University of Rhode Island basketball fans had their first sight of this seasons men’s and women’s basketball teams as part of Rhody Madness last Friday night, where the programs took a new approach to the season tip-off event.
For the first time in recent memory, the URI men’s and women’s squads were without a special guest or musical performance for Rhody Madness. In the past two seasons, Hip-hop artists Ace Hood and Rae Sremmurd preformed for the teams, fan bases, and future recruits on the night of celebration. The event looked to bring more of a family, carnival-like atmosphere to attract a broad spectrum of fans to fill the arena for a new season with lofty expectations.
Besides free food, the outdoor activities included a large pop-a-shot machine, rock climbing and many other attractions to keep students, fans and athletes entertained. Students seemed to enjoy the outdoor festivities, and look forward to attending games at the Ryan Center this year.
“Rhody madness was a very fun experience, during the outdoor festivities I had the opportunity to challenge one player from the men’s team to a shootout and lost epically,” URI senior Marissa Cavello said. “The enthusiasm on the court made me excited to see what both team have in store for this coming season.”
Later in the evening, the rosters were announced, accompanied by performances from the URI drumline, Ramettes, and cheerleaders. Members of the women’s basketball team showed off their shooting strokes in a competition, while the men’s team competed in a dunk contest in front of the exuberant Rhody Ruckus. Junior wing Jared Terrell showcased his dunking ability as he took home the crown. A handful of URI students also competed for prizes on the Ryan Center floor.
The men’s team, who is ranked No. 20 on ESPN’s national preseason rankings and second behind the University of Dayton in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll, is expecting to make a run to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999. This comes following an injury-ridden 2015-16 season where they finished a notch above mediocrity at 17-15.
The team will be led by junior guard E.C. Matthews, who returns from a season-ending knee injury, and senior forward and reigning A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Hassan Martin. Both were named to the A-10 preseason all-conference team on Tuesday.
The women’s team led by the trio of junior captains; guard Charise Wilson, guard Morgan Johnson, and forward Tyler Raysor are looking to improve from a disappointing 12-18 finish last season.