Game 8 recap: I've got nothing

RMU fell to Delaware by a score of 86-67. In losses to Eastern Michigan, Cleveland State, and Buffalo we saw RMU look in control early only to watch it dwindle down. This game was the opposite. RMU’s offense was a bundle of unintentional comedy with the occasional Karvel Anderson bucket. The defense was just as bad, doubling on every pick and roll leaving a good shooting team with a lot of good looks. Bad formula.

Then RMU toughened up on defense, mostly because Stephan Hawkins played really tough in the low post, RMU forced some turnovers, and the guards stopped committing dumb fouls. RMU got it within two a few times but found themselves down nine at half. Not awful.

Then the second half happened. RMU started out-playing Delaware but committed too many mental errors to do anything. They were getting good looks and hitting most of them but the turnovers did not stop. Ever. Then the fouling. And just like that RMU was down 18 with six minutes left.

Some quick thoughts:

-Kavon Stweart returned from suspension to play today. He looked pretty good I thought, getting into the lane, drawing fouls, and giving his teammates some good looks. Only complaint against Kavon is how much he left his feet, both offensively and defensively. That’ll get better with experience.

-RMU would have lost by 50 if Karvel Anderson didn’t play today. He was phenomenal in every aspect. Outside of the UTA game, that was the best he’s played. Not a whole lot more to add… we just expect these things from him.

-RMU struggled with the press. It was frustrating.

-You could tell Toole wasn’t going to deal with mental errors today. Five seconds into the game, Delaware won the tip, RMU was slow to get in transition, and the Blue Hens had an easy and-1 basket (McFadden with the foul… surprise!!!). Toole subbed out Lucky Jones immediately after and he stayed out until the 13 minute mark. A few seconds later, Anthony Myers-Pate committed an offensive foul and he was subbed out. Two of the best players on the team were out of the game within 20 seconds.

In the second half Toole really shortened his bench. We didn’t see a lot of Chuck Oliver (who’s struggling big time), Aaron Tate (did not start), Hawkins, or David Appolon.

-RMU looked like a team that never has defended a pick and roll at times. The defense was random and bad for the most part. The first possession of the game, McFadden hedged it but didn’t get back to his guy in time who hit a bucket. We saw a lot of doubling off the screen after that, which didn’t work much either. It forced some turnovers, but the risk wasn’t worth the reward often. Here’s another thing I noticed. If RMU really wants to double off the P n’ R, do it, but you better have everyone HAUL ASS on rotations. That wasn’t the case. Last year, RMU would switch on every screen. I’d be surprised if that didn’t start happening soon.

Some scary stats....

UD hits the 80 point mark, that's the 6th time (in 8 total games) that RMU has allowed 80 points. Just not playing ANY defense right now.

— Lee Kunkel (@kunkel5) November 30, 2013

Last year RMU gave up 80 or more just twice. So yea, they're struggling on that end.

— Lee Kunkel (@kunkel5) November 30, 2013

Robert Morris gave up 1.06 pts per possession in 86-67 loss to Delaware. That's actually its third-best defensive performance of the season.

— Craig Meyer (@CraigMeyerPG) November 30, 2013

Yikes.....
-Personal grievance: To me, college basketball still has no idea how to call the new hand check rule. Offensive guys are going to the lane bowling out of control, lean in with a shoulder, and get a call no matter what position the defender is in. RMU’s giving up a lot of points not so much because of bad defense but because of all the free throws opponents are shooting against them.

Opponent’s free throw averages

In wins: 26 attempts, 18 made

In losses: 39 attempts, 28 made

So defense can certainly improve, but it’ll all be for naught if they don’t adjust to the new rules. My opinion, anyway.

-Did anyone play the drinking game? If you did and didn’t blackout in the first half, good for you, truly.

This was one of the more frustrating games I’ve ever watched. No one outside of Karvel played really well. The team commits so many stupid fouls and the turnovers were outrageous. Just another tough loss.

More to come later.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella

Game Day preview: Robert Morris at Delaware

Robert Morris (3-4) at Delaware (3-3)
When: Saturday, November 30th, Noon EST
Where: Bob Carpenter Center, Newark DEL
Ken Pom: RMU 190, Delaware 87
Story line: The Colonials look to avoid a three game losing streak as they stay on the road to take on the Blue Hens, who have won three of their last four.
Link: This is the link provided by Delaware: http://www.bluehens.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?SPID=110416&db_oem_id=29100

Note: It's expected that Kavon Stewart will be back in the lineup for the Colonials against Delaware. He's been suspended since the opening game. 

Getting to know the Blue Hens: (By CoBL's Andrew Koob)

Blue Hens senior guard and leading scorer Devon Saddler was suspended just over a week ago due to a team and university violation, but that doesn’t mean Delaware doesn’t have other options.

Guard Jarvis Threatt has taken over the scoring load, netting over 20 points in the first two contests since Saddler’s suspension. Threatt, along with backcourt mates Davon Usher and Kyle Anderson, combine for just over 48 points of the Blue Hens’ 85.3 scoring average, 49th best in the country.

Monté Ross’ team is a force on the boards, and the task doesn’t just fall to the frontcourt. While forward Carl Baptiste is the biggest man on the team at 6-foot-9, the senior is currently fourth on the team in rebounds with 6.3 boards per game. Usher (7.8 rebounds), Threatt (6.4) and 6-foot-7 forward Marvin King-Davis (6.4), who took Saddler’s spot in the starting rotation, are all ahead of Baptiste in terms of rebounding in the young season.

Most of the minutes have gone to upperclassmen for the Blue Hens so far, but a couple of underclassmen in sophomore King-Davis and freshman Devonne Pinkard have both been playing 20-plus minutes. King-Davis, on top of his second-best rebounding mark for the team, is averaging 7.8 points and 2.5 blocks per game, while Pinkard is averaging 3.8 points and grabbing 2.8 boards.

Colonials perspective:

This will be the best team RMU has played this season outside of Kentucky. They have a boatload of talented guards, and have actually played their best ball since senior guard and leading scorer Davon Saddler was suspended, winning three of four and that lone loss by just four points at Villanova (who beat Kansas last night). Threatt and Usher will be tough to contain, and Delaware has nice size that will give the Colonials fits.

Offensively RMU is doing just fine. They averaging over 106 points-per-100 possessions. It's the defense that continues to be the big problem, giving up 107.9 points-per-100 possessions. That is way worse than where the Colonials are typically at in the Mike Rice/Andy Toole era. They usually come in around 100 or less points per-100 possessions.

The fouls continue to be a huge problem, especially for the big men --specifically Mike McFadden--.

Delaware is quite frankly a TERRIBLE match-up for the way RMU is playing. They can score, and they can attack the basket.

If RMU does not find a way to win, they will be face-to-face with their first four game losing streak in quite some time. A loss in Newark would be their third in a row, and another road game at Youngstown State on Wednesday will once again provide a stiff challenge.

