State of the Rams Going into A-10 Conference Play - Malachowski
James Malachowski, Sports Columnist
State of the Rams Going into A-10 Conference Play - Malachowski
The URI basketball team was picked to finish 14th out of 15 teams in last year’s A-10 Conference pre-season coaches’ poll. Last season, they finished in 12th place after going 6-12 in conference play and 6-9 in non-conference play, with an overall record of 12-21.
For this 2024-25 season, the A-10 coaches had a little more faith in the Rams, picking them to finish in 11th place. This year’s version of the Rams is looking to make a major improvement to last season's debacle.
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Leading the A-10 in five categories
URI is a better team than last year, and they have a record and stats to prove it. With 11 wins against only one loss, the team is better in almost every offensive and defensive statistical category.
Presently, URI is ranked first, leading all A-10 teams in the following categories,
Scoring - 85.7 PPG
3-point percentage - 36.9%
Rebounding - 41.8PG
Defensive Rebounding - 31PG
Rebounding Margin +6.5.
They also rank 2nd in the A-10 in Field Goal Percentage at 48% and 4th in Assists at 16.25 PG. Nationally, the Rams are close to the top in a handful of categories.
Team Matches Miller’s Strategy
It appears Coach Archie Miller has a team that fits his preferred style of play. He wants to play up-tempo, and the Rams are 19th in the country in scoring at 85.7 PPG and 20th in the country in fast break points at 16.7 PG. Miller also emphasizes getting the ball inside where shooting percentages are higher. Javonte Brown leads the A-10 in Field Goal Percentage at 71%. This percentage would rank him 14th nationally if he had enough attempts.
Getting to the Foul Line, Foul Shooting, Rebounding and Defense
Another leg of Miller’s offensive strategy is to get to the foul line. The Rams are the number 3 team in the country in Free Throw Attempts per Game at 28.8. They are also number 3 in the country in Free Throws Made per Game at 20.8. The Rams are shooting 72% from the line, with the following players having outstanding accuracy.
Free Throw Percentage and A-10 Rank
89% - 3rd Jamarques Lawrence
87% - 7th David Green
82% - 8th Jaden House
75% - 21st Sebastian Thomas
The final leg of Miller’s stool is rebounding on both ends, as defensive rebounds can lead to breakouts. Their 31 defensive rebounds per game rank them as third-best in the country. Their rebounding margin ranks them 50th in the country. David Fuchs is 4th in the Conference with 7.3 Rebounds per Game, followed by Green and Brown at 9th, both tallying 6.4 PG.
The defense was a significant problem for the Rams last year and has improved considerably. KenPom ranks URI as the 99 best defense in the country this season. Last year, they finished at 261.
Ranked 72nd in the Country
The team’s performance and stats add up to being ranked as the 72nd-best team in the country in the NCAA Men’s Basketball NET Ratings. Playing a weak non-conference schedule has had its benefits.
This Ram team also has an extremely helpful intangible. As you matriculate, get older, gain experience, and mature, having repeatedly been through tight games and the pressure down the stretch, you adapt. You have been there before. Pressure situations do not bother you. Your head is clear, and you stay in rhythm. Veteran stability is invaluable, and the Rams have it. In discussing the team’s maturity and experience, Miller said, “This season, we are probably one of the oldest groups we ever had.”
Down the stretch, Miller has the option to play four seniors and a junior. With the exception of the Brown game, where they faulted down the stretch, the Rams have played exceptionally well in close games.
- The 81-75 win over Detroit Mercy was a one-possession game with 37 seconds left.
- In their 81-75 win over the University of Texas at Arlington, with two minutes left and up 2 points, URI made three straight stops on the defensive end and consecutively hit both ends of 1-and1 foul shots.
- The Rams were down 5 with 10 minutes left in their 84-78 triumph over Yale. They executed on both ends down the stretch and were solid from the foul line.
- Rhode Island was down at the half and behind until late in the second half in their come-from-behind 69-63 victory over PC. It was a one-possession game with 24 seconds left when senior guard Sebastian Thomas made a steal and a three to seal the game.
The question is, can the Rams continue their excellent play when they face a higher level of competition night after night in conference play?
A-10 Conference Having a Strong Year
Their work is cut out for them as the A-10 is a strong league this year. Currently, eight teams are ranked among the top 120 teams in the country. That’s over half the Conference. Here are the rankings.
Dayton 41
St. Bonaventure 53
VCU 69
URI 72
George Mason 87
St Joseph 96
Davidson 112
Loyola-Chicago 119
A-10 Conference teams have put up notable wins, including Dayton’s wins over UCONN and #8 Marquette, Saint Joseph’s win over Villanova, and VCU beating Colorado State. Three A-10 teams have beaten PC, URI, Davidson, and St. Bonaventure.
The A-10 is currently ranked as the 8th-best Conference in the country. They are less than a percentage point behind the Mountain West which sent six teams to the NCAA tournament last year. When asked about the A-10, Miller said, “The league has done an outstanding job in the non-conference schedule.” He further declared, “The league should be expecting three to five bids this spring.” Miller also said, “I will be surprised if a substantial portion of the upper tier of our league does not expect post-season opportunities in the NCAA Tournament.”
Conference Play Begins
Miller continued, “The Conference race is going to be very difficult to navigate. It will be very important to hold serve at home. If you can win at home, you have a chance to compete in this league.”
The Rams open conference play on Tuesday, December 31st, on the road at Duquesne. It’s hard to win conference games on the road, but URI needs a win to show that they are what their stats say they are.