Games of Interest - Final Report

[Obadiah]

The A-10 returns to the Top 25 rankings as Davidson gets the #24 spot in both the AP and USA Today polls. Only other A-10 team getting votes is Dayton. URI got no votes this time and it’s interesting that Dayton’s bad loss to Duquesne didn’t harm them as much as URI’s loss to these same Flyers. Kansas remains #9 in AP poll and #10 in the coaches’ poll. Kentucky remains a unanimous #1 in both polls. The loss to Butler caused PC to be dropped from both rankings.

The combined record for the URI OOC opponents has fallen for the thirteenth consecutive week and final regular season standing ends up at 148-159, 0.4882. Nebraska ended the season on a eight game losing streak.

On RPI, it is clear that an OOC SOS ranked at #213 hurt URI, but the lack of any quality wins had a bigger effect. This is clearly shown by Davidson, which has a RPI of 29 and an OOC SOS of #234. But Davidson was able to garner several quality wins, all within the A-10, avoided any bad losses, and ended the season on a nine game win streak.

On conclusion of the regular season, the URI position in the four measurement systems is as follows:

RPI 71, down 3 places from 68.

Sagarin 61, down 2 from 59

KenPom 60, down six from 54.

BPI 51, down 5 from 46

[rodfromcranston]

Kris Dunn named 2nd team All-American by NBC Sports.
Makes you wonder if with all the attention he's getting, if
he'll be leaving?
http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports. ... americans/

[ramfan85]

The A-10 returns to the Top 25 rankings as Davidson gets the #24 spot in both the AP and USA Today polls. Only other A-10 team getting votes is Dayton. URI got no votes this time and it’s interesting that Dayton’s bad loss to Duquesne didn’t harm them as much as URI’s loss to these same Flyers. Kansas remains #9 in AP poll and #10 in the coaches’ poll. Kentucky remains a unanimous #1 in both polls. The loss to Butler caused PC to be dropped from both rankings.

The combined record for the URI OOC opponents has fallen for the thirteenth consecutive week and final regular season standing ends up at 148-159, 0.4882. Nebraska ended the season on a eight game losing streak.

On RPI, it is clear that an OOC SOS ranked at #213 hurt URI, but the lack of any quality wins had a bigger effect. This is clearly shown by Davidson, which has a RPI of 29 and an OOC SOS of #234. But Davidson was able to garner several quality wins, all within the A-10, avoided any bad losses, and ended the season on a nine game win streak.

On conclusion of the regular season, the URI position in the four measurement systems is as follows:

RPI 71, down 3 places from 68.

Sagarin 61, down 2 from 59

KenPom 60, down six from 54.

BPI 51, down 5 from 46

Thanks, again, Obie, for another year of great information. Always my favorite thread.

However, Rod's thread on Blue Man quotes is a close second. lol

[bressler3south]

Northeastern up 10 at half vs. W & M……..

[seanmc94]

Rod
Word has it that KD is leaning towards coming back. However, a big showing in the tourney can always change things. Hopefully he looks at Bryce cotton and Shabazz Napier and realizes how tough it is

[STC]

How about the 9-21 Furman Paladins hanging tough in the SoCon championship.

[eli#10]

The NBA problems for Napier and Cotton center around being able to play defense and being able to stay in front of their man as a point guard. Dunn will not have that problem at all as defense is his strength.

[ace]

Random shout out to Dan and Rhode Island earlier from the announcers of the Furman-Wofford game.

These lower conference tournaments can be so much fun to watch. I'm really looking forward to Iona-Manhattan later tonight, one of my favorite matchups to watch each season. Iona, whose offense is incredible to watch, has already beaten Manhattan twice.

[rodfromcranston]

Manhattan is down this year, but I saw the two previous
games, and they were a lot of fun to watch.
Cluess has to be the next guy to get a bigger job.
AJ English for Iona is as good as it gets.

[Obadiah]

Despite losing both regular season games, Manhattan in MAAC Championship game upsets Iona to win, 79-69. The lesson here is come out of the gate fast and aggressive to win when it really counts.

