From one Atlantic 10 Conference team to another, fourth-year guard Jonah Hinton has quickly become a natural fit and a breakout star for the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team.
Coming to URI as a transfer from St. Bonaventure University last year, Hinton went from a role player, averaging just 8.4 points per game in the 2024-25 season for the Bonnies, to nearly doubling his scoring with 15.7 points per game in his first 11 contests this season.
For Hinton, playing for Rhode Island was on his radar early in his recruiting process.
“Coming out of junior college, Rhode Island was one of the schools that I was really considering during recruitment,” Hinton said. “When I got in the portal after my year at St. Bonaventure, I was only going to consider the teams that already knew my game and was familiar with what I did in junior college, just because I felt like that was a better representation of me as a player and didn’t just show my ability to shoot the ball.”
Beyond leading URI in scoring so far this season, Hinton is also third in assists and is a presence on both ends of the floor, which URI Head Coach Archie Miller attributes to being a leader of the team.
“At the end of the day, Jonah is as trusted as anyone we have in terms of his accountability or his sturdiness on defense,” Miller said. “He’s very consistent and accountable, regardless of how his shots are going, and he does not pout. I leave him out there for 40 minutes because I think he competes the right way.”
In just the third week of the season, Hinton was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week after scoring a then-career-high 24 points to lead a 12-5 run that would spark a come-from-behind URI victory over Yale University on Nov. 18.
Just a week later, against Temple University, Hinton shot 7-10 from three to set a new career high of 25 points and dropped another 23 points against in-state rival Providence College to notch his third 20-point game of the season, which leads the team.
When it comes to Hinton’s success so far this season, he said that it’s more than just being able to score the basketball.
“I have a strong ability to understand the game of basketball,” Hinton said. “I understand the strengths and weaknesses of our team and understand being in the right spots at the right time to be an option for my teammates at all times.”
Hinton said he is always one of the loudest guys on the court, contributing to his strong presence on the hardwood.
“In terms of vocally, being one of the vocal leaders on our team is important, especially since I’ve had experience in the A-10 last year,” Hinton said. “We got some upperclassmen and some freshmen, so being able to talk to those guys and help lead them helps our team grow closer.”
Going forward, Hinton sees the team getting better every day as they head into conference play.
“I think we’re moving in the right direction, but it’s about taking it one day at a time,” Hinton said. “We’ve had a few breakdowns, but at the end of the day, it comes down to communication and everybody being on the right page. The more we play and the more we work through our problems, the better and more together we’re going to be.”
Hinton and the Rams will look to break out of their two-game losing streak at home against Canisius University on Tuesday at 7 p.m. This game will be streamed on ESPN+, with radio broadcasts available on WRIU 90.3 FM and The Varsity Network.
