Teams that Rhody MBB Should Prefer to Not Be in Their Region
In alphabetical order, the following teams are the squads that Rhody MBB should prefer to not see in the region that they are place into in the 2018 NCAA tournament.
Arizona - DeAndre Ayton is being compared to David Robinson already for a reason. Ayton is a freshman that looks ready to dominate the paint in the NBA (this is not a typo).
Duke - Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. may both be freshmen forwards but they have the skills of 2018 NBA lottery picks.
Florida State - Christ Koumadje at 7'4" causes any team problems. While URI can shut down the Seminoles' perimeter shooting, Koumadje and 7'0" reserve Ike Obiagu could cause them some problems inside.
Louisville - Anas Mahmoud, Ray Spalding, and Malik Williams form a super tall frontcourt that Rhode Island may not be able to defend for a full 40 minutes of game time.
Michigan - Moritz Wagner is a star 6'11" forward from Berlin, Germany that sometimes plays like Kristaps Porzingis or Dirk Nowitzki. If Wagner goes off like he did in last season's NCAA tournament, he will send more teams packing.
Michigan State - Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, Jaren Jackson, Gavin Schilling, Kenny Goins, Xavier Tillman, and Ben Carter form an uber-talented frontline that may be unmatched in men's college basketball this season.
North Carolina - Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson would test the ability of Andre Berry and Cyril Langevine to consistently close out on the perimeter and still get back into the paint to rebound defensively.
Ohio State - Keita Bates-Diop has practically been able to carry the Buckeyes to any victory that they want in the Big 10 and throughout the majority of their games this season.
Purdue - Isaac Haas is a superhuman vessel in the paint and he has a supreme advantage in the paint because of his large frame and his 7'2" height. When Haas goes to the bench, 7'3" Matt Haarms comes in to the game so things could get even uglier. Purdue is probably one of the worst matchups for Rhody.
Texas - Mo Bamba and Dylan Osetkowski are the frontcourt duo that pretty much determines whether or not Texas wins big games. Bamba is a shot blocking machine in the paint and Osetkowski is a talented forward that can score the basketball in every possible way.
Texas A&M - Tyler Davis and Robert Williams are a problem for any frontcourt to handle. Add in 6'10" reserve Tonny Trocha-Morelos and Dan Hurley may need to get accustomed to playing with Nicola Akele or Ryan Preston at the 3.
Virginia - We saw what happened last time. Having E.C. Matthews back for this game would provide more scoring punch but if Cyril Langevine defends Isaiah Wilkins anything like Stanford Robinson did previously, it will be a long ball game for the Rams. The Cavaliers are on a tear this season.
West Virginia - URI still has their struggles against press defenses, particularly against the full court press. Bob Huggins' team loves to press and they have the senior guards (Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr.) to do it all game.
For the most part, URI would like to avoid the elite teams in college basketball that boast a talented and deep frontcourt.
