2/11 | UMass | 2:00PM (USA)

[SGreenwell]

There was a lot of contact all day...don't recall reaction on that particular play.
Kortright seemed like he was periodically favoring one leg, but with no real PG, he's gotta play unless he can't walk.
Rhody did a great job guarding the yellow swath again, effectively eliminating that deadly mid-range shot.
However, like a lot of teams we play, UMass seemed to get lucky and hit a bunch of open 3s and open layups anyway.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Is there any chance that we will expand the swath considering its success? Or is expanding off the table?

IMG_2235.jpeg

There will be no deviation from the by the book packline. We forced 22/23 foot deep balls and minimized Cohen and Cross. Exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

They miss 2 of the bombs they made we likely win. Our problem was blowing layups and not rebounding the ball.

Eh, they scored 81 points on us. Yeah, a couple lucky and unlucky shots on both sides, but it's not like we played awesome on defense. Six steals and three blocks is above our season averages, but UMass only had 9 turnovers, and shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from three. Coming into the game, UMass was averaging less than 76.2 PPG in conference games, so they were +5, +6 over their usual. I think our defensive effort against UMass and GW has been better, but we're still a pretty poor defensive team by almost every metric.

[Billyboy78]

What is Fuchs doing when the other team is shooting a free throw? He turns his back to the basket to box out. He tries using his chest to box out instead of his back side. And he's been doing it all year. Why isn't it being corrected? For one thing, you can't locate the ball on a miss when you do that. And it's much less effective than using your butt and elbows. Cross went right around him towards the end of the game on a missed free throw. It happens a lot. I've been watching basketball for 60 years and I've never seen anybody try to box out like that, and there's a reason I haven't seen it.

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

There was a lot of contact all day...don't recall reaction on that particular play.
Kortright seemed like he was periodically favoring one leg, but with no real PG, he's gotta play unless he can't walk.
Rhody did a great job guarding the yellow swath again, effectively eliminating that deadly mid-range shot.
However, like a lot of teams we play, UMass seemed to get lucky and hit a bunch of open 3s and open layups anyway.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Is there any chance that we will expand the swath considering its success? Or is expanding off the table?

IMG_2235.jpeg

There will be no deviation from the by the book packline. We forced 22/23 foot deep balls and minimized Cohen and Cross. Exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

They miss 2 of the bombs they made we likely win. Our problem was blowing layups and not rebounding the ball.

Not sure I agree with that assessment of URI's defense. For a good stretch of the 2nd half, UMASS had a layup line going to the basket and shot a number of 3's with no closeouts or late closeouts from Ram defenders. Just look at the 2nd half shooting numbers for UMASS. I don't think any coach would be happy with that defense.

You wanna play the "if" game? So if UMASS shoots halfway decently from the FT line (i.e. not 8-for-18), UMASS wins this game comfortably by 6-8 points.

Don't be fooled.

[hrstrat57]

Is there any chance that we will expand the swath considering its success? Or is expanding off the table?

IMG_2235.jpeg

There will be no deviation from the by the book packline. We forced 22/23 foot deep balls and minimized Cohen and Cross. Exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

They miss 2 of the bombs they made we likely win. Our problem was blowing layups and not rebounding the ball.

Eh, they scored 81 points on us. Yeah, a couple lucky and unlucky shots on both sides, but it's not like we played awesome on defense. Six steals and three blocks is above our season averages, but UMass only had 9 turnovers, and shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from three. Coming into the game, UMass was averaging less than 76.2 PPG in conference games, so they were +5, +6 over their usual. I think our defensive effort against UMass and GW has been better, but we're still a pretty poor defensive team by almost every metric.

Agree lot more improvement needed. Like I said above hiding 2 slow guys in the packline (Fuchs and currently not healthy Kortright) is not ideal.

The point is, and the answer to Ramster question is Miller ain’t changing anything. I’ve never said I like it but it’s what we’re gonna do and I see improvement.

Also agree the “what if” argument in sports post game analysis is weak and flawed which is why I said “likely”

Billyboy78 analysis of Fuch’s inside foul shot rebounding position is spot on. It’s pretty weird.

On to Loyola.

[PeterRamTime]

There was a lot of contact all day...don't recall reaction on that particular play.
Kortright seemed like he was periodically favoring one leg, but with no real PG, he's gotta play unless he can't walk.
Rhody did a great job guarding the yellow swath again, effectively eliminating that deadly mid-range shot.
However, like a lot of teams we play, UMass seemed to get lucky and hit a bunch of open 3s and open layups anyway.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Is there any chance that we will expand the swath considering its success? Or is expanding off the table?

IMG_2235.jpeg

There will be no deviation from the by the book packline. We forced 22/23 foot deep balls and minimized Cohen and Cross. Exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

They miss 2 of the bombs they made we likely win. Our problem was blowing layups and not rebounding the ball.

