|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
|
|
May 1, 2007 |
|
|
Rhode Island College
2006-07 Men’s Basketball Season Summary
|
|
27-4 Overall;
12-2 (first place) in the Little East Conference
2007
Little East Conference Regular Season Champions
2007 Little East Conference Tournament Champions
2007 NCAA Tournament Elite 8 |
|
Providence, RI--Head
Coach Bob Walsh’s (Career record: 46-14, .767) team
concluded arguably the greatest season in Rhode Island College men’s
basketball history with a 27-4 overall record. The Anchormen reached
the Elite 8 of the 2007 NCAA Div. III Men’s Basketball Tournament,
falling to Amherst, the eventual National Champion, on Mar. 10. |
|
|
|
Rhode Island College posted a 12-2 record in the
Little East Conference, capturing the program’s first-ever outright
league regular season championship and its second overall (2005).
After a first-round win over Southern Maine, Rhode Island College
hosted the semifinals and finals for the first time in school
history. The Anchormen defeated UMass Dartmouth (78-68) on Feb. 23
and then defeated long-time rival Keene State (87-75) to win the
Little East Tournament title for the first time in program history.
The win gave RIC an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament; the
Anchormen’s first appearance in 28 years (1979). |
|
|
|
RIC hosted first and second round action of the NCAAs
for the first time on Mar. 2-3. The Anchormen defeated Coast Guard
(64-60) on Mar. 2 and then downed Brandeis (70-67) on Mar. 3 to
advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Anchormen traveled to Amherst,
Mass. to face Keene State and edged the Owls (75-73) to reach the
Elite 8. Amherst ended the Anchormen’s quest to reach the Final Four
in a 81-69 loss on Mar. 10. |
|
|
|
The Anchormen established a new school record for
wins, winning percentage (.871) and set the bar for NCAA wins
(three) in a season. |
|
|
|
Senior guard Kinsey Durgin (Greenwood, ME)
leaves Rhode Island College having played in a school record 115
games, starting 98 of them. He totaled 1,290 career points, 472
rebounds, 308 assists and 131 steals. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.1
rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game for his career. Durgin
is ninth all-time at RIC in career assists and 11th in
scoring. |
|
|
|
As a senior in 2006-07, Durgin was named Second Team
All-New England by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC),
to the All-Northeast Second Team by the National Association of
Basketball Coaches (NABC) and was awarded the same honors by
D3Hoops.com. He was named First Team All-Little East Conference for
the second consecutive season. Durgin was also named the Most
Outstanding Player of the 2007 Little East Conference Men’s
Basketball Tournament, as well as garnering All-Tournament Team
honors. He played in 31 games, starting all of them. He averaged
14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He
scored a career-high 29 points in the Anchormen’s double overtime
win at Plymouth State on Dec. 9. He tied a career-high with 11
rebounds in RIC’s win over Bridgewater State on January 4. He dished
out a season-high five assists in two contests and made a
season-high four steals in the NCAA Tournament win over Brandeis on
Mar. 3. Durgin was named the Little East Conference Men’s Basketball
Player of the Week three times. |
|
|
|
As a junior in 2005-06, Durgin was named First-Team
All Little East Conference and also earned All-LEC Defensive Team
honors. He played in 29 games, starting all of them. He averaged a
team-high 13.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals, to go along with
4.8 rebounds per game. He registered season-highs of 23 points and
four steals vs. Western Connecticut on Feb. 7, 11 rebounds vs.
