Game 2: Valparaiso (Tuesday, Nov 17 10am)

[ATPTourFan]

7a. The Ryan Center looks great on tv (but better in person!).
7b. EC Matthews was at the ESPN broadcast booth being interviewed by Sean McDonough and Tim Welsh during the game for a few minutes starting with the under 16 minute timeout in the 2nd half. I couldn't find a youtube link, but maybe someone posted above. EC mentioned it being difficult having to watch the team without being able to contribute on the court, but will be there to support in whatever way he can (nothing we didn't already know). He also mentioned surgery won't happen until the swelling goes down enough for surgery to occur. Probably in a few weeks.

Has anyone seen any video or have any quotes from when EC was on the broadcast?

There is a full replay available at watchespn.com

The interview with EC can be seen at the 1h 11m mark.

[hrstrat57]

a3uge good post. Valpo is all class so no surprise.....

I see 30 wins and a 10 seed for Valpo. I said earlier in thread - Walker, Fernandez and Peters are an elite trio!

[hrstrat57]

Shout out to you EZBuckets for a job well done yesterday.....I heard many comments in the crowd about how hard you were working and the overall quality of your work yesterday morning in a tough spot.

Please talk to Yorke about costing us a point as I mentioned earlier in this thread. Then he yelled after the missed foul shot he had been talking over " 4 shooting three " (foul shots) He didn't even realize a shot had already been taken? Extremely bad form, worst I can recall witnessing from a PA announcer. Had he done with the opposition at the line would have been a near certain tech on the home team or at minimum a do over. Bad bad bad!

See what you can do about freezing the display on the LED banner when the toes are on the line as well, certainly a huge distraction.

Again, well done, thanks! I say your efforts were worth at least a couple of hoops, sounded at times like 6K in the bldg....especially nice job firing up the private school kids....they were loud at times.

Thanks for the kind words, hrstrat.

I actually spoke with Dan after the game about that call and he was upset about the situation. Apparently just before the foul a player fell into the scoring table which knocked equipment and Dan's paperwork all over the floor. There was a scramble to grab it all + announce the appropriate foul info and in the chaos Dan announced it way later than he would have under normal circumstances.

Thanks EZBuckets I would have been shocked if you hadn't dealt with it!

Keep up the stellar work. I expect a lot of those kids became fans for life ! You got a few shirts all the way back there! Where is the foam ball shooter thingy btw ?

[CTRamfan]

I find it hard to critique the players after two games, what with the adjustments in progress.

.....Seeing the game in person, one can appreciate Valpo's overall speed. We did a good job defending them.
.....I loved our team's fight, when down 51-42......I think we will still be a pretty good team, maybe even on the bubble.

[Rhody83]

I don't know about all that. It's frustrating, but I'm still optimistic. They've only played 80 minutes so far.

Rhody has played two games losing one by 3 points to a good, experienced Valpo team and some fans on this board are giving up on them??? Comments like we probably will not make even the NIT and we will probably finish a few games above 500. I realize this is fueled by losing EC. I am hoping it is just your venting today and you will be back to normal tomorrow. I don't understand any other scenario. ONE LOSS BY 3 POINTS. You would give up on Dan Hurley, Jared Terrell, Hassan Martin, Jarvis Garrett and Four McGlynn. I would go to battle with any of them. It is early in the year and a lot can change throughout the year. GTown lost to Radford and are ahead of Maryland right now. Support the team. Stay positive.

Is that a general you or do you mean me?

I am agreeing with you Ace about being optimistic and that they have only played 80 minutes.

[BornNBred33]

I too was bummed after leaving the game and into yesterday, but realized, its ONE GAME. Obviously this one would have been a great resume boost, but lets focus on the next game. Who knows we could come out of saturdays game shooting 60% from the line....We are still a great team and by god I am not going to let ONE game get me down. GO RHODY!!!

[Obadiah]

I watched a replay of the game and made a few observations:

* The FT shooting problem is reflective of the bigger problem with outside shooting. In a casual analysis, in the first half I counted 18 shots taken outside 5-6 feet of basket, with the Rams putting in 4, 22%. This stat improved in the second half to 6 out of thirteen, 46%.

