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Rhode Island basketball’s Atlantic 10 conference opponents unveiled

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6 months ago

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Rhode Island basketball’s Atlantic 10 conference opponents unveiled

If last year’s men’s basketball standings are any guide, it will be a testing Atlantic 10 road for the University of Rhode Island in 2024-25. 

The Rams will visit both regular season co champions, the conference tournament winner and another team that won 21 games overall for single matchups. They’ll also play home-and-home with two other 20-game winners. 

Richmond, Loyola Chicago, Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s all await URI at dates and times to be determined. Massachusetts and George Mason will host the Rams and visit the Ryan Center at some point next year. 

More: After disappointing season ends, what’s next for Rhode Island basketball?

The Spiders and Ramblers both closed 15-3 in conference play while the Dukes ended an NCAA Tournament drought that stretched to 1977. They sent coach Keith Dambrot into retirement with an upset run through Barclays Center in March, leaving Brooklyn with an automatic ticket punched to March Madness. The Hawks followed a strong nonconference performance with just a 9-9 league finish, but they should remain among the favorites entering media day in the fall. 

The Minutemen and Patriots were part of a tight middle pack behind the leaders. Six teams finished within two games of one another — UMass tied with VCU at 11-7 while George Mason closed even with Saint Joseph’s and St. Bonaventure. URI counts the Minutemen among its oldest rivals, with the first meeting between the two schools taking place in January 1908. 

Saint Louis is the lone solo road trip for the Rams next season, and it could be a tough one. Josh Schertz is in from Indiana State to replace Travis Ford and has brought a host of Sycamore connections with him, including assistant coach and Rhode Island native Antone Gray. URI fell to the Billikens at the conference tournament last season to close a 12-20 campaign. 

Fordham and La Salle are the other two home-and-home partners for the Rams next season. The short trips to New York and Philadelphia should be competitive — URI went 2-2 against those two opponents last season, defeating the Explorers at home and winning at Rose Hill Gym in March. 

Dayton, VCU, the Bonnies, Davidson and George Washington travel to Kingston for single games. The Rams beat the Wildcats on the road as part of a 3-0 league start last season and blew out the Revolutionaries on the road. The Flyers offered a rude homecoming for Archie Miller, defeating their former coach by a comfortable margin in a place where he reached an Elite Eight and four NCAA Tournaments from 2014-17.  

URI has confirmed at least one other game on its schedule next year. The Rams will host Providence for the annual in-state grudge match on Dec. 7. The Friars have won three straight in the series, including an 84-69 home victory last season.   

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25 

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