Filling Rhody MBB's Last Non-Conference Scheduling Spot in 2017... Maybe?
As of now, Rhody MBB has 29 confirmed games for the 2017-2018 season, including 11 non-conference games. After declining to play Oakland City (a Division II opponent) as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off, the Rams have one open spot available to fill in the non-conference portion of their schedule. With Division 1 college basketball teams being allowed to schedule up to 31 regular season games in total, URI should look at the following list of teams to add another quality team to their schedule.
1. Missouri - The Tigers are projected to have the biggest turnaround in the SEC and even make it into the NCAA tournament. Playing against Cuonzo Martin's team would add more depth to URI's tournament resume and they could grab more national attention by fending off the heralded freshman duo of Michael and Jontay Porter.
2. Arizona - URI is already flying out west to play the Nevada Wolfpack, they might as well try to take out one of the clear-cut contenders to cut down the nets in San Antonio, Texas. In a matchup with the Wildcats, Dan Hurley's team would need everything to go their way to escape with a win. With that said, a loss against a top-5 team in the country helps more than it hurts.
3. Arizona State - Just like how the Miller brothers have scheduled one another, Dan Hurley can easily schedule to have his team play against his brother, Bobby Hurley and the up-and-coming Sun Devils. Whether the game is on the road or at home, defense wins games and that gives the edge to Dan Hurley. In this scenario, URI could start a home-and-home series with Arizona State.
4. Middle Tennessee - The Blue Raiders are a powerhouse in Conference USA and in terms of a mid-major opponent, they are as quality as it gets. While no win against the Blue Raiders is guaranteed, they add even more prowess to URI's potential NCAA tournament resume.
5. Connecticut - I think that scheduling the Huskies would appease several fans of the Rhode Island MBB fan base. For years, I have been hearing fans from both schools wishing for a UCONN-URI matchup, in some capacity. In terms of the matchup on the court, URI would have a relatively simple matchup, outside of guarding Jalen Adams and Alterique Gilbert. The Huskies would likely give the Rams another quality win on their resume and UCONN could be a sleeper in AAC play.
