URI vs. #11/12 Kansas, Game Preview
Thursday, November 27, 2014
The University of Rhode Island Rams men's basketball team (3-0) travel to Florida for a Thanksgiving day game against the #11/12 (2-1) Kansas Jayhawks in the opening game of the Orlando Classic. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN2.
URI Rams
The Rams are coming off the biggest win of the Dan Hurley error, beating #21 Nebraska 66-62 in overtime. The win, was the Rams first over a ranked opponent since 1998. The last time URI had consecutive wins over ranked opponents also happens to be 1998.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTFor URI to win, E.C. Matthews is going to have to duplicate his performance from the Nebraska game, in which he posted 26 points and ten rebounds. Matthews got to the free throw line 14 times against Nebraska and got 11 points out of those attempts. The Rams will need Matthews to continue to be aggressive in the game and hope to get a few of the Jayhawks players into some early foul trouble.
Freshman Jared Terrell will be an interesting player to watch in this game for URI as this is his first college game on a national stage against a historic program. Terrell has been playing well for the Rams, having started all three games. In the last game he posted 12 points, which was second best on the team behind Matthews.
#11/12 Kansas Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks come into the game with their only loss coming to Kentucky, the number one team in the country.
Kansas is led by 6'8" junior forward Perry Ellis who in three games this season is averaging 11.3 points and five rebounds per game. Ellis is coming off his first double-double of he year against UC Santa Barbara, scoring 13 points and pulling down ten rebounds.
Frank Mason III is the point guard that makes the Kansas offense run. For the season, Mason averages 8.7 points and just under two assists per game.
URI vs #11/12 Kansas
The Jayhawks come in averaging 65 points per game while URI comes in averaging 77 points and have yet to give up more then 65 points in a game this season.
Kansas has outscored their opponents 110-83 in the first half but have been outscored 108-86 in the second half.
URI will go into HP Fieldhouse for their fourth ever meeting with the Jayhawks, and their first since 2006, looking to continue their winning ways.
Related Slideshow: URI Rams 2014-2015 Projected Starting Lineup
The URI Men's basketball team returns for the 2014-2015 college basketball season looking to make some noise in the A10 conference. Here is there projected starting lineup.
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