In 1917, Providence College was established, and three years later, the Friars and the Rhode Island Rams began what is known as the Ocean State Rivalry, a game played annually since 1935.
On Saturday, Providence (6-3) will travel south down Route 4 to play Rhode Island (8-0), with both teams desperate for a win. Fourth-year Bryce Hopkins recently returned for Providence after missing 11 months due to an ACL injury. In his first game back, the Friars took down BYU (6-2) and held projected lottery pick, first-year Egor Demin, to 0 of 10 from the field. It was a much-needed win for the Friars, who just dropped three straight at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Now, the Friars can get two in a row and extend their winning streak against the Rams to four.
As for Rhode Island, they are currently just one of nine programs that remain undefeated through the first five weeks of the season. The Rams rank 18th in the Mid-Major Basketball Top 25 Poll.
While they have notable wins over Yale and the College of Charleston, those triumphs do not compare to the likes of the Friars. Providence resides in the Big East, one of the premier conferences in college basketball. A win over a Big East team would mark the Rams’ first since 2020 when they knocked off Seton Hall 76-63.
A lot has changed since then. Rhode Island fired its coach from that game, David Cox, and had their worst season since 2011-12. The Rams hired former Dayton and Indiana head coach Archie Miller. So far, Miller has lost all six games he’s played against Power Five opponents. The record lows, lack of big-time wins and constant roster reconstruction have left the Rhody faithful hungry for a moment like the one approaching Saturday.
While this season has been an unthinkable turnaround for Miller and the program, it won’t mean much if Rhode Island can’t get its first win against the Friars since 2019. That Rams team was loaded with professional talent: Fatts Russell, Tyrese Martin, Cyril Langevine, Jeff Dowtin and Jacob Toppin. While the season is far from over, it’s already apparent that this year’s Rams squad is the most talented team since that 2019-20 team, as evidenced by the program’s best start in 77 years.
So, how do these two schools match up on paper? This season, the Rams feature one of the nation’s most efficient and fast-paced offenses. Their pace ranks within the top 10 in the nation. It’s been well-documented that this has resulted in the Rams getting to the line more than anyone. Currently, the Rams are taking 32 free throws per game and making 23.1 of them. Both of those numbers rank first in NCAA Division 1. The Rams also rank seventh in fastbreak points per game. Led by their floor general, fourth-year Sebastian Thomas, the Rams have finally taken on the identity of a Miller-led team.
As for the Friars, their full-season stats don’t represent how talented they are. Hopkins is the team’s best player, and he’s only made one appearance this season. How did that one appearance look for the Friars? The most notable difference was the improved spacing of the Friars’ offense. Not only did the Friars hit a season-high 12 3-pointers, but they also shot a season-best 54.5% from beyond the arc. The team also employed the same strategy as the Rams, getting to the line, once again making a season-high 21 free throws and going a season-best 80.8% at the charity stripe. The Friars also played their best defensive game against a mid or high-major program, holding BYU to 33.3% from the field.
How will either one of these teams find a way to win Saturday? The answer is clear for Rhode Island – play your brand of basketball and apply pressure. Rhode Island has run plenty of talented players off the court in Yale’s John Poulakidas and Bez Mbang, Charleston’s Lazar Djokovic, and Lafayette’s Minsha Bednostin, not to mention all the players that finished with four fouls. The Friars have fouled more than their opponents in five straight games, and in their most recent game, three of their starters finished the game in foul trouble.
Forcing Kim English to play his bench players for longer stretches of time could give Miller a chance to outmaneuver English and the Friars. Those points at the line become even more interesting when you realize the Rams shot a shocking 90% from the line against Yale this past Monday.
As for Providence, the answer is to continue to rely on its veterans, third-year Jayden Pierre and Hopkins. These two are key to the Friars’ success over the past three years, and Hopkins’ return immediately showed why. The two offer spacing that the rest of the Friars simply cannot, which will be even more important when you consider that the Rams have featured the best rim defense in college basketball this season. As a team, the Friars shoot 34.9% on 3s. While not an awful mark, it is well behind the Rams mark of 39.8%. The Friars will try to bring that number back up with Hopkins back in the lineup.
The Ocean State Rivalry tips off at noon ET Saturday and can be found on CBS Sports Network.
