University of Rhode Island puts finishing touches on basketball practice facility
KINGSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — It was just a dream at the end of the Dan Hurley era in Kingston, but the Soloviev Family Basketball Practice Facility is now almost complete.
The privately funded renovation of the West Gym is the pride and joy of Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn.
"The Soloviev practice facility is a game changer for our men's and women's basketball program. It's 100% donor funded renovated space, it's the former West Gym," Bjorn said. "We raised just about $8 million privately to be able to put together this reservation. But it's what our men's and women's basketball programs need. The student athletes need the 24-hour access to come in and shoot, work out and this will allow them to do that."
This new facility for both basketball programs will be a game changer for recruiting the top talent in the nation.
"Facilities are so important. Student athletes want to know where they're gonna work out, where they go to sleep, where they're gonna eat, and we're gonna go to class," Bjorn said. "Those are really important and again, we used to practice in the Ryan Center which is a great facility, but sometimes you get kicked out of there because of concerts or other events."
And things are almost complete, the project should be wrapped up by August and then both men's and women's basketball teams will be in the new facility for the start of the regular season.
"To know that we have a space for our programs to use exclusively is huge and that's been a big factor in our recruiting for the last year and again this year. Players want to see it, they get excited," said Bjorn.