Obadiah wrote: ↑1 year ago
Saint Louis falls to Iona by 22!
These type of results should help put in perspective the good vs bad years.
Sure this year sucks for URI, but it was supposed to suck. Imagine if you’re SLU or Dayton and projected to be a top 25 or top 50 team and you’re getting these results? That hurts a lot more to me as a fan
UNH was on a five game losing streak on entering Conte, including an 18 point loss to Fordham and a 21 point loss to GW. The Wildcats play at Brown later this month so we will then have another comparative outcome. So far this type of analysis is painting a consistently grim picture for URI. The question is will URI end up the season with a NET in the 300 range, not a great resume for getting invites to the best early season tournaments. Let's hope for a turnaround
Obadiah wrote: ↑1 year ago
Saint Louis falls to Iona by 22!
These type of results should help put in perspective the good vs bad years.
Sure this year sucks for URI, but it was supposed to suck. Imagine if you’re SLU or Dayton and projected to be a top 25 or top 50 team and you’re getting these results? That hurts a lot more to me as a fan
Imagine being a Dayton fan. An embarrassment of riches for the program, 13k fans every game, a once in a generation season cut short due to a global pandemic and going on 6 years without an NCAA bid. Grant’s seat should be warm if they don’t get there this year.
I was at the St Louis game last night. They looked pretty bad. Iona beat them in every which way. They do have some nice wins so maybe it was just an off night. Either way, it was not a good look for one of the better teams in the A10. Jenkins on Iona was impressive.
I normally root for all A10 programs. It's good for the league and its good for URI.
That said, some of these programs and their fans need a reality check after their unrealistic expectations in the offseason. I've said it in the past and I believe it now more than ever: Anthony Grant is not a great coach. He's a lifetime NET 60-80 caliber guy that bought himself 10 years by bringing in a superstar in Obi Toppin that was underrecruited.
Dayton stinks, VCU stinks, St Louis is probably the best of the bunch but will still struggle for an at-large. The only team(s) that are truly trending in the right direction are Fordham and UMass.
Tough year for the league, but I don't hate it. We'll be back in the top 4 sooner rather than later.
Rhode Island vs Brown at 7 on ESPN+
Davidson vs Western Carolina at 7 on ESPN+
VCU vs Jacksonville at 7 on ESPN+
St. Bonaventure vs Cleveland State at 7 on ESPN+
Quinnipiac at Holy Cross at 7 on ESPN+
Army vs NJIT at 7 on ESPN+
Dayton at Virginia Tech at 8 on ACC Network
Illinois State vs Eastern Michigan at 8 on ESPN+
Providence vs Manhattan at 8:30 on FS1
Take down the Robert Carothers banner and fix the concession stand lines
How many A10 players transferred out to B6 programs over the last 2 seasons? Doesn’t PC have like 3? Our top (a10) players are getting poached and we have to get players from the B6 who didn’t pan out for a variety of reasons hoping that they can live up to their promise in the A10. This has always happened, but I assume it has accelerated and is part of the issue for the A10. Our league historically benefited from developing overlooked players who stayed together with a few studs and transfers mixed in. Just a theory and it may not be the top reason, but I suspect it played a role along with the well documented injuries issues some teams are dealing with. Our teams are just not deep enough to overcome significant injuries especially with all the talent transferring out.
RIFan wrote: ↑1 year ago
How many A10 players transferred out to B6 programs over the last 2 seasons? Doesn’t PC have like 3? Our top (a10) players are getting poached and we have to get players from the B6 who didn’t pan out for a variety of reasons hoping that they can live up to their promise in the A10. This has always happened, but I assume it has accelerated and is part of the issue for the A10. Our league historically benefited from developing overlooked players who stayed together with a few studs and transfers mixed in. Just a theory and it may not be the top reason, but I suspect it played a role along with the well documented injuries issues some teams are dealing with. Our teams are just not deep enough to overcome significant injuries especially with all the talent transferring out.
Great point. I really hate this new world of transfer portal free-for-all. IMO it's ruining the game.
