The URI basketball team has player movement involving former, current and future players.
The most noteworthy, for the present, is that Will Daniels has signed to play for the Chicago Bulls. He will head to Florida this week to play for the Bulls from July 7 to 11 in the 2008 Orlando Pro Summer League.
In addition to the Bulls, the event features players from the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and Seattle SuperSonics. Three of the top four picks from the 2008 NBA Draft are expected to participate: Derrick Rose (Chicago), Michael Beasley (Miami) and Russell Westbrook (Seattle).
Daniels was not selected in last week's draft. He averaged 18.6 points and 6.5 rebounds for URI, and became the first URI player since Tyson Wheeler (1996-97, 1997-98) -- and just the third URI player ever -- to earn First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in consecutive seasons.
Orlando Pro Summer League games will begin at 3 p.m. from July 7 to 10, and at 11 a.m. on July 11. A live video webcast of every game will be available on orlandomagic.com. Box scores, game recaps and cumulative statistics from the event will also be made available by visiting www.orlandomagic.com.
Rhody coach Jim Baron reports that Hakim McCullar, a little-used 6-7 freshman forward on this past season's team, has decided to transfer. He has visited Toledo and Delaware.
Meanwhile, three of the five players the Rams have signed for next year -- 6-9 forward Orion Outerbridge, 5-8 guard Stevie Mejia and 6-4 guard Jamal Wilson -- all are on campus, attending summer classes and getting acclimated to the school.
They are the three players expected to be most ready to help the Rams, who also have seven returning players. All three are expected to contend for playing time immediately.
The two other signees for this year, 6-8 forward Ryan Brooks and 6-4 guard Rand Dezouvre, apparently have not been cleared to play for next year. Their status is uncertain.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Duquesne basketball coach Ron Everhart, who has turned around one of the nation's worst Division I basketball programs in only two seasons, signed a three-year contract extension Wednesday that runs through the 2013-14 season.
Duquesne hadn't had a winning season since 1993-94 before it went 17-13 last season, only two seasons after the Dukes were 3-24 under former coach Danny Nee. Everhart's first Dukes team went 10-19 in 2006-07, despite having five players shot following an on-campus party two months before the season began.
Everhart also has dramatically upgraded the Dukes' recruiting, signing players who were recruited not only by other Atlantic 10 Conference programs but also Big East Conference schools.
Recent signees include B.J. Monteiro, the Connecticut high school player of the year; Aleksandar Milovic, a highly sought European swingman; and Rodrigo Peggau, a promising power forward. The Dukes also signed Melquan Bolding, a 6-foot-4 prep school swingman who initially committed to Louisville.
"I'm fortunate to be part of a program here at Duquesne that has been given a strong commitment for excellence by the administration," Everhart said. "We have a commitment that allows us to compete at the highest level of the Atlantic 10."
Duquesne president Charles J. Dougherty and athletic director Greg Amodio both praised Everhart for his strong work ethic and for revitalizing a long-dormant program.
Before Everhart arrived, Duquesne had records of 3-24, 8-22, 9-21, 9-20, 5-23 during a run of eight consecutive bad seasons from 1998-99 through 2005-06.
Duquesne, once one of the East's top basketball schools, hasn't been to a postseason tournament since going to the NIT in 1994 and hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 1977.
Everhart, formerly the coach at McNeese State and Northeastern, virtually rebuilt Duquesne's roster from scratch following the 2005-06 season, with 10 new players recruited and two others transferring. Everhart was forced to reshape his roster again this spring after junior center Shawn James and junior guard Kojo Mensah declared for the NBA draft.
James and Mensah, unhappy with their playing time last season, sued the school this week, alleging it did not provide adequate security at the on-campus party in September 2006. Both were shot following the party, James in the foot and Mensah in the left arm.
Now that Everhart has reshaped the roster again following a second upheaval in three years, he is looking to build a stable program that is regularly in the mix for deep runs in the Atlantic 10 tournament and also plays regularly in postseason tournaments.
"Being close to home means a lot to me and my family," said Everhart, from nearby Fairmont, W.Va.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Bernadette McGlade was selected Monday as the new commissioner of the Atlantic 10 Conference, replacing Linda Bruno.
McGlade had served as the associate commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1999. Bruno resigned in December.
McGlade has spent nearly 30 years in college athletics as a competitor, coach and administrator. A former basketball player at North Carolina before going on to coach at Georgia Tech, she was the tournament director for the 1993 women's Final Four. She was a member of the women's tournament selection committee from 1995-2000 and joined the ACC in 1997.
No, it is not to celebrate his graduation from URI, but rather to prepare for life after college. Daniels' agent, Andy Miller, has a number of his clients -- players hoping to be drafted -- in Vegas. They are working out and playing basketball while awaiting word on who will be invited to Orlando, the final pre-draft camp.
In other URI basketball news, word is leaking out for next year, although not from the Rams. The team prefers not to discuss its schedule until everything is in place. However, Central Connecticut and New Hampshire have announced they will be visiting the Ryan Center next season.
Also, work for a tournament Thanksgiving week is apparently virtually complete. That event will include four games, one at home, one on the road and then two at The Palestra in Philadelphia to determine the title. URI is set to host Hartford and visit Monmouth. Possible opponents at The Palestra include Penn State and Villanova.
"There's still a lot to do, but we're in better shape than we were at this time last year," one school official said of the scheduling situation.
Finally, there is no word yet on the final make up of next year's team. As it is, the team has one too many players with those returning and five signed for next year. There also is word of a possible transfer.
Current indications are that any cutbacks are likely to come from the new players signed for next year. Hakim McCullar and Will Martell, two little-used freshmen last season, both are working hard and making improvements and appear likely to stay.
In one interesting Atlantic 10 development, Shawn James of Duquesne, the brother of URI forward Delroy James, has hired an agent and thus will not return to school for his final season of eligibility.
St. Bonaventure losing two players, including top frosh Morgan
OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) - St. Bonaventure forward Matt Morgan, a two-time Atlantic 10 Conference rookie of the week last season, is one of two players who announced Friday they're transferring.
Freshman guard Hillary Haley is also leaving the school. St. Bonaventure did not provide reasons for their transfers or say where they were going.
"It's unfortunate that Hillary and Matt won't be a part of the resurgence of this program," said coach Mark Schmidt, who completed his first season with an 8-22 record. "We wish them the best not only in their college careers, but with all their future endeavors."
Morgan averaged 3.4 points in 28 games, but enjoyed an eight-game stretch when he averaged 10.4 points and five rebounds. Haley averaged 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds over 29 games, including 14 starts.
The Bonnies added swingman Michael Davenport on Thursday when he signed a national letter of intent. Listed at 6-foot-3, Davenport averaged 11 points and five rebounds as a senior playing for Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller High School last season.
Providence College's search for a new basketball coach has focused on Drake's Keno Davis. The 36-year old coach has emerged as the favorite to be the next Friar coach.
On Monday, the rumor mills focused on Karl Hobbs and Kevin Willard. However it is Davis who could be hired as the next PC coach, as early as tomorrow.
More in Tuesday's Journal.
Providence College's basketball program is just about to wrap up its annual team banquet downtown at the Biltmore.
There is no news on the coaching front. Athletic director Bob Driscoll was not in attendance and is said to be actively chasing a replacement for Tim Welsh. It is not clear whether Driscoll is in town or traveling, although it appears he was out of town talking to a one particular prospect.
Just an informed guess here but I'm hearing George Washington's Karl Hobbs is still alive in this race. Iona's Kevin Willard and Hofstra's Tom Pecora are not viable names, it was learned on Monday.
More on the dinner in Tuesday's Journal.
AMHERST, Mass. -- Travis Ford has told Providence College officials he will not accept their offer to become the next coach at PC, deciding instead to remain at the University of Massachusetts.
There is no word on the Friars' next move in their coaching search, which began when they fired Tim Welsh nearly a month ago.
We do not expect a decision on PC's courtship of Travis Ford tonight.
Ford and his wife spent all day with PC athletic boss Bob Driscoll and schools president Rev. Brian Shanley. They were still on campus tonight but no announcement from the school is forthcoming. No press conferences are set for tomorrow at this point either.
