the first preseason All-Atlantic 10 team during A-10 Media Day. He is also on the John Wooden Award Watch List.
Last season, Matthews averaged 15 points per game on 42% shooting from the field. In the A-10 Tournament, Matthews carried the Rams offense scoring 20, 19 and 19 points respectively in the three games to get the Rams the title.
Guard
Jared Terrell - Senior
Jared Terrell was named to second preseason All-Atlantic 10 team during A-10 Media Day.
He returns to the Rams after averaging 13 points, three rebounds and one steal per game in 2016-17.
Terrell will look to build off last season in which he shot 42 % from the field - the highest of his career.
Guard
Jeff Dowtin - Sophomore
Jeff Dowtin is coming off a freshman season in which he started the final 19 games, including both NCAA Tournament games.
He averaged six points and two assists in 22 minutes of action per game last season while also recording 17 steals on the year.
In URI's NCAA Tournament game against Creighton, Dowtin poured in a career-high 23 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the field.
Forward
Andre Berry - Senior
In two seasons with the Rams, Andre Berry has played in 30 games, but hasn't started any.
For his career, Berry has averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in an averaged of six minutes per game.
Center
Cyril Langevine - Sophomore
Cyril Langevine will make the start at one of the forward positions as the Rams will try to replace Hassan Martin, who they lost to graduation.
Last season, Langevine played in 35 games and started five games for URI averaging three point, five rebounds, and one block.
In URI's NCAA game against Oregon, Langevine had a near double-double with nine rebounds and nine points. He also had three steals.
