May 13, 2008
An early commencement ceremony is becoming a tradition at Bryant University. Fifteen seniors, eight from the lacrosse team and seven from the baseball team, will receive their degrees today because they will be playing in NCAA Tournaments Saturday, Commencement Day for the rest of the senior class. The ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Bello Center Grand Hall.
The practice began a few years ago when Bryant won the Northeast-10 baseball championship. School officials realized the seniors would miss commencement because they would be on the road so they arranged a special ceremony for the seniors and their families. A similar ceremony was held last year.
Posted by Mike Szostak 
at 12:25 PM | Permalink
May 6, 2008
BY MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer
Brown lacrosse coach Lars Tiffany is disappointed that his Bears, the Ivy League co-champions with Cornell, were not selected for the NCAA Division I lacrosse tournament.
But he is more disappointed that Georgetown did not receive a bid. The Hoyas finished 9-4, beat NCAA tournament teams Duke by four goals and Navy on the road in overtime, played a schedule that included Maryland, Syracuse, Delaware and UMass, the 2007 national runner-up, and were ranked No. 11 in the USILA poll.
“And look what it did for them? Maybe that’s not the answer,” Tiffany said Monday night, referring to strength of schedule as a criterion for selection. He was taking a break from responding to close to 200 e-mails and 50 telephone messages left in the wake of Brown’s 6-5 victory over Princeton Saturday, knocking the Tigers from the Ivy League race and securing a share of the title.
“I’m more upset about Georgetown than about us,” he said.
Tiffany knew his team, ranked No. 13, was on the bubble before the selections were announced Sunday night. The 11-3 Bears lost to Hofstra, Denver and Cornell, all NCAA tournament teams, and they beat only two teams that finished with winning records.
“We were on the wrong side of the bubble,” he said with a laugh.
Tiffany is concerned that the selection committee is relying too much on number crunching and not enough on deliberations.
“We would have loved if there had been a conversation,” he said. “The last three or four years they have migrated away from committee to hard quantitative analysis.”
Tiffany guessed that Navy, Drexel and Brown were in the running for the last at-large bid.
“When they named Navy to play North Carolina, the wind left our sails,” he said. “And when Denver came up, we knew we were dead. That’s when it was time for me to talk to the team and focus on 2008.”
It was a great season. The Bears won 10 of their last 11 games and shared the Ivy title for the first time since 1995. Jordan Burke, the junior goalie, established himself as one of the best in the nation and should receive All-Ivy and All-America consideration. He was a three-time Ivy League player of the week. Monday night he received the Fritz Pollard ’19 Trophy as Brown's outstanding male varsity athlete of the year.
The NCAA Tournament starts this weekend. The quarterfinals will be May 17-18 at Cornell and Navy and the semifinals May 24 and final May 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro at 1 p.m. The Division II championship will be May 25 at Gillette at 4:30 and the Division III final May 25 at Gillette at 1:30.
The Division I women’s semifinals and final will be at Towson University in Maryland. The Division II women’s tournament is taking place in Houston and the Division III women’s semifinals and final at Roanoke College in Salem, Va.
mszostak@projo.com / 401-277-7340
Posted by Mike Szostak at 3:26 PM | Permalink
May 2, 2008
PROVIDENCE – Brown University hopes to name a new basketball coach by the end of May.
The search committee has winnowed the initial list of 80 applicants to about 10 and will meet next week to decide which candidates to invite to campus, athletics director Mike Goldberger said today. He predicted as many as five coaches will visit.
Brown must replace Craig Robinson, who left last month to become head coach at Oregon State. Robinson won 30 games in his two seasons at Brown, more than any coach in Brown history in his first two years, and his 2008 team won 19, a school record. It also finished 11-3 and second in the Ivy League.
Robinson’s success raised the profile of Brown basketball, resulting in a stronger applicant pool than two years ago, when Brown hired him from Northwestern to replace Glen Miller, who had left for Penn.
The fact that Robinson is the brother-in-law of the presidential candidate Barack Obama garnered even more attention for the program this season.
“We have head coaches who have been successful and top assistants from good Division I programs,” Goldberger said of the applicant pool. He declined to list any names.
“We have no leading candidate at this point,” he said.
Goldberger emphasized that the next coach must understand, as Robinson did, the academic as well as athletic demands placed on Ivy League athletes.
“We won’t sacrifice that credential for anything,” he said.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 1:49 PM | Permalink
April 24, 2008
PITTSBURGH (AP) - B.J. Monteiro, a 6-foot-5 swingman chosen as the Connecticut high school player of the year, signed a binding letter of intent Thursday with Duquesne University.
Monteiro, an excellent shooter and penetrator, is expected to compete immediately for playing time at Duquesne, which is losing guards Gary Tucker and Reggie Jackson to graduation.
Monteiro verbally committed to Duquesne following a campus visit in February and signed his letter of intent at a news conference at Crosby High School in Waterbury on Thursday. He also considered UNLV, Saint Joseph's, Penn State and Fordham.
"He's a very good offensive player that we've watched for a long time," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said. "He's a good kid who comes from an excellent program and a player who will be able to help us immediately."
A former high school teammate of Duquesne forward Damian Saunders, Monteiro averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals on Crosby's state Class LL championship team as a senior. He won several state player of the year awards, including that of the Hartford Courant.
Monteiro averaged 24 points as a sophomore on another state championship team in 2005-06, when Saunders was his teammate, and 25 points as a junior.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:59 PM | Permalink
April 22, 2008
Fans of intercollegiate rowing should plan on being on the banks of the Narrow River in North Kingstown and the Seekonk River in Providence Saturday to watch the University of Rhode Island women and the Brown University men.
URI, fresh from its first Atlantic 10 championship, will row against MIT on the Narrow River in its second and final set of races on its home waters. The Rams snapped the 12-year reign of the University of Massachusetts as A-10 champion with a spectacular day of rowing on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. Rhody boats won the Varsity Eight, Varsity Four and Lightweight Four, finished second in Second Varsity Eight and Second Novice Eight, came in third third in Novice Eight and finished fourth in Lightweight Eight and Quad.
URI accumulated 135 points. UMass was second with 119 and Saint Joseph's third with 113. UMass's 12-year championship streak was the longest in any A-10 sport. URI's Shelagh Donohue was voted A-10 coach of the year for the second consecutive year.
Brown, the second-ranked men's crew in the nation, will host Dartmouth on the Seekonk. The Bears beat seventh-ranked Northeastern in the 44th Annual Dreissigacker Cup Saturday on the Charles River in Boston. Brown's varisty eight remained undefeated, and the second varsity and freshman teams also won.
The Brown women, reigning NCAA national champions, will row against Cornell and Columbia at Ithaca, N.Y., on Saturday. They won six races on the Charles River Saturday, leaving Gonzaga, Boston University, Notre Dame, Northeastern and Texas in their wake.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 1:36 PM | Permalink
April 18, 2008
Rhode Island College has named Marcus Reilly as its new Head Women¹s Basketball Coach. Reilly takes over for Spencer Manning, who guided the Anchorwomen over the previous five seasons.
Reilly joins the RIC staff after spending two separate stints guiding the Community College of Rhode Island Lady Knights, compiling a 77-35 record in four years at the helm.
In 2007-08, Reilly led CCRI to a 26-8 overall record and captured his second straight, and the program¹s fifth consecutive, New England Championship. The Lady Knights advanced to the National Tournament for the second straight season earning a victory over Garrett, 67-66, in overtime, before bowing out with losses to Kirkwood, 69-58, and Carl Sandburg, 61-52.
During 2006-07, Reilly put together a very strong roster by gelling nine newcomers with five returning players. He guided the team to his first, and the program¹s fourth straight, New England Championship and posted a 19-11 record. The Lady Knights beat Dean College, 94-67, in the championship game.
CCRI followed that up with a convincing 22-point, 86-64, victory over Union County Community College in the Northeast District Championship. With the District Championship win, the Lady Knights represented the Northeast in the National Tournament in Arizona where they reached the Elite Eight. For his efforts, Words Unlimited, Rhode Island¹s statewide organization of sports writers, sportscasters and sports publicists, named him the Female Sports Co-Coach of the Year.
Reilly served as top Assistant and Recruiting Coordinator for Jacksonville State University from 2003-2006. While at Jacksonville, Reilly helped guide the Gamecocks to their first-ever trip to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Final Four and their highest Division I win total of 18 victories. Reilly directed skill workouts for all red-shirts and post players. In the 2003-04 season, Reilly, as the Director of Scouting, helped guide the Gamecocks in their first-ever victory over a Conference USA opponent‹UAB--and first-ever SEC victory over Auburn.
Reilly¹s first stint as CCRI¹s Head Women¹s Basketball Coach was from 2001-03, where he led the Knights to a 32-16 record. Reilly¹s successes included recruiting the first CCRI class of women¹s basketball players to reach the NJCAA Final Four. Included in that class were Lady Knights¹ all-time leading scorer Amanda Ward and Jeanell Hughes, the CCRI single-season scoring leader.
