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RHODE ISLAND VERSUS DUQUESNE
Rhode Island leads the all-time series, 28-23, which began in the 1965-66 season.
Last season (Feb. 23, 2011), Rhode Island escaped with a 77-76 victory versus the Dukes at the Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh.
The Rams have captured the last two, and seven of the last eight meetings vs. the Dukes.
Rhody is 17-9 versus Duquesne at home - including a 4-0 mark at the Thomas M. Ryan Center
Head coach Jim Baron is 18-10 all-time versus Duquesne, including a 10-3 mark at the helm of the Rams
RHODE ISLAND AT THE THOMAS M. RYAN CENTER
URI holds a 100-49 (.671) regular season record in the Ryan Center since the arena opened for play on Nov. 26, 2002 with a 73-71 victory over USC.
Rhody's victory on Nov. 25 over Hofstra was the 100th on the Ryan Center floor.
The Rams have won 11 or more home games in five of the last six seasons - including a program-record 15 in 2009-10.
Prior to its loss to Boston University on Nov. 26, Rhode Island had captured its last 32 non-conference games at the Thomas M. Ryan Center, dating back to the 2006-07 season
RHODE ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE
Since its inaugural season in the conference during the 1980-81 season, Rhode Island has posted a 228-270 (.458) all-time record in Atlantic 10 play.
Last season, Rhody finished with a 9-7 mark in conference play, good for sixth place in the league standings.
Since the 2006-07 season, URI is 47-35 (.573) in league play.
POWELL NAMED CO-ATLANTIC 10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AGAIN
For the second straight week, the Atlantic 10 selected Mike Powell as its Co-Rookie of the Week on Jan. 9
Powell averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 assists in a 1-1 week for Rhode Island.
He matched his career-high of 21 points in a 78-72 double overtime win at Boston College on Jan. 2. He also added seven rebounds and three assists versus the Eagles.
Powell also earned weekly rookie honors from the A-10 on Jan. 2, averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in a 1-1 week for Rhode Island.
He becomes the second Ram to earn A-10 Rookie of the Week honors, as Jonathan Holton was honored by the league on Nov. 28.
It marks the first time since the 1995-96 season that two Rhody rookies earned A-10 Player of the Week honors.
That year, both Antonio Reynolds-Dean and current URI assistant coach Preston Murphy were recognized by the conference.
TODAY'S RUNNIN' RAM FACT(S) THAT YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
Rhody has faced both Division I universities named for former U.S. Presidents (James Madison, George Washington)
Billy Baron has connected on his last 16 attempts from the free throw line, dating back to Dec. 29 (vs. James Madison)
URI hasn't started 0-3 in A-10 play since the 2001-02 season. The Rams started league play 0-5 that year.
LAST TIME OUT - GEORGE WASHINGTON 69, RHODE ISLAND 61 (JAN. 11)
Billy Baron and Andre Malone were the lone Rams in double figures. Baron led the way with 18 points, while Malone added 14.
Rhody committed just eight turnovers – the second-lowest total this season. The Rams had a season-low seven turns at Brown on Nov. 30.
It was the third time this season that Rhode Island had a positive assist/turnover ratio. The Rams had nine assists to go with the eight turnovers.
Poor shooting plagued Rhode Island throughout the second half. URI managed just 10-of-33 shooting (30.3%) over the final 20 minutes of play, missing 13 straight shots during a 13-3 GW run.
After connecting on 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first half, Rhody missed all 15 of their 3-point attempts in the second half.
Throughout the game, URI struggled from the foul line. The Rams shot 42.9% from the line, making just 12-of-28 from the charity stripe. It was the worst FT shooting performance in a game (min. 25 attempts) since Dec. 27, 2004, when Rhody hit just 11-of-26 in a 77-62 loss at Iona.
Orion Outerbridge – hampered by back spasms – put forth a gutsy performance, with eight points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
MALONE SHAKING OFF THE RUST
Junior Andre Malone tallied a season-high 14 points last time out at George Washington
It was his second straight double-digit scoring game; he scored 10 points versus Richmond on Jan. 7.
Over the last two games, the 6-6 guard has connected on 10-for-24from the floor - including four 3-pointers
The transfer from Auburn had struggled from the floor (6-32 FG; 2-13 3FG) after becoming eligible to compete on Dec. 23.
MIKE POWELL, FOR STARTERS
In his last six starts, freshman point guard Mike Powell is averaging a team-best 14.0 points.
He posted back-to-back career-highs of 21 points at UCF on Dec. 30 and at Boston College on Jan. 2.
