KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

The good thing is all 4 frosh should be in the rotation next year

I don't think Tate can be labeled as a wing or a post player. I think he will have the size and skill set to do a little of both at a fairly high level.

I could see the Dowtin, Fatts, CT, Akele, and Cyril to start the seaso with the four frosh coming off the bench and into the rotation. As the season progresses that certainly could and I would think change. The reality is Preston, Lyssard, and Tertsea won’t have much of an opportunity again next year without an extreme improvement offseason.

Here is my "way too early" prediction.........

Daron Russell
Jeff Dowtin
Tyrese Martin
Jermaine Harris
Cyril Langevine

I hope it ends up:
1. Jeff
2. Fatts
3. Thompson
4. Harris
5. Cyril

I see Danny hoping for Christian to fill the leadership role that Stan has assumed the last year plus, building along another strong class with Jeff and Cyril as eventual senior leaders. Jeff and Fatts stay Jeff and Fatts and starting a big that is capable of facing up and stretching out will open up Cyril's game underneath infinitely. More space for rebounding.

Depending on matchup I could easily see Danny going small and swapping Harris for Adams with a similar scheme we have played this year... There is also a good probability either Ryan or Akele are able to secure the 4 over Harris, at least early on. Also hard to count out Big Mike and Tertsea, a guy Danny must like if you account for the redshirt freshman year. I don't think it's likely they start but I think it's unlikely that they go another season without making some type of contribution.

This doesn't even touch Tate (who I think will be an X factor off the bench) or Martin. It's hard to think of now but I truly believe by the end of the season next year we will be "deeper" than we are this year in the sense that there will be at least 9, maybe even 10 or 11 players that average double digit minutes (or close to it). Yes I'm serious when I say that.

I think we are all also overlooking one more key component; the open scholarship. Personally, I think it's likely that Danny seeks a senior transfer that can be a leader. We don't have a senior class with a ton of "leader" qualities, despite Nik being very well liked in his own ways. I'm super excited for next year and what Danny has moving forward. If there's one thing that makes me think he's less likely to leave in the short term, it's the quality of players he has coming in and coming back. He's set up for long term success if the right strings get pulled in Kingston...

I hope Akele doesn't start over Harris

Exciting times for Rhody ball. We're going to have a really special season when Cyril and Jeff are seniors, Fatts a junior, and these new guys are Sophs. Lots to look forward to. It's been said a million times before but this recruiting class looks STACKED

reef wrote:I hope Akele doesn't start over Harris

Akele will start over Harris in one game...senior night

I think Akele May be next years Andre Berry

UCH21377 wrote:I think Akele May be next years Andre Berry

Akele is next years Akele.

On the bench where he belongs.

Rhody15 wrote:

UCH21377 wrote:I think Akele May be next years Andre Berry

Akele is next years Akele.

On the bench where he belongs.

lol that's harsh. I wouldn't be shocked if Akele carved out a bigger role than he has this year. I think the team will play differently than it has this year, which could open some opportunities for him.

If there is a Berry of next year (and it isn't certain there will be), Layssard would be a good candidate.

I don't mind Akele getting a few minutes a game maybe up to 10 but don't want him starting

bump

The following have to receive decent minutes in the rotation:
Dowtin, Fatts, Cyril & Thompson
Harris, Tate, Martin & Adams

That gives you an 8 man rotation. Akele would be next. So if he plays, they have 200 minutes to split across 9 players.
You know that Jeff is getting 30-32 mins/game. That leaves 8 players averaging 21 mins/game.

3 out of the 4 recruits will play. A lot.

Adams may not get as many minutes as the others, being behind Dowtin and Fatts at PG.

Akele and Layssard will get occasional minutes, not much more. With CT it depends on whether he's fully back from injury...I don't see him playing major minutes.

Tertsea would probably be better off transferring, giving us 2 open spots.

I think Thompson plays plenty next year...and probably starts.

Tertsea redshirted last year....for him to transfer he would have to sit another year....unless he drops down to D2

Well he's not going to play, so if he wants to play some he should consider moving down.

rambone 78 wrote:3 out of the 4 recruits will play. A lot.

Adams may not get as many minutes as the others, being behind Dowtin and Fatts at PG.

Akele and Layssard will get occasional minutes, not much more. With CT it depends on whether he's fully back from injury...I don't see him playing major minutes.

Tertsea would probably be better off transferring, giving us 2 open spots.

