Dan Hurley Dismisses UConn Rumors After March Madness Loss to Duke
Mar 17, 2018
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Rhode Island Rams reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley was in no mood to indulge speculation that he could be bound for the Connecticut Huskies following the Rams' 87-62 loss to the Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament Saturday.
"Listen, I could give a crap about who's got an opening anywhere," Hurley told reporters, according to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman.
He continued:
"I haven't thought about it for a second. I could care less what any other school in the country that's looking for a coach or talks about me on social media—I could give two craps about that. My heart, my mind is with this program and these players that just lost a brutal game after having an amazing last couple seasons, and for me it's easy."
The Huskies fired head coach Kevin Ollie on March 10 amid an NCAA investigation, and they've reportedly set their sights on Hurley to overhaul a program that's been mired in controversy.
Citing sources, Goodman reported Hurley is the "front-runner" for the UConn job.
Hurley has served as the Rams' head coach since 2012. In six seasons at the helm, he's guided Rhode Island to an Atlantic 10 tournament championship (2016-17), a regular-season conference title (2017-18) and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances.
Jeff Dowtin Throws Down Thunderous Dunk vs. Duke
Mar 17, 2018
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As No. 7 Rhode Island fought to try to get back into its second-round game against No. 2 Duke, Rams guard Jeff Dowtin gave his team a boost late in the first half.
The Rhode Island sophomore picked Duke guard Gary Trent Jr.'s pocket and beat the defense back in transition for an easy dunk. That swipe-and-steal highlighted a 7-2 Rams run.
Dowtin finished the first half with six points, four assists and one steal.
Rhode Island's Bench Busts Out Dance Moves During March Madness Win vs. OU
Mar 15, 2018
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As much fun as it was to watch the Rhode Island Rams knock down 11 triples in their opening-round overtime victory over the Oklahoma Sooners, it was just as entertaining Thursday to watch their bench go wild for buckets.
In true Monmouth fashion, the Rams took advantage of their moment in the spotlight with some orchestrated celebrations.
Fans around the country have to be hoping for a Cinderella run by Rhode Island so there will be a March full of the Rams bench's shenanigans.
Fatts Russell Picks Trae Young's Pocket, Hits 3 After E.C. Matthews Triple
Mar 15, 2018
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The Rhode Island Rams used 11 triples to beat the Oklahoma Sooners in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA tournament Thursday, with a sequence midway through the second half standing out.
Trailing by four, Rhode Island went on a 9-0 run to get the crowd behind it. Right after an E.C. Matthews three-pointer that gave the Rams the lead, Fatts Russell picked Sooners star Trae Young's pocket and drilled a triple right in his face.
That wild sequence helped turn a 50-46 deficit into a 55-50 lead. Rhode Island would advance to the second round with an 83-78 overtime victory.
Oregon vs. Rhode Island: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2017
Chris Roling
Mar 19, 2017
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 19: Teammates Dylan Ennis #31 and Tyler Dorsey #5 of the Oregon Ducks go after a loose ball against E.C. Matthews #0 of the Rhode Island Rams during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 19, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Third-seeded Oregon used some timely shooting in a game defined by streaks to avoid an upset at the hands of No. 11 Rhode Island on Sunday, escaping 75-72 during a Midwest Region encounter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Rhode Island led by as many as 11, but the Ducks kept it close most of the game before turning it on with less than five minutes left in regulation, highlighted by Tyler Dorsey hitting two clutch deep shots in the game's final two minutes.
Dorsey paced the Ducks, shooting 9-of-10 with a game-high 27 points, good for his fifth straight game north of 20 points. Dillon Brooks found himself in foul trouble yet had 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting. The Ducks won the battle on the glass (35-28), 15 coming on the offensive end.
The Rams flexed depth many teams seeded higher wish they could, with Stanford Robinson (six points per game) exploding off the bench for 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting. Freshman Cyril Langevine added another nine off the bench in a game where star forward Hassan Martin got into foul trouble early and didn't score.
Call it a total team effort, as the Rams shot 50.8 percent from the floor (30-of-59) compared to Oregon's 48.1 percent (25-of-52). Among starters, Kuran Iverson scored nine, Jared Terrell 15 and E.C. Matthews 13. The Rams were particularly scrappy on defense, forcing eight steals and two blocks. Maybe the biggest negative was the lack of offensive aggressiveness, with the Rams shooting just eight free throws compared to 27 for Oregon.
Both teams came in with an impressive win on Friday. Oregon (ninth in ESPN's RPI rankings) dropped 93 points to breeze past 14th-seeded Iona. It had four starters with 16 or more points. Rhode Island (RPI 37) upset sixth-seeded Creighton 84-72 with all five starters in double digits.
The first half of Sunday's game felt like a boxing match, both sides trying to impose their will and trading blows. Rhode Island wanted to slow down and play the half-court game, while Oregon mostly ran with four guards.
One would think Oregon would be ahead after winning the first-half rebounding battle 18-13, but Rhode Island took a 46-38 advantage into the half.
Oregon did plenty of chirping during the opening stanza, with Dylan Ennis even getting under Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley's skin, as captured by John Canzano of KGW News:
Dan Hurley hot after that Dylan Ennis three. Shouting, “Who are you talking to?!” after Ennis said something to the Rhode Island bench.
