Initial Reactions to Dana Tate's Commitment to URI
To be blatantly honest, I am not very surprised that Dana Tate committed to URI on August 12, 2017 in the Reggie Lewis Center. Of the teams most involved with the 6'7" forward from Brockton, MA, Richmond and Saint Bonaventure were two Atlantic 10 competitors that stuck out the most. When Tate got down to his final four schools and the only teams remaining were URI, UMASS, Northeastern, and Richmond, I knew that the Rams had it in the bag.
After watching this highlight video of Dana Tate playing against South Kent, it is clear that this kid could be a hybrid between Kuran Iverson and Cyril Langevine. In other words, Tate is a hard-nosed forward that has the range to contribute offensively at all times. My only concern is that he does not get the playing time that he may deserve (i.e. Michael Layssard Jr.).
As a kid that I heard about early on in the recruiting cycle in New England basketball, Tate gives the Rhode Island Rams a bright future. Surrounding himself with Daron Russell, Jeff Dowtin, Cyril Langevine, Michael Layssard Jr, and Michael Tertsea gives Tate a team that can certainly live up to his expectations of consistently being at the top of the Atlantic 10. When you watch the video below, someone tell me if they like his finishing ability because his ability to score at the rack is evident.
An idea that all Rhode Island fans need to keep their eye on is the fact that this single commitment could help Dan Hurley eventually secure the services of Daman Tate (Dana Tate's brother), as well as other potential recruits in the Northeast and in Maryland. Keep in mind, 2018 PG Matthew Balanc has URI in his final five schools and he has Tate in his ear to come to Kingston, RI.
I think all Rhody MBB fans can agree on one thing - we are ready for Tate to step on the basketball court in the Ryan Center.