Player development and transitioning players to the next level has always been at the core of Coach Reilly's programs. His former players and signees have gone on to play in the Big East, America East, MAAC, Ohio Valley, MEAC, Colonial Athletic Association, Northeast-10, Sunshine State and Little East
Conferences.
Before joining the college ranks, he coached Cranston High School West from 1999-2001 to a 24-17 record where he led them to their first and only R.I. State Tournament Championship Game as Division I Central Champions.
Five players from that team moved on to play college basketball at scholarship levels. He also mentored the Gatorade Player of the Year. During that time, he also served as Head Coach of the R.I. Breakers AAU basketball team, which placed in the top 30 at the U.S. Junior National Tournament and eight of those players accepted NCAA Scholarships.
Reilly, a Cranston native who attended Cranston West, resides in Cranston, Rhode Island with his wife Lindsey and son Owen (2).
--RIC ATHLETICS
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 6:13 PM | Permalink
April 16, 2008
Del Malloy, director of athletics at Salve Regina University since 1997, is leaving to become the first commissioner of the New England Collegiate Conference, a new nine-member Division III league that will begin play in the fall.
Malloy will stay at Salve Regina through June and begin his new duties July 1.
At the Community College of Rhode Island, veteran administrator Lou Pullano is retiring at the end of the school year. He succeeded Vin Cullen as director of athletics and this year is on temporary assignment as vice president for enrollment services.
There is no word who will succeed either administrator.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 5:13 PM | Permalink
Now that Keno Davis has accepted the Providence College job, two head coaching positions in college basketball in Rhode Island remain open, and one will be filled Friday.
Rhode Island College has scheduled a press conference for Friday morning at the Murray Center to introduce its new women's coach. Don Tencher, directore of athletics, is still negotiating the terms of the contract, so there's no word yet on the successor to Spencer Manning, who was dismissed at the end of the season.
Brown is receiving applications from coaches hoping to take over from Craig Robinson, who is leaving for Oregon State. Athletics director Mike Goldberger and the search committee could meet as early as next week to begin culling through the prospects. The same group that selected Robinson is searching for his replacement. Robinson was hired on June 15, 2006.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 10:51 AM | Permalink
April 14, 2008
Facing an $800,000 budget cut, the University of Rhode Island is eliminating men's swimming, men's tennis and field hockey from its varsity lineup. The cuts are effective at the end of the current academic year.
URI had announced in January that it was dropping gymnastics and adding women's lacrosse in 2009-2010. Gymnastics has been eliminated, making the total number of cuts four, and lacrosse will not be added as previously planned.
URI will sponsor 18 varsity sports in 2008-2009: football; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's soccer; volleyball; men's and women's cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track; women's tennis; women's swimming; golf; baseball, softball and women's rowing.
The men's tennis team had one of its best years in recent memory, posting a 17-6 record in dual matches and finishing seventh at the Atlantic 10 Championships. The field hockey team has endured at least nine consecutive losing seasons and was at a competitive disadvantage because its home field is grass and most college teams play on faster artificial surfaces. The 2007 Rams were 7-9, 1-6 in the Atlantic 10. The men's swimming team was not in contention at the A-10 championships.
The state, which contributes 14 percent of the university budget, is reducing its allocation by $12 million, necessitating campus-wide cuts. The target for the athletics department was $800,000, or about 10 percent of the operating budget, for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
Cutting three sports will affect 56 athletes and six coaches. Dropping gymnastics eliminated 19 athletes and two coaches. The total for the entire program is 75 athletes and eight coaches, although swimming coach Mick Weskott and his two assistants are expected to remain with the women's team.
Thorr Bjorn, director of athletics, is seeking reductions through personnel moves such as retirements and possible layoffs. He is also trying to increase revenues. The only way he can reach his target, he said, is through a combination of moves that include sports cuts.
"These decisions have been difficult and painful," Bjorn said in a statement.
URI President Robert L. Carothers said in the statement: "Given the econimic realities of Rhode Island, the university must build its future on fewer things and being the best it can be with those programs in which we choose to invest."
URI will honor all scholarship commitments and will assist those athletes who wish to transfer.
-- MIKE SZOSTAK
Posted by Mike Szostak at 7:15 PM | Permalink
April 11, 2008
Officials at the University of Rhode Island will probably announce Monday or Tuesday whether they will eliminate sports programs to shave $800,000 from the athletics department budget and if so, which sports will be sacrificed.
Thorr Bjorn, director of athletics, said a week ago that he should know by April 15 "at the absolute latest" whether he will have to cut teams. April 15 is Tuesday. Mike Laprey, assistant director of athletics for communications, said that no announcement would be made today and probably not this weekend. That leaves Monday and Tuesday.
University administrators have ordered department heads to shave 10 percent from their budgets in response to the state budget crisis. Bjorn is trying to increase revenues and trim personnel costs in addition to cutting teams. In communicating with various boosters who have contacted him, he has expressed his support for all programs but has stated that it's highly unlikely he can reach the mandated savings without cutting a team or teams.
URI has sponsored 22 varsity teams this year. That figure counts indoor and outdoor track as two sports.The number will drop to 21 next year with the elimination of gymnastics. Women's lacrosse is supposed to be added in 2009-2010 but will not be if programs are cut.
Elsewhere on the budget front, URI officials await word from the House Finance Committee on the fate of a $7.2-million appropriation made in 2006 for Fiscal Year 2009, which starts July 1, for the Student Athlete Development Center. The committee is considering rescinding authorization for the appropriation and restructuring the state'sshare of the project's financing.
-- MIKE SZOSTAK
Posted by Mike Szostak at 4:54 PM | Permalink
April 7, 2008
Brown basketball coach -- oops, make that former Brown basketball coach -- Craig Robinson and I were sittinng in his office a couple of weeks ago talking about the just completed Brown season. He was relaxed, as he should have been after his team had won 19 games, a school record, and finished second in the Ivy League with an impressive 11-3 record. Better yet, his team had closed the regular season by winning 10 of its last 11 games and had two first-team All-Ivy players in Mark McAndrew of Barrington and Damon Huffman of Petoskey, Mich.
He told me how much he enjoyed coaching this team, how the players were smart and motivated, how they had bought into his system, played hard, and finally come to believe when they took the court that they could win. He mentioned how much he liked Brown and Providence and that if the university made some kind of commitment to him -- he was thinking of the cost of putting his son Avery and daughter Leslie through a college like Brown -- he could see himself coaching here for a while.
Life was good.
I asked if he would be interested in the Providence College job if Bob Driscoll, the athletics director, called. He said sure and went on about the allure of big-time basketball, playing in big arenas before big crowds, playing so many televised games, matching wits with Big East coaches. He also talked about recruiting kids for a program like PC's, one in which academics are important but the criteria are less stringent than the Ivy League's. He said he would relish the opportunity to sit in a living room and convince a young man and his parents that it's possible to come from a modest urban background and succeed in the world of sports and the world of business. He would savor the chance to teach young men how to become Craig Robinson, if they chose to listen and to work hard. He never had to do that at Brown, he said, because Brown kids are already motivated. They already know what they have to do to get a job in investment banking or get admitted to Harvard Law.
And PC would be attractive because he wouldn't have to move his family. He's just have to move his Xs and Os across town.
I thought of all this today, when I heard that he was heading to Corvallis to take the Oregon State job. I thought of his following his predecessor Glen Miller's footsteps to a better opportunity, footsteps that are taking Craig Robinson now not cross-town but cross-country.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 10:01 PM | Permalink
Here's word from Oregon State's athletic web site.....
Corvallis – Oregon State University Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis is asking “Beaver Nation” to turn out for Monday’s welcoming press conference for the new men’s basketball coach at Oregon State University.
The formal introduction will take place at 4 p.m. in legendary Gill Coliseum.
Brown coach Craig Robinson is expected to be the coach introduced at OSU. He traveled to Oregon this morning but had yet to accept the job. Obviously a press conference will seal the deal.
KEVIN McNAMARA
Posted by Kevin at 2:30 PM | Permalink
April 2, 2008
University of Rhode Island football coach Darren Rizzi, implementing a new scheme on offense and defense, is moving players like chess pieces as he nears the end of the first week of spring football practice.
"Everything is constant evaluation, every minute of practice. Even after four days we're switching the depth chart around. We're trying to create as much competition as we can," the new head coach said Wednesday.
Rhody fans will be thrilled to learn that Rizzi is installing a wide open attack that will feature a variety of formations, some with five receivers, others with two tight ends. He is looking at three quarterbacks on the current roster: senior Derek Cassidy, the incumbent starter; junior D.J. Stefkowich, a highly regarded high-school QB who has played in spots for the Rams, and Kurt Wicks, a redshirt sophomore. They worked on the short passing game during the first three practices and Wednesday started throwing the ball downfield. He plans to give incoming freshmen Kyle Elliot and Marc Lucarini ample opportunity in training camp because they ran Rizzi's offense in high school in New Jersey.
