URI Rams Kick Off Promising Season Friday vs. Ivy League Foe

The University of Rhode Island Rams Men's Basketball team takes the court Friday to launch their 2016-17 campaign against the Dartmouth College Green. The season tip-off, starting at 7 pm,  pits the #23 team in the nation against a team near the bottom of the Ivy League. 

See the Tale of the Tape below!

​RHODE ISLAND VS. DARTMOUTH - ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY

• Tonight marks the fourth time that Rhode Island and Dartmouth have met on the hardwood, dating back to the 1957-58 season.
• The Big Green holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series.  URI captured the last meeting, 73-64, on Nov. 29, 1986 in Hartford, Conn.
• Dartmouth earned victories in the first two matchups - 87-69 on Dec. 7, 1957 in Hanover and 74-65 on Dec. 9, 1959 in Kingston.
• The Big Green were coached by Alvin "Doggie" Julian in the first two games - a 1968 inductee of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame .  
• Julian was the head coach of the Boston Celtics from 1948-50 prior to taking over the Big Green.  He was replaced by Red Auerbach.

RHODE ISLAND IN SEASON OPENERS / HOME OPENERS
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• In its 110 previous season openers, Rhode Island has posted an outstanding 87-23 (.791) winning percentage.  
• In its 110 previous home openers, including games in Lippitt Hall, Rodman Hall, Keaney Gymnasium, sometimes the Providence Civic Center, and the Thomas M. Ryan Center, URI teams have posted an 97-13 (.882) record in their first home game of the season. 
• Last year, the Rams began the 2015-16 campaign with a 65-42 win over American on Nov. 13, 2015.
• URI has played its season opener at the Ryan Center on 10 occasions, going 9-1 in those games.

RHODE ISLAND VS. THE IVY LEAGUE

• Rhode Island is 120-65 against teams that are members of the Ivy League.
• Outside of Brown (157 meetings) - the Rams are 16-12 against Ivy League foes.
• Rhody's second most common Ivy foe is Yale (5-7), followed by Harvard (7-2).

RHODY RANKS IN THE AP AND USA TODAY COACHES PRESEASON TOP 25 POLLS

• Rhode Island is ranked in both major national preseason top 25 college basketball polls.  
• The Rams rank No. 23 in the Associated Press and sit at the No. 24 spot in the USA Today Coaches poll.
• It marks the first time that Rhody is ranked in both preseason polls since the 1998-99 season.  
• That season, URI started off at No. 23 in the AP and No. 25 on the coaches preseason polls.
• Two opponents in the field of the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament have earned preseason national rankings.
• Cincinnati - which sits at No. 25 on the coaches poll - faces the Rams on Nov. 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
• Top-ranked Duke sits on the other side of the Hall of Fame Tipoff bracket and is a potential opponent on Nov. 20.
• Rhody is the lone Atlantic 10 representative on both top 25 polls.  
• Dayton received votes in both the AP and coaches polls, while VCU and Davidson each received votes on the coaches poll.

RHODE ISLAND - ALL-TIME RECORD AS A RANKED TEAM

• Rhode Island has posted an all-time record of 18-9 when ranked on the Associated Press top 25 poll.
• The Rams were ranked for 10 total weeks during the 1997-98 season, compiling a 12-5 mark.
• URI was ranked for two weeks in 1998-99 and posted a 2-2 record.
• In 2007-08, Rhody went 4-2 while ranked on the AP poll for four consecutive weeks in late December-early January.

DAN HURLEY: IN ELITE COMPANY AMONG COACHES

• Dan Hurley is one of two active head coaches to coach a nationally ranked high school and NCAA Division I team.
• Hurley was the highly successful head coach of St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J from 2001-10, where he led the Grey Bees to a 223-21 overall record and four top five finishes on the USA Today Super 25 high school poll.
• Frank Martin of South Carolina is the other head coach to reach this unique milestone.
• His 1997-98 Miami South H.S. team ranked No. 4 on the USA Today Super 25.  Last season, USC spent six weeks on the AP poll.

RHODE ISLAND PICKED 2ND; MATTHEWS, MARTIN PRESEASON SECOND TEAM ALL A-10

• Rhode Island was picked to finish second according to the 2016-17 Atlantic 10 Preseason poll, conducted by votes from the league's 14 head coaches and selected media from each member school.  
• It marked the second straight year - and third time in program history - that the Rams were picked as high as second in the league.
• URI was also picked to finish second in the 2007-08 A-10 Preseason Poll.
• The duo of E.C. Matthews and Hassan Martin were each named to the league's preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team.
• Matthews - a Preseason A-10 First Team pick last year - missed the 2015-16 season after suffering a right knee injury less than 10 minutes into the first half of the season opening game vs. American.
• Martin - the reigning Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year - was also named to the 2016-17 Preseason All-Defensive team.
• URI received 12 of a possible 28 first-place votes and totalled 370 points.  Dayton was first, with 374 points and 16 first-place votes.

TODAY'S RHODE ISLAND FACT(S) YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

• Hassan Martin is the A-10's active leader in double-doubles, with 14.  Tyler Cavanaugh (GW) is second, with 11.
• Since taking over as the starting point guard on Jan. 17, 2015, Jarvis Garrett has posted a 2.05:1 assist/turnover ratio (211:103).
• In the 27 victories over that span (50 games), Garrett's ATR in wins is 2.30:1 (131:50).
• Kuran Iverson posted a 22.8% defensive rebounding percentage last season - ranking him 94th nationally.
• Last season, URI ranked 82nd nationally in 3FG% (36.5%) and 264th in 3FG attempts (584).
• Rhody returnees combined to shoot 37.5% (137-365) from 3-point land in 2015-16.

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TODAY IN RHODE ISLAND BASKETBALL - NOVEMBER 11

• Rhode Island is 0-2 all-time in games played on November 11.  
• The Rams fell, 92-90 in overtime, at George Mason on Nov. 11, 2011.  URI also dropped an 89-58 decision at SMU on Nov. 11, 2013.
• Nov. 11, 2016 marks the national celebration of  Veteran's Day - traditionally held on this date as the major hostilities of World War I were ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.  It was previously known as Armistice Day until 1954, when it was renamed.
• The Nov. 11 date also marks the celebration of National Sundae Day.
• Notable Nov. 11 birthdays:  authors Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Kurt Vonnegut, General George S. Patton, and First Lady Abigail Adams*.
• *Adams was born on Nov. 11, 1744 according to the Julian Calendar, which throughout the 18th century was 11 days behind the Gregorian calendar, making Nov. 22, 1744 her birth date as it is recognized today.
• The Julian Calendar - introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC - is an ordinary 365 day year with a leap year of 366 days every fourth year. The Gregorian Calendar was a modification, adapted to bring it into closer conformity with astronomical data and the natural course of the seasons, and to rectify the error already contracted by its use.  It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and adopted in Great Britain in 1752. (note courtesy of our good friends at The Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society)

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