By Paul Gotham
When Dan Hurley’s Rhode Island Rams take the floor Wednesday night at Hagan Arena, they will do so as a first place team in the Atlantic 10. A fact that is not lost upon upon the third-year coach who knows his team is ahead of schedule.
Rhode Island (16-5/8-2 A-10) winners of five straight sit in a dead heat with No. 20 Virginia Commonwealth (18-5/8-2) atop the Atlantic 10 standings.
“I didn’t think that we would be in this position through 21 games,” Hurley said during this week’s A-10 tele-conference. “Anyone that says they saw this coming it couldn’t have been based on anything factual.”
Led by E.C. Matthews (16.7 ppg/4.5 rpg/2.1 apg) and Hassan Martin (11.9 ppg/ 7.8 rpg/3.1 bpg), URI has won four won straight by single digits.
“We’re a young team,” Hurley stated. “We’re going to turn the ball over. That’s what young teams do. We’re going to struggle at the free throw lines sometimes. That’s what young teams do. Veteran teams don’t do those things. But what our young team has shown is toughness, great resiliency in a very tough conference.”
Phil Martelli and his Saint Joseph’s Hawks (10-12/4-6) know what to expect when they take the court against Rhode Island.
“They are absolutely, certifiably relentless,” said the dean of A-10 coaches. “I don’t know what their practices look like, but it would have to look like hand-to-hand combat on every play.”
URI is first among A-10 teams and 16th nationally holding opponents to 57.9 points per game. KenPom.com ranks the Rams 10th nationally with a defensive efficiency of 89.4 (points allowed per 100 possessions) and top 25 for defensive eFG% (16th-43.4%) and defensive turnover percentage (24th-22.8%).
“It starts on the sideline,” Martelli commented. “Danny doesn’t let anybody play who’s not going to be hyper-focused. Their defense is, and I say this tongue in cheek, but really I hope that we can complete enough dribbles, so we don’t look bad.”
Offensively, the Rams know who they are. While scoring 67.1 per game (185th nationally), the Rams net 58.2 percent of the points inside the arc where they hit 52.1 percent of their shots – 36th nationally. Rhode Island is one of just 15 teams to rank in the top 68 teams for FG% and FG% defense.
“These kids have over-achieved,” Hurley said. “They’ve done an incredible job this year. They have put themselves in position to have a chance to play in bigger games, more important games. Games that matter in the landscape of our great league.”
Saint Joseph’s has won the last four meeting in the series. The Rams will have to contend with DeAndre Bembry who leads the Hawks in points (17.7), rebounds (7.5), assists (3.1) and steals (2.0).
“We have to get ready to play at a place where we haven’t had a lot of recent success,” Hurley noted. “From here on out every game is an opportunity. We’re not protecting anything at this point. We’re building something.”
Hurley can be sure of one thing: his brother and former assistant, Bobby, will be watching the game.
“I feel like I’m living two teams and two seasons,” Bobby Hurley said after his UB Bulls played the Toledo Rockets, Tuesday night. “We don’t play on the same days a lot. I don’t get to relax because I feel like I’m living and dying the game as I’m watching it. It’s cool.”
One year after taking first in the MAC East, Bobby Hurley’s Bulls are 15-8/6-5 in his second season at the helm.
“He’s trying to build it, and it wasn’t always easy or perfect,” said the older brother who served as an assistant for one season at URI before taking over the Bulls. “Now they’re at a point where they’re in first place. I’m excited where he’s taken it.”
URI and Saint Joseph’s tip at 7 pm. The game can be watched on the A-1o Network.
Martin’s 3.2 blocks per game ranks him sixth nationally. He is hitting 62.7 percent of his shots.
“We’ve put ourselves in the position now through 21 games to be a possible, a possible post-season team,” Dan Hurley said. “But we still have a very long way to go. We’re obviously letting our player know how excited we are with their efforts.”
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