« December 23, 2007 - December 29, 2007 | Main | January 6, 2008 - January 12, 2008 »

January 5, 2008

PC falls short, 70-65

PC just lost a tough one to DePaul, 70-65. The Friars trailed by as many as 17 in the first half but showed a lot of life in the second and cut the lead to three points on two occassions.
The Friars had the ball with a chance to tie in the final seconds but an inbounds pass by Geoff McDermott was stolen by Will Walker with four seconds to play.
Weyinmi Efejuku led all scorers with 20 points. McDermott had 15 rebounds and Jeff Xavier hit for 15 points.
PC falls to 0-2 in the Big East and 9-5 overall. DePaul is 2-0 and 6-7 overall.

Posted by Kevin at 10:38 PM

PC back to withing 5

PC has cut the lead to 5 (60-55) and is within sight of the Blue Demons. DePaul keeps answering but it's good to see the Friars showing some life both on offense and defense.
6:22 to play.

Posted by Kevin at 9:21 PM

Friars have life

The Friars' offense has arrived! PC has scored 10 of the opening 13 points in the seocnd half and cut DePaul's lead 40-34. Randall Hanke has six of the 13. He just NEEDS to play, even if he's not boarding.

Posted by Kevin at 9:19 PM

DePaul up at half, 37-24

The Friars are getting knocked around in the Windy City. They trail Depaul at the half, 37-24. The Demons were up by as many as 17 points (30-13) as PC suffered through an awful start by hitting 5 of its first 25 shots.
DePaul is winning the hustle plays, too. It's is crushing PC off the boards. No excuse there. Demons are also getting to the foul line way too much: 13 times. Just more aggressive.
We'll see if the Friars can make a push in the second half.

Posted by Kevin at 8:43 PM

It's 30-14. Where is PC's O?

The Friars are getting plenty of good shots but they can't make a jumper and aren't converting inside chances. They are also getting mauled off the boards.
Marshon Brooks and Ray Hall have both been in.
It's 30-14 with 5 left.

Posted by Kevin at 8:30 PM

Big Trouble

The Friars are ice cold - 2-for-15 and DePaul just went to its bench and found 2 threes in a row by Jabari Currie.
DePaul 16-7 inside of 10 minutes.

Posted by Kevin at 8:18 PM

PC 7 DePaul 5

The Friars aren't rebounding but they lead early on, 7-5. The Friars are in a zone defense and that's frsutrated the Blue Demons. It looks like they have a set of bricklayers from outside. They've begun 1-of-9 . PC is 2-of-10.
I like Mac Koshwal, a DePaul frosh. He's big and strong and gets to the rim. A keeper.

Posted by Kevin at 8:15 PM

PC-DePaul Ready to tip

The wireless connection at old, dreary Allstate Arena is good so we'll be blogging a bit from tonight's PC-DePaul game.
The Friars look for their first road win of the season tonight. They've lost at Rhode Island and Marquette and both games were a bit ugly. Correct that. Marquette was very, very ugly. PC needs to show up and show that it's ready to compete tonight. That was not the case vs. Dominic James & Co.
PC is starting the same five: Efejuku, Xavier, McKenzie, McDermott and Hanke.
DePaul may be the best 5-7 team in the country. The Demons have their share of bad losses but took undefeated Vanderbilt to overtime and just knocked off Villanova. They're hot and will be ready to protect their home court.
The stat of the night: PC is 2-13 in its last 15 road games. They won at UConn and South Florida last year. That's it. We'll see if they can get an elusive roadie tonight.
Great seat tonight. On the baseline but I can shoot spit-balls and hit Sharaud Curry on the bench.

Posted by Kevin at 7:49 PM

January 4, 2008

Another chance to see the Rams

There is good news for those who hoped to see URI's Atlantic 10 opener in Dayton Wednesday.

The good will be televised, after all.

CSTV, the network that holds rights to A-10- telecasts, worked out an agreement to telecast the game with WHIO-TV in Ohio. That group then reached an agreement with Cox Cable in Rhode Island to have the game shown on Cox Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The game also will be shown on CSTV and over the internet through Dayton's website, DaytonFlyers.com.

More details in tomorrow's Journal.

