In most cases, a regional rivalry would raise tension, but for the University of Rhode Island and the University of Connecticut men’s basketball teams, there were nothing but nice things to say following Monday’s charity exhibition.
“I love Rhode Island, I f—ing love Rhode Island man,” UConn and former URI Head Coach Dan Hurley said after leading the Huskies to a 102-75 win over his former team.
Hurley led the Rams men’s basketball program from 2012-2018 before departing for Storrs, Connecticut. In his time at URI, Hurley won the 2017 Atlantic 10 Tournament, the 2018 A-10 regular season and the 2018 A-10 Coach of the Year award while making two NCAA tournament appearances, making him one of the most successful coaches in URI history.
“Thorr [Bjorn, URI’s athletic director] choosing me to lead this program changed my life,” Hurley said. “People have no idea how great a place like Rhode Island is to live, and how awesome URI is.”
The Rams and Huskies faced off at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Monday night, with the back-to-back defending national champion Huskies defeating the Rams in the Coaches vs Cancer Hall of Fame Enshrinement Game. It was also Hurley’s first time facing the Rams since his departure following the 2018 NCAA tournament.
“I’m still not agreeing to playing them every year on a regular season basis, I’m not that sentimental,” Hurley said. “Maybe me and Thorr can negotiate.”
Although the Rams lost, URI Head Coach Archie Miller expressed his pleasure with his team and the event following the game.
“Being able to see that crowd, being able to see those lights and see kinda how we function versus that caliber of team is probably the best thing we can do for our group right now,” Miller said. “There’s some real positives, there’s some things that went well for us. There’s some things clearly we’re gonna have to get a lot better at.”
The two programs have met 143 times since 1907 in games that officially count, but Monday’s exhibition meant more than any regular season game, it raised money for the American Cancer Society and benefited Coaches vs. Cancer.
“Fortunate and thankful to be a part of the game,” Miller said. “Obviously thanking the Hall of Fame for putting this on. It’s for a great cause.”
Rams newcomer, fifth-year forward Javonte Brown, led the way for the Rams. He was the only player to record a double-double on Monday with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.
“[On] both ends of the floor he’s a terrific presence for us,” Miller said. “He’s worked extremely hard since day one since stepping on campus. He’s bought into conditioning, he’s bought into what we’re doing, he’s very coachable.”
Brown began his career at UConn, where he appeared in just two games over a single season before transferring to Texas A&M University for two seasons. Brown then ventured to Western Michigan University for the 2023-24 season before making his way to Kingston this offseason.
“I wouldn’t say there was any extra emotions, I just saw it as an opportunity for me and my team to get better,” Brown said.
The Rams now have 20 days to get better, before their season opener against Fairfield University on Nov. 4 at the Ryan Center. The game will be available to be streamed on ESPN+, and radio broadcasts will be available on WRIU.org and The Varsity Network.