Prov City

Rhode Island's Ryan Westmoreland # 32 on ESPN's Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects List

2010-01-30T16:12:00.001-05:00

Westmoreland was one of the top prep players available in the 2008 Rule 4 draft, but was widely considered unsignable due to his strong commitment to Vanderbilt. (Imagine how much more stacked Vanderbilt's 2011 draft class -- which still features potential first-rounders Sonny Gray, Jack Armstrong and Jason Esposito -- would be with Westmoreland in it.) The Red Sox signed Westmoreland for $2 million, but he had hurt the labrum in his throwing shoulder and ended up having offseason surgery between 2008 and 2009, limiting him to DH duty for most of last summer. He was still recovering from the original injury, playing left field rather than center when he picked up a glove again, only to break his collarbone slamming into the outfield wall while catching a fly ball, further holding back his development. Westmoreland is a top-10 talent with his combination of athleticism, power potential and feel for hitting, and he showed very advanced plate discipline in his limited season in Lowell last year while going a remarkable 19-for-19 in stolen base attempts. The combination of catastrophic injuries does raise the specter of Chris Snelling Disease, in which a prospect is so prone to injury that he can't develop properly as a hitter. But with a full season in 2010, Westmoreland could largely put those concerns to rest.

Statik Selektah 100 Proof Album Release Party January 31st at Jerky's in Providence

2010-01-14T20:24:00.000-05:00

Jon Hope along with others will be performing at Jerky's in Providence on January 31st for Statik Selektah's 100 Proof album release party.

Keep It Real - Cause feat Jon Hope

2010-01-11T20:38:00.001-05:00

New Joint featuring Jon Hope off of Cause's album, I Am Us.

Download: Keep It Real - Cause feat Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Addicted To Rhythm - Statik Selektah feat Jon Hope & Novel

2009-12-18T23:02:00.001-05:00

Download: Addicted To Rhythm - Statik Selektah feat Jon Hope & Novel

More: New Joints

Better - Jon Hope feat Taktix (Video)

2009-12-18T22:52:00.001-05:00

Audio: Better - Jon Hope feat Taktix

Prov City - Mista Mista (Video)

2009-12-12T23:13:00.000-05:00

Nicely done video by Mista Mista showing some nice shots of the city. Just wish it was a longer vid.

Real Talk Pt. 2 - Jon Hope

2009-11-18T18:38:00.001-05:00

New Joint from Prov City's on Jon Hope.

Download: Real Talk Pt. 2 - Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Heartbeat - Mista Mista (Video)

2009-10-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

Mista Mista - Heartbeat (prod. by LJC) Directed by Josue 'SWAY' Mendez from MISTA MISTA on Vimeo.

Adjust My Tie (Remix) - Mista Mista feat Jon Hope

2009-09-24T20:06:00.000-04:00

New Joint from the homies Mista Mista & Jon Hope.

Download: Adjust My Tie (Remix) - Mista Mista feat Jon Hope

More: New Joints & Remixes

Goodwill Hunting (Rza 94) - Theo Martins

2009-09-23T20:13:00.000-04:00

New Joint from Theo.

Download: Goodwill Hunting (Rza 94) - Theo Martins

More: New Joints

Forbes Ranks Providence in Top 5 of America's Most Stressful Cities

2009-09-08T08:03:00.001-04:00

More good news for my home city of Providence. Not only are we the hardest city to get by in, but Forbes.com has also ranked us in the Top 5 of America's Most Stressful Cities, ahead of even Detroit. Pretty sad when I saw this article that I just KNEW Providence would be pretty high up on the list.

Might explain why I listen to so much M.O.P. to release my stress, especially this joint....

4. Providence, R.I.

Providence, tied for fourth place with Cleveland, Ohio, ranks as the fifth worst city for employment, with the unemployment rate up to 12.1% in June. It ranks tenth for cost of living and thirteenth for population density at 975 people per square mile.

Here's the full story:

Sinking property values, high unemployment and prices, and poor environments add to the pressure felt by residents in these metros.

Few enjoy their commute. Just ask Stephen Dinwiddie, M.D., a psychiatrist at the University of Chicago.

"I think anybody who, like I do, commutes on the Kennedy on a daily basis knows exactly what stress is," he says, of his daily home-to-work commute on Chicago's expressway that extends from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. "It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to several centuries--at least subjectively."

But more pressing factors make Chicago for the second year in a row the country's most stressful city. Crowding, poor air quality, a high 11% unemployment rate and free-falling home values have created a cocktail of constant worry affecting many in the Windy City.

Los Angeles, Calif., ranks second, followed by New York, N.Y., Cleveland, Ohio, and Providence, R.I.

Behind the Numbers

To find the country's most stressful cities, we examined quality of life factors in the country's 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas, or metros--geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for use by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics. We looked at June 2009 unemployment figures provided by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and cost of living figures from the Council for Community and Economic Research. We examined median home-price drops from Q1 2008 to Q1 2009 that were provided by the National Association of Realtors. Population density based on 2008 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and ESRI also factored. Last, we examined the number of sunny and partly sunny days per year, based on 2007 data from the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, as well as air-quality figures, based on 2007 data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The economic climate is clearly kicking up stress levels. In March, the National Sleep Foundation reported that more than a quarter of 1,000 survey participants were sleeping less because of the economy.

The recession has also forced Americans to skimp on health care. In a February telephone poll of 1,200 adults conducted by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, 53% of respondents said they cut back on health care costs by avoiding doctor's visits, skipping dental checkups and not filling prescriptions, among other strategies.

Year-over-year housing-price drops may also be behind Americans' anxiety.

"A forty-three percent drop is something that could easily be classified as a housing-market cataclysm," says Andres Carbacho-Burgos, economist at Moody's Economy.com, of the Q1 2008 to Q1 2009 median home-price plunge in San Francisco. That's compared with the national median home-price dip of 14.7% during that same time. "Over that long a period of time a drop that significant for San Francisco, or for the Bay Area as a whole, indicates just that the economy has turned sour and that credit is very, very tight and has been over the past year."

What's more, the drastic decline is not representative of the housing market as a whole--rather of the composition of homes being sold, says Walter Molony, spokesman for the National Association of Realtors. Almost 50% of homes sold nationwide in the first quarter of 2009 were distressed homes. One-third of those were short sales, and two-thirds were foreclosures, Molony says.

Though there are signs of a bottoming in some markets, falling home prices can immediately impact residents in two ways: first by affecting employment in the housing-related or real estate fields, and second by reducing consumer spending in metro areas with relatively large home-equity declines. Consumer spending in July was flat, erasing hopes of a kick-started economy.

And few are going to start spending when jobs are scarce. Perhaps no one knows that better than residents of Detroit. There, unemployment is 17.1%, thanks to the collapse in the auto industry. Employee cutbacks in General Motors plants and other makers of car parts led to the drastic 14.8% unemployment rate increase from May to June 2009, says Steve Cochrane of Moody's Economy.com.

Other cities have different reasons for stress: Pittsburgh comes in second for the least amount of sunny days, and ninth for low air quality. While for years we’ve been told to avoid certain skin cancers by staying out of the sun, new research showed a link between low vitamin D levels and increased propensity to the common cold. It’s also believed that vitamin D receptors in cells and tissue may help regulate the immune system. Irritants in the atmosphere can cause increased incidences of asthma, chest tightness or cough.

But there are ways to stay sane in cities while the state of the economy stays stressful. Dinwiddie says it's important to identify what's causing stress to be able to tackle it, and to find a good balance between work and home. He also points out that one of the good things about big cities is that they offer a variety of things that can rapidly change an individual's environment. "It's easy, for example, to go to the beach or catch a Cubs game," he says. "Although I suppose some people wouldn't consider that to relieve stress."

Jay-Z To Perform In Providence At Dunkin' Donuts Center on October 24

2009-09-05T10:43:00.001-04:00

Looks like Jay-Z's tour will be coming to Providence...I swear the last time he was here was 1998 with Red & Meth, DMX, Mya and some other people...

When: Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:00 PM

Doors: 7:00 PM

Where: Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence, RI

Opening Acts: N.E.R.D., Wale, J. Cole

Smartest - Jon Hope

2009-09-05T10:42:00.001-04:00

New Joint for all you dumb cats from the homey Jon Hope.

Download: Smartest - Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Above It All - Jon Hope feat Tatix & Nandi

2009-09-03T18:27:00.000-04:00

New Joint from Jon Hope.

Download: Above It All - Jon Hope feat Tatix & Nandi

More: New Joints

Ryan Westmoreland - Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet

2009-09-02T18:54:00.002-04:00

Rhode Island's own Ryan Westmoreland showed up in last week's Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet:

RYAN WESTMORELAND, CF, RED SOX

Team: short-season Lowell (New York-Penn)

Age: 19

Why He's Here: .400/.500/.720 (10-for-25), 1 HR, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBIs, 8 R, 5 BB, 3 SO, 3-for-3 SB

The Scoop: The athletic Westmoreland has more than held his own against older competition in the New York-Penn League. The teenager is riding a nine-game hitting streak and has raised his average to an even .300/.403/.491 in 220 at-bats. A shoulder injury cost the '08 fifth-round pick a chance to make his pro debut last summer, and he didn't start playing in the field this year until Aug. 16. The injury never slowed down his legs though, as Westmoreland is a perfect 19-for-19 stealing bases and is hitting .318/.422/.471 in August.

Theo Martins - S.A.B. Radio Interview, Part 1 (Video)

2009-09-02T18:51:00.000-04:00

Passing Me By 2009 - Kyle Lucas feat Jon Hope, Sean Falyon, & Donny Goines

2009-08-25T22:44:00.001-04:00

New Joint featuring Jon Hope that is a remake of the Pharcyde classic Passing Me By.

Download: Passing Me By 2009 - Kyle Lucas feat Jon Hope, Sean Falyon, & Donny Goines

More: New Joints

Mista Mista & Styles P Performing At Jerky's Live Music Hall in Providence (Video)

2009-08-24T18:26:00.000-04:00

DJ Premier at Jerky's Live Music Hall in Providence on October 10th

2009-08-20T21:26:00.001-04:00

DJ Premier will be at Jerky's in Providence on October 10th...details below:

Date/Time: Saturday October 10, 2009

Time: 9:00pm - 1:00am

Entry Type: Club Event

Location: JERKY’S

Street Adr: 71 RICHMOND STREET

City: PROVIDENCE

State: Rhode Island

Zip: 02903

Notes: $20.00 21+ EVENT

Styles P To Peform at Jerky's Live Music Hall in Providence on August 21st

2009-08-20T21:23:00.001-04:00

Styles P will be at Jerky's in Providence tomorrow...details below:

Date/Time: Friday August 21, 2009

Time:8:00pm - 12:00am

Entry Type: Club Event

Location: JERKY’S

Street Adr: 71 RICHMOND STREET

City: PROVIDENCE

State: Rhode Island

Zip: 02903

KRS-1 To Peform at Jerky's Live Music Hall in Providence on September 19th

2009-08-20T21:15:00.004-04:00

KRS-One will be at Jerky's in Providence on September 19th...details below:

Date/Time: Saturday September 19, 2009

Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm

Entry Type: Club Event

Location: JERKY’S

Street Adr: 71 RICHMOND STREET

City: PROVIDENCE

State: Rhode Island

Zip: 02903

Notes: $25.00 21+ EVENT

Raekwon Performs at Jerky's Live Music Hall In Providence (Video)

2009-08-20T21:06:00.000-04:00

Let It Out - Mista Mista

2009-08-20T20:46:00.001-04:00

This track will be featured on Tecknowledgy's mixtape "Modern Tecknowledgy" which also features artists such as: Donny Goines, El Prez, Convinced, Fresh Daily, Kel Spencer and many more. "Modern Tecknowledgy" is set to release late November 2009
-- -Mista Mista

http://www.mistamistaonline.com/
www.twitter.com/mistamista
www.youtube.com/mistamistaonline

Download: Let It Out - Mista Mista

Redman & Method Man & Mista Mista Live @ Lupos (Video)

2009-08-03T07:08:00.001-04:00

Forever - Jon Hope

2009-07-24T07:45:00.001-04:00

New joint from Jon Hope getting his "Keith Murray" on.

Download: Forever - Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Jimmy Baron To Play For Utah Jazz In 2009 Orlando Pro Summer League

2009-06-30T20:34:00.000-04:00

Looks like Jimmy Baron will be trying to make the NBA by playing for the Utah Jazz in the NBA Summer League:

Also expected to participate in camp are former Jazz training camp invitee Kevin Lyde, Utah Flash players Andre Ingram and Kevin Kruger, and former Utah State Aggie Gary Wilkinson. The rest of the roster includes former NBA players James Augustine, Cedric Bozeman and Justin Reed, in addition to rookies Jim Baron, Josh Duncan, Wes Mathews, Reyshawn Terry and Larry Turner. (NBA.com)

Not sure if Baron will make the team, but this might be a good fit for him playing under Jerry Sloan. The Jazz do already have a player similar to Baron though in Kyle Korver, who is pretty much Utah's token three-point shooter.

Tape Bang feat Freeky Zekey/Get Focused/Successful (Remix) - Prov

2009-06-22T19:57:00.002-04:00

New shit from Prov.

www.myspace.com/provcity

Download: Tape Bang - Prov feat Freeky Zekey

Download: Get Focused - Prov

Download: Successful (Remix) - Prov

More: New Joints

H.O.P.E. - Jon Hope (Live Performance)

2009-06-19T17:54:00.003-04:00

Third new joint and performance from the Jon Hope Sessions.

Download: H.O.P.E. - Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Lucky Me - Mista Mista

2009-06-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

Another new joint from Mista Mista.

http://www.mistamistaonline.com/
www.twitter.com/mistamista
www.youtube.com/mistamistaonline

Download: Lucky Me - Mista Mista

More: New Joints

West Roxbury's Gerard Coleman Commits to Providence College

2009-06-15T20:27:00.000-04:00

The PC Friars have gotten a verbal committment from Gerard Coleman, who is a big time high school basketball prospect from West Roxbury, Mass. Coleman is a 6'3, 185 pound shooting guard who is considered the 63rd best player in the high school class of 2010 and the 18th best SG overall, according to ESPN.

They also give Coleman an overall grade of 94, which means he is a "high major prospect", who "has the potential to significantly contribute as a freshman for most national programs. He could be a three- or four-year starter and have an opportunity for all-league honors."

Here are some scouting reports on Gerard Coleman, via ESPN:

April, 2009: Gerard is a lean lefty that plays efficient and smooth. Offensively he is a very good shooter beyond the arc and consistently shot the ball well from deep at the Boo Williams Nike invitational. He is very good off the bounce and slashes to the basket where he uses his athleticism and creativity to finish in traffic. His mid range game is a solid part of his game. His ability to drive to the rim, set up his mid game, where his quick leaping ability and use of angles allow him to score. Already a very good one on one player, if he can improve his mid game he has the potential to be a good scorer at the collegiate level. He has the physical tools and ball handling skills allow him to score in bunches, particularly in transition. Defensively he has quick feet and showed a tenacity to defend both on and off the ball. Improved strength and maturation will add to his overall game.

January, 2009: Coleman has a playing style, body-type, and on-court demeanor that closely resemble former NBA great Eddie Jones. Coleman, a southpaw, has range that extends out to the 3-point line and gets very good lift on his jumper, a testament to his very good leaping ability. He would enjoy more accuracy from distance if he keeps his shooting wrist cocked on the catch, creating a 90 degree angle with his arm, which would help to improve his follow-through. Coleman has good body control and a quick first step, getting to the basket with relative ease. He also uses his leaping ability to hang and adjust in air when he gets to the rim. Coleman has to add to his middle game by incorporating a pull-up jumper as a well as get significantly stronger in order to finish at the rim on the next level. When he dedicates himself, he does a very good job of moving his feet and using his long wing-span to pressure opposing ball-handlers. With added strength, he would become an even better on-ball defender. He has very wide shoulder which shots that he could get stronger and add more muscle to his wiry frame. Similar to Eddie Jones, he also plays passing lanes and anticipates for steals very well.

August, 2008: Gerard is developing into a prolific scorer. He knocks down the 3-point shot at a fairly consistent basis. When he gets into the paint he shows an under control middle game as he elevates over his defender. This lefty can get all the way to the rim and finish with his wiry strong body. At the basket he can take contact and score the ball or see the help defender and slither his way around to avoid the defense. In the open floor Gerard excels as he runs the break with scoring in mind always attacking with his eyes on the rim. He doesn't take many bad shots and is a willing passer. He goes to the offensive glass looking for put-backs or tip-in dunks with his strong athletic ability. Defensively he gets on the glass and shows the ability to rebound the ball and handle it on the break. On the perimeter he has the ability to keep his man out of the lane and needs to concentrate on that aspect. With his length he could be a disruptive defender.

July, 2008: Coleman really made his presence felt on the BABC team with his ability to score. He is a long thin lefty that is wiry strong. Coleman sprints the wing in transition and is a threat to not only get to the rim but he can shoot the three off the catch as well. His stroke looks good, he has a high release and good follow through. From the wing he is a slasher. Coleman likes to drive right to get all the way to the rim and left to shoot his floater in the lane. He is a good athlete that can elevate and he has touch to arc the ball over outstretched hands. He is also a pretty good ball handler and passer with the ability to penetrate and kick to an open teammate when the defense cuts him off. Coleman is a decent defensive rebounder but could be better with the speed and quickness he possesses. Defensively he is athletic enough to guard both guard positions. He must add strength but has all the tools to be an excellent college player. One of the true sleepers I saw this summer.

May, 2008: Long, young, athletic and very talented. Gerard is a work in progress. You can see how with maturity in the next two years he will continue to get better. He can shoot, dribble, pass and rebound. He plays very smooth and is under control. He does everything right. A good decision maker on the break, runs and jumps. Strength will help him in his progress. He needs to hit the weight room. Defense is an area he must work harder on and learn to play the ball hard and use more of his athletic ability to cause turnovers, steals and deflections. Unlimited potential for a sophomore.

December, 2007: Gerard is a very talented, but still somewhat raw offensive player. His greatest improvement needs to come in his overall consistency as he can dominate certain games and disappear from others. The lefty has a good looking jump shot that he can knock down from the three-point line and in. While he has a quick first step and a good enough handle to get past his man he is often bumped off the line off his drive thanks to his lean physique. His lack of upper body strength can also make finishing at the rim a challenge. Defensively, he is plenty quick laterally and extraordinarily long and consequently able to be very effective. Overall, he is a player with a high upside who needs more playing experience and increased muscle mass.

The Truth - Jon Hope (Live Performance)

2009-06-11T19:14:00.000-04:00

Another new joint and performance from Jon Hope.

Download: The Truth - Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Agreed - Jon Hope (Live Performance)

2009-06-03T21:32:00.000-04:00

New joint from Prov City's own Jon Hope, plus a live performance of the joint and some words from Jon Hope himself about how the city of Providence made him who he is. Took the words right out of my mouth...keep reppin' Providence kid.

Download: Agreed - Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Heartbeat - Mista Mista

2009-06-01T21:50:00.000-04:00

New joint from the homey Mista Mista.

http://www.mistamistaonline.com/
www.twitter.com/mistamista
www.youtube.com/mistamistaonline

Heartbeat - Mista Mista

More: New Joints

Cloud 9 - Theo feat Christian Rich

2009-05-29T13:07:00.000-04:00

New joint from Prov City's own Theo.

Cloud 9 - Theo feat Christian Rich

More: New Joints

Jimmy Baron & Weyinmi Efejuku: Working Hard For The NBA Draft

2009-05-28T14:58:00.000-04:00

Looks like URI's Jimmy Baron and PC's Weyinmi Efejuku are still hoping to hear their names called in the NBA Draft, via ProJo Sports:

It only takes one.

That, in a nutshell, is the philosophy driving both Jimmy Baron and Weyinmi Efejuku as they try to work themselves onto the radar screens of teams leading up to the NBA Draft.

Baron and Efejuku have signed with agents and are working out with other elite college players as they look to improve their skills and shine in workout sessions with pro teams. Right now neither player is popping up on the numerous mock drafts, but they both hold out hope that will change leading up to the June 25 selections.

"I believe it's possible," said Efejuku, the leading scorer (15.7 ppg) at Providence College in 2009. "Getting into the draft or playing for a (NBA) team in a summer league as a free agent is my primary focus."

Efejuku graduated from PC on May 18 and is spending a few days with his mother at her home in Atlanta. He has signed with an agent, Merle Scott of United Worldwide Sports, and will travel to Chicago next week to train at the ATTACK Athletics Training Center. That's the gym the NBA is currently running its pre-draft camp at this week.

Neither Efejuku or Baron was among the 52 players invited to the NBA's official combine. Unlike previous years, those players will not play 5-on-5 games. Instead they'll be measured and weighed and be available for interviews or private workouts, somewhat similar to the NFL's combine in Indianapolis.

Both Efejuku and Baron have already worked out for some NBA teams. Efejuku spent last Friday in Washington with the Wizards along with Villanova's Dwayne Anderson and Gonzaga's Micah Downs. He mentioned prospective dates with the Celtics, Trailblazers and Thunder coming up in June.

"The teams say I need to improve my ballhandling in the fullcourt, just in order to beat pressure," he said. "Everyone likes my speed and athleticism and shooting but I need to keep my conditioning up and hit more shots in the mid-range game."

Baron remains in Santa Monica, Cal., where he's working with other clients of the Wasserman Media Group, one of the largest agent firms in the business. WMG held a workout last Friday to showcase their 2009 draft clients, a group that includes Baron, James Johnson (Wake Forest), Gerald Henderson (Duke), Wayne Ellington (North Carolina), DaJuan Summers (Georgetown), K.C. Rivers (Clemson), Ryan Ayers (Notre Dame) and Josh Shipp (UCLA). Several teams, including Sacramento, Charlotte, Portland, Toronto, Detroit and the Clippers and Lakers, attended.

Johnson and Henderson are considered potential lottery picks and certain first-rounders. Ellington and Summers are also hearing first-round buzz.

"Jimmy shot the ball well, as usual, and a lot of teams saw him," said Rob McClanahan, the Cranston native and workout guru who with WMG's basketball clients.

The other players most prominently mentioned as likely top 10 picks include Blake Griffin (Oklahoma State), Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), guard Ricky Rubio (Spain), Jordan Hill (Arizona), James Harden (Arizona State), Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), Jrue Holiday (UCLA), Tyreke Evans (Memphis) and Brandon Jennings, a top prep senior in 2008 who spent the 2008-09 season playing in Italy.

Both Efejuku and Baron will be invited to group workouts over the next month where teams will need additional players to perform around the bigger names available in the draft. While not the featured performers, those are additional opportunities for both players to open some eyes. One team both players want to be seen by is Portland. The Blazers own the rights to four second-round picks, as well as one (24th overall) in the first round.

"The feedback we're getting has been good and this is the top priority right now," said Efejuku. "If (getting drafted) doesn't happen, there's the summer leagues and then, maybe, a shot in Europe. But playing in the NBA is the primary focus."

URI Baseball Snubbed By NCAA Baseball Comittee

2009-05-28T14:51:00.000-04:00

Looks like the Rhode Island baseball team got snubbed and was left out of the NCAA Tournament. I just recently found out that my boy Idris is an assitant coach for the Rams as well:

And as a kid, assistant coach Idris Liasu, a native Nigerian, was always hanging around Hendricken Field when Foster played for PC. Liasu later played for CCRI and Bethany College.

