2/1 | Saint Joseph’s | 7:00PM (ESPN+)

[adam914]

He also took two horrendously bad 3's, had 4 turnovers, and missed 2 layups if I remember correctly.

He's our best rebounder by far and probably our best defender - certainly doesn't mean he's a complete player or that he played well.

For a 23 year old 5th year senior who's started 84 games and played in 131 - it's OK to expect a little more.

This ^^

He misses SOOO many wide open threes, he should really just stop it at this point. Same with Bassy, like holy fucking shit just stop shooting threes. You're wasting valuable possessions.

I wonder if Malik is just perpetually banged up or something. Seems like he's always rolling his ankles, so maybe that's effecting his offensive game.

I love Malik for the way he plays and how hard he works out there, so I don't want to knock the kid too much, but I think after 5 years of college basketball we probably need to just accept that this is the player that he is. A 7-9 ppg scorer who is not a good shooter, but who can defend and grab 4-6 rebounds a game. He just really needs to stop shooting 3's.

[steveystuds06]

This ^^

He misses SOOO many wide open threes, he should really just stop it at this point. Same with Bassy, like holy fucking shit just stop shooting threes. You're wasting valuable possessions.

I wonder if Malik is just perpetually banged up or something. Seems like he's always rolling his ankles, so maybe that's effecting his offensive game.

I love Malik for the way he plays and how hard he works out there, so I don't want to knock the kid too much, but I think after 5 years of college basketball we probably need to just accept that this is the player that he is. A 7-9 ppg scorer who is not a good shooter, but who can defend and grab 4-6 rebounds a game. He just really needs to stop shooting 3's.

He is shooting literally wide-open 3s. He can randomly get out. It happens once every 12 games but it happens. I'm fine with him taking a couple of wide open 3s a game but I don't understand how he is so bad at finishing. I know Weston has had some trouble finishing as well but I expected that.

[Billyboy78]

I wonder if Malik is just perpetually banged up or something. Seems like he's always rolling his ankles, so maybe that's effecting his offensive game.

I love Malik for the way he plays and how hard he works out there, so I don't want to knock the kid too much, but I think after 5 years of college basketball we probably need to just accept that this is the player that he is. A 7-9 ppg scorer who is not a good shooter, but who can defend and grab 4-6 rebounds a game. He just really needs to stop shooting 3's.

He is shooting literally wide-open 3s. He can randomly get out. It happens once every 12 games but it happens. I'm fine with him taking a couple of wide open 3s a game but I don't understand how he is so bad at finishing. I know Weston has had some trouble finishing as well but I expected that.

They both need to develop a jump stop to get the defender off of their feet. Result would either be a wide open layup or a foul.

[steveystuds06]

I love Malik for the way he plays and how hard he works out there, so I don't want to knock the kid too much, but I think after 5 years of college basketball we probably need to just accept that this is the player that he is. A 7-9 ppg scorer who is not a good shooter, but who can defend and grab 4-6 rebounds a game. He just really needs to stop shooting 3's.

He is shooting literally wide-open 3s. He can randomly get out. It happens once every 12 games but it happens. I'm fine with him taking a couple of wide open 3s a game but I don't understand how he is so bad at finishing. I know Weston has had some trouble finishing as well but I expected that.

They both need to develop a jump stop to get the defender off of their feet. Result would either be a wide open layup or a foul.

Weston will be fine. He's just raw right now. He had a couple of nice drives and an athletic take where it just rolled off the rim. That will come. Malik has absolutely no lift and gets his shot blocked more than any 6'7 wing I think I've ever seen.

[RJRam]

I love Malik for the way he plays and how hard he works out there, so I don't want to knock the kid too much, but I think after 5 years of college basketball we probably need to just accept that this is the player that he is. A 7-9 ppg scorer who is not a good shooter, but who can defend and grab 4-6 rebounds a game. He just really needs to stop shooting 3's.

He is shooting literally wide-open 3s. He can randomly get out. It happens once every 12 games but it happens. I'm fine with him taking a couple of wide open 3s a game but I don't understand how he is so bad at finishing. I know Weston has had some trouble finishing as well but I expected that.

They both need to develop a jump stop to get the defender off of their feet. Result would either be a wide open layup or a foul.

Weston is inexperience. Give him time. Malik probably gave up trying after failing to score against Hassan when he was growing up?

[ramster]

He is shooting literally wide-open 3s. He can randomly get out. It happens once every 12 games but it happens. I'm fine with him taking a couple of wide open 3s a game but I don't understand how he is so bad at finishing. I know Weston has had some trouble finishing as well but I expected that.

They both need to develop a jump stop to get the defender off of their feet. Result would either be a wide open layup or a foul.

