1/28 | Dayton | 7:00PM (ESPN2)

[RI_Bred]

I didn’t have the chance to watch the game. Did we blow another big lead?

No, I'm actually not sure if we ever had a lead as only had it on the background with the sound off. We did manage to keep it close till the end where we had no time outs left due to Cox calling the last one with several minutes to go after we scored a basket. Unusual, I know.

[SGreenwell]

Shepherd is the biggest disappointment this year - he needed to be better for this team to succeed. Ish Leggett is second on that list but I give him the benefit of a sophomore slump and think he may be able to pull out of it as the season progresses. Shepherd is a 5/6th year college basketball player, we need more from him.

Yeah - I think Sheppard has been perfectly average this year, and his PER is 15.2, which is right around the typical bar of an "average" starter (15.0). However, you do kind of expect more from a player of his age and relative experience. (He missed two years of D1 basketball, between transferring and JC.) Leggett has been even more disappointing, though, and last night was another game with practically zero on the offensive end from him.

Yes, no doubt that Ish has struggled on the offensive end.
But I give him more of a pass than Sheppard, because he is still young and not uncommon to go through these sophomore slumps.
Also, he is arguably our best perimeter defender and gets the toughest assignments, maybe that is taking a little out of him.

Sheppard is a 5/6-year grad, without Fatts this was supposed to be his year to really standout.

Eh, this is more than a sophomore slump. He's dropped 10 percent off his 2-point and 3-point shooting, and getting to the line less this year than last year, on a per-minute basis. Like, Jalen Carey should be starting over Leggett at this point, which probably would have shocked 9 out of 10 posters, if you said that at the beginning of the year.

[UCH21377]

I'd like to see Bassy, Shep, Carey, Walker or Martin, and Mahkel start. Leggett needs a change; let him come off the bench.

[Jersey77]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn’t carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

While I agree with your assessment of the problem; I disagree with your assessment of the front court. Hass/Iverson/Langevine was better. Seawright, Daniels, heck I prefer Ulmer to the twins. Agree it's a different style of player I'm talking about. Basically I think the entire concept of running an offense thru a pair of traditional centers, no matter how strong, won't work in college basketball. And I think the twins are overrated to begin with.

Yes, there were several frontcourts I would take over ours currently.
Can even add 2008-2009, Seawright/Delroy/Ulmer.

This isn't to say that the Michells can still take it to another level.

Rhodylaw, you are being very kind by expecting a 7-3 finish.
At this point, I am even a little concerned about our next game at Fordham.

[JimSidd]

posting.php?mode=quote&p=490259

Yikes! My take on Leggett from the post BU game has not aged well.

[Rhody15]

Seawright And Will Daniels would make our front court go crying to the bench. Would dominate them.

Last night they got torched by a true freshman who had 6 blocks.

[Rhodymob05]

I almost never see Shep moving without the ball, as if no plays are run for him. He has to create his own. He’s very skilled, but he needs to be off the ball.

[bigappleram]

The issue with Sheppard is similar as it was to Fatts. He needs to be ball dominant to be effective. He is a better shooter off dribble than catch n shoot which is odd. I would try Bassy and him but only bc what we have tried thus far in the back court hasn’t worked. Not bc Shepp has necessarily shown to be much better off the ball. Thomas is a much better facilitator for others than Shepp. But isn’t a threat to score.

[rhodyrudder]

I didn’t have the chance to watch the game. Did we blow another big lead?

No, I'm actually not sure if we ever had a lead as only had it on the background with the sound off. We did manage to keep it close till the end where we had no time outs™ left due to Cox calling the last one with several minutes to go after we scored a basket. Unusual, I know.

fify

[rhodyrudder]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn’t carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

After watching the first three games, where we should've won them all but couldn't hang on at Davidson, I agree with you.
But have you watched the last 4?
I look at the remaining schedule and will not be surprised at any outcome in any of the games. Seriously.
We're not going 0-fer and we're also not running the table, but anything in the middle is possible.

And all the coaches watch the film. Notice the half-court pressure UD applied?
We fail to get good opportunities far too often: WAY too many turnovers and bad shots.

There were definitely some good stretches, on both sides of the ball.
But no consistency for 40'.

7-3 is there, good on you for "expecting" that.
If I had to bet, though, I'm going to have to take the under.

[Blue Man]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn’t carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

While I agree with your assessment of the problem; I disagree with your assessment of the front court. Hass/Iverson/Langevine was better. Seawright, Daniels, heck I prefer Ulmer to the twins. Agree it's a different style of player I'm talking about. Basically I think the entire concept of running an offense thru a pair of traditional centers, no matter how strong, won't work in college basketball. And I think the twins are overrated to begin with.

Yeah no way. I was high on the twins initially- but my God. I’ve never seen more missed layups, more whiny complaining to the refs, more missed free throws, more flexing when you’re losing a game, and less effort at times than the two of them have.

If you go back - Who wouldn’t you rather have at the 5 than the Mitchell’s this season? They can block shots. But what else? Not to say they can’t develop, they’re young - but as of now? Right now they can only play the 5. Not quick enough to play the 4.

And honestly. If they could just be coached by a coach instead of their mom, and the coach could do what was best for the team instead of playing them at the same time..maybe they’d be better?

[Falcon]

For all you Fatts's dissers, his stat's : 13.1 pts , 4 rebs , 3.8 assists per game , why can't we get a point guard like that ? Also throw in the departures of Martin , Toppin , Long , and add Marquette's starting pt. guard Tyler Kolek ( Cumberland ) and Richmond's Tyler Burton ( Uxbridge ), the A 1 0 's leading scorer , 16.6 per game / 7.3 rebs . to the mix. They both supposedly wanted to come to URI but were not recruited . A finger COULD be pointed to one common denomimator ??? Time will tell !!

[Rhodymob05]

The issue with Sheppard is similar as it was to Fatts. He needs to be ball dominant to be effective. He is a better shooter off dribble than catch n shoot which is odd. I would try Bassy and him but only bc what we have tried thus far in the back court hasn’t worked. Not bc Shepp has necessarily shown to be much better off the ball. Thomas is a much better facilitator for others than Shepp. But isn’t a threat to score.

