Sunday, January 09, 2000
Rams awful without Odom
Good news for Xavier
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Rhode Island coaches were sitting in an airport last month after an 84-61 loss to North Carolina-Charlotte dropped the Rams to 3-5. First-year coach Jerry DeGregorio turned to assistant Jeff Jones and said: “It's going to get worse before it gets better, isn't it?”
Jones responded: “Be prepared for the toughest year of your life because you're in a fish bowl.”
Life after Lamar Odom has indeed been dreadful for the Rams.
|
XU at RHODE ISLAND
|
• When: 2 p.m. today
• Where: Providence (R.I.) Civic Center (12,641)
• Records: Xavier 10-3, 1-0 A-10; Rhode Island 3-10, 0-1
• TV: Fox Sports Ohio
• Radio: WLW-AM (700)
BY THE NUMBERS
• 54-63: Rhode Island's record at the Providence Civic Center since it opened in 1972.
• 22: Consecutive free throws made by Maurice McAfee (XU record is 31).
|
The URI basketball program has yet to recover from Odom's departure to the NBA after one season and coach Jim Harrick's exit to Georgia.
The Rams, who play host to Xavier today, have lost eight straight games.
“Murphy's Law doesn't even explain what's happened to me,” DeGregorio said.
Exactly what has happened? Well, Rhode Island has:
• Just seven healthy scholar ship players.
• A four-year football player, tight end Justin Henry, starting at one forward position; he walked on to the team at the beginning of December.
• A shooting guard, Zach Marbury — brother of New Jersey Nets' guard Stephon Marbury — starting at the point.
• Five walk-ons, including a few from the intramural championship team.
• No.2 rebounder Tiger Womack is out indefinitely with a broken bone in his foot.
• They have played on the road 10 times and will have traveled close to 27,000 miles by the end of the season — more than any other program in school history.
In addition, senior Luther Clay missed the Atlantic 10 opener against Temple — an 88-45 loss — because of a back injury (he is listed as a probable starter for today).
It's no wonder the Rams have scored fewer than 50 points three times and twice started games trailing 15-0 (Temple, Tulsa).
“We're a hurting group right now,” DeGregorio said. “I'm learning to deal with things I've never had to deal with before in my life.
“My biggest challenge is not winning or losing. ... It is to make sure my kids don't get so discouraged that they don't compete at the highest level.”
After Odom and Harrick left, four recruits with whom Rhode Island was a finalist, opted to go elsewhere. Ed Brown, a key reserve last year, was lost to academics. A top incoming recruit was declared ineligible.
The cupboard was almost bare.
It should come as little surprise that URI has gotten just 93 points all season (7.2 a game) from its bench; by comparison, the Musketeers have 214 points from their reserves, 16.5 a game.
Still, Xavier has its share of concerns today. The Musketeers are trying to become a consistent team away from the Gardens. In their last three road games (Marquette, Central Michigan, Miami), XU played one decent half and went 1-2.
Rhode Island has some talented players.
Tavorris Bell scored 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting against the Musketeers last season, and Clay has averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in three games against XU. Marbury is the leading scorer (15.4 ppg).
“I think they're dangerous,” Xavier coach Skip Prosser said. “They have the ingredients to put it together.”
The Rams have had the misfortune of starting league play against the two teams predicted in the preseason to win their divisions, Temple (East) and Xavier (West).
“Xavier plays as hard as any team in the country,” DeGregorio said. “They're relentless defensively, and relentless on the boards. The only team in the league who can compete with Temple is Xavier.”
As if XU needs incentive, recall that Odom's game-winning 3-pointer gave URI the Atlantic 10 tournament championship and probably knocked the Musketeers out of the NCAA Tournament field last March. By upsetting league favorite Temple, Rhode Island staked claim to the A-10's automatic bid, so Temple took an at-large berth.
Prosser said he doubted he would mention that before today's game.
“It wasn't like anything underhanded,” Prosser said. “The kid hit the shot. I'll never forget, I was in Pittsburgh watching (XU freshman) David Young play that night. When I heard (Odom) hit that shot, I said, "That could kill us.'
“We're just trying to get to be 2-0, so I don't think that will have a big effect.”
Xavier Stories
 Rams awful without Odom
|
With Bengals, more of the same is not good enough
'Curse of LJ' haunts Bengals special teams
Now or never for Perez?
Concepcion, Parker make ballot
Young eager to play wherever they say
Bearcats lay claim to No. 1
Struggling Johnson gets to watch, learn
Bearcats know No. 1 means nothing until March
No limits how good UC can be
Arizona 68, Stanford 65
Ohio 57, Miami 54
OU's Esterkamp has career game
Kentucky 72, Vanderbilt 52
Magloire doubles pleasure
NKU 96, Bellarmine 83
Syracuse ends home stretch
Moeller wrestlers beat USA's No. 4
Madeira wrestlers win own tourney
Cincinnati boys basketball roundup
Cincinnati girls basketball roundup
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Highlands wins Girls Classic
N.Ky. boys basketball roundup
N.Ky. girls basketball roundup
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
SBC plans to expand to 13 schools
Simon Kenton, Highlands rule 9th Region
FSN to expand regional coverage
Hartford 1, Mighty Ducks 0
SEASON IN STORIES