Weston will be fine. He's just raw right now. He had a couple of nice drives and an athletic take where it just rolled off the rim. That will come. Malik has absolutely no lift and gets his shot blocked more than any 6'7 wing I think I've ever seen.

As I’ve brought up before, last year on a coaches show with Steve Mac David Cox said Malik is 6’2.5”. Cox said Malik likes to be thought of as 6’6”.
Since then at court side I try to judge Malik’s height and he could be 6’3” from comparing him to others. He plays tough and rebounds best of any player on this team including the 6’10” and 6’11” teams. He dies get his shot blocked but he also succeeds on a lot of put-backs off of offensive rebounds. I saw him block a breakaway layup recently, might have been vs LaSalle, that was an amazing block against a much bigger guy.
Effort, intensity, heart - guy brings it every game

[PeterRamTime]

This ^^

He misses SOOO many wide open threes, he should really just stop it at this point. Same with Bassy, like holy fucking shit just stop shooting threes. You're wasting valuable possessions.

I wonder if Malik is just perpetually banged up or something. Seems like he's always rolling his ankles, so maybe that's effecting his offensive game.

I love Malik for the way he plays and how hard he works out there, so I don't want to knock the kid too much, but I think after 5 years of college basketball we probably need to just accept that this is the player that he is. A 7-9 ppg scorer who is not a good shooter, but who can defend and grab 4-6 rebounds a game. He just really needs to stop shooting 3's.

I'm only bringing up the ankle issues to maybe explain some of his lay up misses.

[Jdrums#3]

Malik Martin had a game high and a career high 13 rebounds. Next closest was 8 rebounds by Leggett. Martin had 4 assists to lead URI - the team goal in assists was only 6.

He also took two horrendously bad 3's, had 4 turnovers, and missed 2 layups if I remember correctly.

He's our best rebounder by far and probably our best defender - certainly doesn't mean he's a complete player or that he played well.

For a 23 year old 5th year senior who's started 84 games and played in 131 - it's OK to expect a little more.

Don’t disagree.
But a career high 13 rebounds is not something to overlook and just blanket statement that nobody played well. Plus on top of being the top rebounder he gets 4 of a very weak team total of only 6 assists. Samb had an assist. So all the guards got a grand total of 1 assist. Poor passing and too much dribbling. Everyone was not equally bad.

13 consecutive road losses.

It’s good Ramster that KB has posters like you and others here that if we do overlook something - for whatever reason - you will point out what we missed.

I viewed the stats last night post game and the 13 rebounds by Malik didn’t stand out to me as my initial focus - with emotions still heightened - was more on justification of the poor play. That tends to happen with me after a game where we stink and lose a game.

Anyway, thanks for pointing that out about Malik. Excellent KB teamwork!

[steveystuds06]

They both need to develop a jump stop to get the defender off of their feet. Result would either be a wide open layup or a foul.

Weston will be fine. He's just raw right now. He had a couple of nice drives and an athletic take where it just rolled off the rim. That will come. Malik has absolutely no lift and gets his shot blocked more than any 6'7 wing I think I've ever seen.

As I’ve brought up before, last year on a coaches show with Steve Mac David Cox said Malik is 6’2.5”. Cox said Malik likes to be thought of as 6’6”.
Since then at court side I try to judge Malik’s height and he could be 6’3” from comparing him to others. He plays tough and rebounds best of any player on this team including the 6’10” and 6’11” teams. He dies get his shot blocked but he also succeeds on a lot of put-backs off of offensive rebounds. I saw him block a breakaway layup recently, might have been vs LaSalle, that was an amazing block against a much bigger guy.
Effort, intensity, heart - guy brings it every game

If I had to guess, he is probably around 6'4 - 6'5.. Every single team lies about their heights. When I met him and Betrand , Malik looked a little bigger. Betrand is probably around 6'4.

I would compare his role to Stan Robinson. Both glue guys that worked their asses off. Stan would still find ways to finish around the hoop or hit the open 3 for the most part. Malik looks like his feet are cemented on the ground on offense. What's weird is when he goes up for boards or defends, that doesn't seem to be the case. Malik is what he is. I think Weston will keep getting better.

[ramster]

Weston will be fine. He's just raw right now. He had a couple of nice drives and an athletic take where it just rolled off the rim. That will come. Malik has absolutely no lift and gets his shot blocked more than any 6'7 wing I think I've ever seen.

As I’ve brought up before, last year on a coaches show with Steve Mac David Cox said Malik is 6’2.5”. Cox said Malik likes to be thought of as 6’6”.
Since then at court side I try to judge Malik’s height and he could be 6’3” from comparing him to others. He plays tough and rebounds best of any player on this team including the 6’10” and 6’11” teams. He dies get his shot blocked but he also succeeds on a lot of put-backs off of offensive rebounds. I saw him block a breakaway layup recently, might have been vs LaSalle, that was an amazing block against a much bigger guy.
Effort, intensity, heart - guy brings it every game

If I had to guess, he is probably around 6'4 - 6'5.. Every single team lies about their heights. When I met him and Betrand , Malik looked a little bigger. Betrand is probably around 6'4.

