KINGSTON, R.I. - The 2022-23 basketball season will feature a celebration of the two of the greatest men's teams in Rhode Island history, as the 1987-88 and 1997-98 squads will be inducted into the Rhode Island Athletics Hall of Fame. In conjunction, three members from each of the two teams will become the first members of the newly created Rhode Island Athletics Ring of Honor.

The six initial members of the Ring of Honor will be Carlton "Silk" Owens, Tom Garrick and Kenny Green from the 1987-88 Sweet 16 team, and Tyson Wheeler, Cuttino Mobley and Antonio Reynolds-Dean from the 1997-98 Elite 8 squad. As members of the Ring of Honor, their names will be unveiled in the Ryan Center rafters as part of a special ceremony at the men's basketball home game against Massachusetts on Saturday, Feb. 18.

The honors come in what is the 35th anniversary of the 1988 run to the Sweet 16 and the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Elite 8 run. As part of the ceremony, all players, coaches and staff members from both teams have been invited back to Kingston for the special weekend. In addition to the in-game ceremony at the Ryan Center, there will be a ticketed dinner banquet held at the Newport Marriott on Friday, Feb. 17. Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn and players and coaches from both teams will speak at the dinner (more information below).

"This is an honor that is long overdue for each of the individuals," Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn said. "The legacy of these two teams - especially the six men who will start our Ring of Honor - is unquestioned. We wanted to properly honor the profound impact these men had on this University, and with this being a significant anniversary for both teams, the stars have aligned for what will be a year-long celebration."

The 1987-88 and 1997-98 men's basketball teams will become the third and fourth full squads inducted to the Rhode Island Athletics Hall of Fame, joining the 1984 and 1985 Yankee Conference-champion football teams.

Throughout the season, a series of eight videos will be released as part of the season-long celebration. This year's Cox Communications "Bringing You Closer" series produced by Kwolity Productions will include feature videos on each of the six Ring of Honor inductees, as well one video each dedicated to the two teams as a whole.

With the induction of the two teams, Bjorn said the Athletic Department will hold a traditional induction class for the Hall of Fame next year.

"I have wanted to create a special recognition for the truly elite members of our history, which we have done with the Ring of Honor," Bjorn said. "Including the induction of the two teams as a whole is an opportunity to really make this special for everyone involved. The timing was right to focus on these two teams."

Rhode Island Athletics
Ring of Honor Inductees
Carlton "Silk" Owens (1984-88)
Rhode Island's all-time leading scorer with 2,114 points, Owens was the captain of the 1987-88 Sweet 16 team. A two-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection as well as an All-Rookie Team pick, he was New England Player of the Year as a senior. He still owns program records for career field goals (766); 3-point percentage (.462); and points in a season (762). He is second in career assists with 502, behind only Tyson Wheeler. After URI, he played two seasons in the Continental Basketball Association.

Tom Garrick (1984-88)
A prolific scorer and passer, Garrick finished his career with 1,573 points and 407 assists, which still rank 15th and seventh in team history today. He still owns URI's single-season steals record with 88, and he was the career leader with 189 at the time of his graduation. A two-time Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selection, Garrick famously scored a program-record 50 points against Rutgers in the 1988 A-10 tournament. His 718 points in 1987-88 are the second-highest single-season total in program history, behind only Carlton's Owens' 762 the same year. A second-round draft pick of the L.A. Clippers, he played four NBA seasons before embarking on a successful career overseas. A longtime college coach, he is the associate head coach for the women's team at Vanderbilt.

Kenny Green (1985-90)
The only player in program history to be both the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year (1989-90) and Rookie of the Year (1986-87), Green simply dominated both ends of the floor. His 1,724 points still rank 11th in team history and his 996 rebounds are fourth. He led the nation with 124 blocked shots in 1989-90, a number that is still Rhody's single-season mark. Green also is the URI career record holder with 328 blocked shots. After URI, Green embarked on a decade-plus professional career that included stops in the Continental Basketball Association, Italy, Spain and Turkey. He led the CBA in blocks in 1991 and was the Spanish League MVP in 1997.

Tyson Wheeler (1994-98)
The school's second-leading scorer behind Carlton Owens with 1,918 points, Wheeler still holds the program record for assists with 712. He also graduated as URI's all-time leader in steals (205) and 3-point shots (302), and he holds the top two single-season assist marks (205 in 1997-98 and 203 in 1995-96). He made the All-Atlantic 10 Team every season of his career, earning First Team honors twice, Second Team once and the All-Rookie Team. A second round pick of the Toronto Raptors during the lockout-shortened 1999 season, Wheeler played several seasons in the Continental Basketball Association, earning Second Team All-League honors in 2002-03. Following a length professional career overseas, he turned to coaching and is an assistant at Brown today.

Cuttino Mobley (1994-98)
No player benefited more from the arrival of Jim Harrick than Mobley, who emerged as the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 1997-98. He finished his career with 1,334 points and graduated as URI's career leader in free throw percentage (.821). Spurred by his performance in Rhode Island's Elite 8 run, Mobley was a second round draft pick by the Houston Rockets and earned Second Team All-Rookie Team honors in his first NBA season. He played 10 seasons in the NBA, finishing his career with 11,964 points in time with the Rockets, Orlando Magic and L.A. Clippers. Today he remains active in the BIG3 league.

Antonio Reynolds Dean (1995-99)
The only person to both play and coach for Rhode Island in the NCAA Championship, Reynolds Dean led the Rams to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances as a player. A dynamic power forward, he made a splash as the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year in the 1995-96 season. With 1,576 career points, he still ranks 14th in program history and he is one of only two Rams with both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. His 235 blocked shots are third in team history. His long professional career overseas included First Team All-IBA and IBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2000, two All-Star appearances in Liga Espanola de Baloncesto, where he also won a league title in 2003. Since his playing ended, Reynolds Dean has been coaching in the college ranks and he is currently the associate head coach at Georgia.


Ring of Honor/Hall of Fame Dinner Event
Date: Friday, February 17, 2023
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Newport Marriott, 25 America's Cup Ave, Newport, R.I.
URI Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for the 1987-88 and 1997-98 URI Men's basketball teams. Cocktail hour and hors D'oeuvres to be followed by dinner reception. Speakers include Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn, along with members of both teams and coaching staffs. Photographs, videos, memories, and stories from both teams will be shared in celebration of the historic runs both teams made in the NCAA tournament. Tickets start at $100 and sponsorship packages are available. Please contact Chris Lenox at 401-874-2389 or clenox@uri.edu for more information.

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Ring of Honor Criteria
A Ring of Honor candidate must...

• Have graduated from the University of Rhode Island
• Be 10 years removed from his playing/coaching career at Rhode Island
• Be a member of the Rhode Island Athletics Hall of Fame
• Have demonstrated outstanding character, integrity and commitment to the University during his or her athletic career
• Have earned distinction in two or more of the following categories:
  - All-American

-Year-End Individual Conference Award
- Multiple All-Conference Team Honors
- All-Time Program Statistical Leader Upon Completion of Career
- Led Nation in Single Season or Career Statistic
- Won an Individual and/or Team Championship
- Had Significant Professional/Olympic/International Playing Career Success