Here's the scoop on the Rams snub, via ProJo Sports:

Despite posting a school record for wins en route to a 37-20 mark and finishing with an RPI rating of 53, the University of Rhode Island baseball team learned earlier this week that it was not among the field of 64 invited to play in the NCAA Regional Tournament.

URI coach Jim Foster says that he is "definitely disappointed" in the selection committee's decision, adding that this year's process "has set college baseball back five years by doing this."

"I think a lot of people feel the same way," he said of URI's omission from the tourney when reached by phone Wednesday. "For a team from New England to do what we did this year . . . . it hasn't really happened before, the success we had. And I think we definitely did enough to get in. We beat two ACC teams, three or four Top-25 teams. We almost beat the No. 2 team in the country -- they were No. 1 at the time. So we couldn't have done anything else. I've been getting text messages and e-mails and phone calls for two days now saying, 'It's unbelievable what you guys have done.' "

Going 19-6 against Atlantic-10 Conference opponents, which included a sweep of regular-season champion Dayton, URI earned the second seed and a first-round bye in the Atlantic-10 Championship, where the Rams advanced to the title game against No. 3 Xavier with wins over the Muskateers and Dayton – 7-6 and 9-2, respectively.

Xavier avenged its earlier setback to URI, defeating the Rams, 9-7 and 10-1, to capture the A-10 crown. Earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in the process, Xavier (18-9) will face Kansas State in the Houston Regional.

The Rams' non-conference opponents this season included Cal State Fullerton, Oklahoma State, N.C. State, Santa Clara, Ohio State and Miami. They were 4-4 against those teams, posting wins over N.C. State, Miami, Ohio State and splitting with Oklahoma State.

"We have three great quality starting pitchers who can beat anybody. We've got guys who are going to be drafted. We've got all the ingredients that they look for," said Foster, now in his fourth year at the Rams' helm. "We have a great story. We're building something special here."

However the NCAA Selection Committee, headed by chairman Tim Weiser, apparently did not feel URI had done quite enough.

Weiser -- who is also deputy commissioner of the Big 12 Conference -- was asked to justify the selection of two schools from his conference, Baylor (10-16 Big 12, 29-24 overall) and Oklahoma State (9-16 Big 12, 32-22 overall), which finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in their 10-team league, over URI. He said in a media conference call earlier this week that URI's 12 losses to teams with an RPI ranking above 100 worked against the Rams. He also cited their non-conference strength of schedule, which he said was in "the triple digits."

Foster said URI's schedule is largely dictated by the conference it plays in. And although budget constraints and the players' academic commitments make it difficult for the Rams to travel out of the region for their mid-week games, they still played the toughest schedule they've ever had.

As for the losses, he said, "Everybody stubs their toe over the course of the season. It's not football. It's not basketball. It's baseball and you're all going to lose some games."

"I'm proud of the guys. I'm proud of what we accomplished. I'm just disappointed about not being able to play another weekend," said Foster, a former standout catcher at Providence College in the 1990s who went on to play 10 years in the minor leagues. "I've been in two regionals, and it's a blast. That's why you put in all the hard work."

The Real Son of Sam Horn

2009-05-14T17:31:00.000-04:00

Remember Sam Horn? Well, his son plays baseball for North Kingston High School and he is trying to follow in his father's footsteps, via ProJo's High School Game Time:

The Sons of Sam Horn is a well-known, online-message board focusing on the Red Sox and named in honor of one of the more enigmatic players to play for them.

But Jamale Horn?

He's the real son of Sam Horn.

And on this afternoon he is playing left field for North Kingstown High School against Portsmouth, a big-rangy kid with his own baseball dreams.

Once upon a time, way back in 1982, Sam Horn was the number-one draft pick of the Red Sox, billed as the franchise's power hitter of the future, the California kid with the big dreams. In 1987, he was tearing up the International League as a member of the PawSox. Called up by the Red Sox in July, he went on to hit 14 home runs, one of the few bright spots in a lost season. That was back when he thought baseball always was going to be as easy as a batting-practice fastball.

He was big, he was left-handed, and when he crushed one you could see what all the fuss had been about, could close you eyes and see him seemingly doing this forever. Back before he learned that baseball can be a cruel mistress, back before the negatives began to pile up like some bad credit rating. Back before the roller-coaster ride began for Sam Horn, three years with the Orioles, in the Indians' farm system with Manny Ramirez, then with the Pirates, Rangers and Yankees.

Have bat, will travel.

So by the time he showed up in North Kingstown in 2002, his career was over, and he had an indoor baseball facility off Route 2 called Around the Horn.

Jamale Horn was 6 years old.

"I grew up in Around the Horn," he said.

Interestingly, he says he doesn't really know a lot of the specifics of his father's career, other than the fact his father wasn't around a whole lot when he was a child, Sam Horn playing overseas at the time. Nor has he ever gone on the Sons of Sam Horn Web site, even though he's heard of it.

But from the beginning, he was always Sam Horn's kid, a big thing in a small town where you are playing Little League and no one else's father ever played in the big leagues. And as he grew up playing sports, the ramifications of that became heavier. The Son of Sam Horn.

It was after his recent high school game, and he was sitting on a row of bleachers. He is 6-foot-5 and lanky, a different body than his father had when he first came into professional baseball, not as big, not as powerful, but you can see the young Sam Horn in his face. He was asked if he ever felt any pressure being Sam Horn's son.

"I feel pressure all the time," he said.

He feels pressure because his father was a major-league baseball player, and because of that he is somehow viewed differently, real or imagined.

He feels pressure because he's now got his own baseball dreams, and he's now a senior in high school and his future will soon start. Next year he will go to a Georgia junior college, the first stop on what he hopes will one day take him down the same path his father once walked.

"He's got skills baseball-wise that you can't teach," said his coach, Kevin Gormley. "He's got five-tool talent."

But becoming a professional baseball player is a long process, takes more than just talent and potential. It takes hard work and determination, and often a little luck, too. If you can see the talent on a high school baseball field in Rhode Island, can see the potential, it's still little more than the first step in the process.

So it is with Jamale Horn.

"He's never really committed himself to baseball," Gormley said.

One theory is that he liked basketball better, and, in truth, Horn was a very good Rhode Island high school basketball player, one of North Kingstown's best. To the point that last summer, he didn't play legion ball, taking the summer off from baseball.

Another?

Baseball was just something he did, something he was good at, certainly, but nothing that defined him. One senses that has changed, that it's now time to get serious. Gormley thinks so, anyway.

Maybe it was the Cincinnati Reds coming down one day to watch him take batting practice. Maybe it was the realization that he's 6-5 and athletic, the kind of size that jumps out at you on a high school baseball field. Maybe it's simply that he wants this to be his future.

Whatever the reason, Jamale Horn is now serious.

"He's a special talent," Gormely said. "I think he's got a shot."

Like father, like son?

We'll see.

For a lot of people still remember Sam Horn, a name that lives on through the Sons of Sam Horn website.

But only Jamale is the real Son of Sam Horn.

Repeat - Mista Mista feat Taktix

2009-05-07T18:31:00.000-04:00

New joint from the homies Mista Mista & Taktix. Also, Mista Mista's debut album will be released in mid-June.

Repeat - Mista Mista feat Taktix

More: New Joints

West Virginia's Joe Mazzulla Charged With Domestic Battery

2009-04-30T13:20:00.004-04:00

Johnston, Rhode Island native, Joe Mazzulla; looks to be in hot water again at West Virginia, via ProJo Sports:

Joe Mazzulla’s future with the West Virginia basketball team is very much in jeopardy because of Mazzulla’s second arrest involving alcohol-related problems.

The 20-year-old Johnson resident has been indefinitely suspended by Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins after his arrest last week on charges of domestic battery. He was involved in an incident at The Lazy Lizard bar in Morgantown in which he allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck.

It was the second arrest for the Hendricken High grad. He pleaded guilty to charges of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct after an incident last September at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game in which he had a disagreement with security personnel.

“Joe is suspended indefinitely from all basketball related activities,” Huggins said in a statement issued through the school’s sports communications office. “We take violations of our team rules very seriously.”

Huggins will have no further comment on the situation at this time, the statement said. Bryan Messerly, the school’s contact for men’s basketball, said Monday that there is no timetable for the issue to be resolved.

Dan Mazzulla, Joe’s father, told The Providence Journal Monday night that his son very much enjoys being at West Virginia and hopes to stay.

``He has some personal issues and he’s being treated as we speak,’’ Mazzulla said. ``It’s a delicate issue.’’

He would not go into any detail other that to say the issues are medically related.

``He absolutely loves it there. He’s getting the proper treatment,’’ Mazzulla said. ``He hopes to stay.’’

Mazzulla, coming off a strong performance in the NCAA Tournament in March of 2008, began the season as the Mountaineers’ starting guard. However, he missed all but seven games because of a fractured growth plate in his left (shooting) shoulder. The problem happened in a fall during a game in December. It was hoped the problem could be solved without surgery, but when it did not go away Mazzulla had surgery in February and was in a brace for six weeks.

Mazzulla, who has been a Big East Academic All-Star and a member of the WVU athletic director’s academic honor roll, still is not fully healed. Attempts to reach him and members of his family Monday were not successful.

Assuming he would be given a red-shirt for this past season, Mazzulla still has two years of eligibility remaining.

His situation could be impacted by the personnel situation with the team. The Mountaineers recently signed the national junior college player of the year, Casey Mitchell. Mitchell is a 6-4 shooting guard from Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. His signing gives the team, which was a six seed in the NCAA Tournament this year but was beaten by Dayton in the opening round, commitments for 15 players for 2009-10. That is two above the limit, so the team will have to make moves to reduce its commitments by two.

URI Signs High Scoring North Carolina Guard Akeem Richardson

2009-04-30T13:17:00.000-04:00

The URI Rams just signed a high scoring guard from North Carolina in Akeem Richmond, via ProJo Sports:

The Sanford, N.C., Herald reported on its blog Wednesday that Akeem Richmond, a 6-foot-1 guard who was the player of the year in his area, has signed a national letter of intent with Rhode Island.

Richmond had visited URI last month and reportedly was the Rams' top target in the late recruiting. Richmond is a combo guard who scored 2,846 career points and averaged 29.2 points for Southern Lee High in Sanford this past season.

He also was considering Charlotte, Western Kentucky and South Florida.

With the loss of Jimmy Baron, URI lacks depth in the backcourt, with only four guards on the roster, and badly needs someone who could help right away in 2009-10. Richmond apparently will get a chance to do that.

Here is a scouting report on Akeem Richmond, via ESPN U:

February, 2008: A scoring guard who has been a big time scorer for years. He does need to work on his shot selection, but Richmond can really score in bunches. He is very good at shooting off the dribble and can really find ways to get his own shot as well as create for others. Richmond can also score off screens and he is a good defender as well when he wants to be. Richmond needs to get stronger and needs to become a better 3-point shooter. While he has a good feel for how to play, Richmond also needs to know how to get others involved more as well. He needs strength to be able to finish at the next level.

2007: Akeem is a scoring point guard. He thinks score first and pass second. He is a decent distributor. He needs strength but he is talented. He is just an average defender at this point. Akeem is a top 125 player in the 2009 class nationally.

They rate him as the 55th best PG in this class and give him a scouts grade of 86, which means he is mid-major prospect and "should be a solid contributor and two- or three-year starter at a mid-major program." Well, URI is pretty much a mid-major in my eyes when it comes to recruiting talent, so this should be a solid pick up for them.

Also, Richmond seems happy with his decision to come to URI:

"It's been a long journey, a long recruiting process," Richmond said. "It's a blessing that I've been able to go through this, but it feels like a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders. It's a big relief, and now I'm just very happy."

More: URI

2009 Providence Journal Rhode Island Boys Basketball All-State Team

2009-04-24T17:14:00.000-04:00

2009 Providence Journal Rhode Island Boys Basketball All-State Team

Ashton Watkins, Senior, Classical: One of two repeat first-team selections, Watkins led Classical to a 22-3 record overall and its second Division II championship. In the playoffs he scored 26 points against West Warwick in the quarterfinals, 15 in the overtime semifinals victory against Scituate and 13 in a 20-point rout of Narragansett in the finals. He averaged 17.3 points while being double- and triple-teamed most of the season. He went over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in only 2 ½ seasons with the Purple after transferring from Hope. "He learned to make us a better team without his scoring. When teams took his scoring away, he did other things, like rebound and play defense. He came up with huge rebound after huge rebound. When he had to step up and make big plays, he did. To me, Ashton is the most dominant player in the state. He was double-teamed every time he got the ball. You can't play him straight up," coach Todd Keefe said. And Watkins shared the glory with his teammates. Junior Michael Palumbo was hot during the playoffs, scored 22 points in the finals and was the tournament MVP. "A lot of kids would have forced stuff the last couple of games. He didn't. He put the team first," Keefe said of Watkins.

Billy Baron, Senior, Hendricken: Perhaps the best player in the state this season, Baron repeats as a first-team choice partly because he was at his finest in the big games. In January he scored 42 points in a loss to Mount Pleasant, the only Rhode Island team that beat the Hawks (22-3) this season. He scored 38 in the first of two games against Cranston East, a three-point win, and 36 in the second meeting, a three-point overtime victory at the end of the regular season. In the playoffs he scored 23 in a blowout of Hope in the quarterfinals, 24 in the semifinal rout of Cranston West and 25 points in the championship game against Mount Pleasant. He averaged 23 points for the season. Baron can score from way outside and on layups after daring slashes to the basket. He is a good passer and defender. He won three state championships after playing on the junior varsity as a freshman. "He's a big-time player. He makes the jumper. He goes to the basket. He finds a way to get his shot off in traffic. He goes to the foul line and makes his free throws. He'll be sorely missed," coach Jamal Gomes says.

Billy Soriano, Sophomore, Mt. Pleasant: A dynamic player who can take over a game with his scoring (17.1 points per game), passing (6.5 assists) and defense (2.5 steals), Soriano is quick and has superb court sense. Teammates must always be on alert because of his pinpoint passing, and opponents must be prepared for his shooting. He scored 15 points against La Salle in the quarterfinals, 26 against Cranston East in the semifinals and 25 in the championship game loss to Bishop Hendricken. He led the Kilties to a 22-4 record. "As the games get more important and the stage gets bigger, he thrives on that. He enjoys getting out in front of as many people as he can get in front of," says coach Chris Coleman. "He pushes himself. He compares himself to the best in points, assists, steals, whatever. He wants to be the best. He wants to show everybody what he can do. He's the best pure point guard in the state, in my opinion. What he sees on the court, you can’t coach."

Mike Juarez, Senior, Cranston East: This quiet and respected leader averaged 18.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He broke the school's career scoring record and finished with 1,557 points. He and the Bolts finished with a 20-5 record, played tough in two three-point losses to Bishop Hendricken, the second in overtime, and almost upset Mount Pleasant in the tournament semifinals, losing by three. Cool under pressure, he didn't hesitate to take the last shot in the semifinals, his 35-footer at the buzzer caroming off the side of the rim. A true leader, after collapsing to the floor in disappointment, he pulled himself together and led his teammates through the postgame handshake line. He scored 22 points in that game. "I've coached a lot of kids in 33 years, and he's one of the nicest," says coach Bill Monigan. "He has been the hardest worker and the leader of this team since he was a sophomore. He's not a loud leader but a leader by example. His fellow players respond to him because he says, 'Yes, coach,' he runs the drills the hardest, and he's never late for practice or the bus. "He has really improved his game. He was always a good shooter, but now he's a very good shooter, he drives to the basket, he's our leading rebounder, and he's a very good defensive player. All the things he improved on he did by hard work and by listening."

Frank Robinson, Senior, Mt. Pleasant: Returning to Mount Pleasant after two years at East Providence High School, Robinson added experience to a team that lost eight players to graduation but welcomed members of the 2008 state junior varsity championship team. A solid player who can get to the basket or sink outside shots, he led the Kilties in scoring (20.0 ppg) and averaged four rebounds and two assists per game. His floater over Mike Juarez in the last minute beat Cranston East in the semifinal. He scored 13 points in the quarterfinals, 23 in the semifinals and 18 in the finals. He had 26 points in the Jan. 13 victory over Hendricken. "His all-around play helped us all season. He was our high scorer most of the games and was consistent all year. We would not have gotten as far as we did without him," said coach Chris Coleman.

Florida's Allan Chaney Might Transfer To Providence College

2009-04-24T17:13:00.000-04:00

Current Florida Gator, Allan Chaney, could be leaving Florida to transfer to Providence College, via ProJo College Hoops Blog:

Providence College nearly signed Allan Chaney two years ago when he was coming out of New London, Conn. Instead he chose Florida. Now he may be heading back this way. Chaney is leaving Florida when final exams wrap up next week. He wants to transfer even though he played (and started some games) quite a bit for the Gators as a freshman. Chaney said he hasn't talked with many schools but his parents and high school coach have and Providence is the most persistent school. He said he likes the idea of playing in Keno Davis' system where forwards are allowed to score both inside and out. That is Chaney's game and why former coach Tim Welsh once compared his skill set to that of another Connecticut native, Ryan Gomes. "Providence is really interested. My dad spoke with Coach (Pat) Skerry and I'm definitely interested in talking with Keno Davis," Chaney said. Chaney added that Providence and Virginia Tech ``are my top two right now." Chaney is not back home until the second week of May and won't get a chance to meet with PC's entire staff until then. "I'll probably pick a school by the first of June," he said.

Chaney is a forward who measures in at 6'8 tall and weighs 231 lbs. He averaged just 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in his Freshman year at Florida. He played mostly in the non-conference portion of Florida's schedule and had game highs of 23 minutes, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Seems like he has some potential to have an all-around game and he does have height, so he might be a nice addition to PC's squad if he does decide to transer there.

More: Providence College

Forbes Ranks Providence As Hardest US City To Get By In

2009-04-21T11:44:00.001-04:00

Ain't this a bitch!? You can count me among the 11.6% of unemployed. Thank God for severance pay, unemployment, and oh yeah, can't forget about that blog money! This got me seriously thinking about moving down to Atlanta where my boy is at already.

Here's the scoop, via Forbes:

1. Providence, R.I.
(Providence-Fall River-Warwick, R.I.-Mass., metro area)

Population: 1.6 million

Cost of Living Index: 122

Median Income: $54,064

February 2009 Unemployment Rate: 11.6%

There are few smiles among those who live in Providence, R.I., these days.

In February, the metro area reported an 11.6% unemployment rate, one of the highest in the country. Construction--one of Providence's major industries--is down; traditional manufacturing has been struggling for years. Like many across the country, few are spending at retailers. And while the area's median income is $54,064--about $4,000 higher than the national average--its cost of living index is steep, 22 points above the national average of 100.

All this means it's hard to catch a break in Providence. While not as dire, other metro areas across the country are facing similar situations. It costs more than average to live in Sacramento and Portland. The New York metro area's got an 8.2% unemployment rate; in San Jose, home to Silicon Valley, it's 10%.

Here's the rest of the list for all you other suckas and poor bastards who aren't quite as unfortunate as me:

2. Los Angeles, California
3. Riverside, California
4. Tampa, Florida
5. Buffalo, N.Y.
6. Portland, Oregon
7. Orlando, Florida
8. Detroit, Michigan
9. Miami, Florida
10. Louisville, Kentucky
11. Sacramento, California
12. Cleveland, Ohio
13. Las Vegas, Nevada
14. Charlotte, North Carolina
15. Rochester, N.Y.
16. Jacksonville, Florida
17. San Jose, California
18. San Diego, California
19. New York, N.Y
20. Memphis, Tennessee

Bonus: Get By (Remix) - Talib Kweli feat Mos Def, Kanye West, Jay-Z, & Busta Rhymes

Vincent Council & Russ Permenter Officially Sign With PC

2009-04-17T18:33:00.000-04:00

Vincent Council & Russ Permenter already had verbal committments with PC, but now they are officially coming to PC to play next season, via ProJo Sports:

The Providence College basketball team’s incoming class of recruits is now officially at seven players.

The PC coaching staff received letters-of-intent Wednesday from two players who had verbally committed to the Friars several months ago:. point guard Vincent Council of Brooklyn, N.Y. and the Patterson (N.C.) School and junior college forward Russ Permenter of Temple, Texas.

“We are extremely pleased to be adding Russ and Vincent to our basketball program,” coach Keno Davis said. “They are both very talented student-athletes who we anticipate will have great success at Providence College.”

Council and Permenter join Kadeem Batts (Powder Springs, Ga.), Johnnie Lacy (Milwaukee, Wis.), Duke Mondy (Grand Rapids, Mich.), James Still (Detroit, Mich.) and Kyle Wright (Hartford, Conn.) as newcomers for the Friars.

Council, a 6-foot-2 guard, helped Patterson to the No. 1 ranking among prep school boys teams for most of the season. Patterson finished with a 34-3 mark with Council averaging 10.2 points and 10.1 assists per game. Council shot 53 percent from 3-point territory. Before Patterson, Council played for Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) in 2008 and helped his school to a city title.

Permenter is a 6-9, 230-pound forward who’ll be needed to play right away for the Friars. He currently is at Temple College in Texas where he averaged 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game and earned North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference First Team accolades. Permenter led the league in blocks and ranked third in scoring and rebounding. Permenter transferred to Temple after spending his freshman season at the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he battled injuries. During his years at Temple High, Permenter averaged 22 points, 14 rebounds and 6.6 blocks during his senior season and was named District 13-5A MVP and First Team All-District in 2007. He was ranked 27th among Texas high school seniors in 2007, according to TexasHoops.com.

More: Providence College

Portsmouth Invitational: Weyinmi Efejuku, Geoff McDermott, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron - Day 3 & 4

2009-04-12T18:26:00.000-04:00

Weyinmi Efejuku, Geoff McDermott, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron finished up strong on Day 3 & 4 of the Portsmouth Invitational:

Day 3:

Kahiem Seawright: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 6-13 FG

Geoff McDermott: 3 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1-4 FG

Weyinmi Efejuku: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5-9 FG, 1-3 3FG

Here are some Day 3 observations, via Draft Express:

Weyinmi Efejuku: Weyinmi Efejuku did a good job of showing off his versatile skill-set, scoring from all over the court, hitting spot-up jumpers and attacking the basket en route to 12 points on 9 shot attempts. In the lane, his combination of explosiveness and body control were on display once again, as he did a nice job with pump fakes and show-and-go moves. Defensively, Efejuku also performed well, really taking to the challenge on the few plays he was matched up with Jermaine Taylor, despite his limited wingspan. He appears to have all the makings of a productive European league shooting guard.

Day 4:

Weyinmi Efejuku: 9 points, 1 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 4-9 FG, 1-2 3FG

Jimmy Baron: 33 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 11-19 FG, 9-15 3FG

Geoff McDermott: 7 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3-6 FG

Kahiem Seawright: 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2-5 FG

More: Portsmouth Invitational

Portsmouth Invitational: Weyinmi Efejuku, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron - Day 2

2009-04-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

Weyinmi Efejuku, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron were all in action on Day 2 of the Portsmouth Invitational:

Weyinmi Efejuku: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 5-11 FG, 0-1 3FG

Jimmy Baron: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 5-11 FG, 3-8 3FG

Kahiem Seawright: 0 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 0-1 FG

Here are some observations, via Draft Express:

Weyinmi Efejuku: Weyinmi Efejuku also had some good flashes, showing off his athletic abilities and shot-creating abilities, both pulling up and attacking the rim, but he struggled to put together an efficient performance, scoring 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting along with 3 turnovers. Picking his spots a little better and moving more off the ball to get the ball in prime scoring position should be among his priorities, although he did show nice potential.