I would compare his role to Stan Robinson. Both glue guys that worked their asses off. Stan would still find ways to finish around the hoop or hit the open 3 for the most part. Malik looks like his feet are cemented on the ground on offense. What's weird is when he goes up for boards or defends, that doesn't seem to be the case. Malik is what he is. I think Weston will keep getting better.

Appears to me that Malik has slowed down a step or two this season and his jumping ability seems limited as compared to last seasons. Cox said he was 6’2.5” on Steve’s show and Malik was on the show and didn’t question it.
Even if he is 6’4” his jumping ability is limited too which makes it all the more Amazing that he leads the team in rebounds per game.
Malik played the most minutes of any player vs St Joseph’s so Miller is giving him those minutes for a reason (s)

[adam914]

Weston will be fine. He's just raw right now. He had a couple of nice drives and an athletic take where it just rolled off the rim. That will come. Malik has absolutely no lift and gets his shot blocked more than any 6'7 wing I think I've ever seen.

As I’ve brought up before, last year on a coaches show with Steve Mac David Cox said Malik is 6’2.5”. Cox said Malik likes to be thought of as 6’6”.
Since then at court side I try to judge Malik’s height and he could be 6’3” from comparing him to others. He plays tough and rebounds best of any player on this team including the 6’10” and 6’11” teams. He dies get his shot blocked but he also succeeds on a lot of put-backs off of offensive rebounds. I saw him block a breakaway layup recently, might have been vs LaSalle, that was an amazing block against a much bigger guy.
Effort, intensity, heart - guy brings it every game

If I had to guess, he is probably around 6'4 - 6'5.. Every single team lies about their heights. When I met him and Betrand , Malik looked a little bigger. Betrand is probably around 6'4.

I would compare his role to Stan Robinson. Both glue guys that worked their asses off. Stan would still find ways to finish around the hoop or hit the open 3 for the most part. Malik looks like his feet are cemented on the ground on offense. What's weird is when he goes up for boards or defends, that doesn't seem to be the case. Malik is what he is. I think Weston will keep getting better.

I know you and I have both been high on Weston all season, so you probably won't be surprised to hear that I totally agree that he'll keep getting better. He had a rough game last night with a few bad turnovers, but those drives and athletic takes you mentioned were encouraging for sure. I think it's just a matter of time before he gets stronger and learns to finish those. I'm hoping for a big jump from him next season as a starter.

[Rhodymob05]

I'm no expert, but I've watched Weston closely this season. The skill is there, the ability is there. His issue is mental. When he gets a pass for an open shot, he hesitates. That turnover last night (bad pass to top of the key) was a hesitation. If he wakes up and finds his comfort/confidence, watch out.

[bigappleram]

If we’re being honest Malik would be like the 8th or 9th most impt player on a top tier A10 team. He’s our 4th most impt. The delta between those two are the gap that needs to be closed in this offseason. The good news is talent will be available.

I have a list of players that if they are in the top 8-9 guys next year we are destined for the bottom. I don’t think they will be but it’s a barometer.

The thing about cbb is 2-3 really good players (ie all conf caliber) with 2-3 really good role players can carry an A10 team to greatness. I still believe 3-4 guys on our current roster can fill in those spots but no doubt enhancements are needed. I am sure Archie knows this too and will fill those gaps.

[bigappleram]

I'm no expert, but I've watched Weston closely this season. The skill is there, the ability is there. His issue is mental. When he gets a pass for an open shot, he hesitates. That turnover last night (bad pass to top of the key) was a hesitation. If he wakes up and finds his comfort/confidence, watch out.

Completely agree with this. Weston has skills. He is immature and inexperienced. His entire mindset right now is impacted by if he makes shots (or not). Too easily loses focus, throws his arms up in disgust or turns 1 miss into 1 mistake (like last night when he missed a bunny and then carelessly thru the ball away.). But I do believe he can be a future piece on a winning team.

[Section104]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

[Billyboy78]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

I would put Tchikou in the 'Jury's Out' category.

[SmartyBarrett]

Yeah I would swap Tchikou and Bilau. I saw enough from Josaphat to know he can for sure be an impact player when healthy.

[PeterRamTime]

I'm no expert, but I've watched Weston closely this season. The skill is there, the ability is there. His issue is mental. When he gets a pass for an open shot, he hesitates. That turnover last night (bad pass to top of the key) was a hesitation. If he wakes up and finds his comfort/confidence, watch out.