Over the six-game span, Powell is also averaging 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals per contest.
Powell was named Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week on consecutive weeks (Jan. 2 and Jan. 9).
BILLY BALL
Billy Baron has scored in double-figures in four of his last five games - including a team-high 18 last time out at George Washington.
He had a collegiate-high 24 points at Boston College - besting his previous high of 19, set last year at Virginia (vs. William & Mary, Nov. 12, 2010).
The sophomore guard connected on four 3-pointers and 10-of-10 from the charity stripe vs. the Eagles.
Baron's 10-for-10 free throw shooting performance was the best by a Ram in a single game since Brian Woodward was 16-for-16 versus Yale on Jan. 7, 2004.
In his six games played this season, Baron is averaging 13.5 points and 5.3 rebounds.
DEFENSIVE WOES
The Runnin' Rams rank 321st out of 339 in scoring defense, allowing 75.5 points per game.
Rhode Island is also 328th in defensive field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot 48.8% from the floor
URI is 256th in defensive 3-point FG percentage, as the opposition is connecting on 35.7% from the perimeter
Rhody opponents have scored 80 or more points five times, 90+ three times, and 100 once.
FRESHMEN MAKING AN IMPACT
Jonathan Holton ranks 20th among all frosh nationally in rebounding, pulling down 6.5 boards per game
Holton is also tied for 33rd among all freshmen in blocked shots (1.1 bpg).
Mike Powell is tied for 31st among all frosh in assists per game (3.4).
Rhody's newcomers account for 38% of the team's scoring, 38% of rebounding, and 58% of assist totals.
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLES AT BOSTON COLLEGE
Rhody frontcourt mates Jonathan Holton (11 pts/10 reb.) and Orion Outerbridge (10 pts/11 reb) each registered double-doubles in points and rebounds at Boston College on Jan. 2.
Eight of Outerbridge's 11 rebounds game on the offensive glass; five of Holton's 10 were offensive boards.
It was Holton's second double-double of the season - he had 12 points and a 14 rebounds at George Mason.
Outerbridge has posted two other double-doubles this year: at Nebraska (24 pts/10 reb); vs. Maine (14 pts/10 reb.)
It marked the second time this season that two Rhody players recorded double-doubles in the same game.
NOW TRENDING: ASSIST/TURNOVER RATIO
Through the Runnin' Rams first 16 games, they have posted more assists than turnovers three times - at George Washington (Jan. 11), vs. Providence (Dec. 23) and vs. Hofstra (Nov. 25).
On the season, URI has a 0.76:1 assist/turnover ratio (179 assists/241 turnovers)
URI is averaging 14.6 turnovers, while dishing out 11.1 assists per game.
Last season, in games with a positive assist/turnover ratio, Rhody was 12-3.
BARON, MALONE MAKE IMPACT VS. JAMES MADISON
In the second game wearing a Rhode Island uniform, transfers Billy Baron and Andre Malone combined for 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Malone earned his second start, tallying eight points and six boards in 26 minutes of action
Baron scored 13 of his 17 points in the second frame, connecting on 6-of-11 shots from the floor.
Both connected on their first 3-pointers of the season - with Malone's deep ball ending a 7-0 JMU scoring push in the second half.
CLOSING THE BOOK ON THE NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Rhode Island closed out its 2011-12 non-conference schedule with a 78-72 double OT win at Boston College on Jan. 2.
11 of the 15 Rams' opponents have posted a winning record and seven of the 15 have 10 or more victories.
The combined win-loss record of the teams on Rhody's non-conference slate is 122-84 (as of Jan. 5).
According to RealTimeRPI.com, Rhody's non-conference strength of schedule ranking is 75 - sixth-best in the A-10.
Since joining the Eastern 8 in the 1980-81 season, URI has posted a 247-198 mark in non-conference play.
Dating back to the 2006-07 season, the Rams have posted a 64-36 record versus out-of-conference opponents.
Rhody' s six opponents in the month of November - George Mason, Texas, Nebraska, Hofstra, Boston Univ., and Cleveland State - combined for 143 wins and six postseason appearances (3 NCAA, 2 NIT, 1 CBI) last year.
Nine of the 15 teams the Runnin' Rams will face in the non-conference slate won 21 or more games a season ago.
10 of the 15 made postseason appearances (3 NCAA, 4 NIT, 3 CBI) in 2010-11.
CLOSING THE BOOK ON THE LOSING STREAK
With the win over James Madison, Rhody ended its eight-game losing streak which dated back to Nov. 26.
The eight-game slide was the team's longest since the 2004-05 season.