Yeah we were making them really uncomfortable for the majority of the first half.

We just could not finish at the rim consistently and they were allowed to maul us everytime lol. Different refs and we might have lived at the foul line. Some of those missed were because they were fouled mixed with they were thinking about how they were fouled and missed. I'd also add that yet again, our TO's came when we had momentum and many were totally avoidable.

We fumbled away several possessions that would have extended our lead or brought us back closer quicker.

[reef]

Not a bad game overall but really starting to dislike Fuchs. Can he even jump, only reason he gets rebounds is because he is wide and takes up space. His hands are not good, he loses balls out of bounds all the time.

It’s kind of funny that we see such different things with Fuchs. I really don’t care how he gets rebounds, if it is his width, or instincts or whatever, he gets them. Being a leaper does not make you a good rebounder (Eg Zek). And it seems to me that one of Fuchs attributes is really strong hands.

On a list of concerns for this URI team, Fuchs would be about #20 on my list. Yes, he has warts and they've been exploited during the course of the season, but you can definitely see his potential and how he will be a big piece of the puzzle going forward. On the very top of my list would be quick, athletic point guard(s) who can run an offense and defend, that to me that is by far the most glaring of needs for this team.

Sounds like you are describing Ben Hammond , hopefully he comes in next year and can play 25-30 minutes per night from the get go

[McRam]

Is there any chance that we will expand the swath considering its success? Or is expanding off the table?

IMG_2235.jpeg

There will be no deviation from the by the book packline. We forced 22/23 foot deep balls and minimized Cohen and Cross. Exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

They miss 2 of the bombs they made we likely win. Our problem was blowing layups and not rebounding the ball.

Yeah we were making them really uncomfortable for the majority of the first half.

We just could not finish at the rim consistently and they were allowed to maul us everytime lol. Different refs and we might have lived at the foul line. Some of those missed were because they were fouled mixed with they were thinking about how they were fouled and missed. I'd also add that yet again, our TO's came when we had momentum and many were totally avoidable.

We fumbled away several possessions that would have extended our lead or brought us back closer quicker.

Yep, the officiating in this game was rugby like. Not to our advantage. Does the A10 have the bottom tier of refs? Why?

[McRam]

What is Fuchs doing when the other team is shooting a free throw? He turns his back to the basket to box out. He tries using his chest to box out instead of his back side. And he's been doing it all year. Why isn't it being corrected? For one thing, you can't locate the ball on a miss when you do that. And it's much less effective than using your butt and elbows. Cross went right around him towards the end of the game on a missed free throw. It happens a lot. I've been watching basketball for 60 years and I've never seen anybody try to box out like that, and there's a reason I haven't seen it.

Interesting post. I saw Zek do the same thing at the end,of,the game and whiffed on Cross. Of course, it appears boxing out seems to be a lost art for some of our players.How many offensive rebounds did Umass get? Us? Hard to overcome that !

[Rhody15]

It’s kind of funny that we see such different things with Fuchs. I really don’t care how he gets rebounds, if it is his width, or instincts or whatever, he gets them. Being a leaper does not make you a good rebounder (Eg Zek). And it seems to me that one of Fuchs attributes is really strong hands.

On a list of concerns for this URI team, Fuchs would be about #20 on my list. Yes, he has warts and they've been exploited during the course of the season, but you can definitely see his potential and how he will be a big piece of the puzzle going forward. On the very top of my list would be quick, athletic point guard(s) who can run an offense and defend, that to me that is by far the most glaring of needs for this team.

Sounds like you are describing Ben Hammond , hopefully he comes in next year and can play 25-30 minutes per night from the get go

Hammond will be a true freshman who is well below 6 foot and slight.

He’s not playing 30 minutes a night.

We currently have only one player who averaged 30 mins, Kortright.

[theblueram]

On a list of concerns for this URI team, Fuchs would be about #20 on my list. Yes, he has warts and they've been exploited during the course of the season, but you can definitely see his potential and how he will be a big piece of the puzzle going forward. On the very top of my list would be quick, athletic point guard(s) who can run an offense and defend, that to me that is by far the most glaring of needs for this team.

Sounds like you are describing Ben Hammond , hopefully he comes in next year and can play 25-30 minutes per night from the get go

Hammond will be a true freshman who is well below 6 foot and slight.

He’s not playing 30 minutes a night.

We currently have only one player who averaged 30 mins, Kortright.

And we currently have no players under 6 feet. The three smallest players at 6'1 and 6'2 are walk ons. Gonna be tough for him to break the lineup

[section(105)]

There will be no deviation from the by the book packline. We forced 22/23 foot deep balls and minimized Cohen and Cross. Exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

They miss 2 of the bombs they made we likely win. Our problem was blowing layups and not rebounding the ball.

Yeah we were making them really uncomfortable for the majority of the first half.