Want a sign of consistency? Robert Morris hoops has not had a losing streak longer than 3 games since a 4-game skid in 2004-2005. #RMU
— Andrew Chiappazzi (@achiappazzi) November 29, 2013

Prediction: Ken Pom is taking the Blue Hens in this one, 89-78. It's tough to argue that prediction, given how both teams are currently playing.

Drinking games: your official guide to surviving RMU games

It’s been no secret that this season has been a struggle for RMU. At 3-4, the consistency not just as a team but from individuals can drive one to drink… heavily. So I decided to put a game together that will surely have you feeling some sort of way after every game.

Category A: Getting buzzed (one drink)

-Any made Anthony Myers-Pate jump shot outside the paint

-Any time Mike McFadden or Stephan Hawkins settles for a jump shot

-RMU misses a free throw

-RMU misses an easy look at the rim (majority rule)

-Karvel Anderson misses a three pointer
-Aaron Tate pump fake

-Charles Oliver makes a three pointer

-Karvel Anderson pull up jumper from the elbow

Category B: What am I watching again? (two drinks)

-David Appolon makes a three pointer

-RMU gives up second chance points

-Mike McFadden fouls within one minute of entering a game

-Juanie Newton hustle play: Any steal, block, charge or outstanding defensive contest of a shot or drive

-Lucky Jones and-one bucket

-RMU gives up a three pointer in a 2-3 zone

Category C: Mayhem (finish your drink)

-Evan Grey or Shaire Tolson-Ford enter a game

-Robert Morris wins

-The crazies crowd surf a baby

-A student wins free books by nailing his halfcourt shot

-

CTC does not condone drinking and driving. Please drink responsibly. 

Game seven recap: consistently inconsistent

RMU (3-4) fell to Buffalo by a score of 81-66. RMU started off pretty well again but got dominated by Jevon McCrea and gave up too many three’s as the game went on. A quick breakdown:

The good

-Lucky Jones was outstanding, going 6-13 for 19 points. RMU should have kept looking for him as the game was winding down. There were a few times in the game where Lucky should have gotten some open looks from kick outs but didn’t for whatever reason. He may have forced it a little at the end, but overall that was his best game of the season.

-Jeremiah Worthem was a tank again. Grabbed boards, went to the basket, and did other Worthem-like things. His aggressiveness was outstanding. 13 and 4 for the frosh tonight.

The bad

-Rough go for Karvel Anderson. He was in foul trouble early and forced up bricks in the second half. His shot selection was just not what we were used to from him. One thing that is really clear about this team: it goes as Karvel does. When he isn’t making shots, RMU doesn’t win.

-The defense wasn’t just good the first ten minutes of the game, it was outstanding. Rotations were crisp, the guards were moving their feet on the perimeter and the double teaming was well-timed and effective in the low post. Then… it just wasn’t. I’m not exactly sure why. There was random fouling (again), the bigs couldn’t defend anything, and RMU got crushed on weak side back screens that gave Buffalo some wide open corner looks. We even went to a 2-3 zone for two possessions in the second half which predictably yielded two three pointers. That’s just the type of night it was. More on this later.

The type of bad that makes me want to kick my dogs down several flights of stairs

-Bad game for Chuck Oliver. Went 0-5 from three and 0-6 from the field plus had one really bad turnover. He’s one of the guys who’s struggling away from home this year. Chuck will bounce back, but tonight just wasn’t his night.

-Rebounding is always going to be a problem but tonight it was a huge reason why RMU lost. The rebounding margin was 44-32 in favor of Buffalo but it felt much, much worse. What I noticed is RMU seemed to never have enough guys crashing the boards. Several times someone like Mike McFadden would be engaged with one defender and no one else would be around. The positioning was awful.

-Speaking of McFadden, the play of him and Stephan Hawkins was atrocious. That may have been Hawk’s worse game as a player here. They brought nothing to the table on defense and rarely ever grabbed a rebound. The offense was just as bad; Mike went 0-2 and Hawk 0-4 from the field. McFadden didn’t start and didn’t play a whole lot. I’m not sure if he’s injured or just in the doghouse.

-Another aspect of the defense that drove me nuts was the fouling. It’s definitely an adjustment for these guys with the new hand check rule but no one seems to have a clue how to play any defense without senseless fouling. The over/under for McFadden to commit a foul upon entering a game is something like four seconds. It’s just sad/frustrating to watch.

Big picture right now is through seven games RMU has gotten a whole heck of nothing from the point guard position and the big men. Even though I liked Myers-Pate’s game today, he is struggling to make any shots. Another small note; Andy Toole was in the building and brought the energy but was battling kidney stones and had Joe Gallo doing a lot of his in-game duties.

That’s all for now, more to come tomorrow.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella 

Game seven: Robert Morris at Buffalo

Happy game day! Robert Morris heads to Buffalo to take on the Bulls and get above the .500 mark once again. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and you can catch the game on the MAC sports website or listen to it on ESPN 970 AM.

If you haven’t read Lee’s game preview yet I suggest you do so. To add on to that, I have a few things I’m looking forward to:

-Controlling McCrea: The 6’7” senior is a stud, doing almost all of his dirty work in the paint averaging 21 points per game. This is going to be a huge test for the RMU bigs who have had lots of fun trying to stay out of foul trouble. Mike McFadden (who will play) and Stephan Hawkins just cannot commit stupid fouls tonight. On the offensive end, I would like to see them attack McCrea and try and get him in some foul trouble.

-Defense? Outside of McCrea, the Bulls aren’t anything special on offense. Can we maybe guard someone tonight? I’m getting a little sick and tired of watching everyone blow by our guards. Thanks in advance.

-Lineups: Nights like tonight are why I’m happy I’m not Andy Toole. Buffalo does have a little size to them, so I’m interested to see if Toole wil try and match that with some of RMU’s “bigger” lineups or if he goes more guard heavy. The problem with going guard heavy is we’re getting just about nothing outside of the point guard position at the moment, so… that’s just a tough spot to be in.

As some of you may know, RMU is a perfect 3-0 when CTC does our game day posts. Why? Because it’s about getting inside the head of your opponents and knowing them inside and out. We know a lot about Buffalo the basketball program, but what do we know about the school?

-The school name is actually the University at Buffalo, not the University of Buffalo. Details, people, details.

-Buffalo is a SUNY (State University of New York) school. There are tons of cooler, more successful SUNY schools like Cornell and Oswego (my mom’s alma mater).

-Buffalo is the largest of all SUNY schools, enrolling over 28,000 students and has about 5,5000 international students alone. That’s like RMU being all international students. A+ for diversity.

-Buffalo is known for the architecture and engineering programs. According to its Wikipedia page, it has NINE LIBRARIES. Why? And do they close at terrible hours like RMU’s?

3 (bad) reasons why RMU will win:

1) Buffalo’s mascot name is the Bulls. The Buffalo Bills are a shitty NFL franchise best known for losing three straight super bowls. We’re going to lose to a program so closely affiliated with the Bills? Yeah right.

