PC-URI Rivalry On The Rise
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Despite a struggling economy and years of corrupt politics, Rhode Islanders still take pride in their state. Whether it’s the great restaurants on Federal Hill or all of the state’s great beaches, the quality of life in the Ocean State can be pretty good.
However, when it comes to sports, Providence and Rhode Island is largely a sports suburb of Boston. In the sport of football, most of us live and die with the Patriots each Sunday. It’s the Celtics and Bruins we follow in the NBA and NHL respectively while in baseball, it’s either the Red Sox or the New York Yankees.
But there are a few things in sports that we take complete ownership of that don’t resonate with Bostonians. And right at the top of that list is the annual showdown between Providence College and the University of Rhode Island in men’s college basketball.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTUnfortunately, the game has lost some of its sizzle in recent years due to the fact that both programs have been down for an extended period of time. But it may not be long before that sizzle is back!
This year’s PC-URI game will be held on Thursday, December 6th at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence. Will the game sell out? Maybe. But that’s a question that didn’t need to be asked not too long ago and it’s one that probably won’t need to be asked again in the very near future.
Both fan bases have been reenergized by the hiring of new head coaches in the past year and a half. For Providence, it was a homecoming for Central’s Ed Cooley who made the trek two hours up route 95 from Fairfield to his native Providence in the spring of 2011.
Rhode Island welcomed former Wagner head coach Dan Hurley into the fold this spring after a decade of solid but not spectacular teams coached by Jim Baron.
And while neither hire had fans rushing to their respective box offices to purchase season tickets, what the two coaches have done in their first year on the job has fans buzzing about their programs once again.
Cooley came in with a reputation as being a good recruiter, but no Friar fan expected him to land two McDonald’s All-Americans in his first full recruiting class which he did with Kris Dunn and Ricky Ledo. Cooley and the Friars have also been involved with many more of the nation’s top recruits which has Friar Nation fired up for the future.
Meanwhile, down in Kingston, Ram fans were equally charged up with Hurley’s arrival. Coming from a great basketball family, Dan Hurley engineered a quick turnaround for the Wagner College Seahawks which gave hope to Rhody fans that the same could be done here. The early returns are in, and it’s quite encouraging for URI.
Hurley and his staff have been pounding the pavement for top recruits and striking paydirt. Just last weekend, the Rams received verbal commitments from a borderline top 50 recruit in Michigan guard E.C. Mathews and a top 150 recruit from Staten Island in Hassan Martin who, at age 16, has the potential to be ranked much higher than that once his senior season in high school is over with.
Both Cooley and Hurley have lured quality transfers from other schools this offseason as well. Former Wake Forest big man Carson Derosiers and Arizona forward Sidiki Johnson will be wearing black and white soon while Rutgers forward Gil Biruta and Rice wingman Jarelle Reischel will be wearing Rhody blue next fall.
And while none of the aforementioned recruits will be in uniform on December 6th for this year’s match-up, next year is a different story. It’s all systems go in 2013 which should bring a lot of fire back to this rivalry.
Remember the late 90’s? PC had God Shammgod, Jamel Thomas, Austin Croshere and Derek Brown while URI had Tyson Wheeler, Cuttino Mobley, Antonio Reynolds-Dean and Josh King. Now those were some great players on some great teams. Is that where things are headed in the near future?
It also helps to have two very passionate coaches in Cooley and Hurley leading their respective programs. In all due respect to their predecessors Keno Davis and Jim Baron, they didn’t seem to excite the fans the way that these two men do.
I hate to wish the upcoming college basketball season away, but must say that I am looking forward to the 2013-2014 season and beyond for Providence and Rhode Island. Maybe, just maybe, the buzz will be back in this rivalry. It certainly appears that way. And not a moment too soon.