Jimmy Baron: Had a very strong second half en route to a 13 point performance. He made shots from all over the floor but also showed a strong basketball IQ with some excellent passes and plenty of unselfishness. His physical limitations are obvious, and he’s clearly not a point guard, but this coach’s son will surely make a team happy overseas.

More: Portsmouth Invitational

What U Lookin' At - Jon Hope feat Mista Mista

2009-04-10T16:25:00.000-04:00

New joint from two of Prov City's finest off of Jon Hope's Somekind of Wonderful EP, which you can download below too.

What U Lookin' At - Jon Hope feat Mista Mista

Download EP: Somekind of Wonderful - Jon Hope (EP)

More: New Joints

Portsmouth Invitational: Geoff McDermott, Weyinmi Efejuku, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron

2009-04-09T13:52:00.002-04:00

Geoff McDermott, Weyinmi Efejuku, Kahiem Seawright, & Jimmy Baron have all been invited to play in this year's Portsmouth Invitational tournament, which is the only postseason event for college seniors prior to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp and is the only postseason event to include actual game competition.

Here is how McDermott & Baron played on Day 1 of the tournament:

Geoff McDermott: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 3-8 FG

Jim Baron: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 4-17 FG, 4-14 3FG

I don't expect either of these two to get drafted, but it looks like Jimmy Baron has come out firing, since he took a team high 17 shots. Efejuku plays today, so make sure to check back here for an update on how he did.

More: Portsmouth Invitational

PC Has 7 Recruits For 2009-2010 Season

2009-03-26T08:45:00.003-04:00

The PC Friars will be adding 7 new players for next season. From what I have heard, Council and Lacy are the best of the bunch. Story via ProJo Sports:

Here is a quick breakdown of how the seven recruits fared this season:

•Kyle Wright, 6-foot-6, Monroe (N.Y.) College. An explosive junior college shooter, this Hartford native may fit Davis’ offensive system better than anyone. He averaged 17.8 points, nearly five rebounds and sank 41 percent of the 94 threes he made for a team that finished one game shy of qualifying for the national JUCO tournament. With a 30-3 record, Monroe dominated teams throughout the East.

•Russ Permenter, 6-9, Temple (Texas) College. This versatile big man is expected to sign with the Friars next month. He is a skilled forward who can stretch his game out to 15 feet or so and averaged 17.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in one of the top JUCO leagues in the country. Temple’s season ended with a loss to Midland College, this year’s national runners-up.

•Johnnie Lacy, 5-10, Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep. Lacy was the highest-ranked piece of PC’s early signing class. He turned down offers from Tennessee and Minnesota. Lacy is very small (160 pounds) but extremely fast and a good passer. He’s capable of playing with Sharaud Curry in a small, fast backcourt. The PC staff will monitor Lacy’s grades until June’s graduation.

•Kadeem Batts, 6-7, McEachern (Ga.) High. Batts anchored the front line on one of the top-five prep teams in Georgia. His team finished 24-4 but was upset in the first round of the state playoffs, despite 14 points and 14 rebounds by the senior forward. Batts’ aggressive nature will be a welcome addition for the Friars.

•James Still, 6-9, Detroit (Mich.) Community School. This slender big man excites Davis because he can run the floor and block shots. Still played on a very bad team that was routinely whacked by some of Detroit’s better teams, but the word ‘upside’ should be permanently attached to his name.

•Duke Mondy, 6-2, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Central Catholic. Combo guard whose team finished 17-5. Mondy had several big scoring games, like in a 35-point outburst in a season-ending loss. Considering PC’s returning stable of guards, Mondy may be a candidate to red-shirt.

•Vincent Council, 6-1, Patterson (N.C.) School. Pure point guard with better size than Lacy or Curry who may end up as the steal of the class. Performed well all season for a loaded prep team that finished 34-3 and included at least 10 Division One prospects. He’s expected to sign with Providence next month.

More: Providence College

NIT: URI Defeats Niagara, Will Face Penn State Next

2009-03-18T10:55:00.001-04:00

The Rhody Rams took care of Niagara, defeating them 68-62, behind the strong play of Kahiem Seawright and Jimmy Baron. Seawright with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Baron scored 20 for the Rams as well. Next up for URI is Penn State, who is out of the Big 10 and has a record of 23-11 after defeating George Mason yesterday.

Here's a look at the Rams matchups with Penn State:

Rhode Island (Ranks)

Overall Efficiency: .805 (71)
Offensive Efficiency: 112.2 (35)
Defensive Efficiency: 99.2 (129)
Off. Effective FG %: 53.3 (36)
Def. Effective FG%: 50.6 (246)
Off. Turnover %: 18.7 (65)
Def. Turnover %: 20.8 (141)
Off. Rebound %: 37.1 (43)
Def. Rebound %: 67.4 (162)
Off. FT Rate: 34.7 (215)
Def. FT Rate: 33.2 (100)

Penn State (Ranks)

Overall Efficiency: .780 (79)
Offensive Efficiency: 110.0 (56)
Defensive Efficiency: 98.7 (124)
Off. Effective FG %: 51.2 (90)
Def. Effective FG%: 49.5 (182)
Off. Turnover %: 17.3 (18)
Def. Turnover %: 18.4 (291)
Off. Rebound %: 32.3 (193)
Def. Rebound %: 71.9 (20)
Off. FT Rate: 32.6 (276)
Def. FT Rate: 24.3 (4)

URI ranks higher than Penn State, but the two teams are still close enough where this game should be a toss up. Penn State is better on offense than Niagara, but their defense is worse. They are pretty easy to score on, but if the Rams aren't hitting their shots then they might not get too many offensive rebounds, because Penn State is the 20th best defensive rebounding team in the country. The Rams should take their time on offense and make sure they get a good quality shot against a poor defending Penn State team. Penn State is also one of the best teams in the country at not fouling their opposition, so the Rams shouldn't expect to go to the line too much. They might want to drive to the basket more in this game because I'm thinking Penn State will shy away from the contact.

Of course the Rams already defeated Penn State earlier this season; beating them 77-72 in Philadelphia. In that game, URI grabbed only 4 offensive rebounds, but did get to the line 22 times. They shot a respectable 48% from the floor and hit 7 of their 15 threes as well. Jamelle Cornley hurt the Rams in that game with 23 points, but two of Penn State's better players, Talor Battle & Stanley Pringle, combined to shoot just 7 of 25 from the field. I would not expect a repeat performance like that from those two guys, so I think URI might need to have their offense clicking on all cylinders if they want to beat Penn State for a second time this season.

More: URI

PC Friars To Face Miami Hurricanes In NIT

2009-03-16T10:14:00.000-04:00

The Friars will get to host Miami in the first round of the NIT because Miami did not want to host the game. Doesn't make sense to me since they will have to pay to send their team to Providence and would probably have made at least some money if they played the game at home. I ain't complaining though.

Here's how the matchup breaks down:

Providence (Ranks)

Overall Efficiency: .778 (80)
Offensive Efficiency: 111.2 (45)
Defensive Efficiency: 99.7 (138)
Off. Effective FG %: 50.9 (100)
Def. Effective FG%: 50.5 (240)
Off. Turnover %: 19.6 (129)
Def. Turnover %: 19.9 (194)
Off. Rebound %: 36.5 (56)
Def. Rebound %: 63.6 (297)
Off. FT Rate: 39.3 (95)
Def. FT Rate: 29.0 (23)

Miami (Ranks)

Overall Efficiency: .876 (40)
Offensive Efficiency: 111.3 (43)
Defensive Efficiency: 93.9 (51)
Off. Effective FG %: 49.4 (152)
Def. Effective FG%: 45.9 (43)
Off. Turnover %: 19.2 (97)
Def. Turnover %: 18.3 (297)
Off. Rebound %: 38.5 (24)
Def. Rebound %: 68.5 (121)
Off. FT Rate: 38.9 (108)
Def. FT Rate: 30.2 (44)

This should be a good matchup between these two teams. They played last year at a neutral site with Miami winning by 6. Most of the players who played in that game are still on each team, but PC now has Shaurad Curry to help them out. Both teams are about equal on offense, but Miami has the better defense. The Friars play at a faster pace than Miami, so whoever dictates the pace of this game will probably win it. I think Jack McClinton is going to absolutely torch PC and could easily put up 30 plus points in this game. Miami is actually a lot better than their record shows. I think if this game was on the road, then PC would lose, but since they are at home then I think they will win this game.

More: Providence College

URI To Face Niagara In NIT

2009-03-16T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Rhode Island Rams will travel to play Niagara in the first round of the NIT Tournament.

Here's how the matchup breaks down:

Rhode Island (Ranks)

Overall Efficiency: .792 (74)
Offensive Efficiency: 112.3 (37)
Defensive Efficiency: 99.9 (144)
Off. Effective FG %: 53.3 (35)
Def. Effective FG%: 50.9 (255)
Off. Turnover %: 18.3 (57)
Def. Turnover %: 20.8 (142)
Off. Rebound %: 36.8 (50)
Def. Rebound %: 67.6 (155)
Off. FT Rate: 34.7 (216)
Def. FT Rate: 33.4 (104)

Niagara (Ranks)

Overall Efficiency: .807 (70)
Offensive Efficiency: 108.3 (71)
Defensive Efficiency: 95.6 (70)
Off. Effective FG %: 47.7 (223)
Def. Effective FG%: 45.5 (38)
Off. Turnover %: 18.3 (54)
Def. Turnover %: 22.9 (44)
Off. Rebound %: 39.1 (19)
Def. Rebound %: 61.6 (329)
Off. FT Rate: 41.6 (46)
Def. FT Rate: 32.8 (90)

As you can see from the ratings, URI is a better offensive team, while Niagara is better on the defensive end. Niagara big man Benson Egemonye gets to the free throw line a ton, shooting over 6 per game, and he almost shot as many free throws as shots from the floor. He could be a problem down low for URI. Niagara is also 300th in the country in 3-Point shooting, which is good news for the Rams. I expect this team to drive to the basket a lot and dump it down to their big man. I think the Rams can pull this one off if they can play some D and stop Niagara from getting to the hoop. Seawright also needs to stay out of foul trouble against Egemonye. Niagara really only beat two good teams the whole season, Illinois State & Siena, so the Rams should have a great chance of winning.

More: URI

Rocco Baldelli Living Up To Expectations

2009-03-15T13:36:00.000-04:00

Rocco Baldelli is living up to and exceeding all the expectations coach Terry Francona had for him coming into spring training, via ProJo Sports:

Terry Francona had watched Rocco Baldelli from afar for years, and heard good things. He was excited when he heard Boston had acquired him. After a few weeks of seeing him in person, he's realized the reviews were selling Baldelli short.
"Guys get injured, channelopathy, whatever, Then you get a chance to see them every day, and realize, like some of the things they can do, and it gets you excited," Francona said. "He hit that double the other day, to left center field, and that ball just jumped off his bat," he said. The Cumberland native looked excellent again Saturday, hitting a single and a double and notching two RBI as the designated hitter in Boston's 9-8 exhibition loss to the Orioles.

The Red Sox signed Baldelli as a right-handed bat off the bench, with the understanding that because of his disease, he would not be able to play consecutive days. When Baldelli joined the team, he may have pushed himself a little too hard, to show his new teammates that he wasn't trying to avoid responsibility or shirk his part by not playing, Francona said.

"When he first came into camp, I think he was really worried about the perception. He's a really good kid, he wanted to do everything," Francona said. The veterans quickly took him aside and let him know they were with him. "I know [Jason] Varitek talked to him, said, 'Hey, we understand,' " Francona said.

Baldelli is hitting .294 with 4 RBI in 17 spring training at-bats. "I do think he's doing really well."

It's still too early to know how much Baldelli will be able to play during the season. Francona is hoping to move up soon to a schedule where Baldelli plays one day, and then pinch hits the next. Playing full games two days in a row may not be in the cards yet. Regardless, the team understands. "I'm hoping that we'll have him a bunch. But if not, we told him, hey, we're willing to bite the bullet here a little bit," Francona said.

More: Rocco Baldelli

Classical Wins RI Boys Division II Basketball Championship

2009-03-15T13:30:00.001-04:00

The Purple defended their state title yesterday by destroying Narragansett, congratulations fellas, via High School Game Time:

They had both produced nearly perfect seasons, each winning their respective divisions with a 17-1 record. But only one could leave the court Saturday with the added distinction of being named Rhode Island Interscholastic Division II state champion.

Led by a 22-point effort from tournament MVP Michael Palumbo, the II-North champions successfully defended their title, defeating II-South champion Narragansett, 69-49, in the Division II final of the Credit Union Basketball Championships, yesterday at the Ryan Center.

"This is what I’ve looked forward to all my life," said Palumbo, a junior. "And then doing it, it’s just crazy. Unbelievable."

"Winning back to back -- the second year is unbelievable," agreed Purple coach Todd Keefe. "It’s certainly harder the second year, but it never gets tiring, I can tell you that."

Even though Classical was beating teams by 20 points or more on a regular basis, there was a point late in the season, admits Keefe, when he wasn’t quite sure another title was in the cards for his team.

"I felt like the kids started taking things for granted," he said. "Then we walked into Shea and they knocked us off, and I told them, 'If you guys really want to get through, you’re going to have to buckle down.' "

Buckle down they did. That loss to Shea would be Classical's last, and Saturday the Purple put the finishing touches on yet another championship season.

After trading the lead with Narragansett about a half-dozen times over the first several minutes, Classical took the lead for good, thanks to a driving layup by Palumbo with 9:03 remaining in the first half.

Although the Mariners would threaten to overtake the Purple a few times, the junior guard helped make sure they did not succeed, picking up 17 more points in the second half, including a run of eight at the start of the period.

"Coach just told us to keep doing what we were doing in the second half," Palumbo said. "Then I hit a couple three’s, Ashton (Watkins) started getting to the basket, Lavon (Waite started making some baskets). Everyone just started doing everything a little bit better."

"During the course of the playoffs, (Palumbo) started to play better and better, and he shot the ball extremely well in practice," Keefe said. "We knew they were going to double down on Ashton . . . and we needed somebody else to step up. (Palumbo’s) small in stature, but he turns the corner and gets to the basket. He just makes us a much better team."

Even with the added attention from Narragansett’s defense, Watkins had a nice day for himself, as well, as the 6-foot-5 center finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds, surpassing the 1,000 career mark in both categories.

Junior Jordan Jones contributed 15 points for the Purple, and Waite, Classical’s other senior co-captain, chipped in with 11.

Senior forward Nate Patterson – the Credit Union Player of the Game for Narragansett – finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds for the Mariners. Senior guard Jay Jeannotte netted a team-high 17 points and Brendan Kenny had 12.

More: Classical High School

BC's Rakim Sanders Scores 25 In Win Over Virginia

2009-03-13T10:13:00.004-04:00

Pawtucket's own, Rakim Sanders, led the BC Eagles over Virginia in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Sanders also added 7 boards, while shooting 7 0f 11 from the field and 11 of 12 from the line. Rakim has put together a nice sophomore season for the Eagles. BC will now face off against Duke, via ESPN:

Rakim Sanders scored 25 points and Boston College closed the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with a sluggish 76-63 win over Virginia on Thursday night.

The Eagles (22-10) built a 37-25 lead by halftime and coasted the rest of the way against the ACC's lowest-scoring team. Virginia finished the season 10-18, its worst since a 9-17 record in 1966-67.

Mamadi Diane led the Cavaliers with 24 points, hitting 4 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc, but he had little offensive help. Virginia shot just 37.5 percent (21 of 56) from the field and turned it over 20 times.

Boston College advanced to face No. 9 Duke in the quarterfinals Friday night.

PC Loses to Louisville, Headed To NIT

2009-03-13T09:35:00.001-04:00

PC lost to Louisville in the Big East Tournament and I would be shocked to see them make the NCAA Tournament. Most likely they will be headed to the NIT. They are probably better off there anyway.

Here are my thoughts about this game and PC's tournament chances:

- Jeff Xavier please stop shooting the ball. If it wasn't for the fact that Marshon Brooks kept turning the ball over, you wouldn't even be on the court. You shot a couple of the biggest bricks from three I've ever seen in my life. You shot 29.7% from three on the season, so why the hell do you keep shooting?

- The Friars were way too sloppy with the ball and there's no reason for it. They just played dumb with the ball and could have won this game because Louisville did not have their best shooting game.

- I am not overly impressed with Louisville on offense. I still think they aren't that good of a shooting team and will not reach the Final 4. With UConn & Pitt both losing though, it looks like they could wind up being a #1 seed.

- We are going to find out just how much the NCAA committee values 10 Big East conference wins. Whether PC gets in or not, expect there to be people outraged on both sides of the issue. I still think they are probably out, but also getting the short end of the stick, because they played so many great teams. It's hard to beat all of them. For instance, PC is something like 6-12 against the top 100, but that includes 2-7 against the Top 50. If the Friars never played anyone from the top 50 and just played teams from 50-100 they would be 4-5 against those teams. So I think that the overall record isn't important against the top 100, people should just look at the total number of wins, which I believe is 6 and then compare that to the other bubble teams. They still might end up looking worse, but I think that would be a better comparison.

More: Providence College

Classical Sneaks Past Scituate, Will Face Narragansett In Division II Basketball Finals

2009-03-13T09:31:00.004-04:00

Classical High School survived a big scare from Scituate and will now face Narragansett in the RI Division II Basketball finals, via High School Game Time:

Classical, the reigning Division II champs, avoided an embarrassing upset last night in the Division II Boys Basketball Championships semifinal at CCRI by edging Scituate, 53-49, in overtime. The Purple's Ashton Watkins broke a 49-49 tie with a layup with 31.3 seconds to play in the extra period and Michael Palumbo, the game-high scorer with 17, provided insurance with a pair of free throws with just three seconds remaining. Classical now moves on to play Narragansett in the Division II finals at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Ryan Center.

URI Loses To Duquesne, Headed To NIT

2009-03-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

So URI took a big L last night and is definitely headed to the NIT after losing to Duquesne. I don't really have much else to say except that I told you so! This is what happens when you can't play any defense and it's why both PC and URI are headed for the NIT.

More: URI

Curry & Efejuku Lead Friars Over DePaul, 83-74

2009-03-11T16:46:00.000-04:00

Sharaud Curry and Weyinmi Efejuku came up big for the Friars combining for 48 points to lead PC over DePaul, via CBS Sports:

Sharaud Curry scored 25 points and Providence held DePaul without a field goal for nearly 8 minutes to beat the surprising Blue Demons 83-74 in the second round of the Big East tournament Wednesday, enhancing its chances for an NCAA bid.

Eighth-seeded Providence (19-12), needing a good showing to help make its case for an at-large bid, got its first victory in the Big East tourney since 2003. The road gets considerably tougher, though, as the Friars face No. 1 seed and fifth-ranked Louisville in the quarterfinals Thursday.

DePaul's Will Walker and Dar Tucker each had 31 points, the first time two teammates scored more than 30 in a Big East tournament game.

Weyinmi Efejuku scored 23 and Geoff McDermott had eight points and nine rebounds to help give coach Keno Davis his first postseason win as Providence's coach.

The Friars took advantage of the Blue Demons' lack of depth, denying DePaul a field goal for more than 8 minutes in the second half to turn a 62-59 deficit into a 70-62 lead with 3:36 to play.

Walker, who played 40 minutes in each game, matched a career high with his 31 points. But he went almost 13 minutes of the second half without a field goal until he made one of his six 3-pointers with less than 2 minutes to play. Tucker also failed to score for nearly 9 minutes.

Mario Stula was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers for DePaul, which shot 13-for-31 from behind the arc. The Blue Demons (9-24) had defeated Cincinnati for their first conference win of the year in the first round of a tournament expanded to include all 16 teams. They lost 24 games for the first time in their 85 years.

Providence shot 50 percent in the first to half to take a 32-31 lead behind 16 from Curry. DePaul grabbed eight offensive boards in the half but Curry made three 3-pointers down the stretch.

The Blue Demons went up 55-51 with 11:15 left in the game behind two acrobatic drives by Tucker. But the second was the last field goal for the Blue Demons until Walker made his 3 with less than 2 minutes to play. In that span, DePaul, the worst free throw shooting team in the conference, made eight of 14 shots from the line, including going 1-for-2 on a technical foul against Davis at 8:32.

When DePaul went cold, Efejuku and Jeff Xavier picked up their play. Xavier made two of his three 3-pointers and Efejuku scored six points to help make it 72-63.

PC now must go up against Big East regular season champ Louisville tomorrow at noon. Obviously it is a must win game for the Friars, but depending on what happens in other tournaments around the country, a win against Louisville still might not be enough. The best case scenerio for PC is that some of the other bubble teams crash and burn in their conference tournaments, PC beats Louisville, and there are no other bubble teams or worse that win their conference tournaments. However, I think that a win alone against Louisville is not an automatic bid at this point,

More: Providence College

Chris Iannetta Comes Up Big For Team USA

2009-03-09T10:08:00.000-04:00

North Providence's own, Chris Iannetta, came up big to help the USA beat Venezuela 6-3 last night in the World Baseball Classic, via ProJo Sports:

Rhode Islanders have more players to root for in the World Baseball Classic than just the Red Sox -- or, in some cases, Yankee -- representatives on the various teams.

Former St. Raphael star Chris Iannetta, now a catcher for the Colorado Rockies, is also on the U.S. team. And on Sunday night, he was the epitome of local boy makes good.

With the bases loaded, no one out, and game tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Iannetta ripped a bases-clearing triple up the gap in right-center field at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, giving the United States a 6-3 lead over Venezuela.

The rally, which began with the U.S. trailing 3-2, started when Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox reached first base on a wild-pitch third strike. Curtis Granderson singled, putting runners on first and second, and back-to-back walks to Adam Dunn and Mark DeRosa tied the score.

Iannetta then untied it with his booming triple, which caromed off the wall.

Classical Advances To RI Division II Basketball Semifinals

2009-03-09T09:59:00.003-04:00

Classical defeated West Warwick 75-63 and will now face Scituate in the semifinals on Wednesday night, via High School Game Time:

The dream final between once-beaten Classical and once-beaten Narragansett is two victories from occurring Saturday afternoon at the University of Rhode Island’s Ryan Center.

For it to happen, Classical must beat Scituate on Wednesday night at 8 at CCRI in the semifinals of the Credit Union Division II Boys Basketball Tournament. And Narragansett has to eliminate Coventry in the 6:30 semifinal.

Classical (18-1), the defending champion, defeated West Warwick, 75-63, in the first quarterfinal of a long basketball Sunday. Scituate rolled over Portsmouth, 67-42, in the last quarterfinal.

Coventry (13-7) upset Shea (15-4), 73-51, and Narragansett (18-1) shook off a slow first half and beat Westerly (11-9), 72-57.

Classical seniors Ashton Watkins and Lavon Waite, the only regulars back from the 2008 team, paced the Purple yesterday. Watkins, the center, started strong with six points in about five minutes, but picked up his second personal foul and sat for the rest of the half. Waite, a guard, took over and scored 10 points before the break. Watkins, the 2008 player of the year in Rhode Island, returned for the second half and scored 20 points before sitting down with the rest of the starters with about a minute to play. He finished with 26 points, Waite with 12

“For the most part, we get what we want on offense. It’s a matter of knocking down shots. Having Ashton Watkins helps,” Classical coach Todd Keefe said.

West Warwick senior Richard Lizotte scored 19 points in his high-school finale, but only 6 came in the second half. Freshman guard Max Motroni established himself as a player to watch by scoring 18 points, 15 after the break.