That’s actually all I need. Bills and Bulls are too close. We’re not losing.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella 

Road Warriors?

When you ask any Robert Morris basketball player what their thoughts are on having so many tough road stands, especially early in the year, they will almost always tell you they pride themselves on being “road warriors”. They also understand that no big program is going to come in to the Sewall Center. Why would they after the past four years of beating upon Ohio and the infamous Kentucky game? The risk is high and the reward is minimal.

RMU has played four games on the road this season. They’re 1-3, with two of those losses coming to Eastern Michigan and Cleveland State. Those are two good teams but one’s RMU really could and should have had. So, what’s going on?

RMU’s defense has not been very good this year but at least it’s been consistently mediocre. The offense has been a different story. At home, RMU is averaging 87 points per game. On the road, that number is at 69. When this team is on, they are on. It can be scary. But outside of a contest at Lafayette, that hasn’t been the case.

One thing to keep in mind is that it’s pretty normal for teams to score more at home than on the road. These guys practice nearly year-round on the same court and will play a good amount of games there. The familiarity is something you cannot duplicate. Add in screaming lunatics that pump up another team’s defense and students behind the backboard to distract during free throws and you get what we see.

Also, maybe this team just isn’t so great on the road?  Last years more experienced squad went 10-7 but started off with similar pains, going 0-4 to start the year. Maybe this is what we should have expected with a younger team? In the NFL, the Saints are unstoppable at home but can lose to the Jets on the road. There are lots of cases around college basketball of the same thing. Maybe that’s the nature of RMU?

What’s most frustrating is not that they’re losing but it’s how the losses are coming, Kentucky aside. The Eastern Michigan and Cleveland State losses both had the same trajectory; quick starts, ice cold shooting in the middle, and a failed comeback in the end. We’ve also seen Karvel Anderson struggle for a good part of the game in those two losses, which is more of a microcosm of everything. Karvel, like a lot of the guys, seems to be struggling to adjust to a different arena.

RMU plays in seven more road non-conference games. I’m sure this article was just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo but I am interested to see if they can overcome some tough environments and adjust to different arenas. To me, the mark of a really good team is winning road games, especially the one’s people don’t think you will.

Let’s see what happens at Buffalo.

Worthem grabs NEC rookie of the week

Robert Morris' Jeremiah Worthem named NEC rookie of the week. The freshman forward scored a career-high 16 points vs. Cleveland State.
— Craig Meyer (@CraigMeyerPG) November 25, 2013

Worthem put together a hell of a week, scoring 16 points against Cleveland State and had seven points and six boards the game prior against Texas-Arlington. Toole is going to be hard pressed to keep the freshman out of the starting lineup, as Worthem is showing off a beautiful inside-out game and drawing fouls at a good rate. It's also not just about the numbers Worthem is putting up, but it's when he's doing it. It felt like the last two games whenever RMU needed a bucket or an offensive rebound Worthem was the guy getting it done.

I have a hard time believing this will be the last time we say this, but congrats to Jeremiah on NEC rookie of the week.

Game preview: Robert Morris at Buffalo

Robert Morris (3-3) at Buffalo (1-2) 
When: Tuesday, November 26th, 7pm
Where: Alumni Arena, Buffalo NY
Ken Pom: RMU 173, Buffalo197
Story line: After a tough road loss Saturday to Cleveland State, the Colonials stay on the road to take on MAC opponent Buffalo. The Bulls have had ten days to prepare for this game, and will be a tough matchup for Robert Morris. 
Link: Colonial fans should be able to watch the game free of charge by clicking here.

Getting to know the Buffalo Bulls:

The Bulls may not be legends in the college basketball world, but they are lead by a legend. Bobby Hurley, arguably the best Duke Blue Devil of all time, is in his first year as the Bulls head coach. 

Buffalo came out of the gate slow this year, losing their opener at Texas A&M, then dropping a game at Niagara. While neither loss is terrible (not many road losses are terrible) it was surprising to see a team many expect to contend for the MAC title this year get off to such a slow start.

The Bulls did bounce back to win their home opener, but that was against West Virginia Wesleyan, a D II school. 

Senior forward Javon McCrea is the unquestioned leader --in terms of production-- for the Bulls. At 6-7, McCrea is averaging 21 points-per-game, 11 rebounds-per-game --both first on the team-- and is shooting 51 percent from the field. He is a beast. 

The senior has been used on 36 percent of possessions when on the floor this year, that's good for fourth in the nation is percent-of-possessions used according to KenPom. he also draws 12.2 fouls per-40 minutes. That's good for second in the country at the moment (it is very early). This could be a major problem for a Colonials team that has had problems with foul trouble.

Freshman guard Josh Freelove is off to a fast start as well, averaging 13 points-per-game while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Keys to the Game:

D-Fense, defense, D- (insert fense sign): Put it anyway you want to, the Colonials have got to find their defense. This is a program that was one of the best in the country over the past 6-7 years on that side of the court, and right now they can't stop anybody. 

There is no reason to panic yet, after all the team is breaking in a bunch of new guys, replacing some of the best players that have ever worn the RMU uniform, and adjusting to new defensive rules that take away a lot of what RMU does on that side of the ball. Right now RMU is giving up 106.9 points-per-100 possessions. That is way over last years mark of 101.3. 

RMU is scoring enough to win 25 games and contend for an NEC title, but that won't happen if they can't get stops. 

Fouls: If the Colonials can cut down on the fouls, they may solve the above problem. Listen, with the new foul rules, you CANNOT commit silly reaching/blocking fouls or you will have no chance to get stops. 

On Saturday, RMU allowed Cleveland State to attempt 44 free throws, they made 34 of them. 34 points, just given to them. Eastern Michigan also shot over 40 free throws. 

It's no surprise RMU lost both of those games. 

Back to Saturday. The Vikings grabbed an 18 point lead and were in the 1-and-1 bonus with 15 minutes to go in the game. It's almost impossible to comeback in that situation. 

The hand checks and blocking fouls are going to get called this year. It's almost impossible to draw a charge now, and you can't put your hands on anyone, but everyone knew that would be the case this year. Because of that, you can't commit the silly dumb fouls. They hurt you 10 times more this year. 

Worthem had his best game Saturday
(RMU Athletics).

Growth: Jeremiah Worthem played his best game of his young career Saturday, finishing with 16 points and 5 rebounds. He was an absolute tank on the block. If he keeps that up, he will be the starting power forward --or maybe more importantly-- and end of game power forward very soon. 

Worthem was aggressive, getting to line 12 times --knocking down seven of his attempts-- and drilled his only three point attempt. 

Fellow freshman Kavon Stewart should be back in action (more on that later) and it will be interesting to track the development of the two youngest contributors along with those JuCo transfers.

#MACtion: The Colonials continue their tour of the MAC Tuesday, once again taking on a team expected to contend for the Mid American Conference title. 

RMU lost their first game against the conference when they fell to Eastern Michigan in the Keightley Classic. The Colonials will also take on a really good Toledo squad in a few weeks at the Sewall Center. The Rockets already have two great wins over Boston College and Stoney Brook. 