* Valpo made some second half adjustment and the Rams defensive effort waned enough to allow Valpo to put up 40 points in the half. Fernandez did a number on Iverson on a few occasions.

* Garett missed two free throws at the 1:43 mark and soon afterwards, in a defensive lapse by Hassan Martin, Alec Peters got a clear look and bagged a trey. This sequence was the dagger that kept URI out of the win column.

* Despite all this, we still had a chance to tie game and the McGlynn 3-point shot coming off the fake to Hassan was a thing of beauty. If it had gone in, it would have been on the ESPN highlight reel.

Finally, we need perspective on the situation. Like it or not Hurley drives an emotional bus and the loss of EC was bound to negatively impact the team's technical skills no matter what. We saw that in both the American and Valpo games. In time this effect will diminish and this team will find its own identity and persona. The bad shooting from the field and the line will improve, at least to an acceptable level and we can grab some wins. How fast this happens will tell us much about how far this team goes because after Cleveland State, we face some really good teams in quick succession.

[Billyboy78]

Because of the lack of depth (again), fatigue will be a factor, especially on the defensive end. Valpo, 18 points in the first half, 40 in the second.

[bigappleram]

Jared, Jarvis and Four have to all be at +75% from the line and we will be fine.

That swing play you reference was a big one Obes. There was another one late in game also where Hassan rebounded and him and Terrell had a miscommunication on the outlet pass and it resulted in a TO and then a made 3 by Valpo. With how we struggle to score those 5 point swings are too much to overcome.

[RAM67]

That particular 5 pt swing was a topic of discussion in my section Tuesday. A real heartbreaker at that point in the game.

[Joe]

I think a lot of people are going through the 5 stages of grief. Obviously there is no death involved, but it knd of felt like that regarding the basketball program last Friday night. The last stage, stage 5, is acceptance. I don't think we as fans, are there yet. I'm not sure the team is there yet either. It will eventually happen for all of us.

5 Stages of Grief:

Denial - "EC isn't injured, it's just a sprain - he will be back in a few months!"

Anger - THERE GOES OUR SEASON

Bargaining - It isn't fair, why do we always lose?

Depression - we suck at free throws, we lost an important game, players need to step up more, this season will go nowhere, attendance at a 10 am game wasn't good ..........

Acceptance - (not here yet)

We just need to realize that this team is still as good (in my opinion) if not better than last year and we will still be a competitive team. At the start of the season I thought that we would be a solid 6 7 or 8 seed and now I think we'll be close to or on the bubble with a genuine chance at getting an automatic bid from winning the A 10 tourney.

Why give up 2 games into the season? Long way to go

[rambone 78]

Nobody is giving up.

Not even me, TP.

Just not as optimistic as we were a week ago.......

[Ramblinrose]

URI IS hardly the only program where players can't hit free throws or shoot. Thank you, AAU.

[sf2010]

URI IS hardly the only program where players can't hit free throws or shoot. Thank you, AAU.

Check out this article - free throw shooting % hasn't changed in 50 years.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/sport ... .html?_r=0

[TruePoint]

Nobody is giving up.

Not even me, TP.

Glad to hear it, Bone!

[Rhodymob05]

Also, I must say be were totally undersized. Hassy couldn't do a thing.

[ramster]

My observations and highlights from the game, albiet late:

