Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of Rhode Island

Men's Basketball

Rhode Island to Honor 2013 Senior Class, 25th Anniversary of NCAA Sweet 16 Team on Saturday

Watch Live:  OSN (Cox ch. 5 / 1005 HD) - Mike Mancuso, Abu Bakr, Vin Parise

 Listen Live:  WHJJ 920 AM / The Wolf 102.3 FM - Steve McDonald / Don Kaull
The Beltone Hearing Aid Centers Rams Radio Network

Internet: iHeart.com (audio) | coxsportsonline.com (video)

Gamenotes: Rhode Island/Massachusetts (pdf)

Promotion: Free 1988 replica jersey t-shirt to the first 2,000 fans, compliments of Cox

Game Honors: Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers; Senior Day (pre-game ceremony begins at 1:45 p.m.); 25th Anniversary of the 1987-88 NCAA Sweet 16 Team

Buy Tickets: ExperienceRhody.com

Follow the Rams on Twitter @RhodyMBB

RHODE ISLAND VERSUS MASSACHUSETTS

  • Rhode Island plays the first of two regular season meetings against long-time rival Massachusetts.  
  • UMass holds an 80-58 advantage in the all-time series record, which dates back to the 1907-08 season.  
  • Last year, the two teams won on their respective home court.  Rhody earned an 81-78 overtime victory on Feb. 1, while UMass won 89-83 on March 3 in Amherst.
  • The Minutemen are the Rams' third-most common opponent, as the two teams have met on 138 previous occasions.  
  • Rhody is 37-29 all-time in home games vs. UMass.

RHODE ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

  • Since its inaugural season in 1980-81, Rhode Island has posted a 235-292 all-time record in Atlantic 10 play.  
  • The Rams earned their first conference victory of the 2012-13 season at Saint Louis on Jan. 19 - an 82-80 overtime win.
  • Last season, Rhody finished with a 4-12 mark in conference play, putting them in 13th place in the league standings.
  • On Jan. 18, 2012 - at Fordham - Rhode Island played its 500th Atlantic 10 game all-time.

RHODE ISLAND AT THE THOMAS M. RYAN CENTER  

  • This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Ryan Center - the home of URI men's and women's basketball.
  • URI holds a 106-62 regular season record in the Ryan Center since the arena opened for play on Nov. 26, 2002 with a 73-71 victory over USC.
  • Last season's victory over Hofstra on Nov. 25, 2011 was the 100th on the Ryan Center floor.
  • The Rams have won 11 or more home games on five occasions - including a program-record 15 in 2009-10.

TODAY'S RHODE ISLAND BASKETBALL FACT(S) YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

  • Today's Theme:  kenpom.com's Rhody rundown
  • Using Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistic breakdowns, Rhody gets 30.3% of its scoring from 3-pointers, 48.7% from 2-point FG, and 20.9% from the foul line.  
  • URI's turnover percentage is just 19.0% - ranking the Rams 118th nationally.  
  • Individually, Xavier Munford has taken 31.8% of the Rams' shots this season, while Mike Powell ranks 40th nationally in percentage of minutes played (89.0%).   

SENIOR DAY - FINAL HOME GAME FOR RYAN BROOKS, NIKOLA MALESEVIC, ANDRE MALONE

  • Rhody's senior class of Ryan Brooks, Nikola Malesevic and Andre Malone - and manager Nathaniel Eskanazi - will be honored in a pre-game ceremony, marking their final game in a Rhody uniform.
  • Brooks has appeared in all 28 games for the Rams this season, earning 12 starts.  In his URI career, the 6-8 forward played in 77 games and earned 22 starts.  Earlier this season, he grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against George Mason.  
  • Malesevic is the team's second leading scorer this season, at 10.3 points per game.  He poured in a career-high 26 points in the season opener versus Norfolk State and earned the start in 21 of the 27 games in which he appeared this season.  He enters his final game with 884 career points and 363 career rebounds, while connecting on 115 career 3-pointers.
  • Malone closes out his Rhody career having played in 38 career games for the Keaney Blue, earning the start on 35 occasions.  He has totalled 587 points in his collegiate career, which began at Auburn during the 2009-10 season.  He scored a season-high 18 points at Temple on March 2 and posted double-figures in the scoring column on 24 occasions as a Rhody Ram.

