STF State Project: #9 Rhode Island

There were no really dismal programs in Rhode Island this year, and yet there were no NCAA tournament teams, either. Nonetheless, STF ranking is based on win-loss percentage only, and that got the Ocean State single-digit standing in our little puppet show.

Rhode Island's failure to make the tourney out of the A-10 was a bit of a disappointment, as the basketball world at large was deprived of both the talents and the awesome name of the Rams' senior gunner Parfait Bitee. The failures of Brown and Providence had, honestly, no effect on us.

Providence will be worth watching next season, as they bring in Drake wunderkind Keno Davis to resurrect the Friars. Too bad he'll be trying to do it in the monstrous Big East. Brown will have to settle for being next to burnt siena in the crayon box, as Cornell seems poised to dominate the Ivy once again.

Let's go sailing!!

2008 Breakdown

State winning percentage: .591
Number of teams: 3
NCAA Tournament teams: None
Conference champions: None
Most wins: Rhode Island (21)
Least wins: Providence (15)
Teams with winning records: Brown, Rhode Island
Teams with single digit wins: None

Historical breakdown

Most Memorable Team: Providence made the Final Four under Rick Pitino in 1987, getting knocked out by Syracuse. Donovan was the sharp-shooting guard who led this team past fellow Friar John Thompson in the regional final.

Top Player All-Time: We'll stick with Lenny Wilkens, who was a Providence All-American in 1959 and 1960. While most of us youngsters know him as a coach, his playing days were nothing to sneeze at.

Top Player Name All-Time: God Shammgod. It's been years since he played at Providence, but he still gets name-checked all the time.

Cradle of Coaches: Former Providence players who have coached in the Final Four: Jim Larranaga (George Mason), John Thompson (National Champ with G'town), Billy Donovan (two-time Champ with Florida). Lenny Wilkens was an NBA champ coaching the Sonics.

Favorite Coach: Well, it ain't gonna be Jim Harrick. I think we can all agree on that. Providence had some of the best over the years, with Rod Barnes, Rick Pitino, Herb Sendek, and Dennis Felton. But, as a Charlottesville resident, I have to go with Pete Gillen. I was never crazy about his coaching style, but his mile-a-minute mouth and hilarious expressions made him a blast to follow here and at Providence. He can still be heard doing color on radio during the tournament, an experience I highly recommend.

Top Player 2008: This is really tough. Just about every good player in the state was inconsistent night-in and night-out. I'm going to go with Rhody's Parfait Bitee despite the fact that his three-point percentage outstripped his overall shooting, which makes him sound a bit one-dimensional. His teammate Will Daniels was actually the top scorer on the team, but didn't impress in any other area, despite being 6'8".

Best On-Campus Venue: We don't have a lot to choose from here. Brown students refer to Pizzitola Center as "The Pitz", and it appears that Providence doesn't play much on campus these days. So we'll go with the Ryan Center in Kingston. The Center has lighthouse-inspired towers that give it a bit of style, and it remains cozy with just over 7,000 seats. According to wikipedia: "No Seat is Further than 74 Feet from the Action!"

Best NCAA Venue: Gotta love anything called the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The Dunk has hosted early-round games six times, and regionals twice.

Most Prestigious Program (ESPN Style): #111 Providence Friars.

Best Nickname: Providence Friars. It's not hard to beat out Rams and Bears.

STF’s Favorite Program: Right now, I prefer the Rams. I've been rooting for a Rhode Island/UNC matchup in the tournament recently, because you just don't get a chance to see that much light blue and two Ram mascots trying to kick the shit out of each other very often.

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