Rhode Island (5-0) ran the College of Charleston (4-2) out of the Ryan Center in a dominating 91-53 win Sunday in Kingston, Rhode Island. At the end of the first half, the Rams had practically secured their win, leading 45-16.
Many have already labeled this game the best performance under head coach Archie Miller. Miller was pleased with his team’s full 40-minute defensive effort.
“For long stretches, we were smart, we were disciplined, and I thought that Javonte [Brown] impacted the game in a big way around the rim,” Miller said. “For our guys I’m proud of the way we competed, defended… credit to our group. I’m happy for our guys, gotta stay humble here, and at the end of the stay, gotta stick with the process and the grind.”
Rhode Island got contributions from all nine players in its rotation. The Rams went on multiple 14-2 runs, held the Cougars scoreless for multiple extended stretches and won the battle on the glass.
Fourth-year Sebastian Thomas and fifth-year Javonte Brown played pivotal roles for the Rams. Thomas notched his first double-double of the season, while Brown went 8 of 9 from the field and had four blocks.
“Credit to my teammates for making shots. It’s my job to get them the ball and really them knocking down the shots so credit to them,” Thomas said. “I’m thankful for them. Great team win.”
Thomas has benefited from having Brown as his pick-n-roll partner early in this season. The two of them have been an efficient offensive duo.
Through the first couple weeks of the college basketball season, both players have had statistical success at the highest level. Brown ranks third in field-goal percentage at 82.3%, and Thomas ranks fourth in assists per game with 8.8. Thomas also ranks in the top 20 in assist-to-turnover ratio.
“He’s a big help… very easy to throw lobs to him as well as drop-offs,” Thomas said. “Very thankful to have him on our team.”
As for Brown, he not only led the Rams in scoring with 17 points but took on the difficult assignment of guarding the CAA preseason Player of the Year, Ante Brzovic.
“You guys can expect winning, I’m trying to do whatever I need to do to win,” Brown said. “If they need me to score, need me to rebound, need me to block shots, I’m willing to step into any role.”
Coming into this game, Brzovic was third in the nation in points per game and had multiple 30-point performances. Rhode Island tasked Brown with shutting down Brzovic, and he did just that. Brzovic finished with four points, two turnovers and shot 2 of 10 from the field. AJ Smith Jr. was the only player to reach double-digit points for Charleston. He finished with 10 points on 11 shots. Rhode Island’s defense was suffocating. At one point. Charleston was 0 of 16 from beyond the arc.
Following this big-time mid-major win, the Rams have climbed into the top 100 of KenPom for the first time in almost three years. Ranked at No. 84 in KenPom, the Rams are as the fourth-best team in the Atlantic 10. They have climbed in KenPom more than any other team in the A-10 this season.
As a team, the Rams now rank in the top five in multiple statistical categories. Most notably, they rank second in the nation in free-throws attempted per game at 36. They also rank eighth in fast break points per game with 21.6. Due to their fast pace and ability to get to the line, the Rams score 93.8 points per game. Their offense currently sits seventh in the nation, ahead of programs like North Carolina and Gonzaga.
Rhode Island now travels to St. Augustine, Florida, for the Jacksonville Classic. The Rams will play Detroit Mercy (3-3) on Wednesday and UT Arlington (2-3) on Thursday. With both teams struggling so far this season, the Rams are heavy favorites and have an opportunity to start their season 7-0 before returning home to take on Yale and Providence.