Ford has a team banquet at the University of Massachusetts scheduled for Thursday night. It would be a major shock if he doesn't give PC his decision by then.
Could Ford turn the Friars down? Sure. He'd be walking away from a huge payday, Big East notoriety and a chance to live in a more vibrant, urban community than Amherst but he's done a very good job at UMass and proven he can win a lot of games (49 in the last two years) in the Atlantic 10. Only fear that he can't do the same (or something remotely close) at Providence should keep him from saying yes to the Friars.
PROVIDENCE -- Providence College's search for a new basketball coach has focused on Massachusetts coach Travis Ford.
Ford, 38, is in Providence today and meeting with athletic director Bob Driscoll. He and his wife just finished a tour of the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
There are no indications that an agreement between the two sides is complete but this is the strongest sign yet that the four-week search could be nearing an end.
"I have not scheduled any press conference for today.'' PC associate athletic director Arthur Parks said.
Ford met with Driscoll at the Final Four in San Antonio. On Tuesday, he issued a statement from his office at UMass that said he no longer wished to be considered for the coaching job vacancy at LSU.
"I would like to make clear that I do not want to be considered for the head job at LSU," Ford said in the statement. "There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about me and the job at LSU. I feel that it is necessary to state that I do not want to be considered for the job."
Ford's interest in other jobs was not addressed, however. UMass finished 25-11 this past season in Ford's third year at the school and the Minutemen lost the NIT championship game to Ohio State, 92-85.
URI forward Will Daniels has decided not to take part in the Portsmouth Invitational draft camp.
Daniels, who was in Texas last week for the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star game at the Final Four, has had a hectic schedule and decided not to go the event in Virginia that runs Wednesday through Saturday.
Daniels had five points and five rebounds in the NABC game as his National All-Star team won, 108-103. Demarcus Nelson of Duke had 21 points Josh Duncan of Xavier 19 for Daniels’ team.
URI guard Parfait Bitee will compete in Portsmouth this week. He is on the Cherry, Berkaert & Holland team with guards Joe Crawford of Kentucky, Derrick Lowe of Washington State and JaJuan Smith of Tennessee along with forwards Brian Butch of Wisconsin, Patrick Ewing Jr. of Georgetown, James Mays of Clemson and Sonny Weems of Arkansas.
Providence College athletic director Bob Driscoll is traveling to San Antonio today. The city is the site of Saturday's Final Four and the national title game Monday night.
Once he checks into his room, Driscoll will be inundated with `Who are you going to hire?' questions from the hundreds of AD and coach-types who fill Final Four cities every year. Driscoll is expected to meet with the candidates he says are on his `short list' beginning Saturday.
One name that's appeared in The Journal since Tim Welsh was fired three weeks ago is that of Tim O'Shea, the former URI and Boston College assistant who is now the head coach at Ohio University. O'Shea is one of the coaches likely to sit with Driscoll over the next few days.
O'Shea has compiled an impressive resume at Ohio, a member of the Mid-American Conference which happens to be one of the most competitive leagues in the country. Over the last 18 seasons, only one school (Kent State, 2001-02) has repeated as conference tournament champion.
Ohio won that tourney in 2005 and put a major scare into Billy Donovan and Florida before losing, 67-62. The Bobcats finished 21-11 that season and that success has continued with O'Shea's teams winning 19, 19 and 20 games the last three years. In his seven years as coach, Ohio has beaten North Carolina, DePaul, Virginia, Cincinnati, Rhode Island (twice), St. Joseph's, Maryland and St. John's.
Ohio finished 20-13 this season, including the win at Maryland and over SJU in Hawaii. Interestingly, the Bobcats thumped Jim Larranaga's George Mason team, 69-57, in February when it erupted for 50 second half points. Larranaga is the coach who turned down an offer to come to PC on Wednesday.
Neither Driscoll or O'Shea will comment publicly about a potential meeting. That means we can't report it. But it seems likely the two will talk. Who else will get Driscoll's ear. Brown's Craig Robinson seems likely. So does UMass' Travis Ford but the Kentucky native is reported to be waiting to see if he can get involved at LSU.
We've been posting today on the ProJo's Sports Blog. Don't want to short change the Hoops Blog, however.
Here are the last 3 entries on a busy day for the Friars.
Larranaga Gets 3-year extension
Not a shock. Jim Larranaga has reached agreement on a 3-year extension to his contract at George Mason.
Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor announced today that Larranaga has signed a three-year extension at George Mason. Larranaga is now signed through the 2014-15 season.
"Jim (Larranaga) is a terrific ambassador for George Mason University,"
O'Connor said. "Obviously with the 2006 run to the Final Four, our basketball program and the University have garnered a lot of national attention. On top of that he is a tremendous basketball coach, he's our coach and I'm proud to say that he will continue to be our coach for the next seven years."
"I've made it clear over the years that my family and I have loved it here at George Mason," Larranaga said. "I feel very fortunate to work under the great leadership of President Merten and Tom O'Connor. I feel very connected to both the George Mason and the greater Fairfax County communities. We have enjoyed their great support and it continues to grow. I've said before that I hope to retire here at George Mason and this contract extension allows me to do just that."
Posted by Kevin at 4:48 PM | Permalink
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PC renews search for coach
PC athletic director Bob Driscoll just issued a press release. Here's what it says:
"Over the last several days it became public knowledge that we were in discussions with George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga about becoming our men's basketball coach. We offered him a very substantial package but he was too comfortable in his current situation and opted to stay at George mason. As a result, I will continue to have ongoing discussions with the other finalists in this search. I remain very optimistic that we will find a head coach who will embrace the rich tradition of Friar basketball and move the program forward."
Who's next for the Friars? Certainly not clear at this point but they're likely to look at Davidson's Bob McKillop (who won't be interested), Brown's Craig Robinson, UMass' Travis Ford, Arizona's Kevin O'Neill and Ohio U's Tim O'Shea. But this race is now wide open.
-- KEVIN McNAMARA
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Larranaga says no to Providence
Jim Larranaga has decided to remain as coach at George Mason and not accept an offer to come to Providence College, according to PC associate athletic director Arthur Parks. A release from athletic director Bob Driscoll is due at any moment.
Will Daniels is going to finish his college basketball career at the Final Four.
The URI forward has been selected to play in the annual National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star game Friday in San Antonio. That is the event that kicks off Final Four festivities.
Daniels will play on the same team with Josh Duncan of Xavier, the only other Atlantic 10 player selected.
Others on the National All-Stars, to be coached by Oliver Purnell of Clemson, the past president of the NABC, are Sean Singletary (Virginia), Jonathan Wallace (Georgetown), Cliff Hammonds (Clemson), DeMarcus Nelson (Duke), Ramel Bradley (Kentucky), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), James Gist (Maryland), Joe Jones (Texas A&M), and Jason Thompson (Rider).
The American All-Stars, to be guided by Dave Odom, the outgoing South Carolina coach, are Jamar Butler (Ohio State), Drew Neitzel (Michigan State), Mike Green (Butler), Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky), Robert McKiver (Houston), Kyle Weaver (Washington State), Alex Harris (UCSB), Maarty Leunen (Oregon), Charles Rhodes (Mississippi State), Brian Butch (Wisconsin) and Aleks Maric (Nebraska).
Daniels is the first URI player ever to take part in the event, which is sponsored by DiGiorno. The game, which will begin at 6 p.m. eastern time Friday, will be telecast by the CBS College Sports network. The game will be held on the same court as the Final Four, the first time that has been done.
Daniels finished his career with 1,678 points and 662 rebounds. This past season, Daniels led URI and ranked fourth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game. He also registered 6.5 rebounds, good for second on the squad and 11th in the conference. The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder is the first URI player since Tyson Wheeler (1996-97, 1997-98) and just the third URI player all-time to earn First Team All-A-10 honors in consecutive seasons.
Cavel Witter hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with three seconds left _ his only basket of the game _ to give Creighton a 74-73 victory over URI tonight.
Rhode Island led virtually the entire game, by as many as 17 points. But, in a replay of the Ranms' loss to Charlotte in the Atlantic 10 tournament, Creighton hit four 3-point baskets in the final three minutes to rally and win it.