Posted by pkenyon at 9:09 PM

Talk URI hoops on Tuesday with Paul Kenyon

College basketball writer Paul Kenyon will take questions from projo.com readers in a live chat on Tuesday at 11 a.m., just before he boards a plane on his way to cover URI-Dayton on Wednesday. The chat will last about an hour. You can submit your questions about URI basketball now: go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, pick a display name and enter the college hoops chat room (you do not have to enter a password; do not check "enter as member"). Type in your question -- remember not to press enter or click send until you have completed your thought -- and Paul will see them when he enters the room on Thursday. Questions will display as he answers them.

Posted by mikemcd at 2:25 PM

Audio slideshow: Kevin McNamara previews PC-DePaul

Before leaving Milwaukee for Chicago, Kevin McNamara took some time this morning to talk about the Friars' game on Saturday against the DePaul Blue Demons. You can see the game at 8 on Saturday night on ESPN Classic. Click the play button below to see and hear the show.

Posted by mikemcd at 12:12 PM

Tim Welsh's postgame audio: PC vs. Marquette

An obviously disappointed Tim Welsh spoke to reporters after Thursday's blowout loss to Marquette. Here are his comments, as recorded by Kevin McNamara.

-General remarks on the game (2:11)

-On the lack of any second-half spurt by his team (1:50)

-Turnover problems caused by poor execution or strong Marquette defense? (1:05)

-Refusing to blame problems on injuries to Sharaud Curry and Dwain Williams (0:55)

-On playing all three freshmen at one point in the second half (0:55)

-On what it will take to succeed in the Big East (1:34)

Posted by mikemcd at 9:48 AM

January 3, 2008

Audio Slideshow: Kevin McNamara previews PC at Marquette

Kevin McNamara took some time this morning to talk about the Friars' big game tonight against the Marquette Golden Eagles. Click the play button below to see and hear the show.

Posted by mikemcd at 2:55 PM

Kevin McNamara's college hoops chat transcript

Kevin McNamara: Hello hoops fans. Happy to be with you again. I certainly am not heading outside. It's about 5 degrees here in Milwaukee. I'll answer as many questions as I can in the next hour or so.

THL: By your article in yesterday's projo, neither Sharaud or Dwain will be available for Marquette or DePaul. What is the cut off date for the possibilty of using a medical redshirt for either, or both players...and do you think it may be used, especially in Sharaud's case?

Kevin McNamara: The Friars play Marquette tonight and Sharaud Curry will not play. We may not see him all season and a decision on that front is right around the corner.

The NCAA redshirt rules state that if you play in a game that’s beyond 50 percent of the team’s schedule – the halfway point – you cannot apply for an injury redshirt. PC plays 30 games so if Curry plays in any game past No. 16, which is next Saturday against South Florida, he cannot redshirt. More on this in Friday’s newspaper.

Dwain Williams is nursing an ankle injury but he will return this season

THL: Obviously, it is now 2008 and the early signing period for 2009 recruits is 10 months away. Although we, at this point, will be looking for six recruits for that season, we have a grand total of zero commitments. In your opinion, is this because recruits are shying away from PC because no one knows if TW will be coaching PC at that time? To follow up, do you know if there is at least one verbal that will be coming shortly? Thank you.

Kevin McNamara: PC does not have any commits from the 2009 class right now. They’ll need 5-7 to fill out the roster so working the junior class is a major priority right now. The Friars are in good with several juniors but they rarely secure commitments from young players at this early date.

Does this have anything to do with the head coach’s contract situation. I can’t imagine that it helps. The PC administration made a decision to have Tim Welsh work with two years left on his deal and they have to live with the consequences. That’s bound to effect recruiting.

Is a verbal coming shortly? Not that I know of. I think the staff is still considering whether to add another player for 2008-09, which is possible with only Chuck Burch graduating

friardad: what is the reason for the lack of playing time for jonathan kale?

Kevin McNamara: Jon Kale started and played a lot of minutes early in the season but that was before Randall Hanke was healthy and productive. Now that Hanke is playing very well again, Kale has disappeared. But he’ll be back. If Hanke and Geoff McDermott are playing well and don’t get into foul trouble, Kales minutes will be limited. But frontcourt depth in Big East games is always important and I see him getting time, as early as tonight.

