Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of Rhode Island

Men's Basketball

Major First Place Implications On the Line at Dayton on Tuesday Night

Game Notes at Dayton

TV: CBS Sports Network - Dave Ryan; Steve Wolf; Evan Washburn

AUDIO: B101 (101.5 FM) - Steve McDonald; Don Kaull

RHODE ISLAND VERSUS DAYTON

  • The Rams face Dayton in the lone regular season meeting between the two schools.  Dayton leads the all-time series, 14-13.
  • Last season, URI and UD split the regular season series, with each team winning at home (URI 88-76, Jan. 25, 2014; UD 76-69, Feb. 12, 2014).
  • Rhode Island has won four of the last five meetings and eight of the last 10.
  • The margin of victory in six of the last 10 meetings have been in the single-digits.
  • Rhody is 4-7 all-time at UD Arena but have won two of its last three visits.

RHODE ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

  • Since its inaugural season in 1980-81 in the Eastern 8, Rhode Island has posted a 252-309 all-time record in Atlantic 10 regular season conference play.
  • The Rams' 12-4 start ties the best start in A-10 play in program history.
  • The 12 A-10 wins are also the most since the 1997-98 season (12-4).
  • Rhody's six A-10 road wins ties with VCU for the most in the league and are the second-most in program history (7 in 1987-88).
  • URI was picked to finish sixth according to the 2014-15 A-10 Preseason Poll.
  • Last season, Rhody was 5-11 in A-10 play, finishing in 11th place in the standings.
  • The Rams earned their 250th A-10 victory on Feb. 18, 2015 at home vs. UMass.
  • Rhode Island played its 500th A-10 game all-time at Fordham (Jan. 18, 2012).

RHODE ISLAND ENJOYING ONE OF THE PROGRAM'S BEST STARTS

  • With 20 wins through 27 games, URI is off to its best start since the 2009-10 season.  That year, Rhody was also 20-7.
  • Rhody has reached the overall 20-win mark for the first time since the 2010-11 season (20-14).
  • It also marks the first time since 2009-10 that the Rams reached the 20-win mark in the regular season (22 regular season wins).
  • In Atlantic 10 play, the 12-4 record through 16 games ties for the best start in program history (1987-88, 1997-98).
  • The Rams have registered two separate five-game win streaks in a single-season for the first time since 1997-98.
  • Rhody has suffered back-to-back losses just once this season - vs. VCU (Jan. 13) and at UMass (Jan. 17).

FIRST TIME IN FIRST PLACE THIS LATE IN THE SEASON

  • Today's game marks the latest calendar date that Rhode Island has held a share of first place in the Atlantic 10 standings.
  • The Rams are currently tied atop the A-10 (thru games of Feb. 28) with an 12-4 record, along with Dayton and Davidson.
  • On Feb. 28, 2009, Rhode Island was in second place in the A-10 with a 11-4 mark.   Xavier was 12-3 at that point.
  • During the 1997-98 season, Rhody ended the regular season on Feb. 28 with a win over Fordham which put URI at 12-4 in league play and a two-way tie for second place in the A-10 East with UMass.  Temple earned the #1 seed with a 13-3 A-10 mark.
  • A year earlier (1996-97), Rhode Island finished with a 12-4 record - a game behind Saint Joseph's in the A-10 East (13-3).
  • During the 1987-88, URI had a stellar 14-4 league record, but again was in second place behind top-ranked Temple (17-0).

TODAY IN RHODE ISLAND BASKETBALL - MARCH 3

  • Rhode Island is 12-11 overall and 3-3 in Atlantic 10 all-time in games played on the March 3 calendar date.
  • URI and Dayton matched up on March 3, 2004, with the Rams earning a 65-53 victory at UD Arena.
  • March 3 is busy with the celebrations of National Anthem, National Pancake, National Cold Cut, and National Mulled Wine Days.

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

  • Rhode Island's six road wins in A-10 play are the most since the 1987-88 season, when the Rams won seven road conference games.
  • Only Rhody and VCU have six A-10 road wins this season.  Davidson has five, followed by Dayton with four.
  • Hassan Martin and Kenny Green are the only two Rams to have posted more than 80 blocked shots in a season twice.
  • Martin set a new URI freshman standard last year (80) and has 82 so far this year.  Green holds URI's single-season blocks record (125) when he led the country in 1989-90, while also swatting 85 shots in 1988-89.

