Game #10: Providence College - Thur Dec 5 @ 8:00pm ET

[Billyboy78]

I've never said we had a great program. We've had some great years with some great moments....maybe going back to the Keaney years, but that's a little before my time. The past 50 years have been average, a few great years, a lot of mediocre years, and a few horrible years.

[Shinze88]

PC was a good program in the 50s, 60s and 70s, for the most part. Then in the late 70s they rode a-hole Dave Gavitt's coattails into the newly formed league. Since then, in 24 seasons of league play, they have been over .500 in the conference exactly 6 times in those 24 years. We, as URI fans do not have an awful lot to brag about. But, why do idiot fans of that program believe that they do?

Every program has delusional fans for sure, we for sure have our fair share, but right now as delusional as some pc fans are, they are well positioned for the immediate future, much more than we are. They are finally in a conference where they have a chance to finish in the top half every year, in the old Big East, this was not possible. They finally have a coach who is it killing it on the recruiting trail and has his team buying into his system. For the most part, PC and URI have been viewed as like programs over the past 10-15 years, the separation of our programs is unfortunately growing at an alarming rate.

[Billyboy78]

PC's great recruiting hasn't worked out so great this year. We shall see.

[rambone 78]

Well, for a good part of those 70's to 90's, we had some great success, with some great coaches.

Probably a good deal more success than one would expect, with our facilities during that time.

We are ALL very impatient for the next round of success, whenever it comes.

Our new coach has promised us success. We are waiting.......and I am getting tired of waiting. I know it wasn't going to happen overnight, no matter what promises have been made.

But WHEN is it going to happen?

BB, they have 3 top 100's signed for next year. We have zippo. Shinze is right. If 2015-16 isn't a GREAT recruiting year for this program, all bets are off.

[seanmc94]

Sean no offense but you must have a state job to have all this free time to post in a forum that your not even a fan of.

Not a state worker; passionate hoops fan. Never said I wasn't a Rhody fan. Just LOVE the Friars.

[rambone 78]

Wonder how many people in RI are fans of both teams. Not too many I'll bet.

Sort of like people who are both Yankee and RedSox fans. Don't know ANY of those.

[Billyboy78]

Well, for a good part of those 70's to 90's, we had some great success, with some great coaches.

Probably a good deal more success than one would expect, with our facilities during that time.

We are ALL very impatient for the next round of success, whenever it comes.

Our new coach has promised us success. We are waiting.......and I am getting tired of waiting. I know it wasn't going to happen overnight, no matter what promises have been made.

But WHEN is it going to happen?

BB, they have 3 top 100's signed for next year. We have zippo. Shinze is right. If 2015-16 isn't a GREAT recruiting year for this program, all bets are off.

All I'm saying are there are no guarantees. One top 50 recruit from last year has a pretty serious injury, another top 50 is in trouble and a top 150 is also in trouble. Yes, they have some nice looking recruits coming in and also did this year. So far this year, our freshmen are better than theirs.

[rambone 78]

True, but it would be nice, if we had at least 3 top 100's coming in next year!

We'd be gaga over our chances, at least right now.

[rjsuperfly66]

And you could have non-Top 100 players getting injured or get suspended, but in the end, you still take the Top 100 recruits. I'll take my shot with a team with 6 Top 100 players and 8 Top 150 players, over the team with 1 Top 100 player and 2 Top 150 players. Does it guarantee success? No. But it significantly increases the odds. That's just part of it though, the other part is developing talent, but it's just sorta common sense, you have a better chance of getting Top 100 production with Top 100 talent. It just minimizes room for error when you have a talented, deeper roster. You can do damage with less, but those teams are one injury/mistake away from being a non-factor. The silver lining for me with the Friars, is that we are at a point where you can miss 2 key pieces and a role player, and the trajectory in a good conference is still NIT, in comparison to years with less talent where at that point you just hoped for 13 wins.

[Seawrightspostgame]

Yea PC always runs the risk that their players will walk around campus beating up the student body. OR something really Henton was involved with domestic violence. I would say PC is better than us now and gasping for air in terms of the future.

WE would all love to have highly touted talent here like PC does now. I think it is smoke and mirrors though, considering the best 2 guys last year haven't played a half of a season(ledo&Dunn). Then this year the guys are suspended.

[rambone 78]

I can't totally blame the staff right now for the current cricket state recruiting is in.

The APR issue must be really killing Dan. And really killing our chances of getting those top recruits that might also be borderline academically.

