Three notable home games, a road trip against an in-state rival and three neutral-court matchups highlight the non-conference schedule released by the University of Rhode Island men on Monday.
Charleston, Yale and Providence will visit the Ryan Center during the first two months of the 2024-25 season. The Rams will make a short trip to the East Side to renew their friendship with Brown. URI will also face two to-be-determined opponents in the Jacksonville Classic and will reignite an old Atlantic 10 rivalry with Temple when they meet in Springfield.
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Fairfield will take the first test on its visit on November 4th. This kicks off the Rams’ third season under coach Archie Miller, and the Stags will be the first of five teams with 20 wins on the schedule heading into league play. Holy Cross, Franklin Pierce and Lafayette follow before URI battles the Cougars, who finished 27-8 last season and handed the Rams an 85-70 loss on the way to an NCAA Tournament bid.
URI continues with two games in Florida. Opponents and game times will be determined on November 27th and 28th. This will end a stretch of four games in eight days for the Rams before they return home.
The Bulldogs are in for the second consecutive season and coming off another Ivy League championship. They’re off to a slow start in 2023-24 — URI defeated Yale down the stretch, 76-72, as part of a 5-5 start. The Bulldogs won 12 of their next 13 games and ended up defeating Auburn in the opening round of March Madness.
The Friars and the Carneiros will meet on the traditional first Saturday in December, matching each other for the 136th time. URI has lost three straight against Providence, including an 84-69 road loss last season and an 88-74 home setback in 2022-23. The Rams have lost 11 of the last 13 games in the series, the toughest stretch in the rivalry since the 1960s.
URI follows with another state matchup against the Bears on December 10. The Rams have lost three consecutive games against Brown for the first time since the 1970s, including two home losses by a combined four points. URI’s last trip to the Pizzitola Center ended in an 85-75 loss to start 2019-20 when the Bears knocked down 13 3-point shots.
The Rams will host one final non-conference 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 have played 72 times starting 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 an impressive 57-15 all-time edge.
URI finished 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 overhaul. URI recently completed a 3-0 victory in the Bahamas as part of an off-season trip, a week-long visit that capped off 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
November 4 – FairfieldNov. 8 – Santa CruzNov. 12 – Franklin PierceNov. 20 – LafayetteNov. 24 – CharlestonNov. 27 – Jacksonville Classic (TBD)Nov. December 28 – Jacksonville Classic (tbd). 2 – YaleDec. 7 – ProvidênciaDec. 10 – in BrownDec. 15 – Central State of ConnecticutDec. 21 – vs. Temple (Springfield, Massachusetts)
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal: Here’s the complete Rhode Island men’s basketball nonconference schedule
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