Rhode Island (4-0) will host the College of Charleston (4-1) in its most important game thus far this season at noon ET Sunday.
Rhode Island Flashing Its Potential
Most recently, Rhode Island came off an eight-day hiatus to take on Lafayette, winning 86-72. However, the final score doesn’t represent what really occurred in this game. The game started with a 14-0 Rams lead, and after that, Rhode Island slowly allowed Lafayette to climb back. Some issues that have re-emerged from last season and some problems that have plagued this season’s team led to the Leopards’ comeback.
First and most concerningly, Rhode Island started this game 1 of 8 at the free-throw line and finished shooting 60% on 40 free-throw attempts. So far this season, the Rams have been elite at getting to the line, averaging a nation-high 40 free throws per game. However, just like last season, the Rams have failed to execute once they get fouled, ranking outside the top 100 in free-throw percentage. While it’s not nearly as bad as last season, the Rams still leave around 11 points per game at the charity stripe.
“For the first time all year, we really didn’t connect at the percentage that we had from the line,” URI head coach Archie Miller said following the win over Lafayette. “To leave as many as we left on the board, I thought left the game dangling a little too much.”
While Rhode Island might have come away with a win, these shortcomings won’t fly against some of the better teams on its schedule.
So far this season, the Rams haven’t played a team ranked higher than 274th in the KenPom rankings and Charleston currently sits at 123rd. The Rams themselves sit at No. 107. Thus, Miller has expressed that this is an extremely important game for his team to prove themselves against a quality opponent.
“We have our biggest game of the year coming up on Sunday against a fantastic team,” Miller said. “They’re off to a great start, and they’re scoring a ton of points… Sunday is one of those big moments of truth games for us.”
Looking Ahead to Charleston
As for Charleston, they have already seen some tough teams. Florida Atlantic is currently 90th in KenPom, while South Florida ranks 125th. The Cougars won both those games at the Field of 68 Showcase and Tip-Off.
Another big issue for the Rams is their inability to prevent opponents from taking and making 3-pointers. Through four games, opponents are taking an average of 38 3s a game and hitting about 30% of them. While not an amazing percentage, the sheer volume still puts the Rams in a difficult position as a team that doesn’t take too many 3s themselves. In the Lafayette game, the Rams showed some ability to prevent these shots, but not for a full 40 minutes.
“Second half, we were lackadaisical in terms of identifying the shooters,” Miller said. “They were way more comfortable in the second half facing the basket with very little resistance… we played a great first defensively… but that 20 minutes isn’t going to be enough as we move forward, and it definitely won’t be enough come Sunday.”
Lafayette started that second half by making five of their first six 3-pointers, and at one point, whittled Rhode Island’s lead down to 5. The Rams have allowed these sorts of 3-point barrages to happen in all their games this year, even against Division II Franklin Pierce. While Charleston doesn’t attempt all that many 3s, they still have shown the ability to knock them down. The Cougars made 15 3s in their incredible double-overtime win over Florida Atlantic and on the season, they’re shooting 37% from beyond the arc, good for 73rd in the nation.
The Cougars are led by preseason CAA Player of the Year, Ante Brzovic, who averages the third-most points per game in the country at 26.4. The Croatian native is in his fourth year and is putting together quite the campaign. Brzovic hit the shot of the year when he nailed a game-winning 3-point shot as the buzzer expired, putting the Cougars ahead against FAU 119-116. Standing at 6-foot-10 Brzovic can score at all three levels and has already topped 30 points twice this season. Rhode Island will have their hands full trying to figure out a way to slow Brzovic down.
Brozovic isn’t the only scoring threat on this Cougars squad. He’s joined by four others who average over 10 points per game. Preseason CAA second-team member CJ Fulton might give the Rams the most problems. On the season, Fulton is shooting 55% from 3 and made multiple 3-pointers in their first few games of the season. However, he missed the Cougars previous game, so his status this Sunday is in question.
Final Thoughts
How does Rhode Island succeed in its moment of truth?
First, Rhode Island needs to make their free throws, leaving too many points at the line could easily cost the Rams this game.
Second, they need to take advantage of the fast break. Led by fourth-years Jaden House and Sebastian Thomas, the Rams score 24 points per game in the fast break, placing them in the top five in the nation in that category. The Cougars run a stingy 1-3-1 zone and don’t often score in transition themselves. This aspect of the game gives Rhode Island a huge advantage and could help them avoid the Cougar’s stingy zone defense.
Lastly, Rhode Island has struggled to come down with many offensive rebounds, losing this category in every game they’ve played against a Division I opponent. Fortunately, the Cougars themselves have struggled to come down with offensive rebounds. Second-chance points will come at a premium and could be the deciding factor if this game comes down to the wire.
A win for Rhode Island would begin to generate loads of hype around this undefeated start. A loss would send the Rams to the Jacksonville Classic with a lot of questions surrounding just how serious these early-season issues are. This highly anticipated mid-major clash will tip off at noon ET Sunday and will be streamed on ESPN+.
