An Attendee's Keys to a URI Run Through Pittsburgh and Beyond
My keys to URI winning their quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matchup in the Atlantic 10 tournament:
1. NO slow starts: URI has been prone to slow starts at the beginning of games but especially coming out of halftime; the Rams have taken a few minutes too long to restart their engines. These very slow starts cost them many games: at PC (35-29 halftime lead), at Houston (42-37 halftime lead), at Dayton (27-25 halftime lead), and vs. Dayton again (36-30 halftime lead).
2. Maintain the defensive intensity: When Dan Hurley preached about URI mastering their defensive fundamentals in their past stretch of recent victories at the beginning of this week, no one could disagree. The main element of URI's recent 4-game win streak has been their defensive production being at a season-high. Following the tragic home loss to Fordham, every defensive rotation has been better and every man of the five on the court for Rhode Island, receives help when necessary.
3. Do not allow the killer 3's, make the other team work excruciatingly hard for every basket: Just like last season, URI fell to Dayton at home on a wide-open three-pointer from the same left baseline that is closest to the Rhody Ruckus. In their 4-game winning streak, URI has shut down any team's desire to knock down three-point shots. George Mason had the greatest amount of success amongst URI's past 4 opponents and they shot a measly 23.1% from deep. Meanwhile, La Salle shot 20%, VCU shot 6.7%, and Saint Joseph's shot 22.2% from beyond the arc.
4. Find their own success from beyond the arc: URI has shot 33.2% from three-point land during the 2016-2017 season, which ranks 258th in the NCAA. Even during the recent winning streak, the Rams shot 27.8% at La Salle, 28.6% vs. VCU, and 15.4% at St. Joseph's from beyond the arc. Their three-point shooting as a team may be below average around the college basketball world but it is not for a lack of ability. Starting with E.C. Matthews and Jared Terrell and ending with Nicola Akele and Christion Akele, the Rhode Island Rams include a wide array of capable long-range shooters. They need to make the extra pass and the shooters cannot hesitate when open for the shot.
5. Rebound as ONE: The team rebounding needs to elevate to another level. The outright Atlantic 10 champions, the Dayton Flyers continue to sustain the success they have had by following a single mantra, "True Team". URI's rebounding has fluctuated throughout the 2016-2017 season and for a good but not amazing offensive team, they need to continue to create extra opportunities by way of cleaning up the glass. In this recent winning streak, the Rams have had a considerable amount of success on the boards. Their rebounding totals in the last 4 games have been 31 (at GMU), 36 (at La Salle), 48 (vs. VCU), and 39 (at St. Joe's). Besides just Hassan Martin, Kuran Iverson, Nicola Akele, and Cyril Langevine, all of the guards need to get their hands dirty and help the rebounding efforts. Ironically, in a potential matchup in the Atlantic 10 tournament, URI can be the better-connected team and beat Dayton at their own game, being a "True Team".
6. Bench scoring production: At best, URI's bench scoring production has been mediocre. Often in URI's losses, they have not received enough help in scoring form their second unit. For instance, in the game vs. Dayton, their four reserves totaled 3 points and all 3 points came from Nicola Akele. In Pittsburgh, 3 total bench points will not suffice. There is no coincidence that in this recent winning streak, URI has had a double-digit scorer from off the bench in three of the four victories.
7. Hold on to the rock: When URI goes to match up with VCU or Dayton in the Atlantic 10 tournament, Rhody will be punished if they want to drive in without a sense of direction. VCU and Dayton produce turnovers based mostly on their opponent's recklessness. In the 2016-2017 season, URI has produced 11.3 turnovers per game, good for 35th best in college basketball. In addition, Rhode Island turns the ball over on 14.1% of their plays, good for 34th best in college basketball. While the Rhode Island Rams hold great rankings when it comes to reducing turnovers on offense in the regular season, the Atlantic 10 tournament is a totally different monster. When the lights shine the brightest in Pittsburgh, PA, it is of utmost importance that Rhode Island protects the orange ball.
8. Do not be nice, do not be courteous: Each game in the Atlantic 10 tournament could be the last for the 2016-2017 iteration of the URI men's basketball team. Playing the Atlantic 10 tournament in Pittsburgh, PA should still signify desperation for the Rhode Island Rams. The only way to guarantee a spot into the NCAA tournament is to win the conference tournament title. URI must continue to play with the grit, the desire, and the determination that they have held throughout this 4-game winning streak. The Rams must not be afraid to show emotion and pick up one of their teammates when they are down. Everyone on the court that is not wearing the colors of URI or has the words "Rhode Island" on their jersey is the enemy.
9. Ride your seniors until the very end: We all watched the performance that Earl Watson put on in his final game as a Rhode Island Ram against UMASS at the Barclays Center last season. His unexpected 15 point, 15 rebound performance was due to his hunger to continue his collegiate basketball career. If Watson could do that, what do you think Kuran Iverson and Hassan Martin are capable of? The possibilities are endless.
10. Have some luck: Rhode Island may currently be 48th on Ken Pomeroy's ratings but they have a luck rating of -.043, which translates to the 281st best rating in D-1 college basketball. There are 351 D-1 basketball programs so I'm sure you can do the math on just how terrible and unlucky the Rams have been. If luck finally begins swinging in this tournament in and of itself, the entire Rhode Island basketball team and fan base will be singing like Riley Curry:
WHEN (not if) URI gets into the NCAA tournament, these keys to the Rams winning games remain the same. There is a reason why URI is considered to be one of the most dangerous teams on the bubble right; even by bracketologists who do not have URI in their projected bracket. With the fix of the aforementioned mistakes, URI will be able to challenge any NCAA team.
Ultimately, if the Rhode Island Rams hit on these essential keys, they will be crowned the 2017 Atlantic 10 tournament champions and all of the Rhode Island faithful will react like John Wall.
