Three noteworthy home games, a road trip against a state rival and three matchups on neutral floors highlight the nonconference schedule released by the University of Rhode Island men on Monday.
Charleston, Yale and Providence will all visit the Ryan Center during the opening two months of the 2024-25 season. The Rams will make the short trip to the East Side to renew acquaintances with Brown. URI will also play a pair of opponents to be determined at the Jacksonville Classic and rekindle an old Atlantic 10 feud with Temple when they meet in Springfield.
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Fairfield provides the first test when it visits on Nov. 4. That starts the third season for the Rams under coach Archie Miller, and the Stags will be the first of five 20-win teams on the schedule prior to league play. Holy Cross, Franklin Pierce and Lafayette follow before URI battles the Cougars, who finished 27-8 last season and dealt the Rams an 85-70 defeat on the way to an NCAA Tournament bid.
URI follows with a pair of games in Florida. Opponents and game times are to be determined on Nov. 27 and 28. That will cap a stretch of four games in eight days for the Rams before they return home.
The Bulldogs are in for the second straight season and coming off another Ivy League championship. They started slowly in 2023-24 — URI clipped Yale down the stretch, 76-72, as part of a 5-5 beginning. The Bulldogs won 12 of their next 13 games and eventually upset Auburn in the opening round of March Madness.
The Friars and Rams will meet on their traditional first Saturday in December, matching up for the 136th time. URI has dropped three straight against Providence, including an 84-69 road defeat last season and an 88-74 home setback in 2022-23. The Rams have lost 11 of the last 13 games in the series, their roughest stretch in the rivalry since the 1960s.
URI follows with another in-state showdown against the Bears on Dec. 10. The Rams have lost three straight against Brown for the first time since the 1970s, including a pair of home stunners by a combined four points. URI’s last trip to the Pizzitola Center ended with an 85-75 loss early in 2019-20, as the Bears knocked down 13 3-pointers.
The Rams host a last nonconference home game against Central Connecticut State before making the short trip north to greet the Owls as part of the Hall of Fame Classic. URI and Temple played 72 times beginning in 1941, but this will be the first meeting since the Owls left the conference in 2013. Temple has won seven straight against the Rams and holds a commanding 57-15 all-time advantage.
URI closed 12-20 overall last season and went 6-12 in league play. The Rams were eliminated by Saint Louis in the opening round of the conference tournament and underwent a significant roster makeover. URI recently completed a 3-0 sweep through the Bahamas as part of an offseason trip, a weeklong visit that capped the program’s summer sessions.
Game times and broadcast information will be available at a later date. Visit gorhody.com for more information.
URI men's basketball nonconference schedule
Nov. 4 — FairfieldNov. 8 — Holy CrossNov. 12 — Franklin PierceNov. 20 — LafayetteNov. 24 — CharlestonNov. 27 — Jacksonville Classic (TBD)Nov. 28 — Jacksonville Classic (TBD)Dec. 2 — YaleDec. 7 — ProvidenceDec. 10 — at BrownDec. 15 — Central Connecticut StateDec. 21 — vs. Temple (in Springfield, Mass.)
bkoch@providencejournal.com
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island basketball to host Providence on Dec. 7. Here's the full nonconference slate.
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