P'Allen Stinnett and Booker Woodfox each had 22 points and each had four 3-point hoops for the Blue Jays. Wil Daniels had 16, JImmy Baron 13 and Lamonte Ulmer 12 for the Rams who finish 21-12.
Creighton had pulled within four, at 54-50, and had all the momentum before URI just got a huge lift from Jason Francis.
Francis rebounded a missed shot and put it back it to make it 58-50. URi had hit two free throws in between. Francis was fouled and missed the free throw. But Kahiem Seawright rebounded, got it to Jimmy Baron who hit a 3-pointer to make it 61-50 with seven mintues left.
Back-to-back 3-point hoops by P'Allen Stinnett and Booker Woodfox have made it a game here at the Qwest Center.
The two hoops, 20 seconds apart, have helped the Creighton get within nine of URI, 52-43. Parfait Bitee just scored off the drive to make it 54-43 with 11:42 left.
Anyone who wonders about whether post-season play really is different than the regular season should see what is happening in the second half here at the Qwest Center.
The bodies are banging all over the place on both sides. But the officials are choosing to let the players play. Overall, the lead has not changed. URI is up 50-33 with 15:34 left.
What is clearly different is that the officials are letting the players play. The Creighton fans are booing when they see collisions bothering Bluejay’s shots. But the same thing is happening when URI is trying to shoot.
After struggling badly over the last six weeks, URI just played its best half of basketball in some time. The Rams lead Creighton 45-30 at halftime in the opening round of the NIT.
The Rams have made 18 of 34 shots, while holding the Bluejays to 35 percent (12-for-34).
The URI lead peaked at 17 points, at 31-14 and 33-16. The Rams had the Creighton fans murmuring as they had back-to-back dunks by Lamonte Ulmer and Kahiem Seawright. Seawright had a pretty pass to set up Ulmer and Marquis Jones an equally nice pass to set up Seawright.
With its 3-point shooting ability, though, Creighton can make up ground quickly. Forward Dan Watts had a trey from the top of the key to give the Bluejays some spark and get the crowd back into it.
Still, URI continued to use its speed to help set up good shots. Will Daniels has taken advantage with 12 points and Jimmy Baron 10. Booker Woodfox has nine for Creighton.
The news is good on Keith Cothran. He has been able to stand and flex his right leg during time outs. There is no indication Cothran will be able to return but he at least is moving around freely.
URI continues to play well here but has just suffered what could be a serious setback.
Jimmy Baron hit a 25-footer to make it 25-14 URI over Creighton with 8:08 left. As Baron was shooting, Cothran went in to get position for a possible rebound. His feet got tangled with a Bluejays’ player.
Cothran went down in a heap as Baron’s shot went in. He was attended to by trainer Mike Monteiro and had to be helped off the court. It is difficult to see exactly what the problem is. Monteiro is working on both of Cothran’s legs, bending and stretching as Cothran sits at the end of the bench.
A run of 12 straight points has given URI a nice start in its NIT game against Creighton.
It is 15-7 with 11:30 left.
Creighton scored on its first possession, a 3-pointer by Nick Bahe. Rhode Island then ran off the next 12, including a dunk by Jason Francis and five straight by Jimmy Baron. Will Daniels also has had a 3-pointer.
Rhode Island is bigger than the Bluejays and has a 9-5 advantage on the boards. Creighton has just begun pressing and already caused two Rhody turnovers off the press.
It is a hectic night here at the Qwest Center, and not just because of the Rhode Island-Creighton game. This building _ which is a gorgeous facility on the edge of downtown Omaha, several miles from the Creighton campus _ also is the site of first and second-round NCAA game Thursday and Saturday.
All kinds of people, a lot of them in suits, are working in the building tonight. The thing is, a good number of them are not here for the game. They are from CBS television and the NCAA, planning for the NCAA Tournament contests that will be in this building later in the week.
It also is different in the stands. Creighton was 15th in the nation in attendance, averaging 15,700. However, it does not look as if there will be anywhere that many people here tonight.
URI is without one of its coaches. Pat Clarke is making a hectic but happy return home. He received a call this morning that his wife, Kristin, had gone into labor and he caught the first plane home to be with her.
The teams just turned in their starting lineups. Jason Francis, who has been in and out of the lineup in the second half of the season, is back in.
Kevin McNamara chatted with projo.com readers at noon today about college hoops. Here is the transcript of the chat.
Kevin McNamara: Hello hoop fans. We'll be here for about an hour answering your questions on the NCAA tournament, PC, URI and Brown hoops. We don't have many questions in our Q already so fire away and I'll give it my best shot for a return volley.
THL: I don't believe there are very many Friar fans who give a damn about the NCAA Tournament. All we want to know about is the status of Tim Welsh, and who is going to be the coach come next season. I writing this question on last Friday afternoon, so maybe you've got some answers by now to the questions that everybody wants answers to.
Kevin McNamara: Here's what we know about the PC job. Bob Driscoll is clearly focusing on a few coaches who are still working with their current teams. That makes this week a pretty slow one on the search process. He'll certainly do backround checks on some of his top choices. Who are the 3-4 guys he's focusing on? Too early to tell. At this point, he won't contact coaches until their teams are done playing so I wouldn't say anybody is a leader. Some coaches also won't get involved unless they are contacted by PC first. So who is going to be the next PC coach? I don't know and I know Bob Driscoll doesn't either at this point.
james donald: What about the Georgte Maswon Coach
Kevin McNamara: Is this Jimmy Donaldson? If so, come on in here and you do this chat.
b1: Kevin you do a great job. Jim O'Brien has been a popular name in the coaching rumor mill but he hasn't been mentioned so far in the press. Is he at all being considered to be replace Welsh?
Kevin McNamara: If i was doing this search, I'd think about Jim O'Brien and speak with him but it seems as if PC is scared away by his transgressions with the NCAA while at Ohio State.
Bobbyg: While a little early in the procedings, the obvious question is who might be in the mix to replace Timmy W?
Kevin McNamara: These are the guys I'd be talking to, in no particular order: Phil Martelli, Bob McKillop, Jim Larranaga, Craig Robinson, Kevin O'Neill. Other guys who I wouldn't suspect would have an interest who I'd call on include Anthony Grant (VCU), Jeff Van Gundy (likely NBA return) and Sean Miller (Xavier). That's called shooting for the moon.
Red: Kevin: Does the URI administration have any idea how restless the natives are? Not just the few of us on the projo board, but others I talk to are frankly embarassed at the way things went down the dumper. We need change -- what will it take?
Kevin McNamara: You are wasting your breath. First of all, URI is more than happy with a 21-win season and return to NIT for first time in several years. Now the next step is geting to the NCAA's. I think the Rams are positioned to remain in that mix over the next few years. They've recruited well and have talent in every class in their program. Did things fall apart at the end of this season? Of course. But the big picture is a positive. Besdies, there is absolutely no way URI can get out of Jim Baron's contract even if it wanted to. He is owed 5 more years. Barring an unforeseen embarrassment, URI would have to privately raise big $$ for a buyout. That is not on anyone's radar screen, even if a small pocket of fans think it should be.
kurtsletten: Kevin, it seems to me that a coach with a solid recruiting background should be a high priority. Both Rick Barnes and Pete Gillen seemed to be able to pry away blue chippers away from the bigger schools (i.e. Michael Smith, God Shammgod) while Welsh always seemed to be searching for a a diamond in the rough (i.e. Gomes). Your thoughts?
Kevin McNamara: The perfect staff at Providence would include an innovative coach willing to try something different in X's and O's. He'd also be someone who loves recruiting and the challenge of trying to target top 100 players and getting them. More importantly, PC needs a coaching staff filled with recruiters and guys with connections. If someone can be hired and bring a top recruit along `a package deal' all the better. Finally, the staff needs to be good at individual workouts so the players in the program get better once they are here. That's asking a lot and I don't know if a staff with that makeup is even possible but that is my goal if I'm Bob Driscoll.
nelsonstmafia: kevin - 34 at large bids, 26 went to "bcs" schools, leaving just 8 to smaller conferences. what does it say about the a-10 and the level of competition that URI played against this season?