- Nice to have Elementary and Middle Schools in attendance sitting in their own assigned sections and having a great time.
- Good to recognize the schools on the Scoreboard.
- ESPN focused on the Schools for their cameo shots
- Watching Dan Hurley's conversation with EC Mathews before the game. Don't know what was said but I was touched by it.
- What a leader Dan Hurley is and what a budding leader EC Mathews is - how fortunate we are to have both
- Can see the emergence of Hassan as a leader too
- Last member of the starting line up to leave the bench was Hassan Martin. In a heartwarming gesture, Hassan walked over to EC and gave him a big hug then ran out on the floor.
- Amazed at the interior defense from Martin, Iverson and Watson
- Valpo could do nothing inside during the first half and the 3 point line defense was very tough as well
- Four shot well. Martin, Watson, Iverson and others looked for Four - dishing the ball back out from the Lane to an opern Four
- 2 boys with a 20" by 20" hand made "Get Well" Sign gave it to EC just before game time. EC shook their hands and was clearly moved
- Rhody Jay signs - "Hope my Boss isn't watching ESPN2" and Valpo Alpo
- Great to see us play Valpo so tough this early in the season without EC
- Thompson getting more time than he would had EC not been injured - he will improve more quickly with the extra PT
- Iverson is talented. Nice addition to our starting lineup and exciting future ahead
- What is wrong with our sound system? Can hardly understand anything said. Is it just me?
- Why is the football team holding practice during this Nationally Televised game? Couldn't they let the team attend the game?
- The break-a-way foul at half court was clearly intentional to prevent a sure 2 point layup for URI. Refs missed this one
- The Goal tending was obvious. Dan Hurley was right. And the Ref gives Dan a Bench Warning. Another call missed by the Refs
- National Anthem was awesome
- We have a good team that could win the A10 and make the NCAA - the defense if the key ingredient.
- Players are the most talented during the Hurley era in going 9 deep.
- The 6,7,8,9 players are better than past 6,7,8,9 players but they are also new and talented - significant upside potential
- I would take our 6,7,8,9 URI players over PC's 6,7,8,9 players
- Dan and staff have done a very credible job of acquiring talent - who excel on the defensive end
- As BAR mentioned, Four put up the his 2nd 3 Point attempt in the last seconds with his left hand - and almost made it.
- Martin had only 1 Dunk that came in the 2nd half. He is going to miss the many nice passes he received from EC. They had a special timing that only enhanced over the 3 years they have played together.
- Fans should Relax on the Free Throw shooting. The percentages will improve
- Defense will carry this team to the A10 Championship or no worse than 2nd or 3rd place in the A10 IMHO
- GO RHODY IN CANCUN!!!!!!!!!!

[RAM67]

Has anybody purchased a replay from Cox? I just purchased CS, got confirmation, but the game doesn't start. Anyone have any ideas?

[ace]

Has anybody purchased a replay from Cox? I just purchased CS, got confirmation, but the game doesn't start. Anyone have any ideas?

Probably not helpful, but I bought it and it worked. I accessed the link in the emailed receipt.

[RAM67]

Tried through receipt, with no luck. Thanks for the help.

[ATPTourFan]

How are you attempting to play? What kind of computer or device?

Once you buy the game you go back to the replay page and you may need to reload the page. The video will have a normal play button and the page will know you are freshly logged in.

[RAM67]

I have done all of the above, yet cannot get a play button. I have called Cox, and spoke to SEVEN different agents who either passed me on to someone else, hung up on me, or insisted I couldn't buy a stream without having a Cox Acct. I finally talked to someone who said that only local Cox Hub could handle the problem, but there is no telephone, only email. No response from 2 emails yet. I have streamed games in the past without problem, but this is the first time I've purchased a replay. I'm working off a desktop computer.

[ATPTourFan]

I have done all of the above, yet cannot get a play button. I have called Cox, and spoke to SEVEN different agents who either passed me on to someone else, hung up on me, or insisted I couldn't buy a stream without having a Cox Acct. I finally talked to someone who said that only local Cox Hub could handle the problem, but there is no telephone, only email. No response from 2 emails yet. I have streamed games in the past without problem, but this is the first time I've purchased a replay. I'm working off a desktop computer.

Ram67, Cox does not provide support -- the video vendor does. You can contact them at support@cleeng.zendesk.com.

Also, you can check the frequently asked questions about CoxHub streaming here, which include additional troubleshooting steps:
http://www.coxhub.com/subscribe-faq

[RAM67]

Thanks. I have looked at the FAQ, but was unable to find a specific answer to my problem, but I will email cleeng. Thanks