Rhode Island Rams
Overall Rank: #102
Conference Rank: #5 Atlantic 10
Rhode Island Team Page
2010-11: 20-14, 9-7
2010-11 postseason: CBI
Coach: Jim Baron (177-143 at Rhode Island, 383-344 overall)
Coach Jim Baron has a lot of rebuilding to do and it may be ugly for a while, but the addition of a couple mid-season transfers will have Rhode Island looking much better in February and March then they will be in November. Billy Baron, a transfer from Virginia, will likely take over the point guard position assuming, one of the freshmen does not secure the job while Baron is awaiting eligibility. Baron is a good shooter, but he is more of a point guard than a shooting guard and that is what this team needs. Andre Malone will also be eligible at the end of the first semester. The Auburn transfer was a starter before falling out of favor and opting to transfer. Malone is a superb athlete and a big 6-6 guard who can attack the basket and score in bunches.
Who’s Out:
The Rams will need Baron and Malone to live up to their billing to help replace Marquis Jones, Akeem Richmond, Delroy James, Will Martell and Ben Eaves. Jones was the point guard last year who could also score. Richmond hoisted up a ton of long balls and was pretty good at knocking down about one-third of them. James did everything for this team and led the Rams in scoring and rebounding. Martell was the big man under the basket and Eaves could have played a bigger role if he opted to stick around.
Who’s In:
You do not lose players like that and get better. Mike Powell and T.J. Buchanan will be thrown right into the fire early in the year. Those two will battle for the starting point guard job until Baron is eligible. While it may not always be productive, Powell and Buchanan will learn on the job and, in the long run, that will help the depth on the perimeter come March. Royvon Harris and Dominique McKoy have the Rams fan base excited as well and, like most spots in the regular rotation, they could easily work their way into major playing time. Another big issue is finding a true big man. Jonathan Holton can fill the role, although he is a little better suited to be a power forward. Either way, the 6-9, 220 pound forward has a big enough body to hang out under the basket and grab some rebounds and play some defense. Redshirt freshman Levan Shengelia has more girth, but he needs to be able to stay healthy before he can pick up too many minutes.
Who to Watch:
There are some returning frontcourt players who can handle playing the five spot. Most notable is Orion Outerbridge. While he has had an up and down career at Rhode Island, the 6-9 senior could be in for a big season now that he has a starting job all but wrapped up. He is not the strongest rebounder, but he is a good scorer who can step outside and knock down the mid-range jumper. The question is whether or not he will pick up the scoring slack now that his team needs him. Blake Vedder is a 7-3 sophomore who barely played last season, but he would obviously fill that need for a big man in the paint if he can develop his game and play a dozen minutes a game or so. Ryan Brooks should be able to provide some depth at the power forward spot and could even begin the season in the starting five if Holton is not ready right away. Nikola Malesevic is also an option at the four spot, although the returning starter is really a big small forward. The 6-7 junior averaged 10.3 points per game a year ago and is a great shooter who can score by attacking the basket as well.
Final Projection:
If a true center is not found, the Rams may play small and run a little more. That would be fine for players like Malone who thrive in the open court. That would cause some problems on the glass, but Malesevic can manage from the four spot and Malone is a superb athlete who can get on the glass. Jamal Wilson, who started eight games last season, is also a big guard who can hit the glass effectively. Wilson, a 6-5 senior, will have to be the leader of this team early in the 2011-2012 campaign. He is not a great shooter for a shooting guard, but he can score and handle the ball a little bit if things get out of hand with the freshmen before Baron is eligible. It should not come to that, but Wilson does need to be a leader on the perimeter and his production needs to match his leadership if Rhode Island is going to survive through November and December.
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
Projected Starting Five:
Mike Powell, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Jamal Wilson, Senior, Guard, 5.1 points per game
Nikola Malesevic, Junior, Forward, 10.3 points per game
Jonathan Holton, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
Orion Outerbridge, Senior, Forward, 6.8 points per game
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