2011 Rhode Island Basketball

2010-11 Results:

Overall: 20-14 (Home 12-4 Road 7-8 Neutral 1-2 Postseason 1-2)
Atlantic 10: 9-7
Conference Tournament: Lost in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference to Richmond.
Postseason: Lost in the quarterfinals of the CBI to UCF.

Jim Baron guided Rhode Island to the 20-14 record and a sixth place finish in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rhode Island got off to a 12-6 start last year before finishing 7-7 in the last 14 games and losing in their first game of the conference tournament. It was their fourth straight 20 win season though the Rams have been somewhat inconsistent in the Atlantic-10, finishing 9th, 2nd, 5th and 6th during the past four seasons.

The 2010-2011 squad was lead by four seniors who were major contributors that will be difficult to replace this year. Overall the Rams were seventh in the conference averaging 68.1 points per game and seventh in defensive scoring allowing 66.7 points per game.

Last season Rhode Island was excellent at home going 12-4, beating Boston College and Drexel at home. They will try to continue their excellent play at home this year while looking to improve on their losing record on the road last year.

Roster

Returning Starters
Nikola Malesevic

Other Returning Players
Orion Outerbridge
Blake Vedder
Anthony Malhoit
Ryan Brooks

Newcomers
Billy Baron
Andre Malone
T.J. Buchanan
Dominique McKoy
Jonathan Holton

Head Coach
Jim Baron

Key Losses

The Rams will have to replace Marquis Jones, Akeem Richmond, Delroy James, Will Martell and Ben Eaves. James was the team’s leading scorer averaging 17.5 points a game as well as 7.9 rebounds. Jones played the point chipping in 11 points per game and 3.2 points. Martell was a factor underneath and Eaves could have gotten more opportunities if he had stayed with the team.

Schedule

Date	Opponent / Event
11-Nov	@ George Mason
15-Nov	@ Texas
20-Nov	@ Nebraska
Legends Classic – Thomas M. Ryan Center
25-Nov	vs. Hofstra
26-Nov	vs. Boston University
27-Nov	vs. Cleveland State
11/30/2011	@ Brown
12/4/2011	vs. Maine
12/7/2011	vs. Virginia Tech
12/10/2011	@ Georgia State
12/18/2011	vs. Yale
12/23/2011	vs. Providence
UCF Holiday Classic – Orlando, Fla.
12/29/2011	vs. James Madison
12/30/2011	UCF/Stetson
Regular Season
1/2/2012	@ Boston College
1/7/2012	vs. Richmond *
1/11/2012	@ George Washington *
1/14/2012	vs. Duquesne *
1/18/2012	@ Fordham *
1/21/2012	@ La Salle
1/25/2012	vs. St. Bonaventure *
1/28/2012	@ Dayton *
2/1/2012	vs. Massachusetts *
2/4/2012	vs. Temple *
2/8/2012	@ Xavier *
2/11/2012	@ Charlotte
2/15/2012	vs. Saint Joseph’s *
2/18/2012	@ St. Bonaventure
2/25/2012	vs. Saint Louis *
2/29/2012	vs. Fordham *
3/3/2012	@ Massachusetts *
2012 Atlantic 10 Championship
3/6/2012	Opening Round
3/9/2012	Quarterfinals
3/10/2012	Semifinals
3/11/2012	Championship Game
*Conference Game

2011-12 Preview

Coach Jim Baron has a lot of rebuilding to do and it will be especially difficult until mid-season transfers arrive. Billy Baron will start at point guard after having transferred from Virginia though one of the freshmen will get the first crack at the job while he is ineligible. Baron is a top notch shooter though he is better suited to play the point than shooting guard which is what the team needs. Andre Malone will gain eligibility at the end of the first semester. The Auburn transfer was a starter before having problems with the coach. Malone is a superb athlete and a big 6-6 guard that should really help the Rams offensively.

Backcourt

Mike Powell and T.J. Buchanan will play the point during the early going until Baron is eligible. This will give coach Jim Baron a good chance to see what he has in these two players early on and whether they can contribute to the regular rotation. The two will learn on the job though they make experience some growing pains. Royvon Harris and Dominique McKoy are exciting players in their own right and could become major contributors.

Jamal Wilson will return and start after having averaged 19.6 minutes per game last year and 5.1 points. Senior Anthony Malhoit also returns but doesn’t figure to be much of a factor after having averaged 3.4 minutes per game last season.

Frontcourt

Nikola Malesevic is the top returning player from last season after having averaged 10.3 points per game. The Serbian product is a deadly shooter making 45.8 percent of his three point shots last year. He is excellent when catching the ball and shooting it. He is most valuable when he finds open space on the perimeter.

Orion Outerbridge will start alongside Malesevic in the frontcourt. He was an effective player in limited time last season. The big man is excellent at facing up and shooting and shot 60 percent from mid range last year. He has continuously improved as a post player and moves well off the ball. It will be interesting to see if he can be as effective as a starter this year as he was coming off the bench last season.

Freshman Jonathan Holton has earned the fifth starting position for at least the start of the season. He is a 6-foot-9 power forward out of Miami. He likes to face up opponents and creates a lot of match-up problems for opponents.

Blake Vedder at 7-foot-3 is an interesting player that moves well is a project and may see a little more playing time this year.

More Atlantic 10 Basketball Predictions

Temple Owls	Saint Louis Billikens	Xavier Musketeers	St. Bonaventure Bonnies
UMass Minutemen	La Salle Explorers	Dayton Flyers	St. Josephs Hawks
Duquesne Dukes	Richmond Spiders	Charlotte 49ers	George Washington Colonials
Rhode Island Rams	Fordham Rams

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