Home CollegeSLU Billikens MBB Preview: Saint Louis vs. Rhode Island

MBB Preview: Saint Louis vs. Rhode Island

by Brian Kunderman

Saint Louis vs. Rhode Island
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 | 6 p.m. | St. Louis, Mo. (Chaifetz Arena)
TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Len Elmore) (channel finder)
Radio: 101 ESPN (Bob Ramsey, Earl Austin Jr.)
Online Coverage: Live Stats | @SaintLouisMBB on Twitter

++ SLU Game Notes ++

SETTING THE SCENE

– Saint Louis hosts first-place Rhode Island on Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena. Game time is 6 p.m.

– Tuesday’s game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Rich Waltz and Len Elmore are on the call.

– The radio broadcast will air on 101 ESPN (101.1 FM and 101Sports.com). As always, Billiken Hall of Famer Bob Ramsey provides the play-by-play, while St. Louis American Sports Editor Earl Austin Jr. handles the analysis.

ABOUT THE BILLIKENS
Roster | Schedule | 2017-18 Statistics

– Saint Louis enters Tuesday’s game against Rhode Island with an 8-8 overall record and a 1-2 mark in Atlantic 10 Conference play.

– The Billikens are coming off a 69-62 victory over Richmond on Saturday night. SLU was without freshman point guard Jordan Goodwin much of the night after he left with an ankle injury in the first half and did not return. Junior forward D.J. Foreman scored a career-high 16 points to lead the Billikens.

– Junior guard Javon Bess continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 12.9 ppg. Through games of Jan. 6, he led the league and ranked in the top 20 nationally in free throws made (19th, 93 FTM) and attempted (13th, 123 FTA).

– Freshman guard Jordan Goodwin is one of 15 players nationally and the only freshman to lead his team in rebounding avg. (6.9 rpg), assists (54) and steals (34).

– Freshman forward Hasahn French is second in the Atlantic 10 Conference with 28 blocks. His 28 blocks so far this season are eighth in school history for most blocks in a season by a freshman. French is second on the Billikens with 6.6 rpg.

– Senior guard Davell Roby is getting closer to becoming the 31st Billiken to score 1,000 points in a career. He sits at 949 career points. If he scores at his current average of 10.4 ppg, he’ll reach the 1000-point barrier later this month.

– As a team, Saint Louis is second in the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring defense, allowing 65.4 ppg. Opponents shoot 42.7 percent from the field against SLU, the fourth lowest percentage in the A-10.

– Up next, SLU travels to Fairfax, Virginia, to face George Mason on Saturday, Jan. 13. The game will be televised on NBCSN.

ABOUT THE RAMS
Roster | Schedule | 2017-18 Statistics

– The University of Rhode Island enters Tuesday’s game 11-3 overall and tied for first (with Duquesne) in the A-10 with a 3-0 record.

– The Rams’ nonconference schedule was ranked No. 11 in the country, and URI entered league play with an RPI of No. 16. Rhody’s top win was a 75-74 triumph over then-No. 20 Seton Hall. Rhode Island has been receiving votes all season in both the Associated Press Top 25 poll and the USA Today Coaches poll.

– Senior guard E.C. Matthews has returned from an injury and averages 14.0 ppg. He was named Most Outstanding Player of last year’s A-10 Championship.

– Senior guard Jared Terrell leads Rhode Island with 17.7 ppg. He has drained 28 3-pointers and shoots 83.3 percent (50-of-60) from the free-throw line.

– Sophomore guard Jeff Dowtin leads the A-10 and is among the NCAA leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.5).

– Rhode Island leads the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage (.464, 400-of-862). In addition, the Rams are the A-10 leader in turnover margin (+5.9).

– Head coach Dan Hurley is in his sixth season at Rhode Island.

– Rhode Island leads the all-time series 11-6 and owns a four-game winning streak in the series.

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