We just could not finish at the rim consistently and they were allowed to maul us everytime lol. Different refs and we might have lived at the foul line. Some of those missed were because they were fouled mixed with they were thinking about how they were fouled and missed. I'd also add that yet again, our TO's came when we had momentum and many were totally avoidable.

We fumbled away several possessions that would have extended our lead or brought us back closer quicker.

Yep, the officiating in this game was rugby like. Not to our advantage. Does the A10 have the bottom tier of refs? Why?

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

[Billyboy78]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

[theblueram]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

That's what concerns me BillyBoy. Is he hiding behind talent, or is he going to shine?

[section(105)]

If he arrives, I think that is true. However there will be a learning curve for him to encounter at this conference level. He will help for sure, based on what competition he will have with the current roster.

[hrstrat57]

No problem hiding a short guy in the packline as long as he’s fast (laterally fast too) short quick guy can actually be a key component.

I don’t think you can easily hide 2 little guys. Pretty sure Miller knows what to do with Hammond when he arrives.

Looking forward to getting everyone healthy with this bye week and seeing if this thing can become dangerous.

[Billyboy78]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

That's what concerns me BillyBoy. Is he hiding behind talent, or is he going to shine?

He leads that talent, and has for 3 years. He makes them better.

[Billyboy78]

No problem hiding a short guy in the packline as long as he’s fast (laterally fast too) short quick guy can actually be a key component.

I don’t think you can easily hide 2 little guys. Pretty sure Miller knows what to do with Hammond when he arrives.

Looking forward to getting everyone healthy with this bye week and seeing if this thing can become dangerous.

And from all reports, Hammond is a VERY good defensive player.

[Rhody15]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

He’ll most likely break the lineup but he’s not playing 30 minutes a night.

[Billyboy78]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

He’ll most likely break the lineup but he’s not playing 30 minutes a night.

If the two PGs are Hammond and Always, how do you want to split those minutes?

[Rhody15]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

He’ll most likely break the lineup but he’s not playing 30 minutes a night.

If the two PGs are Hammond and Always, how do you want to split those minutes?

Complete guess here, but I think the chances are higher that Kortright is here rather than Always.

[NYGFan_Section208]

Is there any chance that we will expand the swath considering its success? Or is expanding off the table?

IMG_2235.jpeg

There will be no deviation from the by the book packline. We forced 22/23 foot deep balls and minimized Cohen and Cross. Exactly what the defense is supposed to do.

They miss 2 of the bombs they made we likely win. Our problem was blowing layups and not rebounding the ball.

Not sure I agree with that assessment of URI's defense. For a good stretch of the 2nd half, UMASS had a layup line going to the basket and shot a number of 3's with no closeouts or late closeouts from Ram defenders. Just look at the 2nd half shooting numbers for UMASS. I don't think any coach would be happy with that defense.

You wanna play the "if" game? So if UMASS shoots halfway decently from the FT line (i.e. not 8-for-18), UMASS wins this game comfortably by 6-8 points.

Don't be fooled.

There were audible distractions for the home team from the line that day

[Billyboy78]

He’ll most likely break the lineup but he’s not playing 30 minutes a night.

If the two PGs are Hammond and Always, how do you want to split those minutes?

Complete guess here, but I think the chances are higher that Kortright is here rather than Always.

And Kortright isn't a true point guard. He's playing there out of necessity. Hammond will be a blur pushing the ball up the court compared to Kortright. And I'm not knocking Kortright. I think he's done a pretty good job there. He's just limited physically in what a PG should do.

[NYGFan_Section208]

If the two PGs are Hammond and Always, how do you want to split those minutes?

Complete guess here, but I think the chances are higher that Kortright is here rather than Always.

And Kortright isn't a true point guard. He's playing there out of necessity. Hammond will be a blur pushing the ball up the court compared to Kortright. And I'm not knocking Kortright. I think he's done a pretty good job there. He's just limited physically in what a PG should do.

And fills the position better than anyone else they have on the team right now. Not even close, is it?

[bigappleram]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

You realize if Rhody played Paul VI we would win by 30 right?
Men against kids. It’s a different game and Ben like every other FR will take time to adjust.

That said there have been many many good A10 guards under 6 feet.

[Billyboy78]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

You realize if Rhody played Paul VI we would win by 30 right?
Men against kids. It’s a different game and Ben like every other FR will take time to adjust.

That said there have been many many good A10 guards under 6 feet.

No doubt. My point is that Ben has always played with really good players and made them better. All of those 4 and 5 star players, yet he is still the leader. Tough to be that vocal leader right off the bat as a freshman, but I think he'll take to that role pretty quickly.

[McRam]

Yeah we were making them really uncomfortable for the majority of the first half.

We just could not finish at the rim consistently and they were allowed to maul us everytime lol. Different refs and we might have lived at the foul line. Some of those missed were because they were fouled mixed with they were thinking about how they were fouled and missed. I'd also add that yet again, our TO's came when we had momentum and many were totally avoidable.