Rizzi shifted backup QB John Butler, a junior, to linebacker and redshirt-freshman Terry Glenn to cornerback with the comment that Glenn "is going to be outstanding."
Work on the offensive line is interesting because every returning lineman has to learn new blocking techniques based on the new offense. Rizzi wants his linemen to keep their feet, not to cut block as they did under the old scheme.
Rizzi plans a scrimmage on Saturday and hopes his lineup will begin to take shape. The spring game is scheduled for April 26.
Bryant University, preparing for its first season of Division I football, is also practicing. Its spring game will be April 12.
Brown will start spring practice on Friday and conclude with a spring game on April 26 on the new Berylson Family Fields, which will be dedicated at that time.
-- MIKE SZOSTAK
Posted by Mike Szostak at 5:25 PM | Permalink
March 28, 2008
University of Rhode Island football coach Darren Rizzi will get his first look at his team on the field when the Rams kick off spring practice Saturday. The Rams will have 14 practice sessions leading to the annual spring game on April 26.
Brown is also about to start spring practice and will play its spring game April 26.
Bryant has been practicing for a week. Its spring game is set for April 12.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 6:29 PM | Permalink
March 24, 2008
Rhode Island College is not renewing the contract of women's basketball coach Spencer Manning and has begun a nationawide search for his successor. Manning was 68-65 in his firve years as head coach. The Anchorwomen were 12-13 overall, 5-9 in the Little East Conference, this season. RIC's only post-season appearance under Manning was to the 2007 ECAC New England Division III Tournament.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 11:22 AM | Permalink
March 20, 2008
Defending national champion Kirkwood Community College got a game-high 27 points from Allie Lindemann as the Eagles ended CCRI's run at the NJCAA Division II national tournament with a 69-58 win at Illinois Central College at East Peoria, Illinois.
CCRI will play Carl Sandberg College today at 1 p.m. in the consolation round.
CCRI was led by Denise Scott's 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 assists. Exeter's Lauren Harrington added 13 points.
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 5:27 PM | Permalink
March 18, 2008
Brown got a game-high 39 points from Damon Huffman, including nine 3-pointers, but it wasn't enough as Ohio defeated the Bears, 80-74, in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational at Athens, Ohio.
Posted by Corey Bourassa at 8:37 PM | Permalink
March 17, 2008
Brown and Ohio University will play their College Basketball Invitational first-round game tomorrow night at 7 at the 13,080-seat Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. The Bears will practice this afternoon and leave for Boston to catch an evening flight to Columbus. A two-hour bus ride should put the team in Athens at about midnght.
The game will be broadcast on WSKO (790).
The Bears (19-9) and the Bobcats (19-12) are two of the 16 teams in the inaugural CBI going head to head with the NCAA-owned NIT.
Ohio plays in the Mid-American Conference and last made a post-season appearance in 2005, losing to Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Brown's last post-season action was the 2003 NIT, an 89-73 loss to Virginia.
Tim O'Shea, an assistant at the University of Rhode Island for nine years, is finishing his seventh season as head coach of the Bobcats.
Ohio boasts all-conference forwards Leon Williams and Jerome Tillman. Williams, a senior, leads the team in scoring (16.2) and the league in rebounding (9.7). Tillman averages 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Brown will answer with all-conference guards Mark McAndrew, the Ivy League's leading scorer (16.5), and Damon Huffman, the school's career three-point leader (216) who is fifth in the league in scoring (14.9).
Posted by Mike Szostak at 9:31 AM | Permalink
If the newly minted CBI was trying to avoid building a reputation as a fly-by-night operation . . . well, mission failed.
"Night" is the key word, as the CBI didn't announce its schedule until about 2 a.m. Eastern time. Brown will play at Ohio University, coached by former URI assistant Tim O'Shea, on Tuesday.
Posted by Art Martone at 6:24 AM | Permalink
March 16, 2008
BY MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer
PROVIDENCE – Brown is going to a dance. Not the Big Dance, the NCAA Tournament. And not the Little Dance, the re-tooled N.I.T.
Brown is going to the new dance on the basketball block, the 16-team College Basketball Invitational, and the players are thrilled.
“They’re all really excited, as are the staff and I,” coach Craig Robinson said Sunday night after receiving the good news. “We’re happy to keep playing. We practiced this morning, hoping we’d have another game.”
Brown finished second behind Cornell in the Ivy League, the only Division I conference that does not have a tournament to determine the recipient of the NCAA’s automatic bid. Brown’s RPI in the 104-106 range made it a long shot for the N.I.T., now owned and operated by the NCAA, and Robinson and his players were not disappointed they didn’t make that cut.
“We know how the process works. We’re in the Ivy League, and our RPI and strength of schedule aren’t as strong. We’re just happy there’s another tournament now,” he said. As of 10:45 p.m. Brown's opponent had not been announced.
This will be Brown’s fourth post-season appearance since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939 and third since the Ivy League started in 1956-57. The 1939 Bears lost to Villanova, 42-30, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and the 1986 Ivy League champions fell to Syracuse, 101-52, in the first round of the NCAA. The 2003 team went to the NIT and lost in the first round to Virginia, 89-73.
The Ivy League has never sent more than one team to the NCAA Tournament and has sent only eight to the N.I.T. Brown was the last five years ago.
Brown was counting on several factors to attract attention from either the NIT or the CBI this year. This team posted the school’s best record in the 51 seasons of Ivy League basketball, 19-9, for a winning percentage of .678. Its 11-3 record in the Ivy League was second-best at Brown. The 1974 team that finished 17-9, 11-3, had an overall winning percentage of .653. The 2003 NIT squad was 17-12, 12-2, with a winning percentage of .586. The 2002 team finished 17-10-.629 but did not make a post-season tournament.
This team finished fast, winning 10 of its last 11 games, five on the road. It swept season series from both Penn and Princeton, a first for the Brown program.
This team defeated Eastern Michigan and Northwestern on the road and lost to Michigan by 15 and to Baylor by 10, both on the road. It also lost to Notre Dame by 33 in South Bend.
Three Brown players earned All-Ivy recognition. Seniors Mark McAndrew of Barrington and Damon Huffman made the first team and junior Chris Skrelja the second team.
McAndrew and Huffman composed one of the most dynamic backcourts in the Northeast. McAndrew led the league in scoring (16.5), was fifth in field-goal percentage (.474) and was 10th in rebounding (5.0). Huffman was fifth in scoring (14.9), sixth in field-goal percentage (.472) and second in three-pointers (73).
Skrelja was third in rebounding (6.6) and second in assists (4.04).
Center Matt Mullery led the league in blocked shots (37), and forward Peter Sullivan was one of the best Ivy freshmen.
The Bears gathered last night at Robinson’s house to watch the NCAA Selection Show and have something to eat. “It was one of those times when everyone was quietly hoping we’d get a chance to play,” Robinson said.
They drifted back to their dorms and apartments to prepare for Monday classes and exams, “just in case they were going to be away,” their coach said.
It was a good move, because now they will be away.
mszostak@projo.com / 401-277-7340
Posted by Mike Szostak at 10:43 PM | Permalink
By MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer
Brown is going to a post-season basketball tournament for the fourth time in school history.
Coach Craig Robinson has accepted an offer to play in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational. The Bears will go on the road for a first-round game either Tuesday or Wednesday. Robinson was waiting to learn Brown's opponent.
"I'm really happy for these guys. They were playing really well at the end of the season," he said shortly after receiving the call.
The Bears finished with the best record in their Ivy League history, 19-9, and their 11-3 Ivy League record was second-best. They were second to the Ivy champion, Cornell.
Brown's 1939 team played in the first NCAA Tournament. The 1986 team won the Ivy League and played in the NCAA Tournament. The 2003 team finished second in the Ivy League and went to the NIT.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 9:39 PM | Permalink
March 15, 2008
We're back from a long afternoon at Providence College where Tim Welsh was relieved of his duties. We'll have three stories in Sunday's Journal on the news.
Here are excerpts from AD Bob Driscoll's press briefing:
“Ultimately as the athletic director I’m responsible for the successes or the failures of my programs and basketball is my primary responsibility,” he said. “I just felt that at this juncture, looking at the body of work and where we need to do, that a change in leadership was necessary. It’s not personal to Tim. It’s part of the business and having been in this business for a long time, you trust your gut instinct in terms of change."
"With change comes great opportunity and renewed energy. That was the reason why I made the decision. The other reason is I have a high expectation for men’s basketball here at Providence College. This perception that we can never be successful or that we’re happy with just getting to the Big East (Tournament), well that goes against every bit of my core being. My goal is to win the Big East championship. Will we get there? Time will tell. But there’s no reason we can’t finish in the upper half of that league and if you do that on a consistent basis, you’ll get to the (NCAA) Tournament.
