Game #10: Detroit - Saturday @ 4pm

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

Rhody hosts Detroit Saturday in a 4pm tip where the Rams will look for revenge for letting a win slip away last season on the Titans' home floor.

Rhody has all week to prepare following their destruction of Delaware State last weekend. Detroit will not have the same luxury as it travels to Central Florida for a game Wednesday (ESPN3) before flying to Rhode Island.

http://www.bbstate.com/games/2014-12-20/UDM-URI

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Check out Anton Wilson's shooting stats! Off the charts.
100% FT, 51% from 3, 54.9% shooting percentage.
We recruited him under CFL.

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 9 years ago

Are you worried that the team hasn't won back to back games since Nebraska? Are you still concerned that Coach Hurley doesn't have the team breathing through their eyelids when they shoot their foul shots? Do you question why Garrett hasn't been given the keys yet? If so...

R

E

L

A

X

Relax. Saturday is my birthday. Since I've been born URI has played two games at home on my birthday and have won both by an average score of 104-78.5. Playing in Kingston on December 20th turns us into the Harlem Globetrotters and our hapless opponents into the Washington Generals. Saturday this trend will continue with the URI basketball team giving me a wonderful birthday gift, and I'm generously offering you the chance to bask in the glow of the gift. Enjoy it, I plan to.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

Ever the optimist, I am actually worried about this game. Potential classic "trap" game. Hope the team is physically and mentally ready on Saturday. I will be flying out of the country so will be anxiously waiting to touch down so I can check the score.

SmartyBarrett · Unread post by **SmartyBarrett** » 9 years ago

On his 'Coffee With the Coach' segment on 920 this week, Hurley said Detroit could easily win the Horizon League this year. I'm sure Valpo and Green Bay would have something to say about that, but hopefully he can play the "potential conference champs" card to fire up the team.

BPR2010 · Unread post by **BPR2010** » 9 years ago

Very under the radar team up there. Juwan Howard Jr. will be one of the better players we've faced thus far in the young season. Guy can simply score and can do it in multiple ways. Went off against Wichita St. and almost led them to the upset. Very good shooting team as well from 3. I know it's been said but if it's a close game late, they shoot FT's well, especially their ballhandlers. Expecting a W, but no reason to take this team lightly. Sneaky talented.

RoadyJay · Unread post by **RoadyJay** » 9 years ago

I guess by definition this is a "trap" game, but with a week to prepare and with the team acknowledging it will be a tough test for us, I believe we'll be ready.

Coaches and players feel like the loss at Detroit was one of our worst last year. They want revenge.

Section104 · Unread post by **Section104** » 9 years ago

EC Matthews and TJ Buchanan didn't come all the way to Rhode Island to lose to Detroit twice in two years. They'll be focused.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 9 years ago

rodfromcranston wrote:Check out Anton Wilson's shooting stats! Off the charts.
100% FT, 51% from 3, 54.9% shooting percentage.
We recruited him under CFL.

Wasn't Anton Wilson one of the guys who was 100% coming if Preston stays?

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 9 years ago

Detroit Titans Messageboard

http://www.detroittitanhoops.com/phpBB3 ... um.php?f=2

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

This team [Detroit] is good at home, not so much on the road. I mean that's normal for most teams, but it's good that the game is here.

If we take them lightly, it's trouble, but I don't think we will.

Want to avoid a close game late, for obvious reasons.

I'm going to be the optimist on this one. W, but by less than 10.

Probably will be the best team we face until VCU.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Yup, Anton Wilson was one of a trip of players who were
100% locks to come here if Preston remained.
Wilson, Kaza Keene and HE Who Shall Go Nameless.
I watched Wilson last year. He can shoot, but he's not
very athletic. He's really stepped up his shooting this year.

bressler3south · Unread post by **bressler3south** » 9 years ago

URI HAS NO TRAP GAMES, EXCEPT THE ONE THEY'LL FALL INTO IF IT TAKES ANY OPPONENT LESS SERIOUSLY THAN ANY OTHER!!!!!!!!

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Then, they automatically become:

CRAP GAMES!

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

True dat.

If we play hard, play smart, we win these games.

If we don't, WE WON'T!

Taylor Swift · Unread post by **Taylor Swift** » 9 years ago

I believe that we will win!

