If last year’s men’s basketball rankings are any guide, it will be an Atlantic 10 test for the University of Rhode Island in 2024-25.
The Rams will visit the regular season co-champions, the conference tournament winner and another team that has won 21 total games in single matchups. They will also play at home with two other 20-game winners.
Richmond, Loyola Chicago, Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s await URI on dates and times to be determined. Massachusetts and George Mason will host the Rams and visit the Ryan Center sometime next year.
More: After the disappointing end to the season, what’s next for Rhode Island basketball?
The Spiders and Ramblers went 15-3 in conference play, while the Dukes ended an NCAA Tournament drought that stretched until 1977. They sent coach Keith Dambrot into retirement with an upset at Barclays Center in March, leaving Brooklyn with a punched automatic ticket to March Madness. The Hawks followed up a strong non-conference performance with just a 9-9 league finish, but should remain among the favorites entering Media Day in the fall.
The Minutemen and Patriots were part of a compact middle group behind the leaders. Six teams finished within two games of each other – UMass tied VCU at 11-7, while George Mason finished tied with Saint Joseph’s and St. 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 Rams’ only solo road trip next season, and it could be tough. Josh Schertz came over from Indiana State to replace Travis Ford and brought with him a number of Sycamore connections, including assistant coach and Rhode Island native Antone Gray. URI fell to the Billikens in last season’s conference tournament, capping a 12-20 campaign.
Fordham and La Salle are the Rams’ other two home partners 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 individual games. The Rams beat the Wildcats on the road as part of a 3-0 league start last season and defeated the Revolutionaries on the road. The Flyers offered a rude homecoming for Archie Miller, defeating his former coach by a comfortable margin in a place where he reached the 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 December 7th. The Friars have won three straight in the series, including an 84-69 home win last season.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal: Rhode Island Basketball’s Atlantic 10 Conference Opponents Revealed