“I can look at Georgetown and at Marquette, particularly Georgetown four or five years ago, and they were nowhere near in the mix. Those schools have been able to do it. If you look at the leadership here and the facilities we’ve built, with what’s happening downtown at the new Dunk, the money we’re raising, there’s no question in my mind that we can get there. Now we have to prove that we can get there but that’s the reason I made this decision, because of the expectations that we have.”
"A number of the people that we’ll hopefully start looking at are in the Tournament,” he said. “Out of respect for them, we’re not going to start those conversations (yet). But there’s ways to find out whether people are interested without messing that whole system up for them.”
“I’d like to do it as quickly as I can but I don’t want to put a strict time line on it because if there are people I want to talk to who are continuing on, obviously I can’t do that. In an ideal world you’d want someone on board by the conclusion of the Final Four but I don’t know. I want to take as much time as necessary to do the best job I can to get the right person. It’s fluid.”
KEVIN McNAMARA
Posted by Kevin at 8:10 PM | Permalink
March 10, 2008
Bob Griffin, football coach at the University of Rhode Island from 1976 through 1992 and designer of the famed "Ehr Force" passing attack of the 1984-85 championship seasons, is returning to the Rams sideline as tight ends coach and special assistant to head coach Darren Rizzi. Rizzi played for Griffin for four years and was a two-time All-America tight end.
Griffin's 17-year record was 79-107-1. His best teams were the 1984 and 1985 clubs that were 10-3 and Yankee Conference champion each year and featured the passing of quarterback Tom Ehrhardt and the receiving of tight ends Brian Forster and Tony DiMaggio and wide receiver Dameon Reilly.
Griffin was fired after the 1992 season and had little or nothing to do with URI for more than a decade. He was inducted into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996 and returned in 2005 when the '84 and '85 teams were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
After leaving URI, Griffin coached professional football in Germany and returned to the U.S. to coach at Syracuse and at Holy Cross, where he was the offensive coordinator. He mentored Chris Pincince, who succeeded him upon his retirement from the Holy Cross staff and who is Rizzi's offensive coordinator at URI.
-- Mike Szostak
Posted by Mike Szostak at 6:48 PM | Permalink
March 9, 2008
The Bryant University men’s and women’s basketball teams were selected to participate in the 2008 NCAA Division II Championships as the 64-team men’s and women’s brackets were announced Sunday evening.
The Bryant women (20-11) will face Stonehill College (26-4) in the first round this Friday at Philadelphia, PA. The two teams met Sunday in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship won by the Skyhawks 90-79. The Bulldogs are the No. 7 seed of the tournament while Stonehill is the No. 2 seed of the Northeast Region.
Holy Family is the top seed and will host the regional this weekend. The semifinals will take place Saturday with the championship scheduled for Monday. Times of regional games will be announced this week. The winner will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight in Kearney, Nebraska March 26-29.
The Bryant men (17-12) are making their fifth-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championships and seventh all-time in school history. The Bulldogs, the No. 5 seed, will face fourth-seeded C.W. Post in the first round this Saturday at Bentley College’s Dana Center. The winner will advance to the second round Sunday with the regional final scheduled for Tuesday evening in Waltham, MA.
The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA regional finals in three of the last four NCAA Northeast Regional Championships. In 2004, Bryant fell to UMass Lowell in the NCAA Regional Championship at the buzzer, but a year later in 2005, the Bulldogs captured the Northeast Regional title defeating Bentley at the Dana Center for the school’s first regional title and trip to the Elite Eight. Last year, Bryant fell to top-seed Bentley in the Northeast Regional Championship
--BRYANT ATHLETICS
Posted by Chris Venditto at 11:30 PM | Permalink
March 3, 2008
Rhode Island College, the Little East Conference men's basketball champion, is heading to Pomona, N.J., for the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship.The Anchormen (22-6) will play the Empire 8 champion, Nazareth College of Rochester, N.Y. (20-7), Friday night at Richard Stockton College. Richard Stockton (20-6) and Immaculata (18-9) will play in the other game at that site. The winners will meet Saturday.
UMass Dartmouth (25-3), which lost to RIC in the LEC final, received a first-round bye and will host either Trinity (21-6), the NESCAC champion, or Coast Guard (21-6), the NEWMAC champ, Saturday night at the Tripp Athletic Center. The Corsairs received the bye based on their No. 5 national ranking and No. 2 regional ranking behind Amherst (23-3), which also received a first-round bye.
RIC could face Amherst in the third round. As long as it keeps winning UMD will play at home until the Final Four at Salem, Va.
This will be RIC's second consecutive NCAA appearance. The Anchormen reached the Elite Eight last year. UMass Dartmouth last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2001.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 2:26 PM | Permalink
March 1, 2008
BY MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer
PROVIDENCE – As improbable as this appears, Brown crushed – make that CRUSHED – Penn by 32 points Saturday night, completing an unprecedented season sweep of the Quakers and the Princeton Tigers, the marquee names in Ivy League basketball, and tying the school record for victories in a season.
Brown’s 75-43 rout was the most lop-sided of the 20 games Brown has won in this series, which dates to 1901, and Penn's worst loss in Ivy League history. With a crowd of 1,727 at the Pizzitola Center cheering them, the Bears started fast and never let up. They scored the first 14 points, kept the Quakers off the board for the first 7:21, held the Quakers to single-digit scoring for 17 minutes and 15 seconds, led 44-14 at the half, and led by 39 with 13:21 to play and again with 3:15 remaining in the game. At one point late in the first half, Brown had 17 field goals to Penn’s 17 field goal attempts. Brown shot 63.6 percent for the game and had 38 points in the paint.
Brown improved to 17-9 overall, tying the 1974, 2002 and 2003 teams for the most victories in a season, and to 9-3 in the Ivy League. Brown can stand alone in the win column with a victory next Friday night at Harvard or Saturday night at Dartmouth.
Oh, it was senior night, and Mark McAndrew of Barrington and Damon Huffman went out in style. McAndrew scored 16 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, had 3 assists and made a steal. Huffman had 14 points, 4 assists and 2 steals and sank a pair of three-pointers. His second with 18:39 to play was his 216th and broke the Brown career record of 215 set by Brian Lloyd in 1996. McAndrew also made two treys and tied Earl Hunt for fourth place on the Brown career list with 158.
“It was so sweet.” McAndrew chirped.
“I couldn’t be happier. It’s everything I could have asked for. Today was a great day,” Huffman exclaimed.
Fellow senior Mark MacDonald, out with a concussion, looked great in suit and tie and applauded his mates from the bench.
There were other heroes on this memorable evening. Junior Scott Friske started in place of injured center Matt Mullery (knee) and played one of his best games in a Brown uniform: 13 points on 6-7 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
“His play tonight was just superb. Scott stepped up. We needed him to, and he did,” coach Craig Robinson said.
Freshman Peter Sullivan scored 16 points on 4-5 shooting from the field and 7-7 from the free throw line. Freshman Chris Taylor provided 13 minutes of relief for Friske and contributed six points.
Penn coach Glen Miller, who left Brown two years ago and won the Ivy League championship last season, praised his former team.
“We got drilled. Brown was ready from the get-go and we weren’t. Brown is a good team, a mature team, a veteran team. They play harder than any team in the league. Cornell is very good, but Brown plays harder.”
mszostak@projo.com / 401-277-7340
Posted by Mike Szostak at 9:45 PM | Permalink
February 28, 2008
Bryant University's first season of Division I football will feature an October date at the University of Massachusetts, a perennial contender in the Colonial Athletic Association, the strongest conference in the D-I Football Championship Subdivision.
The Bulldogs will visit the Minutemen at Amherst on Oct. 25. Liam Coen of Newport, the former La Salle All-Stater, is the UMass quarterback.
The UMass game is one of 11 Bryant will play in the first of four seasons of transition from Division II to Division I. The university is joining the Northeast Conference. The schedule includes five NEC opponents: Central Connecticut, Monmouth, Wagner, Robert Morris and Saint Francis (Pa.). It also includes two teams from the Northeast-10 Conference, Bryant's current Division II affiliation: Southern Connecticut and Merrimack.
Bryant will play five games at home and six on the road.
The schedule:
Aug. 30, at Central Connecticut, 5 p.m.
Sept. 6, Southern Connectiut, 1 p.m.
Sept. 13, Merrimack, 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
Sept. 20, Monmouth, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27, at Wagner, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4, Open
Oct. 11, at Marist, TBA
Oct. 18, Robert Morris, 1 p.m., (Parent & Family Weekend)
Oct. 25, at UMass, TBA
Nov. 1, Duquesne, Noon
Nov. 8, Open
Nov. 15, at Iona, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22, at Saint Francis (Pa.), 1 p.m.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 11:19 AM | Permalink
February 25, 2008
Roger Williams University senior Geoff Baranger was named The Commonwealth Coast Conference men's basketball Player of the Year. Baranger, a 6-foot-10 center from Fairfield, Conn., led his team on both ends of the floor, averaging a team-best 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in conference play.
