BY MATT SUGAM & ADAM ZAGORIA
Dan Hurley turned down an offer to become the next head coach at Rutgers on Monday — and will not return home to New Jersey to try to save the day.
Hurley has agreed in principle to a contract extension through 2019-20 at Rhode Island, sources with direct knowledge told SNY.tv. He is expected to sign the extension soon.
Hurley initially signed a six-year deal worth approximately $4 million at Rhode Island a year ago after leaving Wagner following a two-year stint there. The Rutgers offer was not significantly more than what he makes at Rhody. To read more of this story, click here
By ADAM ZAGORIA & MATT SUGAM
ATLANTA — Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley may not turn out to be Rutgers’ next men’s basketball coach after all.
Hurley and Rhode Island are close to an agreement on a contract extension through the 2019-20 season, although it has not yet been finalized, sources confirmed to SNY.tv.
The news was first reported by SI.com.
Theoretically, if Rutgers were to make a hard pitch in the next few days, Hurley might still be an option. To read more of this story, click here
By ALEX SCHIFFER
Special to ZAGSBLOG
UNION, N.J. — Curtis High School on Staten Island has been having an under-the radar season despite being 9-2, with one of those losses coming at the hands of perennial power St. Anthony, 61-31, Saturday night at Kean University.
One of the biggest reasons for Curtis’ early success is due in large part to 6-foot-7 senior small forward Hassan Martin.
Martin, a Rhode Island commit, has been the main scoring option for the team as he’s able to use athleticism to the max, whether it is on the boards, through the lane, or wherever his team needs him. Curtis is one of two 2013 Rhody commits for Dan Hurley’s squad, the other being top tier shooting guard E.C. Mathews. To read more of this story, click here
Rhode Island will visit Providence Thursday night in a battle of two up-and-coming teams with depleted rosters.
How depleted are they?
So depleted that the most interesting game between the two teams might be a hypothetical three-on-three contest between each team’s best unavailable players.
Consider that Rhode Island (2-6) has transfers Gilvydas Biruta (Rutgers), Jarelle Reischel (Rice) and DeShon “Biggie” Minnis (Texas Tech) sitting out this year per transfer rules. To read more of this story, click here
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After Rhode Island gave No. 4 Ohio State all it could handle before losing, 69-58, the team’s fans gave the players an ovation inside the Mohegan Sun Arena.
“It felt good but I wish they were cheering because we won,” said Rhody sophomore guard Mike Powell, who finished with 10 points, including back-to-back second-half 3-pointers in a game that was taut until the final minutes.
The Rams are now 0-3 entering Sunday’s consolation game against Seton Hall in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament and you can bet that doesn’t sit well with first-year coach Dan Hurley, a Seton Hall alumnus who comes from a family that is synonymous with winning and whose Hall of Fame father, St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley, sat courtside.
“Ideal would be 3-0,” Dan Hurley said in his typical deadpan. To read more of this story, click here
Ifeanyi Onyekaba, a 6-foot-8 Nigerian forward, has qualified for Rhode Island by NCAA standards but because of his complex situation he will have to sit out this season before he becomes eligible.
Led by head coach Dan Hurley, Rhode Island is filing a waiver with the NCAA to see if he can become eligible this year.
“The kid is highly intelligent and has been a high-achiever academically both in Africa and in the two schools in Virginia,” Hurley told SNY.tv.
“We’re thrilled to have him as a member of the program moving forward. He brings a real physical defensive rebounding presence. Moving forward in the program he’s got a great chance to have a real prominent role because of how effective he is around the basket.” To read more of this story, click here
BROOKLYN — Dan Hurley knows a thing or two about turning basketball programs around.
Two years ago, he took over a 5-win Wagner outfit and got them to 25 wins last season.
Before that, Hurley spent nine seasons as head coach at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, turning a local program into a perennial national powerhouse.
Now comes Rhode Island’s turn.
Hurley says he has a two-year plan to get the Rams back on the right track after last year’s 7-24 finish got Jim Baron fired.
“We believe in the three seniors that we have returning,” Hurley said Thursday at Atlantic 10 media day in reference to guard Andre Malone and forwards Ryan To read more of this story, click here
The commitments just keeping rolling in for Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley and his staff.
Hassan Martin , a 6-foot-7, 196-pound power forward from Curtis High School on Staten Island, verbally pledged to the Rams Sunday, one day after Michigan point guard E.C. Matthews pledged to the school.
Martin picked Rhody over Providence, St. Joe’s and Iowa State.
“They made me feel comfortable and I bonded with the team,” Martin told SNY.tv. Sunday after a weekend visit that also included Christ the King shooting guard Jon Severe. “It was fun. I like the campus a lot and they show me a lot of love.” To read more of this story, click here
Rhode Island picked up a tremendous point guard prospect Saturday when E.C. Matthews pledged to the Rams.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Matthews out of Romulus (Mich.) High also had offers from Minnesota, Iowa, Marquettte, Providence, Missouri, UConn, Xavier and Dayton, his coach, Nate Oates, told SNY.tv.
“I was real comfortable with the coaching staff and the Hurley Brothers,” Matthews told SNY.tv. “What stood out the most was that they wanted me as a point guard only. They’re telling me that they see something in me as a point guard only, and academic-wise it stood out for me, too.” To read more of this story, click here
Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley will host two New York City players for official visits on Friday when Christ the King shooting guard Jon Severe and Curtis power forward Hassan Martin trip to the school.
The 6-foot-2 Severe is ranked the No. 43 shooting guard in the Class of 2013 by Rivals. He has already visited George Washington officially and will trip to Rutgers for its Midnight Madness Oct. 12.
Severe said he holds offers from Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Rutgers, George Washington, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, Dayton and South Carolina.
“He works really hard on his game,” Christ the King coach Joe Arbitello told SNY.tv. “Any school who gets him will have a tough, hard-working player who will only get better.” To read more of this story, click here
