by Patrick Stevens
 
Rhode Island rectified its long-running defensive struggles last season, finishing as the Atlantic 10’s third most efficient team at that end of the floor in league play according to KenPom.com.
 
The offense was another matter, with the Rams landing at 13th out of 14 teams.
 
Little wonder that figuring out how to more frequently put the ball in the bucket was a huge offseason priority for coach Archie Miller.
 
“Offensively last year, we just had a really hard time shooting it,” Miller said. “I just think our lack of shooting overall over the course of the season plays a hard role. I think the inability to take care of the ball a year ago, those two things in general were tough to overcome at times.”
 
The Rams should benefit from a bit more roster continuity than a year ago. Guard Jonah Hinton (12.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and wing Jahmere Tripp (12.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) were among Rhode Island’s top three scorers. Rhode Island also has rotation regular Jalen Harper (2.6 ppg) back after he contributed as a freshman.
 
“I think we’re really close,” Tripp said. “Last year, I thought we were close as well. A lot of injuries I felt like held us back last year. Had a couple big wins against George Mason and Saint Louis and kind of showed flashes, but obviously staying healthy was a really important thing for us. I think we’re close this year. Obviously, having returning guys is an advantage.”
 
Since so much of last season was dedicated to a defensive reinvention, Miller doesn’t want to lose that identity. It was especially valuable when the Rams won four of five in late January.
 
But for Rhode Island to take the next step and chase down its first 20-win season since 2019-20, the offense has to make similar progress. Miller believes the pieces are in place for it to happen.
 
“We’re a much better shooting team and we’re much bigger,” Miller said. “The question is are we as quick as were a year ago defensively and can we somehow balance the two so we have both ends going at the same time. I would say in my time here, this is the best that I’ve felt about the ability to shoot the ball a little bit, have some size and in my opinion really solidified the point guard player with Dylan [Williamson]. So I think we’re a little more balanced on offense.”
 
A LOOK AT THE RAMS
Coach: Archie Miller, fifth season at Rhode Island, 55-71 with the Rams and 261-192 in 14 seasons overall.
 
Last year: The Rams were robustly in the middle of the Atlantic 10 pack for much of the conference season, splitting their first 10 league games. But they dropped seven of their last nine games, including an A10 tournament second round loss as the No. 10 seed to Duquesne, to finish 16-16 overall and 7-11 in the league.
 
They’ll miss: Tyler Cochran did a lot for the Rams last season, leading the team in scoring (15.4) and rebounding (6.2) while also averaging 2.7 steals. The latter number helped him claim co-defensive player of the year honors in the A10, and that might be the most challenging part of his production for Rhode Island to replace.
 
Impact returners: Both Hinton and Tripp are preseason third team all-A10 selections, and they provide the Rams with a pair of proven options with experience in Miller’s system.
 
“That was one of the main reasons I came back,” said Tripp, who is in his fourth season in the A10 after starting his career at Fordham. “Me, Jonah and a lot of returners, just having that comfortability with our coach and being familiar with the offense and our coaches. It’s going to be a big for us. I’ve been working really hard and Jonah was as well. I plan to have a big year. So does Jonah. So does Dylan. So does the whole team.”
 
Newcomers of note: Three key transfer pickups are guards Dylan Williamson (14.6 ppg, 3.4 apg at Towson) and Jason Fontenet II (9.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg at UC Santa Barbara) and forward Matas Deniusas (12.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg at Tennessee-Martin). The latter was the Ohio Valley’s rookie of the year.
 
“I think all three of them bring some firepower to the table, shooting to the table,” Miller said.
 
Two players new to college basketball should be valuable rotation pieces. Nedas Raupelis, a 6-foot-10 forward from Lithuania, brings needed size and has three years of eligibility. Freshman Jaen Chatman from New Jersey’s Blair Academy will vie for time in the backcourt.
 
Reasons to be optimistic: In addition to the pickups themselves, Miller was also glad to have his roster effectively settled by May.
 
That’s good in any year, since it provides some time to develop cohesion. It’s especially helpful this year, as various lawsuits wind their way through state courts to secure an extra season for players who exhausted their eligibility in 2025-26.
 
“We just chose not to go that route,” Miller said. “I don’t feel the court systems in general is a healthy thing to have around the team unless you have one of your players maybe trying to get it or one of these guys knows a former teammate who is just hanging in the mix. I think anything you can do later after you’ve already been started for two and a half months in the summer is sometimes harder to justify with your players.”
 
X factor: Williamson has scored 1,326 points in his career and is coming off earning third team all-CAA honors at Towson. He’s likely to have the ball in his hands plenty and will play a large part in determining the success of the Rams’ season.
 
“He’s another senior, a guy with experience,” Tripp said. “Great playmaker, great point guard, great scorer. He’s going to be great for us.”
 
Circle the date: It never hurts to highlight the Rams’ Ocean State rivalry with Providence, which renews on Dec. 5 in Kingston. Rhode Island will look for its fourth victory in its last five home games against the Friars.
 
Bottom line: The Rams avoided the first day of the A10 tournament last year, and there’s enough in place (with Hinton and Tripp as stalwart presences) to move up further in the league standings if the offense can become a bit more potent.