YOUTH IS SERVED DURING RHODY REVIVAL

  • In terms of scoring and minutes played by freshmen and sophomores, Rhode Island ranks near the top of the Atlantic 10.
  • Rhody frosh have played 25.4% of the team's minutes, while sophomores have played 32.4% - combining for third-most in the A-10.
  • VCU leads the league in total minutes for freshmen (21.4%, 6th) and sophomores (38.9%, 2nd) - totalling a combined 60.3%.
  • Scoring-wise, URI ranks second in combined scoring efforts (64.7%), with freshmen (22.1%, 4th) and sophomores (42.6%, 3rd).
  • Saint Louis - getting 67.5% of its scoring from first (48.5%, 1st) and second-year (19.0, 10th) players - leads the A-10.

TERRELL EARNS SECOND ATLANTIC 10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AWARD

  • Jared Terrell earned his second Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week award of the season on Feb. 23 after leading the Rams to two wins.
  • The freshman guard averaged 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while connecting on 52.4% of his field goals.
  • Against UMass (Feb. 18), the 6-3 guard scored 14 points and dished out a career-high five assists (zero turnovers) in 26 minutes.
  • At George Mason (Feb. 21), Terrell scored 16 points - 12 coming in the second half.  He also grabbed five boards vs. the Patriots.
  • The Weymouth, Mass. native also selected as the A-10's top rookie on Feb. 2 prior to being named the CBSSports.com/Wayman Tisdale Award National Freshman of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

T.J. BUCHANAN - DEFINITION OF THE 6TH MAN

  • T.J. Buchanan has been one of the best reserves in the A-10 this season and should be a leading candidate for 6th Man of the Year.
  • Buchanan is averaging 5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and a 1.85:1 assist/TO ratio in 23.3 minutes of play per game.
  • In A-10 play, the senior captain's averages: 6.5 points, 4.1 boards, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.41:1 assist/turnover, 25 minutes per outing.
  • This season, the senior captain has led the Rams in assists (10 games), steals (10), rebounding (3), and blocked shots (3).
  • Buchanan has led Rhode Island in at least one statistical category in 20 of its 27 games this season.
  • Primarily a guard, Buchanan has played the both guard spots as well as both forward positions at times throughout the season.

MARTIN 11 SHY OF RANKING FIFTH NATIONALLY IN FIELD GOAL %

  • Hassan Martin is 11 field goals made shy of qualifying for the national rankings in FG%.  NCAA minimums are 5 FGM/game.
  • Martin would rank fifth nationally, connecting on 62.6% of his shots from the floor (124-198) - tops in the Atlantic 10.
  • The URI single-season record for FG% is 61.2% (175-286), set by Kenny Green during the 1987-88 season.

CONFERENCE CALL - NOTABLE RHODY RANKINGS IN A-10-ONLY STATISTICS

  • 16 games into the Atlantic 10 schedule, here are some highlights of where Rhode Island sits in the A-10-only statistical rankings.
  • Individually, Hassan Martin leads in blocked shots (3.8 bpg) and is second in FG% (58.9%).  He is also fifth in rebounding (8.9 rpg).
  • Jared Terrell is fourth in FT% (83.3%) and seventh in steals (1.7 spg).  E.C. Matthews is tied for sixth in scoring (16.0 ppg).
  • As a team, the Rams lead the conference in scoring defense (59.6 ppg), FG% defense (.410) and blocked shots (6.4 bpg), second in 3FG% defense (.278), and third in steals (6.8 spg).

HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS ABOUND - MARTIN, BIRUTA RANK 1ST, 4th IN A-10 FIELD GOAL %

  • Hassan Martin (124-198, 62.6%) and Gilvydas Biruta (88-156, 56.4%) rank first and fourth, respectively, in the A-10 in FG%.
  • Martin has 43 dunks on the season, accounting for 34.7% of his made field goals.
  • Additionally, forward Earl Watson is shooting 60.8% (31-51) from the floor in a reserve role.
  • As a team, Rhody ranks fourth in the A-10 and 91st nationally in FG% (45.2%).

