12/2 | Seton Hall University | 7:00 PM (CBSSN)

[Donrxer79]

Rhody looking better each game, giving some Leggett love
PeeCee playing like crap
Can I get a BOO-YA

[PeterRamTime]

Yeah the twins really impressed me tonight as low post options that make our offensive versatility so hard to defend. We can score and defend in so many different ways.

Ish has been as good as he has been for over a year and a half. Not shocked to see it coming from balling out in WCAC. Love to see him translate it early to the college game. His improved jumpshot has taken his game to a new level.

Great team win even without Carey. The bubbleville has seemed to accelerate the chemistry building. Which is nice. I would take our record right now seems we learned from those first two loses.

Uh the Twins are going to piss on the A-10. I did not expect them to be this good this early!

Holy crap.

[Rhody15]

....OK......I will be that guy......what do we do with Jermaine......going forward.....?

For the sake of the board, I won’t answer this.

This team is too much fun and too easy to cheer for to talk down on one player.

Talented, deep, tough, fun.

(Now please all wear a mask and don’t catch COVID.)

[DevRam]

“Dave Cox is only a recruiter”
“DJ Johnson is not a D1 level athlete”
“Makhel Mitchell isn’t good”
“Antwan Walker will not be improved”

Just a few of my favorites I’ve heard

[Billyboy78]

Ish Leggett is so impressive. Good skills on offense, moves his feet and plays good man defense and plays smart , tough and with confidence. Doesn't look intimidated one bit. He's going to be a huge contributor this year and a star going forward.

He is not quite as athletic but he reminds me a lot of the underclassman version of Tommy Garrick. I hope for a similar trajectory but that is unfair to Leggett.

Exactly my thought. Same body type too.

[Section104]

Fatts is still “the man”, but the help he has around him is significantly better than last year. I think Fatts, Shepp, Ish, and Carey compliment one another in their style of play. Fatts will continue taking less forced shots as his teammates prove they can be productive and put points on the board.

His ability to get to the hole, hit free throws, and pass will lead us a lot deeper than his ability to shoot. Without him we’d stall out way too often. We’re not better without him and anyone that thinks we are is misguided, in my opinion. Could we be better next year with more growth from other pieces? Sure. But at this point in time we need Fatts engaged and being the Fatts we know he can be.

As for the others - that Ish drive to Mitchell slam reminded me so much of the freshmen year EC to Hassan dunk. The fact that we’re not losing any eligibility from any of our guys this year is so great. So many young pieces to build around that look like they’re having fun being a team.

Also, our length has held up against some huge P6 teams. Can you imagine how good they’ll look against a traditionally undersized A10? Improve on our decision making, shot selection, fouling, and we’ll be an incredibly tough out.

We were missing a key player in Carey and didn’t blink. We go as far as our depth takes us and in a year where scheduling is uncertain i like our depth to carry us to a top 3 finish in the A10.

[Section104]

Also, not sure if this was said, but i have so much respect for Willard and Seton Hall playing this game. They were without their star PG, had a ton of last second schedule changes, and could have walked without much push back. I’ll be rooting for them this year. In a year with scheduling uncertainty we needed this game so much. We’ll get our A10 games whether we have to reschedule or keep as-is, but big-time OOC opportunities aren’t guaranteed.

Thank you, Seton Hall. I wish more programs conducted business the same way.

[Rhody15]

Fatts lead the team in points and steals, like he has many times in his career.

When all is said and done, he did what he normally does. And we got the W.

[SandorClegane]

What happened to Carey? Anything serious?
Sorry if I missed the update.

[The Dude]

Very surprised to see DJ have an off night. Went 0 - 5. Ouch. Seems like both him & Harris had a down game today & Rhody still managed to win. Pretty impressive!

[Rhody83]

I want the ball in the hands of Fatts in the last three minutes of a close game. Each game. Every game.


I’m frightened by those who can’t see it.

Agree 100%. Just look at the ASU game after he fouled out. The offense couldn’t create good shoots.

[PeterRamTime]

What happened to Carey? Anything serious?
Sorry if I missed the update.

Leg injury.

Commentators said something about him not getting loose enough before the game.

I'm guessing its not a big deal.

