Week #18 - Games of Interest

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

Week #18 begins. The A-10 has no teams in either national polls. In the others category, VCU now gets 17 votes in the AP poll. and 3 votes in the USA Today. No URI OOC opponent gets any votes in either poll.

Gonzaga retains the top spot in both the AP and USA Today polls. Once again both polls have the identical top five teams. After Gonzaga they are Virginia, Duke, North Carolina and Tennessee.

With the win over GW and the road win at Dayton, the URI key measurements showed improvement for the first time in three weeks:

NET - 140, up 6
BPI - 138, up 13
Sagarin - 127, up 15
Pomeroy - 153, up 12

The cumulative record to date for URI OOC opponents now stands at 183-163, .529, a slight decrease from previous week. The lower quality of this season's OOC schedule is clearly shown in a comparison to last year’s OOC, which was .672 at the same time. The truth is this OOC schedule would have been a drag on URI chances if the Rams had been a bubble team. I know there were extenuating circumstance surrounding the making of this year's schedule, but URI can do better.

The focus now is on maintaining the Ram's A-10 standing and the run-up to the conference tournament in Brooklyn by remaining outside the bottom four finishers.

No Monday action in the A-10. Not many other games of interest other than #2 Virginia visiting Syracuse, 7 PM. On ESPN.

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 5 years ago

Virginia, Syracuse, couplebrews...

Great way to end a heavy snow day.

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 5 years ago

Once again...case made for the vomit emoji....

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 5 years ago

That WAS a competitive game for 27-28 minutes...then the roof caved in for Syracuse.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

With 3 minutes left, Virginia with a big lead over Syracuse on unbelievable three point shooting 18-24, 75%!!

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 5 years ago

Obadiah wrote: ↑5 years ago With 3 minutes left, Virginia with a big lead over Syracuse on unbelievable three point shooting 18-24, 75%!!

and 38% inside the arc....

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 5 years ago

That's got to be close to a record I would think.

It's tough to score inside on the Orange, with their length.

Virginia just took the overland route.

If they are going to cut down the nets in April, they need to keep making their 3's.....

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 5 years ago

Yeah I like Virginia chances to at least make the Final 4 this year. They are solid

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 5 years ago

reef wrote: ↑5 years ago Yeah I like Virginia chances to at least make the Final 4 this year. They are solid

They need a strong run this year in the NCAA to erase the bad memories from last season of being the only #1 seed to ever lose to a #16 seed (UMBC).

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

Two Tuesday games in the A-10:

URI at Saint Joseph's, 7 PM. On CBSSN. If the URI win over George Washington showed the ability to rebound, however belated it was, if the road win at Dayton showed character, then winning at Saint Joseph's will show the team's willful intent in finishing this season on a high note. Go Rams!

VCU at George Mason, 7:30 PM.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 5 years ago

VCU blew GM away at GM.....36 points?

Either GM just quit, or VCU's defense is becoming quite beastly.

And we will likely get them next Friday.

mjg13x · Unread post by **mjg13x** » 5 years ago

In A-10 action tonight:

Saint Louis hosts Duquesne at 8:00 in a game the Billikens must lose to keep the possibility of URI finishing 7th open.

Saint Bonaventure travels to Davidson at 7:00.

Richmond visits UMass at 7 PM.

In another game relevant to URI, LaSalle plays Dayton away. If the Explorers lose, Rhody is guaranteed at least an 8th-place finish by virtue of holding the tiebreaker.

George Washington is at Fordham at 7.

SmartyBarrett · Unread post by **SmartyBarrett** » 5 years ago

Luwane Pipkins is grad transferring from UMass after this season. Wonder how motivated (or not) he'll be on Saturday.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

UMASS got a "huge" game from Rashaan Holloway tonight. 12-17 FG, 12 rebounds and 28 points for his best game of the season

Davidson strong 18 point win over St Bonaventure

Davidson flexed it's muscles with a 31 point win over LaSalle

Fordham beat GW by 9

Seton Hall with a big win at home over #16 Marquette

Saint Louis with a 11 point lead over Duquesne with 8 minutes to go

PC losing to Creighton by 7 with 7 minutes to go

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 5 years ago

Results tonight for LaSalle and SLU lock URI into the 8 seed for A- 10 Tournament.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

PC goes from 16 points down in the 2nd half to now go into OT @ Creighton

Rhodymob05 · Unread post by **Rhodymob05** » 5 years ago

Friars lose in OT

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

PC loses by 6 in OT to Creighton.

