University of Rhode Island vs Davidson College
Ryan Center, Kingston, RI
Saturday, March 4, 2023
8:00PM
Ryan Center, Kingston, RI
Saturday, March 4, 2023
8:00PM
Media
TV: CBSSN
Online: CBSSN
Radio: Tune In Radio
App: Varsity Network
Previews
Davidson Fan Forum
The University of Rhode Island Rams head back to Kingston on a high after their first road win in over 400 days. The win also solidified them from not finishing in the basement in the A10 this season. In addition, that win also ended their 7-game losing streak. Currently URI is in 14th place but if they win on Saturday & UMass loses, Rhody will finish in 13th place.
Davidson will be making the trek north to take on the Rams Saturday night to close out the regular season. After 33 years on the Wildcats’ bench, Bob McKillop has retired & they are now led by his son Matt McKillop. Wonder how he got the job? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. On the court, Davidson is led by Foster Loyer. After three years of ambiguity on Michigan State, he transferred to Davidson & had a breakout season. He was picked on the preseason all-conference first team. He is a work horse averaging 35 minutes per game, but his shooting has fallen a bit compared to last season. His three point shooting dropped from 43.8% to 33.7% while his overall shooting dropped from 45.1% to 37.7%. Along with Loyer, Davidson’s other major offensive threat is forward Sam Mennenga. He is averaging roughly 16 & 7 & went for 23 & 8 in their last game, a home loss to George Washington. Other players to keep an eye on are guards Desmond Watson & Grant Huffman, who are both averaging 9+ points per game. Huffman has struggled from deep this season, shooting it at just 23.3%. I guess you could say that the Wildcats are Waiting for G.Huffman…to start hitting more 3s.
Like they have done just about all season, Rhody showed spurts of being a solid offense team Wednesday night in Chicago. Conversely, they continually show spurts of offense ineptitude, like Loyola going on multiple long runs to evaporate a 17-point second half lead. The Rams did a great job on the boards, especially grabbing 12 offensive rebounds while they shot a strong 45% from the field. In my opinion, Rhody has played pretty well in 5 of their last 7 games. They have a pretty solid chance of winning Saturday night’s game & closing the season with back to back wins.
Rhody has lost 7 out of the last 9 to Davidson with one on those wins inexplicably coming at the Ryan Center last season when Davidson finished 15-3 in the conference. Bittersweet win as that game cost me quite a bit. Ha. In this weekend’s game, I am most concerned about Sam Mennenga. Rhody has struggled with offensive minded big men, i.e., Josh Oduro, Brandon Johns, Daron Holmes, & hell even Hunter Dean. I might as well pencil Mennenga down for 20 & 9 right now. Being at home, I think Rhody will be favored by a point. Don’t forget to get their early to cheer on Malik in his final game at the Ryan Center. Although Senior nights seemed not to have gone well for Rhody in recent years, minus the double OT against Dayton, I think they have a real shot of getting the win. My prediction, Rhody gets the win on a last second tip in by Malik, URI 68 – Davidson 66. Go Rhody!!
Opponent
Record:
14-15, 7-10 in the A10
27-7, 15-3 in the A10 (Last Season)
Rankings (URI):
NCAA NET: 157 (242)
RPI: 145 (257)
KenPom: 144 (234)
BPI: 165 (229)
Sagarin: 108 (215)
Barttovik: 132 (224)
Leaders:
Points – Foster Loyer 16.0 (Sr., G)
Rebounds – Sam Mennenga 6.7 (Jr., F)
Assists – Foster Loyer 4.5 (Jr., G) (2.8 TO per game)
Historical
Series: 8-10
H: 5-3, A: 2-5, N: 1-2
Most Recent Matchup: 2/12/22 72-65 W at URI
Most Recent Win Streak: 1 - URI
Match-up Predictor: 50.4% Chance of URI Winning