30 FOR 30

  • Xavier Munford registered his second 30-point performance of the season on March 2 at Temple.
  • Munford was 12-of-23 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from the perimeter.
  • He had 33 points in Rhody's win at Auburn on Nov. 25 (11-24 FG; 8-15 3FG).
  • Munford is the first URI player in at least 16 years to have two 30+ point games in the same season.

RECORD BOOK CHECK

  • Several Rams are close to cracking the school's record book in several statistical categories.
  • Xavier Munford: needs five more 3-pointers to become the 10th player in Rhody history to tally 70 made treys in a season. It would also have him crack URI's top 10 single-season 3FG made list.
  • Mike Powell:  with his seven assists at Temple on March 2, Powell became the first URI player since Marquis Jones (2009-10 - 146; 2010-11 - 128) to register 100 or more assists in consecutive seasons.  
  • Powell is also the first Rhody player to reach the 100-assist mark as a freshman and sophomore since Tyson Wheeler (1994-95 - 135; 1995-96 - 203).
  • Jordan Hare: needs three more blocked shots to crack Rhody's top 10 single-season list.  He currently ranks third all-time among Rhody freshman in blocks, behind Kenny Green (63 - 1986-87) and Antonio Reynolds-Dean (59 - 1995-96).

CLOSE CALLS

  • In Atlantic 10 play, URI has played 12 of its 15 games in single-digits, with an average scoring margin of 7.7 points.
  • Three of the Rams' nine A-10 losses have been by three points or less.  
  • Through its first 15 A-10 contests last year, Rhody had lost by an average of 11.5 points per game.

AAMAN A+ VS. LA SALLE

  • Mike Aaman was 7-of-10 from the floor, scoring 15 points against La Salle on Feb. 24.
  • The 15 points tied his season-high; the freshman forward also had 15 points against Vermont on Dec. 1.
  • Aaman also had six rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes played in his second start of the season.
  • Over the last six games, Aaman is averaging 8.7 points and is shooting 61.5% from the floor.

IMPROVED DEFENSIVE EFFORT IN 2012-13

  • Last season, Rhody ranked as one of the worst defensive teams in the country.
  • URI ranked 321st out of 339 in scoring defense (75.5 points/game), 324th in FG% defense (47.5%), and 230th in 3-point FG% defense (35.5%).
  • In 2012-13, the Rams are allowing close to 9.0 fewer points per game and have lowered their defensive FG% to 42.6% and their 3-point FG% defense mark to 33.2%.
  • This season, the Rams have held eight opponents to 60 points or fewer, including a season-low 47 points allowed vs. Brown on Jan. 4.
  • URI has allowed 70+ points 10 times (28 games)  and 80+ points four times.
  • Last year, Rhody allowed 70+ points 23 times (31 games),  80+ points 11 times, 90+ three times, and 100 once.

FROM THE STANDPOINT OF SHARING THE BASKETBALL

  • Rhody set a new season-high in assist pct. vs. Xavier on Feb. 20.
  • The Rams dished out 10 assists on 13 made field goals - good for an 82.3% mark.
  • On Feb. 13, Rhody registered a season-high 19 assists against Dayton - an assist percentage of 67.9% (19 assists/28 FG).
  • Other notable assist percentages:  George Mason, 70.5% (12 a/19 FG); SMU, 68.0% (17 a/25 FG); Saint Louis, 63.0% (17 a/27 FG).
  • Seven of Rhody's eight wins have come when the team registers double-digits in the assist column; URI is 1-9 when it does not.

 

Print Friendly Version