URI Men’s Basketball Preview - 11 New Players
Monday, October 16, 2023
In 2022, Archie Miller came to a new school and a new team. A year later, he is at the same school and practically has a new team again. The 2023/24 University of Rhode Island (URI) men's basketball team has 11 new players. Not one of the starters from last year is back. Any reset brings with it an opportunity to review and assess what went well, what needs improvement and what needs to change. It will be interesting to see if Coach Miller makes any subtle or significant changes in his approach or tactics. If there are, they may not be apparent or revealed. The best judges of this are the handful of returning players. When asked what may be different this year, returning player Rory Stewart said, "Coach has always emphasized winning, and that has not changed."
The emphasis on winning is well-placed, as the Rams did little of it last year. They won only nine of thirty-one games. Their offense was feeble as they had problems shooting, finishing, and had prolonged scoring droughts, particularly at the end of games. The team’s field goal percentage of 39% was the worst in the A-10 Conference, and their three-point shooting percentage of 30.4% was one of the worst in the country. Injuries significantly impacted their frontcourt, resulting in a weak interior defense which opponents exploited.
There is much work to do in Kingston and Miller and his staff recruited 11 new players to do it. They have brought in three players who are capable of shooting 40% from the three-point line and two players who have shot around 60% on two-point attempts. They have added to the frontcourt with two new players who are 6’ 9”, and with the 6’ 11” Jeremy Foumena coming off his redshirt year, they have five players 6’ 9’ or taller. Rhode Island unveiled this new team during a “Blue and White” inter-squad scrimmage as part of Hoop Fest last Friday night. These new Rams were flying all over the court. They displayed an up-tempo, try to keep up with me, fast pace the entire evening. In hopefully what will be a good omen, their first three-point shot swished through the net. When asked if this new group of players aligns more with his coaching philosophy than last year’s squad, Miller replied, “We evaluated and recruited them. We are starting at a higher base than last year, but this team still has a long way to go. We are not now what we will be.”GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
With so many new players, team chemistry and how quickly they can mesh into a cohesive unit are essential. The team needs to establish an identity. Leaders must emerge. Who is going to be the face of the team? Who will be the go-to guy when the critical bucket is needed?
Rhode Island will be better this year, but so will the A-10 overall. Most prognosticates have them still in the bottom tier of the League. Miller and his new bunch of ballers are out to do better than that.
The returning players are Brandon Weston (4.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG), Stewart (2.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG), Josaphat Bilau (6.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG), Jimmy Ball (0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG) and Jeremy Foumena (redshirt 2022-23). Stewart played for Britain this past summer in the FIBA U-20 European Championship. Foumena gained considerable weight and strength during his redshirt year. Miller has added speed, shooters, and size to his squad. The eleven new players bring an eclectic mix to the team.
So, who is new wearing the Keaney Blue? There are quite a few.
The team has ten guards, eight of whom are new. They are:
- Zek Montgomery is a 6’ 6” junior transfer from Bradley University. He shoots 40.7% on three-point shots. He credits his leadership skills to his mother, saying, “She raised me to be a leader, not a follower, and not to be afraid of making mistakes.”
- Luis Kortright is a 6’ 3” junior transfer from Quinnipiac. Kortright revealed that during the Bobcats victory over URI at the Ryan Center last year, he realized he could play at a mid-major and kept URI in the back of his mind.
- Jaden House is a 6” 4” junior transfer from High Point University. When asked what the strength of his game is, House said, “I am looked to as a scorer and mentally have assumed that role. I have experience being a scorer at High Point and hope to replicate it here.” House averaged 17.3 points per game at High Point.
- Cam Estevez is a 6’ 3” freshman from Harlem, NY. Estevez may be the fastest Ram and describes himself as, “a competitor who wants to win.” Along with his speed, Estevez brings grit, and toughness.