Bridgewater State on Jan. 5 and a career-high 10 assists vs. Coast
Guard on Jan. 30. Durgin was named LEC Player of the Week once on
the season. |
|
|
|
As a sophomore in 2004-05, he played in 29 games,
starting all of them. He averaged 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7
assists and 1.1 steals per game. He registered season-highs of 24
points vs. Fitchburg State on Nov. 29, eight rebounds twice, four
assists twice and four steals five times. |
|
|
|
As a freshman in 2003-04, Durgin played in 26 games,
starting 11 of them. Durgin assumed the starting point guard duties
while K.C. Grandfield was injured. He averaged 6.2 points, 2.1
rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He registered season-highs of 18
points vs. UMass Boston on Feb. 7, five rebounds twice, six assists
vs. Plymouth State on Jan. 24 and five steals vs. UMass Dartmouth on
Feb. 11. |
|
|
|
He is a marketing major and a 2003 graduate of
Telstar High School. |
|
|
|
Senior center Anthony Pierlioni (Plainville, CT)
leaves Rhode Island College having played in 102 games, starting 39
of them. He totaled 392 career points, 287 rebounds, 22 assists, 26
steals and 46 blocks. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per
game for his career. He is 12th all-time in career games
played. |
|
|
|
As a senior in 2006-07, Pierlioni played in 31 games,
starting 26 of them. He averaged 5.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0
blocks per game. Despite not ever attempting a three-point shot
coming into this season, he went 9-for-26 from behind the arc
(.346). Pierlioni scored a career-high 13 points in the club’s win
over Western Connecticut on Jan. 16. He grabbed a season-high nine
rebounds vs. Springfield on Dec. 15. Pierlioni was credited with a
career-high four blocks against Western Connecticut on Feb. 6. |
|
|
|
As a junior in 2005-06, he played in 27 games,
starting 13 of them. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per
game. He registered a season-high 11 points and a career-high 11
rebounds vs. UMass Boston on Feb. 18, three blocks vs. Johnson &
Wales on Dec. 6 and two steals three times. |
|
|
|
As a sophomore in 2004-05, Pierlioni played in 23
games. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He
registered season-highs of nine points and nine rebounds vs. Trinity
on Nov. 21, one assist twice and one block four times. |
|
|
|
As a freshman in 2003-04, he played in 21 games. He
averaged 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He registered
season-highs of 10 points twice, six rebounds vs. Keene State on
Jan. 17, two assists vs. Eastern Connecticut on Dec. 13 and two
blocks vs. Kean University on Dec. 27. |
|
|
|
He is an art education major and a 2003 graduate of
Plainville High School. |
|
|
|
Senior forward Brian Stanko (Swansea, MA)
leaves Rhode Island College having played in 106 games, starting 50
of them. He totaled 916 career points, 406 rebounds, 87 assists, 79
steals and 27 blocks. He averaged 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per
game for his career. He is sixth all-time in career games played.
Stanko’s .832 career free throw percentage ranks second all-time at
RIC. |
|
|
|
As a senior in 2006-07, Stanko played in 31 games,
starting four of them. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per
game. He scored a season-high 15 points three times, grabbed a
season-high seven rebounds twice, dished out three assists in the
win over UMass Dartmouth on Jan. 23 and tied a career-high with
three steals in the win over Endicott on Nov. 17. He sank the
game-winning three pointer in overtime to lift RIC past Southern
Maine in first round action of the Little East Tournament. |
|
|
|
As a junior in 2005-06, Stanko played in 28 games,
starting 19 of them. He averaged 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1
assists per game. He registered a career-high of 29 points vs. Coast
Guard on Mar. 1, and posted a season-high 10 rebounds vs. Wheaton on
Mar. 4, three assists on three occasions, two blocks three times,
and two steals several times. Stanko hit seven three-pointers vs.
Coast Guard on Mar. 1 and then hit seven more vs. Keene State on
Mar. 3. The seven treys tied the RIC record for three-pointers made
in a single game. |
|
|
|
He missed the entire 2004-05 season while
recuperating from a broken foot. |
|
|
|
As a sophomore in 2003-04, Stanko played in 26 games,
starting 24 of them. He averaged 9.7 points, while also contributing
4.2 rebounds per game. Stanko registered season-highs of 18 points
vs. Western Connecticut on Feb. 24, a career-high 11 rebounds vs.
Johnson & Wales on Dec. 9, a career-high four assists vs. Salve
Regina on Feb. 3 and three steals vs. UMass Dartmouth on Feb. 11. |
|
|
|
As a freshman in 2002-03, he played in 21 games,
starting three of them. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per
game. He recorded season-highs of 15 points vs. Plymouth State and
seven rebounds vs. Southern Maine on Feb. 15. Stanko earned LEC
Rookie of the Week honors twice. |
|
|
|
Stanko is a sociology major with a minor in justice
studies and a 2002 graduate of Joseph Case High School. |
|
|
|
Senior guard Amde Tegbaru (Stockholm, Sweden)
leaves Rhode Island College having played in 62 games. He totaled
118 career points, 42 rebounds, 31 assists and seven steals. He
averaged 1.9 points for his career and was a three-point shooting
specialist, going 17-for-39 (.436) from downtown. |
|
|
|
As a senior in 2006-07, Tegbaru played in 22 games.
He averaged 1.5 points per game. He scored a season-high 10 points,
including two three-pointers, in the win over Framingham State on
Jan. 11. Tegbaru grabbed a season-high four rebounds twice, and
logged a season-high two assists vs. Southern Maine on Jan. 9. |
|
|
|
He did not play in 2005-06. |
|
|
|
As a sophomore in 2004-05, Tegbaru played in 21
games. He averaged 1.8 points per game. He registered career-highs
of 12 points and six rebounds vs. Lasell on Mar. 2, and posted a
season-high three assists vs. Wheaton on Mar. 5 and two steals vs.