The emergence of frosh Greedy Peterson has also hurt Kale. Right now he’s behind the freshman because of Greedy’s ability to finish plays close to the rim

DustyC: Kevin, in your opinion, why has Tim Welsh had such difficulty getting his teams to play defense. We were told for the second year in a row that defense was going to be emphasized and yet, this team appears to be just as inept as ever defensively. Is it the players? Does Tim Welsh and his staff have the ability to teach defense? What is the problem? You have to know that this is a burning question for many PC fans.

Kevin McNamara: Dee-Fence. It’s been an elusive quality for the Friars for three years now. Obviously, the coaching staff has emphasized defense every day since practice began. More than at any time, as far as I can recall. But it is not catching on consistently. I think it will be very interesting to see if the Friars defend better against the Big East teams, which sounds crazy but when your back in pushed against the wall, players do seem to respond better.

Tim Welsh has had some good defensive teams in his 9 years at PC so he knows how to coach defense. But that was with different players. He feels this group can be much better defensively and right now the focus in on the perimeter trio of Jeff Xavier, Weyinmi Efejuku and Brian McKenzie. They’re going to play a lot of minutes and are the first `wave’ of defense.

joey the ram fan: kevin whats the truth about sharod curry??is he coming back??when??also how can the pc staff give Ray Hall a scholarship??? Im not friar bashing but if this team doesnt make the nit how can welsch keep his job????

Kevin McNamara: Joey is fired up this morning. He should be after the Rams whacked another foe last night in Kingston. See above for Curry. Not a mystery. He's hurt and it's looking like he will not return this season. That's a major, major loss for PC. Kind if like URI losing Parfait Bitee for the year. How would that play in Kingston? I won't justify the Ray Hall question. He's a sophomore and a project and it's good to have your projects be 6-11 and 270 pounds. He'll contribute before he's done at PC. I know Joey The Ram fan would never `Friar Bash' but we'l see how the season plays out - NCAA/NIT/Nowhere - before we make a call on Tim Welsh's job status.

Jeff: Hi Kevin, I first want to say that I really enjoy reading you this time or year and its great to have someone as good as you following the Friars. Do you think the Friars can realistically compete for an NCAA tourney bid without Curry in the lineup? As good as I think Ekejuku can be, his inconsistent play tends to wear off on this whole Friars team (think Brown last year).

Kevin McNamara: The loss of Sharaud Curry is a huge one for PC and cannot be overstated. He’s Levance Fields and Eric Devendorf, the two key injured players for Pitt and Syracuse. Without him I think the Friars are hard-pressed to make the NCAA’s. I’d be surprised if they can win more than 7-9 Big East games. Now a PC team that’s 9-9 in the league would finish 18-12, which is more than pretty good. The key is who you beat. Will it be DePaul, Rutgers and St. John’s or those teams with an upset of Marquette, West Virginia or Georgetown thrown into the mix? That would get PC into the NCAA discussion, for sure

friar1: Kevin - who raised Tim's ire after the St. Peter's game w/ the questions about playing time?

Kevin McNamara: I'm not going to bash another media member but let's just say it was someone who mis-pronounced Jon Kale's name when he asked the question. Don't think that got Welsh off on the right foot. I could see his point, too. If the Friars lost or a big man didn't play well, then why didn't Jon Kale play? But they won the game, they needed their best players in because it was a tight game and Randall Hanke had 23 points and 14 rebounds. You want to take him out

THL: This is a bit premature, but I heard that the Friars will play in a Thanksgiving weekend exempt tournament in Annaheim next season. Joining PC in the field will be Arkansas once again. Do you have any info on who else will be competing?

Kevin McNamara: You are correct. The Friars will be in Disney next Turkey Day. Book your flights now. I can't recall some of the other teams but this is an ESPN event so the field will be good. I believe there are a few Western teams involved like New Mexico and Utah State, perhaps. I'll check on this and get it in somewhere for you guys.

Jeff: kevin, is there anyway hanke can take over the roll of Herbery Hill from last year's squad? Pc used to have a great rebounding team last year, and that could help alot in the Big East.