PC Will Play Winner of Cincinnati-DePaul Game in Big East Tournament

2009-03-08T14:32:00.002-04:00

The PC Friars have earned the 8th seed in the Big East tournament and a 1st round bye. PC will then play the winner of the Cincinnati-DePaul game, via ProJo Sports:

Thanks to Syracuse's overtime win at Marquette on Saturday, Providence College will be the eighth seed for this week's Big East Tournament.

PC will play at noon on Wednesday against the winner of the first-round Cincinnati-DePaul game. The Bearcats lost to the Friars twice this season and are coming into New York after losing three straight to end the season, at Syracuse, at South Florida and at home in overtime to Seton Hall.

The PC-Cincy/DePaul winner is matched up against the number one seed in the Big East's quarterfinal round on Thursday. Louisville will be the number one seed if it wins at West Virginia Saturday night. If WVU springs the upset, Pittsburgh is the top seed.

The Friars have encountered major problems in the Big East tourney over the last decade, winning only 1 of their last 10 games.

There are a couple things not working in the Friars favor here. The first is that I'm not sure how much a victory over Cincinnati or DePaul would help them with their at-large bid chances. Obviously beating Cincinnati would be a better win then beating DePaul, but they have already beaten Cincinnati twice, so it really wouldn't add much to their resume to beat them a third time. The other problem is that it is tough to beat the same team three times in one season, so they also have that working against them. The only benefit of beating Cincinnati is that they keep their at-large hopes alive and will then get a shot at #1 seeded Louisville. Wins over Cincinnati and Louisville would make them a lock for the tournament in my mind. Beating Louisville would certainly be a tough task though.

More: Providence College

Weyinmi Efejuku Bringing Strong Play Into Big East Tournament

2009-03-08T14:32:00.001-04:00

Weyinmi Efejuku has been on fire lately for PC averaging 24 points a game on 56% shooting in his last 6 games. Weyinmi is hoping that strong play can help him win at MSG for the first time ever, via ProJo Sports:

Like any youngster growing up in Queens, N.Y., with basketball dreams close to his heart, Weyinmi Efejuku always craved the chance to play, and star, at Madison Square Garden. Thus far in Efejuku’s hoops career, those Garden dreams have played out like nightmares. But this week, in perhaps his final chance to play on the Garden’s big stage, Efejuku and his Providence College teammates have an opportunity for their biggest wins of all.

When PC begins play in the Big East Tournament on Wednesday against either Cincinnati or DePaul, its whole season will be on the line. The Friars (18-11) need a win for a chance at an NCAA Tournament bid. Two wins this week will ensure the school’s first bid since 2004 and allow Efejuku to leave the Garden with an everlasting warm feeling in his heart.

"I have never won a basketball game at Madison Square Garden," he said. "I’m going to try to make it so it’s not up to chance. You just want to play as hard as you can. For some of us, this could be our last basketball game. When you think about that, it should be more than enough reason to play as hard as you can for 40 minutes."

Efejuku’s Garden nights have been ugly ones thus far. He nearly played a high school game for Rice High in the building but the game was moved to Fordham University. Efejuku has left the Garden as a loser in all three visits as a Friar. Two came in his sophomore year when St. John’s pinned a 13-point loss on PC and West Virginia won a first-round game in the Big East Tournament. Last season, WVU beat the Friars again, 58-53.

The Efejuku who will lead the Friars back to the Garden this week will be a marked man. For the first time in his career, the 6-foot-4 scoring guard has elevated his play to a dominant level. Over his last six games, Efejuku has averaged 24 points and connected on 56 percent of his shots. During stretches of games against Notre Dame and nationally ranked Pittsburgh and Villanova, he seemingly scored every time he touched the ball.

In PC’s 97-80 loss at Villanova last Thursday, Efejuku did his best Dwyane Wade impression. He sank his first five shots, some in spectacular fashion, in scoring 12 points in the first four minutes of the game. In the second half, he scored 12 straight points to keep a flagging upset bid alive and finished with 29 points.

"It was nothing planned," he said. "Last time we played them I had 20-something in the second half, so this time I felt like I could come out and attack them from the beginning and see how they’ll play me. I just really wanted to set the tone early."

That early tone-setting is now vital for the Friars. For three seasons, previous Providence coach Tim Welsh urged Efejuku to play more aggressively. First-year coach Keno Davis has picked up that refrain, frequently yelling “Go Weyinmi,” when the shot clock is ticking down. "I always looked at him and could see his talent level, and you knew we could see big nights from him," said Davis, "but he’s now in a position to attack the basket more consistently. He has that explosive first step, a next-level first step."

Asked to explain the recent spike in his production, Efejuku seems to finally realize that he can carry the Friars’ offense. "I’m being more aggressive, just with the way I catch the ball and call for the ball," he said. "I’m penetrating, I’m shooting outside and pretty much doing everything I know how to do. Once we get going, it’s hard to stop us."

Pressed further on what he’s thinking with the end of his college career potentially only a few games away, Efejuku spoke about the mental tussle that every scorer copes with. "Sometimes (Davis) wants me to be even more aggressive, but I’m a little hesitant because I don’t like feeling like I’m not getting my teammates involved," he said. "I don’t want to take poor shots, even if three out of four go in. On that fourth shot, I’m thinking, 'Maybe I should’ve passed.' " But in the next breath, Efejuku admits, "Time is ticking. If they’re good shots, you pretty much have to take them."

PC’s entire team has battled the should-I-shoot-or-should-I-pass mental burden this season. Davis emphasizes the 3-point shot, but launching open shots and not forcing bad threes has been a team-wide problem and often leads to costly turnovers. "Weyinmi has learned what we want," said Davis. "I tell everyone: I don’t want anyone second-guessing themselves if they’re attacking the basket."

Through Davis’ urging, Efejuku has embraced his ability to draw fouls and score from the foul line. He attempted only seven shots from the floor in a win at Rutgers but made 15-of-17 free throws and finished with 28 points. He made 9-of-13 free throws at Villanova. "Coach has told me that guys like James Harden (the Arizona State star), he gets to the foul line a lot and that’s what the NBA scouts like about him. Now I’m starting to get to the free-throw line a lot," Efejuku said. "I want to make the referees make a call. More times than not they’re going to call it."

Maybe. In a conference like the Big East, foul calls are famously not made. Bumping and grinding is a way of life. "On one 'charge,' I was held from the free-throw line to the basket," Efejuku said after the Villanova game. "During the game, I’ll have cuts and bruises, but my body hasn’t worn down yet." Instead of wearing down, Efejuku looks like he’s gearing up for what he and the Friars hope will be an overdue Garden party. "It’s a very critical point for all of us seniors," said Efejuku. "We’re trying to get to the [NCAA] tournament. This is the time to do it all."

More: Providence College

URI Loss To UMass Means Winning A-10 Tournament A Must

2009-03-08T14:09:00.001-04:00

Since URI lost to UMass yesterday, there is no way they can get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament now without winning the A-10 tournament. UMass always seems to give the Rams trouble and they may have to face the Minutemen again in the A-10 tournament. Right now it looks like URI will play the winner of the UMass-Duquesne game and then may have to square off with Temple if they are victorious. I still don't like the Rams chances of winning the tournament though.

More: URI

Jon Hope S.A.B. Radio Interview

2009-03-07T09:22:00.002-05:00

Check out this S.A.B. interview with Providence's Jon Hope.

Providence Woman Cashed Illegal Tax Refund Check

2009-03-06T08:59:00.001-05:00

Wow, what a dope this woman is. I mean it's one thing to cheat on your taxes a little, but it's a whole other thing to make up fake returns. Makes you wonder how many other people across the country are doing this. Good job lady....hope you enjoy your time in the slammer. Via ProJo:

A city woman whom federal prosecutors said cashed an $8,885 fraudulent tax refund check pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges today in United States District Court.

Josefina Lorenzi 47, of Indiana Avenue, Providence, pleaded guilty to submitting a fraudulent claim to the United States Treasury, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office announced. Lorenzi admitted that she schemed to use false tax returns filed in other persons' names, but using her home address, to get illegal refunds, Corrente's office said.

At Lorenzi's plea hearing, Asst. U.S. Attorney Andrew Reich said the government could prove that on Dec. 10 Lorenzi presented an $8,885 tax refund check payable to someone else for a tax return that had been filed fraudulently. A subsequent search of her Indiana Avenue home produced eight additional refund checks worth $22,526, payable to individuals other than Lorenzi, Corrente's office said.

Federal agents determined that 27 other false returns had been filed in names other than Lorenzi's, but using her home address. Those returns were due refunds totaling $113,503.

Between the refund checks Lorenzi cashed, the checks found in her home, a stimulus check for $900 that she had cashed, and the additional refund requests, prosecutors said she had fraudulently sought refunds totaling $150,360.

She faces up to five years in prison and a $250,00 fine. She is scheduled to be sentenced July 24.

Classical High School Favorites In RI Division II Basketball Quarterfinals

2009-03-06T08:50:00.002-05:00

Classical, my old high school, is the favorite to win their Quarterfinal matchup with West Warwack... eh I mean West Warwick, yay-yay! Via, HighSchoolGameTime:

The preliminaries of the 2009 Credit Union Boys Basketball Tournament settled, the best teams in Rhode Island will battle each other at CCRI in Warwick for the next six days to earn a trip to the Ryan Center at URI and a chance to play for state championships on March 14.

Here’s a look at the quarterfinalists.

Division II

Classical and Narragansett set out for what could be a showdown between once-beaten teams for the Division II title.

West Warwick (11-8) vs. Classical (17-1)

They meet for the first time since their DII championship game last March. The Wizards earned this QF date by beating Tolman by five in the preliminary. Ashton Watkins, the 2008 player of the year, is having another strong season (17.3) for the Purple. Lavon Waite (14.7), Michael Palumbo (14.4) and Jordan Jones (9.7) are the other scorers. Richard Lizotte (15.2) and Reuben Paygai (10.7) lead WW.

Advantage: Classical

Westerly (11-8) vs. Narragansett (17-1)

The Mariners won three close games at the end of the season, one of them a 68-67 squeaker over Westerly. Their only loss was to Coventry. Jay Jeannottee (22.3) is their leader. Joe Sciro (11.7) leads the Bulldogs’ balanced attack.

Advantage: Narragansett

Coventry (12-7) vs. Shea (15-3)

Coventry lost three of its last four in the regular season but blew out Pilgrim in the prelim. Sean Finnegan (7.5) scored 32 in that one. Trevor DiMicco (15.1 in the top scorer. Shea chased Classical all season behind Malcum Moniz (20.8) and Kelvin Walker (15.5).

Advantage: Shea

Scituate (15-4) vs. Portsmouth (13-5)

Scituate is on a nine-game winning streak. Zach Caron (17.1) is the leading scorer. Portsmouth snapped a three-game losing streak at the end of January and won six of its last seven. Andrew Chrabascz (17.8) leads the Patriots.

Advantage: Scituate

PC's Turnovers, Villanova's Threes Lead To Loss For PC

2009-03-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

PC was awful at protecting the ball last night and finished the game with 22 turnovers, which is pretty damn bad. The turnovers along with Villanova making 13 three's are the reason why PC lost the game. I still don't think their offense is an issue, considering that they turned the ball over 22 times and STILL scored 80 points that is pretty damn impressive. Scoring the ball is not the problem for this team, because you should win most of your games when you score 80 points. Obviously they can't turn the ball over like they did in this one and expect to win, but most times they are not that sloppy with the ball. I also thought PC was getting bumped and fouled out on the perimeter a couple times, which caused them to turn the ball over. However, the main problem is still the defense, because they gave up 13 three-pointers and most of them were wide open with nobody around. If they don't start closing out better on the perimeter, then PC could be one and done in the Big East tournament if they draw a good shooting team. They also still give up way to many easy/uncontested buckets down low.

Here's the scoop on the game, via ESPN:

Villanova coach Jay Wright started walkthrough with a pop quiz for senior forward Dwayne Anderson: What made Thursday night unique? "Nothing," Anderson said. "Next game." Nothing unique for these Wildcats? Hardly.

Scottie Reynolds scored 23 points to help Villanova (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) finish a perfect season at the Pavilion and earn a double-bye in the Big East tournament with a 97-80 victory over Providence.

Anderson's focused, robotic answer was exactly what Wright hoped to hear."We don't think about it, we don't talk about it," Wright said of the milestones. "We really worked hard at not thinking about it and we really count on the seniors for that."

Reynolds hit three clutch 3s for the Wildcats (25-6, 13-5) in the second half that stretched the lead into double digits and pushed back a Providence team that badly needed this win to strengthen its NCAA tournament chances.

The Wildcats will get two extra days' rest, not opening play in the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden until Thursday. "We judge ourselves by where we are in the regular season and in the Big East," Wright said. "What happens in the Big East tournament, what happens in the NCAA tournament, there's so many matchups and things that affect that."

The Wildcats, picked fifth in the Big East coaches' preseason poll, tied a program record with 25 regular-season victories. They didn't lose consecutive games all season and are all but assured of their fifth straight NCAA tournament. "It's not the record, it's how they did it," Wright said. "It's keeping that concentration level."

Weyinmi Efejuku was sensational in stretches for the Friars (18-12, 10-8), finishing with 29 points on 9-for-16 shooting. He scored 12 straight points for them in the second half and kept the upset bid alive. Instead, the Wildcats survived to win their 28th straight game at their on-campus home. "We feel like we have a long way to go to be the best team we can be," Reynolds said.

The loss doesn't necessarily cripple Providence's at-large chances, but it will need to win at least a game or two in New York to feel good about getting picked for the field of 65. "Every time you turn the radio on or turn the TV on, everyone's got their brackets," first-year Providence coach Keno Davis said. "Half the people have us in, half the people have us out. Unless we win the Big East tournament, we'll be sitting there sweating it out."

Anderson scored 19 points, Dante Cunningham shook off a sluggish 4-for-13 start to score 19 and Reggie Redding had a career-high 11 assists for Villanova. The Wildcats had season highs in assists (26) and steals (19) to improve to 13-0 at the Pavilion this season. They had to work to win this one and didn't turn it into a rout until the final minutes. The Wildcats kept up the pressure against the Friars, forced turnovers and converted them into easy baskets.

The turning point came midway through the half when Corey Fisher hit a 3 before scooping the loose ball off a quick turnover and dishing to Reynolds for the easy basket and a 63-51 lead. Reynolds hit his three 3s from there, his final one making it 76-65. They went on a late 13-0 run -- highlighted by a 3 by Stokes -- that had Villanova playing the deep reserves in the final minute. Wright pumped his fist as he sprinted off the court.

Efejuku made his first five shots and scored 12 points in the first four minutes of the game. Then he missed his final four shots of the half. Davis could use three more nights like this one from Efejuku to have any kind of shot at winning the conference tournament. "We're going to the Big East tournament with the idea of winning," Davis said. "If you don't win it, you want to leave your best effort on the court."

After a rare spell of sloppy play late in the first half, Wright was livid and lit into his team during a timeout. Reynolds and Shane Clark hit consecutive 3s coming out of it to make it a 12-point lead, and Stokes hit two 3s in the final minutes to give the Wildcats a 40-34 halftime lead.

More: Providence College

Bubble Watch: Lunardi Says PC In, URI Out...For Now

2009-03-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

ESPN Bracketologist, Joe Lunardi, spoke to ProJo about PC's and URI's chance of making the NCAA tournament:

A lot of press people around the country are picking the NCAA field at this point but none is higher profile than ESPN's Joe Lunardi.

ESPN just held a national conference call with Lunardi and was asked by The Journal to give his spin on both PC and URI's chances of getting in the field. His answers won't make many fans around here happy.

Lunardi has the Friars as a 12 seed and one of the final teams in his current bracket. He does not consider URI as all that close to getting in.

"The Pitt win is what is giving (Providence) credibility at the moment," said Lunardi. The unbalanced schedule in the Big East will ultimately keep them out. They played a softer schedule than some other bubble teams and the committee will see that. In my current bracket, Providence and Penn State are the most likely to play their way out."

PC can alter its perception with another major win, such at Villanova Thursday. It's certainly unclear that a 1st round Big East tourney win over Cincinnati or Notre Dame will be enough to not make palms very sweaty for the Friars on Selection Sunday.

Lunardi, who is the radio color man for Saint Joseph's and usually gives serious props to the Atlantic 10, is not hot on the Rams even though Rhody is one of the hottest teams in the country.

"To continue my lack of love for the basketball fans of Rhode Island, I think this talk for URI is a little bit over-blown," he said. "I'm not seeing a team that with their RPI and schedule strength and with best wins being Dayton at home and Penn State on a neutral court. I think they're an NIT team unless they get really, really deep in the A-10 tournament. Rhode Island has done a good job of coming really, really close against tournament teams and I don't think it's a good year for the Atlantic 10 or URI."

Even so, Lunardi is leaving the possibility open for the Rams to win the A-10 tournament and join Xavier and Dayton in the field. "Dayton isn't very good away from home and Xavier is not playing its best basketball so the possibility of Rhode Island, Temple or Saint Joseph's to win is very real," he said.

Comments: Seems like the Rams are not going to get an at-large bid unless they reach the finals of the A-10 tournament. That is not a surprise since I have been saying that for a few weeks now. They just didn't play a good enough schedule and have enough big wins to beat out some other teams. It's not entirely impossible that URI could win the A-10 tournament, but I don't think it will be easy. I could see them losing to a St. Joe's or Temple team before they even get to Dayton & Xavier.

For PC, it seems like they have a better chance to make the tournament, but will have to win at least two games in the Big East tournament at this point, which means most likely they will have to beat one of the top 4 teams in their second game, which won't be an easy task.

Also, check out the updated Bubble Watch, via ESPN, that was updated before PC's loss to Villanova last night:

Providence [18-11 (10-7), RPI: 69, SOS: 56] The Friars haven't played since winning 73-66 at Rutgers on Sunday, but they've still won big this week. With Georgetown, Cincinnati and Notre Dame losing, Providence has the best chance of becoming the Big East's eighth participant in the NCAA tournament. It has won four of its past six games, including a stunning 81-73 upset of then No. 1-ranked Pittsburgh on Feb. 24. The Friars are 3-7 against RPI top-50 opponents, 5-11 against the top 100 and 4-5 in road games. Providence closes the regular season at Villanova on Thursday night, but it already is guaranteed of finishing at least 10-8 in Big East play. An upset of Villanova would go a long way toward locking up an NCAA at-large bid. Even if Providence loses in Philadelphia, it probably could earn an at-large bid by winning one or two games in the upcoming Big East tournament in New York. The Friars swept two games against Cincinnati, plus beat Syracuse and Rhode Island at home.

Rhode Island [22-8 (11-4), RPI: 48, SOS: 132] The Rams have won six games in a row and 10 of their past 12 to climb into the bubble discussion. Rhode Island has two home victories over RPI top-50 opponents, beating Dayton 93-91 in overtime on Feb. 25 and Temple 67-59 on Jan. 28. It also beat Virginia Commonwealth at home and Penn State on a neutral court. The Rams probably need to beat Massachusetts at home Saturday, and maybe win one or two games in the upcoming Atlantic 10 tournament. Rhode Island is 2-5 against RPI top-50 opponents and 6-6 against the top 100. It will get help from its stellar 9-5 record in road games.

More: Providence College & URI

Roger Williams Middle School Adminstrator Placed On Leave For Stepping On Dominican Flag

2009-03-05T11:21:00.003-05:00

Oh boy, here we go. This is going to cause a ruckus in the city for sure, via ProJo:

An administrator at Roger Williams Middle School has been placed on paid leave after he reportedly grabbed a Dominican flag from at least one student and stepped on it. Several students brought flags to school on Friday to celebrate the Caribbean nation’s 165th independence anniversary, school officials said yesterday. During a confrontation with one or more students, the administrator snatched the flag away, threw it to the floor and stepped on it, according to Sen. Juan Pichardo, D-Providence. And state Rep. Grace Díaz, D-Providence, said that the administrator said something like, “We mop the floor with your flag.”

School officials said they don’t know what sparked the incident.As word spread, students became increasingly upset and a large food fight broke out in the cafeteria, school officials said. Several students face disciplinary action and possible suspension for taking part. School spokeswoman Christina O’Reilly refused to release the name of the middle school administrator or the names of the students involved. Principal Rudy Moseley sent out an automated telephone message that Friday to the student’s parents telling them what happened.

Pichardo said that Latino talk radio was inundated with phone calls from members of the Dominican community who were upset over the incident. Latino students comprise 59 percent of the Providence school population.

“As Dominicans, we feel insulted,” said Lorenzo Acevedo, a Dominican man who heard of the incident on the radio. “We feel that we have been stepped on, like our flag.”

“It means they don’t want us here,” said Prisca Hernández.

“For someone to act like that, you don’t need words,” said Mara Pimentel, who is Puerto Rican. “That’s disrespectful to anybody.”

Jerry Hopper expressed similar outrage, adding the administrator should be fired.

“What kind of example are you setting for the kids?” Hopper asked.

Rather than offering guidance to the students, Hopper said, “It’s like you are killing their hopes and dreams.”

“This is the United States of America. It shouldn’t be happening.”

“In any country, if there is something that one respects, it is the flag, regardless of whose flag it is,” added Acevedo.

On Tuesday, Providence School Supt. Tom Brady sent an e-mail statement to Pichardo and members of the Latino news media who had inquired about the incident. Brady wrote that an administrator “displayed a lack of judgment and cultural insensitivity in his actions toward students who were demonstrating pride in their Dominican heritage.

“In video footage from the school’s security cameras, it does appear that the administrator may have engaged in disrespectful treatment of the Dominican flag,” Brady wrote. “The Providence public school district values the rich diversity and variety of cultural identities of its students, faculty and staff and such blatant disregard for the culture of another by any member of the Providence School Department community is never to be tolerated.”

The administrator, he said, has been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation. “We apologize to the students and their families for the apparent actions of this administrator,” Brady concluded, “and I pledge that appropriate personnel action will be taken.”

Yesterday, Pichardo said that he was pleased with Brady’s prompt response, but he asked Brady to hold a public meeting with Roger Williams students and parents to discuss racial sensitivity and asked the School Department to develop a policy regarding the observance of ethnic holidays. “At this point, I’m happy with their response,” Pichardo said. “But we will not tolerate this type of action toward anyone’s flag. It’s unacceptable.”

A Healthy Shaurad Curry Excels In Big East Play

2009-03-04T10:43:00.000-05:00

Via ProJo Sports:

Curry’s stats didn’t begin to pick up until PC’s final nonconference game, against Bryant University on Dec. 22. He hit three 3-pointers and scored a then-season-high 16 points against the Bulldogs. The difference in Curry’s play before and after conference play opened is great. Curry averaged 8.3 points on 35 percent shooting (30 percent on threes) in 12 nonleague games. Against Big East foes, Curry has boosted his production to 13.9 points a game on 44 percent shooting. His season high came in a 94-91 home loss to Villanova, during which he sank six 3-pointers and finished with 25 points and five assists.

"Of course, I knew in the back of my head that I wasn’t 100 percent," he said, "but I kept working to get stronger. My legs were weak and I felt like I was rusty. I just never said that. As the season went on, I could see it coming around."

While Curry and the Friars still have their postseason fate in their own hands, the Big East is in the process of making sure the NCAA’s selection committee understands the impact of Curry’s injury on PC's season. The committee does take in-season injuries into account when picking teams. But while Curry wasn’t injured, he clearly was not himself for the first month of the season.

