1/22 | Duquesne | 7:00PM (ESPN+/YurView)

[DeanDome88]

I can’t remember us ever having a center that could shoot 3s and stretch the floor....Harris is just a sophomore, his shot has good rotation, and he shoots his free throw pretty well. If he is open and it’s not the last 5 mins of a close game or 2 seconds into the shot clock he should let it fly. If he can develop (because that’s what 19 year old kids do they improve) into a 30% 3 point shooter that will open up sooooo much space for the offense...

We are not the Celtics so stop expecting players to be finished products when they arrive here.

Jeff Kent had the 3 ball in his arsenal.

[ATPTourFan]

Enjoying a rewatch of second half on ESPN+. Would definitely recommend!

[ATPTourFan]

[ATPTourFan]

[ATPTourFan]

[FDshoes]

Great 2nd half, amazing how much Cyril can impact a game with his defensive presence in the paint. Love the way Long plays during his 10 or so minutes a game. Walkers vision in traffic to find open guys is 2nd to none on this team. Fatts & Jeff 40 pts 0 turnovers is ridiculous.

Another Q2 opportunity saturday gotta keep the ball rolling. On the verge of moving onto the "bubble' and then on the inside looking out.

[EZBuckets]

Hi all - FANTASTIC game last night.

The crowd was ELECTRIC during the 2nd half and it was great we had such a fantastic student turnout. It really helped the momentum and I 100% believe we're good for at least 6 points when the Ryan Center is rocking.

With that said, I want to reiterate what I just posted in the the other thread because for some reason someone has spread some horribly inaccurate information:

NO students were turned away last night.

I was informed that almost 500 students showed up simultaneously JUST before tip-off. It took quite a bit of time for the Ryan Center staff to get them all checked in and in the doors - but there was NO student turned away or denied entry at last night's game. NONE. ZERO. ZIP.

I have no earthly idea how this started but it's absolutely ridiculous to spread such nonsense here with zero evidence on what should've been a night of nothing but positives.

I can assure you anyone who saw a student turn around and leave the line to the Ryan Center did so on their own accord. I even saw additional students make their way into the crowd WELL into the 1st half.

[TruePoint]

I know how it started. One guy said it and everyone went with it. It’s the same guy who only posts to take shots at players and the team in general.

When I saw other posters talking about it I went to find the original post to quote it and rant about how ridiculous it was, then I saw who said it and decided not to touch it. Thanks for clearing the air, EZ.

[Seawrightspostgame]

Great effort! Great win!

Harris is awesome. Everyone playing is awesome. The two seniors are spectacular and everyone else can continue to develop. Great year for these guys to win some trophies and really push this program forward.

[ramster]

I know how it started. One guy said it and everyone went with it. It’s the same guy who only posts to take shots at players and the team in general.

When I saw other posters talking about it I went to find the original post to quote it and rant about how ridiculous it was, then I saw who said it and decided not to touch it. Thanks for clearing the air, EZ.

No, not EVERYONE went with it. Some went with it. I get you can go back and find who started it, but those who jump on and it becomes like a lynch mob should not get an “excused absence” either.

I watched the Student Section fill up gradually. The 300 level was not very full to start the game. But about midway through the first half I looked up and was amazed by the size of the crowd in the 300 level. It was great to see and it was a vocal crowd to boot!!!

It was a great night.

Those who jump on these negative bandwagons should think carefully about jumping. But once they jump they should own up too when proven wrong.

[EZBuckets]

Just for clarification purposes - I don't think we need to jump on Rhody15. He clarified in the other thread he saw someone say "no more in" when walking past the student entrance.

I clarified that the Ryan Center purposely staggers entrance of the students so there isn't a mad rush into the arena. So I'm thinking it was a misinterpretation of what was happening. I'll chalk it up to an honest mistake, but again - we shouldn't be quick to make assumptions or judge without having all the information.

[rhodyfan3000]

When I saw Fatts defy gravity with the basketball yesterday, some crazy looking yo-yo without a string shot, I became fairly certain we were going to pull it out no matter what. Not to mention the dunk.

[RhodyRams916]

Hi all - FANTASTIC game last night.