Would love to see Thomas at point, Shep/Carey at guard spots.

[PeteRI]

…….any post game comments from Cox?

Here ya go, straight from ProJo:

“We lost, we’re devastated by the loss. But we’ll learn from it, we’ll grow from it. We’ll look forward to our next game,” said URI head coach David Cox.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go blow up our postgame Bouncy House."

Some bonus quotes from Mr. Carey, who shares Coach Clueless's delusional mindset:

“I feel like it’s hard for a lot of teams to stop us from scoring,” Carey said. “I feel like a lot of shots that we might miss may be because of us."
"In other words we suck, but we're having fun."

Here's one more howler from #15:
"I feel like a lot of teams sleep on us. {"Our offense puts them to sleep."}One thing I do say is we have to do better is learn how to close games. Two out of the last three games we had leads going into halftime, and we lost all those leads. So [we need to] just learn how to close games out, listen to the coaching staff and be able to execute everything.”

[RhodyFanNotAlum]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn’t carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

I really appreciate your optimism on here. I don't share even a fraction of it. But I think it's admirable in the face of what to me looks like disaster. I wish I could look at this team and see what you see.

Two-thirds of the season is over. To me, expecting a "go-to guy" to emerge in the last 10 games when no one has in the first 19 is incredibly naïve. I also think that excuse absolves the coach of the ultimate responsibility here. The role of the coach is precisely to find a way to win close games when you DON'T have that go-to guy! Keep experimenting and shifting lineups until you find a winning combination or strategy — don't just sit around and wait for someone to "emerge."

[SGreenwell]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn’t carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

I really appreciate your optimism on here. I don't share even a fraction of it. But I think it's admirable in the face of what to me looks like disaster. I wish I could look at this team and see what you see.

Two-thirds of the season is over. To me, expecting a "go-to guy" to emerge in the last 10 games when no one has in the first 19 is incredibly naïve. I also think that excuse absolves the coach of the ultimate responsibility here. The role of the coach is precisely to find a way to win close games when you DON'T have that go-to guy! Keep experimenting and shifting lineups until you find a winning combination or strategy — don't just sit around and wait for someone to "emerge."

And beyond that - At the college level, the coach is also the GM and the primary talent scout. It means he gets more of the credit when everything is going well, but also, more of the blame when things aren't going well.

[DeanDome88]

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn’t carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

While I agree with your assessment of the problem; I disagree with your assessment of the front court. Hass/Iverson/Langevine was better. Seawright, Daniels, heck I prefer Ulmer to the twins. Agree it's a different style of player I'm talking about. Basically I think the entire concept of running an offense thru a pair of traditional centers, no matter how strong, won't work in college basketball. And I think the twins are overrated to begin with.

Yeah no way. I was high on the twins initially- but my God. I’ve never seen more missed layups, more whiny complaining to the refs, more missed free throws, more flexing when you’re losing a game, and less effort at times than the two of them have.

If you go back - Who wouldn’t you rather have at the 5 than the Mitchell’s this season? They can block shots. But what else? Not to say they can’t develop, they’re young - but as of now? Right now they can only play the 5. Not quick enough to play the 4.

And honestly. If they could just be coached by a coach instead of their mom, and the coach could do what was best for the team instead of playing them at the same time..maybe they’d be better?

If they were coached hard and grew up they could really turn into something. Since Cox won't do that it is obvious he needs to go and if the Mitchells leave so be it. The status quo does not cut it.

[Blue Man]

While I agree with your assessment of the problem; I disagree with your assessment of the front court. Hass/Iverson/Langevine was better. Seawright, Daniels, heck I prefer Ulmer to the twins. Agree it's a different style of player I'm talking about. Basically I think the entire concept of running an offense thru a pair of traditional centers, no matter how strong, won't work in college basketball. And I think the twins are overrated to begin with.

Yeah no way. I was high on the twins initially- but my God. I’ve never seen more missed layups, more whiny complaining to the refs, more missed free throws, more flexing when you’re losing a game, and less effort at times than the two of them have.

If you go back - Who wouldn’t you rather have at the 5 than the Mitchell’s this season? They can block shots. But what else? Not to say they can’t develop, they’re young - but as of now? Right now they can only play the 5. Not quick enough to play the 4.

And honestly. If they could just be coached by a coach instead of their mom, and the coach could do what was best for the team instead of playing them at the same time..maybe they’d be better?

If they were coached hard and grew up they could really turn into something. Since Cox won't do that it is obvious he needs to go and if the Mitchells leave so be it. The status quo does not cut it.

Funny. You could say that about Fatts too.

Must be a total coincidence tho. The most high profile players on the team get treated with “do whatever you want gloves.”

Not the coaches fault. Right DC/TJ/sad man burner accounts?

[steveystuds06]

Thomas and Carey need to take over. For the Thomas haters (I'm not sure why) I think he is going to be a really PG for Rhody.

He's kinda one dimensional at the moment. Not the most offensively gifted or consistent. But he's also a true freshman that just started seeing legitimate minutes.

However, his one dimension is something this team sorely lacks. He's a pass-first PG with a seemingly high BBIQ. But again - he's a true freshman. He'll develop.

On a team that's having an irrelevant season, he'll be a fun story and someone who wants to play for URI- not just the coach at the moment.

Exactly. Thomas is a pure point guard that can't shoot yet. Kingstonlane and a few others seem to think that any guard on our team can do what Thomas does well, but they can't. He reads the defense extremely well. Some of our best moments last night were because of Thomas. That's not a coincidence... However, he's extremely limited offensively. As I said after the Richmond loss, if Thomas continues to see more minutes, teams will start to notice that they can leave him wide open and lag off of him. If he comes into next season with a decent shot and runner, he'll be our starting point guard for the next 3 years.

[steveystuds06]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn't carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

Why the hell are we a mid-level A10 team if we have our best frontcourt in the last 20 years? Wouldn't they be leading us to more wins?? Why aren't they closing games for us??? I really don't get what you're watching...We are average. No stars. Some niece pieces. Nothing more.

I agree with 15. Baron's best teams would beat this team by double digits.

Fire Cox and let's get a new core to lead us back to where we should be!