If anybody thinks Adams won’t get many minutes doesn’t understand our roster. He will play significant minutes his first year here. With Dowtin, Fatts, and CT likely to start at the 1,2, and 3 respectively, expect Adams to be the first guard off the bench for this guys especially at the 1 or 2. His opportunity here is immense.

CT Rhody wrote:

rambone 78 wrote:3 out of the 4 recruits will play. A lot.

Adams may not get as many minutes as the others, being behind Dowtin and Fatts at PG.

Akele and Layssard will get occasional minutes, not much more. With CT it depends on whether he's fully back from injury...I don't see him playing major minutes.

Tertsea would probably be better off transferring, giving us 2 open spots.

If anybody thinks Adams won’t get many minutes doesn’t understand our roster. He will play significant minutes his first year here. With Dowtin, Fatts, and CT likely to start at the 1,2, and 3 respectively, expect Adams to be the first guard off the bench for this guys especially at the 1 or 2. His opportunity here is immense.

To this point, I don't think people realize how much Tyrese Martin is going to play. If you talk to anyone plugged into the recruiting scene, he's a name that keeps coming up (Tate too) about how he keeps getting bigger and polishing his game. Rhody hit the lottery with this class.

And fortunately for Rhody, Martin is one of those guys that can play the 1 in a pinch even though he's better suited for the 2. But ball handlers are like dollar bills...you can never have too many.

As far as a rotation goes, I'm going to assume CT is healthy and starts. And hopefully is the spot up shooter and perimeter defender that we've all seen flashes of.

But what gets me most excited for next year is an improved frontcourt. Here is my take on Harris: In my years of watching Rhody we've never had a guy quite like him. The best comparison I can think of is Will Daniels and I will say right off the bat that Harris is a taller, more polished, more athletic version of Will. He's not the finisher around the rim (yet) or the protector (yet) that Hass was. But his offensive game is dynamic. An absolute matchup nightmare, from post moves, to mid-range, to off the dribble to hitting it from deep. AND he makes his free throws! If he rounds out the defensive side and stays out of foul trouble...look out.

Remember all of the times last year when Cyril would grab a rebound over 3 guys and try to put one back up in traffic? Now add a 6'10 and long Harris and a 6'7 Tate who is built like a football player. Speaking of Tate, my prediction is that he's our next great finisher at the rim. ARD, Clay, TBell, Ulmer, Hass and now Tate.

We're going to beat up on smaller teams inside, especially since we have the fastest guard (Fatts) and the slickest guard (JD) in the league.

Is it November yet?

rambone 78 wrote:Well he's not going to play, so if he wants to play some he should consider moving down.

everyone said the same thing about Berry, not giving up on Tersea yet

CT is more of a 2 imo.....we could use more depth at the 3....we have 2 frosh Martin who will play the 3 and Tate who will split time between the 3 and 4.

Yes Adams will get minutes first off the bench but what I said was, he won't get as many minutes as the others who will be playing in the frontcourt.

Nothing is set in stone obviously, we might have one or 2 more coming in.

twisted, I think Tertsea is the odd man out....he will be even farther down the depth chart than he was this season, with the talent and size coming in.

Rhody83 wrote:The following have to receive decent minutes in the rotation:
Dowtin, Fatts, Cyril & Thompson
Harris, Tate, Martin & Adams

That gives you an 8 man rotation. Akele would be next. So if he plays, they have 200 minutes to split across 9 players.
You know that Jeff is getting 30-32 mins/game. That leaves 8 players averaging 21 mins/game.

Would like to add Layssard to that rotation as well. Billyboy and I posted earlier in the season about this, but we both predict him as a sleeper big man. In his garbage time minutes, he showed hustle, a nice jumpshot, and aggression on the boards. I wouldn't be surprised to see him pick up 10-15 minutes a game behind Jermaine, Cyril, & Tate. If that sounds crazy to you, just think about Berry.

Talent, size, and depth in the frontcourt.

How often does that happen here? Last time was 20 years ago.

mstyles22 wrote:.