Tuesday's game at Buffalo will provide a nice challenge for a team that needs these obstacles as they attempt to find themselves and figure out roles. 

Personnel Update: Kavon Stewart should return to the lineup which should provide a huge boost. The freshman point guards hasn't played since the opener (suspension) and should provided some quality minutes as the backup point, allowing David Appolon to move back to the wing. 

While RMU may get his services back, they could be without starting center Mike McFadden. 

The senior missed the whole second half on Saturday against Cleveland State to what appeared to be an undisclosed injury (he was on the bench the whole half cheering his team on). 

If McFadden can't go Stephen Hawkins should get the start in his place. CTC hopes to get an answer on this before tip.

UPDATE: CTC spoke with McFadden Monday afternoon, and he has told us he will play against Buffalo. This is obviously good news for RMU.

Prediction: I could sit here and tell you that RMU should be favorites in this game and that all is good, but that would be a lie. 

McFadden playing is huge, but the team is still struggling to get stops, and Buffalo has had 10 days to prepare for this game. 

RMU has really struggled with quick turnarounds this season --loss to EMU, UK, and Cleveland State-- and oh yea, it's a road game which are always difficult. 

KenPom gives RMU a 39 percent chance of winning, and predicts the score to be 77-74. I think that is pretty accurate. 

If RMU wants to win this game, they have got to find away to tighten the D. Will they? We shall see. 

CTC hopes to speak with Andy Toole before tip-off and get an update on the McFadden plus Toole's thoughts on the slow start defensively. Check back for that. 

Lee Kunkel (@Kunkel5) --

Game six recap: Karvel missed two free throw's because that's the type of game it was

RMU (3-3) fell to Cleveland State 87-74 in the last game of the Keightly Classic. The Colonials were in control early, taking a 17-7 lead at one point but went ice cold and trailed at half. The second half was more of the same: missed shots and fouls on fouls on fouls on fouls on fouls. RMU made some runs but overall couldn’t consistently hit three pointers and definitely couldn’t stop committing fouls. A few thoughts:

-Referees have to find a balance on these hand check fouls. RMu committed some dumb fouls, but there were also times where defenders contested shots and drives with their hands straight up in the air and were called for fouls. It’s an adjustment period for everyone but the refs have to figure out what they want.

-The biggest positive: Jeremiah Worthem. He built off of his performance from Thursday and finished with a career high 16 points and did it in all sorts of ways, hitting his only three pointer and drawing fouls. Toole is going to be hard pressed to not have him in the starting lineup. Not like it matters too much, because Worthem is finishing games + subs in about two minutes into games, but still.

--Mike McFadden did not play in the second half. No update why. That sucks.

-Not the best day from Karvel Anderson if you couldn’t tell from the headline. He did hit some nice mid-range jump shots but went 0-6 from three. I thought his shot selection was spotty, like in the first part of the second half where he passed off an open three, ran around the baseline, got the ball back and missed a contested fadeaway. Just one of those days.

-Anthony Myers-Pate had another 0’fer from the floor. Shot the ball well from the line, at least.

-The box score said Cleveland State missed ten free throws which I really just don’t believe. Hat tip to the opposition for taking advantage of some dumb RMU fouls. 34-44 from the stripe for CSU.

-RMU falls to 0-3 on the road and finished the Keightly Classic with losses to Eastern Michigan with losses to Eastern Michigan, Kentucky, and Cleveland State with its lone win against Texas-Arlington. Never liked the Keightly Classic much anyway.

That’s all I have for now, more to come tomorrow.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella 

Film room: CTC play of the day

There was a lot to like on the offensive end last night. That tends to happen when you score 88 points. While the biggest play of the game may have been a Juanie Newton block on the defensive end that lead to points, this was my favorite play on the offensive end and has been crowned the first ever CTC play of the day.

The situation:

UTA is making their run. After trailing the whole game by double digits, a Reger Dowell three pointer has cut it two with 11:00 remaining. On the ensuing possession, Lucky Jones drove down the lane and passed it to Aaron Tate who missed a lay-up. The rebound was tipped back to Chuck Oliver and that’s where we’ll pick it up.

Oliver gets the ball at the top of the key. He looks for point guard Anthony Myers-Pate in the corner. Karvel Anderson is on the wing to the right of Oliver. Keep that in mind.

Myers-Pate drives to the hoop. Look at how the defense collapses around him and look at the court spacing. Three very good shooters are on the perimeter. I love this lineup, especially against smaller teams or teams that play a zone. UTA happened to be a bit of both. Myers-Pate leaves his feet with three defenders around him and kicks out to Lucky Jones in the corner.

Lucky could have taken this shot and it would have been a good look, but his shot was a little off and he kicked it to Chuck Oliver on the wing, who also probably could have taken the shot. The defender had a nice closeout on Chuck.

 Finally Oliver passes it off to Karvel Anderson for the three. Moving the ball around the arc like that was beautiful and getting it to the best shooter on the floor was just a bonus. This isn’t bad defense per se, but that’s too much space for this guy. You’ll take that every time.

Robert Morris vs Cleveland State preview

Robert Morris (3-2) at Cleveland State (2-2) 
When: Saturday, November 23rd, 3pm
Where: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio 
Ken Pom: RMU 162, Cleveland State 175
Story line: The Colonials hit the road for their next four games, and that trip starts in Cleveland, Ohio as RMU will look to get to 4-2 against a Vikings team that is expected to battle for the Horizon League title this season. 
Link: Colonial fans can catch the game on the Horizon League network. Here is the link: Rmu at Cleveland State

Getting to know the Vikings:

The Colonials will have to contain Bryn Forbes.
(Photo: Cleveland State)

The Vikings are an intriguing team. They beat Iona at home, out scoring them by 19 in the second half to erase a double digit deficit. They also beat the very Texas Arlington squad that RMU defeated Thursday night, only difference being the Vikings did it on the road. Another similarity, both RMU and Cleveland State lost to Eastern Michigan on the road. This should be an evenly matched game.

For the Colonials, there are three guys they really need to key on. Bryn Forbes leads the team in scoring at 20.0 per-game. He's shooting 48 percent (12-25) from three so he has some good range. He is also a perfect 20 for 20 from the free throw line, so it would behoove RMU to avoid putting him on the charity stripe.

Trey Lewis is another Viking to keep an eye on. He's getting 12.5 points-per-game, and is also a great foul shooter. He has made 21-26 from the line. Lewis has struggled to shoot the ball well from the field, making only 26.1 percent of his shots, including just 5 of 24 three point attempts. 

Make him shoot jumpers, and RMU will contain him. 

5-8 guard Charlie Lee is the engine of the team. He is scoring 11.8 points-per-game and leads the team in steal rate. His quickness is a big weapon for the Vikings on both ends of the court. Like the other Cleveland State weapons, he does a lot of his damage from the free throw line, making 19-24 (79 percent) so far this season. He isn't blowing the competition away from the field with his mediocre 31.4 percent field goal percentage. 