Completely agree with this. Weston has skills. He is immature and inexperienced. His entire mindset right now is impacted by if he makes shots (or not). Too easily loses focus, throws his arms up in disgust or turns 1 miss into 1 mistake (like last night when he missed a bunny and then carelessly thru the ball away.). But I do believe he can be a future piece on a winning team.

Dude needs to value his ability to get to the basket too.

There's been a small handful of plays where he explodes to the basket and looks super athletic and just whoops the dude guarding him and I'm like "woah! Didn't know he can do that!" Then he just goes back to standing around looking to shoot threes.

[Section104]

Yeah I would swap Tchikou and Bilau. I saw enough from Josaphat to know he can for sure be an impact player when healthy.

That's fair. You just never know with injuries. My take on Tchikou is you can't teach a 7 foot wingspan and mobility. He's technically in year 1 of college ball. I like him as a serviceable rim protecter off the bench on a good team. That said, we're not going anywhere fast unless we identify a frontcourt starter.

[PeterRamTime]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

I would put Tchikou in the 'Jury's Out' category.

Yeah im really confused how anyone could put Bilau in the Jury's out category.

Defensively he struggled at times but other than that he played very well. The dude would get minutes on most any Rhody teams I've seen. He was probably just scratching the surface too because he was just coming off that shoulder injury.

I'm all in on Alex. Keep developing him. Size is such a luxury in the A-10 and especially when you go up against P5 teams. He's improved this year all ready. I think he'll end up being pretty good.

[bigappleram]

Agree Bilau stay above the line for me. He’s our best current big although injured. Tchikou’s athleticism and wingspan keep him in play for me even if at best he’s a 2nd or 3rd backup that brings shot blocking and dunks.

[rhodylaw]

If we can go into next year and start filling in around Ish, Bray and Weston I think we will be in good shape. Those 3 are high level A10 players next year. Need some better supporting cast players which I think will be coming.

[Rhody72]

If a player has a single talent that is useful in certain situations, then you want to keep him until you find someone better. To my eyes, Samb, Tchikou and Stewart have not proven their worth, while Bilau, Weston and Thomas have. The bigger question is whether Ish and Bray stay as part of a rebuilding process rather than moving on to a NCAAT contender. URI is yearS away from dancing. Don't you think the Mitchels are glad they moved to Arkansas?

[Jdrums#3]

I liked how Phat was progressing but, with the knee injury/surgery I have questions. Therefore, the jury is out for me on him looking ahead. That wouldn’t be the case if the knee injury didn’t happen.

[hrstrat57]

Imagine if Malik Martin and Ish had bailed too?

Yikes.

This current lineup would be way better if it included Walker and the twins. Sorry, truth.

[steveystuds06]

Imagine if Malik Martin and Ish had bailed too?

Yikes.

This current lineup would be way better if it included Walker and the twins. Sorry, truth.

Yup. The twins wanted to stay. I was very, very excited to see them under Archie and was letdown when they were pushed out. We could have won the A10 tournament with Archie coaching and them on this roster. I truly believe that. The A10 sucks that bad.

[DeanDome88]

So is Hutchinson really THAT bad that he can’t get into this rotation? For a team that needs shooters I thought he looked good.

Couldn’t agree more, redshirt is out the window so it would make no sense and he can defend so it’s very confusing, Thomas knows he has to transfer this year, Harris & Estevez bout to take his minutes next year by just being able to shoot outside the circle, but fuck me he is the worst shooter outside a big man ever, I’m willing to bet Jermaine Harris could make more outside shots than him

I suspect he is not playing more for his lack of defense than anything else. What position do you think he is good at defending? I am all for him getting a little run in games that are not particularly close if he is working hard in practice.

[Bill Koch]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

Just to be up front -- this isn't piling on you, 104. It's more a general commentary. Your template provides the perfect vehicle for side-by-side comparison.

This was the rotation (Akele did not play) for the last NCAA Tournament win at URI -- OT against Oklahoma, 2018. This is also the season usage percentage of minutes played for an A10 champion in 2017-18 -- 26-8 overall, 15-3 league.

Dowtin 81.5% -- Garrett 50.7%
Terrell 82.3% -- Russell 44.5%
Matthews 58.8%
Robinson 66.8%
Berry 43.4% -- Langevine 41.0%

Can you make a realistic case that any player currently in the program would be an improvement on any part of that eight-man rotation? Leggett would get some minutes on that team -- I don't see how he starts. Freeman wouldn't play bench minutes over Garrett or Russell because he isn't a pure point guard and doesn't defend. Weston wouldn't get minutes at the expense of Terrell, Matthews or Robinson. None of the bigs would displace Berry or Langevine.