Is it November yet?[/quote]

Whoa whoa whoa....hit the clutch there for a sec, man... we got baseball and going to the beach (one of the keys that brought us here permanent) to get through first. Am excited about hoops always, but let's not rush it and skip over those two things

Would just caution all to temper expectations as it reales to Freshman. I think Watson on PC is comparable from a ranking standpoint with Harris, and is likely a good barometer. He had many flashes of brilliance for them offensively, but also lacked court awareness and defensive abilities and had many up and down performances. And he is the most highly regarded. Not many a10 teams that finish at top of league do it with a bulk of minutes from underclassmen. We are going to need returning players to carry the load - feel great about Dowtin, Fatts, Cyril. Need 2 of the other returnees to come back significantly better.

I like starters JD Fatts CT CL and JH with Tate Martin and Adams first off bench

Akele Preston and Laysard to compete for minutes in spots 9-11

I think Christian Thompson could be a key. What concerns me is the year long layoff. Remember it took awhile for the preinjury EC to appear a year ago.

Can I ask why so many people on here assume that CT will be a starter next season? Is it strictly because he’s an upper classmen? Because I don’t recall him ever being a very good shooter or even someone that can score points in transition, so what’s the appeal? And I’m not asking that question to be oppositional, I’m genuinely curious to know what my fellow Keaney Blue members find so attractive about him as a starter. CT always struck me as a player who would be more valuable off the bench to provide a defensive spark or hit a three when we need it. But for a guy that’s been injured for so long, I wonder how long it will take to shake off that rust and become a consistent presence in the lineup.

Akele is a bigger factor than you all give him credit for. He is a good utility guy to have. He never really found his groove this year but how could he? He was being put in the game for like 5-10 minutes at a time and thats it. Hard to get your playing legs with that.

With EC and JT gone, where is the bulk of the scoring going to come from? Fatts clearly has the potential but needs more consistency particularly on his jump shot. We know what Dowtin can do but he's more of a floor leader and generally looking to set up the other guys. I'm thinking it will be more of a balanced scoring attack with potentially a few guys averaging 10-15 points per game. I think one of the incoming freshmen could potentially be the leading scorer for the team next year. Any thoughts on who it might be?

CT is a good shot, I know his college shooting stats so far don't reflect this, but believe it, CT has the skills to be our next Stan type, maybe not as elite defensively, but will show he has a good shot once he gets down with Dowtin and Fatts. We may also find out he is very strong finishing around the hoop. He'll be a big factor, shake off the rust faster than most freshmen adjust to the new pace of college ball. Also agree with rhodysurf on Akele. I honestly think the bigger concern is how fast can the freshmen get up to speed, if they acclimate quickly (assuming they all stay and Cox was born to be HC) we'll find Rhody back in the top 25 a lot sooner than I'm sure most figure.

1 Dowtin/Russell/Adams
2 Russell/Adams/CT
3 CT/Tate/Martin
4 Akele/Harris/Martin/Tate
5 CL/Harris

and if either of the Mikes can give meaningful minutes at the five then Rhody is in great shape!

Bulk of the scoring will be from JD, Fatts and CT, but JD and Fatts are great distributors of the basketball so I expect CL to average close to a double double next year...

rhodysurf wrote:Akele is a bigger factor than you all give him credit for. He is a good utility guy to have. He never really found his groove this year but how could he? He was being put in the game for like 5-10 minutes at a time and thats it. Hard to get your playing legs with that.

I disagree...I think Akele actually had VERY few stretches of being in a game for 5 consecutive minutes at a time.
Would suggest you can count the number of times that happened on one hand...can't get in a groove when you come in with 4:12 left in the half and come out at the TV timeout at 3:56...which seemed to happen pretty frequently.

Thompson jumps higher and rebounds better than any of the guards that played this year.

NJRhodyFan wrote:Can I ask why so many people on here assume that CT will be a starter next season? Is it strictly because he’s an upper classmen? Because I don’t recall him ever being a very good shooter or even someone that can score points in transition, so what’s the appeal? And I’m not asking that question to be oppositional, I’m genuinely curious to know what my fellow Keaney Blue members find so attractive about him as a starter. CT always struck me as a player who would be more valuable off the bench to provide a defensive spark or hit a three when we need it. But for a guy that’s been injured for so long, I wonder how long it will take to shake off that rust and become a consistent presence in the lineup.

I kind of agree with you here. I am skeptical that Thompson will be the answer here as many are expecting. I sincerely hope he is, but I haven't seen enough yet to bet on it. But this is pretty typical on this board, we always fall in love with the guy who can't play, or who sits at the end of the bench and never gets in the game, or the transfer who is sitting out, and assume that they'll be the difference maker. Happens all the time.

