01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, January 25, 2006

BY PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writer

SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- The last time a URI-UMass basketball game meant something in the Atlantic 10 title race, Lamar Odom and Antonio Reynolds-Dean were the stars for the Rams, while Monty Mack and Lari Ketner led the Minutemen. Jim Harrick was the Rhody coach and Bruiser Flint was on the bench for Massachusetts.

It was six years ago. It was the last time the schools both had winning records in the conference.

The two are natural rivals, but it's hard to have a big-time rivalry if one or the other is having a bad season. Tonight, the fun returns to the series.

The Rams and Minutemen, both 4-1 in A-10 play and tied for second behind George Washington, clash at 7:30 at the Ryan Center in a game to be carried by Cox Sports Television.

The game is important for two reasons. In the short term, both need to win to maintain position. In the long term, it means better positioning for postseason play.

While neither the Rams nor the Minutemen was considered a serious contender -- UMass was picked seventh, URI ninth in the league's preseason poll -- both definitely are top-four contenders now. The top four is important because of the expanded 14-team conference. The top four finishers will receive first-round byes in the A-10 Tournament at Cincinnati. The winner tonight will put itself in excellent position for a bye, although that is far from a certainty since both have the toughest part of their schedules ahead.

Beyond that, both have winning records overall, URI 10-6 and UMass 9-6. It is not nearly as outlandish as it was a month ago for either to think about continuing to play after the A-10 Tournament. It makes the series fun again. The players like what is happening.

"We're trying to make a statement. We're definitely serious," said Rhody grad student Dawan Robinson, last week's A-10 co-player of the week. "We've just got to play hard, come out and execute every night. . . . We've got to be consistent."

Before his team beat Richmond Saturday night for its fourth straight win, Robinson got to see Massachusetts wallop Temple on national television that afternoon.

"They're a pretty good team," he said. "They run a different offense now. We've got to try and contain them."

Robinson's coach, Jim Baron, and UMass coach Travis Ford are much more cautious. Neither is ready to discuss postseason possibilities.

"The only thing I'm thinking about is the UMass game," Baron said. "We have to keep working to improve."

"We still have a lot of room for improvement," Ford said. "There's a long way to go for us to be where we want to be. . . . We are playing hard each night. It's been fun to watch them play that hard, with energy and enthusiasm."

Ford, a former University of Kentucky star and Rick Pitino protégé, is making a positive impression. He has not been afraid to shake things up.

He took a bit of a gamble by bringing in three transfers who are sitting out this year -- Gary Forbes from Virginia, Luke Bonner from West Virginia and Etienne Brower from Boston University. All are regarded as good to very good Atlantic 10-level players. The Mintutemen figure to be even stronger next season. They will lose only one senior, Jeff Viggiano.

This year's situation became that much more difficult when Maurice Maxwell and Artie Bowers, both regulars last season, left the team.

"Basically, we have only three guys left from last year's team," Ford said.

The good news for area fans is that the A-10 kept the rivalry in mind in its scheduling. The slate has most teams meeting only once, but each having three teams it will play twice.

The URI-UMass rivalry is one the conference kept together for two meetings this season. It has turned out to be a good decision. Both games (URI returns the visit in 10 days) will mean something in the top half of the conference standings.

pkenyon@projo.com / (401) 277-7340