Gonebarongone · Unread post by **Gonebarongone** » 9 years ago

I think this is a runaway win for Rhody. Smallish team. Don't rebound very well. And that has been a very good matchup for URI.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

As long as we play our usual smothering D, and not let them have too many open looks from 3. They shoot them very well.

Runaway? Would be nice. I'll take a win of any kind, thank you.

Ramtastico · Unread post by **Ramtastico** » 9 years ago

I watched the Wichita State game vs Detroit and we better come ready to play. We should win, but the way Detroit played for most of that game worries me a bit.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Wichita State clearly is not the team they were last season.
They're relatively small, and lost some good players from
2014.
They were on the verge of getting blown out by Alabama at home, before their nice
comeback, last night.
Not sure how good Wichita State is. Plus, they played Detroit at Detroit.

Iggy1979 · Unread post by **Iggy1979** » 9 years ago

This team is small so Martin will probably cover Howard and Terrell will be on Wilson. They have a 6-6, 252-pounder that Gil can match up against.
I'd expect a lot of the four-guard lineup in this game and not much of Earl or Iffy. Good matchup for Garrett as they have small guards.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

I think Wichita State will end up being a bubble team if they don't win their conference tourney.

In other words, pretty good, but not last year's caliber.

section(105) · Unread post by **section(105)** » 9 years ago

Is this the game where Jarvis takes firm handle on the PG position??

McRam · Unread post by **McRam** » 9 years ago

RhowdyRam02 wrote:Are you worried that the team hasn't won back to back games since Nebraska? Are you still concerned that Coach Hurley doesn't have the team breathing through their eyelids when they shoot their foul shots? Do you question why Garrett hasn't been given the keys yet? If so...

R

E

L

A

X

Relax. Saturday is my birthday. Since I've been born URI has played two games at home on my birthday and have won both by an average score of 104-78.5. Playing in Kingston on December 20th turns us into the Harlem Globetrotters and our hapless opponents into the Washington Generals. Saturday this trend will continue with the URI basketball team giving me a wonderful birthday gift, and I'm generously offering you the chance to bask in the glow of the gift. Enjoy it, I plan to.

I wish your birthday was in March!!!!!!

McRam · Unread post by **McRam** » 9 years ago

My guess is we will be favored by 9 and will cover.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

Not a big team, so URI should command the glass. Also fouling most likely will favor URI, but given our FT shooting, the trips may have the same impact as a TO. Detroit is a good shooting team especially on threes where they average .396. Their most prolific three specialist is 6-5 guard Anton Wilson who hits at .519 average. Expect the Titans to put up 18-20 attempts.

Their top scorer with a 20.0 ppg is 6-5 forward Juwan Howard. At 232 lbs., he is a beast. The Titans seem to have reasonable depth and Coach Ray McCallum generally rotates 9-10 players into game.

Rhody has to avoid a slow start with Detroit hitting bombs from the outset. The URI defense will play a big role in containing this. Detroit is a good ball handling club with a turnover rate less than the opposition. How well URI disrupts their play will be key.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

Obie, I don't get the optimism on here that we will win this game easily.

We're fortunate that this game is at home.

We've got to play WELL to win this game.

A "B" effort might not be enough. If we can disrupt their shooters and not let Howard go off, then we should win, but...

I just hope it doesn't come down to FT's.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

Let Howard get his points and shut everyone else down.
Sorry, we can't turtle on every game. There are games
we SHOULD win, and this is one of them.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

This game, imo, should be a good barometer for this team, on whether we're ready to go on a run in the A10.

If we're not better than a decent Detroit team, then 13-5 or 14-4 ain't happening in conference.

We haven't yet proven 2 very important things:

1. Consistency. Play well in back to back games, or several in a row. Starting last season, every time we played well, we got our hopes up, only to regress soon after.

2. Beat good teams. We're competitive and will be the rest of the season. But, we've got to start WINNING these games.

I think we are finally on the verge of these things happening. That's what I'm looking for.

BPR2010 · Unread post by **BPR2010** » 9 years ago

I would LOVE to see Jarvis take the reigns from the opening tip on Saturday. It'd be nice to see how a good start in a game looks. We've developed a tendency to start games sluggish, not a good thing as the talent in opposition gets better. Don't want a GT situation where we're clawing back all the time. That directly correlates to the PG generating the pace we want to play at.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

If there's one thing that's obvious, is that URI can't win when they play passively.

