Summer League Update: 7/2/13

Summer league action continued for a few Robert Morris players last night, as David Appolon, Anthony Myers-Pate, Britton Lee, Desjaun Newton, Mike McFadden, and Jeremiah Worthem all had games tonight. Summer league games do not mean much. The pace is usually pretty frantic and unrealistic and there's not a real, what you would call, "team first" attitude. However, there are a few things to keep an eye on as the summer progresses:

 Lijah Thompson is recovering from ACL surgery and playing for the first time in about a year. When we had Velton Jones on our show early of last season, he had some strong and encouraging words for Lijah. 

"Honestly, I thought he was the most improved player over the summer," Jones told us.

 There were times last year that Lijah was sorely missed. His toughness, rebounding, and defense are going to be a huge get for RMU this upcoming season. He went for eleven and five tonight. The real test won't be really measured with stats, though. He is what he is for the most part offensively. It's about how he feels physically i.e. how he is jumping, moving in transition, etc.

 David Appolon is seeing some time at point guard, which is interesting. He went for 22 a few nights ago but went 3-14 last night. App showed flashes of offense last year but his main role at the moment is that of incredibly athletic perimeter defensive stopper. The fate of backup point guard is still in the air. I don't anticipate Anthony Myers-Pate playing 40 minutes a game, so this becomes an actual position battle. Britton Lee (Appolon's summer league teammate) and Kavon Stewart can also play point. I think Stewart is the favorite to get minutes after Myers-Pate, but they are freshman, and there's a chance they tank. The more experience App gets at point the better. You can never have too many ballhandlers.

 Everything was status quo after that. Myers-Pate was the only other colonial in double figures. I continue to remain excited about jeremiah Worthem, who sounds like he's attacking the rim. Worthem is going to stretch the floor with a nice jump shot, as well.

 Nothing else to add, stay tuned for more updates. Thanks to ColonialsCorner.com's Andrew Chiappazzi for stats and other tidbits. Happy Tuesday!

 --Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

RMU hoops schedule updates

Marcus Smart is one of many lotto picks that
RMU will take on this year.

As we all know, the college basketball season is approaching fast. The Colonials have already added multiple games including a rematch of last years epic win over the UK. This year the game will take place at the famous Rupp Arena. On top of that, RMU will play at Oklahoma State and at Alabama. OK State and UK will likely start the season in top five. Both teams are loaded with NBA talent, and multiple lottery picks. UK brought in arguably the best recruiting class in the Coach Cal era.

RMU owned DU in the Velton Jones era.
Can they keep the dominating up?

The Colonials will also play at local Duquesne, and will host Savannah State. RMU will play at Cleveland State and host Texas Arlington in the "Keightley Classic." There will likely be some other games added, and we know they will play every NEC team at home and away. In past years, there were four teams RMU only played once in conference, but with QU and Monmouth leaving the NEC for the MAAC, that is no longer the case. RMU may not play local rival Pitt for the second consecutive year. With the Panthers moving to the ACC, there is a lot of questions with their schedule. On top of that, RMU already has two "buy" games at OK St and Alabama, and plays at UK. That may be enough big tests for Andy Toole. While another upset will continue to build the name of the program, playing teams that have NEC level talent will better prepare the team for conference play.When the final schedule is announced, we will have full analysis. Updates are sure to be posted on ColonialsCorner.com.

Go Colonials!

-- Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel

Coron Williams to Transfer

Coron Williams is transferring to wake Forest. (p/c: Justin Berl)

In some shocking news, Robert Morris shooting guard Coron Williams has deided to transfer from Robert
Morris to Wake Forest. Williams was one of two players to play in all 35 games this season and averaged 24.7 minutes per game, 9.1 points per game, and shot 41.6% from three. All in all, Williams started 71 career games and played in 107 at RMU.

Andrew Chiappazzi of ColonialsCorner.com has a more complete write-up on the process, we encourage you to give it a read. Here is a small glimpse:

Robert Morris coach Andy Toole said the machinations for Williams to transfer began two weeks ago, when he said Williams came into his office and told him he'd like to play his last year closer to his Midlothian, Virginia home. Toole said Williams wanted his family more involved, and he'd like to explore a transfer that would also challenge him.