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese and associate commissioner Dan Gavitt say that they have told committee members about Curry’s injury. George Mason athletic director Tom O’Connor is the committee’s point man for the Big East. "Providence played the first month of the season with a player who was coming off a major injury, and he’s turned into their best player," said Tranghese, a former chair of the selection committee. "Tom O'Connor will know that, and he could raise that if Providence is discussed. In a real tight call, that may get considered."

I didn't realize that Curry played so poorly in the non-conference, but he has really stepped it up in Big East play. You have to wonder if PC might have been able to knock off Northeastern, Baylor, BC, or St. Mary's had Curry been 100% healthy. If they had split those 4 games, they probably would be in the tournament right now without question.

More: Providence College

URI's Kahiem Seawright & Jimmy Baron Learned To Build Mutual Trust

2009-03-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

Via ProJo Sports:

It was last Friday morning and Kahiem Seawright was scheduled to speak at San Miguel School, a little gem of a place off Elmwood Avenue for middle-school boys.The talk was billed as Seawright telling kids the importance of staying in school, a great message for inner-city kids to hear, especially coming from someone with a similar background, someone who is scheduled to graduate in May from the University of Rhode Island.But when Seawright walked into San Miguel in his dark blue URI warmup suit, he had teammate Jimmy Baron with him.

Somehow, it was only fitting. Seawright and Baron came to URI together, back there in September of 2005. In May, they will leave together. In between, they have had a journey — on the court and off it, too — the black kid from Long Island who used basketball as a passport to a better life, and the white kid from East Greenwich, the son of the coach. Two kids who have forged a deep friendship, one that transcends the fact that they are teammates.

“We grew up in completely different lifestyles,” Baron said, “and we had to learn to trust each other.” The different lifestyles came out as they answered questions from the kids. “How did you start to play basketball?” one of the kids asked Seawright. “From my brothers and cousins,” he said. “I was always tailing after them. They didn’t want to take me, because I wasn’t that good, always kicking the ball out of bounds, and I was always trying to measure up.” A few minutes later, Baron was asked the same question. “Why basketball?” he said with a smile. “I really had no other choice.” The son of a coach.

That was not always the easiest thing to be when he was just another recruit and about to meet one of his new teammates. The first step for Baron and Seawright learning to trust each other took place in the summer of 2005, when Jimmy Baron went to Long Island to meet Seawright. Seawright was working at a basketball camp, and Baron had driven down with his father. And from the beginning, he knew he had to convince Seawright that he was more of a player than he was the son of the coach. That he had the same dreams and aspirations any new player had, independent of who the coach was.

“I remember telling him that I was just another guy, just like him,” Baron said. He still didn’t know what to expect, though. Even without the baggage of being the coach’s son, Baron and Seawright seemed so different. Baron essentially has grown up in Olean, N.Y., in a small upstate town where the only black people were the ones playing for his father. An overstatement, certainly, but not much of one.

Seawright, on the other hand, had to find out if he could trust Baron. “I had to find out if he was going to be the snake in the locker room,” he said with a smile. For all locker rooms have their own realities, just as all teams do. Teams are fragile ecosystems, almost by definition, an assemblage of egos and dreams and ambitions, all played out within a framework of too few minutes and too few shots to go around. Teams being betrayed by players who don’t get along behind closed doors is probably as old as sport itself.

And could there be anything more potentially damaging as having the coach’s son on the team? Much has been made of both how difficult it is for fathers to coach their sons, and for sons to play for their fathers. It’s always a loaded situation, even when the son can play, as was clearly evident from the beginning with Jimmy Baron. But what about the other players? How do they deal with the coach’s son? Can they be comfortable complaining about the coach –– a practice as old as the game itself –– in front of the coach’s son? Was the son going to be the snake in the locker room? That, too, was part of the equation, something that had to be resolved.

So Seawright and Baron began their journey together, first as young players, and now as leaders. Seawright quickly learned to deal with Baron as just another teammate. But it was Baron’s work ethic that won him over. He saw him in the gym when no one else was there. He saw how hard he worked to make his body better. He saw how he wanted to win as much as he did. And Baron? He says Seawright taught him not to take anything for granted, to be thankful for the advantages he grew up with, not to be self-conscious about them. He also came to see that Seawright is the backbone of the team, and that Seawright “has been a blessing for me.”

They are seniors now, of course, and are the leaders of this URI team, along with Jason Francis, the other senior. And their roles are defined. Seawright and Francis are the enforcers. Baron is what Seawright calls “the consoler,” for the simple reason that he has the same name as the coach, and thus must have a different voice.

And maybe most of all, Seawright and Baron came to know that, in the end, their similarities were more important than their differences. Came to know, as Baron says, “Whatever we did here at URI, we were going to do together.” They have done a lot. To their everlasting credit.
More: URI

Bubble Watch: Providence (PC) & Rhode Island (URI)

2009-03-03T12:13:00.000-05:00

Here are the latest Bubble Watch comments for PC & URI, via ESPN:

Providence [18-11 (10-7), RPI: 68, SOS: 51] Even after upsetting No. 1 Pittsburgh 81-73 at home Monday and then beating Rutgers 73-66 on the road Sunday, the Friars are probably still on the wrong side of the bubble. Providence might need to beat Villanova on the road Thursday to have a legitimate chance for an at-large bid. The Friars have only two RPI top-50 victories: the aforementioned upset of Pittsburgh and a 100-94 win over Syracuse at home on Jan. 28. The Friars swept two games against fellow Big East bubble team Cincinnati and also have a home victory over surging Rhode Island. But Providence is only 2-7 against RPI top-50 foes and 5-11 against the top 100.

Comments: They say that PC is on the wrong side of the bubble, but the latest version of Bracketology has them as a 12 seed going against LSU in the first round. I think the Big East "people" would be up in arms if PC does not get in the tournament with 10 Big East wins. However, that still looks like it is a strong possibility. Of course, PC can end all of this talk by beating Villanova on Thursday and then winning their first Big East tourney game.

Rhode Island [22-8 (11-4), RPI: 54, SOS: 132] After beating Dayton 93-91 on a buzzer beater in overtime Wednesday, the Rams won at Duquesne 73-71 on Sunday. They trail Xavier by one game in the loss column of the Atlantic 10 standings with an 11-4 record. Rhode Island closes the regular season at home against Massachusetts on Saturday. Rhode Island has two victories over RPI top-50 opponents, beating Dayton and Temple. The Rams also beat Penn State 77-72 on a neutral court on Nov. 28 and beat Virginia Commonwealth 92-86 at home on Nov. 22. The Rams are 2-5 against RPI top-50 opponents and 5-6 against the top 100.

Comments: The Bubble Watch really doesn't say too much about URI's chances to get in the tournament, so I can only assume they aren't all that great unless they go deep into the A-10 tournament. It's still a long shot for URI to win the A-10, which would have almost assured an automatic bid. URI is going to want to win the A-10 tournament though, because all it will take is a few upsets in some other conference tournaments for them to be eliminated from the auto-bid conversation completely.

More: Providence College & URI

Weyinmi Efejuku's 28 Points & Jeff Xavier's Big 3 Lead PC Past Rutgers

2009-03-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

Weyinmi Efejuku was an outright monster in this game dropping 28 points, while hitting 6 of 7 shots from the field and an outstanding 15 of 17 from the free throw line. Jeff Xavier also came up with a big 3 down the stretch to help clinch the victory for the Friars. PC had to win this game to avoid a disastrous lost, but they also locked up a bye in the Big East tournament, which they should get credit for when it comes down to evaluating their NCAA credentials. Beating Villanova in their last game would definitely be a major plus though. I think that would be the clincher for PC's tournament hopes.

Here's the scoop on the game, via ProJo Sports:

With the season, and his teammates’ NCAA Tournament dreams, sitting on his shoulders yesterday, Jeff Xavier didn’t hesitate. The senior from Pawtucket who loves to take the big shot fired his biggest one in two years, drilling a deep wing 3-pointer to help the Providence Friars stem a Rutgers’ rally and secure a critical 73-66 win at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Xavier’s three was PC’s only field goal in the final 8:35 but it jump-started an offense that had suddenly grown cold as a 19-point lead melted down to 3. His shot also sparked a critical 9-2 run that countered the Scarlet Knights’ rally. “I know I love bigtime, crunch-time moments, just like everyone else in the locker room,” Xavier said. “I got the ball, looked at the basket and was kind of open, so I shot it.”

Xavier’s teammates, and the PC fans who were heard all game long amid a quiet RU crowd, breathed a sigh of relief when his shot settled into the net. “I passed it to him on the wing, but he was out there pretty good,” said Weyinmi Efejuku, who dominated the Rutgers’ defense all day long on his way to 28 points. “When he shot it, I just looked up and prayed.” While far from a prayer, the shot certainly helped answer PC’s serious need for another road victory. The Friars improved to 18-11 overall and their 10-7 record clinches a top-eight finish and a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.

That achievement has been atop coach Keno Davis’ list of goals since the Friars dropped a few costly games in the non-league portion of their schedule. As fans and the media debate PC’s improving NCAA chances, Davis feels the upper-division finish will prove vital. “I felt like what was important is that we finished in the top half of the Big East,” said Davis. “If you finish in the top half of the best conference in the country, I can live with that, whether the (NCAA) puts us in or not. I feel like we’re deserving, but there are a lot of other coaches who feel the same way as well.”

The Friars can take another giant step toward their first NCAA bid in five seasons if they can upset Villanova on the road in the regular-season finale on Thursday. “We have an opportunity to go to Villanova and see if we can play at a high level there,” said Davis, “but it’s also going to be nice to go to the Big East Tournament having one day to watch the team we’re going to play. After Villanova, we’ll focus on the Big East and see if we can stick around down there as long as we can.”

As usual, the Friars made things very, very interesting. PC led by seven points at the half and built a 19-point second-half lead before Rutgers stormed back. The Friars hoped for a blazing start to the game and while they maintained control through the opening 20 minutes, they never found a strong offensive rhythm. PC jumped out to a 14-8 lead as Rutgers was awful out of the gate but the home team eventually settled down and made a few shots. A 6-0 run with about six minutes left actually gave RU a 20-18 lead but an Efejuku jam began an 11-2 run that included a deep Sharaud Curry 3-pointer, a driving layup by Geoff McDermott and a nice, coast-to-coast driving scoop by Curry. PC led at the break, 33-26, with Rutgers shooting just 34 percent from the floor.

That rate only got worse through the first 10 minutes of the second half and that helped the Friars race to what appeared to be a commanding 19-point lead (62-43). PC not only stopped the Scarlet Knights on defense but got out and ran the floor on offense and that led to numerous easy chances. Efejuku was the game’s dominant player as he continually got to the rim with power drives and he also hit a 3-pointer.

A 9-0 Friar run pushed the lead to 62-43 with 8:35 left as Brian McKenzie caught a Curry pass and dunked. But, from seemingly out of nowhere, Rutgers awoke. The Scarlet Knights began digging in on defense and PC turned the ball over every which way to help fuel a 16-0 run that sliced the Friars’ lead to 62-59 with three minutes to play.

Needing a big shot, Xavier provided one as he nailed a deep wing 3-pointer to push the lead back up to 65-59. Rutgers proceeded to turn the ball over on three of its next four possessions. “For moments we had a chance to extend the lead there, but a team like Rutgers at home, they’re not going away. They made a big run, but X made a really big shot,” said Efejuku.

As for what the 3-ball did for his team’s NCAA chances, Xavier says the Friars want to keep winning and take any guesswork out of the committee’s hands. “For the seniors and everyone in the locker room, we’ve never made it so this would be the best year of my life,” he said. “It’s every kid’s dream in college to play in the NCAA Tournament. This could be it.”

More: Providence College

URI Defeats Duquesne, 73-71

2009-03-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

The Rhody Rams are on fire now having won 6 games in a row and 10 of their last 11. They still have a very small chance of winning the A-10, but they would need Xavier to lose twice, which doesn't look very likely. I have to give the Rams credit though because they have done everything they need to do down the stretch to give themselves a chance at an at-large bid. If they fall short of winning the A-10 tournament, then it will probably come down to whether the committee is going to accept the Rams who do not have a great resume but definitely a winning one, or a team like Notre Dame who doesn't have the best record but beat better teams than URI. Should be interesting.

Here's the scoop on the game, via ProJo Sports:

The University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team continues to do things the hard way. Aaron Jackson missed a 3-pointer as time expired yesterday afternoon, and the Rams held on for a 73-71 victory over Duquesne in front of 3,567 fans at the A.J. Palumbo Center.

Kahiem Seawright scored 21 points and Keith Cothran added 20 points off the bench for Rhode Island (22-8, 11-4 Atlantic 10), which has won six consecutive games and 10 of 11. Jackson had 24 points to lead Duquesne (17-10, 8-6). The Rams moved into second place in the A-10, trailing only Xavier (11-3), and clinched a first-round bye in the conference tournament with the victory. “It’s unbelievable,” Rhode Island coach Jim Baron said. “Our kids have done a great job of continuing to come together. This was a very good victory for us. Duquesne is much improved, and they’re a good basketball team.”

Rhode Island, which rallied from a six-point halftime deficit, led by 70-66 and had possession of the ball with one minute remaining. That’s when Jackson, a senior guard playing in his final home game, single-handedly tried to rally Duquesne. A steal and a layup by Jackson made it 70-68. Seawright scored and Cothran made one of two free throws to put Rhode Island ahead by five points before Jackson’s 3-pointer cut URI’s lead to 73-71 with six seconds left. Seawright then missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to give the Dukes a chance for a final shot. Rhode Island, which had two fouls to give, used them both before Duquesne inbounded the ball for the final time with 1.4 seconds left. Jackson, who was guarded by Rhode Island’s Lamonte Ulmer, took the pass and launched a 3-pointer, which bounced off the front rim.

“We expected (Jackson) to get the ball,” Baron said. “We thought he was going to use a ball screen, but he really didn’t have that much time. “We put a bigger guard on him, just thinking it would be a little tougher for him getting the shot off. He didn’t get a great look at the shot.” Jackson scored 16 of Duquesne’s final 20 points. “He’s going to get his points,” Baron said. “We knew it would be a hard-fought battle with him. He’s a tremendous player.”

It was the second consecutive game for Rhode Island decided on the final play. The Rams beat Dayton, 93-91 in overtime, last Wednesday on Marquis Jones’ layup at the buzzer. “It shows we’re resilient,” said senior point guard Jimmy Baron, who had 14 points yesterday. “People counted us out at the beginning of the year when we started 1-3 in conference play. We were losing those games by two, three points. We knew we could move forward and turn those kinds of games around in our favor.”

Added Cothran: “We’ve been buckling down at the end of game now. But we still need to make free throws in the final minutes. If we would have made our free throws, it wouldn’t have come down to that last shot.”

Seawright had six points during a 15-3 run that put the Rams ahead 60-54 with 11:33 left in the game. The Rams never trailed after their run, but Duquesne pulled within two points on three occasions before tying the game, 66-66, on Jackson’s basket with two minutes remaining.

A back-and-forth first half yesterday featured eight ties and three lead changes. Rhode Island’s biggest advantage came early, when it went ahead 10-4 behind a pair of 3-pointers from Baron and baskets from Will Martell and Seawright. After a 3-pointer and dunk from Cothran, who had 13 points in the first half, the Rams led by 32-27 with 4:04 left. But Duquesne finished the half with a 13-2 run, capped by a jumper from B.J. Monteiro with two seconds left, to go up 40-34 at the intermission.
More: URI

Too Young/Boat Shoe Mania - Theo

2009-03-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

Two new joints from Providence's own, Theo.

Too Young - Theo

Boat Shoe Mania - Theo

More: New Joints

Woonsocket's Tyrone Nared Gets A Second Chance

2009-03-01T09:50:00.000-05:00

Sounds like Woonsocket's Tyrone Nared started a little late, but could be a Division I prospect next season,via ProJo's High School Game Time:

I first saw him four years ago. He was playing for Woonsocket then, the opponent was Hendricken, and the game was never close. Hendricken too good. He was just a gangly kid that night, all arms and legs, as young as springtime. But you could see he had potential, could see that if he stayed with it, and maybe caught a break or two, that maybe one day basketball could take this kid far away from the gym inside Woonsocket High School. He was almost 6-foot-5 then, and it didn’t take much vision to one day see him in a college basketball game.

Two years later, it was though he had dropped off the planet, just another city kid whose little window of opportunity had come and gone. Rhode Island high school basketball is full of kids like that, kids with potential who seem to come and go in the blink of an eye, betrayed by poor grades, no money, limited opportunities, or all of the above. Tyrone Nared was just another one.

He had been on the All-State team, and had had his name in the paper, and played in All-Star games, and had had his little sliver of high school fame, and now it was over. Just like that. Or so I thought. But there he was one day in November, in the box score for CCRI, and there he was the other afternoon in the gym after a practice, right there in the middle of his new life. For this is about a second chance. The kind that too many inner-city kids never get. It’s about a second chance, and the story really begins two years ago, when he was a high school senior and couldn’t play basketball because his eligibility was done.

"Basketball was what had gotten me through school, and it had kept me out of trouble," he said. "And now I didn’t have it anymore. I thought it was over." He used to hang around Dunn Park in Woonsocket that year, playing in pickup games, not really motivated, feeling lost. There had been some talk of going to prep school, but that hadn’t worked out, and now he was just another kid whose career already seemed in the past tense, like some comet that flashes briefly across the nighttime sky only to disappear just as quickly. The courts were full of guys older than he was, guys in their 20s, some doing drugs, some selling drugs, too many guys whose futures had seemed to have just stopped, any dreams they once might have had reduced to just getting by, an inner-city freeze-frame. "I felt like I had no control over anything," he said. "It was like everything just stopped. I felt like a nobody."

Last year, he came here to CCRI, essentially lured by coach Rick Harris, who had coached against him in high school, back when Harris was the coach at Cranston East. Why not, Nared figured. He had nothing else, and he could already sense that if he kept hanging around the playgrounds in Woonsocket, he was eventually going to end up just like the older guys he saw all around him, all the guys who ran out of futures. So began his second chance. But it came with an asterisk. The plan was for Nared to redshirt last year, to use it as a year to get acclimated academically, for if he didn’t do that, the basketball was going to be irrelevant, anyway.

This was the year he got basketball back. He is close to 6-foot-8 now, and still has the skills and shooting range of a wing player. He’s averaging 12 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game for CCRI, in the first organized basketball he’s played in three years. Harris says he’s already received Division II interest, but feels that next year Nared will be getting Division I interest. "He needs to toughen up and he needs to get stronger," Harris said, "but at times he can be a highlight film."

That’s the basketball part, the hits, runs, and errors of the game. More important, Nared has gotten his future back, the one he felt he had lost two years ago, when he used to hang out in the park feeling like a nobody, back when he couldn’t see too many roads leading out of Woonsocket, back when he felt his future had stopped at 18 years old.

If nothing else, he’s made his parents proud. He is the youngest of seven kids, with a father who drives a bus for RIPTA and is a pastor at a senior center on Sundays, and a mother who works with disabled children, and he’s the first child to go to college. He’s also come to learn that this is the start of real life. "I didn’t take anything seriously when I was in high school," he said, "but I’m not a kid anymore."

He also knows that this is his second chance, something that many kids don’t get. Not Rhode Island high school basketball players, anyway. Too many of them get phased out early, their futures betrayed by poor grades and too few opportunities. It’s not always about talent. In fact, sometimes talent is not even the most important part. Nared is Exhibit A. He had the benefit of playing for Preston Murphy, the former URI star, when he was at Woonsocket. So he had a role model. He had the support of his family. But back then, even that wasn’t enough. It takes a village? Sometimes it takes even more than that.

"So I can’t take this for granted," Tyrone Nared said. "This means everything." He paused a beat, and when he spoke again, his voice seemed full of resolve. "There is no third chance."

Rays Trainer Went Above & Beyond For Rocco Baldelli

2009-02-27T09:49:00.000-05:00

Nice piece about the Tampa Bay Rays trainer who helped Rocco Baldelli make his comeback, via Fox Sports:

His greatest hope also is his biggest fear. Allow Ron Porterfield, the head trainer for the Tampa Bay Rays, to explain. Porterfield, 44, spent more than a year trying to help outfielder Rocco Baldelli play baseball again. Baldelli, 27, had a condition that caused extreme fatigue after physical activity.

Initially, Porterfield worried that Baldelli's condition might not only be career-ending, but also life-threatening. But Baldelli returned late last season, producing a series of unforgettable moments for the American League champions, moments that brought tears to Porterfield's eyes.

Porterfield's greatest hope — after the countless hours he spent researching Baldelli's condition, speaking with doctors from all over the country, setting up appointments, purchasing supplements, jumping out of bed at night thinking, "What else can I do?" — is that Baldelli finally will become the player the Rays envisioned when they drafted him with the sixth overall pick in 2000.

His biggest fear is that such a breakthrough will occur now that Baldelli has signed with the Boston Red Sox; that somehow, the Red Sox's trainers and doctors will hit on just the right combination of treatments and supplements to bring out the best in Baldelli. "I know I can't worry about that," Porterfield says. "In all honesty, I hope it happens."

It is not unusual for baseball trainers and players to form close bonds. They work together through spring training, the regular season and possibly the postseason, then stay in touch during the winter. The best trainers not only help players get the most out of their bodies, but also serve as sounding boards and even confidantes. Porterfield was all that for Baldelli and more. "I've talked to him more than any person in my life — the entire time I was there, but especially over the last couple of years," Baldelli says.

Baldelli, Porterfield says, always had strange injuries, weird tissue problems; he was the type of player that trainers call a "bad-tissue issue." Porterfield, entering his 13th season with the Rays, fourth as head trainer, eventually came to realize that Baldelli was just a slow healer.

Then came Aug. 2007. Baldelli was on a rehabilitation assignment with the Rays' Class A affiliate in Vero Beach, Fla., trying to recover from a hamstring injury. The assignment lasted two games. Baldelli, calling it "one of the low points of my career," became emotional when he realized that he was not physically capable of playing. "I'll never forget it," Porterfield says. "It was 4:30 in the afternoon. All I could think about was, What did Lou Gehrig go through? I was worried that he had ALS, MS, something.

"That was the turning point where I said, 'We've got a problem and it's beyond my realm.' My big thing was trying to calm him down, say, 'Hey, Rocc, we're going to be OK,' stay very positive." Porterfield recalls telling Baldelli to find a private spot and call him back. "He did. He was in utter distress," Porterfield says. "We talked and talked and talked. The whole time I'm thinking, 'Where do I go from here?' I finally got off the phone with him. I had to cut it off. It was game time. 7 o'clock."

Nick Paparesta, then the Rays' rehabiliation coordinator and now an assistant trainer, was with Baldelli in Vero. Porterfield recalls telling Paparesta: Bring Rocco back to St. Petersburg. And don't let him drive. That night, Porterfield began discussing a plan for Baldelli with the Rays' team doctor, Michael Reilly. The next day, Baldelli visited an endocrinologist in St. Petersburg and began his long search for answers.

"That winter, we spent thousands of hours on the phone, together, going somewhere," Porterfield says. "I was Googling everything I could possibly think of. His file is 3,000 pages on that issue alone." Baldelli underwent a muscle biopsy on his left biceps and later had one on each quad. He visited doctors in New York, Dallas and Cleveland. But a quick diagnosis proved elusive. Porterfield says analyzing muscle tissue is comparable to marinating steak, only a more prolonged process. "I know I was frustrated," Baldelli recalls. "I also know that he was frustrated. As someone in the medical field, you're used to getting answers. There was no answer to this."