We fumbled away several possessions that would have extended our lead or brought us back closer quicker.

Yep, the officiating in this game was rugby like. Not to our advantage. Does the A10 have the bottom tier of refs? Why?

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

Thanks 105. For some reason I thought refs were conference specific. Can’t imagine the blood on the court if this group of refs doing a Big 10 game.
I wonder who actual assigns the refs from the region.?

[PeterRamTime]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

You realize if Rhody played Paul VI we would win by 30 right?
Men against kids. It’s a different game and Ben like every other FR will take time to adjust.

That said there have been many many good A10 guards under 6 feet.

Just 30? Probably more like 50+ lol and that's acknowledging his team does have a lot of talent.

Besides that it's not impossible for him to make an immediate impact. If you are the best player on the floor in those games against top competition that typically translates well. Can't expect him to be a freshman all American or anything, but him being an all A-10 freshman is reasonable to project.

[reef]

Sounds like you are describing Ben Hammond , hopefully he comes in next year and can play 25-30 minutes per night from the get go

Hammond will be a true freshman who is well below 6 foot and slight.

He’s not playing 30 minutes a night.

We currently have only one player who averaged 30 mins, Kortright.

And we currently have no players under 6 feet. The three smallest players at 6'1 and 6'2 are walk ons. Gonna be tough for him to break the lineup

30 may be a stretch especially if he doesn’t start but 20-25 could be reasonable especially if he turns out to be the real deal

[ramster]

I don't think Hammond is going to have a hard time breaking the lineup. There's more talent on the PAUL VI team than there is here, and he is their leader.

You realize if Rhody played Paul VI we would win by 30 right?
Men against kids. It’s a different game and Ben like every other FR will take time to adjust.

That said there have been many many good A10 guards under 6 feet.

Just 30? Probably more like 50+ lol and that's acknowledging his team does have a lot of talent.

Besides that it's not impossible for him to make an immediate impact. If you are the best player on the floor in those games against top competition that typically translates well. Can't expect him to be a freshman all American or anything, but him being an all A-10 freshman is reasonable to project.

Have to disagree. URI right now would not beat #2 Nationally Ranked Paul VI by 30 or by 50. Paul VI would beat URI.

ESPN 2024 #37 Darren Harris signed with Duke
ESPN 2024 #85 Isaiah Abraham signed with UCONN
EAPN 2026 #9 Jordan Smith - uncommitted

1. Montverde Academy (Fla.) 24-0
2. Paul VI (Va.) 22-2
3. Columbus (Fla.) 20-4
4. Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 14-3
5. Prolific Prep (Calif.) 24-5
6. La Lumiere (Ind.) 15-4
7. Link Academy (Mo.) 19-6
8. AZ Compass (Ariz.) 19-5
9. Brewster Academy (N.H.) 18-6
10. Archbishop Stepniac (N.Y.) 18-3
11. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 17-3
12. Dynamic Prep (Texas) 17-1
13. IMG Academy (Fla.) 14-7
14. Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 19-3
15. Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) 26-3
16. Myers Park (N.C.) 18-2
17. Wasatch Academy (Utah) 12-3
18. Bullis School (Md.) 19-2
19. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) 24-2
20. Combine Academy (N.C.) 20-2
21. Bishop O'Connell (Va.) 18-5
22. Jackson-Reed (Washington D.C.) 27-2
23. Gonzaga HS College (Washington D.C.) 20-4
24. Plano East (Texas) 30-0
25. Grayson (Ga.) 21-2

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... -approach/

[ramster]

A good summary of UMASS performance from a poster on the UMASS message board........grades each player performance for that one game

Re: Game 23, 2023-24: Rhode Island (2/11)
Quote
Post by WillHerndonFan » Sun Feb 11, 2024 11:36 pm

Well, where do I begin? Let’s talk about triple implosion all within 5 minutes and 36 seconds left in the game with only the clock saving us in the end. First implosion, up 14 with 5:36 left and Jaden House lets us know whose house it is with 11 points in under 2 minutes. Second implosion, Matt Cross rebounds ball with 33 seconds left and throws it away and instead of holding the ball and getting fouled with a 7 point lead. Third Implosion, missed 5 of 6 fouls shots in 17 seconds in the last 21 seconds and allows URI to comfortably get a 3 point shot off to possibly win. Thank god that the clock expired because we all know the script. Here is my theory on our meltdowns at in the last 5-10 minutes of the game. This team has the yips where this team literally is unable to execute because the players and the coach start thinking too much (I.e. performance anxiety) instead of just playing in the flow. Time for this team to see the in-house sports psychologist (if there is one) because it is getting more concerning. That being said, this team actually played really well for most of the game as the scoring was balanced, the passing was great at times, and effort was extremely hard. Here our my player/coach grade summary:

Cohen: B+: Played a good game against a URI team that has some size, strength, and athleticism at the F/C spot.
Cross: B: Plays hard but also a little out of control at times and no more important the the mental error late in the game.
Ndjigue: C+: Maybe one of hits worst games as he hasn’t had many as his missed dunk was extremely frustrating (just lay it in) and his defense was less than stellar (even though House clearly was a challenge for anyone).
Thompson: A: I don’t know if Jaden House motivated him or not, but Thompson played at a level tonight I don’t think we have ever seen as his effort was intense, he made plays, and showed us why he is the starting point guard.
Diggins: A: This guy is the “straw that stirs the drink” as Reggie Jackson once said as he scores in bunches and seems to really energize this team when it needs it.
Curry: B+: Good to see he got his game back today as we need his scoring more than ever considering how poorly we have been shooting from 3 point range.
Davis: B: Looks like Davis might be able to provide us some much needed bench scoring as it looks like Frank is committed to playing him despite his past limited production.
Hankins: C-: Strange game for him as he played little and when he did play his contribution was minimal, which is out of character for Hankins who has been a reliable reserve this year.
Coach Frank: B: Frank did a good job of keeping this team in it when it got down early and also lighting a fire in them after the half, but Frank needs to find a way to get this team mentally focused at the end of the game as it seems to not handle pressure that well.

[bigappleram]

You realize if Rhody played Paul VI we would win by 30 right?
Men against kids. It’s a different game and Ben like every other FR will take time to adjust.

That said there have been many many good A10 guards under 6 feet.

Just 30? Probably more like 50+ lol and that's acknowledging his team does have a lot of talent.

Besides that it's not impossible for him to make an immediate impact. If you are the best player on the floor in those games against top competition that typically translates well. Can't expect him to be a freshman all American or anything, but him being an all A-10 freshman is reasonable to project.

Have to disagree. URI right now would not beat #2 Nationally Ranked Paul VI by 30 or by 50. Paul VI would beat URI.

ESPN 2024 #37 Darren Harris signed with Duke
ESPN 2024 #85 Isaiah Abraham signed with UCONN
EAPN 2026 #9 Jordan Smith - uncommitted

1. Montverde Academy (Fla.) 24-0
2. Paul VI (Va.) 22-2
3. Columbus (Fla.) 20-4
4. Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 14-3
5. Prolific Prep (Calif.) 24-5
6. La Lumiere (Ind.) 15-4
7. Link Academy (Mo.) 19-6
8. AZ Compass (Ariz.) 19-5
9. Brewster Academy (N.H.) 18-6
10. Archbishop Stepniac (N.Y.) 18-3
11. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 17-3
12. Dynamic Prep (Texas) 17-1
13. IMG Academy (Fla.) 14-7
14. Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 19-3
15. Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) 26-3
16. Myers Park (N.C.) 18-2
17. Wasatch Academy (Utah) 12-3
18. Bullis School (Md.) 19-2
19. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) 24-2
20. Combine Academy (N.C.) 20-2
21. Bishop O'Connell (Va.) 18-5
22. Jackson-Reed (Washington D.C.) 27-2
23. Gonzaga HS College (Washington D.C.) 20-4
24. Plano East (Texas) 30-0
25. Grayson (Ga.) 21-2

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... -approach/

That’s just wrong Ramster. Paul VI would not beat URI that’s absurd. 18 year old high school kids don’t beat teams of 22-23 year old Div 1 players. I don’t care how many stars they have or where they are going to school.

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

Yeah we were making them really uncomfortable for the majority of the first half.

We just could not finish at the rim consistently and they were allowed to maul us everytime lol. Different refs and we might have lived at the foul line. Some of those missed were because they were fouled mixed with they were thinking about how they were fouled and missed. I'd also add that yet again, our TO's came when we had momentum and many were totally avoidable.

We fumbled away several possessions that would have extended our lead or brought us back closer quicker.

Yep, the officiating in this game was rugby like. Not to our advantage. Does the A10 have the bottom tier of refs? Why?

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

Enough on the officiating.
1. Officials are independent contractors. That means that they work for different conferences.
2. Each league has a Supervisor of Officials.
3. Most leagues have a rating system for officials.
4. UMASS/URI officials: Roger Ayers is considered by many coaches to be the best official in the country. The guy has done multiple Final Fours. Bert Smith, he also works NCAA tournament games. (You may remember him as the official who kind of passed out and banged his head on the floor a few years ago.) Jeffrey Clark...also a Final Four official.

So just stop with the whining about every game and every call.

[hrstrat57]

Yep, the officiating in this game was rugby like. Not to our advantage. Does the A10 have the bottom tier of refs? Why?

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

Enough on the officiating.
1. Officials are independent contractors. That means that they work for different conferences.
2. Each league has a Supervisor of Officials.
3. Most leagues have a rating system for officials.
4. UMASS/URI officials: Roger Ayers is considered by many coaches to be the best official in the country. The guy has done multiple Final Fours. Bert Smith, he also works NCAA tournament games. (You may remember him as the official who kind of passed out and banged his head on the floor a few years ago.) Jeffrey Clark...also a Final Four official.