Kevin McNamara: Hanke and Hill are very different players. The emergence of Hill as an offensive force was the key to last year's NIT finish. PC needs that inside scoring and Hanke is capable of providing it more than anyone else on the team. Hill was not a defender. Neither is Hanke. That is a major issue for the team. Both players are good offensive rebounders but Hanke needs to hit the defensive boards more. That is a major concenr heading into the Big East. PC was a plus-6 rebounding team last year. Right now they are plus-4.8. Needs to be better.

PC78: The Friars are 9 - 3 at this point and need to get into the NCAA in order for Tim W to return(in my opinion). My guess is they need another 10 wins to make the tourney, even with the strength of schedule working for them. Every game is crucial. On paper they should not have much of a shot tonight, but this game will tell us a bunch about a)if Timmy can get these guys motivated, and b)if these kids really want to get it done. Playing in front of 18,000 screaming fans will be interesting. McDermott and Efejuku have their typical strong showings and Xavier goes a little nuts from beyond the arc... Friars by a bucket at the wire. 2008 off to a very good start.

Kevin McNamara: Like your enthusiasm, especially since this may very well be THE toughest road game of the season for the Friars. They are 11.5 point dogs. If they get this one, the Big East season will be off to a GREAT start. How many wins do they need for the NCAA's. If they get to 19 heading to New York and some come against NCAA-bound teams (GTown, Marq, WVirginia, Pitt all look good now) then you are right on. I'd be surprised if they come out `flat' tonight but remember, Marquette can make a good team look flat. Watch for UM to really pressure PC and try to exploit its lack of a proven PGuard.

Friar91: Is it a policy not to recruit any JUCOs for PC now, Gillen had some good luck there now it seems dried up?

Kevin McNamara: PC has backed off of JUCO's of late, for a few reasons. One prominent JUCO wanted to enroll a few years back (Quinton Hosley) and was denied admission. That spooked the coaching staff away from JUCO's. I think Providence needs to take JUCO's and non-qualifers (like St. John's has done) in order to win big in the Big East.

RayC: Has PC lost the upcoming generation of fans and if it isn't too late, can they be won back?

Kevin McNamara: How have they been lost? I see young adults and children at every game. Not sure what you mean. I did read Bill's column and agree with him that college BKB in our state is over-shadowed by the Patriots/Red Sox. It's apples and oranges right now. We have the best football team ever and the World Series champs playing in our region. Everything else (college BB & FB/ Celtics/Bruins) pales in comparison. But there are college basketball fans out there and plenty of them. URI attendance will be strong the rest of this season (it better be) and PC has several games sold out already. Don't regard talk radio as a barometer of fan interest. If this was the case, the NFL and MLB would be the only sports in the universe.

mgreul: Kevin - why isn't Marshon Brooks getting a chance to play? It seems with PC down two point guards they may need a little depth. Is he just not ready or are they looking to red shirt him for this year?

Kevin McNamara: I would've liked to see Marshon in the Sacred Heart-Saint Peter's games but they were tight and I'm sure the coach wasn't eager to experiment much. Marshon is a good prospect and may yet get his chance this season but with vets like Efejuku, McKenzie, Xavier and Williams, his chances are limited. I don;t see them redshirting him.

friarfan: how does PC counter if Marquette goes with a 4-guard line-up? I read that they actually played with 5 guards at times this year.

Kevin McNamara: PC can counter with four ballhandlers and Hanke. Geoff McDermott plays like a guard the way he handles and passes. I don't see Marquette going small because Tom Crean is very concerned about Hanke's scoring ability.

Chet: Kevin, i have not been to the rebuilt Dunk - what should i expect when i attend a game there in February....will i be pleasantly surprised?

Kevin McNamara: The Dunk is a work in progress. That's what you should expect. If you want the Full Monty, come back next November. The place is a work zone with construction literally going on during games but out of the public's eye. I trust that the building will be done very well when it's finally done. Right now it is a construction zone that's open for business.

Chet: What is the likelihood that PC buys out Welsh if they don't make the Dance this year.....do they have the funds to do so?

