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

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.

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

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

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."

URI Signs High Scoring North Carolina Guard Akeem Richardson

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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NIT: URI Defeats Niagara, Will Face Penn State Next

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

URI To Face Niagara In NIT

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.

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URI Loses To Duquesne, Headed To NIT

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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URI Defeats Duquesne, 73-71

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.

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

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.

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Jimmy Baron's 29 Points Lead URI Over Fordham

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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