So just stop with the whining about every game and every call.

Agree 100%. Wish all games were called like that vs. the usual whistle fest.

Light contact is no excuse for blowing layups.

[Billyboy78]

You realize if Rhody played Paul VI we would win by 30 right?
Men against kids. It’s a different game and Ben like every other FR will take time to adjust.

That said there have been many many good A10 guards under 6 feet.

Just 30? Probably more like 50+ lol and that's acknowledging his team does have a lot of talent.

Besides that it's not impossible for him to make an immediate impact. If you are the best player on the floor in those games against top competition that typically translates well. Can't expect him to be a freshman all American or anything, but him being an all A-10 freshman is reasonable to project.

Have to disagree. URI right now would not beat #2 Nationally Ranked Paul VI by 30 or by 50. Paul VI would beat URI.

ESPN 2024 #37 Darren Harris signed with Duke
ESPN 2024 #85 Isaiah Abraham signed with UCONN
EAPN 2026 #9 Jordan Smith - uncommitted

1. Montverde Academy (Fla.) 24-0
2. Paul VI (Va.) 22-2
3. Columbus (Fla.) 20-4
4. Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 14-3
5. Prolific Prep (Calif.) 24-5
6. La Lumiere (Ind.) 15-4
7. Link Academy (Mo.) 19-6
8. AZ Compass (Ariz.) 19-5
9. Brewster Academy (N.H.) 18-6
10. Archbishop Stepniac (N.Y.) 18-3
11. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 17-3
12. Dynamic Prep (Texas) 17-1
13. IMG Academy (Fla.) 14-7
14. Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 19-3
15. Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) 26-3
16. Myers Park (N.C.) 18-2
17. Wasatch Academy (Utah) 12-3
18. Bullis School (Md.) 19-2
19. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) 24-2
20. Combine Academy (N.C.) 20-2
21. Bishop O'Connell (Va.) 18-5
22. Jackson-Reed (Washington D.C.) 27-2
23. Gonzaga HS College (Washington D.C.) 20-4
24. Plano East (Texas) 30-0
25. Grayson (Ga.) 21-2

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... -approach/

And you didn't include Patrick Ngongba, their best player, 6'11" 235, five star center ranked somewhere in the top 10, who is also going to Duke. They're the 2nd best team in the country despite Ngongba not playing a single minute this season yet due to injury. With him, they're easily the best team in the country. You also didn't include Garret Sundra, 6'10" stretch 4 who is top 75 or so and going to Notre Dame.That being said, they're not beating URI right now, although it might be closer than people think. It certainly wouldn't be 50, and probably not even 30. We give up a lot of open threes. Their shooters, especially Darren Harris, who is 6'6", would be drilling threes all over the place. He recently scored 52 points in a game, going 15-20 from the field including 7-11 from three. I know the 3 point line is closer in HS, but he already has NBA 3 point range.Sophomore Jordan Smith might be the top recruit in the country in a couple of years. Yes, he's a sophomore, but he's built like Jared Terrell was at that age. If Ngongba is back soon, they win the national championship. The exciting thing for URI fans is that Ben Hammond runs the show. He makes all of these 4 and 5 star players better. If Ben was 6 foot, he'd probably be going to Duke too. I've watched a few of their games this year. Ben is clearly in charge. If you get a chance to watch one of their games, I would recommend it. They're fun to watch. Ben's the leader. I can't wait to get him here.

[Rhody15]

Yep, the officiating in this game was rugby like. Not to our advantage. Does the A10 have the bottom tier of refs? Why?

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

Enough on the officiating.
1. Officials are independent contractors. That means that they work for different conferences.
2. Each league has a Supervisor of Officials.
3. Most leagues have a rating system for officials.
4. UMASS/URI officials: Roger Ayers is considered by many coaches to be the best official in the country. The guy has done multiple Final Fours. Bert Smith, he also works NCAA tournament games. (You may remember him as the official who kind of passed out and banged his head on the floor a few years ago.) Jeffrey Clark...also a Final Four official.

So just stop with the whining about every game and every call.

Thank you.

And people think I’m the only one who makes it “my thing” to say whining about the refs is lazy.

[PeterRamTime]

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

Enough on the officiating.
1. Officials are independent contractors. That means that they work for different conferences.
2. Each league has a Supervisor of Officials.
3. Most leagues have a rating system for officials.
4. UMASS/URI officials: Roger Ayers is considered by many coaches to be the best official in the country. The guy has done multiple Final Fours. Bert Smith, he also works NCAA tournament games. (You may remember him as the official who kind of passed out and banged his head on the floor a few years ago.) Jeffrey Clark...also a Final Four official.

So just stop with the whining about every game and every call.