I think in terms of Year 1 in a rebuild the effort level has been encouraging. You can certainly see some stretches where they run decent offense and show the requisite grit on defense. But the talent level will take multiple recruiting classes -- player development and the transfer portal -- to reach a truly competitive place at or near near the top of the league. The eventual winning solution might not involve any more than one or two players currently on this roster.

[DeanDome88]

He is shooting literally wide-open 3s. He can randomly get out. It happens once every 12 games but it happens. I'm fine with him taking a couple of wide open 3s a game but I don't understand how he is so bad at finishing. I know Weston has had some trouble finishing as well but I expected that.

They both need to develop a jump stop to get the defender off of their feet. Result would either be a wide open layup or a foul.

Weston will be fine. He's just raw right now. He had a couple of nice drives and an athletic take where it just rolled off the rim. That will come. Malik has absolutely no lift and gets his shot blocked more than any 6'7 wing I think I've ever seen.

He is about 6'3" so you might want to adjust your expectations for Martin.

[DeanDome88]

I'm no expert, but I've watched Weston closely this season. The skill is there, the ability is there. His issue is mental. When he gets a pass for an open shot, he hesitates. That turnover last night (bad pass to top of the key) was a hesitation. If he wakes up and finds his comfort/confidence, watch out.

I would like to see Weston run the court a little harder but think his game is coming around.

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

It means like many other FR will have had a year to develop and be better prepared to compete for playing time. This isn’t a foreign concept there are FR all over the country even on mediocre to bad teams that aren’t playing bc they aren’t ready. Doesn’t mean they won’t ever be ready.

This is less true today because most players at this level have been playing highly competitive AAU ball since the eighth grade. I said "less true" because there are "diamonds in the rough" who are late developers or have not followed the usual path. These players can make great progress between their freshman and sophomore years.

The counter to that is most kids these days do a 5th year at prep. Lou did not and enrolled the more traditional way straight out of high school. He is a full year behind in experience vs similar FR in the league/country. Lou (and other kids his age) missed 6-12 months of competitive team basketball due to Covid. The A10 has been defined as a league full of "diamonds in the rough", seldom are their A10 freshmen that come in and make an impact. We are a league of 2 and 3 star kids that take time to develop. Don't think AAU has changed that dynamic all that much.

"Most kids these days do a 5th year at prep." Do you have some data or reference points to back that up? Or is that an observational hunch based on the teams you've watched?

I'm just curious. I don't know one way or the other if "most" kids do a 5th year.

[steveystuds06]

They both need to develop a jump stop to get the defender off of their feet. Result would either be a wide open layup or a foul.

Weston will be fine. He's just raw right now. He had a couple of nice drives and an athletic take where it just rolled off the rim. That will come. Malik has absolutely no lift and gets his shot blocked more than any 6'7 wing I think I've ever seen.

He is about 6'3" so you might want to adjust your expectations for Martin.

Cmon...This isn't a guard. He's a wing. I've seen plenty of college players the same size or smaller than Malik Martin that didn't get their shot blocked like this. I love the kid's heart, but this new excuse that he can't make a layup or finish around the hoop because of his height is getting a little ridiculous.

[steveystuds06]

This is less true today because most players at this level have been playing highly competitive AAU ball since the eighth grade. I said "less true" because there are "diamonds in the rough" who are late developers or have not followed the usual path. These players can make great progress between their freshman and sophomore years.

The counter to that is most kids these days do a 5th year at prep. Lou did not and enrolled the more traditional way straight out of high school. He is a full year behind in experience vs similar FR in the league/country. Lou (and other kids his age) missed 6-12 months of competitive team basketball due to Covid. The A10 has been defined as a league full of "diamonds in the rough", seldom are their A10 freshmen that come in and make an impact. We are a league of 2 and 3 star kids that take time to develop. Don't think AAU has changed that dynamic all that much.

"Most kids these days do a 5th year at prep." Do you have some data or reference points to back that up? Or is that an observational hunch based on the teams you've watched?

I'm just curious. I don't know one way or the other if "most" kids do a 5th year.

Cmon Bar, you have to give us factual data to say something like that on a college basketball fan message board. Please list all your data and references, and I expect a PowerPoint presentation. Let's agree that the deadline is 7 pm tonight. Good luck.

[UCH21377]

This was a "burn the tapes" kind of game. Nothing went right. Literally nothing. No one played good. Really, no one even stood out as "average" - like missed shots, dumb decisions, everyone was flat. From the coach on down last night was a forget and move on.

I still wonder about why we have to be subjected to so much Bassy instead of Lou or a manager or a mop kid - literally I would rather watch anyone else in the arena try to play than Bassy.

But - I keep coming back to Archie's desire to have "doing the right things" in practice be the deciding factor of PT. We have no idea - for all we know Bassy is a practice hero/and he was on the floor for the whole comeback against La Salle.