"As much as we'd like to hold him hostage, we can't do that," Toole said.

Robert Morris helped Williams explore his options, and when Wake Forest offered a scholarship, he accepted. Toole said the lure of playing in the ACC also excited Williams.

Williams will be able to play right away for Wake Forest because of the NCAA's fifth-year transfer rule. Student athletes who redshirt for one season and finish their undergraduate course work in three and a half years can transfer immediately to another school for their final year of eligibility.

I'm happy for Coron. He gets to play in the ACC, the big boys of all big boys in college basketball. I do have some reservations about how his game will transfer in the ACC, but that's for another time.

So now RMU has lost Velton Jones, Russell Johnson, and Coron Williams. Those are three of the best players in the history of this program. Besides losing a sniper from beyond the three point line, there are some other parts of Coron's game that we're going to miss. His leadership was going to play a huge role on this team.

Maybe the most underrated part of Coron's game was his ball-handling. Remember who would run the point when Velton was injured and Anthony Myers-Pate needed a breather? That was Coron. Who takes that role this year if Myers-Pate gets hurt and freshman Kavon Stewart struggles? It would be nice to have a security blanket like him. It doesn't sound like Toole is expecting any more departures but who knows if something changes. I wouldn't be shocked to hear if Mike McFadden or Lijah Thompson didn't come back.

Robert Morris loved to knock it down from three last season. I already thought this team was going to run more through the big's this year anyway but now it doesn't have much of a choice. Don't get me wrong, the likes of Karvel Anderson and Lucky Jones (and even Myers-Pate can knock it down when he has his confidence) will get RMU going from thre, but expect to see Mike McFadden play a bigger role on this team and for freshman Jeremiah Worthem to play a huge role right away.

Speaking of Karvel, here's some good news!

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

Now what?

The ride has finally came to its end. The 2012-2013 RMU men's basketball season is over, with the Colonials falling at Providence 77-68. The team finished 24-11, 14-4 in conference, falling in the second round of the NEC tournament to Mount St. Mary's. Of course that led to the defending national champion University of Kentucky Wildcats playing a rare road game in Moon Twp, PA where the Colonials shocked the nation and upset Coach Cal's gang. All that is in the past though. What lies ahead? A lot of question marks, and program altering answers.

(Needs to be said: Thank you to the senior class of Velton Jones, Russell Johnson, Treadwell Lewis and Shane Sweigart, specifically Jones and Johnson. They both had incredible careers at RMU, and put the program on the map with their performances vs Villanova and the win over Kentucky.)


First off, how big was the win over Kentucky? Sure this program has had a ton of success over the past few years; 24 wins (2012-13), 26 (2011-12), 18 (2010-11), 23 (2009-10), 24 (2008-09), 26 (2007-08). That's impressive, but NOTHING gave them the exposure that last Tuesday's win provided. National TV, court storming, epic game. It had it all. Now what will it do for the program?

Can RMU keep its head man?

It all starts up top, and that leads us to question number two, can RMU keep Andy Toole? Toole will be a hot name when it comes to young coaching candidates this off season. I'm not here to discuss where or what it will take RMU to keep him; Chris does that here. If he stays RMU will keep their great recruiting class, continue to build upward, and gets closer to becoming a mid major power. He leaves, and the athletic department will have to find another coach to keep the bus rolling. Two points that I do need to make; one, I will not be in anyway upset at Andy if he moves on. He will get paid a lot more money, move to a program with more resources and likely a better conference. Maybe the biggest reason? He has done his job here at RMU. Sure, he never won an NEC title and never reached the NCAA tournament, but he won 25-26-18 games a year, took the team to two NEC title games, and in the year he didn't reach the title, got the biggest win in program history over UK in the NIT. Job well done. Second, just because he moves on doesn't mean RMU can't continue to grow. Look at VCU. Jeff Capel and Anthony Grant both moved on to bigger programs, and it was Shaka Smart who got VCU over the top. But that's enough about that. If Toole moves on, we can look at potential replacements but until then, lets focus on the program with him in the picture.

RMU will miss Jones and Johnson
but the team is in good hands.

One way to tell you have a great program? When you lose big time seniors/players, and come back just as strong. Sure RMU will miss Jones and Johnson, but the team will still be a major contender in the NEC next year and will be one of the better mid major teams in the country.