[ramster]

Seawright And Will Daniels would make our front court go crying to the bench. Would dominate them.

Last night they got torched by a true freshman who had 6 blocks.

The freshman, Holmes, is also the highest ranked recruit that Dayton has ever got.

Dayton had 7 blocks: 6 by Holmes, 1 by Camara. Blocks were more against our guards then they were against our big men with 5 of the 7 against guards
Carey - 2
El-Amin - 2
Sheppard - 1
Makhel - 1
Makhi - 1

Carey, El-Amin and Sheppard shot a combined 5-17 which was a more respectable 5-12 without the blocked shots.

URI had the same number of blocks with 7: 3-Martin, 2-Makhi, 1-Leggett, 1-Walker. 5 of the 7 against guards
Smith - 3
Elvis - 2
Camara - 2

[ramster]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn't carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

Why the hell are we a mid-level A10 team if we have our best frontcourt in the last 20 years? Wouldn't they be leading us to more wins?? Why aren't they closing games for us??? I really don't get what you're watching...We are average. No stars. Some niece pieces. Nothing more.

I agree with 15. Baron's best teams would beat this team by double digits.

Fire Cox and let's get a new core to lead us back to where we should be!

I'd agree with you rhodylaw that our front court is strong and has been showing improvement. If Makhel and Makhi continue to improve this will be a benefit for the A10 Tournament.
We are now #3 of 350 D1 Teams in Blocks per Game trailing only UCONN and #1 Auburn - pretty good company. Makhel is ranked #17 in Blocks per Game Nationally
We are ranked #61 in 3FG Defense
We are ranked #5 in FG% Defense

Makhel and Makhi are important to those numbers and so are all 9 of the players that make up the current rotation (and the Coaching Staff)

Consider we played Dayton tough and lost by only 2 @ Dayton 13,500 crazy Friday night Fans in attendance.
Reasons for optimism going forward from this game

9 players played from 17 to 29 minutes.

• Makhi played the most 29 minutes. Solid game for Makhi. 6-11 FG, 11 rebounds 12 points double double. 3 steals, 1 assist, 2 blocks 4 TOs. He has been better at TO's the past couple games so opportunity to improve

• Makhel played 2nd most minutes with 27. 4-7 FG, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 TOs, 1 steal, no blocks. Makhel has had better games of late so if he plays like he normally does and he has been continually improving this helps us even more come A10 Tourney time.

• Malik Martin played the 3rd most minutes (Starting not necessary) with 25 minutes. 2-4 FG. 5 rebounds, 3 blocks.

• Sebastian Thomas played 4th most minutes with 22. 4 assists, 1 Turnover. He made the team go. Could have had more than 4 assists but shots not made that should have been. Finds the open men down low and very effective in the open court. Had some eye popping passes. Makes the players around him hustle more and makes them more effective.

• Carey played 18 minutes and provided a spark.

• Some believe Walker to be our best player. Walker did not have one of his better nights. 2-4 FG, 0-1 on 3FG and it was an airball, only 1 rebound, 3 Turnovers, 1 Flagrant-1 Foul holding a guys arm on a break-a-way that resulted in 2 FTs for Dayton, 1 block, 1 assist. So imagine if Walker was "On" last night and playing his normal strong rebounding and shooting game? We win this game.

• Sheppard only played 20 minutes. 5 minutes into the game he brought the ball up the court, dribbled a few times and launched a 3FG. No passes at all. Cox pulled him at the next opportunity replaced him with Thomas. He was talked on bench - I'm sure about that play.

• El-Amin only played 20 minutes. Had two of his shots blocked. Had an opportunity to tie the game when the score was 47-50. He was open on the side and took a good 3FG but he air-balled it out of bounds.

• Leggett played 22 minutes. 1-4 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers. If he picks up his game we win this game.

Coaching:

• Have to believe the staff is playing 9 guys in the rotation with minutes fairly evenly distributed but with the idea that the minutes will be changes to go to a 7 man rotation in March A10 Tourney. See who steps up these next few games and narrow.

• Thomas made a great pass to Makhi on a break and Makhi dunked AND got fouled. Dayton had 4 players on the line. URI had none. WHY? You don't need to be back for defense because Dayton has 4 players rebounding the missed FT. Makhi was at the line. He missed (surprised ). The ball bounced out to where we might have gotten the ball - but never will with not a single guy in the lane. I'll never get this philosophy.

• Big challenge for this staff to keep the team positive and motivated. Playing Davidson and Dayton down to the final seconds on the road are big positives. And just imagine if players click in future games that didn't last night.

By A10 Tournament Time URI could very well be a team that others will not want to play.

My guess for starting line up A10 Tournament:
1. Makhel Mitchell
2. Makhi Mitchell
3. Sebastian Thomas
4. and 5. Battle for these two starting spots between Walker, Martin, Carey, Leggett, El-Amin and Sheppard

[Blue Man]

Lmao. Ok.

Can you hook me up with your pill guy?

[Rhody15]

Lmao. Ok.

Can you hook me up with your pill guy?

But Blue Man, you have to realize Ramster has the most posts on this board so that means he’s the most knowledgeable, non bias poster here and everyone should 100% agree with his takes.

And if you disagree with anything, that means you’re a PC fan.

[ramster]

Lmao. Ok.

Can you hook me up with your pill guy?

Life is too short to throw in the towel. Enjoy the season. Enjoy the A10 Tournament. Root for the team and all of the players on it.

If things don't work out there will be a coaching change. No pay increase, no contract extension now into the 4th year. Trust Thorr, he knows what he is doing. If David Cox goes so will much of the team and the incoming recruits. Just the way the business runs now.

Right now this team and coaching staff cannot do a single thing right for some disenchanted people. I can't and don't blame them. But this team and staff are still capable of making noise in the A10 Tournament in March. There are no teams that URI can't beat. We almost beat Davidson and Dayton at their home courts - with some players having off games.



