SOUTH KINGSTON, R.I. – You could excuse anyone last year for wanting to look ahead to this season at Rhode Island. There was probably some of that among the fan base, although those in the program didn’t do that. “Next year” is now here, and while expectations are certainly higher for Dan Hurley’s team, in all what they look like is a mixed bag at this point, and that was reinforced in their 93-77 victory over Southern Connecticut State University in an exhibition game on Friday night.
Last year, things got so bad that the Rams had to cancel a scrimmage due to a lack of available scholarship players. That was one more hit to their preseason preparation. This year, there is no such issue.
Right away, it’s clear that this is a better team at the offensive end. Last season’s team was heavily reliant on keeping the score down and getting points from Xavier Munford and a couple of since-departed complementary players. This year, they’ll be able to win games where the score is higher, as the overall skill level is high and they look like an unselfish bunch as well.
But that doesn’t mean this team doesn’t have to defend anymore, and on Friday night they didn’t do that well for about three quarters of the game. Hurley was visibly displeased with his team’s effort at that end of the floor on more than a few occasions, and that included the transition defense as that suffered at times. In particular, the perimeter was an area of concern, as SCSU players got by Ram defenders all night.
“I was really disappointed with our guard defense,” said Hurley. “That’s not going to be good enough to change the narrative of 15 wins in two years. That’s not going to be good enough to win a Division I game playing guard defense like that.”
The point guard spot will be better overall, even if Mike Powell plays well enough to hang on to his starting job as he hasn’t been bad in two years but it’s debatable if he’s a guy you contend in the Atlantic 10 with as your point guard. Texas Tech transfer DeShon “Biggie” Minnis gives them more size and will figure prominently, and don’t be surprised if the two play together from time to time as well. At the very least, Powell’s load should decrease after he averaged over 36 minutes a game last season. They will need to improve from where they are right now to win games, but they’re better off there than they were a year ago at this time.
Munford, the top returning scorer in the Atlantic 10, will be the man off the ball, but he’ll have help with talented freshman E.C. Matthews in the fold. A lefty wing with good size, Matthews is the most highly regarded of their freshmen, and when you add T.J. Buchanan and freshman Matthew Butler the Rams have more options and might even play a couple of them together on occasion. With more scoring threats around him, Munford should get better opportunities this season, and while he may not score as much as last season, he won’t have to, and he should manage better shooting numbers along the way.
“We have a very diverse team this year,” said Munford, who led the way with 18 points in the exhibition game. “I felt good the way the spacing was on the court at the offensive end.”
The frontcourt should see the most improvement from last season, partly from newcomers and partly from the development of holdovers. They get a big boost from Rutgers transfer Gilvydas Biruta and Rice transfer Jarelle Reischel, with the former a sure impact player who has proven he can play at a high level. Biruta, who had 12 points and 12 rebounds on Friday before apparently injuring his right foot or ankle going for a loose ball, could be a double-double machine and also has a very high skill level, which means he will probably play both inside and out in the offense. Another newcomer who will help is sophomore Ifeanyi Onyekaba, now eligible after sitting out last season, as he brings a big and mobile body inside. Mike Aaman is a nice role player who can be just that after having to take on more responsibility last season as a freshman, while young freshman Hassan Martin, who had 14 points on Friday, adds depth as well.
An open question will be if and when Jordan Hare is with the team. The long and intriguing sophomore has taken an indefinite leave of absence from basketball activities for personal reasons, Hurley announced on Friday. Hare will remain enrolled at the school, and if they have him at some point in the season he can potentially be a game-changer inside. The Rams have plenty of other options offensively, but Hare can block and alter shots better than anyone else on the roster and progressed well last season.
Although this season’s team should be much better than last season, don’t pencil them in as contenders in the Atlantic 10 just yet. The Rams have just two seniors, and integrating so many new pieces is never trivial. The hope is that by conference play, the team will settle into a rotation and roles, and that could happen. But this team also lacks experience as a whole and playing together, and while the conference is down some from last season, it’s not by much. VCU, Saint Louis, La Salle and UMass look like the teams to beat, and there are still others like Saint Joseph’s, Richmond, Dayton and George Mason that project to be better.
“You don’t go from where this program has been and then flip it overnight,” said Hurley. “We’ve got some improving to do, with a lot of guys who haven’t played games in 19 months, or have never played them, period, at this level.”
Last season was one where it would have been easy for anyone to look ahead to this season. The cupboard was bare and several players sat out awaiting eligibility this season. This season is now here, and the Rams look promising, but growing pains are also likely. Even so, it will surely be more bearable for the fan base than last season was.