Kevin McNamara: The A-10 made great strides this season to get back into that upper echelon of leagues. Now it has to build on it. Three bids this season, 4 or 5 next year. Repeating its N-C success is clearly paramount because RPI's for all the schools slide once conference play begins..The A-10 will get its share of bids if it is the 7th or 8th conference, staying ahead of the Missouri Valley and Colonial, for example. If it slides back to 10th or 11th, it will struggle to get at-large bids.
kurtsletten: Kevin, any thoughts as to where Welsh ends up next?
Kevin McNamara: I keep hearing from other coaches and plugged=in media types that Tim Welsh could get hired by another school in the next few months. I believe that. The question is would Welsh want to coach at a school like Toledo, which just opened? Good league (MAC) but you have to live in Toledo. That's a question only Tim can answer.
jim: On name I haven't heard menioned is Tommy Amaker at Harvard who has Big East ties. Assuming that PC can't persuade a big name coach to come here, what about a top assistant coach. Maybe a guy like Chris Collins or even Richard Pitino.
Kevin McNamara: Tommy Amaker is not on the radar, and should not be. He's at Harvard for a reason. he didn;t get it done at Michigan. Michigan. PC will not hire an assistant coach. That is suicide in a conference where you coach against Pitino, Boeheim, Calhoun, Huggins, ect.
Bobbyg: I am hopeful that the returning PC team will entice a decent coach into realizing that they are not inheriting a broken program, but one that could (make that "should" with the right coaching) get into the NCAA next year. When I hear Larranaga and O'Brien I think their better days have come and gone. Of course, when you bring the hot young coach in you risk another Pitino or Barnes situation where they are exiting in 2 - 3 years after some quick success. It ain't easy being a small school in a big league. Driscoll has his work cut out for him. But I have faith in Driscol and more in Fr. Shanley.
Kevin McNamara: Right now I think PC would be thrilled with a 3-5 year run by a coach that is good enough to send him on to greener pastures. Winning is what it's all about. if that wasn't the case, Tim Welsh would still be the coach. As for your take that PC should be in the NCAA's nexty season, I doubt they will be selected pre-season in the Big East's top 7.
rhody85: How about Travis Ford, or is he to smart to think he could win on a consistent basis at PC, I do think you can win at PC, just not consistently.
Kevin McNamara: Travis Ford belongs in the South, not in Rhode island. I think he needs to get UMass into the NCAA's before he moves on. He's doing a fine job in Amherst right now.
Eileen: What about Tim O'Shea?
Kevin McNamara: Good coach who's won a lot of games in a difficult league. Someone who is on the radar, for sure.
rhody85: How good is Ben Eaves supposed to be?
Kevin McNamara: I haven't seen Ben play in a while but reports from URI's coaching staff were that he will help right away next season. He needs to shoot the ball well from outside to play a lot of minutes. He'll compete with LUlmer and Delroy james for minutes.
Friar Fan: Kevin- I was shocked when Driscoll said he was going to be a one man search commitee. He said his experience as a hockey coach allows him to make the call. That scare you?
Kevin McNamara: I much prefer the 1-man committee approach to the URI-like Gang of 10. That is unweildly and insulting to candidates, in all honesty. PC is a private school and can run searches anyway it chooses. URI and other public schools are bound to use committees for important hires. I think Bob knows enough people that he wil listen to important ones to get names to explore and then do his homework to investigate and meet ones he really likes. Then they come to PC and meet Fr. Shanley and others. That's how it'll play out. It could take awhile to get to the end.
rhody85: Is Eaves in anyway a Will Daniels substitute? Or is that asking too much?
Kevin McNamara: It's asking too much. Will was a 2-time all-league player. Ben has yet to prove he can play at this level. Just getting him to play 20 minutes a game and score 8-12 points a game would be a good 1st year in my book.
rf1: It seems that the A-10 has a perception problem. Everyone was talking about the league's great OOC season. Yet the league is later crucified because some of its top teams lose to teams in conference. The converse is not true for teams in the Big East. You hear very little when it comes to bubble talk about WV losing to Cinci, Villanova losing to Rutgers, or Syracuse losing to South Fla and Cinci. You instead hear how tough a league like the Big East is. The Big East was the RPI fifth rated league ( the A-10 was the RPI 7th rated league). It is the opposite for the A-10. Why is this? Do you think it is fair?
Kevin McNamara: The numbers don't lie. I think the Big East had six teams in the top 25 or so of the RPI. The A-10 had 1 (Xavier). Huge difference there. When you play so many good teams in conference, you can't damage yourself all that much with a `bad' loss. Not the case in the A-10. I agree with your premise that the A-10 has a perception problem. Dayton, for example, should've really been considered stronger for the NCAA in my eyes. The issue there was a horrid final 12 games. The conference RPI's do not matter. At all. ACC was #1 and it got 4 teams in. Look at individual resumes and then ask yourself, is this team's records better than another. Do that with Dayton and Villanova, for example. It's very, very close but I'm sure the committee members would say Villanova had better wins later in the year. Dayton's wins over Louisville and Pitt were somehow downgraded. I'm not sure why.
rhody85: Any word on Scott Cordischi being picked up by another local radio station to do an afternoon sports talk show, I already miss having a Rhode Island option during tourney time. Find myself trying to get the FAN out of NYC, although you did a great job on EEI yesterday they don't do a good job with college hoops.
Kevin McNamara: Losing The Score is a tragedy for RI hoop fans. A real tragedy. No word this early on local sports radio getting back into Rhode Island and I'd say it is a long shot. The Score's ratings were very low and that led to its demise. In retrospect, talking Pats/red Sox 52 weeks a year and trying to mirror WEEI was a knockout mistake. That may be what `the public' wanted but it didn't help the station very much. I find it hard to believe there isn't a market for a station that does Sox/Pats and PC/URI a little more often. ..I'm with you. hearing defensive line talk in March turns my stomach. I also think its a shame and downright sinful for Citadel to dump the Score as quickly as it did and not give these guys more of a going away package. Radio is an awful business.
Kevin McNamara: Out of questions guys. Fire away. How about the NCAA tourney??
rhody85: Will Billy Baron prep after next year or is he ready for D1 play?
Kevin McNamara: I think Billy Baron should go to prep for the next 2 years. My opinion only.
kurtsletten: Kevin, can you tell us anything about PC's lone recruit for next year, the kid from New Jersey? Is the consensus that he is a Big East type player?
Kevin McNamara: Bilal Dixon enjoyed a very good senior season in New Jersey. He's seen as a typical Tim Welsh recruit: a sleeper. Good news is he owns the type of physical body to perhaps play some right away. He's a little bigger than Jon Kale. We'll see if he's better.
Red: Out of questions? You haven't answered my follow-up yet.
Kevin McNamara: Repeat please, Red.
rhody85: Is there a small station in RI that has sports talk, I thought I heard that. Is Cordischi doing the broadcast of the Brown game tonight?
Kevin McNamara: I do not know of it. If you do, fire it my way. In know that Scott and Russ Tyler are doing the Brown-Ohio game tonight on 790-am. There's a note on that in our paper today.
nelsonstmafia: kevin - do you see any big surprises in the coaching carousel? every year, someone gets fired or leaves a good job for another out of the blue. what do you predict for this year?
Kevin McNamara: There always are Nelson. Like Tubby Smith leaving Kentucky to go to Minnesota a year ago. I think PC would love to get lucky like that. Tough to predict who would be that big domino to fall.
CranstonFriar: Is there a surprise candidate people haven't heard about who might be a candidate for the PC job? and how long can the search go before it impacts recruiting?
Kevin McNamara: I'm sure a name or three will sirface over the next few weeks that you'd call a `surprise.' That's the nature of the beast. As for recruiting, its effected recruiting all year. Big Time. I'll be writing on that in the next few days.
rhody85: I thought there was a small station in Woonsocket that did sports talk for a few hours, although I can't remeber where I heard that. The score should have made a run at the rights to URI after losing PC. I think PC made a mistake on going to EEI.
Kevin McNamara: You're wrong on that one. If PC didn't go to WEEI, it would be up sh&%#'s creek right now. The Score would be gone and they'd be on an oldies station. if this happened last year, PC would have no leverage with its negotiations with WEEI. They snuck in just in time. The URI-WHJJ relationship has been a good one for URI but signal issues are a major problem with stations around Rhode Island.
