By ERIC RUEB

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WEST GREENWICH – After losing two of the best pitchers in Division II and most of its starting lineup, this isn’t a normal rebuilding year for the Exeter-West Greenwich baseball team.

“It’s,” EWG coach David Gamba said, “a scary rebuilding year.”

While the Knights have been in the talks to contend for a D-II title the past three seasons, graduation stripped EWG of the players who brought them in the conversation.

And when you’re one of the smallest schools in the state, losing the type of talent the Knights did is a very difficult thing.

“It’s like a rec team and it’s very frustrating,” Gamba said. “It’s a numbers game again and we don’t get a lot of kids come out who are baseball players.”

By ERIC RUEB

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In fact, the last time the Rams played any game of importance, something where the whole country was looking on, was their Elite 8 loss to Stanford. Yes, URI made the NCAA Tournament in 1999, but that year’s first round exit wasn’t exactly a prime-time game and came before the advent of the internet and live video streaming (how did we ever do without it?).

By ERIC RUEB

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NEW YORK – With an opening at St. John’s University, there was a lot of speculation as to the future of University of Rhode Island basketball coach Jim Baron, if he would remain with the Rams or jump over to a school that he grew up around.

The speculation ended Tuesday – at least at SJU.

Before the National Invitation Tournament semifinals, St. John’s announced it hired former UCLA coach and current ESPN college basketball analyst Steve Lavin to take over next season.

By ERIC RUEB

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NEW YORK – Delroy James, the hometown kid back in the city where - as sung by Alicia Keys in the chorus of Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” - dreams are made of, spoke for the entire Rhode Island basketball team, program and fan base when he lay on his back the center court at Madison Square Garden, with his massive hands wrapped around his cleanly shaven head.

It was part exhaustion, part disappointment, part realization that the Rams’ resurrected season was over. URI fell one game, a handful of shots, some missed free throws and perhaps one official’s whistle away from the National Invitation Tournament finals with a 68-67 loss to North Carolina Tuesday night.

“It’s just a bittersweet feeling right now,” James said after his 13-point, eight rebound performance, “because we feel we could have won that game.”

By ERIC RUEB

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PROVIDENCE – As he lie on the cold ice at Schneider Arena, teammates piling on top of him by the second, North Kingstown goalkeeper Matt Buresh couldn’t have been happier.

And then he heard a voice.

“No, no, no, off the ice,” a voice from the NK sideline said. “There’s a penalty shot.”

And after releasing all the pressure and joyously celebrating a Division I-A hockey title, Buresh put it behind him and focused for the biggest play of his life.

After making 35 saves Tuesday night, there wasn’t any doubt number 36 was coming.

Buresh’s kick save on Lincoln star Ryan O’Dell’s penalty shot was just one of a number of great plays the first-year sophomore keeper made and for a sophomore, a Hollywood ending wasn’t exactly what the keeper was looking for.

By ERIC RUEB

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KINGSTON – NBA scouts were in attendance, but it had little to do with the University of Rhode Island.

With all eyes on Nevada star Luke Babbitt, Delroy James turned Monday night’s game into a personal showcase, shutting down the Wolf Pack star and having his best offensive night of the season.

If your bracket is busted and your favorite team is out of the NCAA Tournament, it shouldn’t be difficult to attach yourself to St. Mary’s, who swept through Providence last weekend.

And it’s a lot easier to root for the Gaels with a player like Omar Samhan, a 6-foot-11 center who made his impression on and off the court.

He doesn’t look like your typical superstar, with his old-school, back-to-the-basket game, and he doesn’t speak like one either.

By ERIC RUEB

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KINGSTON – The men’s college basketball season moves on, but not in Kingston.

But there was no need for those hoping to see the University of Rhode Island play more basketball. The Rams did their part, as Delroy James played perhaps the best game of his career, scoring 32 points and shutting down NBA prospect Luke Babbitt in URI’s 85-83 win over Nevada in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament Wednesday night.

A little over an hour after the win, the Rams found out the win would be their last home game. Virginia Tech’s Dorenzo Hudson hit a jumper with 11 seconds left and Connecticut’s Gavin Floyd missed a wide-open layup from the left side, giving the Hokies a 65-63 win and a Wednesday night home matchup against URI in the NIT quarterfinals.