KINGSTON — David Cox wants better games on his non-conference schedule.
He understands that the world is going through a global pandemic.
He understands that Rhode Island is a talented team in a good conference that many opponents won’t want to play.
But he doesn’t understand why the Rams and other schools in the Atlantic 10 aren’t getting more help from the league itself when it comes to securing quality games early in the season.
“We need more help from the Atlantic 10 when it comes to scheduling,” Cox said on Friday prior to a preseason practice. “We need them to help more. It’s already very difficult because of the pandemic, but now we’re at a point where no one wants to play us and we’re starting to feel undervalued.”
Rhode Island originally had seven quality non-conference games on its slate, but the Rams’ annual game against Providence was postponed and they also lost a game at home against Boise State following the cancellation of the Atlantic 10-Mountain West Challenge.
Rhode Island will still travel to Boston College and Conference-USA favorite Western Kentucky. There’s also the start a home-and-home series against Seton Hall in Kingston as well as two games at Mohegan Sun in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off with Minnesota, Temple, and Virginia Tech. Marquette was originally slated to be the Rams’ first opponent in the event, but opted to not participate. Current first-round matchups are still to be determined.
Cox feels he’s two quality games short from what would be the type of non-conference schedule needed to put together an at-large resume to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
The Rams return an all-conference player in senior guard Fatts Russell and have also added three power conference transfers in Jalen Carey (Syracuse) and Makhi and Makhel Mitchell (Maryland).
“No one wants to play us,” Cox said. “It’s real simple. We need more assistance from the Atlantic 10 when it comes to scheduling.”