RIFan wrote: ↑1 year ago
How many A10 players transferred out to B6 programs over the last 2 seasons? Doesn’t PC have like 3? Our top (a10) players are getting poached and we have to get players from the B6 who didn’t pan out for a variety of reasons hoping that they can live up to their promise in the A10. This has always happened, but I assume it has accelerated and is part of the issue for the A10. Our league historically benefited from developing overlooked players who stayed together with a few studs and transfers mixed in. Just a theory and it may not be the top reason, but I suspect it played a role along with the well documented injuries issues some teams are dealing with. Our teams are just not deep enough to overcome significant injuries especially with all the talent transferring out.
FWIW, the top two All-A10 teams last year had one transfer, and one graduate transfer. Players in good situations, on winning teams, seldom transfer. If anything, the player market being way, way more open seems to have led to a ton of parity - more so for the "bad" teams. New Hampshire's top four in minutes per game are all junior college players or transfers. Bryant is obviously fielding a team full of transfers. You can't necessarily sleepwalk and steamroll small conference teams anymore just by showing up - Even the worst of them probably have a decent D1 player or two.
Obadiah wrote: ↑1 year ago
Saint Louis falls to Iona by 22!
These type of results should help put in perspective the good vs bad years.
Sure this year sucks for URI, but it was supposed to suck. Imagine if you’re SLU or Dayton and projected to be a top 25 or top 50 team and you’re getting these results? That hurts a lot more to me as a fan
Imagine being a Dayton fan. An embarrassment of riches for the program, 13k fans every game, a once in a generation season cut short due to a global pandemic and going on 6 years without an NCAA bid. Grant’s seat should be warm if they don’t get there this year.
It’s certainly a lot of grey evaluating his success, or lack there of. The special season cut short by Covid is so cruel.
Last year they’re a couple silly losses away from being a tournament team.
This years team was tournament caliber but just derailed by injuries.
SLU on the other hand just has no excuse this year
RIFan wrote: ↑1 year ago
How many A10 players transferred out to B6 programs over the last 2 seasons? Doesn’t PC have like 3? Our top (a10) players are getting poached and we have to get players from the B6 who didn’t pan out for a variety of reasons hoping that they can live up to their promise in the A10. This has always happened, but I assume it has accelerated and is part of the issue for the A10. Our league historically benefited from developing overlooked players who stayed together with a few studs and transfers mixed in. Just a theory and it may not be the top reason, but I suspect it played a role along with the well documented injuries issues some teams are dealing with. Our teams are just not deep enough to overcome significant injuries especially with all the talent transferring out.
Fwiw neither Dayton nor SLU lost anyone to transfer that were part of their core contributors. That isn’t it tho it’s being used to explain anything these days. Good coaches will retain players. Good programs will retain players.
RIFan wrote: ↑1 year ago
How many A10 players transferred out to B6 programs over the last 2 seasons? Doesn’t PC have like 3? Our top (a10) players are getting poached and we have to get players from the B6 who didn’t pan out for a variety of reasons hoping that they can live up to their promise in the A10. This has always happened, but I assume it has accelerated and is part of the issue for the A10. Our league historically benefited from developing overlooked players who stayed together with a few studs and transfers mixed in. Just a theory and it may not be the top reason, but I suspect it played a role along with the well documented injuries issues some teams are dealing with. Our teams are just not deep enough to overcome significant injuries especially with all the talent transferring out.
FWIW, the top two All-A10 teams last year had one transfer, and one graduate transfer. Players in good situations, on winning teams, seldom transfer. If anything, the player market being way, way more open seems to have led to a ton of parity - more so for the "bad" teams. New Hampshire's top four in minutes per game are all junior college players or transfers. Bryant is obviously fielding a team full of transfers. You can't necessarily sleepwalk and steamroll small conference teams anymore just by showing up - Even the worst of them probably have a decent D1 player or two.
Agree with this. So much whining that portal palooza is killing mid majors which is not grounded in facts. In fact I’d argue it’s helping mid majors bc if you can keep a core together you prob have a better shot at beating P5s of new rosters in the early OOC.
Great, I put out my theory, any other ideas as to why the A10 sucks? Sadly it has been trending this way for the last few years. The fact is that the gap between the B6 and the A10 has widened and the gap between the A10 and the low mid majors has shrunk. Any ideas?
