Following back-to-back seasons of disappointment, the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team gears up for its third season with head coach Archie Miller at the helm of the program.
Miller’s first two seasons have not been pretty by any means, with a 12-20 record during the 2023-24 season following up a 9-22 record in Miller’s first year as head coach in 2022-23.
URI has had a numerous amount of roster turnovers since Miller has taken over as he attempts to establish a core in Kingston. In 2024 he found and kept some pieces from years prior. Fourth-years Jaden House and David Green were the highest-scoring Rams from last season, with House racking up the highest total of 451 points while starting all 32 games at an average of 14.1 per contest. Green appeared in just 19 games after sitting out for the first portion of the season due to NCAA transfer rules, but had the highest average points per game with 14.3.
Although the Rams kept their two most efficient scorers, they lost their second and third-highest scorers by total points in Luis Kortright (321), who transferred to the University of Washington, and Zek Montgomery (298), who returned to Bradley University after a single season with the Rams.
With two guards leaving, URI hit the transfer portal with big shoes to fill, and they did just that. The Rams brought back old friend Sebastian Thomas, a fourth-year guard from the University at Albany. Thomas averaged 20 points per game with the Great Danes, earning himself the honor of America East scoring champion. Thomas returns to URI after one season away, having appeared in 63 games with the Rams from 2021-2023 and averaging just 4.3 points per game. Thomas found his footing in New York’s capital and returns to his home state looking to lead Rhode Island’s flagship program back to glory.
The Rams also kept their two key first-years from last season, returning guard Cam Estevez and forward David Fuchs. Estevez averaged 7.1 points per game in 30 contests a season ago, while showing flashes of stardom in multiple double-digit performances. This included a 17-point breakout against the University of Delaware in December, which earned him Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. Fuchs, an Austria native, also found himself with an A-10 Rookie of the Week award a season ago. On Feb. 21, Fuchs dropped 23 points while collecting 12 rebounds in a dominant performance against A-10 rival, the University of Richmond. Fuchs averaged 7.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in his rookie season with the Rams while transitioning to life in the United States. Fuchs played professionally in Germany with Ratiopharm Ulm before starting his collegiate career in Kingston.
To complement Fuchs, the Rams added fourth-year Javonte Brown, a seven-foot center who averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in his single season with Western Michigan University last year. Brown was the star for the Rams against the University of Connecticut in a charity exhibition on Oct. 14 with 16 points and 10 rebounds, finishing as the only player with a double-double. Brown will anchor the middle for URI, something they lacked a season ago.
Brown and Thomas were not the only newcomers Rhody added this offseason, with fourth-years Drissa Traore coming in from St. John’s University, Quentin Diboundje from East Carolina University, third-year Jamarques Lawrence making his way from the University of Nebraska and first-year Tyronne Farrell recruited from Mount St. Joseph high school in Baltimore.
Although the Rams added scoring, the question will be whether they can limit scoring as well. URI allowed 76.3 points per game last season, good for third-worst in the A-10. Miller has put an emphasis on defense in his short time with URI, with little success up to this point. Now with Brown in the middle and a refreshed core, the Rams have a chance to finish in the top half of the conference for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Rhode Island kicks off their season against Fairfield University on Monday at 8 p.m. at the Ryan Center. The game can be streamed on ESPN+ with radio broadcasts available on WRIU 90.3 FM or The Varsity Network.