In the meantime, Baldelli began taking supplements, trying to gain energy and strength. Porterfield had pharmacies analyze the supplements to make sure Baldelli would not test positive for steroids. He also had compounds made so Baldelli could take, say, four pills instead of 12. "Ron didn't throw in the towel," says Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, a close friend of Baldelli's. "He was always looking for new ways to help Rocco out."

In January, Baldelli finally got his diagnosis — mitochondrial disorder. Porterfield designed a program for him to participate in spring training. He even spoke with cyclist Greg LeMond, the only other known elite athlete who had a similar condition. Baldelli kept trying different combinations of supplements. He did water conditioning to stay off his feet. Porterfield worried that Baldelli would get hurt again once he began playing again in the minor leagues.

The Rays' goal was for Baldelli to be a September call-up. He was in the lineup, batting cleanup, on Aug. 10. Baldelli started in right field the night the Rays clinched their first postseason berth. He hit a three-run homer against the Red Sox in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. And he delivered a game-tying shot against the Phillies in Game 5 of the World Series.

That was his last at-bat for Tampa Bay. The Rays paid Baldelli $9 million from 2006 to '08, a period in which he averaged only 55 games per season. They paid for him to fly all over the country seeking additional opinions and spent between $800 and $1,000 per month on his supplements, Porterfield says. When Baldelli became a free agent this offseason, the Rays tried to re-sign him, but were concerned about assuming more risk. The Red Sox guaranteed Baldelli only $500,000, but his contract includes $1.75 million in roster bonuses and $5.25 million in performance bonuses that start at 350 plate appearances and top out at 600. The Rays, needing more certainty from their fourth outfielder, signed free agent Gabe Kapler for $1,000,018, with no incentives. Kapler, 33, can play all three outfield positions for extended periods.

Baldelli's availability to the Red Sox is uncertain — he is participating in all baseball activities this spring, but not conditioning drills. He is encouraged by his revised diagnosis of channelopathy, a less severe, more treatable condition than mitochondrial disorder. "I can relax a little bit," Baldelli says. "I would get emotional thinking about my baseball career, where I thought it was going last year and the year before that. I was even more worried about my health. That was probably my No. 1 concern. And now it's not. "It's something I think about sometimes, but it doesn't consume my thoughts anymore. I feel good and I'm confident that I'll continue to feel good."

Baldelli speaks with Porterfield often; Porterfield, who is married with two children, says Baldelli is "like a son" to him. Before Baldelli signed with the Red Sox on Jan. 9, he called Porterfield out of respect and gratitude, informing his former trainer of his decision. "I'm sure we'll be friends as long as I'm playing baseball and after baseball as well," Baldelli says. Yes, even if Porterfield's greatest hope and biggest fear are realized, even if Baldelli becomes a hero in Boston and nemesis to Tampa Bay.

More: Rocco Baldelli

URI's Marquis Jones Hits Game Winner Against Dayton (Video)

2009-02-26T08:38:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a crazy finish to this game. Marquis Jones flipped in a layup over his shoulder to win the game for URI. This game was a must win for the Rams if they want to accomplish two things: win the A-10 and get an at-large bid. The Rams have been hot of late and if they keep winning I think that will sit favorably with the NCAA Tournament committee. An A-10 title certainly would do the trick. I do have one beef though: PC fans rush the court when they beat # 1 Pitt, which you know actually makes sense, but URI rushes the court when they beat unranked Dayton? Please step your game up people!

Here is the scoop, via ProJo Sports:

There were nine seconds left in overtime of the biggest University of Rhode Island basketball game of the year as the Rams’ Marquis Jones slowly dribbled the ball up the court Wednesday night. The score was tied at 91-91, and both URI and Dayton were tired after 44 minutes and 51 seconds of basketball. Forward Kahiem Seawright was at the top of the key, gesturing frantically at Jones, calling for a screen. URI had been running screens all night with success. Jones gave Seawright the signal, and Seawright brought his big body up to block Dayton’s smaller London Warren.

"I wanted to get a pick and roll –– I went to it, they switched, I had a big man on me, and I just tried to take advantage of the opportunity," Jones said. The screen worked perfectly. Dayton’s defenders switched, leaving the 6-foot Warren on the 6-8 Seawright. As Jones burst free, Seawright moved down towards the basket, expecting Jones to feed him the ball to complete the pick and roll. "I rolled so I could try to finish the game. I wanted the shot so bad," Seawright said.

But instead of dishing to Seawright, Jones kept driving down the lane towards the basket –– to Seawright’s disbelief. "They switched, I rolled, I had a little guy on me, I’m looking at Marquis, like, 'You’ve got to give me the ball!' " Seawright said. But Jones had other plans. As Jones pushed forward, Dayton’s defense collapsed around the 6-1 guard. Dayton coach Brian Gregory watched from the sideline, as Jones just barely slipped through his defenders and barreled towards the rim.

"I thought we played it pretty good, maybe we could have shrunk the court a little [more] … but you want to make a guy make a tough play. That’s a tough play," Gregory said. Jones twisted through the Dayton big men, almost directly under the basket as he slipped past Dayton’s Mickey Perry. With little room left, Jones switched the ball in his hands, moving it to his left. He turned his back slightly to the basket as his momentum carried him forward, and he flipped the ball up, tumbling to the floor out of bounds. "I tried to get a foul, so I tried to get my body into it. When I let it go, I felt like it was soft, so I thought it had a chance," Jones said.

Jimmy Baron, URI’s best shooter, had been standing on the outside, setting up for a shot in case Jones fed him a pass. Baron stood still as Jones released his shot, and time seemed to slow down. As the ball bounced around the rim, the horn sounded and the backboard lit up red to signal that time had expired. Jones had let it go just in time, but it wouldn’t fall in. Baron watched as it rattled around. "We’ve got some tin foil rims at the Ryan Center, man, because that thing stayed up there. It stayed up there so long the buzzer went off," Baron said.

Then, finally, it fell in: 93-91, URI. The crowd poured out of the stands to mob the URI players, who were already piling on top of Jones in victory celebration, knowing that this would be one they would remember forever. "It’s the greatest moment I’ve ever had at URI. It’s not even close. It’s the greatest moment I’ve ever had," Baron said.

More: URI

Rakim Sanders Windmill Dunk vs Florida State (Video)

2009-02-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

Check out this windmill dunk by Pawtucket's Rakim Sanders in last night's game against Florida State. BC "upset" Florida State, 72-67, and Sanders had 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in the victory.

Providence Upsets # 1 Ranked Pitt, 81-73

2009-02-24T23:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, the Friars really shocked me with this victory. I thought Pitt would crush them like they usually do, but PC came out with a ton of energy on Senior Night and I thought they played one of their best defensive games of the year. Makes you wonder why they haven't been able to come out with so much energy on defense all year. Meanwhile, Pitt looked like the didn't even want to be out on the court in the first half and I was really surprised at how they played. They got it together in the second half, but they still came up short. This win gets the Friars back in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament, but it certainly doesn't gaurantee them a spot. A win at Rutgers is something the Friars have to get, but if they are able to beat Villanova on the road as well then that should do the trick and punch their ticket to the tournament.

Here's the rundown, via CBS Sports:

All Providence coach Keno Davis wanted was for his team to be part of the conversation about who will be in the NCAA tournament field. They're talking about the Friars now. Weyinmi Efejuku scored 16 points for Providence, which took a 20-point lead and then turned back one last rally by No. 1 Pittsburgh for an 81-73 victory Tuesday night, the school's second win ever over a top-ranked team.
The victory greatly improves the at-large resume for the Friars (17-11, 9-7), who are in sixth place in the 16-team Big East, a league considered by most as the toughest in the country. "I think they made a big step to be able to continue their collegiate careers tonight," Davis said of his seniors after their final home game. "We're in a pretty good situation: we're in the top half of the best conference in the country. It puts us in the conversation. I'm sure if we had lost, they wouldn't be talking about us anymore."

The talking started when Pittsburgh star DeJuan Blair fouled out on an illegal screen in the final minute with the Panthers trailing 77-70. Pittsburgh (25-3, 12-3) returned to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press poll on Monday, its second time there this season as the Panthers spent two weeks on top in January. "It was just terrible. We didn't play as us," said Blair, who has fouled out in two of Pitt's three losses. "They deserved (it). We gave them that game."

Sharaud Curry added 15 points for the Friars, while Geoff McDermott had 11 points, six assists and three of Providence's 11 steals. Blair had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Sam Young had 16 points and eight rebounds for Pitt, which had won seven straight games and beaten Providence eight consecutive times.

Blair was named Big East Player of the Week after averaging 21 points and 20.5 rebounds in wins over then-No. 1 Connecticut and DePaul last week. He picked up two quick fouls -- his third and fourth -- midway through the second half, then his fifth with 46 seconds left after Pitt had a chance to make it a four-point game. "He's a special player," Davis said. "You look and he got 17 points and eight boards and it's a down night."

Providence led by 20 points after scoring the first basket of the second half to complete a 17-1 run. The Panthers cut it to 75-70 on Blair's putback with 51 seconds left. After Brian McKenzie hit two free throws for Providence a fraction of a second later, Pitt brought the ball down and Blair was called for an offensive foul.
The fans in the Dunkin' Donuts Center crowded around the courtside press tables for the final minutes. Twice, the public address announcer begged the fans to stay off the court following the game; twice the crowd responded by laughing. Sure enough, after the Friars dribbled out the last 20 seconds -- it was too far gone for Pitt to try fouling -- the fans went over the tables and chairs circling the court and celebrated one of the biggest wins in school history.

"We weren't here to get rolled on," Providence forward Jonathan Kale said. "We knew we had to win one. It happened to be Pitt. They happened to be No. 1." The Friars are 2-10 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams, with their other victory coming in double overtime against Michigan in 1976. They 2-5 against ranked teams this season, having also beaten then-No. 15 Syracuse on Jan. 28. "We've got high standards, and we didn't live up to them tonight," said Pitt's Jamie Dixon, who coached his 200th game. "That's obvious."

Providence opened with a 15-4 lead and led by 18 at halftime despite making just one of its first eight 3-point attempts. The Panthers cut the deficit to 29-25 with 6:25 left in the half, but Providence scored 17 of the last 18 points before the break.

More: Providence College

Rakim Joint (DJ Booth Freestyle) - Jon Hope

2009-02-23T17:21:00.001-05:00

New freestyle from Prov City's own, Jon Hope.

Rakim Joint (DJ Booth Freestyle) - Jon Hope

More: New Joints

Notre Dame Lights Up PC For 103-84 Victory.

2009-02-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

Weyinmi Efejuku scored 31 points and Sharaud Curry chipped in with 23 points as the two Friar guards combined to shoot 18 of 29 from the field, but once again PC was done in by their horrific defense, via ProJo Sports:

If there is a definition for lack of respect in college basketball, one was hatched in the last few days in South Bend, Ind. In preparation for Saturday’s game against defensively challenged Providence College, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey gave his players a goal to shoot for. The Irish didn’t circle 80 or even 90points on their scouting report. How about 95? "There was no doubt," guard Jonathan Peoples said about his team’s chances of eclipsing that mark. "When we’re running-and-gunning and taking open shots, we’re capable of putting a lot of points on the board."

That Notre Dame was able to breeze past its lofty goal and leave a sold-out Dunkin’ Donuts Center with a 103-84 win was a gratifying feeling for the visitors and a crippling blow for the Friars. Notre Dame now has won three of four games since suffering a seven-game losing streak and is still breathing in the Big East race with a 15-11 overall mark and 6-8 league record. "It was a very big win for us," Brey said. "I’m proud of our group. This group has taken a lot of punches and kept on fighting."

The Friars, however, haven’t found any defense to muster much of a punch back with their postseason hopes on the line. PC lost for the fifth time in seven games and now stands at 16-11, 8-7 in the Big East. A visit from fourth-ranked Pittsburgh is up next on Tuesday.

It was easy to see why Brey and the Irish looked forward to come to town. They had already seen six Big East teams score 91 or more points against PC and couldn’t wait to test their skills against the Friars’ scrambling, but porous, zone defense. "As a shooter, when you see a zone, your eyes light up," said Kyle McAlarney, a senior guard who had four of Notre Dame’s 13 threes and finished with 25 points. "Having guys hanging on you (in man-to-man) the whole time isn’t fun. It’s nice to kind of freelance a little bit."

McAlarney and Ryan Ayers (seven threes, 28 points) came out firing as Notre Dame hit five of its first seven 3-pointers to race to an 18-10 lead. PC recovered a bit but even with star big man Luke Harangody on the bench with two fouls, the Irish kept rolling. Ayers and McAlarney combined for 10 of ND’s 11 first-half threes as the visitors built a 46-29 lead and led, 49-37, at the half. "I went into the locker room at halftime looking at the scoreboard only down 12 and it didn’t feel that close. It felt like they had dominated the game in a lot of different ways," said PC coach Keno Davis.

With few options available, Davis decided to play more man-to-man defense in the second half. Asked about his defensive planning after the game, Davis insisted that his zone gives the Friars the best chance to combat some of the nation’s elite teams PC faces in the Big East. "We did vary our defense in the first half where we tried to get out on players on the perimeter and not leave them," said Davis. "It might not have looked like that, at times, but we did change our defense in the first half without much success. "In the second half we just felt that with their comfort level in knocking down shots that we had to take away the 3-point shots completely, or try to. We did that but it exposed other parts of our defensive skill," he said.

The defensive switch helped and was further emphasized when Harangody picked up his third and fourth fouls by the 13:30 mark. That gave the Friars a spark with Sharaud Curry (23 points) and Weyinmi Efejuku (career-best 31, 26 in the second half) leading a charge that sliced the lead down to just 61-54 with 12:18 to play.

But that’s when Notre Dame began carving up PC’s man-to-man as well. Peoples, who went on to score a career-best 14 points and dish for nine assists, drained a huge 3-pointer and then turned a Randall Hanke turnover into a driving layup and a three-point play. The quick six points pushed the lead back to 13 (67-54) and the Friars could not get within nine points the rest of the way.

Harangody scored just one free throw in the first half but delivered 17 points in the second half and helped the Irish kill the Friars off the glass, 46-32. "You see why they were picked by a lot of people as one of the top-10 teams in the country," said Davis. "They have a lot of weapons. A lot of guys who can shoot the basketball, as well as the conference player of the year from last year who is an incredible matchup for teams down in the post."

Notre Dame may be surging as its tries to reclaim what looked like a lost season, but it also just lost by 11 at West Virginia. The Mountaineers happen to be one of the stingiest defensive teams in the Big East, a trait that right now is not in Providence’s arsenal.

I have been saying for a few weeks now that this Notre Dame game was one that the Friars could win, but that was before it became obvious that the Friars can't defend and are especially horrible at defending the three. Notre Dame got so many open looks from three in this game that it wasn't even funny. They ended up knocking down 13 threes on their way to lighting up the Friars for 103 points. PC's at large hopes now hinge on what may be the impossible: winning out against Pitt, Rutgers, and Villanova. The Friars MIGHT be able to travel to Villanova and catch them on a bad shooting night, but I doubt they will be able to beat Pitt. The Rutgers game could be dangerous too, since the Friars historically do not play well at Rutgers. Right now it looks like PC will finish 9-9 in the Big East, with a very small chance of finishing 10-8. 11-7 at this point would be miraculous and almost certain to not happen. The Friars will have to do some damage in the Big East tournament if they want to get any at-large consideration. There actually is a possibility they could win 2 games in the Big East tournament with the way the bracket sets up depending on their seed. I will probably get into that once we know how everything shakes out.

More: Providence College

Jimmy Baron's 29 Points Lead URI Over Fordham

2009-02-22T12:33:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Baron went 10 of 12 from the field, including six three-pointers, to lead the Rams of URI over the Rams of Fordham, via ProJo Sports:

The biggest game of the season — a Wednesday night meeting with Dayton at the Ryan Center — loomed in the distance, and it would have been understandable if the University of Rhode Island was caught looking past the 3-20 Fordham Rams on Saturday. But Jim Baron wasn’t going to let that happen. "They have good young players," the URI coach said of the other Rams. "They have guys who can score."

So his Rams kept their focus, charged out to an early lead and coasted to a dominant 77-58 victory. And they got a further reward Saturday night when Dayton was upset by Saint Louis, throwing the top of the Atlantic 10 race into chaos. The Flyers are now tied with Xavier for first place with 9-3 records, and Temple is a half-game back at 8-3. Also a half-game back, at 9-4, is URI. Xavier hosts George Washington and Temple hosts St. Bonaventure on Sunday. So keeping focused paid huge dividends for Rhode Island, which reached the 20-victory mark for the second straight season and now has 60 wins in the last three years under Jim Baron, the best three-year stretch under one coach in school history.

The first half, which saw URI build a double-digit lead before the 10-minute mark, might have well been renamed The Jimmy Baron Show. Baron, URI’s star 6-foot-3 sharpshooter and the A-10’s leading 3-point shooter, used the first half as his personal launching pad. He buried his first six field-goal attempts, including four from downtown. URI rode Baron’s 19 points to a comfortable 43-27 lead. Baron took his hot start in stride. "It’s going to happen," Baron said. "Last game, Keith Cothran carried us. There are three or four guys on the team that can have that type of game."

On a day when he finished with 29 points and shot 6-for-8 from downtown, the message was simple: give the ball to Jimmy. "He was on fire today," forward Delroy James said. "He led us in the first half, got us going and then we just capitalized on that."

Fordham had plenty of opportunities to close the first-half gap. But excluding freshman Jio Fontan’s 5-for-8 first half, the home team shot 3-for-18 from the field, including 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. Baron’s sweet stroke did not turn sour in the second half, as he drained his first two three-point attempts, while forwards James, Kahiem Seawright and company stifled Fordham’s interior game.

A 28-point lead dwindled to 16, as Baron spent much of the final half on the bench. Fordham shot nearly 43 percent in the second half, but the result never appeared in doubt. In the end, URI had too much firepower for an outmanned and outgunned Fordham squad. In a season that has seen its share of overtime games and first half deficits, coach Baron stressed the importance of leading wire to wire.

"We were down against UMass and St. Bonaventure, so we’re trying to put two halves together," Jim Baron said. "I felt we did a much better job of doing that." James scored 9 of his 10 points in the second half, and Baron added 10 to his total.

Now, with Fordham in the rear view mirror, the next challenge awaits. Come Wednesday, when Dayton rolls into town, they will face a Flyers squad that will be neither outmanned nor outgunned. "It’s going to be crazy [against Dayton]," Seawright said.
The biggest news here is that Dayton lost to St. Louis, which means the Rams are only one game back of first place in the A-10. If they can win out, which would include a victory over Dayton, and somehow manage to win the A-10, they will most likely secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Of course to win the Atlantic-10, they would not only have to win out, but they would also need Xavier to lose another game as well, since they lost to Xavier early this season. Getting back to the victory against Fordham, it really tells us nothing about URI, since Fordham is the worst team not in a mid-major or small conference in the country. They are ranked 321st in the nation out of 344 teams behind the like of independent schools like Houston Baptist and SIU Edwardsville. In fact, Bryant College here in RI is ranked 323rd, so the the victory over Fordham is about as meaningless as a victory over Bryant would be. Oh, and yes that is the same Bryant College that lost to 1-26 NJIT to help them break their 51 game losing streak. That should tell you just how BAD this Fordham team is. URI probably should have beat them by at least 30. Hopefully, they were taking it easy on the other Rams from Fordham.

More: URI

Oscar Nominee Viola Davis’ Path From Poverty In Central Falls to Hollywood

2009-02-22T11:51:00.001-05:00

Oscar nominee Viola Davis' grew up in poverty in Central Falls, Rhode Island and is now making a name for herself in Hollywood. Central Falls is just 1.29 square miles in size and as of the 2000 census was over 67% Hispanic. Unfortunately, 29% of the city lives below the poverty line, just like Davis did. Davis' Oscar nomination is for Best Supporting Actress for her part in the movie Doubt, via ProJo:

The walk Viola Davis will take down the red carpet Sunday night in Hollywood began decades ago, a few thousand miles from Hollywood, far away from the paparazzi and the privilege, the glitz and the glamour that now surround the Oscar nominee.

Even by Hollywood standards, hers is an improbable story. Davis overcame poverty and racism to reach the pinnacle of her acting profession. “I come from Central Falls,” Davis remarked years ago before winning a Tony Award. “I did not, growing up, ever, ever dream I could be in this place.” Others aren’t as incredulous. “We’re not completely shocked,” said Deloris Grant, Davis’ sister.

While Davis has spoken with the Journal many times over the years, in this past whirlwind week before the Oscars she did not. Davis declined interview requests. So we spoke with someone very close to the source, Grant, who along with her mother are attending tonight’s ceremony. She has followed and supported all of her sister’s developments and achievements. “I am her number one fan.” Grant is an English teacher and a theater instructor at Central Falls High School. This is where Davis’ rags-to-riches road began, in the neighborhood surrounding the school.

Her parents moved here in 1965. Davis, the second-youngest of six children, was just two months old. But her parents, neither of whom went beyond grade school, were poor and couldn’t afford to raise all their children. So the two oldest stayed behind in South Carolina, raised by grandparents for several years. Davis’ late father left school and home at 8 to become a horse groomer. That’s what eventually brought the family to Rhode Island: a job at Lincoln Downs and Narragansett Park. Davis’ mother, Mae Alice, left home at 13 to marry and to raise a family.

“Poverty is traumatic if you let it be,” Grant said. “Viola didn’t let it be.” In two former tenement houses in Central Falls, one on Washington Street, the other on Cowden Street, both of which have since been razed, Grant shared a room with her younger sister, and a bunk bed, too, although both slept on the top bunk. It was safer. “The rats would run across the bottom bed and go into the wall,” Grant said. “We could hear them in the attic chasing the pigeons.” “I used to fall asleep at night listening to the rats kill the pigeons,” Davis told the Journal in 2004. Dinner once, Grant recalls, was a jar of peanut butter. Take some. Pass it on. “We all had to share it. It was such a sad moment.”

The Davis family was one of the first black families in Central Falls and the first in their neighborhood. Davis remembers racism, sometimes from surprising sources. On a couple of occasions the Davis girls attended Christmas and Easter services at a Catholic church, until a priest asked them to leave. The girls weren’t Catholic and weren’t with their parents. But Grant suspects there was more to it than that. “They didn’t want us in there. We were black.”

Six was the turning point in Davis’ life. Her sister Dianne, who was being raised by grandparents in South Carolina, moved in with the family in Central Falls, did not like what she saw, and would not accept it. “She was so driven, it was supernatural,” Davis said in 2004. “She instilled a ferocious passion for fulfilling our dreams.” Dianne told her sisters that they’d go to college, which was bold. No one in the family had even gone to high school.

That same year, Davis saw Cicely Tyson in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman. And her mind was made up: She was going to be an actress, and promptly pursued her career. That summer, the town conducted a talent show at Jenks Park, just around the corner from where the family lived. “I wanted to be like all the little white girls who won the Miss Central Falls Recreation Contest, who took acrobat lessons at Theresa Landry’s,” Davis said recently on The Tonight Show. “I said I’m going to beat them. I’m going to get that damn prize.” First Davis went to the Salvation Army and bought a second-hand green bikini for her performance. And she selected a song to sing, “Abracadabra” by the DeFranco Family. When the contest came, Davis stood on stage in the big bandstand under its enormous umbrella-shaped copper roof, and she looked out at the crowd and spotted several African-Americans and a few other minorities rooting for her. “All the misfits of the town were like, ‘Do it for us Viola! Do it for us!’” But Davis didn’t do it. She opened her mouth and not a sound came out. “I wet my pants.”