The crowd was ELECTRIC during the 2nd half and it was great we had such a fantastic student turnout. It really helped the momentum and I 100% believe we're good for at least 6 points when the Ryan Center is rocking.

With that said, I want to reiterate what I just posted in the the other thread because for some reason someone has spread some horribly inaccurate information:

NO students were turned away last night.

I was informed that almost 500 students showed up simultaneously JUST before tip-off. It took quite a bit of time for the Ryan Center staff to get them all checked in and in the doors - but there was NO student turned away or denied entry at last night's game. NONE. ZERO. ZIP.

I have no earthly idea how this started but it's absolutely ridiculous to spread such nonsense here with zero evidence on what should've been a night of nothing but positives.

I can assure you anyone who saw a student turn around and leave the line to the Ryan Center did so on their own accord. I even saw additional students make their way into the crowd WELL into the 1st half.

Thanks for clearing this up. I apologize for believing the original poster on this. That's good that they allowed more to enter. I admit that I was wrong in jumping on this rumor.

[rhodyblue12]

Love this team.
Every player has strengths and flaws. It is evident that flaws are being worked on and progress is being made.
The staff is utilizing each player's strengths and putting the team in a position to succeed.
Roles are becoming more clearly established.
Love the defensive adjustments at halftime - a team identity is coming into focus, too.

Some little things to clean up, but lots to be happy about.
There will be bumps - off nights, etc., but this team is good.

I wish that many folks (or more) showed up for every game. It really does make it tough on the opponent.

[rhodyfan3000]

One more thing of note: I don't know what Cox tells them at the half, but they come out ready to walk through walls. That itself is a talent.

[Running Ram]

I'm not even going to coat this one with sugar, anyone who doesn't see Harris making vast improvements and doesn't see his value to this team moving forward is a big dummy! Harris is strong and getting more aggressive, but fouling less. I actually believe he will be a focal point on offense and defense by his senior season.

[RI_Bred]

NO students were turned away last night.

This is great to hear.

Now, let's get the rest of the 300 level seats filled with the fair-weather fans. No better venue than a full Ryan Center.

[rhodyfan3000]

I wish people would get off of Harris's case. It reminds me a lot of Luther Clay back in 97-99. I don't know what people remember, but Luther Clay was a bona fide McD's All American who transferred here from Purdue. And people would really rag on him for not playing to his supposed potential. He peaked, at just the right time, during that Elite 8 run, and he was not the same player both prior to and after that time.

We can ill afford to lose a player like Harris. He's sort of a square peg in a round hole type of player, but Cox really seems to be systematically beating him into the kind of mold player we need him to be, which is more lunch pail than flash. He had a really good game yesterday. I really think the key to beating Duquesne yesterday was getting Hughes out of his comfort zone. He and Weathers. And Harris was really locking horns with Hughes up until the point where CL came in and prevented him from getting a potential Technical.

He's heading in the right direction. Let him continue on his journey.

[TruePoint]

One more thing of note: I don't know what Cox tells them at the half, but they come out ready to walk through walls. That itself is a talent.

I think last night the thing he said that made the difference was “OK, Cyril, time to get back into the game so watch the fouls.”

[DC_Rams]

I'm not even going to coat this one with sugar, anyone who doesn't see Harris making vast improvements and doesn't see his value to this team moving forward is a big dummy! Harris is strong and getting more aggressive, but fouling less. I actually believe he will be a focal point on offense and defense by his senior season.

See we can agree too, RR.

Lol

[EZBuckets]

I agree with the sentiments about Harris. Anyone who can’t see the improvement is blind. He’s still developing his game and sure, it’s slower than most have hoped & he’s still making some mistakes out there - he’s making strides and fully expect him to be a star in his last 2 seasons here.

[Blue Man]

I'm not even going to coat this one with sugar, anyone who doesn't see Harris making vast improvements and doesn't see his value to this team moving forward is a big dummy! Harris is strong and getting more aggressive, but fouling less. I actually believe he will be a focal point on offense and defense by his senior season.

Hi. Big dummy here. I think both can be true.

I do see Harris improving - I also think how he's being used by the staff is improving. He wasn't a 5 in his HS career, but his body is forcing him into a different position. I completely understand that. His face up game is significantly better than his post up game. He's a sophomore big playing in a high level program against high level competition. It takes time to adjust. I also think he should be playing on the wing, and not down low. He's not a very good center but I think he's a good wing.