PeterRamTime · Unread post by **PeterRamTime** » 5 years ago

SmartyBarrett wrote: ↑5 years ago Luwane Pipkins is grad transferring from UMass after this season. Wonder how motivated (or not) he'll be on Saturday.

Well if Umass wasnt a pit of hopelessness then maybe he would stay.

PeterRamTime · Unread post by **PeterRamTime** » 5 years ago

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... =401085644

So these two guys went off....

Da_Process_Survivor · Unread post by **Da_Process_Survivor** » 5 years ago

PeterRamTime wrote: ↑5 years ago
SmartyBarrett wrote: ↑5 years ago Luwane Pipkins is grad transferring from UMass after this season. Wonder how motivated (or not) he'll be on Saturday.

Well if Umass wasnt a pit of hopelessness then maybe he would stay.

seriously. watched some of the game on NESN last night, I've seen morgues with more life than that arena

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

Pipkins did not start last night

NYGFan_Section208 · Unread post by **NYGFan_Section208** » 5 years ago

Bill Walton just ripped his shirt off for national TV over a ping pong match...how can you not love Bill Walton?

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

Last night UConn fell at home to Temple, 78-71. Temple led throughout the first half, and the Huskies took a short lived lead by the mid part of the second half, but could not sustain the lead. UConn has one game left at East Carolina which gives them one last chance to record a road win. They are currently 0-8. The loss to Temple guarantees UConn a losing record that can only be reversed by winning at ECU and winning the AAC tournament.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

One A-10 game on Friday:

Saint Joseph's at VCU, 9 PM. On ESPN2.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

Extending their winning streak to 12 games, VCU comfortably beat Saint Joseph's, 75-63. During the telecast, Joe Lunardi predicted a VCU-Dayton final in the A-10 tournament.

reef · Unread post by **reef** » 5 years ago

Saw that Obie

VCU finished 16-2 in conference never woukd have thought that

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

Brown defeats Princeton at Princeton
All comes down to 6pm Saturday night as Brown plays Penn at Penn. Winner gets the 4th seen in the 4 team Ivy Tournament

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

Saturday is the last day of A-10 regular season competition:

Our devoted attention is on URI hosting UMass, at 4 PM. On ESPN+.

Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure, 1 PM. On ESPN+.

George Mason at George Washington, 2 PM.

Fordham at La Salle, 4 PM. On ESPN+.

Davidson at Richmond, 6 PM. On ESPN+.

Dayton at Duquesne, 7 PM. On ESPN+.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 5 years ago

St. Louis at the Bonnies is the only game that could impact us down the road.

The winner of that games gets the 4 seed, so if we somehow were to beat VCU, we would likely play the 4 seed Saturday.

I would rather play the Bonnies.

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 5 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑5 years ago Brown defeats Princeton at Princeton
All comes down to 6pm Saturday night as Brown plays Penn at Penn. Winner gets the 4th seen in the 4 team Ivy Tournament

Brown has 19 wins as of now. Would love to see the Bears get to 20 and make the Ivy tourney for the first time.

As a side note, this looks to be one of the worst seasons ever for New England college basketball. Not a single team is in position for an at large invite to the NCAA Tournament. The only NCAA path for the region's teams will be to win their conference tournaments and get an automatic bid. Right now, UConn, UMass, and BC have losing records. URI could join them if they were to lose their next two. PC (16-14) looks to be headed to be just above .500. The ten best teams in New England per the NET rankings are:

NET Rankings through 03/08/19 games
#76 PC 16-14
#79 Vermont 24-6
#82 Northeastern 20-10
#96 Yale 19-7
#99 UConn 14-16
#113 BC 14-15
#128 Harvard 16-10
#139 URI 15-14
#147 Brown 19-10
#185 Hartford 17-14

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

AJ Reeves on Fire for the Fryuzzzz hitting 6-8 on 3FGs for 24 points and still 15 minutes left in the game
PC up 60-35
Say it ain’t so Butler
Wonder if any Butler fans think they should have stayed in their original conference, or at least the A10. Brutal.