RIFan, my theory is, bad juju. The conference needs a witch doctor.
Seriously though, for a league-wide sense or sense of the league as a whole during the OOC time year to year , I try to look beyond one reason and look for multiple reasons. Your theory goes into the mix for me. Other reasons for me include funding, culture, commitment of institutions, coaching ability and stability, schools leaving (but not an issue recently. More so in the past), too many teams (maybe), thin margin for error, underperformance/failure/bad luck in key OOC games year to year (or that could just be my misperception). The reasons morph in importance year to year, I think.
I’ve never done a deep dive into your question so,
I am just spitballing off the top of my head. For me, these things and others I can’t think of at this time, all mixed together have been a recipe for mediocrity overall.
Of course, there are exceptions where teams have cycles of tourney success when favorable conditions align.
You raise a very good question. Hopefully more of the crew will come along and add to the reasons.
RIFan, your post, my post and others , if any, are probably more appropriate for a different thread, unless the mods think the posts are that far off topic.
Every A-10 team is going to take a big hit to their metrics just by playing URI. it however will likely have no real significant impact as not a single league team may be in NCAA contention based on the OOC performance. This season is shaping up to be historically bad for both Rhody AND the A-10.
Maine and UNH are better than URI. Rhody has the worst team of all the New England flagship universities this season.
Clarence Daniels II had 34 points and 14 rebounds for UNH. He had 18 rebounds in each of his last 2 games. He hit 4-5 3Ps vs BC.
BC was without M. Langford but still no excuses for this loss.
Now after losses to Maine, Tarleton State, and UNH, Earl Grant and BC off to a horrible start to the season.
A friend of mine is a Louisville fan....(insert sad face or laughter here)...he said they play (1-9) FSU on Sat for maybe their only conference w of the year... I suggested BC on 1/25...
They are contenders this year. That giant true freshman they have that can spell their superstar Sanogo is legit. They are deep and athletic, with a coach that stresses D. And they have enough O.
Jackson is a freak athlete. May not score a ton but he is a game changer.
Watch out. They're going deep.
Amazing what DH is doing there, as much as I hate to admit it.
They are contenders this year. That giant true freshman they have that can spell their superstar Sanogo is legit. They are deep and athletic, with a coach that stresses D. And they have enough O.
Jackson is a freak athlete. May not score a ton but he is a game changer.
Watch out. They're going deep.
Amazing what DH is doing there, as much as I hate to admit it.
To me, it’s not amazing at all. It’s what was expected.
That school, with that pedigree and those resources, it was only a matter of time before Hurley had them back in the national picture.
Not too many schools have more titles than UConn, they should always be in the conversation for a deep tournament run.
They are contenders this year. That giant true freshman they have that can spell their superstar Sanogo is legit. They are deep and athletic, with a coach that stresses D. And they have enough O.
Jackson is a freak athlete. May not score a ton but he is a game changer.
Watch out. They're going deep.
Amazing what DH is doing there, as much as I hate to admit it.
To me, it’s not amazing at all. It’s what was expected.
That school, with that pedigree and those resources, it was only a matter of time before Hurley had them back in the national picture.
Not too many schools have more titles than UConn, they should always be in the conversation for a deep tournament run.
Agree, just saying that DH has pretty quickly brought them out from the abyss...kind of like he did with URI, albeit at a different level...
They are contenders this year. That giant true freshman they have that can spell their superstar Sanogo is legit. They are deep and athletic, with a coach that stresses D. And they have enough O.
Jackson is a freak athlete. May not score a ton but he is a game changer.
Watch out. They're going deep.
Amazing what DH is doing there, as much as I hate to admit it.
To me, it’s not amazing at all. It’s what was expected.
That school, with that pedigree and those resources, it was only a matter of time before Hurley had them back in the national picture.
Not too many schools have more titles than UConn, they should always be in the conversation for a deep tournament run.
Agree, just saying that DH has pretty quickly brought them out from the abyss...kind of like he did with URI, albeit at a different level...