[Jersey77]

Also, not sure if this was said, but i have so much respect for Willard and Seton Hall playing this game. They were without their star PG, had a ton of last second schedule changes, and could have walked without much push back. I’ll be rooting for them this year. In a year with scheduling uncertainty we needed this game so much. We’ll get our A10 games whether we have to reschedule or keep as-is, but big-time OOC opportunities aren’t guaranteed.

Thank you, Seton Hall. I wish more programs conducted business the same way.

Yes, I also mentioned it earlier that I had respected them for keeping this game, unlike a classless move by another BE team.

[Rhody83]

Very surprised to see DJ have an off night. Went 0 - 5. Ouch. Seems like both him & Harris had a down game today & Rhody still managed to win. Pretty impressive!

DJ and Martin were both off. DJ hurt them on D and rebounding.
Leggett played the 3 down the stretch in place of Martin and DJ.

[Rhody83]

Also, not sure if this was said, but i have so much respect for Willard and Seton Hall playing this game. They were without their star PG, had a ton of last second schedule changes, and could have walked without much push back. I’ll be rooting for them this year. In a year with scheduling uncertainty we needed this game so much. We’ll get our A10 games whether we have to reschedule or keep as-is, but big-time OOC opportunities aren’t guaranteed.

Thank you, Seton Hall. I wish more programs conducted business the same way.

Yes, I also mentioned it earlier that I had respected them for keeping this game, unlike a classless move by another BE team.

Who are you calling their star PG? Aiken comes off the bench for them. Their top 5 players started tonight.

[steveystuds06]

I love Jeff Dowtin but I felt like he and Fatts never meshed well. Sheppard and Fatts certainly do.

Ish is going to be a star.

Cox had the guys locked in from the tip. Great win.

[rhodysurf]

All types of stuff worked tonight and some stuff could have been better. Nice to be in that position when you win.

Hopefully these guys keep getting better. They can win the A10! (I have started to find more joy in beating the same teams in the A10 every year and not going away in the A10 when it seems that everyone in the A10 and covering the A10 is dying to see Rhody fall from the top.

Agree... it’s the A10 Twitter effect. With the Dayton hype and unassuming fans claiming this is the year they are good again it feels awesome this team is better than we expected so far

[Section104]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Having 10 fouls to give between the Mitchell Twins is a cheat code. Having versatility and length at other positions, which gives us incredible front court depth, just makes it unfair.

These are big-time power conference team luxuries. I’ll soak it up and enjoy every second of it.

[DC_Rams]

You boys might want to reconsider these posts.

Not at all, I think we win by 20 without him. Forced errors, bad shots and wasted possessions. Again, I LOVE FATTS, but sometimes his selfishness puts him positions where he has to make up for bad decisions. He makes a big play, but it doesn’t negate the 3 bad ones prior to that big one.

Nice to see your insistence on being wrong has survived a pandemic.

Cool, so I’m not entitled to my own opinion. Got it, appreciate the reminder. Silly me...

[Jersey77]

Also, not sure if this was said, but i have so much respect for Willard and Seton Hall playing this game. They were without their star PG, had a ton of last second schedule changes, and could have walked without much push back. I’ll be rooting for them this year. In a year with scheduling uncertainty we needed this game so much. We’ll get our A10 games whether we have to reschedule or keep as-is, but big-time OOC opportunities aren’t guaranteed.

Thank you, Seton Hall. I wish more programs conducted business the same way.

Yes, I also mentioned it earlier that I had respected them for keeping this game, unlike a classless move by another BE team.

Who are you calling their star PG? Aiken comes off the bench for them. Their top 5 players started tonight.

To be fair to Bryce, he was considered one of the top grad transfers, and was originally penciled in to replace Powell as the starting PG. He had a medical redshirt last year and continues to battle injuries this year. He was a star at Harvard and averaged 22 pts in 2018-19. He was also a top 100 player out of high school and rookie of the year in the Ivy. So although he isn't quite there this year, he has had a great career.

[Billyboy78]

The Mitchells combined for 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

[PeteRI]

What a tremendously satisfying win. Great Coach Cox quotes courtesy of Bill Koch's Twitter:

"We were ready to push through. We went from down one to a 13-point win. When you talk about finishing at both ends, we were able to do that at a really high level tonight."