I think he's an incredibly valuable part of this team. He will be even more important in his next 2 years here. He will develop into potentially an all-conference type talent on the offensive end.

It is not some slight against him or the program or anyone's fanhood to say that he's lost defensively.

I rewatched the game. Cyril's 2nd foul in the first half was completely because Harris got turned around after being completely on the wrong side of his defender in the low post. It forced Cyril to slide over late and out of position which drew the foul. What some people called the "turning point" of the 2nd half when Harris and the Duquesne big got tangled up was just Harris being again, out of position and having to fight through his guy to get back between him and the hoop.

Harris' 3rd foul was complete and total BS though. Those refs were BAD.

Harris came out of the game with 17:08 to go when the score was 41-34. URI outscored the Dukes 43-14 over that stretch. We allowed 3 FG's the rest of the way. THREE. 2 of which were fast break layups. We were -11 in REBs with Harris on the floor. +7 with him off of it.

The turning point was Cyril trapping weathers on the wing and forcing a TO that sparked back-to-back Rhody baskets to get us within a possession.

Again. I love Harris. I want him to be a 1st team all conference player. I think in the right position (a wing) he very well could be. He's not an under-the-basket type player. He doesn't need to be one to be a difference maker. Walker is a stud down low. Walker also understands how to play the high post for a big, and how to create offense out of it.

The best lineup last night was clearly Jeff, Fatts, Rese, CL, Walker. Cox let them run it for about 8 minutes before a sub.That lineup should be getting a lions share of the minutes, no matter who starts. I just think they need to start transitioning Harris into the 3 and work a low-post lineup of CL, Walker, and Toppin - with Harris coming to spell down low for emergency rest/matchups.

Harris should be on the wing working on his face up game and creating mismatches like Iverson did.

Again, not saying he can't improve his low-post play, but he needs to do that in garbage time or in practice. He can't be playing the low post in high leverage situations - and I think Cox recognized that, which is why we didn't see JH the remainder of the half.

[RamIt!]

Took the time... discovered a new "productive" computer talent.

[Running Ram]

I'm not even going to coat this one with sugar, anyone who doesn't see Harris making vast improvements and doesn't see his value to this team moving forward is a big dummy! Harris is strong and getting more aggressive, but fouling less. I actually believe he will be a focal point on offense and defense by his senior season.

See we can agree too, RR.

Lol

As I've said before, you and I agree more often than not. I most definitely appreciate you, I just don't have your blind optimism. I get worried when we look stagnant against sub-par teams, you figure we'll pull it out some other way. And with our recent track record, you are right more often than not. But staying focused as a team is the highest priority, so from time to time it gets worrisome because we won't be able to make it up on defense or in transition against every team we play. I don't know about others, but I watch or listen to every game fully expecting to win, when we look out of sorts for long stretches it messes with my expectations, that's called a bummer. So I get critical of any recurring deficiency I see in team play. I do my best to not let expectations spoil my entertainment. I'm much more patient about expectations placed on players than I am with coaches and administration.

[RhodyRam86]

i am one that jumped on the "students getting turned away" bandwagon. glad to hear it wasn't true. thanks for clearing up EZ.

students should never be turned away if there are empty seats in the building.

[bigappleram]

There is no way Harris is a 3. You need your 3 man to be able to put the ball on the floor (ie Tyrese) and get to the paint. IMO Harris a face up 4. I agree he is not a true 5 man. But he could be effective in PnR either popping for a shot or rolling to finish, he's still a 6'8" 230 pound man. He had a strong finish in traffic yesterday off a PnR and to me that is him at his best. He does have some finesse around the rim just hasn't found the consistency. Maybe when you say 3 you mean 4 but no way he is a 3 man at the college level. Our 3's are Tyrese, Mekkhi and Jacob. I see a pretty distinct difference between their skill sets and Jermaine's.

