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 Brooks and Nikola Malesevic. “We’re going to give them every opportunity to over-achieve and be better than what people are predicting for us.”
What the A-10 coaches predicted for the Rams is a 15th-place finish in the 16-team league. The top 12 teams make the postseason tournament at the Barclays Center.
But in Year 2, Hurley will have three transfers eligible in Gilvydas Biruta (Rutgers), DeShon “Biggie” Minnis (Texas Tech) and Jarelle Reischel (Rice).
Rhody also landed elite point guard E.C. Matthews of Michigan and New York forward Hassan Martin for 2013.
In Year 2, Hurley can look forward to pairing 6-10 Jordan Hare, now a freshman, and the 6-8 Biruta in the frontcourt, which could cause problems for opponents in the A-10.
“Moving forward I think we looked at the late signing period with the opportunity to add three transfers that we believe can range anywhere from having a great impact to All-Conference caliber guys in Gil Biruta, Jarelle Reischel and Biggie Minnis, as well as bringing in a Jordan Hare, who plays a premium position [power forward] and is an [A-10] All-Rookie pick,” Hurley said. “And Xavier Munford, who’s one of the best shooting guards in the country in junior college. And [forward] Mike Aaman, who was a two-time first-team All-State kid from New Jersey.
“We think we’ve got a great future there and we’re happy about where we’re at with the 2013 class. So we believe we can make a big jump in Year 2 but we’re not throwing away Year 1 because our guys are going to work to play with a chip on their shoulder every day.”