Force these guys to make shots, and don't allow them to get to the free throw line, and the Colonials will be in good shape defensively. 

Keys to the game:

This game gets my juices flowing. Two good mid-majors playing an early season game that will tell us a lot about each team. The Vikings are the home team, so you have to give them an advantage heading into the game. Cleveland State is tough to beat at home, evidence being their opening game win over a really good Iona team.

1) Finish at the rim. RMU can't miss bunnies in this game. There have been some shots at the rim over the past few games that RMU missed that they simply can't miss in this game. Against Kentucky, it wouldn't have mattered much, and against Texas Arlington Karvel Anderson and his 8 (!!!) threes saved the team. The Colonials have the 329th best two-point field goal percentage at 39.9 percent. That is, in one word, bad. This game, RMU will need every bucket they can manufacture. I'm looking at you Aaron Tate! No messing up dunks and missing gimmes at the bucket.

Speaking of Aaron Tate, he's been RMU's best defender this season in my opinion. I really like his versatility on that side of the ball. He hasn't been as good on offense, but that's not why he's in the lineup.

2) FEED THE BEAST. I don't know if CTC is fortunate enough to have Karvel Anderson as a regular reader, but Karvel if you're reading, when you are that hot (8-10 from three) SHOOT THE BALL MORE (please, and Thank You). There aren't many shooters as good as this guy in all of college basketball. I personally would love to see over 15 field goal attempts per game out of Mr. Anderson. 

More of this please.
(Photo: Elkhart Truth)

According to KenPom, Anderson takes 31.3% of his teams shots when he is on the floor, which is top-100 nationally. With that said, I'd like to see that number climb to 35% After the game Thursday, Toole talked about how he [Anderson] is such a good teammate that sometimes he isn't quite as aggressive as he could be when he's shooting it that well. Saturday, the Colonials need to find Anderson, and find him often.

While I'm on Karvel shooting the ball more, how about more Charles Oliver! We all thought Chuck would come in and "replace" Coron Williams but that isn't the case. Chuck is a different type of player, a player that I think could be a better fit for this team. He has shown the ability to score off the dribble and hit some tough floaters in the lane. He still has that three point shot in his back pocket, but I like Oliver's ability to score in different ways.

3) Bench Play. It's became pretty clear just how deep the Colonials are. No player is playing over 66 percent of the overall minutes. Most teams have one or two players over 80 percent. RMU is 22nd in the country with their bench playing 39.7 percent of their overall minutes. All of this with Kavon Stewart (By the way, He's still suspended for at least this game. We might see him against Buffalo), the backup point guard, suspended the past four games. In all three of RMU's wins this season, they have worn down their opponent and used late runs to put them away.

Cleveland State does not have near the depth that Andy Toole has access to. They have three players playing over 73 percent of their minutes, an their bench only plays 30 percent of their overall minutes. If the Colonials can keep bodies fresh, they will have an advantage the last five minutes of the game, and if the game is as close as expected, that could pay huge dividends. 

Prediction: I sense a big game for Charles Oliver and that bench. Chuck played a very solid game for RMU Thursday night, and Juanie Newton, Jeremiah Worthem also played great. All three continue to play well and RMU pulls out a 74-69 victory. 

Lee Kunkel (@Kunkel5)

Game five: Scoring! Toughness!

What a game. RMU raced out to a 14-0 lead, then UTA went on a big second half run, but RMU had enough to hold off the Mavs and RMU won 88-81.

Reactions:

Lee: Juanie Newton made the play of the game late in the second half. It won't go down in the stat sheet, but wow was it huge. After Karvel Anderson (who played incredible) was trapped at halfcourt he turned it over. It appeared that UTA had an easy breakaway lay up to tie it up. Newton had other ideas. He raced down the court and used every bit of athleticism he used to win the RMU dunk contest to contest the layup at the rim. His D forced a crucial miss.

On the other end, the ball deflected off a UTA defender right to Newton under the basket. He calmly finished with a reverse layup and put the Colonials up four. A four point swing all off pure hustle. Well done Juanie. Newton finished with five points, four assists, and two rebounds.

Chris: Glue guy alert! I’ve expressed my love for Juanie’s game a few times already and it continues to grow. Good things happen when he’s on the court. Watching him play with the energy level he does energizes me. I thought about checking in a few times but ultimately decided against it because a) Toole wouldn’t like it (maybe) and b) I had a radio broadcast going. Either way, Juanie had a direct impact on some of the biggest plays of the game. I’m interested to see if he could eventually find himself in the starting line-up over a guy like Aaron Tate or Jeremiah Worthem.

Lee: Ant Myers Pate was fantastic. We told you Ant would bounce back, and he did. The senior finished with 10 points and nine assists, not to mention a perfect 6-6 from the FT line including two big one's late to help seal the victory. He was in complete control all game long. Way to bounce back Ant!

Chris: THAT’S the Anthony Myers-Pate I’ve been waiting for. He was in complete control. He’s so quick off the dribble he can beat just about any defender to the hoop but is almost always looking to pass. It was awesome. His free throw shooting was obviously really good and had to be. What a game he gets my game ball.

Lee: Karvel was out there looking like Karvel Anderson. Yea. Eight three's tying a Sewall Center record (which he has done before) isn't even a surprise anymore. He's just that good. Only complaint...SHOOT MORE VEL. He only took 11 shots tonight! I want to see more then 15 shots when he is shooting this good. Anderson finished 8-11 on the night (8-10 from three) with 24 points.

Chris: Agreed! Keep shooting! Toole even said as much in his postgame press conference. The kid is such a great shooter but an even better teammate. He doesn’t want to come off as selfish by taking too many shots. Ron Ratner summed it up best with this tweet:

Enough said. Love everything about this guy truly.

Lee: Mike McFadden hit a few big jumpers but it was an off night for the big guy. He almost cost the team the game by picking up a foul, then a stupid technical, giving UTA a four point possession, and got himself disqualified doing so. I'm not worried about it though. Mike is a leader and a smart player. He knows he messed up, and I expect him to bounce back quick. Love the jumper big fellow, all that off-season work paying off.

Lee: Lucky has came a long way. His jumper wasn't there at all tonight. He couldn't buy a shot (0-6 from three). Didn't matter. He still made some great plays and helped the team win. He doesn't have to have his shot going to make winning plays. A lot of players --both in college and professionally-- do not make a positive impact on games when they are not in a flow offensively. The special ones do. Jones finished with a team high 10 rebounds and still tallied 15 points despite his struggles. That's good for a double-double. Nice job Luck.

Chris: Best part about Lucky’s game was his effort on the defensive end. I enjoyed so much watching him compete. He rebounded like a center tonight, grabbing ten boards. The best part of his game is when he gets to the hoops. His fouls drawn per game were among the top 40 in the country last year and I can see why. His size and quickness is just a problem. Great complete game from Lucky tonight. Even when his shot is off, he can still get you 15 points. That’s the mark of a great player

Lee: Jeremiah Worthem is going to be a BEAST for RMU for a long time. He doesn't look, nor play like a freshman. He bossed an older, taller UTA frontline on multiple occasions. He also showed some nice touch on a baseline jumper. Toole will take 7 and 6 from the big guy every night this season.