- Always Wright is a 6’ 3” sophomore transfer from Northeast Oklahoma A&M (Junior College). Wright was a duel sports star in high school in Missouri. As quarterback, he passed for more than 4,400 yards and 52 touchdowns. Upon entering college, he dedicated himself to basketball and progressed quickly. When asked if he, in fact, is always right, he responded, “I hope so on the basketball court.” If his game is as smooth as his personality, the Rams have found themselves a player. Wright averaged 15 points a game and connected on 43.4% of his three-point shots during his one-year JUCO career.
- Connor Dubsky is a 6’ 4” freshman from Woodbridge, VA. Dubsky is a pure shooter with a smooth stroke. In a multi-day tournament for high-level high school recruits, he averaged 19 points a game and put up a stat line of 51% from the floor, 43% from three-point range, and 92% at the foul line.
- Ray Allen III is a 6’ 1” freshman from Miami, FL. He is a preferred walk-on and the son of UConn and NBA great Ray Allen Jr.
- Jameson Smith is a 6’ 1” freshman from Falls Church, VA. He is a non-scholarship player who brings enthusiasm and determination to the team.
There are six frontcourt players. The three new ones are:
- Tyson Brown is a 6’ 9” junior transfer from Florida Southern State (Junior College). Brown prides himself on his tenacity and high motor. Last year, he shot 57.5% from the field and did not attempt a three-point shot.
- David Green is a 6’ 7” junior transfer from Hofstra University. Green is a lefty who brings toughness and defense to the floor. He shot 48.6% from the field and 35% from three-point range.
- David Fuchs is a 6’ 9” freshman from Vienna, Austria. Fuchs may be the most intriguing of the new players. He turns 20 next month and is one of the most experienced freshmen to join the program. He played professionally in Europe, shooting 60.4% from two-point range this past year. Asked about his new experiences, Fuchs replied, “America and basketball here are quite different from Europe. I like America a lot, and basketball here is more physical. Physicality is one of my best assets.”
URI begins action on November 1 with an exhibition game against Assumption University.
James Malachowski is the former Chairman/Managing Partner at RDW Group. He previously served as the chair of the Public Utilities Commission.
Related Articles
- URI Men’s Basketball Is Losing Its Best Player
- End of the Road for the Rams: URI Loses to La Salle in A-10 Tourney
- URI Women’s Basketball Defeats BU to Advance to NIT Second Round
- More URI Basketball Players Announce They Are Entering the Transfer Portal
- Mass Exodus — URI Basketball Players Are Fleeing Archie Miller’s Program
- URI Women Can’t Overcome Early Shooting Woes, Lose in the A-10 Semi-Final Game
- URI Men’s Basketball Notches First Road Win of Season
- URI Men’s Basketball Loses to VCU 55-54, First Game After Freeman’s Dismissal
- Why the URI Basketball Game on Saturday Signals Trouble for the Program
- URI Loses to GW in OT - Sixth Straight Loss
- URI Falls to Fordham, Misses 3 at Buzzer That Would Have Tied Game
- URI Women’s Basketball Season Ends - Lose to Harvard in Super 16 in WNIT
- URI Men’s Basketball Hit With More Players Transferring
- URI Football Ranked #21 in Preseason Poll
- PC and URI Men’s Basketball Ink Deal to Extend Rivalry for 10 More Years
- Daughter of Former URI Great Tyson Wheeler Killed in Accident
- Rhode Island Is in a “Statistical Recession” Claims URI Economist
- URI Men’s Basketball Hits $400,000 for NIL - Top Booster and Former CVS CEO Says More to Come
- Former RI Baseball Star and Coach at URI & Brown at Center of Abuse Allegations at Northwestern
- Former Dean of URI Library Professor David C. Maslyn, Sr. Dies
- Transfer Portal Mega Moves: URI Lands One, Leggett Goes to Pitt, and Bynum Heads to Stanford
- Former Hendricken and URI Guard Transfers to Albany, Bryant’s Pride Headed to Bonnies
- Legendary URI Faculty Member Dr. Agnes G. Doody Dies at 93
- URI Economist Issues Warning About RI Economy—Is He Right?
- URI Beats Brown for 5th Consecutive Year to Retain Governor’s Cup
