| Tahrike Carter shared the
team high with 13 points in RIC's conference final win against
Keene State. Rhode Island College athletics photo |
Tahrike Carter stood up in the locker room and demanded his team's attention. He had seen enough.
Carter, after Rhode Island College's less-than-inspiring 45-43 win against Bates, spoke openly about the need for a more positive and loose atmosphere in practice. When Carter, the Anchormen's senior captain and emotional leader speaks, everyone takes it to heart -- even the coach.
Bob Walsh, in his eighth season as Rhode Island College's coach, made a crucial and difficult decision after that win on Nov. 25, 2012. Walsh decided to hand over the reins of the team's offense to the players.
Not completely, of course. Walsh is still the coach, after all. But he made up his mind to get off his players' backs.
"I thought about it and realized, after talking to him, that he was really talking to me. I needed to sort of let go," Walsh said. "We were playing really, really tight and tentative offensively, and I never want my teams to play that way. After that, I went back the next day at practice and said, 'You know what? I'm giving up the offense. You guys are giving me the defensive end, that's always what I've asked for. I'm giving you the offense.'"
Four days later, Rhode Island College exploded for 10 3-pointers and 68 points in a win over then-No. 1 MIT. All Walsh had to do was get out of the way of himself and his players.
Since that radical decision, the Anchormen have gone 20-3, won their fourth regular-season LEC title in five years, won their third LEC conference tournament in four years, and, perhaps most impressively, reached their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament.
"We've been able to find a way to win regardless of how we've played or who the opponent is all year," Walsh said. "It's been a great run so far."
The "so far" is key for Walsh. He and his team, led by Carter and upperclassmen like Nyheem Sanders, Tom DeCiantis, Steven Roberts and Michael Palumbo, are far from content with another NCAA appearance. Perhaps more than any of the previous six trips, the expectations for a deep tournament run are realistic.
As Walsh is quick to point, the Sweet 16 teams in 2010 and 2011 had to win the conference tournament to reach the NCAA field. This year's team, had it lost in the conference tournament, would have received an at-large bid by virtue of its record.
Walsh led the Anchormen to the Elite Eight in 2006-07, just his second year with the team. That team, he said, got hot late and just kept winning -- really, your classic case of an upstart winning because it doesn't know any better.
Still, Walsh made sure to tell this year's team the same thing he told that elite 2006-07 squad.
"I told our guys on Saturday night to go home and spend Sunday thinking about winning the national championship," Walsh said. "I said that in 2007, the first time we went, because I think we're good enough to do it, and that's what this tournament is all about."
If the Anchormen are to make a deep run, it will hinge on the production of the team's two constants this season -- its depth and defense.
Walsh made the right call in maintaining full control of the defense, as he has his team playing arguably the best in the country. The Anchormen enter the tournament ranked second nationally in points allowed per game (55.6), eighth in field goal percentage allowed (37.7) and first in 3-point percentage allowed (26.8). Eight times this season the Anchormen held their opponents below 50 points in a game. Only three times (all losses) did Rhode Island College allow teams to eclipse 70 points in a game.
Likewise, Rhode Island College has been able to keep pressure on teams by rotating in waves of healthy, productive players. Eleven players average at least 10 minutes of playing time, and Walsh said he feels comfortable playing any combination of his 12 regulars. The talent level is obviously there, but to foster an environment where a dozen players can reasonably expect to play and contribute consistently is a byproduct of the team's culture. Walsh said it all starts in practice, which is how the team judges itself.
"It's talented and tough kids [that have] bought into the right culture," Walsh said. "I think we have a culture here that I'm really proud of that's a high level of accountability with how we do things on and off the court every day. ... We've been able to accomplish some special things."
| Bob Walsh's team has only lost to one team not currently in the Top 25, and that's Eastern Connecticut, which finished the season 20-8. |
Carter, who this season became the first player in LEC history to capture conference player of the year, defensive player of the year and tournament most outstanding player honors in the same season, is the unquestioned leader of the team. His on-court production (10.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.8 APG) is steady, if not spectacular. But Walsh said Carter's impact is deeper than sheer numbers.
"Tahrike really defines the toughness and the commitment and the trust that our culture is all about," Walsh said. "He is the heart and soul of what we do every day, and he brings an approach to practice every day that just is uncommon, to be quite honest."