'Those guys are hungry to play -- all of our guys.
'There's true competition in practice every day.
'Those guys coming off the bench, they believe they should be starters.

Cox on Ishmael Leggett -- 'I think he's still got plenty of room for growth. He's going to be a tremendous player here in a Rams uniform.'

[Section104]

Also, not sure if this was said, but i have so much respect for Willard and Seton Hall playing this game. They were without their star PG, had a ton of last second schedule changes, and could have walked without much push back. I’ll be rooting for them this year. In a year with scheduling uncertainty we needed this game so much. We’ll get our A10 games whether we have to reschedule or keep as-is, but big-time OOC opportunities aren’t guaranteed.

Thank you, Seton Hall. I wish more programs conducted business the same way.

Yes, I also mentioned it earlier that I had respected them for keeping this game, unlike a classless move by another BE team.

Who are you calling their star PG? Aiken comes off the bench for them. Their top 5 players started tonight.

Aiken was considered the top transfer on the market. He will need to be a starter and a star at Seton Hall if they’re going to be a lock NCAA team. We benefited tremendously, moreso than they benefited from Carey’s absence, with Aiken out of the lineup.

[steveystuds06]

Why is Harris in the game?? GET HIM OUT

FOUL TROUBLE!!! We need the twins late in this one, not gone early!

I disagree. When Makhi has three fouls and Walker has zero I'd much rather have them out there with the game under 6 minutes. The only negative thing i'd say about Cox tonight is playing Harris so much. Besides that he coached a perfect game.

[Jersey77]

The Mitchells combined for 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

I guess we can combine the twins, nice game.

[PeterRamTime]

Willard said Mamukaleshvili played BAD in his post game pressure.

Certainly glad he didn't play good then.

[DanInAZ]

Having Reynolds in foul trouble (and on the bench) certainly contributed in the W tonight. Who was the player(s) that facilitated him picking up the 5 fouls? Was it Fatts? Whomever he (or they were), thank you!!

[DC_Rams]

Why is Harris in the game?? GET HIM OUT

FOUL TROUBLE!!! We need the twins late in this one, not gone early!

I disagree. When Makhi has three fouls and Walker has zero I'd much rather have them out there with the game under 6 minutes. The only negative thing i'd say about Cox tonight is playing Harris so much. Besides that he coached a perfect game.

It was a mismatch size wise for Walker on Sandro. It doesn’t really matter though, we won.

[ramster]

Not at all, I think we win by 20 without him. Forced errors, bad shots and wasted possessions. Again, I LOVE FATTS, but sometimes his selfishness puts him positions where he has to make up for bad decisions. He makes a big play, but it doesn’t negate the 3 bad ones prior to that big one.

Nice to see your insistence on being wrong has survived a pandemic.

Cool, so I’m not entitled to my own opinion. Got it, appreciate the reminder. Silly me...

I agree with you DC_Rams. His selfishness shows in how he really values points per game. I was pleasantly surprised to see him pass on a fast break 3 minutes into tonight’s game. I rarely see him pass on a break, always opting to shoot it himself. I see Sheppard quietly assuming the PG duties and a leadership by example role with this years team. Fatts primary desire is to score. His 3P shooting is below average yet he continues to launch. 4 air balls I’ve counted. He is at his best when he passes the ball and selectively drives inside.

[DC_Rams]

Nice to see your insistence on being wrong has survived a pandemic.

Cool, so I’m not entitled to my own opinion. Got it, appreciate the reminder. Silly me...

I agree with you DC_Rams. His selfishness shows in how he really values points per game. I was pleasantly surprised to see him pass on a fast break 3 minutes into tonight’s game. I rarely see him pass on a break, always opting to shoot it himself. I see Sheppard quietly assuming the PG duties and a leadership by example role with this years team. Fatts primary desire is to score. His 3P shooting is below average yet he continues to launch. 4 air balls I’ve counted. He is at his best when he passes the ball and selectively drives inside.