They did that during that stretch of the GT game.

I think they've learned their lesson. It's still going to happen at times, but for shorter periods.

PeterRamTime · Unread post by **PeterRamTime** » 9 years ago

I think Wichita States still pretty darn good. They've also been getting everyone's best when they play. I saw them barley lose to a really good Utah team where Utah gave it all they had in OT to win and then they beat down an undefeated Seton Hall team. They're going to be a 3 to four sees team probably. And Detroit knows how to play well, but I don't think they will handle our D very well. Go Rhody! Get a solid nonconference win!

The Dude · Unread post by **The Dude** » 9 years ago

I think this game against Detroit will really show if Hurley is progressing as a coach.
The team has a week to prepare. Most exams are finished on Thursday (only common slots & make ups remain).
During the last game we saw a pitiful first half (score didn't tell the whole story in the first half), followed by a better second half where the players actually looked like they were constantly moving, passing, & playing unselfish ball. They looked like they were on the same page and starting to figure each other out and were starting to realize what to expect from one another while on the floor together. One of the positives from the free throw line was Watson going 4 for 4.
In my opinion, the team should be feeding off that game and building off the progress that was made in the second half of the last game. Detroit is a decent team. Hopefully they can show that positive progress is being made.

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

If Detroit was an A10 team I would put them mid pack, at this point.

We have to show we can beat the mid pack teams along with the bottom feeders.

This is a test, no doubt. If we pass it, we're on our way to a good A10 season imo.

If not, no explanation will be necessary.

Rhody72 · Unread post by **Rhody72** » 9 years ago

We need two players to step up and become consistent outside shooters. One will probably be EC when the second one emerges to keep the defense honest. Until then, EC will get few open looks.

We match up well against Detroit, so I don't expect a problem. We can lock down their shooters and they can't overpower us inside. If they run with us, we'll blow them out because we can score in transition that will be created by our defense. If they force us into a half-court game, Gil and Hassan will be threats that will allow our wings to attack the basket. We will lose games like this when are FT and inside scoring totally tanks.

Ramblinrose · Unread post by **Ramblinrose** » 9 years ago

Was anyone else at the classic URI 3 OT loss to Detroit in 78-79. Sly scored 44 but the Rams gave up some leads. Detroit had John !ong, Terry Duerod and Earl Cureton ... all NBA players. Unfortunately it beg
And it began a bad spiral for a once ranked URI team that went to the NIT but should have been better..

rambone 78 · Unread post by **rambone 78** » 9 years ago

If we are forced into a half court game, we aren't going to blow anybody out, at least not yet.

If we stand around a la the first half of the GT game, we are going to struggle.

Hopefully things have improved enough where this doesn't happen as much anymore.

Jarvis will be the key. If he can build on his performance last game, we're good. However Detroit is a lot better than Del State. So we'll see.

Obadiah · Unread post by **Obadiah** » 9 years ago

I like this Detroit team. I wouldn't mind them joining the A-10 if a spot opens up. I visit Detroit on business very often and several of my business associates there attended UDM. Years ago I went to one of their Hall of Fame dinners when Dick Vitale was the key note speaker.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

I was there at Sly's 44 point game,and it wasn't 3 OT, it was one.
Irv Chatman lost it at the free throw line.

neil · Unread post by **neil** » 9 years ago

Unless someone else posted this, didn't the Rams beat Detroit in a Motor City tournament a couple of weeks before Sly's 44 point performance. Each team won on the opponents "home" floor. Am I close, Rod?

Ram1019 · Unread post by **Ram1019** » 9 years ago

This one will be tough but should be a good home game win. Staff has been dying to play them for revenge from last year's loss. Agree with Rambone: A good test to see if we can beat a good team and win back-to-back. Should gauge good sense of how we do in A10 play.

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

You have it, Neil!

RoadyJay · Unread post by **RoadyJay** » 9 years ago

From the Detroit Message Board:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A season that seemed promising 8 days ago now seems on the brink. The Titans are 6-5 with consecutive losses, and two difficult road games coming up before Christmas, at Rhode Island and Arizona State. If the Titans don’t play better, we’re looking at a losing record on Christmas Day and increasing doubts about whether the team can live up to its third-place prediction in the Horizon, let alone contend with Green Bay for the title.