Enjoy the Women's Team too. Don't worry about keeping Tammi or not. Whatever happens, happens. Thorr gave her a pay increase and extension last season in just her 2nd year. She won the A10 Coach of the Year and got rewarded. Thorr and Tammi get along great. Shane Donaldson did a great job suggesting Tammi for Thorr to consider for the HC job. All is well. But if she goes to a P5 then more power to her, she deserves it.
Look how fast she turned around a dormant program. Transfers in from Missouri, Seton Hall 1st Team All Big East, PC Starting Point Guard, 6'5" Center from Texas A&M who is playing better and better, North Carolina State, outstanding freshman recruit.


Relax, go to men's and women's games
Go to the A10 WBB Tournament in Wilmington Delaware in March
Go to the A10 MBB Tournament in Washington DC the week after the WBB Tournament March and enjoy being a URI fan. No pills needed.

If things don't work out then we get a new Head Coach. Simple.

[RamStock]

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn't carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

Why the hell are we a mid-level A10 team if we have our best frontcourt in the last 20 years? Wouldn't they be leading us to more wins?? Why aren't they closing games for us??? I really don't get what you're watching...We are average. No stars. Some niece pieces. Nothing more.

I agree with 15. Baron's best teams would beat this team by double digits.

Fire Cox and let's get a new core to lead us back to where we should be!

I'd agree with you rhodylaw that our front court is strong and has been showing improvement. If Makhel and Makhi continue to improve this will be a benefit for the A10 Tournament.
We are now #3 of 350 D1 Teams in Blocks per Game trailing only UCONN and #1 Auburn - pretty good company. Makhel is ranked #17 in Blocks per Game Nationally
We are ranked #61 in 3FG Defense
We are ranked #5 in FG% Defense

Makhel and Makhi are important to those numbers and so are all 9 of the players that make up the current rotation (and the Coaching Staff)

Consider we played Dayton tough and lost by only 2 @ Dayton 13,500 crazy Friday night Fans in attendance.
Reasons for optimism going forward from this game

9 players played from 17 to 29 minutes.

• Makhi played the most 29 minutes. Solid game for Makhi. 6-11 FG, 11 rebounds 12 points double double. 3 steals, 1 assist, 2 blocks 4 TOs. He has been better at TO's the past couple games so opportunity to improve

• Makhel played 2nd most minutes with 27. 4-7 FG, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 TOs, 1 steal, no blocks. Makhel has had better games of late so if he plays like he normally does and he has been continually improving this helps us even more come A10 Tourney time.

• Malik Martin played the 3rd most minutes (Starting not necessary) with 25 minutes. 2-4 FG. 5 rebounds, 3 blocks.

• Sebastian Thomas played 4th most minutes with 22. 4 assists, 1 Turnover. He made the team go. Could have had more than 4 assists but shots not made that should have been. Finds the open men down low and very effective in the open court. Had some eye popping passes. Makes the players around him hustle more and makes them more effective.

• Carey played 18 minutes and provided a spark.

• Some believe Walker to be our best player. Walker did not have one of his better nights. 2-4 FG, 0-1 on 3FG and it was an airball, only 1 rebound, 3 Turnovers, 1 Flagrant-1 Foul holding a guys arm on a break-a-way that resulted in 2 FTs for Dayton, 1 block, 1 assist. So imagine if Walker was "On" last night and playing his normal strong rebounding and shooting game? We win this game.

• Sheppard only played 20 minutes. 5 minutes into the game he brought the ball up the court, dribbled a few times and launched a 3FG. No passes at all. Cox pulled him at the next opportunity replaced him with Thomas. He was talked on bench - I'm sure about that play.

• El-Amin only played 20 minutes. Had two of his shots blocked. Had an opportunity to tie the game when the score was 47-50. He was open on the side and took a good 3FG but he air-balled it out of bounds.

• Leggett played 22 minutes. 1-4 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers. If he picks up his game we win this game.

Coaching:

• Have to believe the staff is playing 9 guys in the rotation with minutes fairly evenly distributed but with the idea that the minutes will be changes to go to a 7 man rotation in March A10 Tourney. See who steps up these next few games and narrow.

• Thomas made a great pass to Makhi on a break and Makhi dunked AND got fouled. Dayton had 4 players on the line. URI had none. WHY? You don't need to be back for defense because Dayton has 4 players rebounding the missed FT. Makhi was at the line. He missed (surprised ). The ball bounced out to where we might have gotten the ball - but never will with not a single guy in the lane. I'll never get this philosophy.

• Big challenge for this staff to keep the team positive and motivated. Playing Davidson and Dayton down to the final seconds on the road are big positives. And just imagine if players click in future games that didn't last night.

By A10 Tournament Time URI could very well be a team that others will not want to play.

My guess for starting line up A10 Tournament:
1. Makhel Mitchell
2. Makhi Mitchell
3. Sebastian Thomas
4. and 5. Battle for these two starting spots between Walker, Martin, Carey, Leggett, El-Amin and Sheppard

You can’t be serious! Everyone will want to play URI. A team with no good guards and the so called best players ones who are far from leaders in the Twins. The team is done and the rest of the season is useless until the tournament. The conference is terrible, but is a step above URI and other teams don’t have Cox as their coach. No part of me wants to root for the Mitchell’s also

[RamStock]

Lmao. Ok.

Can you hook me up with your pill guy?

Life is too short to throw in the towel. Enjoy the season. Enjoy the A10 Tournament. Root for the team and all of the players on it.

If things don't work out there will be a coaching change. No pay increase, no contract extension now into the 4th year. Trust Thorr, he knows what he is doing. If David Cox goes so will much of the team and the incoming recruits. Just the way the business runs now.

Right now this team and coaching staff cannot do a single thing right for some disenchanted people. I can't and don't blame them. But this team and staff are still capable of making noise in the A10 Tournament in March. There are no teams that URI can't beat. We almost beat Davidson and Dayton at their home courts - with some players having off games.



Enjoy the Women's Team too. Don't worry about keeping Tammi or not. Whatever happens, happens. Thorr gave her a pay increase and extension last season in just her 2nd year. She won the A10 Coach of the Year and got rewarded. Thorr and Tammi get along great. Shane Donaldson did a great job suggesting Tammi for Thorr to consider for the HC job. All is well. But if she goes to a P5 then more power to her, she deserves it.
Look how fast she turned around a dormant program. Transfers in from Missouri, Seton Hall 1st Team All Big East, PC Starting Point Guard, 6'5" Center from Texas A&M who is playing better and better, North Carolina State, outstanding freshman recruit.