Totally agree. I love the kid, just wish he would reel it in more and make the winning play more often that not. You can really sense when Fatts needs to put up a shot and in Most cases, I find I’m right. He could be so more much if he’d let the game come to him. He will get his numbers, but too often It feels like he’s chasing a stat line.

People say we couldn’t win without Fatts, but we’d never know because he doesn’t allow anyone else the opportunity to shine brighter than him. At this point in the season I’d trust Shep and ish with the ball with the clock winding down. They will make an unselfish play.

I get it, it’s not a wildly popular opinion... and please don’t mistake this for me saying I’d trade anyone on this team because I love it as currently constructed... but I personally feel we could be so much better and Fatts is the catalyst to that end.

[JimSidd]

Quality win.

My biggest takeaways were:

1. The rebounding was much better, especially on the defensive end. Seton Hall had 8 offensive rebounds and each of the USF teams had 16.

2. We won a game where the opponent forced us to play at their pace. Hardly any fast break opportunities in the second half. You need to be able to win in different ways to have a successful season.

Now if we can just have certain players who are not three point shooters reduce their attempts, we’ll really have something.

[PeterRamTime]

Its been frustrating watching Fatts struggle. Kinda puzzling how he's making some of the same mistakes he's made since he was a freshman. Hes just forcing it a little bit. Last year he was at an all American level for half the year, so we know he has great play in him.

I would say, despite him struggling shooting he has gotten others involved and gotten himself to the free throw line whereas in the past when he would struggle he'd take the whole team down with him.

I hate seeing him hyped up so much everytime we are on TV this year and he continue to deliver sloppy erratic play.

Not too worried about him. Hes got some great play in store for us this year.

[reef]

Great team win !!

I really enjoy watching this team play we are 10 deep I love it

Watched the whole game without volume and totally forgot about Carey until I read the board

Someone said Shep reminds them of Xavier M I totally agree

[Rhody72]

...

Not a great night for Fatts, but I will still take his aggressiveness and tough play. He just needs to be reeled in at times. He is clutch at the line, when we need it.

When the shot clock is expiring, Fatts is the best person on the team to force a shot. Getting down on Fatts for padding his stats with his last trey is laughable. SHU respected Fatts outside shooting, this opens up the court for his teammates. I had been down on Fatts for forcing his offense all the time with low efficiency. This year he is forcing his offense at the right times. I want Fatts to be fresher for shooting treys.

Getting Sheppard to extend his shooting range by 2 inches would also help!

[Rhody Sody]

One of the more impressive points about last night for me...we finally beat a team loaded with height. It has been our downfall for years.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

Here’s another impressive stat: Eight turnovers.

[wpbrown8267]

One of the more impressive points about last night for me...we finally beat a team loaded with height. It has been our downfall for years.

it was very impressive...even in the rebounding battle (37-37) and we had 8 blks to their 1

Walker with 3, Mitchell's 2 each, and even Fatts had one

[Rhody72]

Turgeon must have beat into the twins to keep their hands straight up on defense. With their height it doesn't take much more to be effective defenders.

[Rhody74]

The twins’ wingspans are difference makers. They blocked/altered passes inside on defense and they caught what I thought were dangerous passes on offense. A couple of times I thought passes were going out of bounds that were caught by them. Once they get their post moves perfected, they’ll be dangerous interior players.

[Rhody72]

It has been a long, long time since URI has played basketball above the rim.

[UCH21377]

If a Dan Hurley team had Shepp we’d have been to multiple second weekends.

This kid is the missing piece.

LETS GOOOO

Just think about last year's team with this kid on it.

[UCH21377]

Twins and Walker played like absolute beasts tonight. Russell and Sheppard are lightning in a bottle. Ish with the game ball though. Kid will be special. His poise reminds me of Dowtin.

Got a more mature Dowtin feel compared to me remembering Dowtin first minutes but similar composure

I thought of Dowtin too when watching this kid last night; but Ish is further along than Dowtin was, 5 games in. The kid is good.

[Blue Man]

Best win of the season by far.

I hate that we gave up a 14 point lead, but I love that we were able to trade blows and pull away when it counted.

For a group of guys that never really had a chance to gel or prep for this season, it's Cox's best work in getting these guys to play together the way they are.

