Are we a good team or just well sold?

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Blue Man
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Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Blue Man »

I was speaking with a friend and an interesting point was brought up...how much of this season and last was a sell job just to benefit the program? Or are we a really good team that's underachieving.

Obviously it's a gamble if you're going for style over substance, and if you miss (as we are in the process of doing) you will lose a lot of the fan support you had gained by selling.

There are a lot of benefits obviously - advanced ticket sales, ad revenue, nationally televised games, exposure, a hope to increase your recruiting pipeline, better tournaments, more donations...which we've started to see - but if you swing and miss and could set you back with the fans. I don't have a problem with the gamble...but I'm just wondering are we really good or are we really well sold?

The 2014-15 Rams team had an identity; terrifying and swarming defense. Night in and night out you knew what you were getting. You didn't know if your shots would fall but you knew you'd force teams to play your way.

It seems like this year's team has tried to do everything, rather than just focus on the one thing to hang it's hat on. It seems like the best teams all have a simple identifier every year; whether it be a team who shoots great from 3, bangs well inside, full pressure defense, run and gun, princeton offense - whatever it is..there's usually one thing to identify you.

What is it for us? I keep racking my brain and I don't know what it is, which is why we're so frustratingly inconsistent.

Some nights we'll hit 3's phenomenally well, and others we're cold. Some nights we lock people down into rock fights, and others we let teams run and play the track meet game. It's kind of a microcasm of KI. He is capable of being our best player on the floor at rebounding, blocking, scoring, shooting...but doesn't really have an identity, even though he's been our best player in conference without a doubt. He and the team are a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get.

The close losses make me think we were closer to good and we're just some sad bounces away from having the season we thought we would.

The zoom-out big picture could point to just great salesmanship.

The season isn't over yet, obviously, and a run to the NCAA's through Pittsburgh certainly changes the narrative - but I thought this was interesting to consider.
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rambone 78
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by rambone 78 »

Blue Man....good points....you wonder if Hurley himself really believes his own hype.....he sees this team every day at practice......he has to be very familiar with the issues surrounding it.

Playing themselves in practice is very different from actual games.......but what did we see in preseason? How in the hell did we beat Harvard by 40 as we were told? I'll bet if we played them now the results would be quite different....same for St. Johns....they are playing much better than the horrid team they were early in the season. They have actually beaten some good teams.

DH would never admit we really aren't very good....that would put the bull's eye squarely on him......
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

He must know. Eventually you recognize that your best players aren't outplaying the other team's best players. Its really 1/3 chance that URI shows up and that to some degree is based on the opponent's level of play.

We take away the Jordan Price's of the world because they aren't very good. Look at the Valpo or Houston games. Their guys did what they wanted against us.

Our team isn't laterally quick and plays beneath the rim. That is like the opposite of how basketball is played. I really think there is 10x more potential in the bench than the starting line up for us.

The bench has length and athleticism. The starters just got here first.

Thats just my honest opinion. I pull hard for all of the starters(even EC despite the collective moans in the Ryan center when he comes in the game or catches the ball). I think they deserve to be rewarded for their efforts, but their effort hasn't been that much and they just aren't that good.
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Ram1019
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Ram1019 »

I truly think that staff believed that this was a good team to begin with and we just simply underachieved. I don't think it was an intentional sell job by any means. I think staff/fan base/media just overrated them.

Now as far as underachieving, there is definitely an argument to be made about the shortcomings of coaching staff to properly 'coach them up' into the players we think (and thought) they could be.
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rodfromcranston
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by rodfromcranston »

