RIC MEN'S
Basketball Preview
2012-13
The year that was The 2011-12 Rhode Island College men’s basketball team went 23-7 on the season and 10-4 in the Little East Conference. For the sixth straight year, the Anchormen had a 20 win season and made it to the NCAA III tournament. They are only one of five programs in the nation to do this. The Samantha Allen Anchormen made it through the first Sports Editor round of the tournament, but lost in the second to Staten Island 77-67. For the first time since the 1970-71 season, the Anchormen started off the season 9-0. It wasn’t until Dec. 10 that the Eastern Connecituct Warriors would hold the Anchormen’s first loss. The Warriors would prove to be a tough team against RIC all season long. At the end of the regular season, the Anchormen were tied for second place in the LEC and ended in third due to a tie breaker. The Anchormen dominated in the first round of the playoffs, defeating Plymouth State 79-48. The second game of the Little East Tournament wasn’t as easy of a game for the Anchormen. With only 1:30 left, RIC was down nine points. Thanks to a pair of free throws from senior Mason Choice with 8.6 seconds left, the Anchormen took the lead and won the game, sending them to the LEC finals. The Anchormen were set to face top seed Eastern Connecitcut, whom held their first lose of the season. Choice’s 21 points were not enough to bring home another LEC, and the Anchormen lost 82-60 on the Warriors home turf. The game was driven by the Warriors bench, who scored 29 points, while RIC’s bench only had 10 points. This year, the Anchormen look to improve and replace top scorers Mason Choice and Mike Akinrola. Winning the Little East title is in their eyes once again.
Additional reporting by Eddie Pannone and Maggie Masse
2012-13 ROSTER
Who's Missing
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #12 #15 #21 #22 #23 #24 #35 #41
Trevor Morgera Alex Cruz Tahrike Carter Kadeem Francis Randy Casey Tom DeCiantis Grant Thomas Nyheem Sanders Jazz Robinson Mike Neal Michael Palumbo Chris Burton Jacob Page
Fr. Guard/Fwd So. Guard/Fwd Sr. Guard Jr. Guard Sr. Guard Jr. Guard/Fwd So. Guard Jr. Guard Fr. Guard Fr. Center Jr. Guard So. Forward So. Forward
Last year’s top scorer and member of the 1,000 point club, Mike Akinrola, has graduated from the team. He had 543 points last season alone, averaging 18.1 points per game. Second leading scorer Mason Choice has also graduated. Choice averaged 13.1 points per game and had 381 points on the season. Despite only starting one game, Avery King had 163 points during his senior year. He averaged 14.9 minutes per game and 6.8 points per game.
Who's Back Tahrike Carter looks to be a shooting star for the Anchormen this upcoming season. Last year, he was the third leading scorer on the team, with 290 points, and with the two top scorers gone, Carter will have to step up. Mike Palumbo, who can drain three pointers from any position, will be coming off the bench this season and contributing a fair amount of points. Last year, Palumbo got 138 points. Tom DeCiantis had 207 points last season, right behind Tahrike Carter. He’ll be another player to watch step it up this season.
MEET THE TEAM
#2 Alex Cruz Cruz is a sophomore who is going to play both guard and forward in 2012. The winger is a very athletic player and will show off his versatility for the Anchormen this season. He is not afraid to play the inside game and is also able to play outside as well. One of the biggest aspects of his game that poses a threat for opposing teams is his ability to slash to the rim.
#1 Trevor Morgera The freshman swinger Morgera will see action at the guard and forward positions this season. The Newport native is a tough player that will show off great defense. He will be fighting for some playing time on the perimeter for the Anchormen, and is one of the numerous freshmen that will look to make an immediate impact for the team this year.
#3 Tahrike Carter Carter will be the starting point guard this year for the Anchormen, and is coming off a very good campaign last season. He was named Second Team All-Little East and was also named to the league’s All-Defensive Team. The tough Carter will be the team leader in 2012, and can hurt opposers in many different ways. Not only is he an outstanding defender, but will score both inside and outside.
Francis, a native of White Plains, New York, is an athletic combination guard for the team. He plays both perimeter spots on the floor, and makes smart decisions with the basketball. He will play solid defense off the bench while setting up his teammates for success. Overall, he is a smooth and solid guard to have on the bench.
#12 Tom DeCiantis The only player to start every game last year, DeCiantis returns to the team as a junior in 2012. The North Kingston native is an athletic player that plays both guard and forward, and is a tough matchup for smaller defenders because of his size. He is a great shooter, and will also pick up some rebounds inside.