But if you're establishing a culture in a lost season, you've got to have one bedrock rule - and it seems like whatever it is, Bassy is on the right side of it and Lou is on the wrong side of it.

Again, success isn't linear, it's still a rebuild, last night sucked - but we're 100% capable of beating or losing to anyone in this conference. Excitement!

Malik Martin had a game high and a career high 13 rebounds. Next closest was 8 rebounds by Leggett. Martin had 4 assists to lead URI - the team goal in assists was only 6.

He also took two horrendously bad 3's, had 4 turnovers, and missed 2 layups if I remember correctly.

He's our best rebounder by far and probably our best defender - certainly doesn't mean he's a complete player or that he played well.

For a 23 year old 5th year senior who's started 84 games and played in 131 - it's OK to expect a little more.

I think the fact that Malik and Ish led the team in rebounds says more about our bigs than anything else

[rhodyrudder]

Keep the tape of last nites game. Fire is up first day of official practice(maybe in the new practice facility) show it to next years players, and Archie simply says, no more.

I want kids to see the best...what are we capable of doing if we're in this together?

I'm not showing horror films. I want them thinking about the Final Four.

[PeterRamTime]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

Just to be up front -- this isn't piling on you, 104. It's more a general commentary. Your template provides the perfect vehicle for side-by-side comparison.

This was the rotation (Akele did not play) for the last NCAA Tournament win at URI -- OT against Oklahoma, 2018. This is also the season usage percentage of minutes played for an A10 champion in 2017-18 -- 26-8 overall, 15-3 league.

Dowtin 81.5% -- Garrett 50.7%
Terrell 82.3% -- Russell 44.5%
Matthews 58.8%
Robinson 66.8%
Berry 43.4% -- Langevine 41.0%

Can you make a realistic case that any player currently in the program would be an improvement on any part of that eight-man rotation? Leggett would get some minutes on that team -- I don't see how he starts. Freeman wouldn't play bench minutes over Garrett or Russell because he isn't a pure point guard and doesn't defend. Weston wouldn't get minutes at the expense of Terrell, Matthews or Robinson. None of the bigs would displace Berry or Langevine.

I think in terms of Year 1 in a rebuild the effort level has been encouraging. You can certainly see some stretches where they run decent offense and show the requisite grit on defense. But the talent level will take multiple recruiting classes -- player development and the transfer portal -- to reach a truly competitive place at or near near the top of the league. The eventual winning solution might not involve any more than one or two players currently on this roster.

Thanks for chiming in Bill!

I do think Bilau gets minutes on that team.

I am very much team Bilau, but let's not pretend Berry and Cyril were world beaters at all.

Berry was so smooth, but he was so damn out of shape and not athletic at all. Sophomore Langevine couldn't hit a lay up. I josophat plays some.

[PeteRI]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

Just to be up front -- this isn't piling on you, 104. It's more a general commentary. Your template provides the perfect vehicle for side-by-side comparison.

This was the rotation (Akele did not play) for the last NCAA Tournament win at URI -- OT against Oklahoma, 2018. This is also the season usage percentage of minutes played for an A10 champion in 2017-18 -- 26-8 overall, 15-3 league.

Dowtin 81.5% -- Garrett 50.7%
Terrell 82.3% -- Russell 44.5%
Matthews 58.8%
Robinson 66.8%
Berry 43.4% -- Langevine 41.0%

Can you make a realistic case that any player currently in the program would be an improvement on any part of that eight-man rotation? Leggett would get some minutes on that team -- I don't see how he starts. Freeman wouldn't play bench minutes over Garrett or Russell because he isn't a pure point guard and doesn't defend. Weston wouldn't get minutes at the expense of Terrell, Matthews or Robinson. None of the bigs would displace Berry or Langevine.

I think in terms of Year 1 in a rebuild the effort level has been encouraging. You can certainly see some stretches where they run decent offense and show the requisite grit on defense. But the talent level will take multiple recruiting classes -- player development and the transfer portal -- to reach a truly competitive place at or near near the top of the league. The eventual winning solution might not involve any more than one or two players currently on this roster.

Bill, thanks for the reminder of how special that 2017-2018 team was -- and how far we have to go to get even close to those terrific players.

[PeterRamTime]

Malik Martin had a game high and a career high 13 rebounds. Next closest was 8 rebounds by Leggett. Martin had 4 assists to lead URI - the team goal in assists was only 6.

He also took two horrendously bad 3's, had 4 turnovers, and missed 2 layups if I remember correctly.

He's our best rebounder by far and probably our best defender - certainly doesn't mean he's a complete player or that he played well.

For a 23 year old 5th year senior who's started 84 games and played in 131 - it's OK to expect a little more.

