I sold Jimmy Baron short.
I had the Rhode
Island
senior guard ranked as the No. 3 shooter in the country (http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8763906/30-guys-who-can-handle-3-pointer-change)
behind Stephen Curry and Chad Toppert of New Mexico.
Baron showed that he may belong on the same level as Davidson's Curry in terms
of pure shooters. I've seen Baron play for years and he's a ridiculous shooter
that hasn't had the national stage to show people he's on the same level as
Curry and the other elite long-distance shooters in the nation.
Baron was 8-of-9 from long distance (not counting a desperation half-court
attempt to tie the game), including a few from NBA range, but Rhode Island was unable to hold off Duke in Durham on Sunday afternoon.
The Blue Devils once again showed they are vulnerable, mostly because they don't
have anyone down low to throw the ball to for a basket.
However, sophomore Kyle Singler took over the game down the stretch and has
proven himself as the Blue Devils go-to guy. Gerald Henderson Jr., was in early
foul trouble and was a non-factor for most of the game.
A year ago, Singler didn't look nearly as strong down the stretch. However, he's
put on weight and doesn't have to guard in the interior nearly as much this
season.
He made all four of his free throws in the final minute and also had a huge
reverse layup along the baseline with 1:45
remaining to set up the victory.
However, Rhode Island - and Baron in particular - showed they may be much
better than the ninth-place finish that has been predicted.