He also ranked second on his team with a 54.5% shooting percentage. The Hawks posted a 15-10 overall record and an 11-2 record in conference play which tied Roger Williams for first place in the final regular-season conference standings and earned the second seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Posted by Chris Venditto at 6:38 PM | Permalink
February 24, 2008
The Rhode Island College wrestling team, led by Cranston’s Mike Martini, captured the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) championship yesterday at Gorham, Maine. The Anchormen finished the two-day tourney with 121 points, beating Johnson & Wales by five points. Roger Williams University took sixth place, with 72 points. It is the sixth conference title in the history of the RIC program and the first since it won five straight from 1988-92. Martini, a junior from Cranston, won the 157-pound division. He was ranked No. 1 in New England and went 4-0 at the NEWA meet. His season record now is 34-7. Also, head coach Jay Jones was honored as NEWA coach of the year and Dave Paquette was the league’s top assistant.
Posted by Chris Venditto at 10:47 PM | Permalink
February 21, 2008
By KEVIN McNAMARA
Mike Marra, the All-State shooter from Smithfield, has verbally committed to play at Louisville. Marra will sign with the Cardinals this November and enroll in the fall of 2009.
"I feel excellent," Marra said today from his prep school, Northfield Mt. Hermon. "It was a little overwhelming at first but I'm excited it's over and I'm going to Louisville."
Marra ended his recruitment when Cards coach Rick Pitino saw him play Wednesday against Winchendon School. It was the first time Pitino saw Marra play in person.
Marra becomes the second Rhode Island junior to commit to a big-time school. South Kingstown's Erik Murphy picked Florida last month.
More on Marra's pick in Friday's Journal.
Posted by Kevin at 4:32 PM | Permalink
February 6, 2008
Bryant University has its first class of Division I football recruits.
Eighteen high-school players returned signed National Letters of Intent yesterday to coach Marty Fine. They will go through the four-year transition period Bryant is entering from the Division II Northeast-10 Conference to the Division I Northeast Conference.
Bryant was 8-3 and the NE-10 champion in 2007.
Two players from La Salle Academy and one from Bishop Feehan are among the Class of 2012. They are Raymond Bundy, 6-0, 310, of Bristol, an offensive lineman, and Joshua Janes, 6-3, 235, of Newport, a defensive lineman. Bundy was a first-team All-State selection at La Salle, helped the Rams to three Super Bowls and also played lacrosse. Janes was second-team all-division. They will join La Salle alum Brendan Rice on the Bulldogs.
Michael McGowan, 6-0, 180, of Attleboro, is a defensive back/quarterback who was also a sprinter on Bishop Feehan’s record-setting 4x100 relay team.
In addition to Bundy, Fine recruited offensive linemen Jack Barons, 6-4, 255, of Lexington, Mass.; Robert Edwards, 6-0, 260, of Damascus, Md., Royce Brunson, 6-2, 265, of Hamden, Conn., and Adam Peloquin, 6-1, 265, of Spencer, Mass. Edwards played on two state championship teams and was first-team All-State.
Other offensive players include running back Luis “BJ” Aponte, 5-8, 183, of New Britain, Conn., who rushed for 1,775 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career; wide receivers DeLon Bohler-Young, 6-3, 185, of Montclair, N.J., and Kyle Higgins, 6-2, 205, of Billerica, Mass., a cousin of Mets pitcher Tom Glavine; fullback John Riley, 6-0, 227, of Wakefield, Mass., a weightlifter and team MVP who had 72 tackles and 8 sacks, and tight end Cody Aughney, 6-6, 220, of Henderson, Nev.
Recruits on defense include linebackers Mike Abany, 6-1, 205, of Mansfield, Mass., also a starting fullback for two years,Nick Sengotta, 6-2, 235, of Wayne, N.J., and Franck Tebou, 6-0, 2-5, of Mattapoisett, Mass., team MVP in 2007; defensive backs Samad Wagstaff, 5-8, 165, of New Rochelle, N.Y., who returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and Michael Leavitt, 5-9, 195, of Atkinson, N.H., also a running back who holds the Central Catholic (Lawrence, Mass.) career rushing record with 3,700 yards and who scored 46 touchdowns, and defensive lineman David Morgan, 6-1, 238, of Camden, Ohio.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 7:09 PM | Permalink
By MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer
University of Rhode Island football coach Darren Rizzi has signed 20 high-school players to a National Letter of Intent and welcomed two transfer students who are already enrolled and taking classes. He will welcome a graduate student from Rutgers in the fall.
Two Rhode Islanders, offensive lineman Matt Greenhalgh of Chepachet and Ponaganset and cornerback Ronald Woodley of East Providence, are among the schoolboy signees.
Rizzi, who has been on the job fulltime for a month, recruited two quarterbacks, two running backs, two tight ends, three wide receivers, five offensive linemen and a kicker for the offense and three linebackers, three linemen and two backs for the defense.
The incoming Rams include QB Kyle Elliot, a 6-3, 215-pounder who passed for 1,327 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 841 yards and 11 touchdowns for Cresskill (N.J.) High last season, and QB Marc Lucarini, 6-2, 200, who passed for 1,582 yards and 18 TDs for Camden (N.J.) Catholic. The running backs are Matt Kolojejchick of Plymouth, Pa., who rushed for 2,295 yards and 34 touchdowns, school records at Wyoming Valley West, and Ryan Lawrence of Bloomfield, N.J., who rushed for 1,200 yards and caught 20 passes.
The wide receivers are Devon Dace of St. Louis, who caught 31 passes for 239 yards and 3 TDs, and Brandon Johnson-Farrell of Odenton, Md., a 5-10, 180-pound receiver whose 103 receptions for 1,394 yards and 25 touchdowns broke records at Arundel High. The tight ends are Kyle Bogumil, 6-6, 240, of Mountain Top, Pa., who caught 32 passes for 462 yards anf 4 touchdowns and was second-team All-State, and Joe Migliarese, 6-4, 215, of Blue Bell, Pa., who caught 91 passes for 1,063 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career. The kicker is Louis Feinstein of Irvine, Calif., who was 79-86 in PATS the last three years.
Offensive linemen in addition to Geenhalgh include Jason Foster, 6-4, 270, of East Pittsford, Vt., and Bridgton Academy, and Michael Gross of North Arlington, N.J.
Defensive players include linemen John Kilpatrick, 6-4, 260, of Clarks Summit, Pa., who can also play tight end, Josh Previte, 6-1, 290, of Brockton, Mass., and Matt Rae, 6-4, 240, of York, Pa.; linebackers Matt Sheard, 6-2, 230, of Mt. Laurel, N.J., James Taylor of Westwood, N.J., and Phil Morman of Cresskill, N.J., safety Robert Walker of New Haven, and Woodley.
The two players already taking classes are wide receiver Ty Bynum, 6-2, 195, of Lancaster, Pa., and Milford Academy, a two-time first-team All-State selection who set a league career receiving yards record with 2,327 and who leads the current Rams with a 37-inch vertical leap, and offensive lineman Michael Farr, 6-3, 310, of Conrwall on Hudson, N.J., who helped Don Bosco Prep to a No. 7 national ranking in 2006 and who played for Navy Prep in 2007.
Chenry Lewis, 6-1, 230, of Paterson, N.J., will graduate from Rutgers in the spring and begin graduate studies at URI in September. He played defensive end and linebacker for the Scarlet Knights for three years and has one year of eligibility remaining.
"The amount of talent we were able to get in a short amount of time surprised me. The majority will be able to contribute and have an impact right away," Rizzi said.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 3:02 PM | Permalink
Below is the transcript for this week's college hoops chat, with Bill Reynolds. Next week, we'll have URI guard Jimmy Baron at 1 o'clock Thursday. More details on that later.
Bill Reynolds: Hi everyone, i'm in the house and ready go
marchessau: I can understand how you can attack PC fan's booing at the Dunk. It is college sports and the student athletes shoild not be exposed to booing. However, how else do you suggest fans who are totally frustated with Welch show their concern when the college administration seems completely oblivious to their concerns?
Bill Reynolds: Fans can express their displeasure by e-mailing the AD, e-mailing the president, whatever. in other words, there are better and more effective ways to it.
PC 71: Bill- Great article the other day about Welsh. I have been a fan sense 71 but will never give one more dollar if the powers to be get rid of Welsh this year.When you look at his record of getting us to post season { NIT, NCAA} why can't folks see he is right in line with every other coach during the Big east years?