Red: You said the administration is happy wih 21 wins and a trip to the NIT. Those 21 wins are an ilusion for a numbe of reasons, not the least of which is the 30-game regular season. We were picked to finish at or near the top of our league, but we finished, what, eighth? And who did we beat? Nobody playing in the NCAA. And when we started circling the drain in the last seven-eight weeks, what adjustments were made? He had the best pure shooter in the country and couldn't even get him open. And how many point guards abused us on simple pick-and-rolls? You need at least two hands to count them. And they're satisfied with all this?
Kevin McNamara: Got it, Red. Satisfied, sure. Thrilled? Of course not. I think URI's talent base was exposed in A-10 play. Not enough big men and lack of point guard depth was a real issue. As for defense, that'll be priority numbert one in the off-season. I know this doesn't answer your question but, believe me, there is no `Get Baron' sentiment in Kingston with the people that matter. None.
SU Fan: Kevin you think there will be any kids flunk out from PC with the staff gone? Bye the way word on campus here is Greene is not going to class and is gone for next year.
Kevin McNamara: If you mean Donte Greene, that's too bad. He said after Big East loss that he's back if he's not in top 5. I'll believe that..Too early to guess if PC has any academic issues.
CranstonFriar: How secure is Paul Hewitt at GaTech?
Kevin McNamara: I hear he's secure now. After next year could be another matter. I'd try to talk to him, for sure. I think he'd be an excellent fit at Providence.
rhody85: Ideally both Rhody and PC would have consitent success, do think Rhody in the A10 is set up to have more consistency than Providence in the BE?
Kevin McNamara: Define consistent success? Winning seasons, NIT's, NCAA's?
rhody85: You and PK do a great job, I hope you both get to follow the teams on the road next year.
Kevin McNamara: Plans are a go. Right now anyways. It helps when you avid fans keep reading our stuff. Please keep it up.
rhody85: 4 out of 5 years in either NIT or NCAA's.
Kevin McNamara: I feel that's asking an awful lot for both schools. If I had to answer your question, I'd say it's easier to get to the NIT at URI than PC. It may be easier to get to NCAA at Providence since the Big East gets 6-8 bids every year and th A-10 gets 2-3. But it's very, very hard at both of these schools.
SU Fan: I read where PC's AD said he expects thenm to be in the top 5 or 6 in the conference every year. You know what schools he thinks you guys should be ahead of?
Kevin McNamara: I am not in agreement with that. Just my opinion. I agree with you. PC finishes 7th next year. Name the 9 teams it finishes ahead of?
617rhodyfan: kevin - USC/kansas state, who do you like?
Kevin McNamara: I like So. Cal. To go a long ways. Final Four is possible.
Kevin McNamara: Thanks a lot everyone. Enjoy the tournament. This is the best time of the year for us basketball-crazed fans.
Kevin McNamara will be online from noon to 1 p.m. to take your questions about the NCAA Tournament and other college basketball matters. You can submit your questions now: go to projo.com/chat, click launch chat, pick a display name (you don't need a password) and enter the college hoops chat room. Remember not to press enter or click send until you have completed your thought. Questions will display to the room as Kevin answers them.
Here is PC's official release on the firing of Tim Welsh....
WELSH WILL NOT RETURN AS PROVIDENCE COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll announced today (March 15) that men’s basketball Head Coach Tim Welsh will not return to coach the Friars in 2008-09. Driscoll met with Welsh today to discuss the situation.
“I appreciate all the hard work and dedication that Tim has put into this program over the last 10 years,” Driscoll said. “He represented the College with dignity and class. However, I felt that it was in the best interest of the program and Providence College to make a change in leadership.”
His 2007-08 Friar squad registered a 15-16 record and a 6-12 mark in the BIG EAST. The Friars finished 12th of 16 teams in the BIG EAST this season. The Friars’ season ended on Wednesday when they were defeated by West Virginia, 58-53, in the First Round of the BIG EAST Tournament.
Welsh was named the 13th head coach of Friar men’s basketball team on April 2, 1998. In his 10 seasons as a head coach at Providence, he led the team to a 160-143 mark (.528) and a 72-92 record (.439) in BIG EAST regular-season play. In five of his 10 seasons the Friars qualified for post-season action. Providence was selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and 2004. The team also played in the NIT in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
Driscoll plans to begin a search immediately for a new head coach.
“This is a very important decision and I will work diligently to find someone who will lead our men’s basketball program and guide our student-athletes,” Driscoll said. “Providence College has a rich tradition in men’s basketball. I have very high standards for the program and I expect that we will find the best person to move the program forward.”
Tim Welsh Coaching Record at Providence College
AT PC: 10 years 160-143 .528; Big East: 72-92 (.439)
Providence College will have a new basketball coach next season.
The school is set to announce that it has fired Tim Welsh with one year left on his contract. More details to come. An official announcement is expectred at any moment.
The Flyers just completed a 63-62 overtime victory over the tough Billikens. Click here to see our A-10 scoreboard (which will soon include a box score of the Dayton-Saint Louis game). Next up in Atlantic City is Saint Joseph's vs. Fordham.
URI's the lower seed, they just lost to Charlotte on Saturday night, and they closed out their season by losing seven of their last nine games. Yet URI is a one-point favorite in tonight's rematch with the 49ers. Projo.com readers so far don't agree with the Vegas oddsmakers; we've been asking for people to predict whether either URI or PC will win a first-round conference tournament game, and the fans aren't giving either team much of a chance, so far.
With 152 votes in, 62 people (41 percent) are predicting a URI victory, 48 (32 percent) are predicting a PC victory, and 53 people (35 percent) are picking both teams to lose. Just 16 voters (11 percent) say both local teams will win today.
Kevin McNamara: Hello everyone. Obviously one of the busiest times of the year for college hoop mavens. I'm headed to NYCity later today to get ready for tomorrow's PC-West Virginia game. I'm packing right now. Should I go light or heavy?
Kevin McNamara: Please forward your questions. I have about 15 in the Q right now. I will not answer the PC coaching situation over and over and over. I will take questions on URI and Brown as well as NCAA tourney questions. We'll go for about an hour.
BedfordPenthouse: What does Tim Welsh have to do at this point to get an extention going into next year?
Kevin McNamara: Here goes with the Tim Welsh category. The PC coach is obviously on very shaky ground right now. You can debate whether that is fair or not but it is fact. No decision has been made on whether his contract is extend or not. I know this as fact. Can he save himself at this point? That's debatable but he can make it interesting with, say 2 wins this week. Getting to Big East semis with team would be a major achievement....As to new coaching names, let's just say that I've done my share of research. Most of the names fans are tossing about have NO interest in coming to Providence. They either can get better jobs, have a better job or don;t like the chances to win here. I do think that if TW were to get fired, the Friars can find a good coach and won;t have to pay $800K-plus. I think Bob Driscoll will aim high and see if he can get a proven winner. If that doesn't happen, he'll have to get creative and think broadly. That is risky but if Welsh isn't the coach next year, there are no guarantees that the next coach is `better' than he is. If this reads like I am not going to discuss Larranaga, O'Brien, Christian, Van Gundy, ect. you are correct.
BedfordPenthouse: The two names that people have been throwing around to become the next Friars coach have been Jim Larranaga and Jim O'Brien. Of the two, who is better for this job?
Kevin McNamara: Ditto.
THL: Have you heard anything new regarding a coaching change at PC?
Kevin McNamara: Ditto.
pcfan: Hello, Kevin: Should PC be eliminated tomorrow, and the season officially end, do you have any sense of a timeframe for when (or if) PC will replace Welsh? Is it likely that he will "resign" or do you think PC will fire him? Thank You.
Kevin McNamara: As for timing, if PC goes down tomorrow, I would think early to middle next week they have an annoucement on whether the coach is in contract negotiations or moving on.
FriarFan: When will PC make a coaching announcement? What do anticipate regarding their decesion? Thanks.
Kevin McNamara: See above.
BedfordPenthouse: Will Greedy Peterson be in a Friars uniform next season?
