By PAUL GOTHAM
When Jarvis Garrett was sidelined with an illness for Rhode Island’s January 15th contest, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Having dropped two straight in Atlantic 10 play, the Rams came face-to-face with a three-game skid when they took the court against long-time rival UMass.
Six games later Garrett is still recovering, and with freshmen Jeff Dowtin at point the Rams have won five of six.
“He’s kinda saved us,” Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley said during the weekly A10 tele-conference. “Most teams that lose their starting point guard, especially a player of Jarvis’s caliber, can’t recover from it. We’ve not only recovered, but have started to pick it up.”
Logging 32 minutes per game (up from 18.7 for the season) over that stretch, Dowtin is averaging 8.5 points and 2.2 rebounds. He also has an assist to turnover rate during that period of 3.3:1.
“He’s just a special guy with composure and poise, a little bit mature beyond his years,” Hurley noted.
Dowtin earned A10 Rookie of the Week honors when he posted 14.5 points and four assists per game leading Rhode Island to a 2-0 mark. He shot a combined 12 of 21 from the floor (57.1 percent) including three of five behind the arc last week.
Beyond those numbers, he drew the responsibility of guarding Jack Gibbs, then the conference’s leading scorer. Dowtin limited Gibbs to 12 (averages 21.4 for the season) points on two of 13 shooting in Rhode Island’s 70-59 victory over Davidson on Friday.
Hurley, though, is quick to point to deflect any praise for Dowtin’s success.
“That’s speaks to how he came in here,” Hurley said referring Down’s time at St. John’s College in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. “It’s nothing that the coaches or program have done. He’s a special guy.”
As a guard at St. John’s, Dowtin teamed up with current Maryland Terrapin starter, Anthony Cowan. The duo combined to lead the Cadets to a 29-5 record including 16-2 in the WCAC. Dowtin scored 13 in St. John’s 71-57 victory over DeMatha in the WCAC championship game.
Dowtin also played his AAU ball alongside current National Player of the Year candidate, Markelle Fultz who scores more than 23 points per game for the Washington Huskies.
Rhode Island travels for a rematch with UMass on Tuesday. CBS Sports Network will televise the 7 pm start.
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