Well, I think our program is like the boy who cried "WOLF!"
We got the heavy hype on Gil, Iffy, Biggie, and Reischel in Dan's
second year.
Gil was going to be great, Iffy killed Hare in practice, Biggie was a lockdown defender,
and Reischel was our best all around do everything player.
None of that played out. We got killed by SMU, and Arizona, early on.
Dan admitted he overhyped his team to get the fans excited.
Said he underrated the A-10.
The next team was his best, but still didn't beat PC, Davidson or VCU.
The final game at Stanford in the NIT was a horror show for Dan and the team.
Announcers questioning his sideline behavior all night. The team mailing it in.
Last year, EC went down and it was the excuse for a mediocre season, despite
some pretty good talent still playing.
We all know what the very loud hype was this summer.
You had Jon Rothstein calling us a "sleeper for Final Four",
and all the other over the top gushing that was going on.
Despite all the hullaballoo, attendance is under 5K average,
even in the face of supposedly record season ticket sales.
The hallmark of this program is inconsistency on a game to game
basis, and sometimes within a a game.
There is no identity in playing style.
So, will anyone buy into any further off season hype
after previous empty promises of greatness?
How many times can people fall for it?
Last edited by rodfromcranston 7 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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josephski
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by josephski »

I thinks it's a little of both. There's no doubt we were well sold and overhyped coming into the season but there were also reasons to believe we were going to be a good team. Anytime a team makes the NIT with 2 freshman and 2 sophomores starting people are going to expect that team to continue to progress and most likely make the NCAA tournament.

Problem is, as you mentioned Blue man, this team has no identity. I was expecting to see a team that had a top 25 defense (which we did 2 years ago) but with an improved offense. The offense has been better but wildly inconsistent and the defense has gotten worse.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by RF1 »

There is some good individual talent. That however does not necessarily make a good TEAM. This collection of players along with the coaches are not a good team. Their parts are better than their sum.
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skwalk47
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by skwalk47 »

A good team is better than the sum of its parts, we are the opposite of that.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

Teams have let downs all of that.

This team, this year, has had a let down during each 2 week period. They don't stay focused for 14 days.

It is not extraordinary to ask a basketball team to give a disciplined effort for a month, let alone for a week or two.
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Obadiah
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Obadiah »

This year we are North Carolina State of New England/A-10.
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Gonebarongone
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Gonebarongone »

It's a bit of everything above. First and foremost, there is absolutely enough talent on this team to make the dance. It is criminal that Hassan is going four years without a bid. DH just doesn't know how to put his players in a position to get 100% out of their talent. DH should have had a guy on the staff that worked for four years on making HM an NBA prospect at the four. Instead, he rolled four guards out there and plopped Hass at center. Should have developed one of the bigs or recruited a legit 5 so HM could fly around as the four. Help him develop a face up game. I thought three years ago HM had the best chance out of anyone to make the NBA out of this class in the conference. Just never developed. How does Reischel go from nine minutes per game at URI to 18ppg/7rpg/3assts? I was so wrong on Xavier Munford. He was very good here. Could have been great. Gil wasn't great here but he was the BE Rookie of the year, no? Matthew Butler 40% from three this year an 14ppg. Iffy goes for 20/10 in his first college game and then squat after?
I just don't think DH has what it takes as a coach to put the pieces together. If he as a major talent advantage, he'll win games. He had it in the prep ranks. Had it when he brought some players to Wagner. He's had it many times here. It's not if we are a good team or well sold. It's neither. It's good talent that never became a good team.
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eli#10
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by eli#10 »

We commit way too many fouls especially 20 feet from the basket. Against Fordham we had 4 fouls in the first 3 1/2 minutes. This creates a double whammy for us as it slows down our guys / team and creates foul shots for our opponents and guess what--they actually make them. I think we should back off the defensive pressure 20 feet from the basket so we can play our starters more minutes as the bench has not done much recently.
Not due to foul trouble but Terrell played 34 minutes the other night and took only 4 shots. Do we have any play to run for him?
Can we have someone penetrate the lane and dish the ball out to someone for an open 3 pointer. I think the last 3 made 3 pointers for Fordham were wide open as a result and penetrating the lane and passing to the corner. We were 2 for 20 on 3s with very few open attempts.
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section(105)
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by section(105) »

.......pass the ball out to a Matthew Butler type spot up three point shooter......oh wait, that snipper has got to man up and defend his assignment on the other end......
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rambone 78
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by rambone 78 »

What's maddening is how we can go from playing with almost anybody to looking like a CYO team the next game......So yes, we do have enough talent to dance if we would play like we did against Dayton and Cincy......