JARVIS GARRETT, FOR STARTERS

  • Since entering the starting lineup on Jan. 17 at UMass, Jarvis Garrett is averaging 7.1 points and 3.1 assists per game.
  • The freshman point guard has posted an assist/turnover ratio of 2.17:1 over the past 12 games, playing an average of 28 minutes.  
  • Included in those 12 games are three games in double figures: 14 at Saint Joseph's, 13 vs. UMass, 13 at George Mason.
  • Prior to the UMass game, Garrett was averaging 5.0 points, 1.9 assists and had a 1.90:1 a/t ratio in 19 minutes (15 games).

THE 20/2/0 CLUB

  • Five Rhody players have posted at least 20 minutes, two assists, and zero turnovers in a game this season.
  • T.J. Buchanan leads the way with eight games: (Nebraska, Kansas, Georgia Tech, Detroit, VCU, La Salle, Richmond, Saint Louis).
  • Other Rams with 20/2/0 performances:  Jarvis Garrett, five (Nebraska, Delaware State, GW, SLU, Davidson); Gilvydas Biruta, three (Pace, Brown, Saint Louis); Jared Terrell, three (Massachusetts, Brown, at Saint Louis); Jarelle Reischel, one (UMass Lowell).

MATTHEWS ROLLING ON 20'S

  • E.C. Matthews has scored 20 or more points on 17 occasions in his career, including eight this season.
  • Last time out at La Salle, Matthews led the Rams with 21 points in 35 minutes of action.
  • The sophomore guard has four games with 25 or more points - including a season-high 27 points at Providence on Dec. 10.
  • This season, he ranks fourth in the A-10 among those players with multiple 20-point performances.

CONVERTING TO THE METRIC SYSTEM

  • According to KenPom.com, Rhode Island rates well in several of his "Four Factors" basketball metrics - effective FG%, turnover%, offensive rebounding%, and FTA/FGA.  Several of the metrics are listed in the shaded box to the left.
  • FOUR FACTORS:  In effective FG%, the Rams are 168th offensively (49.1) but 14th defensively (43.9).
  • EFG% is measured by adjusting a FG% to include additional points from 3FG.  TS% takes into account 2FG, 3FG, and FT.
  • While the offensive turnover% is low (21.4%, 304th), Rhody's defensive turnover% of 23.0 is 17th-best nationally.
  • URI is 87th in offensive rebounding%, grabbing 34.0% of its chances.  Rhody is 108th in the country in DREB%, at 70.2%.
  • Rhode Island's FTA/FGA marks are 47.5% offensively (9th).
  • OTHER KENPOM METRICS:  URI ranks 9th in adjusted defensive efficiency (90.10.  Defensive efficiency is defined by the total number of points allowed per 100 possessions.
  • The Rams are the 59th-best team in the nation in 2-point FG% offense, making 51.0% of their attempts from inside the arc.
  • Defensively, Rhode Island ranks 56th in 2-point FG% defense, allowing just 44.2% shooting inside the perimeter.

GETTING DEFENSIVE - A DEEPER LOOK AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS

  • KenPom.com ranks the Rams 9th nationally in defensive efficiency - 90.0 (points allowed per 100 possessions) and among the top 20 in defensive eFG% (13th - 43.9%) and defensive turnover% (17th - 23.0%).
  • SCORING DEFENSE:  The Rams are 18th nationally/1st in the A-10 in scoring defense, yielding just 58.5 points per game.
  • Through 27 games, only 10 URI opponents have scored more than 60 points in regulation and five did not break the 50 point mark.
  • URI held back-to-back opponents (La Salle & St. Bonaventure) to fewer than 50 points for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.
  • 3FG% DEFENSE:  URI ranks 4th nationally/1st in the A-10 in 3FG defense, yielding just 27.7% from beyond the arc.
  • Only four opponents (Kansas, Brown, VCU, Saint Joseph's) have made more than five 3-point field goals in a game versus the Rams.
  • FG% DEFENSE:  The Rams' defense is holding foes to just 40.0% shooting from the floor - 58th nationally and 1st in the A-10.
  • In 11 of its 20 wins, Rhody has held its opponent under the 40.0% mark from the floor.
Print Friendly Version