Relax, go to men's and women's games
Go to the A10 WBB Tournament in Wilmington Delaware in March
Go to the A10 MBB Tournament in Washington DC the week after the WBB Tournament March and enjoy being a URI fan. No pills needed.

If things don't work out then we get a new Head Coach. Simple.

The woman’s games are something I would think about going to. Zero percent chance on making a mens game the rest of the year

[steveystuds06]

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn't carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

Why the hell are we a mid-level A10 team if we have our best frontcourt in the last 20 years? Wouldn't they be leading us to more wins?? Why aren't they closing games for us??? I really don't get what you're watching...We are average. No stars. Some niece pieces. Nothing more.

I agree with 15. Baron's best teams would beat this team by double digits.

Fire Cox and let's get a new core to lead us back to where we should be!

I'd agree with you rhodylaw that our front court is strong and has been showing improvement. If Makhel and Makhi continue to improve this will be a benefit for the A10 Tournament.
We are now #3 of 350 D1 Teams in Blocks per Game trailing only UCONN and #1 Auburn - pretty good company. Makhel is ranked #17 in Blocks per Game Nationally
We are ranked #61 in 3FG Defense
We are ranked #5 in FG% Defense

Makhel and Makhi are important to those numbers and so are all 9 of the players that make up the current rotation (and the Coaching Staff)

Consider we played Dayton tough and lost by only 2 @ Dayton 13,500 crazy Friday night Fans in attendance.
Reasons for optimism going forward from this game

9 players played from 17 to 29 minutes.

• Makhi played the most 29 minutes. Solid game for Makhi. 6-11 FG, 11 rebounds 12 points double double. 3 steals, 1 assist, 2 blocks 4 TOs. He has been better at TO's the past couple games so opportunity to improve

• Makhel played 2nd most minutes with 27. 4-7 FG, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 TOs, 1 steal, no blocks. Makhel has had better games of late so if he plays like he normally does and he has been continually improving this helps us even more come A10 Tourney time.

• Malik Martin played the 3rd most minutes (Starting not necessary) with 25 minutes. 2-4 FG. 5 rebounds, 3 blocks.

• Sebastian Thomas played 4th most minutes with 22. 4 assists, 1 Turnover. He made the team go. Could have had more than 4 assists but shots not made that should have been. Finds the open men down low and very effective in the open court. Had some eye popping passes. Makes the players around him hustle more and makes them more effective.

• Carey played 18 minutes and provided a spark.

• Some believe Walker to be our best player. Walker did not have one of his better nights. 2-4 FG, 0-1 on 3FG and it was an airball, only 1 rebound, 3 Turnovers, 1 Flagrant-1 Foul holding a guys arm on a break-a-way that resulted in 2 FTs for Dayton, 1 block, 1 assist. So imagine if Walker was "On" last night and playing his normal strong rebounding and shooting game? We win this game.

• Sheppard only played 20 minutes. 5 minutes into the game he brought the ball up the court, dribbled a few times and launched a 3FG. No passes at all. Cox pulled him at the next opportunity replaced him with Thomas. He was talked on bench - I'm sure about that play.

• El-Amin only played 20 minutes. Had two of his shots blocked. Had an opportunity to tie the game when the score was 47-50. He was open on the side and took a good 3FG but he air-balled it out of bounds.

• Leggett played 22 minutes. 1-4 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers. If he picks up his game we win this game.

Coaching:

• Have to believe the staff is playing 9 guys in the rotation with minutes fairly evenly distributed but with the idea that the minutes will be changes to go to a 7 man rotation in March A10 Tourney. See who steps up these next few games and narrow.

• Thomas made a great pass to Makhi on a break and Makhi dunked AND got fouled. Dayton had 4 players on the line. URI had none. WHY? You don't need to be back for defense because Dayton has 4 players rebounding the missed FT. Makhi was at the line. He missed (surprised ). The ball bounced out to where we might have gotten the ball - but never will with not a single guy in the lane. I'll never get this philosophy.

• Big challenge for this staff to keep the team positive and motivated. Playing Davidson and Dayton down to the final seconds on the road are big positives. And just imagine if players click in future games that didn't last night.

By A10 Tournament Time URI could very well be a team that others will not want to play.

My guess for starting line up A10 Tournament:
1. Makhel Mitchell
2. Makhi Mitchell
3. Sebastian Thomas
4. and 5. Battle for these two starting spots between Walker, Martin, Carey, Leggett, El-Amin and Sheppard

We played Davidson well, but we still found ways to lose late. Dayton was awful last night. Dayton has had games like that against bad opponents and lost. They still beat us. We barely beat Lasalle. We lost to GW... Two horrible teams and both games at home.

The only thing we know about this team so far is..
1. They can beat bad teams.
2. They can lose to bad teams.
3. They can play good teams well for most of the game.
4. They can't beat any of them.

If we can win a couple of games against Davidson, VCU, Bonnies, St Louis, then maybe I'll believe we can beat them at the conference tournament. But, thinking this team can go on a run to win the conference with what we have witnessed this season is almost as crazy as saying this team would go 25-6

[PeteRI]

- Ramster

[ramster]

Yep.

I’m crazy.

But we still have plenty of time to get ready for DC

Odds are against us but I lived through the Jim Baron 2.0 thread when Hurley and the team proved most everyone wrong.

Life’s too short to not have hope for this year’s team.

Who knows what next year brings. Last years 10-15 record and 10th place finish with no attendance was rough.

This pleading for fans to not go to games is brutal to hear, especially after getting the 2020 A10 Tournament cancelled then last year’s debacle.





On to DC

[Sweep The Leg]

Baron’s top teams would absolutely steamroll these stiffs.

At least those teams had legitimate stars.

Only stars this team has are from their recruiting pages.

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn’t carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

After watching the first three games, where we should've won them all but couldn't hang on at Davidson, I agree with you.
But have you watched the last 4?
I look at the remaining schedule and will not be surprised at any outcome in any of the games. Seriously.
We're not going 0-fer and we're also not running the table, but anything in the middle is possible.