Zero consistency. Put the blame where you may. There's plenty to go around.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by rhodysurf »

rambone 78 wrote:What's maddening is how we can go from playing with almost anybody to looking like a CYO team the next game......So yes, we do have enough talent to dance if we would play like we did against Dayton and Cincy......

Zero consistency. Put the blame where you may. There's plenty to go around.
I think consistency really is the issue. In their podcast KMac and Koch were basically saying the reason URI keeps losing is that they just aren't good, rather than being mentally weak. Which doesn't really make sense if you have watched the way the team performs against Dayton vs the wa they did against Fordham. It quite clearly isn't a talent issue.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by bigappleram »

This team...
Lacks a true leader
Plays with no identity
Is wildly inconsistent

This coach...
Does not embrace the nuances and strategy adjustments required from game to game
Is not coaching up his talent, not getting the most out of each player's individual skills game-to-game or year-to-year

What we should have seen this year...
A team running up and down and lots and lots of DUNKS - literally how many dunks do we have this year? It's a simple notion, but indicative of the type of style we should have been playing. We have an athletically gifted team that should have been creating more live ball turnovers and turning them into exciting finishes. We should be a fun team to watch, we aren't. We struggle running the break, we struggle quickly outletting rebounds and making smart decisions in the open court.

With Akele and Iverson, why not deploy a 1-3-1 trapping half court defense, like has been used so effectively against us...Akele or Iverson at the top. Hide EC on the baseline. Length on the wings (Dowtin, Terrell, Thompson), Hass in the middle...he also should have employed full court trapping pressure earlier and often, and as an every game tactic. To force tempo and create turnovers. 5-10 minutes every night.

The notion that DH should have hired a veteran, old, father figure type assistant coach, has merit, but also has 1 major flaw. He has a veteran father figure coach in his life, his actual father, who happens to be a HoF coach. He has been under his tutelage for 40+ years. Maybe DH does not believe he needs that role on his staff for this reason. For better or worse.
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BPR2010
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by BPR2010 »

bigappleram wrote:This team...
Lacks a true leader
Plays with no identity
Is wildly inconsistent

This coach...
Does not embrace the nuances and strategy adjustments required from game to game
Is not coaching up his talent, not getting the most out of each player's individual skills game-to-game or year-to-year

What we should have seen this year...
A team running up and down and lots and lots of DUNKS - literally how many dunks do we have this year? It's a simple notion, but indicative of the type of style we should have been playing. We have an athletically gifted team that should have been creating more live ball turnovers and turning them into exciting finishes. We should be a fun team to watch, we aren't. We struggle running the break, we struggle quickly outletting rebounds and making smart decisions in the open court.

With Akele and Iverson, why not deploy a 1-3-1 trapping half court defense, like has been used so effectively against us...Akele or Iverson at the top. Hide EC on the baseline. Length on the wings (Dowtin, Terrell, Thompson), Hass in the middle...he also should have employed full court trapping pressure earlier and often, and as an every game tactic. To force tempo and create turnovers. 5-10 minutes every night.

The notion that DH should have hired a veteran, old, father figure type assistant coach, has merit, but also has 1 major flaw. He has a veteran father figure coach in his life, his actual father, who happens to be a HoF coach. He has been under his tutelage for 40+ years. Maybe DH does not believe he needs that role on his staff for this reason. For better or worse.
Couldn't agree more with this. I brought up TJ's senior year to BlueMan the other day. THAT was a true on the court leader. Ask any coach, they'll all tell you the best teams are one's with coaches on the floor. You knew every single game in the 2014-15 season that we would bring lockdown defense for 40 minutes, regardless of the opponent. TJ Buchanan was the floor general of that team. He was their coach on the floor.

No one on this team is remotely close to filling that role. The talent level on this year's team compared to that one is night and day, but I would bet on the 2014-15 team 100 times out of 100 if they faced this year's team.

Also, to your point about the dunks. I sit next to BlueMan at every home game (yes, I know I'm crazy). We must bring this up 5-6 times a game. WHY NOT DUNK THE BALL. We must be the weakest team at attacking and finishing at the rim. The missed layups are killers, and the lack of finishing and-1's when getting fouled is insanely frustrating. You essentially give away 2 points with this team by not completing those, given how we shoot free throws.

This season has been an utter failure thus far, and I feel so bad for Hassan. For that guy to put in the amount of hard work that he has, and not make a tournament, is a damn shame.
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UCH21377
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by UCH21377 »

bigappleram wrote:This team...
Lacks a true leader
Plays with no identity
Is wildly inconsistent

This coach...
Does not embrace the nuances and strategy adjustments required from game to game
Is not coaching up his talent, not getting the most out of each player's individual skills game-to-game or year-to-year

What we should have seen this year...
A team running up and down and lots and lots of DUNKS - literally how many dunks do we have this year? It's a simple notion, but indicative of the type of style we should have been playing. We have an athletically gifted team that should have been creating more live ball turnovers and turning them into exciting finishes. We should be a fun team to watch, we aren't. We struggle running the break, we struggle quickly outletting rebounds and making smart decisions in the open court.

With Akele and Iverson, why not deploy a 1-3-1 trapping half court defense, like has been used so effectively against us...Akele or Iverson at the top. Hide EC on the baseline. Length on the wings (Dowtin, Terrell, Thompson), Hass in the middle...he also should have employed full court trapping pressure earlier and often, and as an every game tactic. To force tempo and create turnovers. 5-10 minutes every night.

The notion that DH should have hired a veteran, old, father figure type assistant coach, has merit, but also has 1 major flaw. He has a veteran father figure coach in his life, his actual father, who happens to be a HoF coach. He has been under his tutelage for 40+ years. Maybe DH does not believe he needs that role on his staff for this reason. For better or worse.
BAR agree wholeheartedly with ALL of this.
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15 Year Lurker
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by 15 Year Lurker »

I don't mind talking up the team and expectations. If anything I respect Hurley for not running from those expectations.

However, they have done nothing to show they are a good team at this point. This leads me to what makes up expectations? The rankings of recruits? I think some of us here seemed to get drawn into this line of thinking that somehow these recruits were more highly ranked than what we have had in the past. Which isn't true. It also shows that rankings don't mean anything. Not to pick on iverson but the amount of times I hear fans tell me how good he is shows how little they watch and understand the game. He is hugely inconsistent. In some ways we ride or die based on how he plays over any other player on the team. The amount of people who wanted jordan hate to play when I would have started mike amaan over him 100 out of 100 times. So basically I really liked that they didn't run from expectations but from what I have seen this is an average team who has been given a huge benefit of the doubt via the press's love for Hurley. That love is a good thing though if we ever end up on the bubble..,which won't be this year.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by adam914 »

I feel like we have missed more dunks then we have made. I've never seen a team literally miss dunks as much as we do.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

adam914 wrote:I feel like we have missed more dunks then we have made. I've never seen a team literally miss dunks as much as we do.
And a lot of those are Hass. He doesn't have anywhere near the lift that he used to. It's too bad.
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rodfromcranston
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by rodfromcranston »

