Projo Sports Blog

The URI men's basketball team will not waste any time getting into the full swing of Atlantic 10 play this winter.

The conference today released the dates and sites (but not the times) for all men's basketball conference games for this season and it shows Rhody beginning with a bang.

The Rams will visit Saint Joseph's for the league opener, a contest that will be played at The Palestra. The Hawks will not have use of their home gym, Alumni Hall, this season because of renovations.

Rhody's first home game will be against league power Xavier on Jan. 15. That means that contest, as well as Fordham, three days later, will be played during the semester break when students will not be on campus.

Overall, though, it will be hard to URI to complain about the league schedule. The team never plays more than two games in a row at home or on the road. It does not have to visit any of the three league members farthest from Kingston. Dayton, Xavier and Saint Louis all will visit the Ryan Center. And there is no dreaded trip to Olean. St. Bonaventure also comes to Kingston.

Temple, Massachusetts and Fordham are the partners for this year, the three schools URI will play both home and away. The games against UMass both will be held late in the season, Feb. 18 at Amherst and March 7, the regular-season finale, at the Ryan Center.

Here is URI's conference slate:
Jan. 10: at Saint Joseph's; Jan 15: Xavier; Jan. 18: Fordham; Jan. 21 at Richmond; Jan. 24, at George Washington; Jan. 28, Temple; Jan. 31, La Salle; Feb. 5, at Charlotte; Feb. 8, at Temple; Feb. 11, St. Bonaventure; Feb. 14, Saint Louis; Feb. 18, at Massachusetts; Feb. 21, at Fordham; Feb. 25, Dayton; Feb. 28, at Duquesne; March 7, Massachusetts; March 11-14, A-10 tournament in Atlantic City.

URI has not yet announced its schedule for non-conference play. Here is the release from the Atlantic 10 with the schedule for all conference games:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Fresh off a season that saw eight teams advance to postseason play and a league-record seven teams win 20 or more contests, the Atlantic 10 Conference today unveiled its men's basketball league schedule for the 2008-09 campaign.

"The 2008-09 schedule is an exciting combination of a strong conference schedule coupled with long-time rivalries and a great slate of national non-conference opponents which will benefit the Atlantic 10 over the course of the season."

The first two of 112 Conference matchups tip-off on Jan. 7 as Charlotte visits Duquesne and Fordham hosts St. Bonaventure. Each of the league's 14 teams will play every Atlantic 10 opponent once and three teams twice. Game times and television details will be announced at a later date, along with the non-conference tilts for every A-10 team.

For the 14th time in Conference history and fifth since 2000, the Atlantic 10 Conference earned multiple at-large berths to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament last season as league champion Temple was joined by regular season champ Xavier and Saint Joseph's in the field of 65. Xavier advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in program annals and became the 11th team to reach the Elite Eight as a member of the Atlantic 10. Charlotte, Dayton, Massachusetts and Rhode Island earned NIT bids, with Dayton advancing to the quarterfinals and UMass reaching the finals. In addition, Richmond garnered a berth in the inaugural 16-team College Basketball Invitational. Overall, 11 of the Conference's 14 teams reached the 15-win mark last season, the most in league history.

At the conclusion of the regular season on Mar. 7, the top 12 teams will advance to the 2009 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship, to be held Mar. 11-14 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. For complete coverage of the 2008-09 season, log on to www.atlantic10.org

2008-09 A-10 Men's Basketball Conference Schedule

Wed. Jan. 7 Charlotte at Duquesne
St. Bonaventure at Fordham

Thu. Jan. 8 Saint Louis at Xavier

Sat. Jan. 10 Richmond at George Washington
Temple at La Salle
Dayton at Massachusetts
Duquesne at St. Bonaventure
Rhode Island at Saint Joseph's

Sun. Jan. 11 Xavier at Fordham

Wed. Jan. 14 La Salle at Charlotte
Fordham at Dayton
George Washington at Duquesne
Saint Joseph's at St. Bonaventure
Massachusetts at Saint Louis

Thu. Jan. 15 Xavier at Rhode Island

Sat. Jan. 17 Temple at Massachusetts
Dayton at Duquesne
St. Bonaventure at Richmond
George Washington at Saint Louis
Sun. Jan. 18 Fordham at Rhode Island
Charlotte at Saint Joseph's
La Salle at Xavier

Tue. Jan. 20 Dayton at George Washington

Wed. Jan. 21 Massachusetts at Charlotte
Rhode Island at Richmond
Xavier at St. Bonaventure
Duquesne at Saint Joseph's

Thu. Jan. 22 Saint Louis at Temple

Sat. Jan. 24 Charlotte at Temple
St. Bonaventure at Dayton
La Salle at Massachusetts
Rhode Island at George Washington

Sun. Jan. 25 Duquesne at Fordham
Richmond at Saint Louis

-more-
Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball League Slate Announced (page 2)

Wed. Jan. 28 George Washington at La Salle
Temple at Rhode Island
Saint Joseph's at Richmond
Fordham at St. Bonaventure
Charlotte at Xavier

Thu. Jan. 29 Saint Louis at Dayton

Sat. Jan. 31 Massachusetts at Xavier
Saint Louis at Fordham
Saint Joseph's at Dayton
St. Bonaventure at Duquesne
La Salle at Rhode Island
Richmond at Temple

Wed. Feb. 4 Dayton at La Salle
Richmond at Massachusetts
George Washington at Saint Joseph's
Duquesne at Saint Louis

Thu. Feb. 5 Rhode Island at Charlotte
Temple at Xavier

Sat. Feb. 7 Xavier at Duquesne
Fordham at George Washington
La Salle at St. Bonaventure

Sun. Feb. 8 Dayton at Charlotte
Saint Joseph's at Massachusetts
Saint Louis at Richmond
Rhode Island at Temple

Wed. Feb. 11 Xavier at Dayton
Massachusetts at Fordham
La Salle at George Washington
St. Bonaventure at Rhode Island
Duquesne at Richmond
Charlotte at Saint Louis

Thu. Feb. 12 Temple at Saint Joseph's

Sat. Feb. 14 George Washington at Charlotte
Richmond at Dayton
Saint Joseph's at La Salle
Saint Louis at Rhode Island
Massachusetts at St. Bonaventure
Fordham at Xavier

Sun. Feb. 15 Temple at Duquesne

Wed. Feb. 18 Richmond at La Salle
Rhode Island at Massachusetts
Saint Joseph's at Saint Louis
Fordham at Temple

Thu. Feb. 19 Xavier at Charlotte
St. Bonaventure at George Washington

Sat. Feb. 21 Rhode Island at Fordham
Dayton at Saint Louis
Charlotte at Richmond

Sun. Feb. 22 Duquesne at La Salle
Massachusetts at Saint Joseph's
St. Bonaventure at Temple
George Washington at Xavier

Wed. Feb. 25 Richmond at Fordham
Charlotte at George Washington
Duquesne at Massachusetts
Dayton at Rhode Island
Saint Louis at St. Bonaventure

Thu. Feb. 26 Xavier at Saint Joseph's
La Salle at Temple

Sat. Feb. 28 Fordham at Charlotte
Temple at Dayton
Rhode Island at Duquesne
George Washington at Richmond

Sun. Mar. 1 Massachusetts at La Salle
St. Bonaventure at Saint Joseph's

Wed. Mar. 4 Richmond at Charlotte
Saint Louis at Duquesne
Fordham at La Salle
George Washington at Massachusetts

Thu. Mar. 5 Saint Joseph's at Temple
Dayton at Xavier

Sat. Mar. 7 Duquesne at Dayton
Saint Joseph's at Fordham
Temple at George Washington
Massachusetts at Rhode Island
Xavier at Richmond
Charlotte at St. Bonaventure
La Salle at Saint Louis

ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP
March 11-14, 2009
Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, N.J.

Wed. Mar. 11 Atlantic 10 Championship Opening Round

Thu. Mar. 12 Atlantic 10 Championship Quarterfinal Round

Fri. Mar. 13 Atlantic 10 Championship Semifinal Round

Sat. Mar. 14 Atlantic 10 Championship Final Round

Schedule subject to change

 Tags  Atlantic 10 URI men's basketball

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