We might have to postpone success here for a while.

Sounds pretty flip, doesn't it?

Might also be the sad reality.

[seanmc94]

I actually root for URI when they don't play PC. Watched the Detroit game online today

[rodfromcranston]

Well Sean, if you were rooting for us, you too must've wondered:

WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SHIT IS THIS!!!???

[rjsuperfly66]

WE would all love to have highly touted talent here like PC does now. I think it is smoke and mirrors though, considering the best 2 guys last year haven't played a half of a season(ledo&Dunn). Then this year the guys are suspended.

Smoke and mirrors? I agree with your general premise, but he has 3 more Top 100 players coming in next year with the possibility with a 4th. Does law of averages say injuries and suspensions continue to decimate, or that at some point these recruits actually play? And when they do?

[rodfromcranston]

Shit, I'd love for us to have brought in ONE top 100 player,
let alone three.
Cooley's ability to recruit is amazing.

[rodfromcranston]

Oh, and URI is soooo irrelevant to PC fans,
there are two threads since yesterday about URI.
But, PC fans never think of URI unless we're playing them.
Big sigh of relief from them that we didn't have two more point Thursday,
and another big sigh of relief that Hurley's building project hasn't
come along as well as some thought.
We live in their minds rent free.

[peeps4life]

you guys really will do anything to sabotage our RPI. thanks for nothing.

[rodfromcranston]

Good one. Just some mind blowing ineptitude today, and even Thursday at the
free throw line.
I can't think of any decent team with a PG shooitng 50% of free throws!

[peeps4life]

rondo shot 61% in 08

[woodennickel1]

People can blame Hurley all they want but he was not shooting the free throws.

[Billyboy78]

rondo shot 61% in 08

I'm pretty sure 61% is higher than Rod's stated 50%.....PC math...

[rambone 78]

There is coaching involved in learning to shoot FT's. Coach has to share some of the blame for it.

More practice, better technique, better concentration, a bunch of things. Coaching involved in all of that.

We won't beat a good team this year unless we start making a decent percentage, especially the last few minutes. Other coaches aren't stupid. It'll be, foul them! They'll miss them!

[rodfromcranston]

Shaq a Ram!

[peeps4life]

rondo shot 61% in 08

I'm pretty sure 61% is higher than Rod's stated 50%.....PC math...

you forced my hand on this one...

50>49

[SGreenwell]

Wow, this pissing match between URI and PC fans is thrilling!

[Seawrightspostgame]

WE would all love to have highly touted talent here like PC does now. I think it is smoke and mirrors though, considering the best 2 guys last year haven't played a half of a season(ledo&Dunn). Then this year the guys are suspended.

Smoke and mirrors? I agree with your general premise, but he has 3 more Top 100 players coming in next year with the possibility with a 4th. Does law of averages say injuries and suspensions continue to decimate, or that at some point these recruits actually play? And when they do?

Its rival trash talk, doesnt have to account for accuracy

Something more accurate would be that Ed can really recruit and has had some guys not workout off the bat, but eventually that will work itself out.

[RF1]

I had more confidence in Ollie going to the line in the Indiana State HS playoffs than I do with our team.

[ramfan85]

That's funny.

I'd like to see us run "the old picket fence" some time.

[rodfromcranston]

Wonder if Biruta could guard a picket fence? Or run faster than a picket fence?

[TruePoint]

Rod, I agree with you that Biruta had his shortcomings as a player, but did we expect him to be perfect? I've seen you dogging the kid up and down the board the last couple days. We can all see that he isn't a great defensive player; you're beating a dead horse at this point.

[rodfromcranston]

Guess you didn't see yesterday's game.
Yeah, let's try to make this seem personal.
Amazing!

[Gonebarongone]

That's funny.

I'd like to see us run "the old picket fence" some time.

Ironically, this seems to be the only play they have run other than setting high screens for guards and letting them play CYO ball. A few times they have set up a double screen on the low block and run a guy off the baseline for a catch and shoot. Little different than Hoosiers but same concept.

[adam914]

We could use some of Jimmy Chitwoods outside shooting

[ramfan85]

I was going to say the same thing about Jimmy. How did you get his last name? I'm impressed...

[adam914]

I was going to say the same thing about Jimmy. How did you get his last name? I'm impressed...

I am mildly obsessed with that movie so I just know it. I bet I've seen it 100 times easily since I was a kid.