Thank you.

And people think I’m the only one who makes it “my thing” to say whining about the refs is lazy.

Well you and PMM are the most unsufferable people on the board so your coming together on this checks out. Never blame the refs or call out bad calls under any circumstance!

[PeterRamTime]

You realize if Rhody played Paul VI we would win by 30 right?
Men against kids. It’s a different game and Ben like every other FR will take time to adjust.

That said there have been many many good A10 guards under 6 feet.

Just 30? Probably more like 50+ lol and that's acknowledging his team does have a lot of talent.

Besides that it's not impossible for him to make an immediate impact. If you are the best player on the floor in those games against top competition that typically translates well. Can't expect him to be a freshman all American or anything, but him being an all A-10 freshman is reasonable to project.

Have to disagree. URI right now would not beat #2 Nationally Ranked Paul VI by 30 or by 50. Paul VI would beat URI.

ESPN 2024 #37 Darren Harris signed with Duke
ESPN 2024 #85 Isaiah Abraham signed with UCONN
EAPN 2026 #9 Jordan Smith - uncommitted

1. Montverde Academy (Fla.) 24-0
2. Paul VI (Va.) 22-2
3. Columbus (Fla.) 20-4
4. Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 14-3
5. Prolific Prep (Calif.) 24-5
6. La Lumiere (Ind.) 15-4
7. Link Academy (Mo.) 19-6
8. AZ Compass (Ariz.) 19-5
9. Brewster Academy (N.H.) 18-6
10. Archbishop Stepniac (N.Y.) 18-3
11. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 17-3
12. Dynamic Prep (Texas) 17-1
13. IMG Academy (Fla.) 14-7
14. Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 19-3
15. Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) 26-3
16. Myers Park (N.C.) 18-2
17. Wasatch Academy (Utah) 12-3
18. Bullis School (Md.) 19-2
19. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) 24-2
20. Combine Academy (N.C.) 20-2
21. Bishop O'Connell (Va.) 18-5
22. Jackson-Reed (Washington D.C.) 27-2
23. Gonzaga HS College (Washington D.C.) 20-4
24. Plano East (Texas) 30-0
25. Grayson (Ga.) 21-2

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... -approach/

This is like claiming the best college football team can beat the 0-16 Lions lol

yeah if that Paul team stayed together for a couple more years they would beat us, but they're just 17! We aren't the best college bball team in the world, but Paul VI would not be competing in the top half of the A-10 right now Jaden House, David Green etc. Would eat those kids lunch because they're way more physically mature and way more experienced basketball players.

[reef]

Enough on the officiating.
1. Officials are independent contractors. That means that they work for different conferences.
2. Each league has a Supervisor of Officials.
3. Most leagues have a rating system for officials.
4. UMASS/URI officials: Roger Ayers is considered by many coaches to be the best official in the country. The guy has done multiple Final Fours. Bert Smith, he also works NCAA tournament games. (You may remember him as the official who kind of passed out and banged his head on the floor a few years ago.) Jeffrey Clark...also a Final Four official.

So just stop with the whining about every game and every call.

Thank you.

And people think I’m the only one who makes it “my thing” to say whining about the refs is lazy.

Well you and PMM are the most unsufferable people on the board so your coming together on this checks out. Never blame the refs or call out bad calls under any circumstance!

Well said PRT , those are the 2 people I have blocked ! Unsufferable is the perfect word for them !

[Billyboy78]

Just 30? Probably more like 50+ lol and that's acknowledging his team does have a lot of talent.

Besides that it's not impossible for him to make an immediate impact. If you are the best player on the floor in those games against top competition that typically translates well. Can't expect him to be a freshman all American or anything, but him being an all A-10 freshman is reasonable to project.

Have to disagree. URI right now would not beat #2 Nationally Ranked Paul VI by 30 or by 50. Paul VI would beat URI.

ESPN 2024 #37 Darren Harris signed with Duke
ESPN 2024 #85 Isaiah Abraham signed with UCONN
EAPN 2026 #9 Jordan Smith - uncommitted

1. Montverde Academy (Fla.) 24-0
2. Paul VI (Va.) 22-2
3. Columbus (Fla.) 20-4
4. Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 14-3
5. Prolific Prep (Calif.) 24-5
6. La Lumiere (Ind.) 15-4
7. Link Academy (Mo.) 19-6
8. AZ Compass (Ariz.) 19-5
9. Brewster Academy (N.H.) 18-6
10. Archbishop Stepniac (N.Y.) 18-3
11. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 17-3
12. Dynamic Prep (Texas) 17-1
13. IMG Academy (Fla.) 14-7
14. Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 19-3
15. Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) 26-3
16. Myers Park (N.C.) 18-2
17. Wasatch Academy (Utah) 12-3
18. Bullis School (Md.) 19-2
19. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) 24-2
20. Combine Academy (N.C.) 20-2
21. Bishop O'Connell (Va.) 18-5
22. Jackson-Reed (Washington D.C.) 27-2
23. Gonzaga HS College (Washington D.C.) 20-4
24. Plano East (Texas) 30-0
25. Grayson (Ga.) 21-2

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... -approach/

This is like claiming the best college football team can beat the 0-16 Lions lol

yeah if that Paul team stayed together for a couple more years they would beat us, but they're just 17! We aren't the best college bball team in the world, but Paul VI would not be competing in the top half of the A-10 right now Jaden House, David Green etc. Would eat those kids lunch because they're way more physically mature and way more experienced basketball players.