During that span, Rhody shot just 37.6% from the floor (179-476), while allowing opponents to connect on nearly 50.0% of their shots.
URI averaged just 62.0 points and lost by an average of 13.0 points per game.
The Rams saw their 32-game home non-conference win streak come to an end vs. Boston University (Nov. 26)
Head coach Jim Baron shuffled the starting lineup five different times
TRANSFERS MAKE RHODY DEBUTS
Andre Malone and Billy Baron each played their first games in a Rhode Island uniform on Dec. 23 vs. Providence
Malone earned the start and added four points, two rebounds and two steals in 15 minutes
Baron played 26 minutes, tallying three points, four boards, four assists and a steal
Both players showed a little rust after close to a year off from competition, combining to shoot 1-for-14
David Fox of Rivals.com picked Malone, a 6-6 guard from Atlanta, as the Atlantic 10's Newcomer of the Year.
Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com highlighted Baron, a 6-2 guard and son of head coach Jim Baron, among his top 25 impact transfers nationally
WILSON DISMISSED FROM TEAM
On Dec. 27, head coach Jim Baron announced that senior guard Jamal Wilson has been dismissed from the Rhode Island men's basketball team due to a violation of team rules
Wilson had been the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points in 11 games played.
He poured in a career-high 38 points in the season opener at George Mason on Nov. 11 and was named A-10 Player of the Week on Nov. 14
The Norristown, Pa. native was suspended prior to the Dec. 18 Yale game - also for a violation of team rules
HOLTON NAMED ATLANTIC 10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
On Nov. 28, the Atlantic 10 selected Jonathan Holton as its Rookie of the Week
The 6-9 forward averaged 12.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 blocked shots in a 1-2 weekend for the Rams
Against Hofstra, Holton recorded a season-best 20 points (8-13 FG), while adding six rebounds and two blocks
The Miami, Fla. native added nine points and seven boards against Boston University, while chipping in with seven points and six rebounds against Cleveland State.
THE FRANTIC FIVE - RHODY'S FIVE FRESHMEN
Rhody's five-player freshman class had its regular season debut on Nov. 11 at George Mason.
Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal dubbed them the "Frantic Five" due to the Runnin' Rams uptempo style
Powell became the first true freshman to start for the Rams as a pure point guard since Tyson Wheeler in 1994-95.
Holton's 14 boards tied the highest rebounding total in a URI debut since Lamar Odom had 14 vs. TCU (Nov. 9, 1998)
Additionally, Holton and Odom are the only two Rhody players to record a double-double in points and rebounds in their Rhody debuts. Holton had 12 points and 14 boards; Odom 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Over the last six games, the Rams have featured three frosh in the starting five - as Buchanan, Powell, and Holton have gotten the nod.
A-10 PRESEASON POLL: RAMS PICKED 10TH
Rhode Island was picked to finish 10th among the 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference, according to the league's annual preseason poll.
The poll, voted on by A-10 head coaches and media, was released during the conference's annual Media Day conference on October 13.
Xavier tops the poll, followed by Temple, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure, and Richmond.
20 YEARS IN A-10 FOR BARON
This season marks the 20th for Jim Baron as a head coach in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Baron served as head coach at his alma mater – St. Bonaventure – from 1992-2001, before arriving at URI
During that span he has been named A-10 Coach of the Year four times.
RECORD TELEVISION SCHEDULE FOR 2011-12
Rhode Island will make a record 23 regular season television appearances - including all 15 home games - during the 2011-12 season.
It is the most comprehensive television slate in program history and ranks second behind Xavier for the most TV games in the Atlantic 10 this year.
Cox Sports - the exclusive home of Runnin' Rams basketball - will produce and air 13 of the Runnin' Rams games.
All games produced and aired by Cox can also be seen live on the web via Cox Sports Online.
The Runnin' Rams will make six national television appearances: at Texas (ESPN), at Nebraska (Big Ten Network), at Boston College (ESPN3), Richmond (CBS Sports), Temple (ESPN), at Xavier (CBS Sports)
NEXT UP: FORDHAM (JAN. 18)
Rhode Island heads on the road for back-to-back games next week, beginning with a Jan. 18 date at Fordham
Tipoff time at Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx is set for 7 p.m.
Rhody fans can listen to the game live on the Beltone Hearing Aid Centers Rams Radio Network (B101 101.5 FM), with Steve McDonald and Don Kaull.
This - and all Rhody games on radio - can be heard on the internet or your iPhone/Blackberry/Android device with the iHeartRadio app. Download the app at: iHeart.com
