While Fordham has become one of the most improved teams in the country, URI's disaster of a season has shifted the Rams' emphasis to a youth movement.
A month ago, when Rhode Island and Fordham met for the first time, the Rams from New York were the team doing most of the experimenting. Fordham was the young team working a host of new players into its lineup.
A month later, as the teams prepare to meet today at 2 at the Rose Hill Gym, Rhode Island's Rams are the team focusing on the youth movement.
Fordham has been a pleasant surprise in a down year for the Atlantic 10. It already has won as many games as it did in the last two seasons combined as it carries a 10-13 record, 6-6 in A-10 play, into today.
Forward Bryant Dunston, who appears to be on his way to being A-10 rookie of the year, Kevin Anderson, Marcus Stout and Michael Binns all have contributed, as freshmen, as Fordham has become one of the most improved teams in the country.
URI has gone in the opposite direction. Its season has been a disaster, with seven straight losses dropping the record to 4-18, 2-9 in the conference. Rhody is at the point where it is now doing what Fordham was when the season began -- giving its freshmen more and more playing time to prepare for the future.
Coach Jim Baron said yesterday that he plans to start all three -- Jon Lucky, Parfait Bitee and Will Daniels -- today. Those three combined for 35 of the team's 63 points in Wednesday's loss to La Salle. All three have given indications they will be solid contributors as their careers develop. Baron spoke yesterday about each of the three and how he and his staff are working with them.
Bitee, who had a career-high 18 points Wednesday, including 5 for 6 on 3-pointers, has drawn comparisons in both body type and playing style to former Rhody guard Preston Murphy. He is explosive and athletic.
"He's a good, solid worker and he's one of our best defensive guards," Baron said. "What he needs as much as anything is to be more consistent." Bitee began the season making only 8 of his first 37 3-point attempts. Entering play today, he has taken more treys (140) and made more (40) than anyone else on the team.
His consistency, Baron feels, will come with more experience. The nephew of former Rhody star and now administrative intern Lazare Adingono, Bitee has been in this country less than two years from his native Cameroon.
"He's a little behind where Lazare was when he came to us because he is younger," Baron said.
Lucky also has had consistency problems, as so many freshmen do, although for a different reason. With him, health has been the issue. He has battled several problems, including a back injury, and, more importantly, a foot problem that he is playing through, an issue that hopefully will improve when he is able to rest.
"In high school, he was able to pretty much dominate, taking guys inside and moving off the dribble," Baron said. "In college, he's going against guys who are bigger and stronger.
"He's shown that he is a guy who can run a team on this level," Baron said. "We're working on getting him to be a little quicker with his decisions and working against smaller guards on the defensive end. And we're working on improving his shot, his perimeter shooting."
Daniels, who had three consecutive double-figures scoring games, has shown outstanding offensive skills. Sometimes, Baron thinks, he relies on his athleticism too much at this point.
"Will can do a lot of things, but we're working with him to take the ball off the dribble sometimes, not just rely on his shot or his athleticism," Baron said. "Sometimes he has trouble guarding the quick 3-man on this level. (On offense) he has to continue to work on his decision-making with the ball, his passing.
"They're all learning now how intense college basketball is, how hard you have to work. We show them a lot of film. We go over stats with them. When Dawan (Robinson) first got here, he had the advantage of working with Brian Woodward, who had the experience. These guys haven't had that, but they're working at it," the coach said.
In the first game against Fordham, the three freshmen totaled only seven points. Daniels had four, Lucky three and Bitee did not score. They will need to do more than that if URI is to have a chance today and the rest of the season.
A month ago, when Rhode Island and Fordham met for the first time, the Rams from New York were the team doing most of the experimenting. Fordham was the young team working a host of new players into its lineup.
A month later, as the teams prepare to meet today at 2 at the Rose Hill Gym, Rhode Island's Rams are the team focusing on the youth movement.
Fordham has been a pleasant surprise in a down year for the Atlantic 10. It already has won as many games as it did in the last two seasons combined as it carries a 10-13 record, 6-6 in A-10 play, into today.
Forward Bryant Dunston, who appears to be on his way to being A-10 rookie of the year, Kevin Anderson, Marcus Stout and Michael Binns all have contributed, as freshmen, as Fordham has become one of the most improved teams in the country.
URI has gone in the opposite direction. Its season has been a disaster, with seven straight losses dropping the record to 4-18, 2-9 in the conference. Rhody is at the point where it is now doing what Fordham was when the season began -- giving its freshmen more and more playing time to prepare for the future.
Coach Jim Baron said yesterday that he plans to start all three -- Jon Lucky, Parfait Bitee and Will Daniels -- today. Those three combined for 35 of the team's 63 points in Wednesday's loss to La Salle. All three have given indications they will be solid contributors as their careers develop. Baron spoke yesterday about each of the three and how he and his staff are working with them.
Bitee, who had a career-high 18 points Wednesday, including 5 for 6 on 3-pointers, has drawn comparisons in both body type and playing style to former Rhody guard Preston Murphy. He is explosive and athletic.
"He's a good, solid worker and he's one of our best defensive guards," Baron said. "What he needs as much as anything is to be more consistent." Bitee began the season making only 8 of his first 37 3-point attempts. Entering play today, he has taken more treys (140) and made more (40) than anyone else on the team.
His consistency, Baron feels, will come with more experience. The nephew of former Rhody star and now administrative intern Lazare Adingono, Bitee has been in this country less than two years from his native Cameroon.
"He's a little behind where Lazare was when he came to us because he is younger," Baron said.
Lucky also has had consistency problems, as so many freshmen do, although for a different reason. With him, health has been the issue. He has battled several problems, including a back injury, and, more importantly, a foot problem that he is playing through, an issue that hopefully will improve when he is able to rest.
"In high school, he was able to pretty much dominate, taking guys inside and moving off the dribble," Baron said. "In college, he's going against guys who are bigger and stronger.
"He's shown that he is a guy who can run a team on this level," Baron said. "We're working on getting him to be a little quicker with his decisions and working against smaller guards on the defensive end. And we're working on improving his shot, his perimeter shooting."
Daniels, who had three consecutive double-figures scoring games, has shown outstanding offensive skills. Sometimes, Baron thinks, he relies on his athleticism too much at this point.
"Will can do a lot of things, but we're working with him to take the ball off the dribble sometimes, not just rely on his shot or his athleticism," Baron said. "Sometimes he has trouble guarding the quick 3-man on this level. (On offense) he has to continue to work on his decision-making with the ball, his passing.
"They're all learning now how intense college basketball is, how hard you have to work. We show them a lot of film. We go over stats with them. When Dawan (Robinson) first got here, he had the advantage of working with Brian Woodward, who had the experience. These guys haven't had that, but they're working at it," the coach said.
In the first game against Fordham, the three freshmen totaled only seven points. Daniels had four, Lucky three and Bitee did not score. They will need to do more than that if URI is to have a chance today and the rest of the season.