Paul VI , while not as strong at the age of 17, 18 are actually bigger than we are at every position except one. When Nbongba is healthy, they go 6'11', 6'10", 6'7", 6'6" and 5'9".

[hrstrat57]

Folks the shark has been jumped.

[PeterRamTime]

Thank you.

And people think I’m the only one who makes it “my thing” to say whining about the refs is lazy.

Well you and PMM are the most unsufferable people on the board so your coming together on this checks out. Never blame the refs or call out bad calls under any circumstance!

Well said PRT , those are the 2 people I have blocked ! Unsufferable is the perfect word for them !

You are the most likeable reef!

[Billyboy78]

Folks the shark has been jumped.

I was going to suggest moving the conversation to the recruiting thread, but I just couldn't help myself. Point guard is my favorite position on the basketball court and I'm always happy when we have a good one. Obviously I'm very excited about this kid.

[PeterRamTime]

If you're a Rhody fan you need to see this. Watch Ben take over at the end against the top team in the country.

You even see several people in the comments on these types of vids, say how Ben is the best player on the floor. As fans we have good reason to be excited about him. Doesn't mean there aren't concerns about his size...but hard to be that worried the more you see him. Feel free to move this post!

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

Thank you.

And people think I’m the only one who makes it “my thing” to say whining about the refs is lazy.

Well you and PMM are the most unsufferable people on the board so your coming together on this checks out. Never blame the refs or call out bad calls under any circumstance!

Well said PRT , those are the 2 people I have blocked ! Unsufferable is the perfect word for them !

What's insufferable is people complaining and whining about officials after seemingly every borderline call on every game. What are you, a like a 2-year old? Take a pacifier and a clean diaper to the game if you need to whine that much.

(I get it, every official is terrible, every bad call is a conspiracy against URI and the A10. Sure blame them, if it makes you feel better.)

[McRam]

For the record, I was not complaining or whining about the refs calling fouls,on Rhody and not on UMass. I rewatched the game and The refs were simply not calling some pretty obvious calls and pretty much let this game turn into more than a rock fight. Not a well officiated game regardless of their reputations.

[Bos8]

Wait, did someone just say PVI would beat URI?!?

[Rhody15]

Wait, did someone just say PVI would beat URI?!?

I didn’t even bother getting into it with them lol

Minimal basketball intelligence.

[Billyboy78]

Wait, did someone just say PVI would beat URI?!?

I didn’t even bother getting into it with them lol

Minimal basketball intelligence.

That must have killed you.

[ramster]

Yep, the officiating in this game was rugby like. Not to our advantage. Does the A10 have the bottom tier of refs? Why?

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

Enough on the officiating.
1. Officials are independent contractors. That means that they work for different conferences.
2. Each league has a Supervisor of Officials.
3. Most leagues have a rating system for officials.
4. UMASS/URI officials: Roger Ayers is considered by many coaches to be the best official in the country. The guy has done multiple Final Fours. Bert Smith, he also works NCAA tournament games. (You may remember him as the official who kind of passed out and banged his head on the floor a few years ago.) Jeffrey Clark...also a Final Four official.

So just stop with the whining about every game and every call.

John Chaney on Calipari whining about Officiating

[reef]

Regarding officials. I do not think there are exclusive A-10 officials nor BE officials. As examples. I think officials are assigned regionally across many conferences, both high level and lower. I see(TV) many familiar faces we have assigned to our games, both home and away. I also do Not know if there coaches rating systems for games or at end of season. I do sometimes hear a few TV color commentators making comments about how many games per week they should work, and maybe have limits ? There does seem to be a “fraternity” of officials that makes plum games coming their way, coupled with it is probably difficult to break into at the D1 level.

Enough on the officiating.
1. Officials are independent contractors. That means that they work for different conferences.
2. Each league has a Supervisor of Officials.
3. Most leagues have a rating system for officials.
4. UMASS/URI officials: Roger Ayers is considered by many coaches to be the best official in the country. The guy has done multiple Final Fours. Bert Smith, he also works NCAA tournament games. (You may remember him as the official who kind of passed out and banged his head on the floor a few years ago.) Jeffrey Clark...also a Final Four official.

So just stop with the whining about every game and every call.

John Chaney on Calipari whining about Officiating

That sure was something else ! Chaney was heated !