The following aspects are the keys to Rhode Island men’s basketball having a successful season in 2018-2019.
- A whole new coaching staff implementing a system that breeds success
They may be donning the same colors but the Rams coaching staff had a relatively large overhaul during this past offseason. David Cox is making the transition from associate head coach to head coach of the new staff. Tyron Boswell is expected to fill a larger role during this season, while they have added John Carroll and Kevin Sutton to the staff. Carroll may be the most intriguing assistant coach due to his prior experience in the NBA with the Boston Celtics.
- The growth of all of the young players throughout the season
Foremost, players like Jeff Dowtin, Daron “Fatts” Russell, and Cyril Langevine are being looked at to take major leaps in upcoming season. After the graduation of five seniors that made significant contributions in their college careers, URI welcomes in a highly regarded four-man recruiting class. ESPN Top 100 big man Jermaine Harris could bloom into a star in his four years in Kingston, RI. Meanwhile, Dana Tate and Tyrese Martin are expected to immediately slot into the rotation. Lastly, Omar Silverio cannot be overlooked after the time he spent dominating NBA professionals at Dyckman Park.
- The leadership and experience that the returning players bring
The 2018-2019 iteration of Rhode Island MBB may be younger than in recent seasons but they return plenty of NCAA tournament experience. Jeff Dowtin, Daron Russell, Cyril Langevine, Christion Thompson, Ryan Preston, Michael Layssard Jr, and Michael Tertsea have all been a part of at least one Rhode Island team that has made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The invaluable experience that the upperclassmen have acquired can immensely help the progression of the freshmen. Additionally, Thompson, Preston, Layssard Jr, and Tertsea all have the capability to earn more playing time than each of them have had in past seasons.
