Is Rhode Island becoming a big time hoop hub?

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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

GoLocalProv.com Sports Team

For the most part, Rhode Island has not been a hot bed for producing college and professional basketball players. While the population has at times demonstrated fanatic support for PC and URI, the reality is that the state has produced few college players and even fewer D-1 stars, let alone NBA pros.

Sure, PC had Ernie D. and Marvin – both Rhode Islanders and each with some pro success. And, there has been a sprinkling of others like West Warwick native and URI star Tommy Garrick. Amazingly, right now, we may be in the most fertile period of RI-produced college players. Is it the rise of AAU? Some new additive in the Scituate Reservoir? Or, is it another factor? Here are a few Division 1 stars:

Mike Marra – Louisville, going into his sophomore season. Just over three points a game in his rookie season, but poised to be a Big East Star. Smithfield native.

Rakin Sanders – BC senior in 2010-2011, can you say stud? Does it all for Al Skinner, and may be the next NBA- RIer. Hails from the Bucket.

Joe Mazzulla – West Virginia star from Johnston, RI. Injuries and discipline have pushed him back a notch. His performance in the NCAA run was impressive. Can he be a superstar?

Erik Murphy – son of BC star Jay Murphy, the South County native is frosh for Billy the Kid Donovan at University of Florida. Ranked in the top 40 by ESPN in 2009. Super skilled and high hoop IQ.

Matt Brown – son of PC starter, Donnie Brown, who led the Friars in scoring at 9.5 points per game in the 1984-85 season. The Barrington native attends Harvard in the fall after a rocking career at Northfield-Mt. Hermon.

Dave Rufful – Warwick native who got to the Ivies via Mt. Hermon too. May be best known as a conservative rapper, but can play both guard and forward for the Big Green.

Billy Baron – Worcester Prep PG is going to Virginia. Jumped off the Jim Baron bandwagon just like the rest of the Rhody world and bucked URI for Charlottesville.

One element to consider is that the vast majority of these players got to D-1 via a prep experience. Only Mazzulla went right from RI Interscholastic to college ball. While the prep-track may be the new reality, the other new RI-World order is that we are becoming a bit of a college hotbed.