Ant Myers-Pate will replace Jones as the #1 point guard, and there will be depth behind him with a great freshman class coming in (we will get to that in a bit). Coron Williams and Karvel Anderson will be seniors, and will give RMU the two best shooters in the conference. To build on that, Anderson will only get better. The last few weeks of the season he became more than just a spot up three point shooter. Not to mention he won't be playing with a broken wrist (we will get to the injuries in a bit too). David Appolon returns as well. If Appolon develops more of an offensive game, he could become Andy Toole's (I hope) most versatile player. He is a tremendous athlete, and maybe the teams best perimeter defender (ask All American PG D.J. Cooper).

A healthy Lijah Thompson will help
RMU immensely next year

Then there are the forwards. This is where I see RMU becoming a better team. Russell Johnson will be very hard to replace, but Andy Toole (again, I REALLY hope) won't have to rely on one player to do it. Lucky Jones might be the teams best player next season. He is a great athlete, and really came into his own this year. He is one step away from becoming a first team NEC caliber player. Mike McFadden should be back for his senior year. He battled knee injuries all season, and it really bothered him. McFadden was extremely explosive in the NIT when he had ample time to rest before games. If he can stay healthy, watch out. He improved his free throw shooting this season, and showed flashes of being a go-to low post threat. The difference maker could be senior Lijah Thompson. Thompson missed the whole season with a torn ACL, but is making good progress and should be back next year. With him in the fold, RMU has a true center, and a guy who can control the glass, along with protect the rim (something the team sorely missed once Vaughn Morgan left the program). Stephan Hawkins should be back, along with Keith Armstrong to provide good depth. Hawkins is a raw prospect but with a full season under his belt, could become a big threat. Armstrong battled injuries all year, and never got into the mix as a legit option for Andy Toole. That should change next year as he will have a full off season to improve his game.

Speaking of injuries, can this team really have the luck (or should I say BAD luck) that it did this year going forward? Thompson missed the whole year, Anderson played through a broken wrist for over a month, Velton Jones got a head injury, and missed time with a nasty shoulder injury (and played with it for multiple games), Armstrong had a foot injury that cost him 2/3 of the year and his whole off season, McFadden battled bad knee injuries all season, Johnson battled back injuries early in the season, and Myers Pate had a nasty ankle injury in December (take a breath). Yikes! I'm sure they will battle injuries next year, after all every team will, but will there be that many?

Worthem could be a huge get for Andy Toole.

Assuming Andy sticks around (by the way, I think RMU does everything in its power to do so) he will bring in a GREAT recruiting class, maybe his best ever. Toole is known around the country as a great recruiter and this class is evidence of that. Kavon Stewart highlights the class. He is a 3 star prospect from nationally ranked Hudson Catholic in New Jersey. Stewart is a pure passing point guard much like Ant Myers-Pate. According to rivals.com, he got offers from Cincinnati, UMASS, Seton Hall, Rutgers while gaining interest from other big schools. Britton Lee and Jeremiah Worthem come in from Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School in Philadelphia. Their school is one of the best in the state, ranked in the top 10 for much of the season. Lee is more of a scoring guard and could be an explosive scorer for Andy Toole. He can really attack the basket. Both Lee and Stewart are known for their lock down D, something all guards need when playing at RMU. Worthem could be the star of the class. He is a 6'6'' bouncy forward who can score from all over the floor. According to rivals he received offers from Temple and La Salle, and got interest from Pitt and Villanova. He is also a 3 star. Rounding out the class is 6'7'' forward Emmanuel Omogbo from Princeton Day Academy in Maryland. He is a bit more unknown, but adds nice size down the road. Max Preps list him as RMU's top recruit (though I lean more toward Rivals).

With that class, the team should look something like this assuming nobody transfers and the recruits remain committed.

1) Myers Pate- Stewart/Lee (One may red shirt)
2) Anderson-Williams-Appolon
3) Jones-Worthem
4) McFadden-Hawkins-Omogbo
5) Thompson-Armstrong

Myers Pate, Anderson, Williams, McFadden, and Thompson will all be seniors. Andy Toole will certainly have options.