And all the coaches watch the film. Notice the half-court pressure UD applied?
We fail to get good opportunities far too often: WAY too many turnovers and bad shots.

There were definitely some good stretches, on both sides of the ball.
But no consistency for 40'.

7-3 is there, good on you for "expecting" that.
If I had to bet, though, I'm going to have to take the under.

It's the Peter Lafleur philosophy.

[steveystuds06]

Yep.

I’m crazy.

But we still have plenty of time to get ready for DC

Odds are against us, but I lived through the Jim Baron 2.0 thread when Hurley and the team proved most everyone wrong.

Life’s too short to not have hope for this year’s team.

Who knows what next year brings. Last years 10-15 record and 10th place finish with no attendance was rough.

On to DC

True, but that team had a top 25 win and only had 5 losses in the A10. They had some star power as well… We have 0 good wins and already have 4 A10 losses. We don’t have any stars. I don’t see how it’s gonna work out.

Obviously, I hope it does. We’ll see

[reef]

I disagree with that - this team is good and can hang with almost any team. The front court is stronger then any Rhody team in the last 20 years and D is really good and will keep them in almost games. They are missing a go to guy in the last 5 mins of the game to get the win. Shepherd and EA both could have been that guy but neither is doing it. Shepherd was starting to look like the guy at the end of last season but it didn't carry over. However, I expect the team to go 7-3 over the next 10 and someone will emerge.

Why the hell are we a mid-level A10 team if we have our best frontcourt in the last 20 years? Wouldn't they be leading us to more wins?? Why aren't they closing games for us??? I really don't get what you're watching...We are average. No stars. Some niece pieces. Nothing more.

I agree with 15. Baron's best teams would beat this team by double digits.

Fire Cox and let's get a new core to lead us back to where we should be!

I'd agree with you rhodylaw that our front court is strong and has been showing improvement. If Makhel and Makhi continue to improve this will be a benefit for the A10 Tournament.
We are now #3 of 350 D1 Teams in Blocks per Game trailing only UCONN and #1 Auburn - pretty good company. Makhel is ranked #17 in Blocks per Game Nationally
We are ranked #61 in 3FG Defense
We are ranked #5 in FG% Defense

Makhel and Makhi are important to those numbers and so are all 9 of the players that make up the current rotation (and the Coaching Staff)

Consider we played Dayton tough and lost by only 2 @ Dayton 13,500 crazy Friday night Fans in attendance.
Reasons for optimism going forward from this game

9 players played from 17 to 29 minutes.

• Makhi played the most 29 minutes. Solid game for Makhi. 6-11 FG, 11 rebounds 12 points double double. 3 steals, 1 assist, 2 blocks 4 TOs. He has been better at TO's the past couple games so opportunity to improve

• Makhel played 2nd most minutes with 27. 4-7 FG, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 TOs, 1 steal, no blocks. Makhel has had better games of late so if he plays like he normally does and he has been continually improving this helps us even more come A10 Tourney time.

• Malik Martin played the 3rd most minutes (Starting not necessary) with 25 minutes. 2-4 FG. 5 rebounds, 3 blocks.

• Sebastian Thomas played 4th most minutes with 22. 4 assists, 1 Turnover. He made the team go. Could have had more than 4 assists but shots not made that should have been. Finds the open men down low and very effective in the open court. Had some eye popping passes. Makes the players around him hustle more and makes them more effective.

• Carey played 18 minutes and provided a spark.

• Some believe Walker to be our best player. Walker did not have one of his better nights. 2-4 FG, 0-1 on 3FG and it was an airball, only 1 rebound, 3 Turnovers, 1 Flagrant-1 Foul holding a guys arm on a break-a-way that resulted in 2 FTs for Dayton, 1 block, 1 assist. So imagine if Walker was "On" last night and playing his normal strong rebounding and shooting game? We win this game.

• Sheppard only played 20 minutes. 5 minutes into the game he brought the ball up the court, dribbled a few times and launched a 3FG. No passes at all. Cox pulled him at the next opportunity replaced him with Thomas. He was talked on bench - I'm sure about that play.

• El-Amin only played 20 minutes. Had two of his shots blocked. Had an opportunity to tie the game when the score was 47-50. He was open on the side and took a good 3FG but he air-balled it out of bounds.

• Leggett played 22 minutes. 1-4 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers. If he picks up his game we win this game.

Coaching:

• Have to believe the staff is playing 9 guys in the rotation with minutes fairly evenly distributed but with the idea that the minutes will be changes to go to a 7 man rotation in March A10 Tourney. See who steps up these next few games and narrow.

• Thomas made a great pass to Makhi on a break and Makhi dunked AND got fouled. Dayton had 4 players on the line. URI had none. WHY? You don't need to be back for defense because Dayton has 4 players rebounding the missed FT. Makhi was at the line. He missed (surprised ). The ball bounced out to where we might have gotten the ball - but never will with not a single guy in the lane. I'll never get this philosophy.

• Big challenge for this staff to keep the team positive and motivated. Playing Davidson and Dayton down to the final seconds on the road are big positives. And just imagine if players click in future games that didn't last night.

By A10 Tournament Time URI could very well be a team that others will not want to play.

My guess for starting line up A10 Tournament:
1. Makhel Mitchell
2. Makhi Mitchell
3. Sebastian Thomas
4. and 5. Battle for these two starting spots between Walker, Martin, Carey, Leggett, El-Amin and Sheppard

I was wondering where our FG % defense was it’s 5 of 350 ?? Blocks 3 of 350 too bad our offense isn’t very good

[Billyboy78]

Yep.

I’m crazy.

But we still have plenty of time to get ready for DC

Odds are against us but I lived through the Jim Baron 2.0 thread when Hurley and the team proved most everyone wrong.

Life’s too short to not have hope for this year’s team.

Who knows what next year brings. Last years 10-15 record and 10th place finish with no attendance was rough.

This pleading for fans to not go to games is brutal to hear, especially after getting the 2020 A10 Tournament cancelled then last year’s debacle.





On to DC

Do you think Cox is going to miraculously become a good coach in the next 6 weeks?