Kevin McNamara: If the Friars have a miserable Big East season, a decision on the coach will have to be made. I think Curry's injury clouds this issue quite a bit. PC does have the money to make a change if one is needed.

movo42: i beleive that we need a new coach. coach welsch has only one style of coaching. and that is okay for some coaches coach k, williams, knight, and others it seems to me the best coaches coach to the style of talent they have. not the other way around. what do you think about this?

Kevin McNamara: You have to clarify this a bit. Not sure what you are asking.

RayC: Just an opinion, but I prefer this setup for basketball chats, i.e. all PC basketball or all URI basketball, over a general chat for basketball. PC fans aren't likely to sit through a bunch of questions about URI and vice-versa.

Kevin McNamara: We'll take that under advisement Ray. I prefer a banter between both sets of fans, but it's not my call.

THL: maybe I can ask that aborted Q once again. If Burch is the only player leaving, and he has already been replaced by Bilal Dixon, Another player will have to leave if the Friars aare going to add another freshman for the 08-09 season. Any opinions?

Kevin McNamara: Another play does NOT have to leave for PC to add another recruit with Dixon. It's a bit confusing but many schools (Louisville for one) have players with scholarship ability paying their own way. That could happen here. Someone could always leave, of course, but right now I don't hear any rumblings on that front.

friarfan: did you get a chance to see Marquette's practice facility? That's what PC needs to stay competitive in the BE

Kevin McNamara: I can't disagree more. Go up to Alumni Hall right now. There's your practice facility. The Friars have a great locker room, a great practice floor, a new weight room and a state-of-the-art training room that is about 70 percent complete. The focus for spending now should be on additional recruiting budget, jobs for players in the summer and charter flights to games in order to keep up with the rest of the Big East

Chet: do you know what game PC will be offering a Marvin Barnes bobblehead doll?

Kevin McNamara: Can't wait to get my Marvin bobble. It's going right in the Sports Dept. I believe it was the Seton Hall game, Jan. 24. Look for additional ads in the Journal. I saw one last week.

RayC: With Dwain and Sharaud both out, do you think that Brooks will get more playing time or is he just too inexperienced for the upcoming portion of the schedule?

Kevin McNamara: I think the focus will be on Efejuku and McDermott to do most of the playmaking. Obviously Jeff Xavier and Brian McKenzie are important here, too. I'm sure Tim Welsh is leery about playing a little-used frosh at point guard in the Big East. That is not Marshon's natural position right now but he's getting a lot better in that area.

THL: Thank you---Just a note re:Dixon---He is off to an outstanding HS season. His team just won a tourney in NJ, defeating two teams from a higher rated league. He played like he is the real deal.

Kevin McNamara: I took note of Bilal's good start. Seems like he's on a good team which is most important. I hope to catch up with him later in the season.

Chet: do you think it was warranted for Welsh to complain about not having access to the Dunk over the Xmas week.....what message was he sending, especially by stating he'd consider playing at the Ryan Center. What was his agenda?

Kevin McNamara: I do think it is warranted. PC has many issues with the Dunk but finding play dates may be number one. It is a major, major issue and adversely effects the team's chances of wining games. The problem is it probably isn't going away. The Dunk has to book money-making events and as many as possible. Then it fits the Friars and PBruins into the schedule. That squeezes dates for the Friars and makes it very difficult to find non-league opponents who can play on those dates. It also hurts in the Big East. PC has started its BE sked on the road 7 of 8 years. That hurts. Also, because the PB's play Fri-Sunday, the Friars have to play Thursday-Saturday twice this season instead of Thurs-Sunday. That hurts, too.

Kevin McNamara: Guys, we're set to wrap it up here. Any buzzer-beating questions?

(Note: Last question was somehow lost, so we're not sure who asked it, but the question was:) Any players on the team who have a shot at making the NBA?

Kevin McNamara: I'd say no although Hanke, McDermott and Efejuku all have a shot.

Kevin McNamara: Gotta fly everyone. Sorry if I didn't get to your question. Hope you enjoy the game tonight. It's at 9pm on Cox 3.

Posted by mikemcd at 1:08 PM | Comments 1

Marandola Out For Season

Chelsea Marandola of Johnston, the best player on the Providence College women's basketball team, is out for the season, according to coach Phil Seymore.