Ram96 wrote:With EC and JT gone, where is the bulk of the scoring going to come from? Fatts clearly has the potential but needs more consistency particularly on his jump shot. We know what Dowtin can do but he's more of a floor leader and generally looking to set up the other guys. I'm thinking it will be more of a balanced scoring attack with potentially a few guys averaging 10-15 points per game. I think one of the incoming freshmen could potentially be the leading scorer for the team next year. Any thoughts on who it might be?

We all know harris is the big name, but what tyrese did this season he should be exploding up the rankings. Went shot for shot with cam reddish earlier in the year. He's my not so sleeper pick.

You all are crazy thinking tertsea or thompson will be starting.

Tertsea? Never. I doubt he'll even be here next season.

CT is a role player.....period.

Uhhh, I agree on Tertsea, but I would actually be shocked if Thompson isn't a starter at the beginning of the year. Ultimately that fifth starting spot (Cyril, Jeff, Fatts and Harris are locked in) could be won by Martin or Adams or Tate. They'd all bring something different to it, but any of them are capable. However, to start the year it will either be Thompson (90%) or Akele (10%). I would be very, very surprised if that weren't the case.

If CT starts I doubt it will be for long. That poster was right about Martin. He's got way more upside.....

Upside is fine. Thompson is going to be 21 turning 22 during the season, whereas Martin is (I believe) 18. I would prefer to not be overly dependent on the young guys during the first month or two of the season and work them in gradually and let them get their sea legs. Not to mention, I think you (and anyone else saying similar things) are way underrating Thompson, but that's subjective.

CT was a role player that had his moments before, but wasn't very consistent. Now he's coming back from a LONG layoff.

I just don't think he will be playing major minutes for long, if he even does that at the start of the season.

If I'm wrong, great. Whatever is better for the bottom line, and that's winning.

Usually a player shows his greatest improvement between his freshman and sophomore year. For that reason, I'm concerned about the Cyril's potential. He certainly didn't improve much last year. Yes, he had an early groin injury. Also, Fatts needs to improve his shooting.

Cyril and Fatts are not good enough for what they have shown to make URI a good team next year. And, then all the hoopla over Christion Thompson who has played in two years.

This Board has had a long history of hyping the team between April and October. I see these three players as having something to prove in order to be starters next year.

Now, Jeff Dowtin is a stud.

CT was injured most of the year before last. It effected his offense more than defense.......He will probably play as a defensive specialist, while coming off the bench.

Fatts and Jeff will play a lot, however both incoming guards will play important, significant minutes.

The forecourt excites me. Best depth in years, and Harris and Tate could both start. Coach will not be handcuffed by fouls as in the past.

I'm excited

TruePoint wrote:Upside is fine. Thompson is going to be 21 turning 22 during the season, whereas Martin is (I believe) 18. I would prefer to not be overly dependent on the young guys during the first month or two of the season and work them in gradually and let them get their sea legs. Not to mention, I think you (and anyone else saying similar things) are way underrating Thompson, but that's subjective.

Seems like me and TP are in the minority here, but I'm all-in on CT being a starter. At worst, the 1st guy off the bench.

To be fair, I'm not basing it off his previous production as much as some other factors. For one, he got to be around a top team for an entire season and saw what is required to be elite as his position. The fact that he stuck around and URI stuck with him isn't lost on me. Also, many of your are forgetting the type of defender CT was when healthy. If you can guard, you're going to get a lot of minutes.

Could that simply mean he'll be Stan 2.0? We'd all sign up for that in a heartbeat. I can't say I expect it but I'm hopeful that CT can give Rhody 7-10 points per game next year. He seems to be this years Andre Berry, where there is a polarized opinion of his value. Layssard on the other hand is a guy that will thrill everyone if he can contribute, but won't sink the team if he doesn't.

What about Preston? Do you get ANYTHING from him next year? 5 fouls and a couple of boards?

Rhody72 wrote:Usually a player shows his greatest improvement between his freshman and sophomore year. For that reason, I'm concerned about the Cyril's potential. He certainly didn't improve much last year. Yes, he had an early groin injury. Also, Fatts needs to improve his shooting.

Cyril and Fatts are not good enough for what they have shown to make URI a good team next year. And, then all the hoopla over Christion Thompson who has played in two years.

This Board has had a long history of hyping the team between April and October. I see these three players as having something to prove in order to be starters next year.

Now, Jeff Dowtin is a stud.