Charles Oliver could be one hell of a weapon off the bench. Chuck came in and scored eight straight points during a stretch in the second half that included two corner three's and a nifty floater in the lane. Oliver finished the game with 11 points. He'e RMU second best shooter behind Karvel, and could become the teams best weapon off the bench by NEC play.

Other odds and ends via Chris: McFadden and Hawk found themselves in foul trouble again and Worthem really stepped up to the plate. It seemed like every time RMU needed a rebound or a put-back he was there. Doesn’t it feel like when RMU is on they’re really on? I mean, who played a bad game tonight? It’s been like that in every win… Chuck Oliver can ball. Beautiful floater in traffic to get his scoring going and some knock down corner three’s. He always seems to score in spurts and at crucial times… Complaint: finishing at the rim is still a problem.

Lee: Nice crowd crazies, I liked what I saw. But lets get a few chants going next time?! Baby steps though! Keep it up.

More to come tomorrow!

Lee Kunkel (@Kunkel5)
Chris Cappella (@C_Cappella)

Behind enemy lines: chatting with Drew Davidson

CTC caught up with the Star-Telegram’s Drew Davidson to help get a better feel for Texas-Arlington basketball: 

What were the expectations for UTA coming into the year? 

The expectations for UTA is simply to be competitive come conference play. That's what the team is focused on building up to through the non-conference season. Wins are nice and important, of course, but the Sun Belt typically sends only one team to the NCAA tournament so the Mavs are hoping to have it clicking at the right time later in the season. They certainly have the talent to earn a bid come March.

Through five games, what has the feel for this team been like? They seem to struggle defensively and shoot a ton of three's....

The expectations for UTA is simply to be competitive come conference play. That's what the team is focused on building up to through the non-conference season. Wins are nice and important, of course, but the Sun Belt typically sends only one team to the NCAA tournament so the Mavs are hoping to have it clicking at the right time later in the season. They certainly have the talent to earn a bid come March.

What type of style does UTA like to play? 

As I mentioned in previous answer ... UTA relies a lot on its guard play. Lonnie and Reger Dowell form a nice backcourt and can make things happen with their quickness. Inside, Brandon Edwards is a nice player who is a double-double threat on a nightly basis. He has really come into his own as a senior this season, and scored a career-high in points at Rupp Arena.

Oklahoma State transfer Reger Dowell has been scoring (and shooting) a ton? What's the vibe around him? Was this expected?

Reger Dowell is definitely a scorer and probably UTA's biggest threat every game. He has the green-light to shoot and has done a nice job of scoring. He's probably the most talented player on the team, which is why he's leading the team in scoring and believe he's in the top-10 or so of scoring in the nation. With that being said, as the year goes along, UTA needs to try and get more guys involved so teams don't simply focus on Dowell.

Are there any other players we should know about?

Dowell is obviously the biggest name being a transfer from OSU. Brandon Edwards has been playing well. McClanahan is a quick guard, Jorge Bilbao has potential.

Game day: RMU vs Texas-Arlington

It’s game day! Happy Thursday, at this time next week I’ll be a few bottles of wine deep and stuffing my face in mashed potatoes but that’s next week and I try not to look ahead in life.

RMU (2-2) will take on Texas-Arlington (2-3) tonight at the Charles L. Sewall Center. Tip-off is at seven and you can catch the game by going (preferred), watching on NECFrontRow.com, or listening on RMUradio.com or ESPN 790 AM.

This will be an interesting game. I don’t think UTA is really all too great but it’s hard to gauge; they’ve beaten two nobodies but have lost to three very good teams. If you haven’t caught our preview of the game yet read it here. Just to add on, here are a few things I’m looking forward to:

-Lucky Jones having his best game of the year tonight: UTA plays zero defense. I have a good feeling about this one.

-Ball movement: Ball movement in the second half of the Kentucky game, for the most part, wasn’t too great. If they move the ball tonight they should get a lot of good looks.

-The return of Anthony Myers-Pate: Hopefully it comes tonight.

CTC feels pretty strongly about scouting an opponent. We’ve done a lot of work on Texas-Arlington the basketball team but there’s more to it than that. You have to know an opponent inside and out. Here is what I learned about the University of Texas-Arlington as a school:

-It was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M system before switching to the University of Texas system in 1965. The school has a population of 33,439 students, making it the second largest UT-system school.

-Their mascot is the Mavericks and their mascots name is Blaze.

-The school refers to itself as a powerhouse in its mission statement, which I somehow find intimidating: 

'The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing research powerhouse committed to life-enhancing discovery, innovative instruction and caring community engagement. An educational leader in the heart of the thriving North Texas region, UT Arlington nurtures minds in an environment that values excellence, ingenuity and diversity.'

-Some interesting undergraduate majors: Aerospace engineering, French teaching, geoinformatics, modern languages, real estate, philosophy. What do you do with a BA in philosophy anyway?

-There are over 320 student organizations and 30 intramural sports.

-Nationally ranked architecture, nursing, and engineering programs.

-Seven restaurants on campus you can use your dining dollars at but the lady in office of admissions assured me the cafeteria food is good and she’s even a picky eater.

3 (potentially bad) reasons why RMU wins:

1. We’re going to lose to a state whose professional football teams include the Cowboys and Texans? Yeah right.
2. UTA is the little sister of Texas-Austin. I've never lost to my sister in basketball
3. Because this is Bobby Mo at the Chuck. Bobby Mo doesn’t lose at the Chuck. And look at these fee giveaway posters: 
   

Recap tonight!

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella

Game Preview: University of Texas-Arlington vs Robert Morris

Special note, the first 1000 fans get this free poster.
Pretty cool if you ask me.

UT- Arlington (2-3) at Robert Morris (2-2) 
When: Thursday, November 21st, 7pm EST
Where: Moon Twp PA, Charles L Sewall Center
Ken Pom: RMU 154, UT Arlington 238
Story line: Both Robert Morris and Texas Arlington will look get back to the winning ways Thursday night, as both are coming off a loss to the top 5 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. If you didn't read our piece here about the poor home attendance and Velton Jones' take on this, please do so. It's time to #PacktheChuck.
Link: The game should be available to watch via this link: NEC Front Row, but you will all be at the Chuck anyway so this link will be worthless. 

Getting to Know Texas Arlington:

After playing a team with six or seven NBA first round picks, the competition will come back down to earth for the Colonials on Thursday against UTA. It needs to be noted that UTA is also coming off a game against Big Blue Nation --they also got crushed losing 105-76-- so both teams will play competition they are better suited against.

Texas Arlington is off to a bit of a slow start, but when you look at their schedule, you can see why. They beat Samford and a D-II team, so neither win is impressive, but two of their losses have come to UK and Boise State. Those two teams that will be in the top-25 most of the season.