I think the fact that Malik and Ish led the team in rebounds says more about our bigs than anything else

Our bigs are baby deer. Malik and Ish are grown ass men. Carey also goes in there and rebounds like hell.

[Jdrums#3]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

Interesting breakdown, 104. Thanks for the thought exercise.

[RhowdyRam02]

Imagine if Malik Martin and Ish had bailed too?

Yikes.

This current lineup would be way better if it included Walker and the twins. Sorry, truth.

Yup. The twins wanted to stay. I was very, very excited to see them under Archie and was letdown when they were pushed out. We could have won the A10 tournament with Archie coaching and them on this roster. I truly believe that. The A10 sucks that bad.

Keeping them would have undoubtedly made out roster more talented, but I'm not sure how you keep them on this team and lay the successful groundwork for a program where you're saying attitude is everything. Also, would Ish have made the leap he did this year if the lane was clogged up like last year? And if the lane isn't clogged up, are you taking full advantage of keeping the twins?

[Billyboy78]

My opinion of the group:

Can Star on an A10 Title Contender:
ISH
BRAY

Can Start on an A10 Title Contender:
Weston

Can be an Impact Player on an A10 Title Contender:
Tchikou

Jury's Out:
Foumena
Hutchinson
Bilau (injury impact?)

Part of Program but likely low impact:
Stewart

Not Part of Future:
Samb
Martin
Carey (he will choose not to use his eligibility)
Thomas

Just to be up front -- this isn't piling on you, 104. It's more a general commentary. Your template provides the perfect vehicle for side-by-side comparison.

This was the rotation (Akele did not play) for the last NCAA Tournament win at URI -- OT against Oklahoma, 2018. This is also the season usage percentage of minutes played for an A10 champion in 2017-18 -- 26-8 overall, 15-3 league.

Dowtin 81.5% -- Garrett 50.7%
Terrell 82.3% -- Russell 44.5%
Matthews 58.8%
Robinson 66.8%
Berry 43.4% -- Langevine 41.0%

Can you make a realistic case that any player currently in the program would be an improvement on any part of that eight-man rotation? Leggett would get some minutes on that team -- I don't see how he starts. Freeman wouldn't play bench minutes over Garrett or Russell because he isn't a pure point guard and doesn't defend. Weston wouldn't get minutes at the expense of Terrell, Matthews or Robinson. None of the bigs would displace Berry or Langevine.

I think in terms of Year 1 in a rebuild the effort level has been encouraging. You can certainly see some stretches where they run decent offense and show the requisite grit on defense. But the talent level will take multiple recruiting classes -- player development and the transfer portal -- to reach a truly competitive place at or near near the top of the league. The eventual winning solution might not involve any more than one or two players currently on this roster.

Bill, thanks for the reminder of how special that 2017-2018 team was -- and how far we have to go to get even close to those terrific players.

I think I've said it before, but I don't think we can sign players like Jared and EC (both 4* players) anymore because of NIL, at least out of high school.

[RhowdyRam02]

The counter to that is most kids these days do a 5th year at prep. Lou did not and enrolled the more traditional way straight out of high school. He is a full year behind in experience vs similar FR in the league/country. Lou (and other kids his age) missed 6-12 months of competitive team basketball due to Covid. The A10 has been defined as a league full of "diamonds in the rough", seldom are their A10 freshmen that come in and make an impact. We are a league of 2 and 3 star kids that take time to develop. Don't think AAU has changed that dynamic all that much.

"Most kids these days do a 5th year at prep." Do you have some data or reference points to back that up? Or is that an observational hunch based on the teams you've watched?

I'm just curious. I don't know one way or the other if "most" kids do a 5th year.

Cmon Bar, you have to give us factual data to say something like that on a college basketball fan message board. Please list all your data and references, and I expect a PowerPoint presentation. Let's agree that the deadline is 7 pm tonight. Good luck.

I don't know, that sounded like a fair question to me and it didn't sound like the question was asked in any kind of attacking way

[theblueram]

"Most kids these days do a 5th year at prep." Do you have some data or reference points to back that up? Or is that an observational hunch based on the teams you've watched?

I'm just curious. I don't know one way or the other if "most" kids do a 5th year.

Cmon Bar, you have to give us factual data to say something like that on a college basketball fan message board. Please list all your data and references, and I expect a PowerPoint presentation. Let's agree that the deadline is 7 pm tonight. Good luck.

I don't know, that sounded like a fair question to me and it didn't sound like the question was asked in any kind of attacking way

Sounded to me like Stevey was being c/s

[RhodyRams916]

He also took two horrendously bad 3's, had 4 turnovers, and missed 2 layups if I remember correctly.

He's our best rebounder by far and probably our best defender - certainly doesn't mean he's a complete player or that he played well.