[bigappleram]

We haven’t had an identity in 4 years we aren’t going to develop one in 4 weeks. I’m the biggest optimist around but we haven’t even seen us beat a decent team let alone a good one. To think we could do that 3-4 times in a row is a pipe dream right now.

[Rhodyram]

Lmao. Ok.

Can you hook me up with your pill guy?

Life is too short to throw in the towel. Enjoy the season. Enjoy the A10 Tournament. Root for the team and all of the players on it.

If things don't work out there will be a coaching change. No pay increase, no contract extension now into the 4th year. Trust Thorr, he knows what he is doing. If David Cox goes so will much of the team and the incoming recruits. Just the way the business runs now.

Right now this team and coaching staff cannot do a single thing right for some disenchanted people. I can't and don't blame them. But this team and staff are still capable of making noise in the A10 Tournament in March. There are no teams that URI can't beat. We almost beat Davidson and Dayton at their home courts - with some players having off games.



Enjoy the Women's Team too. Don't worry about keeping Tammi or not. Whatever happens, happens. Thorr gave her a pay increase and extension last season in just her 2nd year. She won the A10 Coach of the Year and got rewarded. Thorr and Tammi get along great. Shane Donaldson did a great job suggesting Tammi for Thorr to consider for the HC job. All is well. But if she goes to a P5 then more power to her, she deserves it.
Look how fast she turned around a dormant program. Transfers in from Missouri, Seton Hall 1st Team All Big East, PC Starting Point Guard, 6'5" Center from Texas A&M who is playing better and better, North Carolina State, outstanding freshman recruit.


Relax, go to men's and women's games
Go to the A10 WBB Tournament in Wilmington Delaware in March
Go to the A10 MBB Tournament in Washington DC the week after the WBB Tournament March and enjoy being a URI fan. No pills needed.

If things don't work out then we get a new Head Coach. Simple.

Didn’t Thorr hire Cox? It did not work out.
I also advise not to go to the men’s A10 tourney if seeing this team is the reason you’re going down there.

[SmartyBarrett]

[Rhody72]

Nothing was expected of Thomas this year. As a facilitator and ball-handler he is very good, as a defender he is just adequate, and as a shooter he is below average. That said, the one thing that is most detrimental about his play is his foul shooting. URI cannot afford to have him on the court in close games. I haven't studied his FT shooting technique. He needs to correct any technique flaws, then practice, practice, practice FTs using good technique. After every game a shooting coach needs to review with him his FT shooting technique to ensure that it is not breaking down under pressure. If he does this, there is no reason why he can't become an adequate FT shooter.

[ramster]

Nothing was expected of Thomas this year. As a facilitator and ball-handler he is very good, as a defender he is just adequate, and as a shooter he is below average. That said, the one thing that is most detrimental about his play is his foul shooting. URI cannot afford to have him on the court in close games. I haven't studied his FT shooting technique. He needs to correct any technique flaws, then practice, practice, practice FTs using good technique. After every game a shooting coach needs to review with him his FT shooting technique to ensure that it is not breaking down under pressure. If he does this, there is no reason why he can't become an adequate FT shooter.

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Cox said on his last radio show when Steve asked him about Thomas’ shooting. Cox said he shoots well in practices and it’s just a matter if time in games.

Guaranteed he is practicing his shooting and the best way to get him more confident is to play him now. These games only count towards seeding. We will need to beat the best teams to get the NCAA bid. His shooting is better than he has shown. And will improve.

I’d say his defense being average his freshman year is a good thing. Upward from there. URI is ranked very high in FG% defense nationally. A High level of defense is being played here.

[RI_Bred]

Nothing was expected of Thomas this year. As a facilitator and ball-handler he is very good, as a defender he is just adequate, and as a shooter he is below average. That said, the one thing that is most detrimental about his play is his foul shooting. URI cannot afford to have him on the court in close games. I haven't studied his FT shooting technique. He needs to correct any technique flaws, then practice, practice, practice FTs using good technique. After every game a shooting coach needs to review with him his FT shooting technique to ensure that it is not breaking down under pressure. If he does this, there is no reason why he can't become an adequate FT shooter.

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Cox said on his last radio show when Steve asked him about Thomas’ shooting. Cox said he shoots well in practices and it’s just a matter if time in games.

Guaranteed he is practicing his shooting and the best way to get him more confident is to play him now. These games only count towards seeding. We will need to beat the best teams to get the NCAA bid. His shooting is better than he has shown. And will improve.

I’d say his defense being average his freshman year is a good thing. Upward from there. URI is ranked very high in FG% defense nationally. A High level of defense is being played here.

Play him now. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

[bigappleram]

Nothing was expected of Thomas this year. As a facilitator and ball-handler he is very good, as a defender he is just adequate, and as a shooter he is below average. That said, the one thing that is most detrimental about his play is his foul shooting. URI cannot afford to have him on the court in close games. I haven't studied his FT shooting technique. He needs to correct any technique flaws, then practice, practice, practice FTs using good technique. After every game a shooting coach needs to review with him his FT shooting technique to ensure that it is not breaking down under pressure. If he does this, there is no reason why he can't become an adequate FT shooter.

Ahhhh no one will ever forget your breakdown of Jimmy Baron’s flaw in his near perfect foul shooting. That was an instant classic!

[Blue Man]

Yep.

I’m crazy.

But we still have plenty of time to get ready for DC

Odds are against us but I lived through the Jim Baron 2.0 thread when Hurley and the team proved most everyone wrong.

Life’s too short to not have hope for this year’s team.

Who knows what next year brings. Last years 10-15 record and 10th place finish with no attendance was rough.

This pleading for fans to not go to games is brutal to hear, especially after getting the 2020 A10 Tournament cancelled then last year’s debacle.





On to DC

I applaud you.

I do have hope.

My hope is that we lose enough and spectacularly to draw the ire and attention of the school and donors and facilitate a coaching change.

I will of course root for URI when we play meaningful basketball again in DC.

But we will not play meaningful basketball for the next 5 weeks. No game gets us any closer to the NCAA. That ship has sailed.

This is a team run by a good man who is a bad coach. Because he is a good man it will be tough to fire him without a trash fire losing record to conclude the year.