Kevin McNamara: I think Greedy has the potential to be a good Big East player. He is undersized, however, and needs to learn how to play without the basketball on offense. That's been his issue late in this season. Tim Welsh would love to have Greedy back. if he's not the coach, you'd have to ask the new guy.
BedfordPenthouse: While his brother will most likely go to UCONN, what are the chances that Majok Majok ends up with the Friars?
Kevin McNamara: All recruiting is up in the air at Providence. That's been the main problem with the decision to let this season be a `referendum' on Tim Welsh. No way anyone would commit to PC in this scenario. The staff has worked the junior class but fallen behind other competitors. Majok Majok is just a name. PC doesn't `lead' for him, in any way shape or form.
matt: kevin ,next year coach baron will give us the excuse that when you lose seniors like Will Daniels and Parfait Bitee that it is tough to replace them. Knowing that will be his excuse next year - what possibly could his excuse be for the collapse we witnessed this year? I think he needs to take responsibility for this. 2007-2008 was supposed to be THE YEAR. Not qualifying for any tournament is totally unacceptable. I hope Thorr Bjorn recognizes this.
Kevin McNamara: I am as surprised as anyone that the Rams have faded here in February-March. I hope they can win a game in Atlantic City and find their way into the NIT or CBI but it will be tough, as Paul Kenyon's article in today's Journal correctly points out. What is the `excuse?' It's lack of defense. Why is this? URI patterned its game after the run-and-gun NBA teams and when its offense was roaring, the Rams were very good. When the O stalls a bit, the defense isn't there to back things up. Losing WDaniels, PBitee and Joe Mbang is very big for this team. URI fans are learning how tough it is to get to the NCAA's.
Ben: Hi, Kevin. URI basketball has seen yet another embarrassing, horrific collapse under Jim Baron. While this guy seems like a nice man who appears to run a clean & honest program, I (and other URI fans) feel that he is not a good coach and has worn out his welcome as coach of the Rams. His teams ALWAYS finish worse than they started. He has never won an NCAA tournament game & has only been there twice in well over 2 decades as a head coach. In fact, neither of those trips were with URI. His offensive strategies are incredibly simple, predictable, and easy to defend once you see what they're doing. This man is not capable of better than getting to the occasional NIT. Do you think that URI would make a coaching change if the state's financial situation were better and/or his contract was closer to its end? And, do you personally feel that Jim Baron has performed adequately in his 7 years (that's almost a decade) at URI?
Kevin McNamara: I won't speculate about Baron's future at URI. I will state that he isn't going anywhere. URI's decision to lock him up for 10 years was an odd one at the time and severely handcuffs the school. It's a 1-way deal that only favors the coach. It also gets very expensive as the years roll on so buying him out is not an option. I personally feel they shouldn't even think about that and no one at Rhody is. Baron has rebuilt the program to his liking and winning 21-22 games this season is a very good year. Obviously expectations were raised once the Rams got off to such a hot start and now people are disappointed. The good news is the staff is working hard to stock the program with good players, more needed size and some additional athleticism. I think a core of Jimmy Baron, KSeawright, Ulmer, Cothran, Delroy James is pretty good. If some of the newcomers can help a bit, the Rams will be in the A-10 mix once again. That's very different from the poorer years that Baron endured trying to get the program back on track.
rhodewarriorlm: Tough question Kev! Baron is a really likable guy and the job he first took over in Kingston was far from a tea party. He has done good things for the program yes. With all of that good will acknowledged Coach cannot seem to get any team to the NCAA's? His best teams at Rhody (this year) and the (Dustin Hellenga) team both had swoons that cost them post season play under Baron. Putting the good will aside for a moment do you really think Jim Baron is anything more than a NIT coach in his best? Do you think Rhody fans have a point in being really upset with the coaching staff regarding this years collapse?
Kevin McNamara: Look above. Getting to the NCAA is hard, especially at a school like URI which is not a top 5 Atlantic 10 program. Not yet, anyways. I think the student-athlete center being talked about will help a lot and recruiting the last 2-3 years is clearly going well. Getting ahead of Xavier, UMass, Temple, Dayton, St. Joe, St. Louis (on the rise) consistently is asking a lot if you cheer for the Rams. If the A-10 remains a 1-3 bid league, do the math. Cracking the NCAA's is a tall order.
rhodewarriorlm: With the swoon in full scale at Rhody do you see them inning any games in the A-10 tourney. If they get eliminated in the 1st or 2nd round do you even see them getting an NIT invite or will the severity of the swoon keep them out of even the NIT?
Kevin McNamara: If URI loses to Charlotte, I think there is a very good chance the NIT passes on them. Hope not. Beat the 49'ers and things clearly improve. problem is A-10 is loaded with NIT-type teams (Charlotte, Temple, Dayton, St. Joe).
rhodewarriorlm: Lets get things flowing for next year.... who has the better recruting class for next year- URI or PC? Can you tell us about either class?
Kevin McNamara: That's for the easyt question. URI in a landslide. The Rams have signed a good, deep class that was badly needed. Lots of promise anyways. PC had one scholarship and used it on Bilal Dixon, a player who could see time right away. URI's class depends on several players academically qualifying. Things look good now but anything can happen with kids these days. Big men Ryan Brooks and Orion Outerbridge are the keys. Both aren't bangers but are athletic and can run the floor. Think Will Daniels, minus 20 pounds. Raw but talented. Remember, the Rams also welcome transfer Ben Eaves, who PC badly wanted out of prep school. He's impressed all year in practice.
rhodewarriorlm: Where (if you do) do you have Will Daniels going in the NBA draft? Do you see him having a productive career or will he ride the pine and be out of the league in a year or two?
Kevin McNamara: I am not hearing much on Will and the NBA. I see his name on some web sites (nbadraft.net, for example) but no scout I've talked to says they see him as a 1st rounder. Will is an NBA 3-man who lacks quickness and will have major defensive issues. He needs to go to pre-draft camps and prove that scouting report wrong. We all know he can score. He'd have a great European career because of those skills but he'll try to make a run at the NBA first. We all wish him luck. He's a good kid.
THL: Is there any serious recruiting being done at this time by the Friars?
Kevin McNamara: I would say no. Any HSchool coach with a clue would know PC's coaching sitaution has to be cleared up before I can take what PC's assistant are saying seriously.
mando11522: Rhode Island's chances of winning the A-10...semms there path isn't to bad
Kevin McNamara: Winning the tournament? Let's just beat Charlotte first. URI lost to the 49ers at Ryan Center just a few days ago. That sounds like a very tough first round game.
friar fan: Kevin- Do you think Gonzo is in trouble for his actions Sunday with his press conference and screaming at a SHU official to "get out of my face"?
Kevin McNamara: That's one of the issues I can't wait to hear more on once we get to New York. I know Gonzo is intense but his inability to control that intensity is one of his major faults. It's not winning him any friends, that's for sure.
mando11522: thoughts on uri chances at winning the a-10
Kevin McNamara: see above.
THL: With San Diego winning the WCC by beating Gonzaga last night, do you feel that the Zags will still get a bid to the dance using up an at large bid?
Kevin McNamara: Thanks for the NCAA question. Best time of year speculating on who does and does not get in. Gonzaga will definitely be an at-large pick. The Zags play a great schedule, won enough games out of conference and were regular season champs in a good league. The West Coast will now get 3 bids: Zags, SDiego and St. Mary's. All three should be watched closely in your pools next week.
Blue Elvis: Looking ahead to next year for the Friars, it seems to me that getting Randal Hanke into the weight room should be a priority. It seems when he plays tough, the Friars play better as a whole team. (I live in DC, and rarely get to see PC games, so I am basing this opinion off of what I read. Let me know if I am off-base).
Kevin McNamara: That's a good call. Randall has enjoyed a very good season after coming in with all sorts of question marks hovering over him. Fans expected him to be good right away and that didn't happen. Tim Welsh didn't play him early on, which was based on shoddy practice efforts, but may have been a mistake. Obviously the Friars needed Hanke to be a legitimate offensive team. He's playing well in the post right now. Hanke will never be the Incredible Hulk but does work in the weight room. Not sure what his upside physically is, though. That's why getting Bilal Dixon, a banger, was so important for next year. Jon Kale's inability to fill that role consistently has hurt this team.