For a 23 year old 5th year senior who's started 84 games and played in 131 - it's OK to expect a little more.

I think the fact that Malik and Ish led the team in rebounds says more about our bigs than anything else

Our bigs are baby deer. Malik and Ish are grown ass men. Carey also goes in there and rebounds like hell.

Tchikou plays like he doesn't give a shit. I'm sorry but you can see it. He is soft, he doesn't jump for rebounds, never takes charges, rarely dunks it. He's awful right now, and I doubt he's ever gonna be an A10 starter. I'm going to be hard on him because the effort isn't there when he's on the court.

[SGreenwell]

Imagine if Malik Martin and Ish had bailed too?

Yikes.

This current lineup would be way better if it included Walker and the twins. Sorry, truth.

Yup. The twins wanted to stay. I was very, very excited to see them under Archie and was letdown when they were pushed out. We could have won the A10 tournament with Archie coaching and them on this roster. I truly believe that. The A10 sucks that bad.

Keeping them would have undoubtedly made out roster more talented, but I'm not sure how you keep them on this team and lay the successful groundwork for a program where you're saying attitude is everything. Also, would Ish have made the leap he did this year if the lane was clogged up like last year? And if the lane isn't clogged up, are you taking full advantage of keeping the twins?

You always take a chance on talent, unless you know the player is a problem from a chemistry standpoint. It's not like we got reports of any of the players mentioned being absolute head cases or problems in practice, and they've been fitting in well enough on new teams. I think Archie would have kept any of them if they honestly wanted to stay and coached them, but given the eligibility left for the Mitchells and Walker, it's not surprising to me that they left. (ETA: Also, the coach that recruited them left. I'm not going to fault any player for leaving any program if the coach that recruited them is fired, and there's a reason why that's one of the reasons you can transfer penalty-free usually.)

[NYGFan_Section208]

Cmon Bar, you have to give us factual data to say something like that on a college basketball fan message board. Please list all your data and references, and I expect a PowerPoint presentation. Let's agree that the deadline is 7 pm tonight. Good luck.

I don't know, that sounded like a fair question to me and it didn't sound like the question was asked in any kind of attacking way

Sounded to me like Stevey was being c/s

so...no PowerPoint?

[RhowdyRam02]

Yup. The twins wanted to stay. I was very, very excited to see them under Archie and was letdown when they were pushed out. We could have won the A10 tournament with Archie coaching and them on this roster. I truly believe that. The A10 sucks that bad.

Keeping them would have undoubtedly made out roster more talented, but I'm not sure how you keep them on this team and lay the successful groundwork for a program where you're saying attitude is everything. Also, would Ish have made the leap he did this year if the lane was clogged up like last year? And if the lane isn't clogged up, are you taking full advantage of keeping the twins?

You always take a chance on talent, unless you know the player is a problem from a chemistry standpoint. It's not like we got reports of any of the players mentioned being absolute head cases or problems in practice, and they've been fitting in well enough on new teams. I think Archie would have kept any of them if they honestly wanted to stay and coached them, but given the eligibility left for the Mitchells and Walker, it's not surprising to me that they left. (ETA: Also, the coach that recruited them left. I'm not going to fault any player for leaving any program if the coach that recruited them is fired, and there's a reason why that's one of the reasons you can transfer penalty-free usually.)

You're right, I'm just basing my assessment of the twins' attitude to what I could see on the court, I obviously didn't see what was going on in practice and so on. I just found what I did see to be less than impressive. I would have really liked to have kept Walker, but can understand why he left

[theblueram]

I don't know, that sounded like a fair question to me and it didn't sound like the question was asked in any kind of attacking way

Sounded to me like Stevey was being c/s

so...no PowerPoint?

Not today

[RI_Bred]

Imagine if Malik Martin and Ish had bailed too?

Yikes.

This current lineup would be way better if it included Walker and the twins. Sorry, truth.

Yup. The twins wanted to stay. I was very, very excited to see them under Archie and was letdown when they were pushed out. We could have won the A10 tournament with Archie coaching and them on this roster. I truly believe that. The A10 sucks that bad.

Keeping them would have undoubtedly made out roster more talented, but I'm not sure how you keep them on this team and lay the successful groundwork for a program where you're saying attitude is everything. Also, would Ish have made the leap he did this year if the lane was clogged up like last year? And if the lane isn't clogged up, are you taking full advantage of keeping the twins?

Keeping the twins would've delayed the inevitable rebuild another year from what it is. And who's to say if even Archie could've reeled them in? They would've still been the big fish in a little pond. Now they are the opposite relatively speaking. IMO it would not have been worthwhile and I'm glad they are gone. Wish Walker was still here though.

[section(105)]

The twins would not have fit the mindset and culture Archie is trying to develop.