So I’ll be hoping for us to be legitimately good again with a new coach. Not hoping to be “good” in a 1 bid league and keep doing this dance for another 3 years.

[SGreenwell]

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Thomas' PPG in high school isn't really "proof" that his offense is going to develop. It might anyway, but everyone on our roster would have dropped 20+ PPG if they played public, high school basketball in Rhode Island. I'm positive Steve Mello averaged more than 20 a game in his RIHS career, and he topped out at 4.5 PPG at URI. It's rare that teams have anyone greater than 6'2", never mind 6'7"+ that you're going to see in the paint in Division I basketball, and you're likewise getting plenty of easy buckets at the expense of worse athletes via transition points and steals on defense.

[TruePoint]

Steve’s senior year he may have averaged close to 40.

[PeterRamTime]

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Thomas' PPG in high school isn't really "proof" that his offense is going to develop. It might anyway, but everyone on our roster would have dropped 20+ PPG if they played public, high school basketball in Rhode Island. I'm positive Steve Mello averaged more than 20 a game in his RIHS career, and he topped out at 4.5 PPG at URI. It's rare that teams have anyone greater than 6'2", never mind 6'7"+ that you're going to see in the paint in Division I basketball, and you're likewise getting plenty of easy buckets at the expense of worse athletes via transition points and steals on defense.

Bassy's mechanics are just so bad there's not much hope for his shooting ability

[ramster]

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Thomas' PPG in high school isn't really "proof" that his offense is going to develop. It might anyway, but everyone on our roster would have dropped 20+ PPG if they played public, high school basketball in Rhode Island. I'm positive Steve Mello averaged more than 20 a game in his RIHS career, and he topped out at 4.5 PPG at URI. It's rare that teams have anyone greater than 6'2", never mind 6'7"+ that you're going to see in the paint in Division I basketball, and you're likewise getting plenty of easy buckets at the expense of worse athletes via transition points and steals on defense.

And you don’t mention he hit 11-11 FTs in a Play off game

Yet posters say he can’t shoot FTs

His coaches say he shoots well in practices

Watch him in warms ups.

Many of his shots inside are just missing.

All I’m saying is give the kid some time before trashing him

[ramster]

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Thomas' PPG in high school isn't really "proof" that his offense is going to develop. It might anyway, but everyone on our roster would have dropped 20+ PPG if they played public, high school basketball in Rhode Island. I'm positive Steve Mello averaged more than 20 a game in his RIHS career, and he topped out at 4.5 PPG at URI. It's rare that teams have anyone greater than 6'2", never mind 6'7"+ that you're going to see in the paint in Division I basketball, and you're likewise getting plenty of easy buckets at the expense of worse athletes via transition points and steals on defense.

Bassy's mechanics are just so bad there's not much hope for his shooting ability

Steve’s senior year he may have averaged close to 40.

I didn’t only point to his PPG average

I also pointed to his hitting 11-11 in an important and close score playoff game

I’m more for letting him have more time in the game, getting over the freshman jitters, before judging his shooting capability. Coaches say he shoots ok in practice.

Just too soon to be so negative on his shooting ability.

[ramster]

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Thomas' PPG in high school isn't really "proof" that his offense is going to develop. It might anyway, but everyone on our roster would have dropped 20+ PPG if they played public, high school basketball in Rhode Island. I'm positive Steve Mello averaged more than 20 a game in his RIHS career, and he topped out at 4.5 PPG at URI. It's rare that teams have anyone greater than 6'2", never mind 6'7"+ that you're going to see in the paint in Division I basketball, and you're likewise getting plenty of easy buckets at the expense of worse athletes via transition points and steals on defense.

And just watching him come off the bench as a freshman is not proof that his shooting is not better than what he has shown to date.

[KingstonLane]

Nothing was expected of Thomas this year. As a facilitator and ball-handler he is very good, as a defender he is just adequate, and as a shooter he is below average. That said, the one thing that is most detrimental about his play is his foul shooting. URI cannot afford to have him on the court in close games. I haven't studied his FT shooting technique. He needs to correct any technique flaws, then practice, practice, practice FTs using good technique. After every game a shooting coach needs to review with him his FT shooting technique to ensure that it is not breaking down under pressure. If he does this, there is no reason why he can't become an adequate FT shooter.

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Cox said on his last radio show when Steve asked him about Thomas’ shooting. Cox said he shoots well in practices and it’s just a matter if time in games.

Guaranteed he is practicing his shooting and the best way to get him more confident is to play him now. These games only count towards seeding. We will need to beat the best teams to get the NCAA bid. His shooting is better than he has shown. And will improve.

I’d say his defense being average his freshman year is a good thing. Upward from there. URI is ranked very high in FG% defense nationally. A High level of defense is being played here.

Play him now. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

It’s not really a precedent you want to set with recruits though. “Hey when you’re a senior and I decide the season is over you’re going to get benched for a freshmen so we can see what he has”

Hell of a recruiting strategy

[ramster]

Thomas averaged 23.5 ppg at Hendricken
In one playoff game he hit 11-11 FTs in a pressure environment.

Cox said on his last radio show when Steve asked him about Thomas’ shooting. Cox said he shoots well in practices and it’s just a matter if time in games.

Guaranteed he is practicing his shooting and the best way to get him more confident is to play him now. These games only count towards seeding. We will need to beat the best teams to get the NCAA bid. His shooting is better than he has shown. And will improve.

I’d say his defense being average his freshman year is a good thing. Upward from there. URI is ranked very high in FG% defense nationally. A High level of defense is being played here.

Play him now. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

It’s not really a precedent you want to set with recruits though. “Hey when you’re a senior and I decide the season is over you’re going to get benched for a freshmen so we can see what he has”

Hell of a recruiting strategy

So never play freshmen. Play seniors. Don’t distribute minutes based on performance or lack thereof. Hell of a coaching strategy.

This is the big difference between you and me.
I don’t think the season is over. Still isn’t. Our possibility of a NCAA bid is to win the A10 Tournament.

So find the best 5 guys plus best 2 bench guys to have the highest possibility to win the A10.

All these games played now are for seeding and finding the optimal line up that gives the best chance for the A10 Championship.

Performance based playing time, not seniority.