URI Drops to #25 in Latest National Poll
GoLocalProv Sports Team
URI Drops to #25 in Latest National Poll
The Rams were ranked 17th last week and have been ranked as high as 16th so far this season.
Two Game Losing Streak
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe drop comes after the Rams lost two straight games last week.
First, falling at home to Saint Joseph’s, 78-48, on senior night, then losing their regular season finale to Davidson, 63-61, on the road.
“Losing to Davidson on the road isn’t a bad loss, losing to St. Joe’s, there is no excuse for, that’s like, you forgot to show up. I mean that cost them three lines in the bracket,” CBS Sports Bracketologist Jerry Palm told GoLocalProv on Sunday in a phone interview.
Bracketology
Palm has URI as a seven seed and playing Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in his latest bracket projection.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Rams as an eight seed and playing NC State in the first round in his latest bracket projection.
Lunardi told GoLocalProv that he thinks Rhode Island can get back to a six-seed at best with an A-10 Tournament win.
For more on URI’s NCAA Tournament scenario, click here.
RPI
URI has the 16th best RPI in the country behind Nevada and Michigan, and ahead of Kentucky and Arizona.
The RPI rankings measure the team's strength of schedule and is adjusted based on wins and losses and who those wins and losses come against.
A-10 Tournament
Next up for URI is the A-10 Tournament.
URI will open the A-10 Tournament against either eighth-seeded VCU or ninth-seeded Dayton on Friday at noon.
URI Rams Basketball 2017-18 Projected Starting Lineup
Guard
E.C. Matthews - Redshirt Senior
E.C. Matthews returns for his redshirt senior season, now two years removed from ACL surgery. The Rams will need him to regain his form.
Matthews missed a couple of weeks during the preseason with knee tendinitis, but has since returned to practice and did play in URI's "secret scrimmage" against Harvard last week.
Prior to the start of this season, Matthews was named to the first preseason All-Atlantic 10 team during A-10 Media Day. He is also on the John Wooden Award Watch List.
Last season, Matthews averaged 15 points per game on 42% shooting from the field. In the A-10 Tournament, Matthews carried the Rams offense scoring 20, 19 and 19 points respectively in the three games to get the Rams the title.
Guard
Jared Terrell - Senior
Jared Terrell was named to second preseason All-Atlantic 10 team during A-10 Media Day.
He returns to the Rams after averaging 13 points, three rebounds and one steal per game in 2016-17.
Terrell will look to build off last season in which he shot 42 % from the field - the highest of his career.
Guard
Jeff Dowtin - Sophomore
Jeff Dowtin is coming off a freshman season in which he started the final 19 games, including both NCAA Tournament games.
He averaged six points and two assists in 22 minutes of action per game last season while also recording 17 steals on the year.
In URI's NCAA Tournament game against Creighton, Dowtin poured in a career-high 23 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the field.
Forward
Andre Berry - Senior
In two seasons with the Rams, Andre Berry has played in 30 games, but hasn't started any.
For his career, Berry has averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in an averaged of six minutes per game.
Center
Cyril Langevine - Sophomore
Cyril Langevine will make the start at one of the forward positions as the Rams will try to replace Hassan Martin, who they lost to graduation.
Last season, Langevine played in 35 games and started five games for URI averaging three point, five rebounds, and one block.
In URI's NCAA game against Oregon, Langevine had a near double-double with nine rebounds and nine points. He also had three steals.
