KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

Enjoy them.

This is a stress-free team to follow right now. We've been clunker-free thru about 2/3 of the season, and while it's unlikely that we get thru the entire season without one it is not absurd to think we'd run the A10 table if we do. We will be in the top-25 on Monday, 0.007 RPI points from being in the top-10. Veteran, talented, deep team.

Soak it in.

TruePoint wrote:Enjoy them.

This is a stress-free team to follow right now. We've been clunker-free thru about 2/3 of the season, and while it's unlikely that we get thru the entire season without one it is not absurd to think we'd run the A10 table if we do. We will be in the top-25 on Monday, 0.007 RPI points from being in the top-10. Veteran, talented, deep team.

Soak it in.

.......May I add.......also well coached......

Top 25 and with the #1 ranked recruiting class in the league coming in. Never, ever, ever have we been in this position. Enjoy the ride.

yup. quickly climbing to the dream we've all had for this program coming off of the 98 run, to be a national power.

the commitment from the administration is there, the right coach and assistants are here, the talent level is on another level.

still doesnt feel right to say things like "best backcourt in the country" and not feel ridiculous...i cant remember the last time we had a team that was so good that they could play a C/D level game and win by 10.

Enjoy every second of this

section(105) wrote:
.......May I add.......also well coached......

Yes you can.

A team full of scorers, defenders, and guys willing to play smaller roles if it means it helps the team win. Drawing charges, crashing the offensive boards, and finding the open teammate.

What a season thus far.

There has to be a way to keep Dan here for 10 more years.

I posted this in the Dayton game thread but it may have more relevance here:

We are currently witnessing something very special. I have followed Rhody hoops since 1978. I have never seen Rhody dominate its league partners for such a stretch. URI has now won FIFTEEN straight games over A-10 opponents going back to last year. Only six of these games took place in Kingston. Not only have these been wins, they have typically been by significant margins. The average margin has been thirteen points for the last fifteen games. Only four of these games were by less than double digits. This is something that has not happened to Rhode Island basketball since the days of Frank Keaney. Savor this. I suggest you get your tickets for the remaining home games as this is something you might never see again. My guess is that there will be few empty seats, if any, for the remaining five home games.

Billyboy78 wrote:There has to be a way to keep Dan here for 10 more years.

We should all become Uconn fans the rest of the season. This off-season could be dicey as we transition between this year's team and the recruits coming in. Once those guys are on campus it will be tougher for him to move on

RhowdyRam02 wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote:There has to be a way to keep Dan here for 10 more years.

We should all become Uconn fans the rest of the season. This off-season could be dicey as we transition between this year's team and the recruits coming in. Once those guys are on campus it will be tougher for him to move on

Ollie has to be gone. Yes, that concerns me a little. A deep run in the tourney will bring in lots of new cash. A nice salary bump could follow. I want to see this go on for a while. Our greatest eras of URI basketball have all come to a halt when the coach left. Late 70's, when Kraft got sick, late 80s when Penders left for Texas and late 90s when Harrick left for Georgia. To keep this rolling at a high level, we need our coach to be here for a while.

I don't see the AAC as a threat. It's not a step up and is not a basketball conference.

That conference is DOA in 2023 when the p5 rearranges again

RhowdyRam02 wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote:There has to be a way to keep Dan here for 10 more years.

We should all become Uconn fans the rest of the season. This off-season could be dicey as we transition between this year's team and the recruits coming in. Once those guys are on campus it will be tougher for him to move on

What Dan wants most is the most favorable environment and culture for winning. He's proved that a winning team will draw fans. He has the strong support of the administration. He can attract high level recruits. And now it seems he's going to get a practice facility. If we can achieve the Sweet Sixteen or the Elite 8, then there certainly will be demand for his services elsewhere. But I have a feeling that as long as URI shows him it is willing to make the improvements that a winning program requires, he'll stay. The money will come as the program continues to grow.

Also don't forget Connecticut is going to be slashing school budgets. The state support is drying up over the border

Rhody74 wrote:

RhowdyRam02 wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote:There has to be a way to keep Dan here for 10 more years.