Speaking of Cox, this was the coach I think we all expect. Still a few slip ups ATO (the shot clock violation comes to mind), but put things in motion on offense much more than we've seen all week. Adjusted on defense when Manu got hot shooting the ball. Out-coached Willard down the stretch. Fantastic overall and getting better every game.

I'd still love to see him reign Fatts in a bit when he decides to go all cowboy and throw up wild shots - but thankfully we have shooters (Shepp) who can bail us out. I also question why Harris is getting as much PT as he is. Walker had no Fouls all night. Khi had 3. Khel had 4 - but why else do you have another Mitchell? Cox played Fatts in the first half against ASU with 3 fouls - not that it was right - but this team cannot defend the same with Harris on the floor.

Harris getting 21 minutes nearly cost us the game. He was a -13 in the first half. People were saying on here "why are they getting so many open shots" and the answer is Harris, a junior who has started 40+ games, keeps getting lost on switches and losing his man. When harris gets caught at the top of the key trying to disrupt motion, it forces a guard to switch onto his man - forcing a mismatch down low and up top. Harris is too slow to defend at the 3 point line and it forces a lag in rotation, opening the offense up to find and sink wide open shots.

2-9 shooting. 0-3 from 3. Why a player who is now a career 4-41 (that's 9%), has a "green light" to shoot, and is not immediately taken out of the game when he wastes a possession, is my only criticism.

He's a nice kid, good representative for the university, and probably a little too highly rated as the #77 player in his class which may have given him unfair expectations. Either way, on this team he's a 10-12 minute a game bench piece to spare either of the Mitchells or Walker.

You could tell they missed Carey tonight, but it allowed Ish to shine and oh my God is that kid a player. He really is the total package. Active on defense, great court vision, can shoot, understands the motion of the offense - that P&R with Mitchell was an absolute thing of beauty. Someone said the EC to Hass dunk - and I agree - but Batman and Robin had been together for years. This was 2 freshmen on a brand new team with no prep time...holy crap we got a good one.

Speaking of the Mitchells - dear God almighty. They are FRESHMEN. Their back-to-the-basket fundamentals are the best we've ever had in Freshmen. This has the potential to be the best "traditional" front court in URI history. Yes I am including the ARD/Clay and Green/Colson teams. They are aggressive, fast, have great footwork and instincts - but holy hell can they JUMP. Collecting multiple blocks and double digit rebounds against the 3rd biggest team in the country is no small feat. These kids will be stars here.

Antwan Walker. Talk about coming alive this season. Freak athlete. He does so many little things down low and gives you explosive plays at the basket. More importantly 3-4 shooting. Not taking wild shots outside of himself, just staying in the flow of the game.

All in all - this is really shaping up to be one of the most exciting and well-balanced teams we've had in a decade. Certainly the potential to be the best shooting team.

Hopefully we find another game between now and WKU because that's too long. GO RHODY.

*also, lol fuck you PC*

[rhodylaw]

If a Dan Hurley team had Shepp we’d have been to multiple second weekends.

This kid is the missing piece.

LETS GOOOO

Just think about last year's team with this kid on it.

Absolutely what last years team needed.

[UCH21377]

Finally catching up to the posts; agree with most posts above; disagree with all the Harris nonsense. Give the kid a break. The twins are really good. Ish was really composed and played like a veteran. Fatts was fine too; he's working hard to keep everyone involved. Sheppard is really good too. Not much to complain about for sure.

Cox's lineup switch has worked extremely well, and he deserves a ton of credit for putting this team together.

[TruePoint]

Two days ago everyone was speculating that Jermaine’s season was over due to a foot injury and needing surgery. Then he toughs it out and plays in a game - still with the same injury - and everyone complains about his performance. I hope Jermaine plays as many games and minutes as his foot allows this year. He’s probably not going to be an all-league player but his minutes are valuable.

[Rhody15]

Finally catching up to the posts; agree with most posts above; disagree with all the Harris nonsense. Give the kid a break. The twins are really good. Ish was really composed and played like a veteran. Fatts was fine too; he's working hard to keep everyone involved. Sheppard is really good too. Not much to complain about for sure.

Cox's lineup switch has worked extremely well, and he deserves a ton of credit for putting this team together.