The Colonials must slow down ex-OK State Cowboy,
Reger Dowell (Photo by Stephanie Goddard).

6-1 guard Reger Dowell is the Mavericks top scoring weapon, and let me tell you, he isn't shy about shooting. Dowell is averaging 24.8 points-per-game and has already attempted 50 threes this season. He's made 19 of them (38%) so he can knock them down at a pretty good rate. Dowell is a transfer from Oklahoma State. Anytime you go to a school like that --even if it doesn't work out-- you have some talent.

UTA hasn't been good defensively so
far this season.

Brandon Edwards isn't far behind him at 18.8 ppg and he does his damage at a much more efficient rate. He's 22-28 from inside the arc (good for 78%). He has struggled a bit from downtown, going just 8-26 (30%) so far this season. It would be smart of the Colonials to keep the 6-6 senior out of the paint.


As a team, UTA has been terrible defensively so far. Again, they have played Kentucky --who as we know is loaded-- and Boise State, who is a GREATTTT offensive team, so how much of their bad defensive numbers are due to their tough competition? 

We will see, but I think they are just a bad defensive team. Cleveland State dropped 83 on them, and Samford scored a season high 75 points on the Mavericks.

They are allowing teams to shoot over 45% from three point range (LET IT FLY LUCKY, KARVEL, AND CHUCK). That's good for 335th in all of college basketball at the moment. 

They also don't turn teams over at all, evidence being that 5.5 steal percentage. RMU could really use a nice game from Ant Myers-Pate to help his confidence, and this may be the perfect team to do it against.

For those that don't know KenPom statistics, you never want to have a lot of red in your categories. As you can see from the graphic, UTA has an abundance of red, so the Colonials offense will have a good shot of getting back on track after two bad games against EMU and UK.

(Editor's note: CTC will dive into the Colonials KenPom numbers next week after the UTA game and Cleveland State game Saturday.)

RMU's keys to the game:

Point guard play: We still don't know the exact status of Kavon Stewart. He practiced with the team this week, so maybe he will return back to the lineup (suspension). One thing is for sure, RMU could use him with Myers-Pate in a funk. I want to see Ant be a aggressive early in the game. He has came out tentative the past few games and it's hurt his already lacking confidence. Come out firing number 5. I know he's 1-6 from 2pt range and 0-8 from three, but if he can get back on track --and he will eventually-- the offense will be a lot better off.

As for the backup, I like what David Appolon has done filling in for Stewart. Keep the good play up Dave.

Lucky Jones is off to a slow start. That could change Thursday night.
(Photo: Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)

Loaded Luck: Just so you guys know, Lucky Jones is going to have his best game as a Colonial (this season anyway) on Saturday, if he can even play. That's a pretty bold statement given his hip-injury he picked up against Kentucky but all indications are that Luck will be ready to go. He played a very good game against EMU but struggled a bit against Kentucky. CTC believes he will come back with vengeance. He is a tough match-up for a bad defensive team who fouls a lot. Look for Lucky to be aggressive and score 20 plus points.

Home cooking: Here at CTC we haven't been shy about just how good the Colonials are at the Sewall Center (we also haven't been shy about grilling RMU fans for their crappy crowds, so Pack the Chuck). With that said RMU needssssss to win this game. The team plays their next four games on the road, the first two being the toughest of the stretch against Cleveland State and a really good Buffalo team.

You don't want a three game losing stretch heading into the stretch. The Colonials need the win to boost their confidence going into a gauntlet of games away from the friendly confines of Moon Township PA.

Prediction: RMU 83 UTA 70
The Colonials know this is a big game with this tough road stretch approaching. They are a better basketball team on paper, and given their ability to shoot he ball well --and UTA's inability to defend-- the Colonials should pull this one out. One thing to remember, UTA played Tuesday night and had to fly to Pittsburgh Wednesday, and play another game Thursday. That's a quick turnaround that can sometimes be difficult to deal with early in the season.

Enjoy the game, get to the Chuck early for your poster, and cheer on the Colonials.

Also: This is a must watch/read for all #RMCMB fans. A nice ESPN piece on the Colonials. If you were wondering why RMU played UK again, this exposure is the answer. Link: RMU Story

Lee Kunkel (@Kunkel5) --

#PackTheChuck

If you were on twitter last night during the Robert Morris/Kentucky game, you may have noticed Velton Jones, arguably the best player to ever wear the RMU uniform, go on a bit of a rant about fan support. I don't use rant in a negative connotation because Velton was spot on in everything he was saying.  Here are a few of the tweets.

Question: How can so many people go watch a game at latitude 40 but can't come out to the chuck?
— Velton Jones (@VeltonJones2) November 18, 2013

Don't get me wrong, I know the fellas appreciate everyone that's comes out to support. But for a team that wins as much as they do
— Velton Jones (@VeltonJones2) November 18, 2013

The chuck should look like Kentucky last year night in night out
— Velton Jones (@VeltonJones2) November 18, 2013

Can't tell me RMU is not a legit mid major program.. Numbers don't lie, all the top mid majors have GREAT fan base. RMU has to step it up
— Velton Jones (@VeltonJones2) November 18, 2013

These are only a few of the tweets posted by Mr. Jones, and as I noted above he is spot on. Come on Colonial Crazies, I know you exist, I know you care (you packed Latitude 40 on multiple occasions)! Time to Pack the Chuck on a regular occurrence.

RMU has over 5000 undergrad students now. If 15% (That's not a high number people!!!!) come out and make a student section, that's a student section 750 people. I'll bring you back to this piece that Chris and I wrote before the season began: Attendance Issue 

#PackTheChuck

Chris: Well put by the G.O.A.T of RMU hoops and our founding president. Not a lot to add here, I think basketball games are fun + a great way to show school spirit. The interest is there, just have to put it to use. See you Thursday.

Learning process Part II

I think the Pitt Post Gazette's Craig Meyer put it perfectly when saying,  "sequels are way more often Caddyshack 2 than the Godfather: Part II. Just have to be glad the first one happened."

Yikes, that wasn't pretty Sunday night, but let's step back and look at the facts. The jerseys may have been the same, but that was about it. Kentucky started five freshmen, all of which will be in the NBA within the next year or two. UK is a completely different team, only Willy Cauley Stein played a major role in this years game. 

To put things in a little more perspective, UK's Jarrod Polson played 31 minutes in the NIT. Last night, he didn't get in until the final media time out when the game was all but over. 

If the Colonials would have won that game last night, it would have been 10 times more shocking than the NIT win last year, after all, UK was the number one team in the country (though Michigan State will likely pass them today), with the number one player in the country (give me Julius Randle over Parker/Wiggins/Gordon by a hair). So yea, the odds were against the troops last night, but that's not what is so frustrating.

John Calipari tweeted before the game "They execute as well anyone and are going to give us a dogfight, which is what our team needs." 

Maybe last years team, but not this group, not yet anyway. Leaders need to emerge, but so does some toughness. The Colonials are working in a new group of players, and lost a lot. It will take time.