We should all become Uconn fans the rest of the season. This off-season could be dicey as we transition between this year's team and the recruits coming in. Once those guys are on campus it will be tougher for him to move on

What Dan wants most is the most favorable environment and culture for winning. He's proved that a winning team will draw fans. He has the strong support of the administration. He can attract high level recruits. And now it seems he's going to get a practice facility. If we can achieve the Sweet Sixteen or the Elite 8, then there certainly will be demand for his services elsewhere. But I have a feeling that as long as URI shows him it is willing to make the improvements that a winning program requires, he'll stay. The money will come as the program continues to grow.

True, but a salary that is 2 or 3 times what he is making now might be hard to turn down. Then again, if Andrea wants to stay here, they stay.

UCONN is still a destination job, with more money to offer, better history, and currently a better conference.

That opening would scare me very very much.

Rhody15 wrote:UCONN is still a destination job, with more money to offer, better history, and currently a better conference.

That opening would scare me very very much.

But it is someone else's history. I think Dan wants his own history. And he can, and is, making it here.

I'm sorry if I turned this into another "Dan might leave" thread. Let's enjoy what we have now.

Billyboy78 wrote:

RhowdyRam02 wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote:There has to be a way to keep Dan here for 10 more years.

We should all become Uconn fans the rest of the season. This off-season could be dicey as we transition between this year's team and the recruits coming in. Once those guys are on campus it will be tougher for him to move on

Ollie has to be gone. Yes, that concerns me a little. A deep run in the tourney will bring in lots of new cash. A nice salary bump could follow. I want to see this go on for a while. Our greatest eras of URI basketball have all come to a halt when the coach left. Late 70's, when Kraft got sick, late 80s when Penders left for Texas and late 90s when Harrick left for Georgia. To keep this rolling at a high level, we need our coach to be here for a while.

Sickening to think about, so I won't.

Tough to stay in the moment, but these DEFINITELY are the good times! Enjoy!

When Dan is introduced after the player intros before games , we need to give him a standing ovation. He deserves it. We need to let him know how the fans feel about him.

Would it kill one of us to hit Powerball or Mega Millions?!?!?

RhowdyRam02 wrote:Would it kill one of us to hit Powerball or Mega Millions?!?!?

It would probably kill me.

Us: these are the good times!

Also us: but the worst thing COULD happen!

Lol. Cmon guys! Stay in the moment.

TruePoint wrote:Us: these are the good times!

Also us: but the worst thing COULD happen!

Lol. Cmon guys! Stay in the moment.

Yeah, I'm back in my happy place now.

Such a joy to follow this team this year. Very exciting year.

It’s great to see the kids. The coach. And the program reach its potential.

We are in the actual Good Place.
Can I be Janet?



(shout out to anyone who gets this!)

Great show. I'd like to audition for Ted Danson!

This team is locked!!!! Get your tickets now folks. I had to sneak into Keaney in '98. The tickets are going to go soon.

Billyboy78 wrote:

RhowdyRam02 wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote:There has to be a way to keep Dan here for 10 more years.

We should all become Uconn fans the rest of the season. This off-season could be dicey as we transition between this year's team and the recruits coming in. Once those guys are on campus it will be tougher for him to move on

Ollie has to be gone. Yes, that concerns me a little. A deep run in the tourney will bring in lots of new cash. A nice salary bump could follow. I want to see this go on for a while. Our greatest eras of URI basketball have all come to a halt when the coach left. Late 70's, when Kraft got sick, late 80s when Penders left for Texas and late 90s when Harrick left for Georgia. To keep this rolling at a high level, we need our coach to be here for a while.

I agree on UCONN, but it is very unlikely Ollie is canned after this season no matter the teams record ends up being. His contract buyout is huge, somewhere in the range of $10 million. UCONN is a state school in a state that has some financial issues, plus they’d have to pay URI a million (I believe) to take Dan. I’m not sure UCONN is a big enough jump anyway. I hope Dan stays and builds Rhody like UCONN, Butler, Xavier ect... it’s really up to the school continuing to invest in the program and fans coming to the games that will keep Dan here.. I hope we find a way to give him a very well deserved raise. He should be amongst the highest paid coaches in the A10.

