SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Can Rhode Island men’s basketball take a long-awaited step forward this season? With the way the past four years have gone, the only suitable answer is that time will tell.
But the first step was certainly good.
URI opened the 2026-27 season in dominant fashion on Tuesday night with a 103-59 victory over Holy Cross at the Ryan Center. It’s the largest margin of victory in a season opener against a D-I opponent for the Rams since 1960.
“Opening the college basketball season with a win is the most important thing,” head coach Archie Miller said. “It goes a long way in terms of morale and getting the nerves out. I thought our kids, across the board, from a team perspective, came out and played the right [way].”
The Rams look capable of improvement this season, but they’ll be fighting some headwinds. Now in a fifth season, Miller’s tenure has been marked by disappointment, with hints of success overshadowed by repeated struggles, particularly in conference play. Flagging fan support showed no signs of improvement Tuesday as empty seats outnumbered occupied spots.
Potential has to become reality if the Rams are to turn things around.
“From a sense of comfortability wit...