Bill Reynolds: PC '71, let's forget welsh for a second. in the 30-year history of the Big East the Friars have one had two years where they've won an NCAA Tournament game, '87 and '97, and have never been a consistent winner in the Big East. that's just a fact. So it seems to me that fan dissatisfaction - however understandable - should be put in a larger context.
friarfem: bill, i read your article today about welsh and the fans--i'm part of that fan base, but not a booer--i don't think its good for the kids trying to win nor the recruits sitting there--some of your comments though are confusing--it doesn't sound like you think we should be in the big east 'cause we can't recruit the players we need--reasoning being we're recruiting against some heavy hitters, true, but why than can baron recruit-yes, the a10 is not as strong top to near bottom as the big east, so baron is probably recruiting against several teams for top players rather than 7-8 schools--what i see is though is that each year under welsh we've had this wishy washy type seasons--
Bill Reynolds: Friarfem, good question, and sorry i'm confusing. PC should be in the Big East, because it's too much of a cash cow not to be in it. But to think it's somehow the school's birthright to be very successful in it - when it really hasn't been in 30 years - is unrealistic. which doesn't mean it can't happen - history tells us it can - but it's not easy. History tells us that, too. It seems to me that the real problem is not Welsh's coaching - regardless of what you think about it - but the fact that there's not one player on the Friar roster that any of the top teams wanted. Take away McDermott - recruited by Duke, every other Friar is essentialy here because the glamour teams didn't want them. The result? Up and down seasons, just what we have now.
THL: Thank you for your time today. At this stage of the season...do you feel that Tim Welsh will be the coach of the Friars next year?
Bill Reynolds: I wouldn't went to bet my life on it.
PC4eva: whooooooooooooooaaaa. I understand that expectations need to be tempered. But is it too much to ask to win more than 2 Big East tourney games?
Bill Reynolds: PC4eva, no, it is not too much to ask to be better than 1-7 in Big East tournament games, as Welsh has been.
Josh M: Bill, as usual, many thanks for all your great material. What do you think are going to be URI's biggest strengths and weaknesses down the line? Do they have the talent to pull off an upset if they make it to the big dance?
Bill Reynolds: Thanks for the kind words, Josh. I think URI definitely has the potential to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Their biggest strength? Multi-dimensional. The fact they could pound Dayton last week with Will Daniels being a non-factor is a great sign. Weakness? Their lack of a big defensive presence underneath.
THL: Bill, do you believe that Sharaud Curry, if cleared by the doctor, should play rather than red-shirting and saving the year for the future?
Bill Reynolds: THL, if were advisiog Sharaud Curry I would tell him to red-shirt. certainly it's in his best interest at this point. Whether it's in the coaching staff's is another question.
PCfan78: But don't you agree at some point a coach has done as much as he can with a program. Isn't a new or a different approach sometimes a positive.
Bill Reynolds: PCfan78, I do agree that at some point a coach as done about as much as he can with a program, and I also know that 10 years is a long time to be anywhere in this day and age, but that's for the school to decide. In regards to Welsh, I just don't like the booing
Wally: Hey Bill really enjoy your column and keep the book referrals coming. First of all I am releasing a statement: This whole booing thing from Friar fans is upsetting. Friar fans have a history of showing their ignorance by leaving early win or lose and chooosing the wrong venue when displaying their frustration with the coach. For the most part though Friar fans are very loyal and passionate about their team. I get so mad and embarassed at the booing. Anyway, what do you think the Administration has planned for Coach Welsh? I believe that if they don't want him they should buy out his contract at the end of the season. Of course they better have a replacement in mind that can recruit and has thick skin, so that leaves Bobby Knight out. Hey Bill remember our days in the Air National Guard ond our basketball tournaments with the Army. I have meetings from 12 - 2 today, but I am looking forward to your response! Thanks Bill!
Bill Reynolds: hey wally, I know that PC fans are loyal and passionate. I also know it's frustrating when you are paying good money to watch a team that doesn't live up to your expectations, and I know that coaches in this day and age get bought out all the time. It's the booing I don't like.
rhody74: Bill, I know you're not the URI beat reporter .... but have you heard how Will Daniel's ankle is doing? Will he be available against UMass?
Bill Reynolds: rhody74, i hear that Will Daniels will play.
THL: If Tim is gone next year, where do you feel the Friars will look for a replacement. a mid major head coach, an assistant from a big time program, or a head coach currently at a so called high major program?
Bill Reynolds: THL, if PC were to replace Welsh odds are they would go out and find the Tim Welsh of 10 years ago, a successful coach at a mid-major school.
riron: bill what is the problem with weymi Ef.. he makes PC a much more explosive team when he's on the floor yet welsh is not playing him--is there a problem?
Bill Reynolds: riron, i really don't know the problem with Weyinmi. He's the ultimate trick or treat player, and I've long thought that as he goes the Friars go. He is the best athlete on the team, can be explosive, and I always think the Friars are better off when he's in the game, but that's just me.
PC4eva: and if we are going to punt on being competitive in the Big East, why stay in the league?
Bill Reynolds: pc4eva, if PC were not in the Big East they'd be back in Alumni Hall and no one would care. We've all been too spoiled.
friar: Thanks for your time today Bill. Any word on Curry being redshirted?
Bill Reynolds: Friar, I would bet anything that he will be red-shirted, but then I would have bet on the Pats winning the Super Bowl, too.
rhody74: Bill .... as a URI fan, I'd be thrilled if PC gave Tim a 10-year extension, but that's just me. ;-)
Bill Reynolds: rhody74, great line. you should be doing this chat, not me. Just as long as you don't fire Baron and bring back Harrick and give him a 10-year extension
Josh M: Bill, what are your thoughts on RIC's potential in tournament play? They started off with a bang with the Holy Cross win, played Umass Dartmouth tough (with a rematch still to come) but got wiped out by Amherst and havent received any top 25 votes in a couple of weeks.
Bill Reynolds: Josh M, you just made history with the first RIC question.
All i know is they're not as good as they were last year - no crime in that - so I wouldn't get my hopes up.
PC4eva: BIll, thanks for taking the questions. I know that I made a comment earlier which was critical of Welsh...and I am. His biggest failure to me is his inability to a) consistently develop players and b) the systematic loss of players throughout their 4 years. Thoughts? Having said all that though, PC fans have to decide for themselves what type of coach they want. A solid, apologize the phrase, "mediocre" coach, or a bright s"shooting star" who always has eyes for the next job. You cant have it both ways. I dont think Welsh fits either bill, which is why I am not a huge supporter.
Bill Reynolds: PC4eva, good question, eva, a sold ``mediocre'' coach or a shooting star? In a perfect world I think any program would want the bright shooting star, for when he leaves that means he had great success or he wouldn't be leaving, if that makes any sense.
friarsb: Hi, Bill..Many people are thinking that if Coach Welsh is not back next year, that the decision process for a replacement may involve not only Fr. Shanley, but also folks like Dave Gavitt and even Rick Pitino. If this is the case, do you think Richard Pitinio would be a legitimate candidate for the PC job?
Bill Reynolds: friarsb, i love Richard Pitino and think that someday he will make a great coach. But he is in no way ready for a job like this. Not now.
THL: Bill, on the other hand, if the Friars somehow make a comeback and manage to finish the season strong, and Tim is extended...do you see a three year extension so he can recruit being to tell the kids that he will be at PC in the future?
Bill Reynolds: THL, if PC does decide to extend Tim Welsh it would probably be in the two- or three-year range.
Bill Reynolds: I've got 10 minutes left if you're still in the house here
ladygrad: Bill, lately you have been like a rational parent getting kids to stop squabbling. If we are passioante about our teams, we are accused by media (Giacobbe) of pretty much having no life. If we do not express pasion about our teams, we are accused of having no spirit or loyalties. So how do we show our balance?
Bill Reynolds: ladygrad, you're right, it's like a balance beam. Just don't cross the line, and booing does that. anyhting short of that? go to it
THL: Bill, thanx for answering these questions....one more quickie...in your opinion, what was the best Friar team of the BE era?
Bill Reynolds: THL, I think the most talented Friar team of the Big East era was the '97 team, which had three guys who eventually spent time in the NBA on it, but the '87 team was the most fun. no one could have made up that year.
ladygrad: Do you think Coach Baron is a target for being recruited by other schools?
Bill Reynolds: ladygrad, jim baron absolutely becomes a target for bigger schools with his great season. that's how the system works.
friarsb: Bill...another question: Do you have any insight relative to the new CBI tournament? Does it start this year, and is it designed for teams that don't even make the NIT?
Bill Reynolds: friarsb: the new CBI tournament starts this year and will be selected after the NIT field is selected. There's no truth to the rumor the Friars are a lock.
ken: I couldn't disagree more . . . booing does not cross the line. Yelling obscenities and throwing things crosses the line. Welsh has earned the booing with zero NCAA wins, 2 NIT wins, and 1 Big East tourney win in 9 years. When I'm frustrated at a game I cant email the AD!!!
Bill Reynolds: ken, you can if your bring your Blackberry. just kidding. I understand your frustration, i just think booing hurts a progam more than it helps it, regardless of the circumstances.
Bill Reynolds: Thanks everybody. I'm told there will be a full transcript of this chat online later today at projo.com, and I apologize for any questions i didn't have time for. Over and out.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:24 PM | Permalink
January 31, 2008
The University of Rhode Island is adding women's lacrosse to its lineup of varsity sports and dropping gymnastics. The Rams will begin play in the Atlantic 10 Conference in the spring of 2010.
Thorr Bjorn, director of athletics, cited the "explosive growth" of high school lacrosse and URI's club team as motivating factors. He said in a statement that the lacrosse roster will have 28 players, an increase of seven over the current gymnastics roster of 21.
The Atlantic 10 and the NCAA sponsor women's lacrosse as a championship sport. URI will join Duquesne, George Washington, La Salle, Massachusetts, Richmond, Sainnt Joseph's, St. Bonaventur and Temple. URI will begin searchinig for a coach on July 1, and the program will start with the fall semester of the 2009-2010 academic year.
Tthe A-10 does not sponsor gymnastics.
Bjorn said URI will honor its athletic scholarships to current gymnasts and commitments made to students who signed a National Letter of Intent. He also pledged the school's assistance to those who want to transfer.
The URI women's lacrosse team will play its home games in Meade Stadium.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 12:29 PM | Permalink
January 29, 2008
UMass Dartmouth, one of only five undefeated teams in men's college basketball, is ranked No. 5 in the D3hoops.com national poll this week. The Corsairs were No. 8 last week.
UMD, 17-0, 7-0 in the Little East Conference, is the only unbeaten Division III men's team in the nation and received three first-place votes. Washington University of St. Louis (14-2) is ranked No. 1. Amherst (16-2), the reigning national champion, is No. 2. Rochester (15-1), which has been No. 1, dropped to No. 3 after its first loss. Hope College of Michigan (14-2) is No. 4.
Top-ranked Memphis (19-0) and second-ranked Kansas (20-0) are the only unbeatens in Division I. No. 1 Bentley (18-0) and No. 2 Grand Valley State (22-0) are the undefeated teams in Division II.
UMD plays UMass Boston tonight at the Tripp Athletic Center.
.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 8:03 AM | Permalink
January 28, 2008
Brown senior Damon Huffman is the Ivy League basketball player of the week for thee second time this season, and freshman Adrian Williams is the Ivy rookie of the week.
Huffman scored 23 points, 15 in the last 10 minutes, in Brown's 77-66 victory over Yale Saturday. Williams scored 11 points and played 28 minutes, both career highs.
The Bears improved to 9-7, 1-1 in the league. They will play first-place Cornell (10-5, 2-0) Friday night at the Pizzitola Center.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 1:09 PM | Permalink
January 22, 2008
URI Rams beat writer Paul Kenyon will take your questions in a live chat Wednesday at noon. 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 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 Paul answers them on Wednesday.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 10:13 AM | Permalink
January 18, 2008
University of Rhode Island football coach Darren Rizzi has added four assistant coaches and a director of operations to his staff.
John Gendron, offensive line coach at URI the last two seasons, will remain as an offensive assistant. The Rams finished third in the Colonial Athletic Association and 14th in the NCAA in rushing yards per game (229.9) in 2007, and fullback Joe Casey was first-team all-conference and third-team All-America. Ryan Crawford, cornerbacks coach at Bucknell the last three years, will work with the defensive backs. Bucknell tied for the Patriot League lead with 14 interceptions in 2007. Eddie Allen, a player development coach and graduate assistant at Rutgers for three years, will be Rizzi's special teams coordinator and running backs coach. Tembwe Lukabu, a player development coack at Rutgers for two seasons, will work with the URI defense.
Dan Silva, video coordinator for the Rams in 2007, will return as director of football operations.
Rizzi had already hired Joe Trainer, head coach at Millersville, as associate head coach and defensive coordinator, Chris Pincince of Woonsocket, offensive coordinator at Holy Cross, as offensive coordinator, and Mark Fabish, offensive coordinator at Monmouth, as recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks and wide receivers coach.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 10:55 AM | Permalink
January 9, 2008
The UMass-Dartmouth men’s basketball team, which is undefeated at 11-0 this season, is ranked 19th in the latest d3hoops.com top 25 poll. UMass Dartmouth last received national recognition during the 2000-2001 season, when it finished 25-3, won the Little East Conference championship, and advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Corsairs will visit Roger Williams tonight at 8.
Posted by Chris Venditto at 7:35 PM | Permalink
The University of Rhode Island released its 2008 football schedule yesterday, which includes a meeting at Boston College, the winner of the Champs Sports Bowl. The schedule: Aug. 30, home vs. Monmouth; Sept. 6 at Fordham; Sept. 13 vs. New Hampshire; Sept. 20 at Hofstra; Sept. 27 at Boston College; Oct. 4 vs. Brown; Oct. 11 at Towson; Oct. 18 vs. Villanova; Oct. 25 at William & Mary; Nov. 1 vs. Massachusetts; Nov. 15 vs. Maine; and Nov. 22 at Northeastern.
Posted by Chris Venditto at 7:32 PM | Permalink
University of Rhode Island fullback Joe Casey is on The Sports Network All-America third team. The junior from Syracuse, N.Y., is also the Colonial Athletic Association first-team fullback.
Casey rushed for 782 yards and two touchdowns in eight games last season. He missed the last three games because of a shoulder injury. A three-time first-team all-conference selection, Casey is tied for fourth with David Jamison on URI's career rushing list with 2,901 yards.
Five local players received honorable mention. They include Massachusetts quarterback Liam Coen (Newport/La Salle), New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos (Bellingham, Mass.), Villanova tight end Matt Sherry (Rumford/Bishop Hendricken) and Brown wide receivers Buddy Farnham and Paul Raymond.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 1:03 PM | Permalink
January 2, 2008
University of Rhode Island football coach Darren Rizzi has hired his defensive, offensive and recruiting coordinators.
Joe Trainer, head coach at Millersville University in Pennsylvania the last three years, is the new assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He was an assistant coach at Villanova for eight years, defensive coordinator the last five, before taking the Millersville job in 2005. He and Rizzi were assistant coaches together Colgate and New Haven.
Chris Pincince of Woonsocket, offensive coordinator at Holy Cross, is assuming the same position at URI. He was also offensive coordinator at New Haven in the 1990s and is known for his wide open, pass-friendly schemes.
Mark Fadish, offensive coordinator at Monmouth University in New Jersey, is the new recruiting coordinator and receivers coach.
All three are starting this week. Rizzi is in Toronto with Rutgers for the International Bowl Saturday against Ball State and will join his assistants in Kingston next Monday. He hopes to hire the rest of his staff soon.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 10:30 AM | Permalink
December 20, 2007
Boston College safety Jamie Silva of East Providence and Brown kicker Steve Morgan will be in the spotlight again next month when the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston honors them at its 75th Annual College Football Awards Night.
Silva will share the George "Bulger" Lowe Award with BC quarterback Matt Ryan as the best Division I defensive and offensive players in New England. Morgan will receive the Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award for outstanding achievement in academics and athletics.
The recognition is the latest for Silva, a senior who led the Eagles with 115 tackles and tied for 10th in the nation with six interceptions. He made first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference, first-team Walter Camp All-America and first-team AP All-America. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football.
The Swede Nelson Award is the second-oldest after the Heisman Trophy of those awards that originiated on a national level. The first was presented in 1946. Morgan is a three-time first-team All-Ivy and All-New England selection and the Ivy League career leader in field goals (52) and points by a kicker (290). He broke the field-goal record by seven and the points record by 61. His point total is sixth-best in Ivy League and second-best in Brown football history. Morgan also punted for Brown and averaged 40.1 yards this season. He was also a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's Draddy Award, which is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in the nation.
Morgan is the second Brown receipient of the Swede Nelson Award. Tailback Nick Hartigan won it in 2005.
The Awards Night will be held Jan. 10 at the Burlington Marriott in Burlington, Mass.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 3:34 PM | Permalink
December 18, 2007
Returning to the scene of his All-American career, Darren Rizzi took over today as head coach of the University of Rhode Island football program.
Rizzi signed a five-year contract at a base salary of $160,000. He succeeds Tim Stowers, who was fired last month after eight seasons.
Rizzi predicted that Rhode Island will become a contender in the Colonial Athletic Association, even to the point of eventually challenging for the championship. "Failing is not going to be an option," he said.
Rizzi, who is associate head coach at Rutgers, will divide his time between Rutgers and URI until the Scarlet Knights play in the International Bowl Jan. 5 in Toronto against Ball State.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 4:20 PM | Permalink
December 17, 2007
The University of Rhode Island will name a new football coach today, and chances are he will be Darren Rizzi, the URI's All-America tight end at the University of Rhode Island in 1991 and 1992 and currently associate head coach at bowl-bound Rutgers.
Four candidates visited the campus last week, and two, Pete Adrian of Norfolk State and Jack Cosgrove of Maine, subsequently withdrew from consideration, leaving Rizzi and Stonehill head coach Robert Talley officially still in the running. When reached today, Talley declined comment. Efforts to reach Rizzi were unsuccessful.