#5 Randy Casey Casey transferred to RIC a season ago from Division II Dean College. The native of Attleboro, Massachusetts, is a great defensive player for the Anchormen, and will see action at point guard and wing this season. This tough combination guard plays on the ball and off the ball effectively, and is also a dynamic slasher who is able to drive through the lane offensively.
MEET THE TEAM
#4 Kadeem Francis
MEET THE TEAM
#21 Nyheem Sanders The Pawtucket native Sanders is an athletic junior who is a very solid player. He is a tough physical guard, but can play three positions for the team. He can score and he will grab some rebounds, but one of his biggest strengths is ability to make his teammates better. He is unselfish and is capable of getting the ball to the open man.
#15 Grant Thomas Thomas is another new addition to the team this season. He is a native of Wingdale, New York, and graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes. The sophomore is a walk on first year player, and is a good outside shooter when left alone from beyond the ark.
#22 Jazz Robinson Robinson is also a walk on player for RIC in 2012. This freshman guard is a graduate of St. Rays Academy and is from Pawtucket. He will have to fight for playing time, but is a smart wing when in the game. He will show off his athletic skill and toughness on the floor for the Anchormen.
#35 Chris Burton
Neal will be another exciting freshman to watch this year for the Anchormen. The Pawtucket native and graduate of Shea High School will have a chance to contend for some quality minutes at the center position. He does a great job getting rebounds while having an offensive post presence. This 6’ 6� player will be a player to watch this year.
Burton is an athletic, versatile forward who will be asked to step up this year for the team. He is able to play both outside and inside, scoring in many different fashions. The native of New Rochelle, New York, also can defend multiple positions well, and will be a valuable piece to this Anchormen team.
#24 Michael Palumbo
#41 Jacob Page
Palumbo is coming into his third season with the Anchormen, and will be fighting for a job in the starting lineup. He is a big time sharp shooter who can drain a three from anywhere on the floor. This guard may not be big in size, but he is smart, hustles and will cause some turnovers on defense.
Page hails from Brookline, Massachusetts, and will compete for a great deal of playing time this season. This versatile forward is a smart, tough player whose athleticism and size make him a good defender on the inside. He is also capable of knocking down threes if need be, and is another player to watch this year for the Anchormen.
MEET THE TEAM
#23 Mike Neal
What to Expect
Keene State
Johnson and Wales
Keene State was the owner of one of the few losses the RIC team received last season. They lost by just one point in the first matchup but won the next time they faced each other 65-57. Avery King had 21 points and six 3-pointers, and Ryan Martin, a member of the Owls, had a game high 28 points and is only a junior this year.
RIC defeated cross town rivals 89-62 with three players scoring a combined 41 points. Mason Choice, Tahrike Carter and Tom DeCiantis lead the Anchormen to the victory. With only Choice not on the team, defeating the rivals shouldn’t be a problem.
UMASS Dartmouth RIC walked away with a win in the first contest but picked up a loss in the second, but not by much. In the 73-68 loss, Mike Palumbo had 13 points while teammate Tahrike Carter had 11 points and seven assists. Tom DeCiantis had eight points in the team’s 61-57 victory while UMD’s Alex Rodrigues had a game high 15 rebounds and is still with the corsairs as a sophomore.
Eastern Connecticut State In three games, RIC only walked away with one win, and lost to the Warriors in the LEC Championship game by a score of 82-60. For the first time since 2005-06, the Anchormen did not win the LEC regular season or tournament championship. In the one win, RIC won 66-48 with 21 points from Mike Akinrola and 12 points from Tahrike Carter.
MIT The last time these two teams met, MIT defeated the Anchormen in the first round of the NCAA tournament in the 2008-09 season. This year, MIT is ranked number one in all of Division III, and the Anchormen will host them at home on Nov. 29.
Plymouth State The Anchormen defeated the Panthers in all three contests last season with scores of 65-51, 61-43 and 79-48 in the first round of the Little East tournament. Mike Akinrola put up 29 points in their first face off of the year, and also received his 1,000 point against the Panthers. With big gaps in points in all three wins, the Anchormen look to defeat this team once again.
Southern Maine
RIC defeated Salve by a score of 69-55 with Mike Akinrola leading the team with 19 points. This year’s team captain Tahrike Carter had 10 points and seven rebounds. Seahawks leading scorer Ryan Birrell, who got 14 points and six rebounds, has graduated from the team.
In the first contest between the two last season, the Anchormen won by 33 points in a 73-40 game. Twelve different players produced points for the team while Tahrike Carter led the team with seven rebounds. RIC also won when they faced off again, by a closer score of 77-65. The Huskies top scorer in both matches is no longer with the team.