Mitchell on Jan. 31. |
|
|
|
As a freshman in 2003-04, he played in 19 games. He
averaged 2.5 points per game. Tegbaru registered season-highs of
nine points vs. Keene State on Jan. 17 and three rebounds vs. St.
Joseph’s-Long Island on Dec. 28. |
|
|
|
He is a business management major and a 2000 graduate
of Vasalunds High School. |
|
|
|
Senior center John Weir (Danbury, CT) leaves
Rhode Island College having played in 111 games, starting 34 of
them. He totaled 443 career points, 355 rebounds, 25 assists, 43
steals and 105 blocks. He averaged 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per
game for his career. Weir is second all-time at RIC in career games
played. |
|
|
|
As a senior in 2006-07, he played in 31 games,
starting five of them. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per
game. Weir recorded season-highs of 10 points twice, six rebounds on
four occasions, three blocks vs. UMass Boston on Jan. 13 and three
steals vs. Western Connecticut on Feb. 6. |
|
|
|
As a junior in 2005-06, Weir played in 29 games,
starting nine of them. He averaged 4.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and a
team-high 1.1 blocks per game. He registered a season-high 16 points
and a career-high 14 rebounds vs. Johnson & Wales on Dec. 6, posted
a season-high two assists vs. Keene State on Jan. 21, a career-high
five blocks vs. Salve Regina on Dec. 8 and three steals vs. Coast
Guard on Mar. 1. |
|
|
|
As a sophomore in 2004-05, he played in 29 games,
starting 20 of them. He averaged 5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and a
team-high 1.1 blocks per game. He registered a career-high of 18
points vs. Plymouth State on Jan. 22, grabbed 10 rebounds twice and
five blocks vs. Southern Maine on Jan. 11. |
|
|
|
As a freshman in 2003-04, Weir played in 22 games. He
averaged 2.0 points, 2.4 rebounds per game and was second on the
team with 15 blocks. He registered season-highs of 10 points vs.
Eastern Connecticut on Dec. 13, seven rebounds vs. Newbury on Dec.
11 and three blocks vs. Kean University on Dec. 27. |
|
|
|
Weir is a secondary education major with a
concentration in history and a 2003 graduate of Danbury High School. |
|
|
|
Senior guard Kamari Williams (Springfield, MA)
leaves Rhode Island College having played in 110 games, starting 65
of them. He totaled 1,223 career points, 287 rebounds, 305 assists
and 135 steals He averaged 11.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists
per game for his career. Williams is 10th all-time in
career assists, 15th in scoring and third in games
played. His .800 career free throw percentage ranks sixth all-time
at RIC. |
|
|
|
As a senior in 2006-07, Williams played in 26 games.
He averaged 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He
recorded season-highs of 14 points in the win over Eastern
Connecticut on Jan. 6, five rebounds vs. UMass Boston on Feb. 17,
seven assists vs. UMass Dartmouth on Feb. 13 and three steals
against Keene State in the Championship Game of the 2007 Little East
Conference Tournament on Feb. 24. |
|
|
|
As a junior in 2005-06, Williams played in 29 games,
starting 24 of them. He averaged 10.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.1
assists and 1.1 steals per game. Williams registered season-highs of
28 points vs. Keene State on Dec. 3, five rebounds twice, five
assists four times and three steals three times. |
|
|
|
As a sophomore in 2004-05, he was named First-Team
All Little East Conference. Williams played in 29 games, starting
all of them. He averaged a team-high 15.9 points, 3.9 assists and
1.5 steals per game, along with 3.9 rebounds per game. Williams
registered a career-highs of 32 points and 14 assists vs. Ursinus on
Nov. 20, eight rebounds vs. UMass Dartmouth on Feb. 8 and five
steals vs. Roger Williams on Dec. 2. He recorded a .869 free throw
percentage this winter, the third-best mark for a single season in
RIC men’s hoop history. |
|
|
|
As a freshman in 2003-04, Williams was named the
Little East Conference's Rookie of the Year. Williams played in 26
games, starting 12 of them. He was second on the team in scoring,
averaging 11.3 points per game, and contributed a team-high 88
assists and 41 steals. Williams registered season-highs of 27 points
vs. Wheaton on Nov. 22, six rebounds vs. Kean University on Dec. 27,
eight assists twice and five steals vs. Western Connecticut on Feb.