[FDshoes]

There is no way Harris is a 3. You need your 3 man to be able to put the ball on the floor (ie Tyrese) and get to the paint. IMO Harris a face up 4. I agree he is not a true 5 man. But he could be effective in PnR either popping for a shot or rolling to finish, he's still a 6'8" 230 pound man. He had a strong finish in traffic yesterday off a PnR and to me that is him at his best. He does have some finesse around the rim just hasn't found the consistency. Maybe when you say 3 you mean 4 but no way he is a 3 man at the college level. Our 3's are Tyrese, Mekkhi and Jacob. I see a pretty distinct difference between their skill sets and Jermaine's.

100% Harris is not even close to a 3. People bashing him need to realize he isnt a top 3 scoring option on this team. He is prb #5 at best #4 depending on who he is on the court with. The kid is a solid contributor. When he gets the ball in his hands he does pretty well. Gets to line, can score. But as our roster sits he is not going to get a high percentage of touches you cant kill him for lack of production. And he isnt lost on D like some are saying. He can get out of position but so can most college ball players.

[Blue Man]

There is no way Harris is a 3. You need your 3 man to be able to put the ball on the floor (ie Tyrese) and get to the paint. IMO Harris a face up 4. I agree he is not a true 5 man. But he could be effective in PnR either popping for a shot or rolling to finish, he's still a 6'8" 230 pound man. He had a strong finish in traffic yesterday off a PnR and to me that is him at his best. He does have some finesse around the rim just hasn't found the consistency. Maybe when you say 3 you mean 4 but no way he is a 3 man at the college level. Our 3's are Tyrese, Mekkhi and Jacob. I see a pretty distinct difference between their skill sets and Jermaine's.

Very fair. I didn't really think of his ballhandling ability while making that assessment. Face-up 4 is probably a much better option. Really anything that gets him away from the low post works for me

Either way he's just not a good fit at the 5, right now especially. I understand with his body that he might have the most 5-ready body on the roster, but it's a misuse of his skill set imo.

FDS, it's not that "he can get out of position" it's that he's always out of position when playing the 5. It forces our defense to chase the ball more often than not. A lot of the wide open 3's we give up are because a missed rotation down low forces the whole team to abandon responsibilities and cover for the open guy. Being able to cover your position is even more important when you're playing man to man.

If Cox is going to stick with JH at the 5 he needs to either switch to some type of zone to mask JH's adjustment period, or move JH away from the low post.

Again - this isn't saying he "sucks" or anything like that. It is hard to adjust to a different position at this level. Jermaine is being asked to start at center with a year of experience, against guys who've been playing with their back to the basket their whole lives. Playing down low is the hardest adjustment to make in college, no matter who you are. It's even harder when you're brand new to it like Harris is. There is no shame in recognizing that fact and taking those responsibilities off his shoulders in high-leverage situations.

Facts are facts though - the switch of Walker for Harris down low was the catalyst for the best 17 mins of basketball this team has played in a year.

[FDshoes]

There is no way Harris is a 3. You need your 3 man to be able to put the ball on the floor (ie Tyrese) and get to the paint. IMO Harris a face up 4. I agree he is not a true 5 man. But he could be effective in PnR either popping for a shot or rolling to finish, he's still a 6'8" 230 pound man. He had a strong finish in traffic yesterday off a PnR and to me that is him at his best. He does have some finesse around the rim just hasn't found the consistency. Maybe when you say 3 you mean 4 but no way he is a 3 man at the college level. Our 3's are Tyrese, Mekkhi and Jacob. I see a pretty distinct difference between their skill sets and Jermaine's.

Very fair. I didn't really think of his ballhandling ability while making that assessment. Face-up 4 is probably a much better option. Really anything that gets him away from the low post works for me

Either way he's just not a good fit at the 5, right now especially. I understand with his body that he might have the most 5-ready body on the roster, but it's a misuse of his skill set imo.

FDS, it's not that "he can get out of position" it's that he's always out of position when playing the 5. It forces our defense to chase the ball more often than not. A lot of the wide open 3's we give up are because a missed rotation down low forces the whole team to abandon responsibilities and cover for the open guy. Being able to cover your position is even more important when you're playing man to man.

If Cox is going to stick with JH at the 5 he needs to either switch to some type of zone to mask JH's adjustment period, or move JH away from the low post.