As usual, BAR gets it right.
The only flaw I see is, Hurley is oppposed
to playing zones.
Somehow, it's not macho to do so,
This is part of the inflexibility that doesn't lead
to change.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by josephski »

bigappleram wrote: What we should have seen this year...
A team running up and down and lots and lots of DUNKS - literally how many dunks do we have this year? It's a simple notion, but indicative of the type of style we should have been playing. We have an athletically gifted team that should have been creating more live ball turnovers and turning them into exciting finishes. We should be a fun team to watch, we aren't. We struggle running the break, we struggle quickly outletting rebounds and making smart decisions in the open court.
To add to this...not just open dunks but some alley oops! I know the casual fan loves seeing alley oops because they're exciting plays but they're also relatively easy baskets generally created by either a set play or the team having enough chemistry that they look for them. I think I've seen one alley oop this year (and I didn't really see it because of the damn baseline camera) so I would think with the athleticism of this team it wouldn't be such an uncommon play. Hell, I remember when I saw Miami play Buffalo last year in the NCAA tournament I think they had 3 in one game!
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

I feel like we aren't watching the same team.

Martin is the only dunker and I dont know how many alley oops he's caught off the top of my head in his career but I put the over/under at 5.

The guys on our team dont really look to dunk it.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by josephski »

Seawrightspostgame wrote:I feel like we aren't watching the same team.

Martin is the only dunker and I dont know how many alley oops he's caught off the top of my head in his career but I put the over/under at 5.

The guys on our team dont really look to dunk it.
Iverson doesn't dunk? Terrell has never dunked? I'm not sure if it's we don't look to dunk or we don't dunk because we aren't able to create easy opportunities at the rim. The one alley oop this year that I recall was Jarvis to EC.

The first play of the Valpo game if I remember correctly was an alley oop to Peters. He's not exactly you're typical high flying dunker but Valpo ran a play to get him open at the rim. Something we hardly ever see.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Rhode_Island_Red »

rodfromcranston wrote:As usual, BAR gets it right.
The only flaw I see is, Hurley is oppposed
to playing zones.
Somehow, it's not macho to do so,
This is part of the inflexibility that doesn't lead
to change.
No kidding. But even Bobby Knight eventually broke down and played a zone, and what happened the first season he did? National championship.

We have talented players. Our defensive schemes are inept. Year after year, we see the same problems -- losing their men on off-the-ball picks, guys collapsing on penetration and giving the other team wide-open layups or threes.

In another thread it was suggested that we need an old sage on the bench to help with Xs and Os. I'd like to see someone who can come in and install a matchup zone and/or a real three-quarter-court trap. Speedy Morris, a Philly lifer, knew every junk defense ever invented -- we could use some of that. Not for 40 minutes -- just to sprinkle in here and there to disrupt the other team, make them unsure of what's coming next.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

josephski wrote:
Seawrightspostgame wrote:I feel like we aren't watching the same team.

Martin is the only dunker and I dont know how many alley oops he's caught off the top of my head in his career but I put the over/under at 5.

The guys on our team dont really look to dunk it.
Iverson doesn't dunk? Terrell has never dunked? I'm not sure if it's we don't look to dunk or we don't dunk because we aren't able to create easy opportunities at the rim. The one alley oop this year that I recall was Jarvis to EC.

The first play of the Valpo game if I remember correctly was an alley oop to Peters. He's not exactly you're typical high flying dunker but Valpo ran a play to get him open at the rim. Something we hardly ever see.
Totally agree, we dont seem to run the plays that are set up for alley oops, which are fun and seemingly easy to do as a surprise every 3-5 games.

As far as Terrell goes? He might have less than 10 dunks in three years. Thats a bit less than 90 games. Thats not dunking or a dunker.

KI? he dunks but not often, at least IMHO he appears to hook it off the glass when he has an open look at the rim. BUT then occasionally when he is locked in and has an open look he throws it down. I would say KI gets a dunk every 3-4 games. Outside of dunking, lately Iverson has been playing his best ball though.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by bigappleram »

Hass, KI, Terrell, Robinson, Thompson can all get up. CT specifically has posted some athletic dunks (in practice) on social. Heck, Langevine should only be allowed to shoot if its a dunk. It's less about dunking, and more about us being a team that plays uptempo, creates turnovers and creates easy baskets.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by josephski »

Seawrightspostgame wrote:
josephski wrote:
Seawrightspostgame wrote:I feel like we aren't watching the same team.

