PROVIDENCE –– A year ago, when Brown and URI met in basketball, the game produced all kinds of surprises. When the teams renew their rivalry Wednesday night at the Pizzitola Center, the game figures to difficult to predict once again.
Brown was a huge underdog when it went to the Ryan Center in the regular-season opener last November, but the Bears did everything but win. URI survived, 76-74, only after Brown led much of the way and missed some key free throws down the stretch that could have won it.
It was the seventh straight time the Rams have beaten the Bears, the 13th time in the last 14 meetings. URI figures to be favored again. But there are plenty of reasons the Bears could give the Rams trouble once again.
While the game is Rhode Island’s opener, Brown already has played twice and played pretty well, winning at St. Francis of New York and losing at Virginia Tech. URI coach Jim Baron has made sure his players remember what happened last year when Matt Mullery scored 22 points and nearly led the Bears to an upset over his team. But Baron showed his players a tape of this year’s Brown team, not last year’s.
``They’re a little bit different this year,” Baron said. ``They have Mullery, who is a very, very good big man, but they have balance, too. In their first game they had four players score in double figures.”
The fact that the game is at The Pizz also helps Brown’s chances. A few years ago, URI had announced that it would be willing to ``buy” the game with Brown every year, meaning the game would be at the Ryan Center every season. But the recession and state budget problems have changed that. URI no longer can pay.
Jesse Agel, the Brown coach, is happy that the series is continuing with a rare home game for his team, the home opener at that.
``I’m so appreciative of Jim (Baron) bringing his team into our building,” Agel said. ``I’ve always had a lot of respect for him. This just confirms it.”
Agel’s team was able to control the tempo against the Rams last season, in part because it committed only 10 turnovers. The goal will be to repeat that.
``There’s no secret what we’ve got to do,” Agel said. ``We’ve got to handle their pressure, their speed, their play on the backboards. Dealing with their athletic ability will be a challenge for us.”
For URI, part of the challenge is settling on a rotation. While the Rams know what style they want to play, they are still very much open as to who will be on the court. URI will have to play at least the first five games without forward Ben Eaves, who has an injured right wrist.
Brown has received strong early play from freshmen Matt Sullivan, who is playing the point, and Andrew McCarthy, who led the team in scoring at Virginia Tech. Baron is looking to develop that type of play from some new members of his rotation, too. Freshman Akeem Richmond was excellent in the team’s first exhibition game, but then struggled in the second. Sophomore forward Orion Outerbridge, on the other hand, was better the second time out than the first. Baron has spoken about how he wants to go nine or 10 deep, so his goal will be to blend Richmond and Outerbridge into the rotation as quickly as possible.
Game time is listed at 7 p.m. on some schedules, but it has been changed to 7:30. The Brown women’s team will meet American at 4 p.m.
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