Again - this isn't saying he "sucks" or anything like that. It is hard to adjust to a different position at this level. Jermaine is being asked to start at center with a year of experience, against guys who've been playing with their back to the basket their whole lives. Playing down low is the hardest adjustment to make in college, no matter who you are. It's even harder when you're brand new to it like Harris is. There is no shame in recognizing that fact and taking those responsibilities off his shoulders in high-leverage situations.

Facts are facts though - the switch of Walker for Harris down low was the catalyst for the best 17 mins of basketball this team has played in a year.

Was it the walker for harris switch or cyril playing 20 minutes as opposed to 2 and absolutely controlling the paint? I dont believe cyril or harris are playing a true "5" Harris being "out of position" is no where close to the only reason we have several lapses on switches and leave wide open 3s. We play an aggressive style of D wide open looks will happen.

[DC_Rams]

I'm not even going to coat this one with sugar, anyone who doesn't see Harris making vast improvements and doesn't see his value to this team moving forward is a big dummy! Harris is strong and getting more aggressive, but fouling less. I actually believe he will be a focal point on offense and defense by his senior season.

See we can agree too, RR.

Lol

As I've said before, you and I agree more often than not. I most definitely appreciate you, I just don't have your blind optimism. I get worried when we look stagnant against sub-par teams, you figure we'll pull it out some other way. And with our recent track record, you are right more often than not. But staying focused as a team is the highest priority, so from time to time it gets worrisome because we won't be able to make it up on defense or in transition against every team we play. I don't know about others, but I watch or listen to every game fully expecting to win, when we look out of sorts for long stretches it messes with my expectations, that's called a bummer. So I get critical of any recurring deficiency I see in team play. I do my best to not let expectations spoil my entertainment. I'm much more patient about expectations placed on players than I am with coaches and administration.

RR, it’s cool bro. We all want the same thing, just express it differently. Just have to find a way to co-exist on game day! Hahaha!

[DC_Rams]

Perhaps last night was the switch clicked back on that we saw at the end of last season. Time will tell. One things for sure, these boys fight and will not ROLLOVER

[Running Ram]

Perhaps last night was the switch clicked back on that we saw at the end of last season. Time will tell. One things for sure, these boys fight and will not ROLLOVER

agreed there, I think the mental toughness of this team has risen considerably starting with the run late last season. We get down sometimes but really don't throw in the towel, with the exception of the slight Brown/Richmond skid players are intense and engaged. Put a check in the pro-coaching column for that category.

[UCH21377]

I think Cyril was the biggest difference maker last night, not necessarily Walker for Harris; although I think that was the right move last night by Cox. I see Jermaine as a potential stretch-four type too: problem is there is nobody to take Cyril's place next year so he may have to play inside again. I also think the kid has potential for three-point proficiency; just hasn't happened yet. I wish he would go up a little stronger when around the rim. But he is clearly an asset to the program and I think he should start. Walker brings a change of pace and a different type of game off the bench.
The big three stepped up big time last night which was great to see. Also, Martin is a natural rebounder. He came up big again last night. It's starting to get exciting!

[ElmCityRhody]

Perhaps last night was the switch clicked back on that we saw at the end of last season. Time will tell. One things for sure, these boys fight and will not ROLLOVER

would love to have been a fly on the wall at halftime...

funny cas we started the 2H a little flat .. but that didn't last long

maybe a possession or 2 LOL

but i was worried !

GO RHODY

[rhodysurf]

For those without ESPN+ (PS: might be a tad rough, I did it really quick and dirty)

[PeteRI]

Took the time... discovered a new "productive" computer talent.

Great work. Fatts doing Fatts things. Love how he looks at his hand after that preposterous play as if he's saying "yeah, I did that."

[RamIt!]

Perhaps last night was the switch clicked back on that we saw at the end of last season. Time will tell. One things for sure, these boys fight and will not ROLLOVER

would love to have been a fly on the wall at halftime...

funny cas we started the 2H a little flat .. but that didn't last long

maybe a possession or 2 LOL

but i was worried !

GO RHODY

In the post game presser Cox mentioned that he just sat down and didn't say anything for a few minutes because the team came right in started discussing amongst themselves what mistakes were made and who / what needs to improve. Then Cox built on top of that with his expectations. Pretty impressive I'd say, somewhere along the way we lost that cohesiveness as a team we had at the beginning of the year and have clearly regained that feeling.