Martin is the only dunker and I dont know how many alley oops he's caught off the top of my head in his career but I put the over/under at 5.

The guys on our team dont really look to dunk it.
Iverson doesn't dunk? Terrell has never dunked? I'm not sure if it's we don't look to dunk or we don't dunk because we aren't able to create easy opportunities at the rim. The one alley oop this year that I recall was Jarvis to EC.

The first play of the Valpo game if I remember correctly was an alley oop to Peters. He's not exactly you're typical high flying dunker but Valpo ran a play to get him open at the rim. Something we hardly ever see.
Totally agree, we dont seem to run the plays that are set up for alley oops, which are fun and seemingly easy to do as a surprise every 3-5 games.
It's not about the alley oops, like BAR said it's about easy baskets. I mentioned alley oops specifically because they are generally easy baskets. The play itself can be somewhat difficult, specifically the pass, catch and timing but the result is an open dunk. Like I said alley oops generally come from a set play or a team having good chemistry, we seem to lack both of those at times.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

bigappleram wrote:Hass, KI, Terrell, Robinson, Thompson can all get up. CT specifically has posted some athletic dunks (in practice) on social. Heck, Langevine should only be allowed to shoot if its a dunk. It's less about dunking, and more about us being a team that plays uptempo, creates turnovers and creates easy baskets.

I agree with you guys. I just differ in opinion and think that their lack of dunking is indicative of their effort. Obviously they all CAN dunk. I just dont think they run fast enough or look to run fast enough in order to get the space to do it.

How many times do we get the ball off a rebound or turnover and jog the ball down.

I just think URI plays slow, which is fine if you're winning. For me it is maddening every time we get a break and try some euro step or jog it down and dont take the layup. Layups are easy, if you just go to the rim and force the defender to stop you, more often than not the referee will anticipate the call and blow the whistle.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by 15 Year Lurker »

"Lack of dunking" has nothing to go with anything. Shooting free throws worse than an average high school player definitely does. We either don't have the talent...I still think EC is a huge talent and I hate fans getting down on him after missing a year which is not easy - but other than our top 3 players I'm not sure if the talent is there...and the coaching I'm afraid I'm afraid has a long ways to go.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by NYGFan_Section208 »

Seawrightspostgame wrote:
bigappleram wrote:Hass, KI, Terrell, Robinson, Thompson can all get up. CT specifically has posted some athletic dunks (in practice) on social. Heck, Langevine should only be allowed to shoot if its a dunk. It's less about dunking, and more about us being a team that plays uptempo, creates turnovers and creates easy baskets.

I agree with you guys. I just differ in opinion and think that their lack of dunking is indicative of their effort. Obviously they all CAN dunk. I just dont think they run fast enough or look to run fast enough in order to get the space to do it.

How many times do we get the ball off a rebound or turnover and jog the ball down.

I just think URI plays slow, which is fine if you're winning. For me it is maddening every time we get a break and try some euro step or jog it down and dont take the layup. Layups are easy, if you just go to the rim and force the defender to stop you, more often than not the referee will anticipate the call and blow the whistle.
There were a couple times it looked like they could have run...Dowtin had the ball...but if he had run, or pressed the action...he would have been all alone...no one else running..and they, er..."he" would have been at a DISadvantage...which just sounds (never mind looks) kinda nutty.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by rambone 78 »

A team with this many athletes should be running much more often....Dan was asked about that a while ago.....and he prefers to slow it down.....

Again, I think it has to do with the fact that they aren't a good passing team. Dowtin's the best passer, but he needs help.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

Then why is Dan always yelling "RUN! RUN! RUN!"?
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by reef »

I also agre with all of BAR post very knowledgeable

No on court leader at all

To answer the original question I feel we are a very talented team that is grossly underachieving
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by rambone 78 »

Billyboy, I don't know....I've heard him yell that too......it's a ball of confusion out there I guess.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Running Ram »

The answer to the question "Are we a good team or just well sold?" is neither. We are not a good team for all the reasons discussed and though we are well hyped, we are not well sold, our marketing and media efforts are okay at best.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

Yea NYG even if the ball handler runs, it doesn't look like the rest of the team fills the lanes. Just weird to me from a basketball perspective. You assume it is natural that everyone wants to fly down the floor and get an easy basket but more often than not URI doesn't get a bucket in those fast break situations.

