SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Jeff Dowtin could have been on the opposing bench on Saturday.
George Mason was one of the final three schools vying for his services in September 2015, with the University of Rhode Island and Wichita State also receiving official visits.
Victories in recruiting tend to translate onto the court, and that’s certainly been the case with Dowtin and the Rams. The sophomore guard was terrific yet again in an 83-64 win over the Patriots, shining at both ends.
“He’s a winning player,” URI coach Dan Hurley said. “He’s a championship player. It’s no surprise that we played amazing ball when he came into the lineup at the end of last year.”
Dowtin became a starter midway through his freshman season with incumbent point guard Jarvis Garrett battling ulcerative colitis. All the Maryland native did was lead the Atlantic 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio and use his long 6-foot-3 frame to become a defensive stopper. Both of those unique skill sets were on display yet again Saturday in front of 6,383 fans, as the Patriots were powerless to match up with a player who could well have been theirs.
“I just like to win,” Dowtin said. “If I’ve got to get eight assists to win, nine points to win, then that’s what I’ve got to do.”
Dowtin hit both of those numbers and committed just one turnover in a team-high 31 minutes. He’s now totaled 125 assists and just 37 turnovers in 44 career games, including 31 starts. That was somewhat expected by the URI staff after watching Dowtin lead St. John’s College High to a championship in the competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference as a high school senior.
Where Dowtin continues to sharpen his game is on defense. Patriots’ guard Otis Livingston II needed 16 shots to manage his 14 points and George Mason posted 11 assists against 13 turnovers on the day.
“I just think he’s a tremendous two-way guard,” Hurley said. “His length, what he’s able to do against the other team’s point guard or best perimeter player — he’s just so smart.”
Ball hawking
In terms of turnover numbers, this is the best URI team Hurley has coached at both ends.
The Rams entered Saturday inside the national top 25 in turnover percentage on both offense and defense. Per kenpom.com, URI had committed turnovers on just 15.7 percent of offensive possessions through its first 11 games and forced turnovers on 24.2 percent of its defensive possessions.
“Turnover margins have been real good,” Hurley said. “We’ve done a pretty good job taking care of the ball and I think we’ve done a pretty great job of turning our opponent over.”
Only Hurley’s 2011-12 Wagner team posted a better mark in either category, forcing turnovers on 24.8 percent of opposing possessions to rank sixth in the country.
Trouble finding time
URI’s rotation looks to be established with E.C. Matthews (left wrist) and Cyril Langevine (sports hernia) back in the fold.
The Rams primarily went with nine men on Saturday. Garrett played 20 minutes off the bench, Langevine and Fatts Russell each logged 17 and Nicola Akele accounted for seven. Langevine’s 10 rebounds equaled the season high he pulled down in a 68-62 win over Charleston on Dec. 16.
“I would love to get Fatts with a 20 there and Jarvis a little bit more,” Hurley said. “It becomes a numbers game. It’s hard. It’s not an easy thing to manage. We have a lot of talent."
Double dribbles
The Rams have now won four straight Atlantic 10 openers. Their last defeat came in the 2013-14 season, a 59-58 home loss to Saint Louis in which Billikens’ guard Jordair Jett popped for a game-high 31 points …The victory Saturday was URI’s 10th straight at home … Jared Terrell finished with 16 points on Saturday. He now has 1,394 in his career, trailing Bill Von Weyhe (1,399) for 22nd all-time in program history.
— bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25