Dowtin def a stud. But disagree with you a bit on Cyril. The man showedhe can be a monster on the boards. We dont need him taking 12 foot plus J's but you cant argue his athletic ability. And fatts will be ok he is inconsistent with his jumper but the kid has no fear and is a gnat on defense.

I wouldnt be suprised if you see akele or preston start the season as 5th starter. Jeff, Fatts, harris, Cyril......

Dont think it will take long for one of the other 3 frosh to find his way into starting 5. Like i said above im big on Martin watched a couple of his games this year against top flight competition and was damn impressive.

mstyles22 wrote:

TruePoint wrote:Upside is fine. Thompson is going to be 21 turning 22 during the season, whereas Martin is (I believe) 18. I would prefer to not be overly dependent on the young guys during the first month or two of the season and work them in gradually and let them get their sea legs. Not to mention, I think you (and anyone else saying similar things) are way underrating Thompson, but that's subjective.

Seems like me and TP are in the minority here, but I'm all-in on CT being a starter. At worst, the 1st guy off the bench.

To be fair, I'm not basing it off his previous production as much as some other factors. For one, he got to be around a top team for an entire season and saw what is required to be elite as his position. The fact that he stuck around and URI stuck with him isn't lost on me. Also, many of your are forgetting the type of defender CT was when healthy. If you can guard, you're going to get a lot of minutes.

Could that simply mean he'll be Stan 2.0? We'd all sign up for that in a heartbeat. I can't say I expect it but I'm hopeful that CT can give Rhody 7-10 points per game next year. He seems to be this years Andre Berry, where there is a polarized opinion of his value. Layssard on the other hand is a guy that will thrill everyone if he can contribute, but won't sink the team if he doesn't.

What about Preston? Do you get ANYTHING from him next year? 5 fouls and a couple of boards?

Preston is a mystery. He certainly looks the part, but it's tough to form an opinion on him since he played so infrequently this season. I was actually surprised at how little he was used, especially given how thin we were in the frontcourt. Maybe he was in Hurley's doghouse for some reason? Maybe he's just not skilled enough? He's an intriguing player for sure. At the very least, I'd love to see him get a few minutes as a defensive replacement each game. He seems like he has the toughness and attitude.

I think all four of the incoming freshmen have the potential to be absolute studs. Hopefully all of them will be. We've had success in the past working freshmen in slowly (EC, Hassan, Jarvis, Cyril), although some guys have made major contributions relatively early (JT, Fatts). We are already going to be as reliant on Jermaine Harris as we've been on a freshman in a long time. It is not a knock on any of these guys to suggest that we might be better off letting them ease in a bit. The only reason I'm not suggesting the same approach with Harris is because I don't know if we have much of a choice.

Running Ram wrote:CT is a good shot, I know his college shooting stats so far don't reflect this, but believe it, CT has the skills to be our next Stan type, maybe not as elite defensively, but will show he has a good shot once he gets down with Dowtin and Fatts. We may also find out he is very strong finishing around the hoop. He'll be a big factor, shake off the rust faster than most freshmen adjust to the new pace of college ball. Also agree with rhodysurf on Akele. I honestly think the bigger concern is how fast can the freshmen get up to speed, if they acclimate quickly (assuming they all stay and Cox was born to be HC) we'll find Rhody back in the top 25 a lot sooner than I'm sure most figure.

1 Dowtin/Russell/Adams
2 Russell/Adams/CT
3 CT/Tate/Martin
4 Akele/Harris/Martin/Tate
5 CL/Harris

and if either of the Mikes can give meaningful minutes at the five then Rhody is in great shape!

Bulk of the scoring will be from JD, Fatts and CT, but JD and Fatts are great distributors of the basketball so I expect CL to average close to a double double next year...

Is this in order at each position? If so how do you have Akele ahead of Harris @ the 4? Only changes I would have is 3 CT/Martin/Tate then 4 Harris/Tate/Akele/Martin

Does anybody here know what kind of defensive players Brendan Adams and Tyrese Martin are? Unless you've seen them play in person, and I have not, nobody here knows. I've seen Christion play defense.

Billyboy78 wrote:Does anybody here know what kind of defensive players Brendan Adams and Tyrese Martin are? Unless you've seen them play in person, and I have not, nobody here knows. I've seen Christion play defense.

Watch the tyrese vs reddish game on you tube. It was one the games of the year for high school.