Throughout the summer, GoRhody.com will run a weekly feature series introducing the members of the 2025-26 Men's Basketball team. The series will focus on their respective basketball journeys.

KINGSTON, R.I. - Barrett Loer has been on the Rhode Island radar for several years. When you are a three-level scorer with local basketball ties, that tends to be the case.

Such is the case for the Millis, Mass. native who attended prep school at St. George's in Middletown, just across the Jamestown and Newport bridges. URI first offered Loer a scholarship early in the summer of 2023. In the following months, schools like Minnesota, Xavier, Penn State and Wake Forest and several others followed suit, but a foot injury caused some places to pursue other options.

Rhode Island, specifically head coach Archie Miller and assistant coach Austin Carroll, stayed the course with Loer. Carroll stayed in touch and would attend as many of Loer's games as possible.

"When you go through the recruiting process, it can be very hard to see the truth. Some coaches can put in right in front of you and give you a sense of how things are going to look when you get there," Loer said. "It can be difficult to determine how much of what they are saying is true, and how much are they just saying whatever it takes to get you to their school.

"With Coach Archie and the rest of the staff, I felt like they were very straight forward the entire time. They told me what parts of my game I needed to work on. Coach Carroll made the effort to get to my games. When I committed, so even before I was actually physically here, he was giving me pointers on how to get better. When I look at my game, I have a pretty good sense of what I am good at and what areas I need to work on. Coach Carroll is a good communicator and he can tell me, 'These are the areas we are going to work on so you are a complete player.' That was a big thing. They really built up a level of trust early, and they were able to see a vision for me before I saw it for myself."

If his season at St. George's is any indication, Loer is in a great position basketball-wise. He is coming off a winter in which he led the Dragons to an Independent School League title while earning First Team All-League honors. He has the potential to make an immediate impact for URI.

"I can shoot 3s, finish at the rim with dunks and score in the mid-range area," Loer said, when asked to assess his game. "I feel like I bring intensity and positive energy to the gym every single day. I don't expect to go out there and play 30 minutes and score 30 points every night. Right now my role is to do whatever the guys need me to do to help get the team over the hump. Whatever it takes for us to win, that is what I care about."

Over the summer, Loer roomed with fellow incoming freshmen Jalen Harper and Javon Perry, forming a quick bond with his classmates. Once he committed last August, Loer also spent a lot of time getting to know redshirt freshman Damone King.

"I've known both of them a little bit because all three of us have been playing prep school ball in the area," Loer said. "DK and I have been getting to know each other well over the last year. He knew he was staying and that I was coming in, so we've been building that relationship.

"Even though we are all freshmen this year, all of us have been out of high school for more than a year already. So we bring a little more maturity than the average freshman class. Jalen, Javon, DK and myself are all 18- or 19-years-old now. Three of us went to prep school and got the boarding school experience. DK was here adjusting to college already. For all of us, we've been on a daily routine structure for a while already. That will really help our transition. From that standpoint, I think we are all coming in ready to go."

He feels this maturity - coupled with a roster loaded with older veteran players - bodes well for the Rams in 2025-26.

"In the college landscape right now, the game is a lot older," Loer said. "There are so many fifth- and sixth-year guys we are competing with and against. We have a good older core who are accustomed to the daily intensity of a college program. I think it helps us a lot that none of us are coming in right out of high school. Obviously it's a higher level and there are still adjustments to make, but we have at least been exposed to the lifestyle, and that should flatten the learning curve for us. It should make for faster improvement and less time being spent teaching us how to do things from the start."

Not only is he well ahead of the curve from a physical standpoint, but Loer also puts a lot of work into mental health. He has developed a close friendship with former Syracuse guard Kaleb Joseph. Once one of the nation's top guard prospects, Joseph struggled with the pressure that came with expectations, stepping away from the game when he was overcome by anxiety.

Joseph now travels the country and speaks with young basketball players about the importance of mental health. His message resonated with Loer.

"Kaleb Joseph has become a good friend," Loer said. "I've seen him speak about mental health and how to deal with nerves or anxiety. Seeing how he prepares to speak in front of a crowd, how he works things out and gets himself mentally prepared, I've been able to take a lot from him and incorporate it into my own routines."

Whether it is a game or practice, Loer gets himself prepared through a series of breathing and slow movement exercises to align his body with his breathing.

"While you are stretching, breathing is a big aspect to getting yourself right," Loer said. "Breathing relaxes your body, your muscles. I wouldn't say I get nervous before games. But I get that ready-to-go, anxious feeling where everything is stored up. That can be powerful when you understand how to take that energy and put it in the right places."

There is a maturity to Loer's words. He is serious about the game and making the most of the opportunities in front of him. But he has a fun side as well. When discussing how he first fell in love with the game of basketball, a quick smile flashes across his face.

"My mom likes to tell this story, and I'll share it too. It was the movie High School Musical," Loer said. "I watched that when I was a little kid, and I must have thought it was a really good movie. That movie made an impact on me, and my mom went out and bought a Little Tikes plastic basketball hoop for me. She set it up on our back porch, and I would go outside for hours and shoot on it. She would actually put on the music from the movie. That's how I started playing basketball, and things just took off from there."

As he begins his college journey in Kingston, Loer likes what he sees thus far,

"My biggest goal this summer was to be 100 percent open and comfortable with everyone in the program," Loer said. "When you have a team with so many new guys, you have to build that trust and connection with each other very quickly. What I've seen is a group of guys who show up to work every day while being supportive of each other. That translates off the court as well as on the court. When you show up for other people every day, that translates into trust."

Check back on Tuesday, Aug. 12 for a feature on guard Jalen Harper. To order tickets for the 2025-26 Men's Basketball Season, click here.

Summer Series
6/12 - Hinton Brings Strategic Mind to Rhody
6/19 - Johnson Leads With the Spirit of the Wolf
6/26 - Itejere Offers Explosive Presence in the Paint
7/1 - Cochran's Versatile Production An Asset
7/3 - Tripp Ready To Work For Rams
7/10 - Early Patience Allowed Sow's Game To Grow
7/15 - Corey Brings Electric Ability to Backcourt
7/17 - Crawford's Reset Made The Game Fun Again
7/24 - Traore is the Glue for Rhody
7/24 - Traore is the Glue for Rhody
7/31 - Redshirt Season Has King Prepped for Impact
8/5 - After Whirlwind First Season, Icke Settling In