But a month later, she was back at it. She joined three of her sisters in the park for a recreation department theater competition. The Davis girls, who created a skit based on 1970s TV characters, won the competition. And Davis remembers how performing well made her feel. “I felt I had discovered a gold mine.” So Davis continued prospecting. In fifth grade, she played the part of a master of ceremonies before the entire school, including Grant. “I remember thinking at the time, ‘Wow, she’s kind of good.’”

In high school, Davis recited Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son” to her English class. That, according to Grant, is when Viola realized she was good. Grant and Davis performed together in a high school play called Noodle Doodle Box, where both acted from inside a big cardboard box. Rehearsals were hard since they had to share the stage with another group performing some other production. “They would deride us when we came out with our box,” Grant says. “They thought they were better than us because they were doing West Side Story.”

It has been more than 20 years since Robin Yates, retired English department chairman at Central Falls High School, had Davis as a student, but he remembers her “vividly.” “She was clearly a standout talent. It was innate. She had an ability to reach so deep inside herself to an emotion and convey that through her character.” Yates, who now lives in Hudson, Fla., was the school’s drama coach. He remembers Davis in a student production of a play called Runaways and another called Wings, when she “really brought the house down.”

More recently, Yates remembers seeing Davis’ scene in Doubt, feeling “blown away, but not surprised that she could do that. You could see that ability was there in high school.” You could also see a good-natured person with a great sense of humor, who was surprisingly shy in English class. “Give her a part and put her on stage and you couldn’t pull her off. But ask her to talk in class, she hated it.”

While at Central Falls High School, Davis enrolled in Upward Bound, a federally funded program to provide educational support to low-income students. “The first time I met her, I was impressed with her determination, her focus and her sense of honor and her genuine spirit,” says Mariam Boyajian, director of Rhode Island Upward Bound. “She is a remarkable person.” Davis and Grant set up an endowment for the Upward Bound program. And Davis often credits the program for contributing to her success. “I’m proof positive of how social programs can totally transform your life,” Davis said in December on the TV show The View.

Davis occasionally returns to Rhode Island. Her mother still lives in Central Falls, as do her sister Anita and brother John. Her sister Danielle lives in Pawtucket; Deloris lives in Lincoln, and Dianne lives outside Washington, D.C. Sometimes when Davis visits, she talks to students at Central Falls High School and gives them what they need: encouragement.“When I look at them, I think they’re great. They just don’t see the greatness in themselves.”

After graduating from Central Falls High School, Davis studied theater at Rhode Island College, where she was the only black student in the department. Then she worked for a time at Trinity Rep before studying theater at the Juilliard School, in New York, her tuition paid by the Rhode Island Foundation. There, in acting’s most competitive market, Davis struggled. She ate Spam and lived in a tiny apartment, which she shared with rats. “I told her I’m not going in that apartment,” Grant says. “I have a serious fear of rats because of my childhood.”

Viola Davis remembers that childhood, too. But now the 43-year-old has an Obie, a Tony and a Drama Desk Award and a chance tonight of receiving an Oscar. She lives with her husband and two children in Los Angeles. “I may live in Los Angeles,” Davis told The Journal last December. “But when someone asks, I still say I live in Central Falls.”

South Kingstown's Erik Murphy Headed To Florida - Scouting Report

2009-02-20T11:45:00.000-05:00

I completely forgot that Erik Murphy is the biggest basketball recruit to come out of Rhode Island since Marvin "Bad News" Barnes. He's headed to Florida and has a rating of 96, which means he has the potential to significantly contribute as a freshman for most national programs. He could be a three- or four-year starter and have an opportunity for all-league honors, according to Scout, Inc's grading system. Since he's 6'10 and headed to Florida, which is a major program, you have to figure he has a great shot at making the NBA one day. Hey, if you are 6'10 and can shoot from the outside, I'm sure you are going to get a long look by the NBA. Murphy is ranked as the 22nd best player in the class of 2009 and the 7th best PF, but unfortunately was not selected to play in McDonald's All-American game.

Check out the complete scouting report on Murphy, via Scout's Inc.:

January, 2009: Murphy has very good touch and finishes very well around the basket, using either his right or left hand for hoops in the paint. He has impeccable footwork around the basket. He has a great feel for the game, but he will have to get significantly stronger for the next level, which will not only make him a better finisher, but also will keep defenders from getting into his body when he gets the ball on the low block. Murphy will shoot jumpers and can make a living hitting jumpers in transition as a trailer as well as in pick-and-pop sets. He has range that extends out to the 3-point line, though he does not have a quick release. Murphy does a good job of running the floor and will fit perfectly in the up-tempo style of play that Florida employs. Murphy does not block shots at a high rate, therefore he needs to be paired with a more rugged big man when he plays on the next level.

November, 2008: Murphy will have to increase his strength level, but he has a dazzling collection of skills that will take him a long way in college. He has very sound footwork in the post and does a good job using counter moves as well as either hand in the post to finish with jump hooks. He also does a very good job of keeping the ball high when he gets it in the post or when he rebounds the rock. Murphy also has enough quickness to exploit slower big man on the perimeter by driving past them. If the big that guards him does not want to come away from the paint, Murphy will connect on jumpers with range that extends out to the 3-point line, which will help to stretch defenses and bring shot blockers away from the rim, thus opening up driving lanes. His shooting ability as well as his passing skills makes him perfect for high-low alignments on offense as well as offensive sets that utilizes the pick-and-pop, which more teams now run in college. Murphy also has the ability to handle the ball on the break and spot open teammates, a valuable tool considering that he will play at Florida next season where they rely heavily on the fastbreak. Murphy also understands the game very well and has a great feel for basketball and a high basketball I.Q.

August, 2008: Murphy is a skilled face up power forward. He is long, wiry and athletic enough to get your attention. Murphy plays with good effort, toughness and he competes. He has a great feel for the game on both ends of the floor. On offense he does all the little things like attempting to set screens and helping to defend multiple screening actions like on ball screens and down screens on defense. In transition he runs the floor well and can finish above the rim. An excellent reader of guard penetration and knows how to make himself available in an area the he can be affective with his mid range jumper or swing step to the rim along the baseline. Murphy has an excellent touch around the basket and can score with either hand and with his jump hook but must be a more consistent finisher. He handles the ball well on the wing and in the open court which allows him to score on drives and slashes to the rim. A good defensive rebounder mostly because of his consistent effort to hit the glass and can block shots mostly coming in from the weak side. Must get stronger in order to add the physical part of the game to his mental assets. Great upside and should improve rapidly when he gets to Gainesville.

June, 2008: Murphy was one of the more intriguing prospects I saw over the weekend (2008 Fullcourt Press Showcase). During the shooting drills he was lights out. His stroke is very smooth and he has range out beyond 20-feet. He has a solid looking frame with fairly long arms and overall ideal length for the 4/3 position. However, he needs to get considerably stronger for him to be an impact player during the 2009-10 season. During the scrimmage he got bounced around the paint area and struggled scoring in traffic%u2014not too mention he shied away from contact on more than one occasion. He does have outstanding face-up 4-man skills but he needs to become a much more aggressive player on the inside to make his game complete.

December, 2007: Son of former Boston College standout, Jay Murphy, Erik Murphy is a multi-dimensional power forward who can score from the perimeter and the post. He is a very active floor runner and owns a good pair of hands. His court IQ is excellent and his unselfishness makes him a fine teammate. This ambidextrous finisher is a weight program away from being a complete player.

November, 2007: Erik is a skilled post player that can step out and hit 17 to 19 foot jump shots with his feet set. He is the son of former Boston College great and NBA player Jay Murphy. Erik has gotten stronger over the past 6 months. He was injured in June and did not play a lot over the summer. He has good skills for a post player and has been well taught by his father. He is a decent defender but not a shotblocker. He has decent basketball athleticism. Erik is a good scorer on the block. He does not move as well as he did before he got bigger but he is still solid in that area. Erik is a top 75 player nationally in the class of 2009.

Smithfield's Mike Marra Headed To Louisville - Scouting Report

2009-02-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

Smithfield, RI native Mike Marra is headed to Louisville to play for Rick Pitino. He has an overall rating of 88, which means he could contribute for three or four years at a high-major program or have a significant impact as a freshman at a mid-major program., according to Scout, Inc's grading system. Marra is 6'5 and is ranked as the 50th best shooting guard in the class of 2009. It looks like the NBA could be a possibility for Marra based on his skill level, especially since he already has NBA range, but he would have to develop his game in other areas first. Pitino himself said the following about Marra: "He's the best high school shooter I have seen in my life," Pitino said. "I know that's quite a statement."(Courier Journal) Quite a statement indeed.

Check out the complete scouting report on Marra, via Scout's Inc.:

February, 2009: Marra has to continue to increase his strength as he matures in order to become more than a jump shooting specialist at Louisville. He also needs to become a better ball-handler in addition to adding a mid-range pull-up to his offensive arsenal. Marra should have success adding a middle game given his very impressive leaping ability. At this point, he prefers to shoot the 3-point shot with his almost unlimited range. Marra sometimes shoots deep, contested 3s and can get streaky due in large measure to his shot-selection, which can improve for the next level. Marra does a great job of curling off screens for jumpers, effectively squaring his body to the rim and making good use of his lighting quick release on the jumper. He also will need to increase his focus and dedication on the defensive end for college. Marra can also pass the ball when he applies himself in this area and making more good passes will make his shot attempts easier as the defense will have to honor him for the pass and the shot.

November, 2008: A pure shooting guard with NBA range who will stretch out defenses. He has great size as he looks over defenders while he focuses on his target from deep. He demonstrates the ability to break open a game with his 3pt shooting as he will shoot it often and with confidence in transition or in the half court. When you watch his jumper you see how he gets good elevation from his lower body and finishes with a high release and freezes on his follow through. On his teammates dribble penetration he spots up to a passing lane along the 3pt with vision. Setting multiple screening action is another way in which he gets his 3's. With such a lethal shot he needs to use his shot fake more into a dribble pull up. Opponents that are trying to stop him must have two simple rules: never leave him and make him dribble to a shot. In the 2008 National Prep Showcase, he went 9-17 from 3's, (53%) that is remarkable. Louisville got themselves a big time shooter.

October, 2008: Marra looks like he has gained more muscle, but he has to work to become stronger as he has problems when he tries to drive the ball to the rim and stronger guards can thwart his penetrations attempts by knocking him off-balance. Marra also has problems on the defensive end when stronger guards can overpower him on their way to the rim. He will also do better on the defensive end if he devoted the same focus and intensity defending that he does to shooting the ball. Marra loves to shoot the 3-ball with range that starts as soon as he steps in the gym. He sometimes falls in love with the 3 too much and opts for it almost exclusively, shooting ill-advised, contested 25-footers at times. Due in large part to his shot selection, Marra can become streaky from deep and hit three in a row followed by four consecutive misses. When he does stroke it from 3, Marra can surprise defenders by using his quick release to catch defenders off balance. He has good leaping ability and quickness, which he should use to become a better in-between player, utilizing his good shooting mechanics in the mid-range area. He also has decent passing skills and should use those to make himself more versatile on the offensive end, which would make him tougher to defend.

September, 2008: Marra has established a reputation as one of the nation's premier outside shooters. He impressed Coach Rick Pitino enough that Louisville accepted a commitment from Marra last February. Marra made his shots, and displayed well-polished backcourt skills while making the all-star game at the elite Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia last July. Earlier, he had a very good shooting performance at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest in April. Marra is an excellent catch and shoot player, and excels at coming off screens, and knocking in trifectas. He has a quick release, and very deep range. However, in watching him perform at the 17-Under Super Showcase in Orlando, Fla., in late July, Marra struggled to make his shots when pressured by defenders. He appeared to lack lateral quickness. He has been working to improve in this area, which would certainly enhance his playing opportunities at Lousiville. This deficiency causes him problems defensively against quicker, more athletic wing guards. During his final year at Northfield-Mt. Hermon, playing against top prep school competition, Marra must focus upon improving his ballhandling skills, become more adept at creating his own shot and emerging as a much better defensive player. In summary, he needs to round out his entire game, rather than being focused primarily as an outside shooting specialist.

February, 2008: Marra may be the best pure shooter in the high school ranks. He can knock down the 3-ball with NBA range. Marra needs to improve in two areas to play at the highest levels of college basketball. He needs to improve his handle and ability to bring the ball up versus pressure and create his own shot. In addition he must make a better effort to defend and take on the challenges of guarding the other team's better players in high school in order to get him ready to defend at the college level.

December, 2007: Mike is a tremendous outside shooter who has extremely deep range and needs very little room to get his shot off thanks to quick release. Like many other great shooters he is extremely self-confident which enables him to shoot his way through cold spells. He is also equally effective shooting off the catch or the bounce. Marra is also a very impressive athlete who can get up well above the rim when finishing on the break, and even dunk through contact from time to time. However, he lacks the ability to create his own shot off the dribble and isn't able to attack close-outs on most occasions. Physically, he has good height and size for the perimeter although he needs to add muscle to his frame. He is an average defender at best whose limited lateral quickness can be exposed against smaller and quicker guards. Overall, his ability to make contested shots from far distances is matched by few others in the country.

November, 2007: Shooter, stroker, gunslinger - take your pick, but more importantly, he is a maker. Marra has NBA range now. Therefore, he won't have to adjust as much as some players when the three-point arc is inched further back. Mike must show more versatility by adding strength and better ball skills to his game. More athletic than he might appear.

Mount Pleasant High School's Billy Soriano - Scouting Report

2009-02-20T11:01:00.000-05:00

I kind of stumbled across this on accident, but apparently Billy Soriano is a pretty decent college basketball prospect according to the scouting report over at ESPN's Scouts, Inc.:

Soriano, though small, plays with a big heart and gets the most out of his ability on the court. He has good quickness and cunningly changes speeds with the dribble, which keeps bigger defenders from getting into his chest and knocking him off-balance. Soriano has an awkward release, but he connects on jumpers with range that extends out to the 3-point line. He really impresses with his passing ability, easily getting to the paint and finding open teammates for scoring chances. Soriano also gets extra scoring chances for his team by anticipating in passing lanes for steals. He needs to do a better job of playing position defense instead of allowing the dribbler to get past him and gambling for steals from behind. Soriano will benefit from adding a nice floater to his offensive toolbox.

They gave him an overall grade of 75 and here is an explantion of what that grade means:

73-76: Low-major prospect: Player should be a solid contributor and two- or three-year starter at a low-major program.

So basically that means Soriano should be able to play for teams in a lower conference, which is generally a team that comes from a conference that gets only one bid. A team the caliber of a Vermont, Kent State, or Holy Cross for instance might be the highest level of team he could play for. Worst case scenario, he would end up playing in one of those conferences that get ranked as the 15th or 16th seeds in every NCAA Tournament, like a Morgan State, Robert Morris, American, or Belmont. Since he's from Rhode Island, my guess is that if he doesn't end up in the Big East or A-10, then he will probably end up in one of the following conferences: America East, Northeast, Patriot, Colonial Athletic, or MAAC. He is still just a sophomore too, so if he continues to develop then his rating might increase, which would make him more attractive to some bigger name schools.

Ryan Gomes Post-Game Interview (Video)

2009-02-19T09:10:00.000-05:00

Check out this interview with ex-PC Friar Ryan Gomes after his Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat

PC's Defense Exposed Once Again Against Louisville

2009-02-19T09:06:00.000-05:00

The Friars poor defense got them in trouble again last night in their loss to Louisville, via ProJo Sports:

The Providence College Friars learned the hard way Wednesday night why coaches harp on playing a complete game. Less than three minutes of sloppy play took Providence (16-10, 8-6 in the Big East) from upset alert against seventh-ranked Louisville to an unspectacular 94-76 loss at Freedom Hall. With four games remaining, including home matchups with Big East opponents Notre Dame and No. 4 Pittsburgh, the Friars still need a high-profile win to have a realistic opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.

"What I told my team after the game was that for 20 minutes we played like we had a chance out there," Providence coach Keno Davis said. "(In the second half) they showed that they are a better team than we are right now. With four games left, we have to improve as a team and play through more physical contact. It doesn’t get any easier in the Big East."

After a stellar first half that saw Providence and Louisville swap leads nine times, the Friars came unhinged during a three-minute stretch of the second half and it cost them the game. The Friars held the Cardinals (20-5, 11-2) scoreless for 4:35 early in the half and led, 53-50, with 14:30 remaining. Then the game took a sharp turn for the worst. The Friars committed four turnovers in five possessions, which Louisville converted into nine points and a 59-53 lead.

Then, after a Jerry Smith layup made it 61-53, Davis was whistled for a technical foul. Smith hit both free throws, and in 2:26, the Friar’s three-point lead became a 10-point deficit. Over the next four minutes, the 13-0 run grew to 19-1 and a 69-54 Cardinals lead with little more than eight minutes left. During the run, Providence was largely forsaken by its offensive rebounding; the Friars took one shot or less on nine straight possessions.

The Friars never made a serious run from there. After shooting 75 percent (18 of 24) from the field in the first half, Providence hit only 9 of 30 (30 percent) in the second. "We shot lights out in the first half," said Providence guard Jeff Xavier, who had 12 points. "But we knew we weren’t going to score 46 points again in the second half against a Rick Pitino-coached team and that we would have to play defense. We started to miss some shots that we hit in the first half, and they started to take over after that."

Once again PC's horrific defense caused them to lose a game that could have been a signature win for their NCAA Tournament resume. In fact, this was the worst defense they played all season giving up 131 points per 100 possessions and allowing Louisville to have a 61.7% effective FG%. The same Louisville team that is 111th overall in effective FG%, shooting 50.7% on the year. That is not good news for the Friars coming down the stretch, who are going to need their defensive play to step it up. They need to win 3 of their next 4 games to have any hope of earning an at-large bid or else they will have to do some serious damage in the Big East Tournament. I have a hard time believing they stand any chance of beating Pitt, so they are going to have to take care of business against Notre Dame at home and they try to knock off Villanova and Rutgers on the road.

More: Providence College

Keith Cothran's Career High 26 Points Lead URI To Victory Over UMass

2009-02-19T08:46:00.000-05:00

Keith Cothran came up big for the Rams as they defeated UMass, 71-59, via ProJo Sports:

Some victories are sweeter than others, and the one the University of Rhode Island earned Wednesday night at the Mullins Center might be the most important yet for the Rams. It’s not just that URI won for the first time in five years, to the day, in the Mullins Center. It’s not that they rallied from 12 back to keep their hot streak alive with their seventh win in eight starts.

It was the way Rhode Island beat Massachusetts, 71-59, that made this one special. The Rams didn’t play their best. Their two co-captains, Jimmy Baron and Kahiem Seawright, were shut down and scored only six points each, 18 below their combined averages. Not only that, but Seawright injured his ankle and miss much of the second half.

But in a display of resiliency and determination, they fought back and rode a career night from Keith Cothran (26 points) and clutch play from everyone on the court in the final three minutes to a significant victory. "This is what a team is built on," Seawright said in wrapping up the night’s work. "Jimmy is going to get the best looks of the defense every night. I’m getting a lot of doubles. We need the third and fourth guys to step up."

Cothran was the guy who stepped way up Wednesday night. He carried the team on his back as he went 11-for-17, including 3-for-5 on 3-pointers. "I was thinking in the hotel room that I was going to be real aggressive," Cothran said. "I wanted to just create havoc." Coach Jim Baron told him he would be needed, especially after watching film of UMass’ previous game, a loss at St. Bonaventure. "I saw what the Bonaventure guards did against these guys," Baron said. "Keith is a big guard like they have. He’s a kid that plays hard and creates problems."

Cothran had played excellently early in the season, when he was starting. Since injuring a knee nine games ago, he has come off the bench and hasn’t been as big a factor. Wednesday night, Baron got Cothran in the game early and kept him in. Cothran played 29 minutes and had three of URI’s nine steals in addition to his 26 points. URI is now 15-1 when Cothran scores at least 15.

Rhode Island needed someone to step up since the Rams shot only 29 percent in the first half. They fell behind right away and were down by as many as 31-19. They scored the last nine points of the half to get within three at the break. UMass had outrebounded URI and beaten the Rams to numerous loose balls in the first 20 minutes.

With Cothran leading the way, the second half belonged to the Rams. URI got its first lead at 38-37 on a free throw by Lamonte Ulmer with 12:44 left. It fell behind again, but Cothran drilled a 3-pointer to get his team back on top. UMass went up six before 3-pointers by Stevie Mejia and Cothran tied it at 49-49.

URI appeared to be in trouble, though, since it had to go nearly 10 minutes without Seawright, who sprained an ankle trying to draw a charge on UMass point guard Chris Lowe. Lowe, who killed URI badly in two UMass victories last season, had 15 points and five assists. But, hounded by Marquis Jones and Mejia, he also had nine turnovers.

The score was tied for the last time at 57-57 with 2:40 left. Seawright returned and made two foul shots to start a 14-2 run the rest of the way that won it for URI. Cothran had two hoops in the run and Baron, who attempted (and missed) only two 3-point shots all night, made four free throws to help salt away the decision.
After reading this article, you might think UMass was a powerhouse this season. In actuality, they are pretty damn bad. They have a 9-15 record and rank 136th in offensive efficiency and 155th in defensive efficiency. Again this is just a case of URI beating a team they should beat. By winning, they avoid disaster, but do not gain much else from the victory as far as their NCAA hopes go. The good news for the Rams is that they have now one 7 of their last 8 games and if they win their last 4 as well then that would make it 11 of 12, which is quite a hot streak. The committee usually looks favorably on teams that finish the season on hot streaks like that and it could help them sneak in with an automatic bid if they continue to play well in the A-10 Tournament.

More: URI

JUCO Recruit Russ Permenter Committs To PC

2009-02-17T08:45:00.000-05:00

Check out the latest PC recruit, via ProJo Sports:

Once Russ Permenter heard the words “Providence College,” his recruitment was complete. Permenter, a 6-9 junior college forward from Temple, Texas, verbally committed to PC on Sunday at the end of an official visit to the school. Permenter watched the Friars practice, took in the win over Rutgers and had a chance to meet with PC’s players and coaching staff. “It’s just a great situation up there,” said Kirby Johnson, Permenter’s coach at Temple College. “It’s Big East, the best conference in the country. Basketball is king up there. Being from the South, the only negative is the cold weather, but Russ said he’s fine with that.”

Permenter was not highly recruited, but Johnson says he understands why. Two years ago, Permenter was a high school star in Temple who backed out of a commitment to Texas Christian and ended up signing to play at Texas-San Antonio. He broke his hand in November of last season and ended up playing token minutes in 14 games, averaging just 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds. “Russ went to school with my son in Temple, so I told him when he went away to college that if things didn’t work out, we would be there for him,’’ said Johnson. “San Antonio just wasn’t a good fit, so he called us last May.’’

Permenter spent the summer working with Johnson and other members of a Temple College team that plays in one of the premier JUCO leagues in the country. He’s gotten stronger (about 225 pounds) and is averaging 19 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks for a team that’s 16-10 and hoping to fare well in the Texas playoffs. “We play in an excellent conference. The last two national champions (South Plains, Midland) came from our region,’’ said Johnson.