One of the more odd things to me about this team.
Last edited by Seawrightspostgame 7 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by DanInAZ »

from what I wrote 2 months ago...

'Also slightly concerned about this team not having much of an identity. For a team with 5 starters Jr/Sr expected better adjusting within games. Perhaps expecting EC to be leading the charge based on history and Hassan/JT doing most of it. KI has to improve offensively.

Hassan's team?
JT's team?
EC's team?

Just thoughts I'm having...'

and...

'I have said it once, I will say it (ask it) again? Who's team is this? Hassan's, Jared's, or EC's?


My thoughts: It should be Hassan's for entire game sans isolated situations.'


EC isn't consistent enough but team seems to defer to him like he's the savior.
Hassan should be the focal point but he's in foul trouble too much.
JT is the vocal leader that neither Hassan or EC are, or will ever be, but his decision making, bad fouls, poor finishing on layups, etc. prevent him from being the floor leader he wants to be.

I think until JD or DR take over as leaders will URI be missing an identity.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

Gonebarongone wrote:It's a bit of everything above. First and foremost, there is absolutely enough talent on this team to make the dance. It is criminal that Hassan is going four years without a bid. DH just doesn't know how to put his players in a position to get 100% out of their talent. DH should have had a guy on the staff that worked for four years on making HM an NBA prospect at the four. Instead, he rolled four guards out there and plopped Hass at center. Should have developed one of the bigs or recruited a legit 5 so HM could fly around as the four. Help him develop a face up game. I thought three years ago HM had the best chance out of anyone to make the NBA out of this class in the conference. Just never developed. How does Reischel go from nine minutes per game at URI to 18ppg/7rpg/3assts? I was so wrong on Xavier Munford. He was very good here. Could have been great. Gil wasn't great here but he was the BE Rookie of the year, no? Matthew Butler 40% from three this year an 14ppg. Iffy goes for 20/10 in his first college game and then squat after?
I just don't think DH has what it takes as a coach to put the pieces together. If he as a major talent advantage, he'll win games. He had it in the prep ranks. Had it when he brought some players to Wagner. He's had it many times here. It's not if we are a good team or well sold. It's neither. It's good talent that never became a good team.
Hassan: That effort was made. He just doesn't have the skill set to "fly around the floor." He is an undersized 5, and a good one.
Reischel: Give me a break
Munford: Oh, so now you were wrong?
Butler: Give me a break
Iffy: That was against Maine, which was his level.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

Blue Man: excellent post and this is a great thread.
My 2 cents: This team does have the talent. The "why" it hasn't worked out so far is hard for me to put my finger on. Hurley, for sure, takes some of the blame. Someone once said it's more important for players to accept their roles than to have a team with a lot of talent. That has been slow in coming for this team. KI has finally done it, but not everyone has.
The thing I don't like about Hurley is too much focus on the state of the program. His quotes in the paper are almost always about that. I'd rather he be more like Bill Belichick: one game at a time. Never mind how great the program is, just beat Fordham! There have been games this year when the team wasn't ready to play. Hurley blamed the players. I blame Hurley.
They've won back-to-back road games. Maybe things are finally clicking? We'll find out Saturday. VCU is beatable.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

The times they haven't come out to play Hurley has absolutely blamed himself.
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

RhowdyRam02 wrote:The times they haven't come out to play Hurley has absolutely blamed himself.
"Even I wasn't able to motivate them."

"My teams never play like this."

Is that really blaming himself?
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Re: Are we a good team or just well sold?

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

He's also said things like "I need to be better" and "I need to get things figured out".
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