I do not like PC

steviep123 · Unread post by **steviep123** » 5 years ago

Was butler on the bubble? Is so that is a huge burst

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

Bonnie’s beat St Louis to get the 4-seed

woodennickel1 · Unread post by **woodennickel1** » 5 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑5 years ago AJ Reeves on Fire for the Fryuzzzz hitting 6-8 on 3FGs for 24 points and still 15 minutes left in the game
PC up 60-35
Say it ain’t so Butler
Wonder if any Butler fans think they should have stayed in their original conference, or at least the A10. Brutal.

I do not like PC :evil

Why would Butler fans think that they have been ro the tournament the last 4 years. You really think they would have done that in the a10 or Horizon ?

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 5 years ago

Butler will join PC in the NIT, that's if PC makes the NIT.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

St Johns with a disastrous last few weeks. They have lost 4 of last 5 with all 4 losses coming from the bottom 3 teams in the BE. 2 lossses to Xavier, 1 to PC and 1 to DePaul. Tariq Owens, who bolted St Johns and plays for #8 Ranked Texas Tech today had 14 rebounds in 25 minutes, 2-2 FG, 4-4 FT, 3 blocks for 8 points in a big win at Iowa State. One time looking like a lock for NCAA now in 7th place in BE 8-10 record.
#23 Villanova lost to Seton Hall today and #16 Marquette lost at home to Georgetown. Marquette has now lost 4 straight and will fall out of the top 25
Villanova will also likely drop out of the Top 25.
Possibility of No BE Top 25 teams heading into their tournament that is up for grabs.

woodennickel1 · Unread post by **woodennickel1** » 5 years ago

ramster wrote: ↑5 years ago St Johns with a disastrous last few weeks. They have lost 4 of last 5 with all 4 losses coming from the bottom 3 teams in the BE. 2 lossses to Xavier, 1 to PC and 1 to DePaul. Tariq Owens, who bolted St Johns and plays for #8 Ranked Texas Tech today had 14 rebounds in 25 minutes, 2-2 FG, 4-4 FT, 3 blocks for 8 points in a big win at Iowa State. One time looking like a lock for NCAA now in 7th place in BE 8-10 record.
#23 Villanova lost to Seton Hall today and #16 Marquette lost at home to Georgetown. Marquette has now lost 4 straight and will fall out of the top 25
Villanova will also likely drop out of the Top 25.
Possibility of No BE Top 25 teams heading into their tournament that is up for grabs.

Not sure what your trying to say other than the Big East is in a down year which is true . But even in a down year they are 5th rated conference in Rpi ( don't see any conference rankings for net) . A10 sits at number 12 behind such conferences as the ivy league and the southern conference. Expect Big East to bounce back big time next year most teams not losing much to graduation other then Villanova who just seem to reload.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 5 years ago

Yes the BE will be better next year and so will the A10.

Not many losses to graduation for Dayton, VCU, Davidson and URI.

All will be better. How much better?

The hope is that the ENTIRE conference will be better top to bottom....but unfortunately not holding out much hope for GW, Fordham, and UMass.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 5 years ago

This is the last day of the regular college basketball season and one game of interest is UConn at East Carolina, 2 PM. On ESPNU. The interest resting on whether UConn can win their first road game of the season? The Huskies have now lost seven of their last eight games.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 5 years ago

Too bad Brown lost to Pennsylvania. Too many turnovers in that game. Penn grabs the 4th spot

Temple with a huge win over 25th ranked UCF
Pretty much puts Temple in the dance along with Houston, Cinncinnati and UCF.
4 teams from the AAC.

mjg13x · Unread post by **mjg13x** » 5 years ago

Glad to see UCF get in. I love watching Tacko Fall and also hopped on the football bandwagon last fall when they went undefeated but were shut out of the CFP. Barring a miracle in Brooklyn that sees us win the A-10, I'll make the Knights my NCAA Tournament team.