5. Rhode Island will have their best team in years
Rhode Island opens the season ranked in the AP Preseason Poll for the first time since Lamar Odom starred there during the 1998-99 season. They have been an Atlantic 10 conference afterthought, with nearly every team in the conference having been more successful over the last 15 years.
The conference has the likes of Davidson, Dayton, Saint Joseph’s, Saint Louis and VCU fielding consistent winners but the Rhode Island Rams appear to be poised to make a run at their first Atlantic 10 title since the 1980-1981 season.
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Head coach Dan Hurley is less known than his brother Bobby, a former Duke All-American and current Arizona State head coach. But Dan has made a name for himself and could become the head of a major conference program next year if this year goes well. He built his name by establishing St. Benedict High School as a national power during his time as head coach from 2001-10.
He then took the job at Wagner for two years before parlaying that success into the Rhode Island job. Now on his fifth year on the job, Hurley appears to have built the Rhode Island program to heights unforeseen in recent years. The 43-year-old Dan Hurley should deserve to be considered a rising coach nationally.
The most important factor in Rhode Island’s emergence is the presence of junior guard E.C. Matthews. During his sophomore season in 2014-15, Matthews averaged 16.9 points per game. He did this as the main scoring option as a sophomore and shot fairly efficiently.
E.C. Matthews build a small amount of NBA Draft buzz but chose to return to Rhode Island for his junior season. He didn’t get to build on that last year as he was lost for the season just 10 minutes in. A preseason second team All-Conference selection, E.C. Matthews should easily be able to surpass these expectations.
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A former West Allis Central legend, Jarvis Garrett averaged 12.5 points along with 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game for the Rams last year in E.C. Matthews’ absence. Guard Jared Terrell also contributed 13.6 points per game and the trio should provide Rhode Island with some of the nation’s best guard play. Hassan Martin and Kuran Iverson should provide quality post play too. Rhode Island has the weapons to make noise not only in the Atlantic 10, but nationally as well.