Mongo wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote:

RhowdyRam02 wrote:
We should all become Uconn fans the rest of the season. This off-season could be dicey as we transition between this year's team and the recruits coming in. Once those guys are on campus it will be tougher for him to move on

Ollie has to be gone. Yes, that concerns me a little. A deep run in the tourney will bring in lots of new cash. A nice salary bump could follow. I want to see this go on for a while. Our greatest eras of URI basketball have all come to a halt when the coach left. Late 70's, when Kraft got sick, late 80s when Penders left for Texas and late 90s when Harrick left for Georgia. To keep this rolling at a high level, we need our coach to be here for a while.

I agree on UCONN, but it is very unlikely Ollie is canned after this season no matter the teams record ends up being. His contract buyout is huge, somewhere in the range of $10 million. UCONN is a state school in a state that has some financial issues, plus they’d have to pay URI a million (I believe) to take Dan. I’m not sure UCONN is a big enough jump anyway. I hope Dan stays and builds Rhody like UCONN, Butler, Xavier ect... it’s really up to the school continuing to invest in the program and fans coming to the games that will keep Dan here.. I hope we find a way to give him a very well deserved raise. He should be amongst the highest paid coaches in the A10.

he should be THE highest paid

Section104 wrote:

Mongo wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote: Ollie has to be gone. Yes, that concerns me a little. A deep run in the tourney will bring in lots of new cash. A nice salary bump could follow. I want to see this go on for a while. Our greatest eras of URI basketball have all come to a halt when the coach left. Late 70's, when Kraft got sick, late 80s when Penders left for Texas and late 90s when Harrick left for Georgia. To keep this rolling at a high level, we need our coach to be here for a while.

I agree on UCONN, but it is very unlikely Ollie is canned after this season no matter the teams record ends up being. His contract buyout is huge, somewhere in the range of $10 million. UCONN is a state school in a state that has some financial issues, plus they’d have to pay URI a million (I believe) to take Dan. I’m not sure UCONN is a big enough jump anyway. I hope Dan stays and builds Rhody like UCONN, Butler, Xavier ect... it’s really up to the school continuing to invest in the program and fans coming to the games that will keep Dan here.. I hope we find a way to give him a very well deserved raise. He should be amongst the highest paid coaches in the A10.

he should be THE highest paid

I couldn’t agree more... I hope they find a way to make that happen.

ace wrote:We are in the actual Good Place.
Can I be Janet?



(shout out to anyone who gets this!)

Most URI fans are Chidi, me included.

Posted this in another thread but it’s more relevant here.

Even with this said though, stop chicken littling. We have possibly the best march ever ahead of us.

Not to derail this thread, but the finances seem like firing Ollie this year would be extremely difficult.

UConn, whether they like it or not, has committed to being a football school, at the peril of their basketball program. Football drives the bus there.

Because of that, they just paid (or still owe) Diaco 3.4 million as a buyout after he got fired and broke the bank.

Randy Edsall came back on an incentive-laden deal, which to me tells me they don’t have a lot of capital laying around.

Kevin Ollie is signed through 2022 and if he were fired this year, UConn owes him 10.75 million. 2 million of which would have to come from that cash strapped state.

Also, their 2 best players have been hurt all year. This would be like URI fans chanting fire Hurley during the EC/Hass injury year.

As an aside, UConn is the only job that scares me if open. Dan does command a 1.5 million dollar buy out, and if he’s leaving he’s not going to want an incentive laden deal.

Based on finances I’m just not sure UConn can afford to fire anyone for the next year or so at least. Rough optics to pay out 15-16 mil in dead money over 2 years before you even hire the new basketball coach - especially when the one you’re firing won you a national title in the not so distant past.

I am sure Dan wants to walk into a turn key “blue blood” situation with zero rebuild time. He is also going to want a longer term deal with a big bump in pay. I am not sure anyone at UConn is going to be ok with giving a long term deal after what this Ollie buyout and contract has locked them into.