24. Williams earned Little East Rookie of the Week honors fives
times this winter. |
|
|
|
He is a political science major and a 2003 graduate
of Cathedral High School. |
|
|
|
Sophomore guard Bobby Bailey (Fall River, MA)
was named to the NCAA Sectional Round’s All-Tournament Team, as well
as garnering Second Team All-Little East Conference and LEC
All-Defensive Team honors. He played in 31 games, starting all of
them. He averaged 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.2
steals per game. He scored a season-high 21 points in the win over
Plymouth State on Dec. 9. Bailey reached double figures in scoring
17 times and logged three double-doubles on the season. He grabbed a
season-high 13 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament win over Coast Guard
on Mar. 2. He dished out a season-high eight assists vs. UMass
Boston on Feb. 17 and tied for the second-most steals in a game with
seven against Eastern Connecticut on Jan. 6. |
|
|
|
Sophomore guard Tirrell Hill (Bronx, NY) was
named to the Little East Conference Men’s Basketball All-Tournament
Team. He played in 31 games, starting all of them. Hill averaged
11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He
registered season-highs of 23 points at Eastern Connecticut on Jan.
6, eight rebounds and six assists vs. UMass Dartmouth in the
semifinals of the LEC tourney on Feb. 23, and three steals twice.
Hill scored in double figures 21 times. |
|
|
|
Sophomore forward Kaseem Johnson (New Haven, CT)
played in 30 games, starting 27 of them. He averaged 7.6 points and
6.5 rebounds per game. He recorded four double-doubles on the
season. Johnson recorded season-highs of 19 points vs. Tufts on Nov.
18, 13 rebounds in the semifinals of the LEC tourney against UMass
Dartmouth on Feb. 23, two assists five times and four steals vs.
Keene State on Dec. 2. |
|
|
|
Sophomore guard Matt St. Ours (West Greenwich, RI)
played in 26 games. He averaged 1.5 points per game. St. Ours
recorded season-highs of 12 points vs. Springfield on Dec. 15, six
rebounds vs. Framingham State on Jan. 11 and two assists and two
steals on several occasions. |
|
|
|
Sophomore guard Cameron Stewart (Newport, RI)
played in 31 games. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9
assists and 1.5 steals per game. Stewart recorded season-highs of 19
points vs. Springfield on Dec. 15, eight rebounds, six assists and
five steals vs. Fitchburg State on Nov. 28. He scored in double
figures 11 times. |
|
|
|
Freshman guard Cory Bouchard (Smithfield, RI)
played in nine games. He recorded season-highs of two points and two
rebounds vs. Framingham State on Jan. 11. |
|
|
|
Freshman forward Raleek Byfield (Worcester, MA)
played in 15 games. He averaged 1.4 points per game. Byfield
recorded season-highs of six points and two blocks vs. Framingham
State on Jan. 11 and two rebounds on several occasions. |
|
|
|
Freshman forward Jake Dent (Somersworth, NH)
played in two games before a back injury sidelined him for the
remainder of the season. |
|
|
|
2006-07 Rhode Island College Men’s Basketball Roster |
|
|
|
# |
Name |
Year |
Position |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Hometown/High School |
|
1 |
Cory Bouchard |
Freshman |
Guard |
5-8 |
150 |
Smithfield, RI/Smithfield |
|
2 |
Kaseem Johnson |
Sophomore |
Forward |
6-6 |
210 |
New Haven, CT/Hillhouse |
|
3 |
Bobby Bailey |
Sophomore |
Guard |
6-0 |
170 |
Fall River, MA/Durfee |
|
5 |
Brian Stanko |
Senior |
Forward |
6-5 |
210 |
Swansea, MA/Joseph Case |
|
10 |
Kinsey Durgin |
Senior |
Guard |
5-11 |
195 |
Greenwood, ME/Telstar |
|
11 |
Tirrell Hill |
Sophomore |
Guard |
5-10 |
185 |
Bronx, NY/All Hallows |
|
12 |
Kamari Williams |
Senior |
Guard |
5-11 |
198 |
Springfield, MA/Cathedral |
|
15 |
Raleek Byfield |
Freshman |
Forward |
6-4 |
180 |
Worcester, MA/South |
|
21 |
Cameron Stewart |
Sophomore |
Guard |
6-1 |
165 |
Newport, RI/Rogers |
|
22 |
Matt St. Ours |
Sophomore |
Guard |
5-11 |
180 |
W. Greenwich, RI/Exeter-W.G. |
|
25 |
Amde Tegbaru |
Senior |
Guard |
6-3 |
185 |
Stockholm, Sweden/Vasalunds |
|
33 |
Jake Dent |
Freshman |
Forward |
6-4 |
190 |
Somersworth, NH/Somersworth |
|
41 |
John Weir |
Senior |
Center |
6-9 |
215 |
Danbury, CT/Danbury |
|
44 |
Anthony Pierlioni |
Senior |
Center |
6-9 |
245 |
Plainville, CT/Plainville |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Head Coach: |
Bob Walsh |
|
|
Assistant Coaches: |
Matt O'Brien, Kareem Hayletts |
|
|
Captains: |
Kinsey Durgin, Brian Stanko, Kamari Williams |
|
|
|
-end- |