[Blue Man]

There is no way Harris is a 3. You need your 3 man to be able to put the ball on the floor (ie Tyrese) and get to the paint. IMO Harris a face up 4. I agree he is not a true 5 man. But he could be effective in PnR either popping for a shot or rolling to finish, he's still a 6'8" 230 pound man. He had a strong finish in traffic yesterday off a PnR and to me that is him at his best. He does have some finesse around the rim just hasn't found the consistency. Maybe when you say 3 you mean 4 but no way he is a 3 man at the college level. Our 3's are Tyrese, Mekkhi and Jacob. I see a pretty distinct difference between their skill sets and Jermaine's.

Very fair. I didn't really think of his ballhandling ability while making that assessment. Face-up 4 is probably a much better option. Really anything that gets him away from the low post works for me

Either way he's just not a good fit at the 5, right now especially. I understand with his body that he might have the most 5-ready body on the roster, but it's a misuse of his skill set imo.

FDS, it's not that "he can get out of position" it's that he's always out of position when playing the 5. It forces our defense to chase the ball more often than not. A lot of the wide open 3's we give up are because a missed rotation down low forces the whole team to abandon responsibilities and cover for the open guy. Being able to cover your position is even more important when you're playing man to man.

If Cox is going to stick with JH at the 5 he needs to either switch to some type of zone to mask JH's adjustment period, or move JH away from the low post.

Again - this isn't saying he "sucks" or anything like that. It is hard to adjust to a different position at this level. Jermaine is being asked to start at center with a year of experience, against guys who've been playing with their back to the basket their whole lives. Playing down low is the hardest adjustment to make in college, no matter who you are. It's even harder when you're brand new to it like Harris is. There is no shame in recognizing that fact and taking those responsibilities off his shoulders in high-leverage situations.

Facts are facts though - the switch of Walker for Harris down low was the catalyst for the best 17 mins of basketball this team has played in a year.

Was it the walker for harris switch or cyril playing 20 minutes as opposed to 2 and absolutely controlling the paint? I dont believe cyril or harris are playing a true "5" Harris being "out of position" is no where close to the only reason we have several lapses on switches and leave wide open 3s. We play an aggressive style of D wide open looks will happen.

I think this is a very good argument. Cyril is that good, and he certainly was that good last night. You could definitely make that case, and that might be more correct than my take.

Still though, the whole reason Cyril was taken out of the game was his fouls, which were because Harris lost his man under the hoop.

Aggressive style of D notwithstanding, no Harris is not 100% of the reason we have defensive lapses, I'm not saying that at all. I'm watching for this stuff almost every possession now with low post defense and if Harris is on the floor and we left a wide open look from deep - way more than 50% of the time it was a missed rotation on a big that started the chain reaction ending in a kickout to an open 3.

Again, I'm not saying Harris is "bad" I just think he's a liability under the hoop on defense and he should be playing outside of the paint to maximize his talents and mask his shortcomings.

[Billyboy78]

Took the time... discovered a new "productive" computer talent.

Great work. Fatts doing Fatts things. Love how he looks at his hand after that preposterous play as if he's saying "yeah, I did that."

Yep, he was lifting his left hand up and down when he was coming back down the court....lefty scoop.

[bigappleram]

The biggest change once Cyril got in the game is that we no longer had to double the post. We could play it straight up which helped us avoid them finding open shooters. Cyril is also a beast on ball screens, he hedges better than anyone and can quickly recover to his man or switch on any ball handler. He is just different and changes our entire defensive strategies.

[NYGFan_Section208]

My version of this seems to be stuck in a continuous repeating loop from about :26 to :32. Weird.

[PeteRI]

Enjoying a rewatch of second half on ESPN+. Would definitely recommend!

Thanks for the tip, ATP. Nothing like seeing the game in person, but the close-up of Fatts and the Fellas is tremendous. And it's hard to believe Stone and his color guy are students. They sound like 20-year pros.

[PeteRI]

Here's a quick wrap-up of the game, with the F A T T S DUNK, left-hand drive and El Jefe's dagger 3.