By Shane Donaldson
Associate Athletic Director, Communication and New Media

KINGSTON, R.I. - Freshman point guard Jaen Chatman figures to have a significant role with Rhode Island immediately in his career. With that in mind, it makes sense that he is getting thrown into the fire, going head-to-head with veterans Jonah Hinton and Dylan Williamson this summer.

Chatman is the new guy, a consensus three-star recruit who was URI's first commit for the 2026-27 class. He and Duke signee Derron Rippey Jr. formed the dynamic Blair Academy backcourt, leading their team to the championship game of the National Prep Championship Series last March.

By the time his freshman season officially gets underway, Chatman will have the chance to fine-tune his skills every day against Hinton and Williamson, who have a combined 164 games of Division I experience to their credit.

"D-Will and Jonah, I guard those two guys every practice, and we are always going at each other," Chatman said. "We all have a very competitive nature. Iron sharpens iron, and we are going to continue to keep each other on our toes.

"Those guys work really hard on their game. I see Jonah in the gym every day before and after practice, getting after it. I see how serious he is about his craft. Just hanging around those guys, it reinforces the approach I want to bring to the gym each day."

It's a good combination to model himself after. Williamson is a three-year starter at Towson who has earned postseason all-conference accolades each season he has played. With 1,326 points, 300 career assists and 61 victories over his last three seasons, the production from the graduate student point guard speaks for itself.

Hinton broke out for the Rams last season, averaging 12.6 points per game and making 76 3-pointers, tied for the ninth most in a season in URI history. Often lauded by head coach Archie Miller for his defense, Hinton led the team with 32.4 minutes per game, proving himself to be a true two-way player.

"As a freshman, seeing the way (Hinton and Williamson) work shows me how much harder I need to work to get to where I want to be in the future with my career," Chatman said.

As competitive as they are each day in practice, it's also clear they are on the same team, playing for the same goal.

"For me as an older guy, it is very important to help someone like Jaen get ready," Williamson said. "It's not necessarily that he can't handle it. But you don't want to take it lightly on any of the guys. I'm new here. I am going to be competitive every single day, with everyone. Jaen has been good so far. He has competed. He's playing hard every day. As a leader, which I want to be for this team, it's very important to do what I can to get everyone ready."

For Chatman, as a point guard, getting to know every member of the program is important to him. He has been in regular contact with sophomores Jalen Harper and Barrett Loer since he committed to the program last October. In his younger days, he watched senior wing Jahmere Tripp going back to Tripp's days at Our Savior Lutheran.

He spends significant time off the court with roommates and fellow freshmen Steven Sherman and Tim Martin, as well as redshirt freshman Javon Perry. Chatman makes a point of working out individually with new graduate assistant R.J. Johnson, the team's point guard last season. He also has regular conversations with the team veterans, Williamson, Hinton and Jason Fontenet.

"A big focal point in deciding to come to Rhode Island was the culture," said Chatman, for whom religion and Christianity are a big part. "I got to come to campus and see the team practice. I saw how together the guys were as a group. It was something I felt I could be a part of and fit in with. If you are not together as a team, it's really hard to win at any level. That close-knit feeling that I got was a big part of it for me."

Chatman played against Harper during his high school career. He sees the work ethic of the combo guard from Philadelphia, who played in 26 games with one start as a true freshman last year.

"Being in the gym with Jalen, you see his work ethic. He is always in the gym," Chatman said. "His defensive mindset last season is what got him minutes on the court, and defense is a big part of my game that I take a lot of pride in. I know from watching and listening to him, if I can defend, I am going to have opportunities on the court."

While he calls himself a good shooter, Chatman added that he lets the offensive game come to him. He is effective driving to the basket, which helps set up what he likes most on offense, setting up his teammates.

"I like to get everyone involved in the offense and be unselfish with the ball," Chatman said. "The game gets exciting when I see my teammates having success. When I make the right read and get the ball to someone who is open and they hit their shot, that gets me going."

Basketball is a craft for Chatman. He fell in love with the game after watching the 2011 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks.

"The first basketball game I ever watched was an NBA Finals game between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks," Chatman said. "That's when LeBron became my favorite player and the game clicked for me. From that point on, I've always watched basketball. I started playing when I was in fourth grade, and ever since, basketball had been a big part of my everyday life.

"The pregame nerves are what I live for. That's how I know that I care about the game. I feel like if I didn't have any nerves at all, it would be a problem. It shows me how much I care and how much I want to be great when I do step on the court. It feels like an escape from reality. The game is my own world, and it helps me make basketball the main focus. It gives me the best feeling in the world."

SUMMER SERIES
July 16 - Team Chemistry In Focus For Summer Camp
July 14 - Preparation Has Led to Success for Williamson
July 9 - Fontenet Ready To Make Big Impact
July 7 - Hometown Bond Helps Deniusas, Raupelis Adjust