Rhode Island College hosts Liberty League champion Hobart in the first round. Hobart, a team that won a first-round game and took eventual runner-up Cabrini to overtime in last year's tournament, is hardly a pushover. Junior forward Richie Bonney and senior guard Stefan Thompson form one of the most potent inside-outside duos in the country. They will test Rhode Island College's stiff defense.
However the tournament plays out, Walsh maintains he made the right call back in November. It's hard to argue otherwise.
Men's NCAA Tournament analysis
What jumps out: Amherst's road to the Final Four is quite favorable. Aside from the first-round bye, the Lord Jeffs get the winner of Plattsburgh State-Husson in the second round, a manageable draw. A matchup with WPI in the Sweet 16 stands out as one of the better potential meetings in the entire field. But should Amherst get beyond that, the lower half of the bracket features teams a level below the Lord Jeffs. Likewise, Middlebury did well for itself. The Panthers will likely face a tough, veteran Cortland State squad in the second round, but a second-round meeting between North Central (Ill.) and UW-Whitewater means a top-five team will be eliminated before the Sweet 16. Tough draws for Williams (Catholic possibly in second round), MIT (St. Mary's in first round) and Hobart (Rhode Island College in first round) on the other side of the bracket. Ithaca faces Springfield in a matchup that will feature a pair of transfers -- Alex Berthiaume for Springfield and Travis Warech for Ithaca -- from St. Michael's, a Division II school in Vermont.
Early matchups to watch: Hobart at Rhode Island College; Albertus Magnus at Alvernia; MIT at St. Mary's (Md.); Ithaca at Springfield
The picks: If I were betting on one Northeast/East team to reach the Final Four, it would be Amherst. It probably would have been Amherst before the bracket was released, but it unquestionably is now the tournament field has been revealed. Williams could muster a deep run, but it faces a tough possible path, including No. 1 St. Thomas potentially in the Elite Eight. Rhode Island College could put together another Sweet 16 or Elite Eight run, but it will have to earn it. Amherst stands as the favorite to reach the Final Four, and possibly win the national title.
Women's NCAA Tournament analysis
What jumps out: Babson is probably destined to meet Amherst again. Amherst has ended Babson's season each of the last four years, and the two teams can again meet in the Sweet 16. The path is easier for Amherst -- Babson likely has a second-round matchup with Tufts in the cards. Bridgewater State-University of New England seems like a strong first-round matchup. Farmingdale State (Amherst) and St. Lawrence (Tufts) face long odds in first-round matchups with NESCAC powerhouses. On the other side of the bracket, Southern Maine faces a very favorable draw. The eighth-ranked Huskies are the highest-ranked team in their 16-team bracket when considering the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll. I know that doesn't count for anything in the NCAA layout, but in projecting the winners, it means plenty. Southern Maine, to me, is a favorite to reach the Final Four. There's a chance for Williams to make a run as well.
Early matchups to watch: Bridgewater State vs. University of New England (at Amherst); Ithaca vs. Colby-Sawyer (at Southern Maine); Emmanuel vs. Rochester (at Rochester)
The picks: If everything breaks right, I could see both Amherst and Southern Maine in the Final Four. Amherst is a proven contender, so that would hardly come as a surprise. If the Lord Jeffs get past Tufts in the Sweet 16, the path could be clear for another Final Four appearance. Southern Maine could face a tougher test, with potential matchups against Ithaca, Williams and Emory along the way. But at least on paper, the Huskies look to have everything in their favor.
GNAC honors late Bertanza
When the GNAC released its men's basketball all-conference team on Monday, the first team included a sixth player -- Sean Bertanza.
Bertanza died Dec. 20, 2012, in his sleep at his home in Seymour, Conn. Bertanza, who once scored 55 points against St. Joseph's (Maine) was a superb basketball talent and, by all accounts, an even better person. This was a touching and classy decision by the GNAC to honor Bertanza posthumously.
To read more about Bertanza, click here.
Thank you
If at any point this season you reached out to me, sent me an approaching milestone or story idea, offered gratitude or criticism, or simply perused a few lines in this column space, thank you. I hope the coverage was fair and the stories were as enjoyable for you to read as they were for me to write. I have a special place in my heart for Division III basketball. I hope that shows not only in my work, but in the work put in by Pat Coleman, Gordon Mann, Brian Falzarano, Brian Lester, Jason Galleske, Pete Barrett and everyone else who contributes to the site. Thanks again, and enjoy the tournaments.