WPI RIC defeated the Engineers 57-47 to pick up their ninth win in a row last year and start the season off 9-0 for the first time since the 19701971 season. At the time of the game, WPI was ranked 15th in the nation. Tahrike Carter had the second most points on the team with 12 behind Mason Choice with 17 points.
UMASS Boston The Anchormen defeated the Beacon in both contests last season 88-51 and 75-51. In the first matchup, 14 different Anchormen produced points, led by Tom DeCiantis with 11 points. In the second matchup, RIC led by as many as 33 points in the second half. This will be an easy team to defeat again this season.
Western Connecticut The Anchormen lost to Western Connecticut 93-87 in their first game against each other last season. Tahrike Carter and Mike Palumbo, both on the team this season, were top in points. In the second game, RIC won by just a point with a score of 79-78. Carter had 12 points in the win.
Amherst Amherst College is ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III and the Anchormen will host them on Jan. 29. Last year, the Anchormen lost to Amherst on the road 79-69. Tahrike Carter had 20 points on the game, leading the Anchormen. This year, it’s sure to be another heated battle.
What to expect
Salve Regina
COACHES
CORNER
Head Coach Bob Walsh
Assitant Coach Mike Romano
Bob Walsh will enter into his eighth season as the Rhode Island College head men’s basketball coach. He has been at the helm for the Anchormen during one of the most successful periods in the program’s storied history. RIC has made seven consecutive trips to the postseason and six straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament under his watch. They are only one of five teams in the nation to accomplish this feat. Coach Walsh has led RIC into the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight once. Walsh boasts a career 158-50 record (.760 winning percentage) and led the team to a 23-7 campaign last year. He has won four Little East Conference Regular Season and four Tournament Championships while at RIC. Last season, Walsh was honored with the Alumni Staff Award by Rhode Island College. The Anchormen notched their sixth consecutive 20win campaign and earned their sixth straight NCAA Div. III Tournament appearance. RIC also played in the Little East Tournament Championship Game for the sixth straight campaign. Walsh, 39, has experience as an assistant
Assistant Coach Anthony Leonelli
coach with the Providence College basketball program, spending seven years there before coming to RIC. He joined then-Head Coach Tim Welsh’s staff in 1998 after spending the 1997-98 season as an assistant coach at the University of San Diego. Walsh’s first experience in college coaching came when he served as an administrative assistant on Welsh’s staff at Iona from 1994-96. Assisting Coach Walsh, this year, will be Mike Romano and Anthony Leonelli, both in their first seasons as assistants at RIC. Romano spent the past two seasons at Marist College as a graduate manager for the men’s basketball program. From 2010-12, he assisted the coaching staff and the director of basketball operations with basketball and administrative duties. He also aided in on-campus recruiting. Leonelli spent last season as the assistant men’s basketball coach at WPI where he was instrumental in the program’s recruiting efforts as well as skill development among the team’s post players. Leonelli was also an assistant director for WPI basketball camp during backto-back summers.
MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE 2012-13 November 3 November 15 November 17 November 20 November 25 November 29 December 1 December 4 December 6 December 8 December 19 January 3 January 5 January 8 January 12 January 15 January 19 January 22 January 26 January 29 January 31 February 2 February 5 February 9 February 12 February 16 February 19 February 22 February 23
at Providence College (exhibition) 7 p.m. at Lasell College 8 p.m. Brandeis University 1 p.m. Bridgewater State University 7:30 p.m. at Bates College 2 p.m. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 7:30 p.m. Plymouth State University 3 p.m. at Salve Regina University 7:30 p.m. at Worcester Polytechnic Institute 7 p.m. Eastern Connecticut State Univ. 3 p.m. at Johnson & Wales University 7:30 p.m. Wheaton College 7:30 p.m. UMass Boston 3 p.m. at University of Southern Maine 7:30 p.m. Keene State College 3 p.m. at UMass Dartmouth 7:30 p.m. at Plymouth State University 3 p.m. Western Connecticut State Univ. 7:30 p.m. at Eastern Connecticut State Univ. 3 p.m. Amherst College 7 p.m. at Clark University 6 p.m. at UMass Boston 3 p.m. UMass Dartmouth 7:30 p.m. University of Southern Maine 3 p.m. at Western Connecticut State Univ. 7:30 p.m. at Keene State College 3 p.m. LEC QuarterďŹ nals TBA LEC SemiďŹ nals TBA LEC Championship TBA