Postgame Analysis - Rhode Island vs. Duquesne
@showmelovestan really showed some love for Rhode Island, as Stan Robinson put the agonizing battle against the Duquesne Dukes to an end with a buzzer-beating three. Going into this game, URI had a lot to play for, even though this was a conference game that they should’ve won to begin with. Currently, they have one of the longest winning streaks in the NCAA this season and a #9 RPI ranking.
Now with all that being said and having them ranked in the top 25 in the country, they’re going to have a larger target on their back; as long as they remain in the top (AP poll and/or RPI) even against smaller conference games. They’ve been playing really well lately on both ends of the court, but yesterday, they seemed to lose their rhythm seven minutes in to the first half. Both Jared Terrell and EC Mathews struggled, as they missed multiple shots continuously in the first half. As a team, they shot a field goal percentage of 31%, 0% from behind the arc, and let Duquesne outrebound them, 21 to 12. These numbers are too low for them and their lowest all season for first half stats. One of the major differences between a game like this and a blow out at Fordham is Berry or Langevine being dominant in the paint. This results in more ball movement on the edge and letting the guards go to work, which ultimately makes the Rams hard to deal with at any level and it all stems from the big guys having great games on both ends of the court.
One thing I recognize is that it seems they occasionally start strong, then to an extent, pull their foot off of the gas, at some point. Unlike the St. Bonaventure or the Providence game, they did not play with intensity and determination through their entire 40 minutes of play. They need to bring the same amount of intensity that Dan Hurley brings to the games for the remainder of the season, if they want to continue to sit at the throne. As a high profile team in a small conference that doesn’t have a lot of big opportunities to begin with, everyone is going to want a piece of Rhode Island.
In addition, they are currently projected as a seven seed in the 2018 NCAA tournament. In my opinion, #7 is a decent spot. If they could possibly bump up to a #6 seed, they’d be sitting pretty. Despite this, we all know that when March comes around, it’s all about matchups and what each team brings to the table, rather than overall seeding. Based on their overall performance, Coach Hurley and the Rams have the ability to put up a fight against anyone, if they can capitalize on the little things.