Rhode Island comes first, and the Rams basically feature the same team that lost to the Titans 70-68 in Calihan last December. Seven of the 8 rotation players from that team return this year, the lost member being guard Xavier Munford, who led the team in scoring at 16.9 ppg. But this team is a year older, wiser, and playing better ball all around.

The Rams enter Saturday’s match up at 6-3, with a tough loss at archrival Providence, and neutral floor losses to Georgia Tech (by 3) and Kansas (by 16). Meanwhile they snapped Southern Mississippi’s 19 game home court winning streak down in Hattieburg (by 32 points no less) and upset Nebraska in overtime at the Ryan Center.

Rhody’s best player is one who got away, 6-5 sophomore wing EC Matthews out of Romulus. Matthews was Atlantic 10 freshman of the year last season and has stepped it up a notch this year. He is averaging 17.1 ppg and is starting to be discussed as a potential early departure for the NBA. He’s had his best games against the best opponents – 27 points at Providence and 26 against Nebraska.

The starting backcourt is 6-3 junior Biggie Minnis (3 ppg, 2 apg) and Munford’s replacement, 6-3 freshman Jared Terrell (10.3 ppg). Terrell is Rhody’s four-star recruit, a top 100 prospect out of high school who shunned offers from the likes of Connecticut, Kansas, UCLA and many more to sign with the Rams. T.J. Buchanan, a 6-4 senior out of Kalamazoo, actually plays more minutes than Minnis, averaging 3.6 points and a team best 3.2 assists. Buchanan started 14 games last season but prefers the 6th man role. 6-0 freshman Jarvis Garrett (4.1 points, 2.2 assists) also sees regular action. Matthew Butler, a 6-2 soph (3.3 ppg) usually sees a few minutes on the floor, too.

The front court workhorses are 6-7, 230 lb. soph Hassan Martin, the team’s #2 scorer (11.1 per game) and top rebounder (6.3 per game), and 6-8, 235 lb. senior Gilvydas Biruta (9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg). They are backed up by Earl Watson, a 6-7 juco transfer (4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds). Watson has reduced 6-8 Nigerian Ifeanyi Onyekaba, a regular in last season’s rotation, to an afterthought on coach Dan Hurley’s bench. 6-5 Jarelle Reischel (4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds), a junior from Germany by way of Rice University, backs up Matthews on the wing.

In last year’s game at Calihan, Rhody led most of the first half, with a biggest lead of 8 and a 5 point lead at the half. The Titans took the lead on an Evan Bruinsma layup with 16 minutes to play and never gave it back, but it was close all afternoon. The Titans reached their biggest lead, 65-57, on a pair of JH2 free throws with 5 minutes to play, but the Rams closed to within one and had a chance to tie it with 8 seconds left, only to have Birutas miss the second of two free throws. Bruinsma hit one of two free throws, but Minnis’s last second floater fell short. It was an ugly win for the Titans, who shot 1 of 12 from behind the arc and were outrebounded, but the Titans forced 14 turnovers and the Rams obligingly made just 8 of 19 free throw attempts. Howard finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds on 7-15 shooting, and Bruinsma added 15. Matthew Grant had a good game with 11 points. Anton Wilson – who was heavily recruited by Rhode Island before Jim Baron was fired- was a non-factor that day, shooting 0-4 in 16 minutes. We’ll need more from him on Saturday.

For Rhode Island, look for Matthews to throw up at least a half-dozen three point attempts. Terrell will also shoot the three, although he’s hit just 33 percent this year. If the sophomore guard Butler plays much, it will be to add some three point punch to the lineup as well. Reischel and Garrett don’t shoot threes well and Buchanan and Minnis don’t shoot threes at all. Matthews and Terrell both can take it to the hoop, as well. The bigs are pretty much unstoppable when they get the ball down low. Hassan shoots 71% on two-point efforts; Biruta 65%. At the other end of the court, Rhode Island has been a very good defensive team, especially against 3 point shots, and they are one of the better rebounding teams in the nation.

Unless the Titans can get men open and hit those treys, this game could get ugly. I envision a lot of offensive rebounds and buckets down low for the Rams. But Rhode Island is also good in transition. Rhody does have a tendency to stand around once they’re in the half-court offense (hmmm, what other team have I seen do this?), Matthews can be a bit careless with the ball, and Biruta sometimes gets the stone hands, so these may be weaknesses that we can exploit.