Johnson said that when Temple played in a holiday tournament in Fort Smith, Ark., college coaches began to notice his center. South Alabama, Pepperdine and Penn State were among the schools calling, but PC assistant Chris Davis went to see Temple practice, watched a game and offered a scholarship. “Chris watched us practice and just said right away that he was someone Providence will definitely target,’’ said Johnson. “We’re a very up-tempo team, so our big men have to do a lot, and Russ can step out and shoot the ball but also is a good scorer in the post.’’

Johnson said that Permenter is a strong student who only came to junior college to gain additional basketball exposure. He’s enjoyed some big games (30 points and 19 rebounds one night) and is looking forward to the opportunity to play at Providence. “Everyone just needed a chance to see him play live,” said Johnson. “Providence can be a great opportunity for Russ.”

PC loses its entire starting frontcourt ( Jonathan Kale, Geoff McDermott and Randall Hanke) to graduation after this season. Permenter becomes the latest recruit to join coach Keno Davis’ first class that is now at a whopping seven players. He joins Detroit center James Still and Atlanta forward Kadeem Batts as frontcourt additions who’ll compete for playing time with holdovers Alex Kellogg, Jamine Peterson and Bilal Dixon. The other four members of the recruiting class are junior college shooter Kyle Wright and high school guards Johnnie Lacy, Duke Mondy and Vincent Council. Permenter and Council have yet to sign letters-of-intent but are expected to do so in April.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a scouting report on Russ Permenter, but from this article it looks like he is a big man who can shoot from the outside. Of course, in the Big East, he's going to have to be able to hold his own down low on the defensive end or else he'll see his butt on the bench like Randall Hanke does for half the game because of his defensive inefficiencies.

Previously: PC Recruits Johnnie Lacy & Vincent Council

More: Providence College

Mayor Cicilline To Give State of The City Speech Tonight

2009-02-17T08:09:00.001-05:00

Mayor Cicilline will let us know how doomed we are tonight, via ProJo:

When Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline took stock of the city in a speech last February, he saw the gathering clouds of economic and financial trouble. The foreclosure crisis was devastating neighborhoods in the capital city. The price of gasoline hovered around $3 a gallon. The mood across the nation, both politically and economically, was grim. “A hurricane is headed right for us,” said Cicilline, delivering his annual State of the City address before a crowd at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

With his city and the rest of the nation now in the midst of that hurricane, Cicilline will give his sixth State of the City address at 7 tonight in the convention center. The mayor will outline the city’s response to the difficult economic challenges it faces, according to a news release on the event, and will announce a “bold initiative” to help families. Cicilline spokeswoman Karen Southern declined yesterday to give details.

The annual address comes as the two-term mayor, generally regarded as a leading candidate for governor in 2010, has seen his approval rating decline. A Brown University poll conducted in September found that 46 percent of state residents rated Cicilline’s job performance as good or excellent, as opposed to the 64 percent the previous year. Last February, Cicilline’s approval rating was at 51 percent, according to the university.

Personally, I feel like the Mayor has done a good job since he has been in office. He seems to have cleaned things up corruption wise and I think he understands what the people of the city need. I would probably vote for him for Governor if he was to run, of course that depends on who he is running against too, but I honestly think he would do a good job. Plus, I'm also sure he has a deep hatred for current Governor Carcieri, which is always a plus in my book.

More: Providence

PC's Geoff McDermott Struggles With Knee Injury

2009-02-16T10:59:00.002-05:00

Looks like McDermott is still struggling from the knee injuries that have plagued him over the past few seasons, via :

After seemingly every recent Providence College basketball game, Weyinmi Efejuku looks at a stat sheet, finds his pal Geoff McDermott’s name and shakes his head in amazement. That’s what happened after Saturday night’s 78-68 win over Rutgers. Efejuku saw that McDermott led the Friars with 12 rebounds, 11 off the defensive glass. “I don’t know how he gets the rebounds he does, but he does it all the time,” Efejuku said.

As any PC fan can plainly see, McDermott is hurting. Again. In each of his first three seasons at Providence, the 240-pound forward developed problems with his knees late in the season. Inflammation from fluid limits his explosion on the court and requires the team’s medical staff to drain the area. There is no structural damage but the same woes are repeating themselves.

To McDermott’s credit, he does not complain, wear a brace or even limp that much. He was not available to discuss his knee problems and coach Keno Davis has deflected the issue, saying only that he chooses to rest McDermott and others with nagging injuries.

The knee woes affect McDermott mostly on the offensive end of the floor. Over his last five games, he’s averaging just 3.6 points on 32 percent (7-of-22) shooting. Opponents are giving him open 15-footers and he’s not able to elevate and power home baskets near the goal. He is averaging a career-low 8.1 points this season.

But that’s not to say McDermott’s value to the Friars has dimmed. His rebounding and passing skills continue to make him an irreplaceable part of the team’s attack. Over the last five games, he is averaging 9.4 rebounds, with double figures three times. He is averaging 8.9 boards a game for the season and has a chance to end his PC career with more rebounds (998) than points (1,056).

It is that tenacity off the glass that draws respect from McDermott’s teammates. “He’s a warrior,” said Efejuku. “His knee might be hurting him, but he’s still going to go out there and play. He’s going to be in the training room all the time before and after the game but during the game, he’ll always play hard for us.”

Davis has talked about how he always lessens the load for his players at this time of year during practice sessions. Leading up to the Rutgers game, the Friars had light workouts, basically walking through Rutgers’ offensive plans and then taking time to shoot free throws and jump shots.

McDermott, who is shooting just 47 percent from the foul line, has taken extra time at the stripe in practices, according to Davis. The coach says he’s happy with all that McDermott continues to bring to the Friars. “The 12 rebounds is incredible and not only that, he gets six assists,” Davis said after the Rutgers game. “He is finding a way to help us win games even when he’s not shooting the way he would like. To get six assists playing the power forward, that’s a huge number. He doesn’t need to score points for us. I’d rather him get the assists and rebounds and help us win.”

It's too bad that McDermott hasn't been able to play at 100% this season because of his knee problems. You would think that some rest would do him good, but apparently the injury won't go away. Sounds like he might need some type of minor surgery to me, but as a senior in college the last thing you want to do is miss time with a knee injury. Hopefully some rest will do McDermott good and he will be close to full strength soon. I will never question his heart or passion for the game though and for that I salute him.

More: Providence College

Basketball Is A Bond For Students At Juanita Sanchez High School

2009-02-16T10:53:00.000-05:00

Nice story here about the boys and girls basketball teams at Juanita Sanchez High School in Providence, via High School Game Time:

The Juanita Sanchez boys are fighting for a playoff berth in the Division III basketball tournament next month, while the Sanchez girls wind down their second consecutive season without a victory.

But a visitor to the dual school complex on Thurbers Avenue would never know the difference. Brenda Reyes and Joseilys Portes, seniors who have not won a game since they were sophomores, were just as excited about their basketball as Kirby Verlus, a senior on the boys team who started in the playoffs last year and expects to do the same in a little more than two weeks.

The Sanchez boys were 7-8 overall and 6-6 and fifth in Division III heading into their game with first-place Central Falls (14-2, 11-1) on Friday night. The girls were 0-14 overall, 0-11 in Division III, before their home finale Friday afternoon against Davies.

But basketball is more than winning and losing for these kids.

“We’re like a family,” Reyes said late last week. “We’re always learning how to work with people. Everybody loves to play and have fun.”

Basketball has taught Portes the value of teamwork and accepting the responsibility of coming to practice on time and playing hard. Basketball has provided senior Dekontee Azzam, a hoop rookie, with a team experience.

“It’s not about winning games all the time,” she said.

Verlus joined the Cavaliers’ boys halfway through the 2008 season and made such an impression that he is captain this season. He attended Del Sesto High for two years and played basketball for Mount Pleasant because Del Sesto did not have a team. When Del Sesto closed, he transferred to the William B. Cooley Health, Science and Technology High School in the Juanita Sanchez Complex. The Providence Academy of International Studies occupies the other wing of the complex.

“I heard this is a good school, and I knew they had a basketball team,” Verlus said. “I like the school. It’s not too big. Everybody knows everybody and is friendly.”

The Juanita Sanchez Complex, named for the Hispanic community leader who died in 1992 at the age of 39, opened in September 2003. Willie Washington, the former Central High and Rhode Island Junior College star and a resource specialist, directed a club basketball program that first year. In 2004, Steve Nadeau, the former St. Raphael football star and a special-education teacher in the Providence system, became the first coach of the boys varsity and is still calling the plays.

The Cavaliers won the 2007 Division III championship and reached the semifinals in 2008. This has been a rebuilding year, and Nadeau has started four sophomores with Verlus.

“We’re having some fun. We’ve had to teach them everything,” Nadeau said of assistant coach Kristen McCall and himself. Verlus said he was helping the young players just as the seniors last year taught him.

“It’s like kindergarten sometimes,” he said with a smile.

Sophomore Ramon Quinonez (16.8 points per game) is the leading scorer, followed by sophomore Malcolm Scott (12.9), Verlus (9.9) and sophomores Kevin Hernandez (7.6) and Angel Candelier (7.4).

The Sanchez girls made the playoffs in their second year and earned a sportsmanship award in 2007 but have struggled since. The team is playing this winter because Dan DeCataldo, a teacher, and Ricky Bozzer, the boys cross-country and baseball coach, stepped in at Thanksgiving and volunteered to coach. They held tryouts, 30 girls showed up, and 26 remain, split evenly between varsity and junior varsity.

DeCataldo and Bozzer had to start with the basics.

“At the beginning, everybody seemed lost and out of position. No one knew how to dribble. We didn’t know where to go,” Portes said. Azzam had no skills at the start of this season, DeCataldo said, but now she “dribbles with both hands, anticipates and makes steals.”

“I’m really happy with the team as a whole. I feel we’re becoming better,” Azzam said.

Reyes recalled her struggle as a backup point guard last year and said that she was more determined this year and understood that “I have teammates to help me.”

Team defense improved, but scoring remains a problem. Sanchez has scored 20 points twice, a 57-26 loss to Central on Dec. 29 and a 44-21 loss at South Boston on Feb. 9, and managed only five points against Fatima on Dec. 18 and two at Mount Pleasant on Jan. 6. But the Cavaliers outscored Hope, 12-10, in the second half of a 27-18 loss on Feb. 10 and were proud.

These girls have overcome more than a lack of ability to play basketball. Reyes dealt with family issues early in the season. Portes juggles a job at Wendy’s with dribbles at Sanchez. And Azzam was on the verge of quitting basketball to keep her job in the dietary office at Rhode Island Hospital. “I didn’t want to quit the team, but I needed that job,” she said. In the end, her supervisors worked with her, and now she plays basketball, works at the hospital and still takes Advanced Placement courses.

The best news from these four Sanchez seniors? Each plans to attend college.

More: High School

City of Providence Wants Judge Caprio To Step It Up

2009-02-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

This right here is just a shame that the city wants to put pressure on the courts to generate more money when people are struggling to make ends meet everyday. I commend Judge Caprio for being honorable and fair. I think he is doing the right thing and giving a break to people who deserve it. He's also right that the court should not be a revenue engine for the city. They should be looking to create long term revenue streams from something that is more productive for the city and helps all people. Story via ProJo:

Caprio, whose videotaped court proceedings play regularly on the popular public-access show Caught in Providence, hears from nearly 150 people before court adjourns. Nearly all walk away paying less than they expected, or, in some cases, nothing at all.

Some city officials think Caprio and the three other Municipal Court judges might be a little too forgiving to those who come before them, and it is costing the city money.

Mayor David N. Cicilline’s director of administration, Richard I. Kerbel, says the court — which deals with traffic and moving violations and some misdemeanor offenses — is not on pace to meet the city’s revenue estimates.

So, in not so many words, he is asking the courts to step it up.

But Caprio says the court is not a revenue engine. With the economy in tough shape, the court should show more compassion, not less, he says.

“A lot of people are hurting. You’d have to be inhuman not to take those factors in. You got to live in the real world. This is life and it’s all on vivid display here in court,” he said. “What am I supposed to say if a person comes in with four children and is on Food Stamps? ‘Sorry, the city needs money, so you have to pay?’ ”

But what about the cash-strapped city?

Kerbel said the court brings in a significant amount of money, but, he acknowledged, there is a fine line that the mayor’s office must consider: Municipal Court is one of three independent tribunals (the other two are housing and probate) whose judges are appointed by the City Council, not the mayor’s office.

“It’s very clear we cannot tell judges how to do their jobs,” he said. “All we can say is where we are in terms of our estimates, what would help, and what would not help.”

“Every mayor since 1985 has looked for more money from the court,” Caprio said, referring to Kerbel’s comments. “But we don’t get into that. We can’t. I’m not elected as a revenue enhancement officer. I’m elected as a judge.”

More: Providence

Weyinmi Efejuku Leads PC Over Rutgers

2009-02-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

Weyinmi Efejuku dropped 25 points as the Friars defeated Rutgers, 78-68, via ProJo Sports:

As one shot after another fell through the hoop and Providence College’s commanding lead over Rutgers shriveled Saturday night, Friars guard Weyinmi Efejuku knew something was wrong. Efejuku said he could see the Scarlet Knights making a charge, but only when he heard the PC boobirds begin to chirp did he realize that an 18-point second-half lead had shrunk to only one. "The fans weren’t appreciating our effort and I didn’t appreciate our effort," said the senior from New York. "We had to turn it up and close out the game." That’s exactly what the Friars did as they took Rutgers’ comeback punch and regrouped in time to come away with a 78-68 victory in front of a crowd of 11,246 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

That Efejuku and the rest of the Friars fell asleep in the second half can be understood. Rutgers (10-15, 1-11 Big East) played very poorly for the game’s opening 25 minutes and had every excuse to pack up early and begin the long drive back to the Garden State. But once the Knights began to hit a few shots and put some juice into a moribund offense, the game turned. "Their record might not show it, but they’re a good team and they’re in our league, so we knew eventually they’d make a run," said Efejuku. "That’s what they did and we didn’t retaliate very quickly. We were kind of shocked at the run they put on us so fast. Next thing I knew, we were up two. I thought we were up 15."

With Earl Pettis (13 points) and Jaron Griffin knocking home 3-pointers and Rutgers limiting Providence to one shot, the visitors ripped off a 19-3 run that cut the Friar lead to 56-54. From there, it was your typical Big East dogfight. Rutgers kept charging and closed to within 61-60 on a Griffin tip-in. It was 63-62 when the Friars finally dug in. A Sharaud Curry 3-pointer pushed the lead to 66-62 and the Friars’ defense then stopped Rutgers on three straight trips. Curry made one of two free throws to make it 67-62 with 2:23 left. Rutgers turned the ball over as it came up the floor and Efejuku ran the ball back at the Knights for a layup and a 69-62 lead. One free throw from Geoff McDermott and two more by Marshon Brooks made it 72-62 with 1:19 left and the Friars were out of the woods.

Efejuku led the Friars with 25 points and was clearly the best player on the court. Curry and Brooks added 12 points and Randall Hanke added 10. With the win, PC improves to 16-9 overall and 8-5 in the Big East. Coach Keno Davis was clearly not happy with the second-half letdown, but was happy his team hung tough and didn’t lose the lead.
The Friars got a scare in this one, but came out with the W in the end. PC is always tough to beat when Efejuku plays well and scores 20 plus points. This was one of the games remaining on PC's schedule that they had to win in order to keep their at-large hopes alive. The way this game went, I would not be surprised to see PC lose when the travel to Rutgers for the rematch in a couple weeks. PC always has trouble playing at Rutgers and the Scarlett Knights probably have the confidence to believe they can beat the Friars after coming back on them last night. Next up for PC is a trip to Louisville on Wednesday to face former PC coach Rick Pitino. I think the Friars can win this game if they can play some good D and not turn the ball over, because Louisville is a poor shooting team. Of course, against the Friars they will probably hit about 10 plus three's now.

More: Providence College

URI Defeats St. Louis Behind The Strong Play of Lamonte Ulmer

2009-02-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

Lamonte Ulmer was a beast yesterday, shooting 8 of 9 from the field to score 18 points to help URI defeat St. Louis, 69-61, via ProJo Sports:

It took Lamonte Ulmer well into his third year with the University of Rhode Island basketball team to earn a starting spot. Now that he has it, Ulmer's playing as if he wants to keep it.

The junior forward from Connecticut was outstanding Saturday, turning in one of his best all-around efforts yet as he led the Rams to a 69-61 triumph over Saint Louis at the Ryan Center. Ulmer had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals as he helped Rhode Island go wire-to-wire in winningt he game. Kahiem Seawright added a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards and Jimmy Baron added 11 points for the Rams, who won for the sixth time in seven starts.

Saint Louis, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped, played without its head coach, Rick Majerus. Majerus stayed home to be with his girlfriend, who was seriously injured in an auto accident. Porter Moser, the Billikens’ associate head coach, took over in Majerus’ absence. Moser felt the result had more to do with Ulmer being present than Majerus being absent. Moser said he simply carried out the game plan Majerus had set up. That plan was designed to focus on Baron and Seawright.

Ulmer is a tough match for the Billikens because of his size, at 6-feet-7, and his speed. He had his first career double-double at the Scotttrade Center last year when Saint Louis beat URI, 68-61. This time, he was even better. "I thought Ulmer was the difference. He had as good a game as I’ve seen him have on tape," Moser said. "It seems like he’s so long. He’s athletic and he plays passionately. He sure did tonight." "He plays with so much high energy," agreed Rhody coach Jim Baron. "We played him at the top of the press . . . And he attacked the glass."

After coming off the bench for so long and worrying about the starters setting the tempo for him, Ulmer now concentrates on pushing the pace from the start. "I feel like I have to start the game strong so the people who come off the bench can keep it going," he said. "I’m getting more comfortable with it."

Ulmer is averaging just over eight points a game. He is at 11.1 in the eight games since becoming a starter. The lanky forward has extended his shooting range to the point where he has made a couple 3-pointers in recent games, but his strength is still his inside game and his defense. His first two hoops yesterday were dunks off the break. Later in the first half, he had another dunk off a set play on which the Rams set a double screen for him and Seawright lofted an alley-oop pass from the top of the key.

By halftime, Ulmer had 12 points. The Rams also had their stamp on the game. URI had jumped out quickly, which was a focus, Baron said, after a brutal first half against St. Bonaventure in the previous outing. This time, URI jumped ahead, 8-0. Saint Louis got within 14-13 and 16-14. The first of two 3-pointers by Stevie Mejia, who had a nice game coming off the bench for URI (6 points, 5 assists) and then the Ulmer dunk off the Seawright pass, got the lead back to seven.

It was 32-25 at the half. Ulmer started the second half in style, with URI’s first two hoops, including another dunk. Saint Louis, which was led by freshman point guard Kwamain Mitchell’s 15 points, tried to hang in, but never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

Ben Eaves, given his first chance to play in crunch time because Delroy James was not feeling well, was the one who put it away. He had five straight points, on a 15-footer and then a 3-pointer, to clinch Rhody’s seventh A-10 victory, equaling the team’s total for all last season.

URI also ran its record at the Ryan Center to 11-1, matching the most victories in one season in the building. Unlike last season, when the team folded when the stretch, everything is looking brighter, although the next opponent is UMass Wednesday in Amherst. "They got us twice last year," Baron pointed out. "So we’ve got to be ready for them this time."

Not having Coach Majerus on the St. Louis sidelines probably weakens their team a great deal, so I think URI caught a break with that. Hopefully his girlfriend is going to be OK though. We don't know what types of adjustment Majerus would have made if he was coaching and this is probably a completely different game if that is the case. This win just keeps URI's NCAA Tournament profile from looking worse at this point. They need to beat everyone on their schedule, with the exception of Dayton, so they can avoid having anymore bad losses on their resume. UMass can score some points on occasion, so URI will have to play strong defense to avoid getting into a shootout with them. The Rams are a far better team though and should win that game

More: URI

Cuttino Mobley Still Loves URI, Honored at Halftime of URI-St.Louis Game

2009-02-15T10:50:00.001-05:00

Cuttino Mobley was inducted into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame and honored yesterday at halftime of the URI-St. Louis game, via ProJo Sports:

It was as if nothing had changed for Cuttino Mobley. He was an outgoing guy who laughed and talked a lot when he was at the University of Rhode Island, and he was the same way when he returned Saturday.

It has been a decade since Mobley last was on the Rhody campus, but the memories remain vivid for the former Rhody star. "I love it," said the 10-year NBA vet. "To see familiar faces, to see how URI has been built up. To see the new gym . . . It’s a great thing. Just to see everyone is a good feeling."

Mobley had been invited back previously during basketball season, but his NBA duties had kept him away. He retired earlier this season because of a heart ailment. He returned over the weekend to be one of six enshrined in the school’s athletic Hall of Fame.

"I was just kidding with some guys, saying ‘Let’s go to the Rams Den after the game,’ " he said. "I was telling them I’ve still got 200 points on my card . . . Seeing the graduate village, seeing all the dorms; I even saw the lady who served us at Hope (dining hall). "I never had a bad experience here,’’ he went on. "I love life."

Mobley is restricted from playing any type of basketball for a year. His heart will be checked at that point and a decision made on how to proceed. He is not worried. "You know me, I chill. I don’t get excited about it," he said. "I don’t think it’s a big deal but everybody else does. I take it day-by-day and love it. "You’ve got to retire some time," he said. "Unless you’re a reporter or a golfer. Then you don’t have to retire."

Coach Jim Baron invited Mobley to speak to the team before the game and Mobley accepted. His message, the players reported, focused on working hard.

More: URI

If The Regular Season Ended Today, Would PC Be In The NCAA Tournament?

2009-02-13T12:42:00.000-05:00

Jim Donaldson of ProJo Sports makes some interesting points about the Friars NCAA chances:

If the regular season ended today, the Providence College Friars would be in the NCAA Tournament.

Or should be.

Look at the Big East standings, where the Friars--7-5 in conference play--are tied for sixth with Cincinnati, a team they've beaten not just once, but twice. All alone in eighth place is Syracuse, at 6-6. The Friars have beaten them, too.

So, given that at least six teams from the Big East - without question, the strongest conference in the country, top to bottom - will be going to the NCAA Tournament, there should be no question that the Friars would be one of them.

The regular season does not, however, end today. The Friars still have three weeks, and six league games, remaining.
I've pretty much been in the belief that the Friars need to win 10 Big East games to get into the NCAA Tournament and then probably still need a little help to get in. However, what happens if Georgetown and Notre Dame keep tanking and the Friars end up in 6th place right with Cincinnati and Syracuse? The Friars beat Cincinnati twice and knocked off Syracuse as well. Syracuse would probably get in over PC and would be the 7th team along with UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Villanova, Marquette, and West Virginia. I think that is the minimum amount of teams that make it from the Big East, which leaves Georgetown, Notre Dame, PC, and Cincinnati with work left to do.

Georgetown's resume is probably better than PC's, but only if they start winning again. They have victories over UConn, Memphis, & Syracuse, so if they can beat a few more teams and get to 9-9 in the conference I think they get in too, which would make them the 8th team in. It would help PC if Georgetown keeps losing, because I think that makes PC the 8th team in the Big East(assuming PC gets to 10 or more wins) instead of Georgetown. I don't think they Big East gets more than 8 teams in the tournament.

In the end, I don't think the Friars make it with 10 wins unless they knock off Pitt, Villanova, or Louisville. Lose to Rutgers once and then they are really in trouble. I think 11 wins gets them in for sure and 10 gives them a strong case depending on who they've beaten. Either way, it wouldn't hurt the Friars to win a game or two in the Big East tourney.

More: Providence College