THL: Dwain Williams....In your opinion, has he played his last game in black and white? What are his issues?
Kevin McNamara: Word is Dwain is in the doghouse and is `concentrating on his academics.' Don't know for sure but sounds like he's struggling academically and needs to go to every class. Just a guess, which I guess we're allowed to do in a chat but not the newspaper.
mando11522: As everyone knows san diego won the WCC and south alabama and VCU lost in there conference torney's...who's bubbles just burst because of those teams winning/losing...
Kevin McNamara: These are the teams on the bubble right now. They don't want to see anymore upsets. I think South Alabama (RPI 24) had better watch out. It has 20 wins against teams ranked 100 or higher on RPI. I'd take Dayton over that every day. Dayton, St. Joe, Villanova, Syracuse, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio State, Oregon are just some of the teams that better win a game or two to lock up bids. It would be a shame of the A-10 only got 2 bids. They don't deserve more, however. Beat teams you're supposed to (re:Dayton & St. Joe) at home and you'd be in...I look at quality wins and playing well late. Those are the 2 things I like best.
rodfromcranston: Come on Kevin. CFL's teams always fade at the end of the season. This is THE biggest collapse in URI history, and yet not ONE word of media criticism.
Kevin McNamara: Rod. Let's get JHarrick back! Just bustin'. It is a major collapse but I think URI fans got juiced up over a team that was always flawed. Then the flaws came through. Look at you 5-man. An unheralded JUCO who can't score. That led to rebounding an interior defense issues. Also, the schedule didn't help. URI played great in the Syracuse win but didn't have to play great to win any of its other NC games (Providence included). Once they started playing good teams (especially on the road) at least once a week in a much-improved Atl-10 then things began to crack. You want to kill the coach? Go ahead. But I fault talent issues more than X's-and-O's. They need better players, especially on the interior. That's the coach's fault, too.
mando11522: Florida, Ohio st., Cuse, or Kentucky...which outta those 4 do you think will legit get in the NCAA
Kevin McNamara: Good question. If it's those four, I'd probably have to go with Ohio State. They beat SYR head-to-head back when Eric Devendorf was playing. They're playing well now. Excellent coach. I think what kentucky and Florida did in the N/C season cannot be overlooked. You can't whack bad teams, lose to ALL the good ones and then get healthy in conference. That tells me your conference isn't all that good.
THL: Your old friend, Ron Borges wrote in the Attleboro paper that Dwain Williams was told not to go anywhere near the team....Does this relate to your answer above that he is/has to devote time to academics?
Kevin McNamara: Ron Borges? Peter Gobis covers PC up in Attleboro. My reference to Dwain's academic issues was cut out of a PC Journal I wrote for Sunday's paper. Dwain is out for the season with an ankle injury, by the way. You should probably focus on the guys who are healthy.
URIGONZO: Kevin, a lot of blame on URI Projo board has been placed on Coach Baron for the late season collapse. I for one think it is lack of effort on the part of the player's i.e. not playing hard on defense and letting a guard go from the 3-pt arc to the hoop without stopping him. Do you feel the player's could have done better, or does the task of motivating them fall squarely on the coaching staff??
Kevin McNamara: It's a team game and the coaches & players work together. Coach's fault? That's what the fans always say. It's the player's job to execute and URI's players obviously have not done a good job with that. As I stated somewhere above, I think this team was always flawed with its lack of size and once opponents figured out how to slow the offense down, the Rams' main strength was sapped....Growl all you want Ram fans. You've won 21 games and I like the talent in the program. Getting to that next, NCAA ,level is hard.
KD: What's your read on W. Efejuku? Coaching challenge? Out of position? Why the incredible inconsistency?
Kevin McNamara: I think Weyinmi Efejuku is a talented player but not nearly as talented as PC fans think. His mental approach to the game has clearly been hurt by inconsistent playing time and clashes with the coaching staff. If he gave a better effort on defense and off the glass, he'd play more. He also needs to improve his ballhandling so he can get his own shot more often. That is PC's number one problem. Without a PG, there are few players who can break a defender down a get their own shot. Watch tomorrow's WVU game closely and count how many times a guy makes a move and gets off a clear jumper or continue past a defender or three and makes his way to the rim...You'll be amazed at the low number.
Kevin McNamara: Guys. I have to wrap this up. I saw all of your questions but i do have to pack. So what's the answer, light or heavy???
Talk college hoops at 11 a.m. today with Kevin McNamara
Kevin McNamara will stop by the office today just before heading down to New York City for the Big East Tournament to take your questions about the Friars and the Rams, who are on their way to the A-10 tourney in Atlantic City. Kevin will be in the college hoops chat room at projo.com to answer your questions from 11 a.m. to noon.
You can submit a question now: go to projo.com/chat, click launch chatm, choose a display name (you don't need a password), enter the college hoops chat room and begin typing. Do not hit enter or click send until you have completed your thought. Questions will display to the room as Kevin answers them.
The Atlantic 10 just announced their post-season awards. Here is a link to the league's official release.
URI's Will Daniels made the first all-league team but no other Ram player was mentioned in the top 15 players. Parfait Bitee was an all-defensive team pick and Jimmy Baron was named to the all-academic team.
The A-10 Player of the Year was UMass' Gary Forbes. Rookie of the Year was Kevin Anderson of Richmond and Xavier's Sean Miller was the Coach of the Year.
The regular-season came to a disappointing finish for URI as it was beaten by Charlotte, 74-64 tonight.
Leemire Goldwire (34) and Lamont Mack (19) combined for 53 points for the 49ers, who finish 18-12, 9-7. They will be the sixth seed in the A-10 tournament.
URI, losers of seven of its last nine, finished 21-10 and 7-9. It will be the 11th seed and will get to play Charlotte once again, Wednesday in the Atlantic 10 tournament at 9 p.m.
Kahiem Seawright had 17 points and 15 rebounds for URI, but the Rams shot only 33.9 percent overall and 3-for-21 on 3-pointers.
Charlotte continues to use the 3-point shot to hurt URI.
The 49ers have made 10, in 20 attempts, as they lead 52-50 with 10:38 left. URI is only 3-for-16 behind the arc.
URI survived a slow start to the second half. It missed its first six shots, two good looks on 3-pointers from the corner by Jimmy Baron. Baron is 0-for-7 3-pointers on the night. Lee Goldwire has 21 points for Charlotte.
The regular-season finale for URI is playing very much like so many other A-10 contest this year _ close.
The Rams lead, 38-35 in what has been a wild, at times out of control, half with both teams running all over but not finishing plays well.
The biggest margin either has had was 11-5 by URI. Charlotte came back to go on top 17-13 and the game has been tight the rest of the way.
URI was hurt when Parfait Bitee, who had 10 early points, went to the bench with more than eight minutes left with two fouls. Kahiem Seawright has continued his storng recent play with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Rhody is only 2-for-11 on 3-pointers.
Lamont Mack has 12, all on 3-pointers and Leemire Goldwire 11 for the 49ers.
Every game, it seems, an opposing player seems to go nuts against URI.
Tonight, it is Charlotte forward Lamont Mack. The junior colelge transfer already has made four 3-point baskets. That has helped the 49ers lead much of the way, although URI leads 24-22 with 7:44 left in the first half.
Parfait Bitee is the biggest reason URI is ahead. He already has 10 points, including the only two 3-pointers the Rams have had.
Senior Night ceremonies were crisp, relatively brief and emotional here at the Ryan Center tonight.
The fans arrived early and were ready to recognize the seniors. Head manager Pat Henderson of North Kingstown, Joe Mbang, Parfait Bitee and Will Dnaiels all were given rousing ovations by the fans. All four seniors are on schedule to receive their degrees.
Robert Carothers, the school president, and Thorr Bjorn, the ahletics director, joined coach Jim Baron in honoring the players.
URI knows that if it wins tonight it will be the sixth seed in the A-10 tournament and meet Saint Louis, which would be the 11th seed, Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Atlantic City.
The three other games that impact URI’s seeding all have been completed, with La Salle and Saint Louis losing and Dayton winning. That leaves La Salle and Dayton at 8-8 and Saint Louis at 7-9. If URI beat Charlotte, those two teams would be 8-8, too, making for a four-way tie for sixth through ninth seeds.
