Friars, Rams have history…but do they have a future?
Friday, December 23, 2011
The history is certainly there.
But the question is, whose history is right? PC and URI have met more than a hundred times on the basketball floor since 1920 (PC says 122, URI believes the number is 124). PC says they’ve beaten the Rams 67 times and lost 54. URI agrees with 67 Friar wins, but also believes two early “exhibitions” played by the schools in 1920-21 should count as wins for their side, giving the Rams 56 wins in the series.
How about the players who have taken the floor over the years? Marvin Barnes, Ernie DeGregorio, Joe Hassett, Otis Thorpe, Eric Murdock, Austin Croshere, Ryan Gomes, Marshon Brooks – all of them eventual pros, having faced the Rams as Providence Friars. Sly Williams, Tom Garrick, Kenny Green, Lamar Odom, Cuttino Mobley, Tyson Wheeler – as Rams, all took on PC and had success. However, in Williams’ infamous case, Friar fans believe he should have BEEN a Friar, before a late switch found him on the Kingston campus in the late ‘70’s, rather than in Providence.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHow about Hall of Fame coaches? PC has Dave Gavitt. URI has Frank Keaney. No arguments there.
From the official start of the series in 1935 through 1980 (except for the World War II years of 1943-44) the schools actually faced each other twice every season – sometimes THREE times in a season – until PC’s entry into the Big East created scheduling difficulties. The Friars and Rams have always played basketball, their players know each other well through friendships, summer scrimmages, high school and AAU battles, and fans of both programs love to rag on the other side.
There was a brief time, in 2003, where the two programs could not agree on a contract to continue playing each other. Rhody had built the Ryan Center on campus, and after years of alternating “home” games at the then-Providence Civic Center because Keaney Gym could not accommodate large crowds, the Rams wanted a chance to play a true home game in the series every other year.
While it certainly makes sense to do that, the request almost killed the series. Why help your arch rival? Ultimately, for the good of the game, for the fans and both schools, and for the rivalry itself…the two sides agreed to play on.
The history is what makes the rivalry great. It’s Rhode Island’s own battle for bragging rights (with all due respect to Brown and Bryant), and the one game worthy of attention that gives the state something to call its own – outside of the Boston professional sports teams’ influence. Each school has thousands of alumni living in RI or near by, to further fan the flames.
Yet it’s also true the passion for this annual game isn’t at the fever pitch it once was, that through the years of playing in different leagues and recruiting different players each side has settled into its own niche in an attempt to create a successful program. No longer does the game mean as much to the players or coaches as it once did, with bigger games to play on their respective conference schedules. No longer is the game an automatic sell-out, regardless of the venue. Exactly why the game has lost some of its relevance is subject to opinion…and somewhat predictably, no one seems to be able to agree.
For some however, the game still means a lot – bragging rights for an entire year if you win, and creating excuses for a year if you lose. It provides a measure of redemption if one side is struggling and a means of motivation and focus if you’re playing well.
However, this game is played for the two schools, and for the respective fans of those schools, more than ever before.
And that’s not a bad thing. PC-URI still creates a local buzz, some years more than others, and keeps us all focused on “us.” This is a game that should always be played, no matter the circumstances, for the history alone…if nothing else. In this day and age when 100-year rivalries are tossed aside in other parts of the country like yesterday's trash, this is one rivalry we should all embrace.
Because it’s something we, as Rhode Islanders, can call our own.
PC-URI Notes
The Friars have won six straight, and are 10-2 on the season coming into Friday night’s 7:00 pm tip off after a 67-52 win over New Hampshire Tuesday. While the strong start to the season might be unexpected, equally unexpected is URI’s 1-10 start to their season – the worst since 1974-75. The Rams fell to Yale at the Ryan Center 68-65 on Sunday, and have lost seven in a row…both teams will feature new additions to their lineups. PC added 6-9 sophomore Kadeem Batts to the rotation earlier this week, after he missed the first 11 games of the year due to a team suspension. URI will welcome transfers Billy Baron (6-2 sophomore) and Andre Malone (6-6 junior) to their lineup, after sitting out the required one-year period following their moves from Virginia and Auburn, respectively…Baron should provide outside shooting capability and a steadying influence running the offense, while Malone gives the Rams more of an inside scoring presence. Malone averaged in double figures (11 points per game) over the 11 games he played for the Tigers last season, prior to his transfer…Rhody coach Jim Baron suspended leading scorer Jamal Wilson (17.5 points per game) prior to the Yale game, and second-leading scorer Nikola Malesevic (13.4 points per game) suffered a hand injury this week, leaving him out of Friday night's game with his hand in a cast. Wilson's status has not yet been determined…there is a common opponent between the two this season – Brown – with the Bears losing at Providence 80-47 and winning at the Pizzitola Center against the Rams 65-56…the home team in this series has won the last eight games…PC has never won at the Ryan Center, 0-4 all time…Providence won 87-74 last year at the Dunkin Donuts Center…Friar head coach Ed Cooley spent the 1996-97 season as an assistant coach on the URI staff, under former head coach Al Skinner, before following Skinner to Boston College…