Some other questions that RMU will have to answer: Can they upgrade the facilities? The Chuck isn't exactly state of the art. Can they attract big time programs to play in Moon? Tough to get teams like Ohio (forget about UK) to schedule a series. What about the NEC? The conference is losing two big time programs in Monmouth and Quinnipiac, might the Colonials look for an upgrade too?

There is no doubt that RMU has had tons of success over the past six seasons. My ultimate question is this....Was the Kentucky win the start of RMU's next big step in its quest to become a great mid major basketball program, or was it the climax of this era of RMU hoops? Only time will tell.

--@Kunkel5
--Lee Kunkel

RMU Defeats Kentucky

Karvel Anderson and RMU students celebrate the team's upset over Kentucky.

I've always been made fun of for my sports teams. I get it, it's easy to make fun of a kid who roots for the Jets, Mets, and Knicks and I don't take anything personal, it's all in good fun.

But after Robert Morris' NEC semifinal loss two Saturday's ago to Mount St. Mary's I had a serious moment of weakness. It was re-evaluation time. Was I praying to the wrong God? Was I eating the wrong foods? Why does the disappointment never end? 

And that's what made last night's 59-57 win vs. the defending champions in the first round of the NIT so incredible. Robert Morris, a team that got blown out of the water in the last game they played, didn't bat an eye against a college basketball Goliath.

What's even more strange is how RMU beat Kentucky. They didn't do it by hoisting up 35 three's and while Velton Jones had a good game, it wasn't one of those that he took over and dropped 20+ in. Nope, RMU just simply outplayed Kentucky. The defensive effort was easily the best I've seen all year and the Colonials rebounded better than anyone thought they could. They slowed the tempo down, which was an absolute must against a team as athletic Kentucky, and went 14-14 from the free throw line.

Russell Johnson was great again for RMU (p/c: Justin Berl).

It's hard to single out one guy who had "the best" game. Lucky Jones was fantastic and led the team with 15 points but also was thrown out after a flagrant two call late in the game, which was the right call in my opinion. Mike McFadden hit the two go-ahead free throws with eight seconds remaining and was fantastic defensively on the low block. In fact, I thought Mike had his best game before he hit the free throws. Russell Johnson did what Russell Johnson has been doing, filling the stat sheet with a 14 point, five rebound, and three steal game. Coron Williams set the tone early and both point guards played great. 

Then there was the crowd, who packed the chuck with 3,444 strong. They got in there early, were loud, crowd surfed the mascot AND A ONE YEAR OLD BABY, had Moses part the red sea, and had an epic (albeit slightly dangerous) court storming. In my opinion, it gets to a point where having 3,400 people going nuts right on top of you is probably just as loud as playing in an open 20,000 seat arena. Like No Huddle has said before, this team will rarely ever lose with a great atmosphere.

You could tell where this game was going to go after the first few minutes. If Kentucky was going to come out focused and ready to play, we would have known it. Instead, it was the opposite, with RMU silencing big blue nation and amping up the home crowd with a 10-0 start. I believe RMU only trailed once late in the first half took a 28-27 lead into the locker room, where they improved to 23-0 when leading at half (compared to only 1-10 when trailing).

I would like to give KY credit: they fought all night. RMU just had an answer for everything which was the most surprising part. Archie Goodwin was tough for the Wildcats and kept them in the game, even tying it with under two minutes left. 

Andy Tooe is officially on the radar of
major college programs.

To me, the most impressive offensive possession came with 1:45 remaining, Kentucky in the midst of a run but saw RMU still clinging to a two point lead. Velton Jones was iso'd with Wille Cauley-Stein, gave him a head fake, went to the buck to draw an extra defender and dumped it off to Mike McFadden for the slam. RMU needed a bucket bad and got it there. 

What more can you say about head coach Andy Toole, who out-coached John Calipari. His gameplan was great but he had his players believing they could beat Kentucky. The in-bounds play he drew up that eventually lead to the game winning points was brilliant. If that is the last time we ever see Andy Toole in the Sewall Center, that's a helluva way to go out. 

But coach Calipari said it best: If Kentucky would have won the game, it would have been a shame. The Colonials truly did deserve that one. The Robert Morris basketball team is the team I root for to avoid disappointment, and that certainly was the case last night. 

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella