Game 3: Valpo @ URI 11/17 9:00AM

[VULB#62]

It's on to URI. Here's the URI game recap vs. American:

Rhode Island opened its season with a victory, but the 65-42 win over American came at a cost Friday night, as E.C. Matthews went down in the first half with an apparent knee injury.

As he spun and drove to the basket midway through the first half, Matthews went to the floor and grabbed his knee. He did not return to the game and will undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury.

Despite playing without Matthews, Rhody (1-0) built a 13-point lead by halftime, going into the break up 36-23. American (0-1) put up a fight in the second half, closing within 44-38 with 12:01 to go. Rhode Island responded with a 10-0 that effectively put the game away. The Rhody run featured a pair of 3-point shots by Four McGlynn and baskets from Hassan Martin and Jared Terrell.

Inside the Box Score

Rhode Island showed it can score in transition, getting 14 fast break points. On the other end, the Rams did not allow American any fast break buckets.
Rhode Island's bench gave the Rams a big advantage, outscoring their American counterparts, 24-4.
The Rams turned 17 American turnovers into 25 points.
Four McGlynn led a trio of Rams in double figures, scoring 15 points. Jared Terrell added 14 points, and Hassan Martin had 10 points.
Kuran Iverson and Jarvis Garrett combined for 17 points and 12 rebounds, grabbing six boards apiece.
Rhode Island was tremendous from the floor, making 24-of-46 (52.2 percent) shots. Defensively, the Rams held American to just 34.8 percent from the field, including 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

Stat of the Game
4 – Guard Four McGlynn had all four of Rhode Island's 3-point baskets on the night.

[VUSWIM08-12]

Anyone going to the game?? I'm gonna make the 3 hour drive tonight! Excited to see them play as I haven't been able to since I moved to VT!

[vu84v2]

I may be going to the game. Am busy in northeast handling some other issues and might drive over tonight or tomorrow morning.

[VUSWIM08-12]

Nice..Tickets aren't to bad...$36 for a decent seat behind the Valpo bench...I wonder if the VU ticket office got any tickets? I'm guessing no but maybe I should call....

[HC]

His name is Four?! George Costanza would be so proud!

[vu72]

American was picked fourth in the Patriot League by Lindy's.

[talksalot]

His name is Four?! George Costanza would be so proud!

and apparently someone to watch for...

http://www.onebidwonders.com/2015/03/11/four-mcglynn-reportedly-leave-towson-basketball/

[wh]

URI message board game thread:

http://keaneyblue.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5361&start=0

[VULB#62]

URI message board game thread:

http://keaneyblue.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5361&start=0

Thanks WH.  Very active and informed board.  They know a lot about us and their comments are player-specific -- like EVN playing yesterday and giving us a big guard for them to worry about.  They've already set up a matchup: "Without diminishing the impact on the final outcome that Hassan Martin will likely have when URI meets Valpo on Tuesday morning, the matchup between Alec Peters (6-9 230) and Kuran Iverson (6-9 215) will likely be the game within the game.

There is a lot of talk about numerous bloody mary's and tailgating.  BTW The arena (seats 7,800) http://www.theryancenter.com/about_ryan_center.aspx?un=1 is built to intimidate. Three tiers and close in.  Great basketball venue worth at least 6 points coming out of the chute.  We'll have our hands full.

[covufan]

I think we bring our high FT shooting, high rebounding, low TO, and low fouls team to RI, and come out with a win!

Valpo  70
URI     68

[VULB#62]

This is a great game for us to play (despite the insanely hour).  The atmosphere will be intense and loud.  The fans are right on top of the court and the student section is more than just a couple of hundred.  It's kind of like the reverse of a good team coming into a packed ARC with something on the line -- except bigger and possibly more hostile. If we can win in a place like this, we will do well in all of our games. We have to make the few FTs we are awarded (it is an away game after all    ) and play at our pace blocking out the crowd and distractions.

[vu72]

In their first game they shot 30.8% from the 3 and made 13 of 31 FTs!   

They are not terribly big, most likely starting 6'7", 6'9", 6'0", 6'3" and 6'2" with a 6'4" and two 6'7"s off the bench.  The 6'9" guy only weighs 210# and their 6'0" kid weighs in at 170#.

Their starting five will mostly likely be Martin, Iverson, Garrett, Terrell and McGlynn.  McGlynn made 4 3s in their only game and no one else made a single three.  I like the matchups.

[wh]

The spread has moved from URI -1.5 to Even.

[VULB#62]

When we start a 6-10, 6-9 and then 3 guards, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3 were not 'that' big either. BUT off the bench come G/F 6-8 EVN, G 6-7 Shane, F 6-8 David and F 6-7 Jubril.  I mean we just keep coming at teams with great combinations of size, speed and athleticism.  Who cares who starts (except for Vashil and Alec, of course,  heh, heh).  In the URI preview video, Bryce said Vashil was responsible for 20 points in the swing of the Iona game with his blocks (7) and redirects.

[VULB#62]

ESPN

[covufan]

ESPN

Has the game been moved up to ESPN, as I thought it was on ESPN2?

[wh]

Bryce's comments about URI:

! No longer available

[vu72]

When we start a 6-10, 6-9 and then 3 guards, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3 were not 'that' big either. BUT off the bench come G/F 6-8 EVN, G 6-7 Shane, F 6-8 David and F 6-7 Jubril.  I mean we just keep coming at teams with great combinations of size, speed and athleticism.  Who cares who starts (except for Vashil and Alec, of course,  heh, heh).  In the URI preview video, Bryce said Vashil was responsible for 20 points in the swing of the Iona game with his blocks (7) and redirects.

The difference is in the weight and muscle.  Vashil is 260#!  Their guards are 170#,  220#180#.  their 6'9" guy is 210#, Alec is 230#. You are of course correct about how we can keep running guys at them.  When our guards are 6'8" and 6'7" they will have to try to out run us.  Should be a great contrast in styles.

[Valpower]

When we start a 6-10, 6-9 and then 3 guards, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3 were not 'that' big either. BUT off the bench come G/F 6-8 EVN, G 6-7 Shane, F 6-8 David and F 6-7 Jubril.  I mean we just keep coming at teams with great combinations of size, speed and athleticism.  Who cares who starts (except for Vashil and Alec, of course,  heh, heh).  In the URI preview video, Bryce said Vashil was responsible for 20 points in the swing of the Iona game with his blocks (7) and redirects.

I'm afraid to make score predictions lest I come off as an overzealous fan, but I feel like we're looking at a kind of Valpo team that we've never seen before.  For the first time, they don't seem quite as "mid-majory".  They are not undersized and dependent upon hot outside shooting nor big but slow.  Combined with the rare situation of being a Tourney team returning intact, they have the potential to dominate like they haven't before.  They have high-major physical attributes and depth with the kind of experience only found in the mid-major ranks where 4-year players are more common.  I think they are going to surprise people (not by winning games, as that's already expected) by some unexpected scoring margins.

[RF1]

URI's Ryan Center Exterior



URI's Ryan Center Interior

[agibson]

Looks nice!

Paul Oren points out on twitter that it's pretty rare that we've been RV and played another time RV (or ranked) in the regular season.

With Oregon we'll have a chance to knock off a top 25 team for the first time since Bryce wore a VU jersey. Iona and Rhode Island are both other examples of RV teams this season (Rhode Island hangs on to five points in the AP this week).

Before that... maybe it was Cleveland State in 2011.

Maybe... never before that?

Did we ever get votes in the national polls before 2011? (Apart from our 98 post-season ranking.) For the coaches' poll I don't have easily summarizable data before 2009-10.

Poring through the valpoathletics.com archives, I find the claim in 2011, "Valpo last made an appearance in one of the national polls in March of 2002, accumulating five points in the last poll prior to the NCAA Tournament that season."  Not sure before then.

[VULB#62]

Toldja it was a great venue  it would be great if Valpo could replicate even a fraction of that in the next ARC renovation.

URI's Ryan Center Exterior



URI's Ryan Center Interior

[agibson]

Toldja it was a great venue  it would be great if Valpo could replicate even a fraction of that in the next ARC renovation.

Let's fill the ARC a few times and we'll talk.  A couple of road wins and maybe a national ranking would help.

(Does SportsCenter even -do- a top 10 any more? I barely recognized the format looking for Evic Sunday night.)

[bbtds]

American was picked fourth in the Patriot League by Lindy's.

I believe that should be University of the U.S.

American is "problematic." This is because "North Americans often use 'American' which usually, depending on the context, fails to recognize South America."

[vu72]

American was picked fourth in the Patriot League by Lindy's.

I believe that should be University of the U.S.

American is "problematic." This is because "North Americans often use 'American' which usually, depending on the context, fails to recognize South America."

Perhaps.  Tell it to their 10,000 students!

http://www.american.edu/