[rodfromcranston]

Weird. AJ English got all 10 points in the first half for Iona.
Here's one. Jermaine Lawrence a one time FIVE-star, transferred to Manhattan
from Cincinnatti.
He got a waiver to play right away. Now, he was hurt last year.
However, he's only scoring 4.8 ppg, 13.1 minutes per game, and didn't play at all tonight.
He was considered the best forward in the Northeast coming out of
prep school.
Imagine how psyched we'd be if we were getting a five star 6'9"
245lb. PF, who could play immediately?
Now imagine how disappointed we'd be if he put up 4.8 ppg and played 13 minutes a game?
You just never know.

[rodfromcranston]

Last night, Kyle Collinsworth of BYU got his SIXTH
triple-double of the year.
He tied Shaqille O'Neill for the most in NCAA history.
What's even more astounding is, Shaq did his in multiple
seasons. Collinsworth did it in one season, a year after
coming of tearing his ACL.
Collinsworth is a 6'7" PG, by the way.

[rambone 78]

Iona is one of those teams that doesn't play much defense.

When push comes to shove, and their offense is having an off day, that's curtains for them.

[rodfromcranston]

I think not making the NCAAs for the second straight year, being
beaten by Manhattan, cost Tim Cluess, a possible bigger job.

[RF1]

Our OOC schedule ended up much worse than anyone ever thought possible. Just about every team we played had one of their worst most seasons. It was the perfect storm of circumstances.

Good news for our RPI is that several of these teams are now dead with no more games left to lose. They can't hurt us any further.

OOC Opponents that have played last game:
Brown
UMass-Lowell
Santa Clara
Detroit

[BPR2010]

I agree Rod, and on the flip side, Masiello is going to get some nice offers once again this offseason. Now that he has his degree, he's legally qualified now! May have been a blessing for him, USF is a bottom feeder in the AAC.

[RF1]

I agree Rod, and on the flip side, Masiello is going to get some nice offers once again this offseason. Now that he has his degree, he's legally qualified now! May have been a blessing for him, USF is a bottom feeder in the AAC.

I would not be surprised if he had to make a commitment to stay at Manhattan for so many years in exchange for them not firing him.

[Da_Process_Survivor]

our OOC was a perfect storm of suck

[ramster]

The A-10 returns to the Top 25 rankings as Davidson gets the #24 spot in both the AP and USA Today polls. Only other A-10 team getting votes is Dayton. URI got no votes this time and it’s interesting that Dayton’s bad loss to Duquesne didn’t harm them as much as URI’s loss to these same Flyers. Kansas remains #9 in AP poll and #10 in the coaches’ poll. Kentucky remains a unanimous #1 in both polls. The loss to Butler caused PC to be dropped from both rankings.

The combined record for the URI OOC opponents has fallen for the thirteenth consecutive week and final regular season standing ends up at 148-159, 0.4882. Nebraska ended the season on a eight game losing streak.

On RPI, it is clear that an OOC SOS ranked at #213 hurt URI, but the lack of any quality wins had a bigger effect. This is clearly shown by Davidson, which has a RPI of 29 and an OOC SOS of #234. But Davidson was able to garner several quality wins, all within the A-10, avoided any bad losses, and ended the season on a nine game win streak.

On conclusion of the regular season, the URI position in the four measurement systems is as follows:

RPI 71, down 3 places from 68.

Sagarin 61, down 2 from 59

KenPom 60, down six from 54.

BPI 51, down 5 from 46

Great Job Obadiah, fantastic how you keep these weekly threads going, and put together the Prediction Contests. Remarkable work.

Also nice that URI was able to put together such a good season that it made the Weekly Update threads interesting all the way to the end - been a number of years since I could say that.

[Optimistic]

We would have been better off playing actual games against Harvard and Manhattan, rather than the scrimmages. Manhattan is in and Harvard has a one-game play-off Saturday with Yale for a chance to dance. Having those two teams on our resume, even losses, would have bolstered our RPI.

[RF1]

Our OOC schedule ended up much worse than anyone ever thought possible. Just about every team we played had one of their worst most seasons. It was the perfect storm of circumstances.

Good news for our RPI is that several of these teams are now dead with no more games left to lose. They can't hurt us any further.

OOC Opponents that have played last game:
Brown
UMass-Lowell
Santa Clara
Detroit

Add Georgia Tech to the list after they lost to BC 66-65 in the ACC Tournament. Ga Tech finished the season 12-19. The went 7-18 and won just three ACC games after beating Rhody. I would imagine Brian Gregory will soon be looking for new employment.

BC on the other hand is currently on a four game winning streak.