The junior guard is still recovering from a herniated disk in her lower back, an injury she suffered last May during a workout. She has not played for the 10-3 Friars this season and will have two years of eligibility starting with the 2008-2009 season.

Marandola averaged 12.5 points per game as a freshman and 17.3 as a sophomore. She made the Big East all-freshman team in 2006 and the all-conference second team in 2007.

Posted by mszostak at 9:53 AM

Download today's Sports cover

URI routs Fairleigh Dickinson University last night at the Ryan Center, while PC looks to Weyinmi Efejuku to elevate his game tonight at nationally-ranked Marquette. Also, more on the Patriots run to perfection.
Download file

Posted by rlee at 8:58 AM

January 2, 2008

Rhody rolls, 94-63

The second half became play time for URI as it pulled away to a 94-63 rout over Fairleigh Dickinson.

After a slow start in which they trialed 19-16, the Rams took total control, hitting 23 of 33 shots from the field in the middle of the game and taking total control.

JImmy Baron led the way with 22 points, including 6-of-8 3-pointers. Lamonte Ulmer was the guy who provided the spark that got the Rams going. He finished with 13 points, including a couple dunks.

Kahiem Seawright added 12, Will Daniels 10 and newcomer Delroy James 10. Manny Ubilla of FDU set a Ryan Center record with 39 points.

Posted by pkenyon at 8:50 PM

Rams in full control

Forget about that slow start the URI basketball team had tonight.

It is midway through the second half now and the Rams are doing what a top 25 team is expected to do. They have pulled away from Fairliegh Dickinson and are in total control.

It is 69-44 with 11:01 remaining. Jimmy Baron has made a cople more 3-pointers to give him six on the night and 22 points in all.

Still, the player of the night has been Lamonte Ulmer who came off the bench and led a 14-2 run that turned a 19-16 Rhody deficit into a 30-21 lead. Ulmer has 13 points, including a couple spectacular . But it was his defense that sparked the rally and helped wake URI up from its slow start.

Posted by pkenyon at 8:21 PM

Rhody up 13 at the half

URI has not played anywhere near its best game, but it still has matters under control at the Ryan Center.

Sparked by the shooting of Jimmy Baron and the all around play of Lamonte Ulmer the Rams lead Fairleigh Dickinson, 44-31 at the break.

Baron has 16 points, incuding 4-for-6 on 3-pointers. That does not include another 3-pointer than he shot left-handed, after the whistle blew, from the left corner.

Ulmer came off the bench after URI had started slowly and made several big plays to get his team going. They included a steal and two-handed dunk, a putback hoop off a missed shot and another dunk on an alley-oop pass from Baron.

Posted by pkenyon at 7:45 PM

Ulmer gives URI a spark

The bench brigade has come in and given URI a spark.

Lamont Ulmer, in particular, has bene excellent as RHody has taken a 23-19 lead over FDU after a very lethargic start. Ulmer had a steal and two-handed dunk and a putback basket, among other work

Posted by pkenyon at 7:29 PM

Rams trail early

It certainly does not feel like a top 25 atmosphere early at the Ryan Center.

URI and Fairleigh Dickinson are running up and down with lots of 3-pointers being hoisted, not much passing and not a lot of defense, either. FDU leads, 13-10, with 13:38 left in the first half.

Each team is 2-for-5 on 3-pointers.

Posted by pkenyon at 7:14 PM

Ready to go at the Ryan Center

All is ready for the final non-conference game of the season for URI at the Ryan Center.

With game time approaching the crowd is small, smaller than wold be expected for a nationally ranked team. One topic of pre-game talk has been first semester grades where the Rams apparently did almost as well as they have been doing on the court. Every player on the team did fine. Several, according to people here, were in the 3.0 range.

Fairleigh Dickinson, the opponent tonight, has a team that is small overall but quick. The Kinights like to run and shoot 3-pointers so we should see a lot of points.

Posted by pkenyon at 6:51 PM

Audio slideshow: Paul Kenyon previews URI vs. Fairleigh Dickinson

Paul Kenyon took some time this morning to talk about the Rams' game tonight against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. While URI-FDU might not sound like much of a rivalry (actually it isn't at all), Paul notes that the last time these two teams played, it changed the course of Rams basketball. Click the play button below to see and hear the show.

Posted by mikemcd at 1:34 PM

Tim Welsh's postgame audio: PC vs. St. Peter's

Tim Welsh spoke to reporters after Monday's somewhat shaky victory over the St. Peter's Peacocks. Here are his comments, as recorded by Kevin McNamara.

-General remarks on the game (2:24)

-On Randall Hanke's line score: 23 points, 14 rebounds (1:23)

-What are the answers on defense? (1:42)

-On the team's failure to force turnovers against St. Peter's (0:43)

-Are the Friars playing down to their opponents? (2:38)

-Update on Dwain Williams' ankle injury (0:39)

-Explaining why Jon Kale did not see action (2:04)

Posted by mikemcd at 10:25 AM

Download today's Sports cover

Get Paul Kenyon's take on why the URI men's basketball team has improved so dramatically, as well as Bill Reynold's view of this year's PC hoops season. Also, Shalise Manza Young writes on the "Pats' trip to perfection."
Download file

Posted by rlee at 9:47 AM

Talk PC hoops with Kevin McNamara on Thursday

The Friars face 10th-ranked Marquette on Thursday night, and Kevin McNamara will take some time to answer your questions on game day. Kevin will log on from Milwaukee at noon Eastern time. You can send in your questions now: go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, choose a display name (you don't need a password), and type in your question. Questions will display to the room as Kevin answers them on Thursday.

Posted by mikemcd at 8:46 AM

January 1, 2008

Curry Back...But not Playing; Dayton snubbed

KEVIN McNAMARA

Sharaud Curry has returned from his home in the Atlanta area but he is not going to play this week when the Friars travel to Marquette and DePaul. Curry spent a few extra days at home to be with his younger brother and mother in advance of an operation his brother is schedule to go through. He is still wearing a boot on his foot and isn't ready to try things out at practice.
PC worked out today and will travel to Milwaukee tomorrow. The Marquette Golden Eagles are up to No. 10 in the Associated Press poll. While PC is hurting (Dwain Williams is also doubtful for the trip), Marquette is getting healthy. Tom Crean had played without valuable subs Dan Fitzgerald and David Cubillan but they both returned in a drubbing of Savannah State. PC-Marquette tips at 9pm Thursday.
Speaking of the AP poll, we're happy to have a vote and admit it's often difficult to sit down and hash everything out correctly but how did nine guys not vote for Dayton. At all. Do they watch the scores? They obviously don't watch the games, especially the Flyers' drubbing of Pittsburgh last week.

Posted by Kevin at 6:30 PM

December 31, 2007

PC pulls out win, 83-78

The Friars have defeated Saint Peter's, 83-78, before a New Year's Eve crowd of 5,973.
PC could never shake the Peacocks and led by only three points in the final seconds after the visitors drained two 3-pointers in the final 45 seconds.
PC is now 9-3 and SPU is 3-9. Randall Hanke led the Friars with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Jeff Xavier added 18.

Posted by Kevin at 3:52 PM | Comments 1

PC clinging to lead

The Friars are clinging to a 74-70 lead at the 3:28 mark.
Defense continues to be the issue, as does keeping the Peacocks off the offensive boards. The Friars will have to close fast to hold off the visitors who smell an upset.
Hanke continues to play well with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Jeff Xavier has 15 points.
SPU is 9-of-22 from the 3-point line.

Posted by Kevin at 3:41 PM

PC D bit better; Friars up by 6

The Friars opened the second half with an 11-5 run and now lead, 60-54, at the 11:45 mark.
PC's defense is a bit better but still slow getting to shooters. The Friars have played out of a zone defense the entire second half.
Randall Hanke has a game-high 19 points and also has 11 rebounds..

Posted by Kevin at 3:20 PM

URI now ranks 23rd in AP poll

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The Rhode Island men's basketball team has scored its second-straight Top 25 ranking in the weekly Associated Press poll.

The Rams moved up two spots, from 25th to 23rd in the poll released today.

The increase follows back-to-back wins over the weekend over Eastern Michigan and Georgia Southern to improve the Rams' record to 13-1.

Rhode Island cracked the rankings last week for the first time since November 1998, and is off to its best start since the 1946-47 season.

The Rams play their last non-conference game of the season against Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Pam Cotter at 2:55 PM

PC down at the half, 45-44

The Friars' defensive problems continue and they trail Saint Peter's at the half, 45-44.
PC had given up 89 and 95 points in the previous two games and now 45 in a half to a MAAC team. What will Marquette do?
That answer comes Thursday night. In the meantime, the Friars have to find a way to win this game. PC is allowing the Peacocks to shoot 51 percent from the field and they've made 7-of-12 shots from the 3-point line. Just as importantly, the Friars have forced a mere four turnovers. The lack of defensive pressure on the ball is a major issue right now and there doesn't seem to be many answers in that department.
PC's offense continues to humm along. The Friars have 44 points on 61 percent shooting with just five turnovers. Great numbers. But right now PC can't stop anyone.

Posted by Kevin at 2:47 PM

St. Peter's 29, PC 27

The Friars began the game in a zone but eventually switched to man-2-man after Saint Peter's settled in.
Tim Welsh's first subs were forwards Alex Kellogg and Chuck Burch. Kellogg hasn't played in quite a while but his defense in practice has made an impact on the coaching staff.
It's 29-27 Peacocks with 7:51 to play.

Posted by Kevin at 2:26 PM

PC down early

The Friars shot out to a relatively easy 10-2 and 20-12 leads but that's been wiped out.
PC's defense has softended and Saint Peter's is on a 13-2 run and now leads, 25-22. Raul Orta has four 3-pointers for the Peacocks who have five treys in all.

Posted by Kevin at 2:21 PM

PC-Saint Peter's ready to go

The Friars are (finally) ready to play again and set to tip off against St. Peter's. The Peacocks upset Rutgers a month ago and recently lost to Seton Hall. This should be their stiffest Big East test.
PC is starting Jeff Xavier, Weyinmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie, Geoff McDermott and Randall Hanke.
The Friars are without point guard Dwain Williams who has injured a bone in his ankle. It's unclear how long he'll be out.

Posted by Kevin at 1:57 PM

December 30, 2007

Back to Work..Curry Out

By Kevin McNamara

After yet another long break of no college basketball games in this state, it's back to work for these fingers.
The Rams just wrapped up a title in a tournament in Corpus Christi, Tex. They took care of business and won two games they had no business losing, even if they did not play well in the second half of the Georgia Southern win. Jim Baron's Boys return home today and will play FDU Wednesday to wrap up their impressive non-conference slate.
Rhody is also getting ready for its A-10 schedule and what's shaping up as a huge A-10 opener comes Jan. 9 at Dayton. The Flyers blitzed Pittsburgh last night at DU arena, a major surprise only by the final score. If fans actually watched the game (instead of the Patriots), three things led to the blowout.
*Horrible officiating that cost Pitt its dominant center, DeJuan Blair, most of the game.
*An injury to Levance Fields
*Brian Roberts.
Dayton will jump into the top 25 this week and join the Rams as the A-10's poll reps.
The PIThttp://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07364/845485-175.stmT news could be very bad if Fields' ankle injury is severe.
By the way, an A-10 and Big East prediction in today's Journal was indeed written before last night's games. However, we're sticking by our guns. It's Pitt (with a healthy Fields) to win the Big East and Dayton to finish 4th in the A-10. Call me crazy. See you in March.

At Providence, the Friars are preparing for a N/L game against St. Peter's Monday at 2p.m. Then they'll hit the road for the first two Big East games, at Marquette and DePaul. The Warriors (yep, I can call them that on this blog) are now healthyhttp://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=701690
....just in time for the Friars.
Sharaud Curry did not return to campus in time for the resumption of practice on Friday. He's home in Atlanta helping his mother deal with his ill younger brother. Best of luck to the Curry's on this important matter.
This personal issue will more than likely take Curry out of this week's games. We'll see if he's ready to practice a bit once he returns to campus Monday.

Posted by Kevin at 10:49 AM