Everyone on this board knows how I feel about Harris, yet when I continue to see people defend his play it boggles my mind.

How can you "disagree with all the Harris nonsense?" And why should we give the kid a break?

Can't shoot 3's, missing FTs this year, and looks lost on defense.

He should be the 4th big man we play.

He had one nice and 1 from the top of the key and that was that.

The twins and Walker are KILLING it this year.

[bigappleram]

My thoughts after 5 games:

-Exceeding expectations

-Fatts is never going to be a traditional PG, ie floor general type. He is a streaky, dynamic scoring guard. That will come with its frustrations at times. But anyone who thinks this team is better without him is loco. He is #1 on our opponent's scouting report; he draws a lot of attention away from Shepp, Carey, Ish. He will be the all time Rhody leader in steals when he is done. He can drop 40 on you any given night. You simply take the good with the bad with him, and IMO the good outweighs the bad.

-HOWEVER, I do think next year we are a better team. Not because Fatts is gone, but because the other 9 guys all will have had a year of development and playing together and we will add to them a high quality transfer (Bertrand). If Shepp comes back next year we are going to be scary good.
I believe Ish will be our starting PG from Day 1 of 21-22 season.

-Speaking of Ish - WOW he is fantastic. Classic example of a kid who makes winning plays. Was obviously well coached in AAU/high school, high basketball IQ and carries himself like an upperclassmen already. The splitting the double team, through the legs, shovel pass to Makhi was high degree of difficulty and a thing of beauty. I got no ish with Ish! Really excited to watch him develop.

-The Mitchell twins have been a hockey stick of improvement since Game 1. They have each tangibly gotten better every game. Folks have to remember that they are only sophomores who had very little D1 experience heading in to this season. When is the last time we had a true C that could go between his legs and then spin and back down his man? And the best part about it, there are 2 of them! Project a year of development for them with lots of game experience and they are going to dominate A10 big men eventually.

-Thought DC was a bit too loyal to JH last night. I have liked some of the aggressiveness JH has showed in his limited minutes thus far, but he needs to play like a Junior and make better decisions on the offensive end. I have no issue with him shooting 1-2 threes a game, but they have to come in the flow of the offense and not after 1 pass. You are open for a reason in that case. I root for this kid because he honored his commitment to RI when he most certainly could have found another suitor. While he hasn't lived up to expectations (yet) I do see more motor and energy from him this year and I'm hoping he can build from that. But for me last night I wanted more Twan and Malik to try and contain Mamu.

-This team has something we haven't had in a few seasons. A lot of offensive options. We are hard to guard. This roster has a very high ceiling. It may take time to get there, and we might not see that in this Covid shortened seasons. But its a much higher ceiling than any of Dan's teams bc while we had some awesome guard play in those years we didn't have anything close to what we have now in the front court. Hass, Kuran, Andre and Cyril were all huge contributors for us, but were all undersized at their position. And oh yeah, Allen Bertrand is waiting in the wings and is really good!

I still think we will lay some eggs this year. Still think this is a difficult coaching challenge for DC and he won't be perfect. But this is a fun team to watch and the future looks very very bright for Keaney Blue. Go Rhody!

[bigappleram]

The twins’ wingspans are difference makers. They blocked/altered passes inside on defense and they caught what I thought were dangerous passes on offense. A couple of times I thought passes were going out of bounds that were caught by them. Once they get their post moves perfected, they’ll be dangerous interior players.

Agree on this 100%! I've been most impressed by their hands, many tough catches in traffic and a nose for the ball on the rebounding side.
Seems like a huge miss by Turgeon, thanks Maryland.

[DC_Rams]

This is Harris second game of the season. He too is also trying to find his place. Cox isn’t a rash decision maker. He allows guys to make mistakes and make up for them. That’s one of the reasons Jalen said he wanted to play for Coach Cox I.e. you don’t always feel like if you do something wrong that you’ll get yelled at or pulled. I think Cox is doing the right thing in letting his JR in Harris find his confidence and allow him to play. He didn’t cost us the game in as much as anyone else’s mistakes could or would have.

I’m not happy with the kids play, but as long as he dons the Keaney, he has my support.