GARRICK

Merry Christmas, all you Rhody basketball fans! The top 25 ranking you and your 11-1 Rams find under the tree this morning is well deserved.

And I hope that Santa left these gifts elsewhere in the Ocean State:

A second semester as rewarding as the first, a run at the Atlantic 10 championship, a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a first-round victory for URI coach Jim Baron.

Second-half success for coach Tim Welsh and his PC Friars.

A full recovery from a herniated disk in her lower back for PC women’s basketball star Chelsea Marandola of Johnston, even if it means sitting out this season. Ditto for Friars guard Sharaud Curry and his injured foot. And Brown tailback Dereck Knight and his injured big toe, for which he had season-ending surgery. And may Knight find a gift-wrapped medical waiver from the Ivy League allowing him to play in 2008.

A sack of 3-point baskets for URI’s Mr. Trey, Jimmy Baron, who has launched more shots from 3-point range (88) than any player in the A-10 and who is one behind the league-leader, Darnell Harris of La Salle, who has buried 41.

An A-10 player of the year award for Rhody’s Will Daniels, who is sixth in scoring (18.3) and seventh in rebounding (7.2) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.503). All-conference recognition for Baron, point guard Parfait Bitee, who is second in assists (5.75), and forward Kahiem Seawright, who leads the league in rebounding (100/8.3).

Another Little East basketball banner for Bob Walsh and his Rhode Island College Anchormen. And if they falter, a title run by Brian Baptiste’s UMass Dartmouth Corsairs. Both are off to fine starts.

A dozen wins for URI women’s basketball coach Tom Garrick in the new “Winning is Important” atmosphere in Kingston.

And double-digit wins for the PC basketball women.

A full schedule, including four home games, for the Bryant football team as it begins the four-year transition to Division I from Division II. And a new quarterback half as good as senior Charlie Granatell was for four years.

Some scoring for Brown’s anemic women’s basketball team, which is averaging only 46.3 points per game, by the time it opens its Ivy League schedule Jan 19 against Yale.

Continued success at Roxbury Community College for point guard Georgette Pineda (Providence/Central), who leads the junior-college nation in assists (8.4) and is fourth in steals (6.0). She was an all-division guard in high school and returned to school full-time in September. And to coach Mark Leszczyk of Glocester, who is trying to revive the once-proud program at Roxbury CC.

A great second half for Southern Connecticut star Kate Lynch (Rumford/La Salle), who leads the Northeast-10 in scoring (24.9) and three-point percentage (.515) and is sixth in rebounding (7.5).

A couple of all-conference linebackers and defensive backs and perhaps a pass rusher or two for new URI football coach Darren Rizzi.

Favorable bounces at the MLS Combine Jan. 11-15 for URI’s Geoffrey Cameron (Attleboro) and Lukasz Tumicz, Brown’s Matt Britner and PC’s Ryan Maduro (Bristol/Mt. Hope).

Another million-dollar gift or two for URI athletics. An anonymous donor gave $1 million to the university’s baseball program.

An outdoor track for Rhody’s championship track teams.

A better second half for CCRI women’s basketball player Denise Scott, who is averaging 17.4 points but has yet to dominate as she did a year ago.

Three cheers for Brown’s Ivy League soccer championship despite the Bears’ heartbreaking overtime loss to Old Dominion in the NCAA Tournament.

Goals and more goals for Brown’s struggling ice hockey teams. The men are 1-7-3, the women 1-10-2.

A sweep of Penn and Princeton and a split with Cornell for Brown basketball coach Craig Robinson.

And many opportunities for you to cheer you favorite high school, college and pro sports teams.

mszostak@projo.com