Or, given that the Titans have a deep team, and we may just want to foul. Hassan hits less than 60% from the stripe and Biruta is below 50%. Even Matthews isn’t a very good free throw shooter, and the freshman Terrell is below 60%. That keeps open the possibility of a late comeback if the Titans have kept the game close. Buchanan is the Rams’ best free throw shooter, and he’s a career 65% guy.

Rhode Island has had a week to prep for this game, and I’m sure Coach Hurley watched the Titans falter against Wichita’s press and then get outplayed by UCF’s 4-guard lineup. So I wouldn’t be too surprised if he rotates Martin and Biruta in and out and uses a lot of 4 guard lineups – he’s got the depth at guard to do that, and would still have the dominate low post player on the floor at all times.

Gotta say, I really don’t like the looks of this game.

Historical Note: Detroit and Rhode Island have played just 5 times, but with some interesting history. The teams first met in 1945 in a game played at Buffalo, with the Rams winning 62-45. That was a pretty bad Detroit team in the midst of a 7 game losing streak, while the Rams, in the midst of winning 7 consecutive New England Conference/Yankee Conference titles, went 20-5. (Interestingly, the Rams played that year as an independent – after the loss of conference members, the New England Conference ceased play for two years before reforming as the Yankee Conference).

The teams next played in the 1978 Motor City Classic. After their win over Denver in the first round, thieves broke into the locker room and made off Rhode Island’s road uniforms and gym shoes. But Rhody was undeterred, wearing their home uniforms to beat the Terry Duerod/Earl Cureton Titans the next night, 76-65.

Just two weeks later, however, Detroit went to Rhode Island and beat the Rams 77-76 in overtime. Earl Cureton hit a long jump shot (yes Earl!) at the end of regulation to force the OT, and Keith Jackson hit a game winning layup at the end of the extra period. That wasted a 44 point performance by Rhode Island’s Sly Williams. That 78-79 Rams’ team was a good one, coming off an NCAA appearance the year before. They were 9-1 entering the second Detroit game, with a 2 point loss to Syracuse, but after a 14-2 start nose dived late to finish 20-9.

The Titans beat Rhode Island in Calihan the next year 72-67. The teams did not play again until last year’s ugly but exciting game. So the Titans hold a 3-2 edge in the series, with 3 consecutive wins.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 9 years ago

Gotta give some credit to whoever wrote that. Some pretty impressive knowledge of our team from an outsider.

The Dude · Unread post by **The Dude** » 9 years ago

Sounds like a pretty fair write up.
I personally agree with this statement..."Rhody does have a tendency to stand around once they’re in the half-court offense"....you think?!
I wonder sometimes if guys near the baseline, realize they can run along the baseline, across the paint and continue to the other side instead of just stopping and standing in one corner of the court. This movement opens up the potential to receive a pass and cut back door or pick the defender that's guarding your teammate when you cross paths along the baseline....OR "MY FAVORITE" against a zone defense is when the point guard drives to the lane and both forwards come from the corners along the baseline and cut back door at the exact same time the guy drives to the paint, thus giving the driving guard two back door passing options, while drawing the center out further from the basket.
I used to love doing that in league play. We got SO MANY points off of that. It's like the equivalent of a "timing play" in football and most of the time it just works out, if the forwards cross from corner to corner along the baseline on a consistent basis. HINT HINT HURLEY!!!

Running Ram · Unread post by **Running Ram** » 9 years ago

Dude, dude, dude...

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 9 years ago

adam914 wrote:Gotta give some credit to whoever wrote that. Some pretty impressive knowledge of our team from an outsider.

Right? Impressive stuff. Speaking of which, is Native still around? Didn't he used to give us posts of this quality?

rodfromcranston · Unread post by **rodfromcranston** » 9 years ago

The only thing he got wrong was, our home uniforms were stolen
in Detroit, and we played in Keaney Blue the rest of that season.
Being a superstitious type, I always felt that contributed to our decline that year.

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 9 years ago

Man that guy's ability to lay it down has shaken me to the core.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 9 years ago

http://www.providencejournal.com/sports ... o-2015.ece