Outside of Karvel Anderson, everyone looked shell shocked. Missed layups, airballs, bad execution, missed opportunities (as Chris noted, they blew multiple 2-1 opportunities in the first half). The crazy part is the Colonials D was pretty good, and they rebounded about as well as they could have given the size disparity, and Coach Toole had a good game plan. 

First off, what is going on with Ant Myers Pate? I wish I had the answer. He is really struggling with his shot. Ant, you're a heck of a player, stop playing tentative and let it rip. I don't know if it's pressure, nerves, or what, but it's time to pick it up, or David Appolon, a wing, will take the starting PG job (okay, there is no way App becomes the starting PG, but Kavon Stewart is good enough to take that job from Ant if he doesn't pick it up). 1-14 from the field, 0-8 from 3, 4-13 from the free throw line. It's all confidence. Like Chris, I still believe in Ant. Just let it rip #5.

As for the new guys, it would be naive of me to think they would come right in and replace Velton, Russ, Coron, and Lijah. It will take time. Chuck Oliver looked awful last night, and Juanie Newton wasn't any better. Jeremiah Worthem airballed his first shot, but I have to say his D was pretty good. I still love this trio. This whole road trip was a learning opportunity for them and the team. They will get better, and more comfortable with playing on the road. I still think these guys become a force down the road. Keep your head up fellas, and get ready for UT-Arlington. 

As for Aaron Tate, he actually played the second best game behind Karvel Anderson. He played decent D, and knocked down a few shots. I would like to see him grasp the offense a bit more, and he's got to finish at the rim. He's a hustle guy, and it's not his job to score the ball, so all things considered, he was alright. 

Mike Mcfadden wasn't that great last night, but I don't care. Mike balled his ass off last year in the NIT, and hit the game winning FT's that allowed me to storm a court. He gets a pass from me (but big Mike, cut down on the silly travels 10-15 feet from the basket). 

I'm happy Lucky Jones is okay after the hip injury, but stop scaring me like that Luck!! My man Velton Jones tweeted that Luck was good for one of those a game (so true too). What's funny is V was always throwing his body around, and I thought he was out for the season like 327523489753489 times while at RMU, and then he checked back in minutes later. You probably taught him that V!!! :)

One other thing. Awesome support by the bus and the fans who showed up at Latitude 40, but lets translate that over to the Sewall Center. If you didn't get a chance to read Velton Jones' timeline on twitter, do so. He goes on a rant that is 100% accurate. Pack the Chuck and support these guys. Sure it's great to fill latitude 40 for a viewing party, but that support is actually put to use when the Chuck is packed. More on this later.

Again, let's not overreact to one loss against a team that I picked to win the national championship. The upcoming schedule is a lot more crucial to the overall success this season. UT Arlington is next (Thursday, at the Chuck), get that win, and go from there. 

In just over a month the Colonials will travel to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State. I predicted UK over Ok State in the national title game. They are equally loaded. There are a lot of games in between now and then, so that will be a good measuring stick to see if the team has improved.

--Lee Kunkel

--@Kunkel5

Game four: "learning process"

So the sequel didn’t go so great. Robert Morris fell to the University of Kentucky 87-49 in a completely one-sided affair. I can’t help but laugh at all the “learning process” tweets I saw while we were getting our asses handed to us in the first half. This game, through at least 30 minutes, should have been way closer than what it was. Yeah, this team is still learning, but that doesn’t mean much when you play such low quality basketball.

The Positives:

1) Karvel Anderson: Karvel did Karvel things. He knocked down some three pointers but kept defenders off balance with the occasional drive to the hoop and mid-range jump shots from the elbow. The 5-17 stat line may not reflect it, but Karvel is the go-to guy on this squad and at least stepped up to the task. He went ice cold late when the game was out of reach.

2) The game plan: I loved what coach Toole and staff put together, the execution just wasn’t there. RMU was not going to let Julius Randle beat them scoring and they doubled down on every big immediately receiving a pass. Kentucky burned RMU early with some three balls but overall went 7-19 (36.8 percent). You can live with that against the number one team in the country.

3)….

4) Well shit. I guess that’s about it.

The negatives:

1)Execution: It was lacking, to say the least. Of the at least three 2-on-1 opportunities I can remember, RMU turned the ball over every time. The colonials also struggled terribly finishing at the rim. RMU trailed this game 44-20 in the first half. They missed four of six free throws, blew two 2-on-1 chances, and had Aaron Tate, Mike McFadden, and Desjuan Newton all miss at the rim. That’s 14 easy points left on the table. Sometimes when shots aren’t falling, they aren’t falling I guess.

2)Rebounding: I’m not going crazy on this one. Kentucky is bigger than most NBA teams. Their 56-38 advantage probably could have even been worse considering Mike McFadden and Stephan Hawkins both fouled out with about seven minutes to go.

3) Y.G.T.M.Y.F.F.T, DAMMIT: 11-20 ISN’T EVEN ACCEPTABLE AGAINST MY MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM. NOTHING DRIVES ME MORE INSANE THEN MISSING FREE THROWS.

4)Ball movement: Let’s just say that six assists on 16 buckets could be a taddddd bit better. More on this below…

I’m not sure exactly what’s going on with Anthony Myers-Pate right now but his play has not been good. He has absolutely no shot right now and everyone knows it. Defenders are playing way off of him taking away passing lanes and it’s just leading to overall ineffectiveness. If he could just get a few jump shots to fall it’ll open up everything. I still believe in you Anthony.

As for Lucky Jones, I think this is a bit more concerning. The thing I like so much about Karvel’s game is how he works to get open. He’ll run off screens galore and make his defender travel miles to keep up with him. He works and deserves to get the ball. I’m not saying Lucky doesn’t deserve the ball, because he’s the most talented offensive weapon we have, but his off ball movement is terrible. There were a few instances in the first half I saw him calling for the ball at midcourt looking to go iso I guess. That isn’t going to fly. The coaching staff has to find ways to get Lucky going.

5)Mike McFadden’s jump shot: The form doesn’t look bad, but is he ever going to make one? Like ever? And can he please stop traveling?

6)Finishing at the rim and free throws: Just needed reiterated.

The biggest concern I had was just the overall timid nature the guys had. They looked scared for no reason. Did we not just beat this program a few months ago? We’ve seen RMU blowouts but there have been few times, if ever, I can remember them looking scared and playing soft.

It’s also easy to go nuts about a blowout loss and focus on all the negatives while forgetting RMU just played one of the top teams in the country. There is a large portion of Kentucky fans who will be disappointed if they aren’t cutting the nets at the end of the year. RMU had to play a perfect game to have a chance at winning and pretty much did the opposite of that. There are problems, but they’ll fix themselves as Toole figures out rotations and roles for players and as these young guys keep getting more experience.

That’s all I have everyone. Just be lucky you got me instead of Lee doing this recap. A ton more to come tomorrow if I can carve out the time.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella