12/1 | West Virginia | 2:00PM (Root sports/AT&T Sportsnet & Streaming)

[BleedBlue87]

Hate losing close ones but it's a long season and we have no bad losses. Anyone saying this season is over needs to relax.

I still don't get why JD doesn't control the ball and distribute. Fatts is good at the point too but JD doesn't seem like a natural scorer the same way fatts is. JD does seem to have a nose for the assists. Makes little sense to me but maybe someone here can enlighten me.

[bkoeppen]

Darn it! Had our chances today...

13 TOs, 66.7% FT shooting, and nobody besides Fatts showed up for most of the game was the difference. Couldn't get over the hump.

Good game although this one stings...

maybe the only game we shoot better from the 3 this year than FT's.

[RhodyKyle]

Kenpom, etc. should like that we covered.

Went from 94 to 91 after today's game.

[bigappleram]

Hate losing close ones but it's a long season and we have no bad losses. Anyone saying this season is over needs to relax.

I still don't get why JD doesn't control the ball and distribute. Fatts is good at the point too but JD doesn't seem like a natural scorer the same way fatts is. JD does seem to have a nose for the assists. Makes little sense to me but maybe someone here can enlighten me.

Bc Fatts needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He is not a guy to run off picks and look for catch and shoot opportunities to get his points. He is best going downhill. Of all the things to critique this year how Fatts is being deployed is definitely not 1 of them.

[reef]

We fought hard against a very good team on their floor

Too many bonehead plays down the stretch

I also think we should have gone for a quick steal and then foul with like 25 secs left extend the game

We couldn’t get any calls down the stretch that’s to be expected on the road v a good P5

Don’t know what’s up with Jefe but he needs to get his confidence back

Fatts is the msn

[rambone 78]

You can list several plays that cost us big time...a couple less screwups and we likely win.

But good call on the sophomores. They are disappointing at this point. It's like 1 step forward, 2 steps back, all the time.

It is aggravating when you beat yourselves...that's what happened here.

If we want to be an NCAA tourney team, we have to start winning a couple we're NOT supposed to win....by continuing to lose these we are cutting our margin for error down each time.

With our rating where it is, just winning the ones we're favored in just isn't good enough.

The "it's early" excuse line spouted by a few here won't be the case soon.

[RamStock]

You can list several plays that cost us big time...a couple less screwups and we likely win.

But good call on the sophomores. They are disappointing at this point. It's like 1 step forward, 2 steps back, all the time.

It is aggravating when you beat yourselves...that's what happened here.

If we want to be an NCAA tourney team, we have to start winning a couple we're NOT supposed to win....by continuing to lose these we are cutting our margin for error down each time.

With our rating where it is, just winning the ones we're favored in just isn't good enough.

The "it's early" excuse line spouted by a few here won't be the case soon.

Exactly. It always sounds good to say well that was a real good team they lost to, but no one cares. They will lose several games in the A-10 as some of the middle tier teams are tougher than we thought. If we lose 4 non conference games and go 13-5 it will be depending upon a weak bubble. Lose 6 and forget it. We need to win the rest of the non conference schedule and there is no reason we can’t. I’m not sure we can beat PC and Western Kentucky. I get how bad PC has been, but you know how these games go

[15 Year Lurker]

Great game. Was hoping they would steal. Two real bad passes at the end by Tyrese and a bad shot.

But this team is good. Could be an exciting year. Everyone on the floor can score.

Fatts is playing incredible this season.

[rambone 78]

Correct. We're going to lose at least a couple on the road during the conference season that we'll be either favorites or about even.....we have to offset those losses with wins against better teams. Also will we win our last 4 OOC games?

Again we're NOT getting good games from enough guys. What happens when Fatts has an off game?

Someone said [Cox?] that Martin could play in the league....which league is he talking about...because it sure isn't the NBA the way he's playing.

[rhodylaw]

I am disappointed we didn’t win any of the three challenge games on the non-conference schedule. I am please to see though that we stayed with that team despite everyone not named Fatts not playing all that great of a game for 40 mins. Those frustrated by the sophomores now, will hopefully be happy with the results in February if they grow from these games. I think it is cliche to say the biggest growth is freshmen to sophomore year and expect that in the beginning of the sophomore season they will be playing like juniors and seniors. We need those guys peaking come February.

[section(105)]

......peaking in February?........getting late awfully early around here......

[PeterRamTime]

A very encouraging and discouraging game.

I think the biggest key was being unable to guard them inside and giving up offensive rebounds.

Do do a little better at that we come away with a win.

Also, Dowtin actually playing like Dowtin gives us a W.


Can expect Dowtin to play like this all year.

We do get Walker which will help us inside, maybe a lot...

So these things are very fixable and if we do fix them we dance.

[Rhody15]

Great game. Was hoping they would steal. Two real bad passes at the end by Tyrese and a bad shot.

But this team is good. Could be an exciting year. Everyone on the floor can score.

Fatts is playing incredible this season.

You must not watch Harris, or Long, or Tate if you think everyone on the floor can score.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

I want a picture of Huggins with Fatts.

Huggins looks like he’s about to give birth to Fatts.

[section(105)]

I want a picture of Huggins with Fatts.

Huggins looks like he’s about to give birth to Fatts.

.......another solid nomination for post of the season award......

[Obadiah]

For those interested in replay of game, here is a link from the WVU fan forum:

[CTRamfan]

22 games to go.................There will be many opportunities to go 15-7 the rest of the way, and get to 20 wins.

[ramster]

I want a picture of Huggins with Fatts.

Huggins looks like he’s about to give birth to Fatts.

Loved it when he was looking up at the replay board on one of the late calls. Looking up his shirt came up and his belly was out there. Did i just say “replay board?”

And the fans booed a LOT when that replay was shown, clearly didn’t like the call. Oh well, Wi-Fi first?

[Section104]

No Projo coverage on a game 1 hour from Pittsburgh against a Big 12 team...sad

Is Dowtin hurt? Sick? Benched?

Fatts longest 6 games of 20+ - best guard in A10.

Projo where art thou?

[BleedBlue87]

Hate losing close ones but it's a long season and we have no bad losses. Anyone saying this season is over needs to relax.

I still don't get why JD doesn't control the ball and distribute. Fatts is good at the point too but JD doesn't seem like a natural scorer the same way fatts is. JD does seem to have a nose for the assists. Makes little sense to me but maybe someone here can enlighten me.

Bc Fatts needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He is not a guy to run off picks and look for catch and shoot opportunities to get his points. He is best going downhill. Of all the things to critique this year how Fatts is being deployed is definitely not 1 of them.

I was not critiquing Fatts, I was critiquing how we are using JD.

[rhodysurf]

For those interested in replay of game, here is a link from the WVU fan forum:

I recorded it too. But I think recordings are so ubiquitous now that I can retire for most games and just keep track of the links haha

[eli#10]

The game was there for the taking but the 3 pointer with one second on the shot clock was a killer. Also we doubled teamed them down low a couple of times and got loose balls that would up right in their hands for a couple of easy lay ups.

I say that playing a bona fide top 20-25 team tough on their home court will bode well the rest of the year.The free throw disparity was tough to overcome. Contributing to the free throw difference was that Fatts had to take the ball to the basket at least 7-8 times without a foul being called. He shot exactly ONE free throw.

P.S. I will take 7 points and 6 rebounds from Harris the rest of the year.

Tate has to step it up. He cannot play any worse.

[wgracie99]

If JD played better in our other two losses we still would have lost but if he played better today it’s a W no matter how Martin/Tate/Harris played. He’s better than he’s played and he knows it. I think the PC game and crowd will get him going and we’ll get 2 wins to end the OOC and start the A10 on a upside.

[Rhody83]

Was shocked at the two layups Jeff missed.

[rambone 78]

Does JD have the flu? It's going around a lot of teams right now.

OT, but about a third of the Pats' roster has it.

[Ram96]

A very encouraging and discouraging game.

I think the biggest key was being unable to guard them inside and giving up offensive rebounds.

Do do a little better at that we come away with a win.

Also, Dowtin actually playing like Dowtin gives us a W.


Can expect Dowtin to play like this all year.

We do get Walker which will help us inside, maybe a lot...

So these things are very fixable and if we do fix them we dance.

From what I’ve seen, this is not a tournament team.

[rambone 78]

If URI can somehow get good performances from more guys, they can beat a good team.

The potential is there to be better, but....

But right now, there's no consistency. Good teams play well at least for stretches...we're still looking for 2 in a row.....

That's the question going forward. Beginning to look like there's not enough overall talent or BB IQ on this team, save for a few...…

Too many bad passers, too many missed layups.....poor fundamentals.

And those kind of mistakes show up when the pressure is on.

[section(105)]

.......maybe something will click with Walker playing soon, however he, for me, is far from the answer.......the continued under performing trio of Harris, Tate and Martin......OK if Jermaine is going to be what we see, with an occasional 7-6 as his ceiling.....if someone said earlier that trio would be what we see in year two, I think we would be disappointment mode.......

[rambone 78]

Martin has shown flashes of being a very good player.

But lately he's hurt the team more than he's helped it.

Does he have an attitude problem that affects his play? If so, that could be a problem for the entire team.

Cox is going to have to figure it out, and do what he has to do, if there is a problem.

[KevanBoyles]

Fatts has been Iversonesque.

[TruePoint]

I don’t know if it is fair to Martin to just assume he has an attitude problem. I do think it’s fair to wonder what is going on with him, and to expect that he gives this team more. Sophomores slumps aren’t unheard of (ask the guy that is carrying us this year), so hoping he just snaps out of it.

[adam914]

I miss the days of just a few short years ago when losing to the teams you were supposed to lose to wasn't supposed to be viewed as a good thing. It's discouraging to see how quickly we've fallen back into that mindset of "well we were supposed to lose anyway, what'd you expect".

[RI_Bred]

^Plus from the very start of his career here, Martin has been identified as a pretty "non-emotion-showing guy" on the court. That plays into it for those of us who tend to expect more emotion out of a player during the game. Not excusing his poor play lately, just observing.

[RAMFAN]

22 games to go.................There will be many opportunities to go 15-7 the rest of the way, and get to 20 wins.

20-10 with no signature wins = NIT

[ace]

So far, this team has been able to not do the stupid thing (like, lose to St. Joe’s) but also not yet quite capable of doing the big thing. In that way, it kind of reminds me some of the 14-15 team. Hopefully the senior presence on this team will mean a slightly better outcome (NCAA not NIT). The positive take on that is that these close games will mean something when it comes to conference play, and they’ll click at the right time.

Fatts! Not sure I want to think about where this team would be if he’d been allowed to move on,

[SandorClegane]

Agree on the coaching adjustments made in this game by DC. Good read of the game. Sagged the entire defense in the 2nd half to clog lane and get more bodies near the basket for rebounds. Kids showed a lot of fight. The fate of our season lies in our sophomore class and right now they are maddening with inconsistent play, and bad decision making. Dana's T in that situation was inexcusable, no matter the circumstances. Under no circumstances can Tyrese throw that ball away with Fatts curling for a 3, he had plenty of a window to make a straight line pass there. Killer to not even get a shot off in that situation.

If I’m coaching, that pass has to come from Jeff anyways. Not only do I trust him to make the pass, if the play breaks down he’s the only other guy who can create something on the fly. Martin should be in a corner waiting for chaos to result in a wide open look falling into his lap and ready to crash the boards. Hindsight is 20/20 and I thought Cox coached a good game overall, hitting the right buttons to keep us in the game after it looked like it was going away a few different times, but we could have done better there.

Agree 100% with TP’s take. I thought DC coached well, only thing I would change (in hindsight) is having the ball in Jeff’s hands at the end to dish to Fatts. Big ups to Fatts as he is carrying this team on his shoulders. The team needs to rebound better and we win this game.

[Rhodyram]

So far, this team has been able to not do the stupid thing (like, lose to St. Joe’s) but also not yet quite capable of doing the big thing. In that way, it kind of reminds me some of the 14-15 team. Hopefully the senior presence on this team will mean a slightly better outcome (NCAA not NIT). The positive take on that is that these close games will mean something when it comes to conference play, and they’ll click at the right time.

Fatts! Not sure I want to think about where this team would be if he’d been allowed to move on,

Who was it that “didn’t allow” him to move on?

[RamStock]

22 games to go.................There will be many opportunities to go 15-7 the rest of the way, and get to 20 wins.

That record isn’t getting them in the tourney. 10 loses from the A-10. At least Dayton and VCU will be ahead of them maybe one more or Davidson becomes a pain and spoils things in conference

[rambone 78]

WV would have been a Q1 win.

How many Q1 wins will we have OOC?

Right now, none. Alabama likely won't be one, and maybe not PC either if we win that game.

It's not the record that's most important, although it's a factor.

It's "Who have you beaten" which applies to everyone.

[Rhody83]

Agree on the coaching adjustments made in this game by DC. Good read of the game. Sagged the entire defense in the 2nd half to clog lane and get more bodies near the basket for rebounds. Kids showed a lot of fight. The fate of our season lies in our sophomore class and right now they are maddening with inconsistent play, and bad decision making. Dana's T in that situation was inexcusable, no matter the circumstances. Under no circumstances can Tyrese throw that ball away with Fatts curling for a 3, he had plenty of a window to make a straight line pass there. Killer to not even get a shot off in that situation.

If I’m coaching, that pass has to come from Jeff anyways. Not only do I trust him to make the pass, if the play breaks down he’s the only other guy who can create something on the fly. Martin should be in a corner waiting for chaos to result in a wide open look falling into his lap and ready to crash the boards. Hindsight is 20/20 and I thought Cox coached a good game overall, hitting the right buttons to keep us in the game after it looked like it was going away a few different times, but we could have done better there.

Agree 100% with TP’s take. I thought DC coached well, only thing I would change (in hindsight) is having the ball in Jeff’s hands at the end to dish to Fatts. Big ups to Fatts as he is carrying this team on his shoulders. The team needs to rebound better and we win this game.

I don’t agree with Harris on the court and Jeff on the bench with 4:00 minutes to go. I don’t think Jeff came back in until the last possession. That last play included Cyril and Martin with the ball (two potential turnovers) before trying to get it to Fatts. I want Jeff and Fatts to have the ball.

[BleedBlue87]

WV would have been a Q1 win.

How many Q1 wins will we have OOC?

Right now, none. Alabama likely won't be one, and maybe not PC either if we win that game.

It's not the record that's most important, although it's a factor.

It's "Who have you beaten" which applies to everyone.

Winning the rest of OOC and doing damage in the A-10 (including splitting with Dayton and VCU) will be enough.

[RhodyRam86]

Blowout ensuing, gonna go into conference play with not one quality win. This team just does have it.

Guess Alabama doesn't count.

Alabama is 3-4 with wins over Florida Atlantic, Furman and Southern Miss. Yeah...they don't count.

[ace]

My hope is that the Alabama win looks better as the season goes on and they adjust to their new coach and all that. I don’t know if they can overcome their injuries, though.

[PeterRamTime]

My hope is that the Alabama win looks better as the season goes on and they adjust to their new coach and all that. I don’t know if they can overcome their injuries, though.

Yeah that's the thing.


If Bama and PC get it together later in the season they can quickly become quality wins if they string together a few wins in conference.

[RhowdyRam02]

Hate losing close ones but it's a long season and we have no bad losses. Anyone saying this season is over needs to relax.

I still don't get why JD doesn't control the ball and distribute. Fatts is good at the point too but JD doesn't seem like a natural scorer the same way fatts is. JD does seem to have a nose for the assists. Makes little sense to me but maybe someone here can enlighten me.

Bc Fatts needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He is not a guy to run off picks and look for catch and shoot opportunities to get his points. He is best going downhill. Of all the things to critique this year how Fatts is being deployed is definitely not 1 of them.

Unfortunately Jeff and Fatts might not be complimentary players and the whole will never equal the sum of the parts. It feels like they both need the ball in their hands to be successful.

Jeff so far this year reminds me a lot of Jarvis Garrett in the first tournament year. He looks like someone who either isn't sure of what his role is or isn't comfortable in that role and the play is suffering from that

[rambone 78]

You're likely right about Jeff....but I sure would have had him in the game with a couple of minutes to go against WV.

Having 2 bad passers [Harris and Martin] in there was a recipe for disaster, and that's what happened.

Cox again learned a lesson the hard way...and he was none too pleased about it.

[Section104]

I know I'm being very critical of Projo here, but yesterday we saw the most unusual lineup decision in many years - benching a preseason all A10 second team player - and we have no answers as to why. Was Jeff sick? Was Cox sending a message? Was it a change based on opposing defense? Is this not important?

This game was 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh. Hotels are dirt cheap. Rental cars are dirt cheap. Instead they burned money on Kevin in Anaheim (all the way across the country) for losses to Long Beach State & Charleston, and a 3 point win against powerhouse Pepperdine. Don't give me this boring old attendance shtick every home game when we don't get local coverage against 2/3 of P5 teams we play against.

Someone get an answer on why Jeff was benched.

[DC_Rams]

I know I'm being very critical of Projo here, but yesterday we saw the most unusual lineup decision in many years - benching a preseason all A10 second team player - and we have no answers as to why. Was Jeff sick? Was Cox sending a message? Was it a change based on opposing defense? Is this not important?

This game was 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh. Hotels are dirt cheap. Rental cars are dirt cheap. Instead they burned money on Kevin in Anaheim (all the way across the country) for losses to Long Beach State & Charleston, and a 3 point win against powerhouse Pepperdine. Don't give me this boring old attendance shtick every home game when we don't get local coverage against 2/3 of P5 teams we play against.

Someone get an answer on why Jeff was benched.

It was certainly To send a message. Jeff seems to be suffering from “senior-itis”.

He’s playing tentative, and scared basketball. He’s the best pure shooter on our team and seems to be settling for layups or forced mid range fade-away jumpers. It’s like he’s afraid to make the wrong play, instead of playing to his skill set and abilities. He’s missing layups! In my analysis, it appears the staff is trying to re-boot Jeff. He’s not playing like WE and HE know e can.

[RF1]

I know I'm being very critical of Projo here, but yesterday we saw the most unusual lineup decision in many years - benching a preseason all A10 second team player - and we have no answers as to why. Was Jeff sick? Was Cox sending a message? Was it a change based on opposing defense? Is this not important?

This game was 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh. Hotels are dirt cheap. Rental cars are dirt cheap. Instead they burned money on Kevin in Anaheim (all the way across the country) for losses to Long Beach State & Charleston, and a 3 point win against powerhouse Pepperdine. Don't give me this boring old attendance shtick every home game when we don't get local coverage against 2/3 of P5 teams we play against.

Someone get an answer on why Jeff was benched.

If I am not mistaken, PC has played nine games and the Projo covered all but one (@Northwestern). It covered the three Friar games in Anaheim, CA. The Projo has sent no one to cover three of URI's eight games thus far (@ WVU and in Jamaica versus LSU and N Texas).

URI still has one game left that is far from RI (@ MTSU) and the Friars have yet to play versus Florida in Brooklyn. My guess (based on its past patterns) is that the paper will not cover URI's game but will cover PC. This likely scenario would mean just ONE PC game (out of 13) would not have been covered while FOUR URI games (out of 12), a full third of its OOC, were missed.

The clear difference in the number of games covered is a stark contrast and only further feeds the long time narrative that the Projo gives preferred treatment to PC.

[Obadiah]

You could also say the same about that rag, golocalprov!