Blue Man wrote:Posted this in another thread but it’s more relevant here.

Even with this said though, stop chicken littling. We have possibly the best march ever ahead of us....

Blueman, you calling a final 4 run?

Not that it can't happen, but calling it would be ahead of ourselves. March is about matchups

Was he saying "March" or "march"? Maybe that was the intent. Clever!

Rhode Island Men's Basketball current win streaks as of 01-20-18:

10 straight wins in the 2017-18 season (in and out of conference)
15 straight wins versus A-10 opponents dating back to LY
8 straight league wins on A-10 opponent's home court dating back to LY
11 straight wins versus A-10 opponents away from home (including neutral site Pittsburgh A-10 Tourney games) dating back to LY
13 straight wins at the Ryan Center dating back to LY (in and out of conference)

Substantial list there.

time to donate if you can

Da_Process_Survivor wrote:Also don't forget Connecticut is going to be slashing school budgets. The state support is drying up over the border

Um...the state is drying up.

Too add to the “good times” theme - after the Fordham game, every game the rest of the way is a national broadcast.

And the Fordham game will be on Facebook. Get your friends and family to watch instead of posting crappy political memes!

I see a clear run to 10-0/18-3
Win @ Fordham
Win v Duquesne in front of sellout and crazy Ruckus
Win @ UMass
Next tough match up is @ VCU Feb 2nd

not to derail this thread but real tough stretch starting Feb 2nd (@VCU vs Davidson vs Richmond @St Bonaventure @La Salle)

As I said before, if I’m dreaming don’t ever wake me up!
Like all rhody fans I knew we would be good but how good?
Well when you go into Dayton and play the way they did ( sorry I don’t buy the whole “ down year for Dayton” ) this team is not only way above the Atlantic 10 but looking at a possible 5 seed in the NCAAT!
Fill the RYAN and let the good times roll!

Yes it is the greatest of times to be a URI fan !!

We deserve this as fans as we had to endure the boring CFL years

I still got my 200 at 300-1 on URI cutting the nets down in San Antonio keep the dream alive !!

I hope you donate a portion of the 60k back to URI, Reef!

I am still in awe over how good and deep this team is. I don’t care what Dayton’s record is this year—that is a TOUGH place to play. You know how insanely loud the Ryan Center when it’s full? Now double that. That’s what it’s like to play at UD arena. To win by that margin and go that deep in the bench and take care of business is very impressive.

Let’s just enjoy these good times now. We are really witnessing something incredibly special. Senior night is going to be brutal this year.

Rhody74 wrote:

ace wrote:We are in the actual Good Place.
Can I be Janet?



(shout out to anyone who gets this!)

Most URI fans are Chidi, me included.

Love this... the accuracy is too real

Rhody’s winning, Joel’s still alive and playing basketball, the Phillies are not great but showing signs of life, city employees are greasing lampposts in case the Eagles win. My sports world is good right now!

And no, I don’t want to hear about your Celtics and Patriots

Hey Ace

Dan Hurley has the opportunity to be the most important coach of all time at the University of Rhode Island.

He can keep us in the actual Good Place by staying here for the next several years and building the program to where it becomes a destination for very good high school kids......kids who are three and four star players....I doubt we will ever attract 5-star kids....

...or he can leave as quickly as this year if he wants to chase the dream of the Power 5...

.....we will remember him as the coach who resurrected the team to the point where we go to 2 straight NCAA tournaments..

....or he can emulate his dad and commit to staying here long term and turn the team into a national entity and become the most important coach the University has ever had...

....two other coaches had that opportunity and chose to chase the bigger stage.....Penders and Harrick.....we remember them fondly but they didn't ascend to Olympus (Rhody version)....

...I dream of the duo of Keaney and Hurley over the trio of Penders, Harrick, and Hurley.....

This keeps going and the court will be named for him one day. Spot on Ramulous, he has taken the program to new heights and moreso than any other time they don’t feel fleeting. We have had great teams, never a great program, this is new territory. Set up for success long term. And it’s all been built meticulously by Dan.