PHILADELPHIA - The URI basketball team hopes to play in another tournament next year similar to the Hoop Group Classic, but as of now it does not have anything lined up.

"We have some feelers out, but nothing set, nothing that I'd even say would be a maybe,'' reported assistant coach Pat Clarke, who does the scheduling with deputy athletic director Gregg Burke.

The Rams, who had won 11 straight in-season tournament games going into the championship contest against Villanova last night (dating back to 2006 in Alaska), definitely like playing in such events.

"You get four games for one (counting toward the maximum number of games allowed). And it's good for team bonding to get away and spend time together in one place,'' Clarke said. "We definitely want to do it.''

Participating in the Hoop Group Classic did not cost URI anything. Teams did have the choice of having two home games before all eight participating teams came together in Philadelphia, but they had to pay for that right. Villanova and Penn State chose to do so. URI did not, and had to go on the road to play Monmouth.

URI has inquired about some of the high-profile events in warm-weather sites, but many of those now want teams that will have a thousand or more fans travel with them. URI draws some fans on the road, but not enough to attract the interest of some of the top events.

What's the Hoop Group?

So what is this organization that sponsored this event?

The Hoop Group calls itself a full-service basketball organization specializing in player development, operations and instructional programs. It is headquartered in Neptune, N.J., and is one of the largest basketball instructional organizations in the world. It has 15 separate entities that encompass more than 30,000 student-athletes and 3,000 high school, collegiate, AAU and youth-league coaches.

As part of the program, the Hoop Group listed players taking part in the Philly Classic who took part in some form of the Hoop Group activity while they were growing up. They include 10 members of the URI team - Jimmy Baron, Keith Cothran, Ben Eaves, Delroy James, Marquis Jones, Will Martell, Stevie Mejia, Orion Outerbridge, Lamonte Ulmer and Jamal Wilson.

"What the Hoop Group does is provide an opportunity for every athlete we work with to achieve their potential and learn more than the game of basketball,'' said Rob Kennedy, president of the organization.

Jimmy Baron's moving up

Jimmy Baron jumped another spot on URI's all-time scoring list on Friday night, passing former teammate Dawan Robinson for 27th place with 1,284 points.

Baron began the year in the 38th spot, and has passed, among others, Preston Murphy, Abdul Fox, Jeff Kent and Carlos Cofield since the season began. He was in position to pass Dennis McGovern, who had 1,295 points, and Johnny Evans, 1,297, in the Villanova game.

Baron is on pace to break into the top 10 with a good senior season. He also is second in 3-pointers made with 269. He needs 34 more to break Tyson Wheeler's school record of 302. He also currently has the lead in free-throw percentage, at 90.2 percent. Cuttino Mobley holds the record at 82.1 percent.

Double dribbles

URI was trying to do something last night that it had not done in nine years - beat a nationally ranked team. The Rams beat Utah, then 25th in the country, 70-63, on Dec. 2, 1999. Since then, URI has played a nationally ranked team 14 times and lost every one, including the heartbreaker at Duke two weeks ago. … The Rams entered 12-83 all-time against ranked opponents. Since 1979-80, they are 19-44 against Big East teams, and are 8-10 under coach Jim Baron, including victories over South Florida, Providence and Syracuse last season.