Hurley got URI to be the top team in New England. Ahead of UCONN, ahead of PC………
Now he has UCONN the top team in New England and knocking on the #1 Team in the Nation Door
Common denominators Hurley as Head Coach and High Level Recruiting
Last edited by ramster1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.
To me, it’s not amazing at all. It’s what was expected.
That school, with that pedigree and those resources, it was only a matter of time before Hurley had them back in the national picture.
Not too many schools have more titles than UConn, they should always be in the conversation for a deep tournament run.
Agree, just saying that DH has pretty quickly brought them out from the abyss...kind of like he did with URI, albeit at a different level...
Hurley got URI to be the top team in New England. Ahead of UCONN, ahead of PC………
Now he has UCONN the top team in New England and knocking in the #1 in the Nation Door
Common denominators Hurley as Head Coach and High Level Recruiting
Yes he’s the master rebuilder first Wagner then URI and now Uconn , good for him
rhodysurf wrote: ↑1 year ago
Hard not to look at Hurley and UCONN and be incredibly jealous
I kind of look at it like it would be cool to have someone who went from coaching URI to coaching hopefully a number 1 ranked team if they can get there , I’m past the jealousy part now
rhodysurf wrote: ↑1 year ago
Hard not to look at Hurley and UCONN and be incredibly jealous
I kind of look at it like it would be cool to have someone who went from coaching URI to coaching hopefully a number 1 ranked team if they can get there , I’m past the jealousy part now
I just like we had a coach who won the National Championship and took us to the Elite 8.
rhodysurf wrote: ↑1 year ago
Hard not to look at Hurley and UCONN and be incredibly jealous
I kind of look at it like it would be cool to have someone who went from coaching URI to coaching hopefully a number 1 ranked team if they can get there , I’m past the jealousy part now
I just like we had a coach who won the National Championship and took us to the Elite 8.
Jack Kraft made it to 1 sweet 16, 2 elite 8s and one championship game, losing to UCLA in '71 before he came here. UCLA was winning it almost every year back then.That wasn't bad either. He also had a team that could have won a national championship here.
Frank Martin’s head must have exploded already tonight with that 8-20 start by his team. I am sure he is giving his team the famous Frank Martin stare down, too. Oooph
reef wrote: ↑1 year ago
Wow I didn’t realize Lowell was 9-1 coming in guess that’s why the line was only -3
Reef, for the contest, I had our game with UML pegged as a win. Shows how a bit of ignorance (of UML) swayed my perception. Watching them for a bit last night flipped my perception. They will be a tough matchup for us and a good test as to how our D is progressing.
reef wrote: ↑1 year ago
Wow I didn’t realize Lowell was 9-1 coming in guess that’s why the line was only -3
Reef, for the contest, I had our game with UML pegged as a win. Shows how a bit of ignorance (of UML) swayed my perception. Watching them for a bit last night flipped my perception. They will be a tough matchup for us and a good test as to how our D is progressing.
URI will likely not beat UMass-Lowell. They are a far better team at this time. Rhody's best chances for more OOC wins are Army and Milwaukee and they are not givens. Rhody will be underdogs versus UMass-Lowell and at Georgia State. The best reasonable case OOC record scenario at this point for the Rams is most likely 4-9. The A-10 schedule will also not likely bring about many more wins. St Joe's and LaSalle look to be the bottom dwellers with Rhody. URI plays at St Joe's and has a home and home with LaSalle. The next best chance for a win might be in Kingston versus GW. There are no other league games where URI has a high predictive path to victory. They will have to overcome the odds for nearly all their other A-10 games. They will probably find enough luck to beat a few teams but these will be few and far between. It is so bad now in Kingston that we may be looking at a ceiling of about four to five conference wins (out of 18 games) even in a year where the entire A-10 looks to be down. Rhody fans are faced with the very possible reality that this team may not even reach double digit wins.
KenPom has us favored against Army, Milwaukee, home against Fordham, home against La Salle, and home against George Washington. So if you go just by that he has us 5-26 (3-15). His system actually has us going 12-19 (7-11) so he has us beating one of UMass Lowell or Georgia State, even though we're underdogs and 4 additional games we're not favored in in the conference schedule. Pretty bleak year
Take down the Robert Carothers banner and fix the concession stand lines