Counting out an uptempo team is never wise, though, as Oregon got hot and went on a 23-10 run to take its first lead of the game with 4:51 to go since the first half (3:29 mark).
And when Oregon fell behind again, Dorsey came through with this massive shot:
Oregon advances to take on a red-hot shooting team in the form of seventh-seeded Michigan, which turned it on late and upset second-seeded Louisville on Sunday, 73-69.
After Sunday, fans can expect something akin to a track meet between two of the best backcourts in the country.
Postgame Reaction
After, a sense of relief swept the Oregon locker room.
Altman led the charge in this regard, joking with Dorsey about his stat line, according to Rob Moseley of GoDucks.com:
Dana Altman in the locker room to Dorsey, who was 9-of-10 with the game-winning three: "What the heck were you doing on the one you missed?"
On a more serious note, Altman said he was “disappointed” about the technical foul on Brooks, according to Aaron J. Fentress of CSN Ducks. As for Brooks himself, Fentress captured his reaction: “Dillon Brooks said that all he said to Rhode Island players to get the tech was ‘This is a big man's game.’ He called the officials biased.”
For Rhode Island, Hurley shed some light on Martin, saying the forward has been dealing with a knee issue, according to Bill Koch of the Providence Journal.
Stanford Robinson Puts Oregon Defenders on Spin Cycle
Mar 19, 2017
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Rhode Island's Stanford Robinson plays with confidence and is not wasting his opportunity with the Rams in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Oregon.
Robinson made space for himself as he navigated his way around one defender and then showed off a nifty spin move on Dylan Ennis to rise up for the jumper.
Robinson and Rhode Island can smell an upset as they are keeping things close late in the second half.
Creighton vs. Rhode Island: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2017
Mar 17, 2017
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 17: Kuran Iverson #23 of the Rhode Island Rams attempts a shot against the Creighton Bluejays during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Rhode Island Rams became the third No. 11 seed to win in the first round of the 2017 NCAA tournament after they upset the sixth-seeded Creighton Bluejays 84-72 Friday afternoon in Sacramento, California.
In January, the Jays lost starting point guard Maurice Watson Jr. for the remainder of the year after he suffered a torn ACL. Creighton entered the NCAA tournament with a 7-8 record following his injury, compared to an 18-1 mark before he went down.
The absence of their dynamic player was a glaring problem for the Bluejays. Compounding their problems was the fact their top two leading scorers, Marcus Foster and Justin Patton, shot a combined 9-of-29 from the field for 23 points.
Patton also fouled out with 3:50 left in the game.
Sporting News' Sam Vecenie tweeted the 7-footer's future will be a major storyline around Creighton in the offseason:
Rhode Island led by seven points at halftime, 33-26, and the team's advantage grew to 10 points early in the second half when Hassan Martin scored inside despite contact by Patton, courtesy of NCAA March Madness:
A little less than seven minutes later, E.C. Matthews made it a double-digit game again, 51-41, after getting the steal and finishing at the other end:
Matthews was one of five Rams starters to score at least 12 points. Although he only shot 3-of-12 from the field, he was a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe to finish with 16 points.
Jeff Dowtin also sunk all 10 of his free-throw attempts en route to scoring a game-high 23 points.
Rhode Island won't able to celebrate Friday's win for too long. The Rams will play the third-seeded Oregon Ducks on Sunday.
The Ducks are without a key player as well after Chris Boucher suffered a torn ACL. Oregon didn't look much worse without him in a 93-77 victory over the Iona Gaels.
The Jays got to the line 31 times Friday and missed only three free throws, which helped offset their dreadful game from beyond the arc (4-of-21).
In order to beat Oregon, Rhode Island will need more consistent shooting on the perimeter.
Postgame Reaction
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott praised a senior class that helped the Jays return to the NCAA tournament after two years of missing out on the Big Dance, per Josh Planos of KETV in Omaha, Nebraska:
McDermott also had a strong assessment of the Rams' quality.
"That's a team that on the right night, can beat anybody in this tournament," he said, per the Independent's William Geoghegan.
Rhode Island may benefit from head coach Dan Hurley's familial ties. His brother, Bobby, coaches the Arizona State Sun Devils. The elder Hurley has plenty of experience facing off with Oregon, which Dan said he'll use to his advantage.
"It was kind of a vacation trip for Bob," he said of his brother watching the tournament, according to Bill Koch of the Providence Journal. "Now facing Oregon it's kind of a working trip for him."
Allen Iverson's Cousin Is Grabbing Boards, Turning Heads in College Basketball
Jan 30, 2017
BR Video
There's no doubt Allen Iverson is one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball, but his cousin Kuran Iverson seems to be equipped with skill too.
Can he make his own path to the NBA? Watch above.
NCAA College Basketball Daily Bubble Debate: Connecticut vs. Rhode Island
Feb 25, 2010
So how do you like your bubble teams? Do you like strong RPI and SOS numbers? Is a winning conference record important to you?
With Selection Sunday coming in a little over two weeks, it will be interesting to see how the committee sorts things out. In the meantime, let’s take a look at a couple of teams on the bubble.
Connecticut has put together a couple of big wins to put themselves solidly on the bubble. Rhode Island, on the other hand, has recently lost some critical games and dropped to a bubble team.
Which team has the edge? Who would you select if it came down to these two teams? Give us your thoughts.