URI would win the tiebreaker because it is 3-1 against the others in the tie. Dayton would be seventh leaving Charlotte and La Salle to meet in the 8-9 game.
If Charlotte beats URI tonight, it would be the sixth seed and URI would drop to the 10th seed. That would mean a first-round game against Dayton at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
If I read the crazy A-10 standings correctly, one small piece of the puzzle for seedings for the conference tournament fell into place tonight.
By beating Duquesne, Temple moves to 11-5 and assures itself of no worse than the No.3 seed, and becomes odds-on favorite to be No. 2. Even if it loses its last game Saturday, at home against La Salle, the Owls can do no worse than tie for second.
Massachusetts, Richmond and Saint Joseph's also could be in that tie. Temple would win all tiebreakers unless it finishes in a deadlock with only Richmond. Richmond beat the Owls so it would be No. 2 and Temple No. 3 in that scenario. That is unlikely, though, on several levels, not the least of which is that Richmond must play Xavier in its regular-season finale Saturday.
Any other scenario with Massachusetts or Saint Joe's involved and the second seed would go to Temple. The bottom line is Temple is almost sure to be the second seed.
With no major surprises tonight _ how about that for a statement rarely heard in the conference this year? _ numerous possibilities remain for URI and most other teams. If we are going to have fun, why not have a six-way tie at 8-8 for fifth through 10th spots?
It's quite possible. This is all that needs to happen: Charlotte beats GW Thursday and Xavier tops Saint Joseph's. Then, on Saturday, URI beats Charlotte, Saint Louis defeats Duquesne, Dayton tops Saint Joseph's and Temple turns back La Salle.
Then, the season would end with Charlotte, Dayton, La Salle, URI, Saint Joseph's and Saint Louis all at 8-8. Considering everything that has happened this season, it would be a perfect way to end.
Yes, I have at least tried to decifer what would happen in that case. Here would be the records among the teams involved in such tie: Dayton would finish 5-2 against the others, the Rams, Billikens and 49ers all would be 3-3, La Salle 2-3 and Saint Joseph's 1-4. I assume that means the Flyers would be the five seed, the Hawks the 10, the Explorers the nine and we'd need more work to figure out 6, 7 and 8 among the 49ers, Billikens and Rams.
In one major piece of news, Duquesne might be without its star forward Shawn James for the rest of the year. He has a shoulder injury and did not play in the loss at Temple tonight.
Will Daniels has been voted to the National Association of Basketball Coaches District I All-Star team.
The URI forward is joined by A.J. Price and Jeff Adrien of Connecticut, Tyrese Rice of Boston College and Gary Forbes of Massachusetts on the first team.
URI's Jimmy Baron and PC's Geoff McDermott both earned second-team berths along with Hasheem Thabeett of UConn, Matt Janning of Northeastern and Marcus Blakely of Vermont.
The 75 players earning first-team berths in the 15 regions are those considered for All-American honors.
Another painful loss for the derailed Rhody Rams. This time George Washington torched the Rams from outside and ran away for a 85-68 victory. URI has now lost five in a row and six of seven to fall to 20-9 and 6-8 in the Atlantic 10.
Damian Hollis led GW with 22 points. Noel Wilmore added 21 on seven 3-point shots.
Will Daniels led the Rams with 24 points. Parfait Bitee and Jimmy Baron added 13 apiece.
Yep, you read that right. George Washington is killin' the Rams at the break, 49-25. This got real ugly in the last three minutes as a 25-21 game became a blowout. Five straight 3-pointers did the trick for the home team.
Jim Baron is emptying the bench tonight. Not only have we seen Will Martell but now fellow frosh Hakim McCullar is in the game. He's played a grand total of one minute in Atlantic 10 action this season.
URI had cut the GW lead to four at 25-21 but the home team has scored eight straight and leads 33-21 with 3:31 left.
The Rams are off to a sluggish start and trail, 13-9, at the 12 minute time out.
URI missed its first seven shots but was only down 5-0. URI is shooting 28 percent (4-14) at this point.
Will Martell is on the floor for the first time in 7 games. Haven't seen him since PC game.
No, URI fans. The bad news isn't that I'm here covering the game instead of Paul Kenyon, who has fallen ill and couldn't make the trip.
The bad news is that both Jason Francis and Joe Mbang are not dressed for tonight's game against George Washington due to ``a violation of team academic policy.' Not sure exactly what that is but it sure seems like the two frontcourt players skipped a class or three recently. Too bad. Jim Baron needs all the players he can get in order to snap out of a four-game losing skid.
We'll see if that happens here at GW's Smith Center. The Colonials are good here. They've beaten Dayton and St. Louis here, that's two teams the Rams have lost to.
Here's some good news for Ram fans. The last road trip I took with Rhody they but a licking on Syracuse. Maybe we'll be a good-luck charm.
Because of a late change in his schedule, Kevin McNamara will not be able to do today's hoops chat as planned. He sends his apologies and encourages readers to still send in questions; he will answer some of them later this week on the College Hoops Blog.
To send a question: go to projo.com/chat, click the red "launch chat" button, choose a display name (you don't need a password) and enter the college hoops chat room. When typing a question, do not press enter or click send until you have finished your thought.
Saint Joseph's is maintaining full control here against URI.
URI scored the first basket of the second half to get within nine. But the Hawks responded with five quick points and have not let their lead get out of doble digits since.
URI just played one of its poorest halves of the season.
Saint Joseph's has a 44-33 lead at the half and it has done it despite playing the last 11 minutes without its two best players. Pat Calathes and Ahmad Nivins both picked up two early fouls. They went to the bench when they did and did not return.
The Hawks are 15 for 23 from the field. Rob Ferguson leads the way with 12 points.
The half, though, said more about URI than the Hawks. The Rams did not play well at all. For the second game in a row they have hurt themselves with turnovers. They have eight at the half, which have turned into 11 Hawks' points.
The score was 24-24 before Saint Joseph's went on an 18-4 run. For much of that run, four URI starters, Will Daniels, Jimmy Baron, Kahiem Seawright and Jason Francis were on the bench.
The Hawks and Rams have battled evenly on the scoreboard in the first 8:30, but URI has more reason to be happy than Saint Joseph's.
It is 15-14 URI with 11:30 left. But what could be the big news is that the two best players for the Hawks, Ahmad Nivins and Pat Calathes, both have two fouls and are on the bench, at least for now.
Delroy James and Jason Francis each have four for URI.
The countdown to game time has just moved inside the five minute mark and it is much quieter at the Ryan Center than it has been for the past couple games.
That does not mean that today's Rhode Island-Saint Joseph's game is any less important. While both teams are struggling _ URI has lost four of five and the Hawks three of their last four _ both are still very much in the NCAA Tournament chase.
There are no surprises in the starting lineups for either team.
Multimedia: Paul Kenyon previews URI-Saint Joseph's
Click the play button below to see and hear the show, as Paul Kenyon previews the Rams game Sunday against the Hawks, and about the team's psyche as its struggles continue.
Two huge turnovers on back-to-back possessions by URI in the final 90 seconds, which were quickly turned into seven points by Massachusetts, were the difference as the Minutemen beat the Rams, 98-91.
The game was close and fast paced throughout with neither team able to get an advantage in the second half. The lead changed hands 12 times and there were 16 ties.
A URI turnover that turned into a basket by Ricky Harris gave UMass the lead at 87-86. Another Rhody turnover on the next possession turned into five points for UMass. Etienne Brower, who stole the ball from Kahiem Seawright, was intentionally fouled by Seawright. Brower made both fouls shots, then drained a 3-pointer as well.
Brower had 26 points, Gary Forbes and Chris Lowe 21 apiece for the Minutemen , 17-9, 6-6. Will Daniels had 23 for URI.
URI has just scored six straight points to take an 83-80 lead with 2:52 left in what has turned into another in a series of terrific A-10 games.
The entire second half has been back and forth. The ability to score off the drive has been the difference for the Minutemen and Chris Lowe and Gary For bes have hrt URI badly, jsut ast hey did in the first meeting between the teams.
Will Daniels had 21 for URI. And the Rams continue to get help from the lilttle used Delroy James and Marquis Jones.