Rizzi, 37, would appear to have the edge because he is an alumnus, has three years of head coaching experience at the University of New Haven and for six years participated in the turn-around of the Rutgers program under head coach Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights, 7-5, will wrap up their season against Ball State Jan. 5 at the International Bowl in Toronto. Talley, 39, an all-conference linebacker at Boston University, guided Stonehill to a 5-5 finish in his first season as a head coach. He was a long-time assistant at Dartmouth and also spent three years with the San Francisco 49ers.
Rizzi has coached running backs, linebackers and special teams. Prior to Rutgers he compiled a 15-14 record at Division II New Haven from 1999 to 2001. He started his full-time coaching career in 1993 as tight ends and special teams coach at Colgate, moved to New Haven as an assistant in 1994 and stayed through 1997. He coached at Northeastern in 1998 before returning to New Haven as head coach in 1999. New Haven dropped football after the 2001 season, and Rizzi joined Schiano at Rutgers.
A tough and durable receiver under coach Bob Griffin, Rizzi started at tight end in 1990, 1991 and 1992. He still stands fourth in career receptions with 160 and career receiving yards with 2,426. He caught 74 passes in 1992. In addition to All-America he was All-East and All-New England.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 4:41 PM | Permalink
December 14, 2007
After visiting the University of Rhode Island Wednesday, Pete Adrian has decided to remain as head football coach at Norfolk State, where he was 8-3 and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference coach of the year this season.
"The big thing is I want to win. I can do that at Norfolk State. I don't want to start from scratch at Rhode Island," Adrian told the Newport News Daily Press.
Adrian is one of four candidates who visited URI this week to explore the head football coach position that became available when Tim Stowers was fired Nov. 19. Darren Rizzi, associate head coach at Rutgers and an All-America tight end at URI; Jack Cosgrove, head coach at the University of Maine for 15 years whose contract expires June 30, and Robert Talley, head coach at Division II Stonehill, were also on campus.
Adrian coached at URI under Bob Griffin from 1976 to 1985, and former players promoted his candidacy. Rhode Island's small high-school recruiting base apparently was a deterrent, according to the Daily Press.
"We'd have to go back to begging kids to visit there. Maybe we'd win, and maybe we wouldn't," Adrian said.
Seventeen Rhode Islanders were on the 2007 roster.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 3:28 PM | Permalink
College basketball writer Kevin McNamara will take questions from projo.com readers in a live chat on Tuesday at noon. The chat will last about an hour. You can submit your questions about PC and 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 Kevin will see them when he enters the room on Tuesday. Questions will display as he answers them.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 11:42 AM | Permalink
December 6, 2007
Mark McAndrew of Barrington scored 19 points and Mark MacDonald 10 in leading Brown to a 68-52 victory over cold-shooting New Hampshire Thursday night at the Pizzitola Center. It was Brown's third consecutive victory.
McAndrew made four of his six shots from three-point range. He also grabbed five rebounds and passed for two assists. Peter Sullivan scored nine points, all in the first half, and Scott Friske chipped in seven points and eight rebounds.
UNH shot 34 percent for the game, largely the result of a late spurt. Alvin Abreu led the Wildcats with 14 points.
Brown ran to a 20-2 lead in the first eight minutes, led 33-18 at the half and by as many as 19 in the second half.
Brown (5-3) will play Providence College Sunday night.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 7:44 PM | Permalink
December 4, 2007
The Rhody Rams just completed a 77-60 whitewashing of Providence College at a jam-packed (7,657) Ryan Center.
Will Daniels led the Rams with 18 points. He was one of 5 Rams in double figures.
The Friars struggled to shoot 30 percent and never found any groove on offense. Geoff McDermott and Weyinmi Efejuku, perhaps PC's two best players, combined to shoot 1-17 and finished with 9 points. Go to the College Hoops Blog to read in-game coverage, or click here to see the box score from projo Stats.
The Friars (5-2) host South Carolina on Thursday night, and the 9-1 Rams visit Syracuse on Saturday night.
-Kevin McNamara
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:17 PM | Permalink
In this audio file, about six minutes long, basketball writer Kevin McNamara discusses the keys to victories and the players to watch in tonight's matchup at the Ryan Center.
Click here to listen to Kevin's comments, as told to projo producer Mike McDermott.
Check the College Hoops Blog tonight for pregame, in-game and postgame news from Kevin and Paul Kenyon.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:43 PM | Permalink
December 3, 2007
HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) Mark McAndrew scored 21 points and Damon Huffman added 18 as Brown beat Quinnipiac 86-79 in overtime on Monday.
McAndrew hit five free throws in the extra period and Huffman had a 3-pointer as Brown (4-3) built a quick 80-74 lead and never trailed.
Quinnipiac (2-4) led 74-72 lead with 1:27 to play on a putback by Karl Anderson but Scott Friske tied the game with two free throws on the Bears' next possession. Click here to read more about the game.
The Bears host New Hampshire on Thursday night.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:49 PM | Permalink
November 29, 2007
Click here to see video, on the Dallas Morning News Web site, of Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight getting into a nasty argument with a Lubbock, Texas, resident, who claimed that Knight's hunting party hit his home with birdshot.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:35 AM | Permalink
November 28, 2007
The Brown Bears men's basketball team lost a tough one at home tonight to Wagner, 64-63, with the winning points coming on two foul shots with seven seconds remaining. Brown (2-3) was led by Chris Skrelja, who scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds. Wagner (4-2) got 23 points from Mark Porter, including the winning free throws. Click here to see the box score from projo Stats.
The Bears' next game is Saturday night at home against California-Davis.
Also tonight, the Brown women's hoops team lost, 63-50, at Army. Click here to see the box score from projo Stats. Annesley O'Neal led Brown, which fell to 0-7, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Bears' next game is Saturday afternoon at home against Howard.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:42 PM | Permalink
It's official. The search committee charged with finding a new football coach at the University of Rhode Island includes Thorr Bjorn, director of athletics; Gregg Burke, deputy director of athletics; John Vanner, associate director of athletics; Barbara Luebke, journalism professor and NCAA faculty representative; Brittany Manseau, president of the URI Student Alumni Association; Michael Rollins, assistant strength coach, and Wes Lessard, president of the Fifth Quarter Club.
The committee will solicit, collect and review applications, invite several candidates to campus and offer a recommendation to President Robert L. Carothers. Bjorn has said he would like a new coach signed by the end of December.
Posted by Mike Szostak at 3:18 PM | Permalink
November 27, 2007
BOSTON (AP) - Boston College backup running back A.J. Brooks has been suspended from the team indefinitely after allegedly beating and kicking a 20-year-old man on campus.
Brooks was released on $250 bail Monday after pleading not guilty to charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, for allegedly kicking the man with his shoe on, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley's office.
Brooks, a junior from Orlando, Fla., was suspended from the school on Sunday, pending the outcome of the case, Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn said. BC plays Saturday at the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against Virginia Tech in Jacksonville, Fla.
The alleged victim, whom authorities did not identify, required stitches after suffering injuries to his head, neck and face during the fight about 2 a.m. Sunday morning, said Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Conley's office.
Campus police found the Weston man, who was visiting friends on campus, Wark said. The man was treated and released from Brigham and Woman's hospital.
It was unclear what started the fight, Wark said. Brooks reportedly told police the man pushed him and he responded by punching him and knocking him down.
Campus police arrested Brooks after a witness described him and what he was wearing. Police recognized the description as matching Brooks, whom they spoke to earlier in the evening, Wark said. Dunn said the school could not give any details of the incident or the police's earlier interaction with Brooks.
Brooks was taken into custody after he acknowledged being in a fight, Wark said.
Attempts to call Brooks on campus on Tuesday were unsuccessful. A call to his attorney was not immediately returned.
Coach Jeff Jagodzinski said Monday that Brooks was suspended for a violation of team rules.
Brooks played in seven games for the No. 12 Eagles (10-2) and ran 25 times for 79 yards and no touchdowns. His best season came as a freshman when he rushed for 160 yards in his first start and finished the season with 319 yards and three touchdowns on 57 carries.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 1:40 PM | Permalink
November 20, 2007
The University of Rhode Island women's basketball team lost tonight at Holy Cross, 65-56, to fall to 2-2 on the season. Safi Mojidi led the Rams with 23 points, while Briana McFadden had 21 for the Crusaders (2-2). Click here to see the box score from projo Stats.
The Rams host Brown at 2 p.m. Friday.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 9:54 PM | Permalink
The University of Rhode Island's baseball team has received a $1-million gift from an anonymous donor, according to a report on the university's athletics Web site. The report says the university will use the money to pay for major upgrades to its baseball facilities, including a new synthetic surface at Bill Beck Field, a sod and sprinkler system for the outfield and an indoor batting facility for baseball and softball. The money will also be used toward the new student-athlete development Center.
The money will count toward fulfilling the university's $100-million "Making a Difference" capital campaign.
Posted by Mike McDermott at 3:45 PM | Permalink
November 19, 2007
Providence College basketball star Chelsea Marandola has a herniated disk in her lower back and is not sure when she will be able to play. The junior from Johnston will miss her fou
