1987–88 Rhode Island Rams men's basketball team

1987–88 Rhode Island Rams men's basketball
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
Record28–7 (14–4 A-10)
Head coach
Assistant coachMatt Brady (1st season)
Home arenaKeaney Gymnasium
1987–88 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 1 Temple 18 0   1.000 32 2   .941
Rhode Island 14 4   .778 28 7   .800
West Virginia 12 6   .667 18 14   .563
Saint Joseph's 9 9   .500 15 14   .517
Penn State 9 9   .500 13 14   .481
George Washington 7 11   .389 13 15   .464
St. Bonaventure 7 11   .389 13 15   .464
Duquesne 6 12   .333 11 21   .344
UMass 5 13   .278 10 17   .370
Rutgers 3 15   .167 7 22   .241
1988 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1987–88 Rhode Island Rams men's basketball team represented the University of Rhode Island as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference during the 1987–88 college basketball season. The team was led by second-year head coach Tom Penders and played their home games at Keaney Gymnasium. They finished the season 28–7, 14–4 in A-10 play and lost in the championship game of the 1988 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament. Rhode Island was invited to the 1988 NCAA tournament as No. 11 seed in the East region and make the school's first run to the Sweet Sixteen. In the opening round, they upset No. 6 seed Missouri, and followed that by knocking off No. 3 seed Syracuse in the round of 32. In the East regional semifinal, the Rams narrowly lost to Duke, 73–72. To date, this season marks one of only two appearances by the Rams in the Sweet Sixteen of an NCAA Tournament (1998).