Tuesday, August 26, 2014
New Home
As you may or may not have heard, Chris has taken over as the Site Publisher over at ColonialsCorner.com. That URL is temporarily down, but you can still access the site at www.robertmorris.rivals.com ...Tons of content, and lots to come over there!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
RMCMB/NECMBB offseason run down
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Can you believe it? July is almost over. Only about a month left before the dorms and classrooms will fill up on the campus of Bobby Mo. With that, another step closer to the NCAA basketball season. Compared to the past few off seasons, it's been pretty quiet. There have been a few transfers around the league, but nothing too shocking. Schedules are leaking out slowly (including Robert Morris).
For the first time in a long time, there were not any coaching changes in the league, (nor any teams leaving after Quinnipiac and Monmouth left a year ago). This is probably the biggest reason that the league had a relatively stable offseason. Andy Toole and Jamion Christian both had their name attached to a few vacancies but both ended up staying put. Each will have a team capable of getting back to the NCAA tournament, and neither had an offer that was too appealing to pry them away from the two top programs in the NEC last season.
The guys over at NYC Buckets broke down the NEC transfers this off season. Give it a read. There were a few small surprises, and Wagner was probably hurt the most. They lost lengthy big man Mario Moody and sharp shooter Jay Harris. Both would have been starters from the Seahawks, who lost quite a bit of talent to graduation as well.
EJ Reed of LIU was maybe the biggest surprise. Reed, an athletic forward with solid skill, was a major part of the Blackbird attack last year, and was expected to once again been a top tier option for LIU. Reed is heading to the DII level.
As for the Colonials, three players have moved on, but none are too surprising. Britton Lee and Jeremiah Worthem were dismissed from school in January, and neither will return. They would have had to sit out the entire first semester before they could even step foot back on campus, so they likely would not have been able to play for RMU much at all this season. Worthem is no doubt a tough loss, as he had NEC POY written all over him and would have been a major part of the team this season.
Desjuan Newton also left the team, but he also did not play for RMU in 2014 after stepping away from the team after Christmas. Worthem and Lee are at Junior College this season and could be back at the D1 level in 2016 (Surely Worthem will be). Newton is at a DII school.
As for recruiting, RMU had a lot of movement. With three players leaving via transfer, a few scholarships left over from the year before, and the graduation of Karvel Anderson and Ant Myers Pate, coach Toole had a lot of spots to fill throughout the roster.
For highlights and a detailed breakdown of each player, check out the class breakdown here.
The Colonials added freshman forwards Andre Frederick (Detroit, Mich.) and Elijah Minnie (Monessen, Pa.), freshman guards Jafar Kinsey (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Marcquise Reed (Laurel, Md.), junior forward Lionel Gomis (Dakar, Senegal ), junior guard Rodney Pryor (Evanston, Ill.) and sophomore guard Jairus Lyles (Washington, D.C.). They also added freshman preferred walk-on Ryan Skovranko (Pittsburgh PA.)
Minne and Skovranko are the highlight names on this list (simply because of location). The local duo chose to stay home and play for Toole after winning two state titles in high school at Lincoln Park. Minne had a lot of high major interest and is an incredible defender and athlete. He will surely produce a few highlight dunks at the Chuck. I expect him to have a role this season. Skovranko is a lengthy shooter, and one to track for the future.
Gomis may make the biggest impact out of the gate for RMU. He's 6'9 and a legitimate 220. RMU has NOT had many forwards that are "big" (Usually undersized and strong as hell: Tate, Aaron. Or tall but skinny: Hawkins, Stephan). He's big, and knows how to use his frame. He played a year at Siena before going to Community College for a year. Gomis has two years of eligibility left and will look to anchor down the paint and push Stephan Hawkins at the center position.
Kinsey, Reed and Frederick are the future of the program, but all three will have a chance to get minutes right away. While Frederick will have quite a battle in a crowded front court, Reed and Kinsey will have a very good shot. Andy Toole will need a group effort to replace Anderson at the two guard, and Reed has the makeup to take some of those minutes. He can shoot and score it with anybody. It's the other parts of his game (particularly defense) that will decide just how much he plays year one. Kinsey will be penciled in to play the backup point behind Kavon Stewart.
Pryor could be the biggest steal for RMU. The 6-4 swingman has battled injuries his whole career including a torn ACL just before the start of the 2013-2014 campaign. He has the size and talent to be a very good D1 player if he can stay on the court.
The last member of the recruiting class, Jairus Lyles, is a transfer from VCU. Any time a player comes from that type of program, you know he has talent. Lyles will have to sit out this season, but should be a major part of the 2015-2016 plans.
Some other notes/thoughts:
Lucky Jones had a very big offseason/summer league. He is primped to have a big senior season, and could win NEC Player of the Year. He was also named to NYC Buckets very early first team All NEC. Jones has accomplished a lot at RMU, and will once again have a huge season on both ends of the court, but is still missing that one elusive accomplishment. Winning the NEC tournament.
Once practice "officially" starts, it will go-go-go for the Colonials. Andy Toole has a lot of talent, a lot of depth, and a lot of questions heading into year five of the Toole era. Only Jones and Stewart are "expected" starters and there are many roles that will need to be filled. Will the Colonials play man-to-man or go with the 2-3 zone again? Who replaces Karvel? Can the freshmen adapt? and many more....
With the season quickly approaching we will have a full roster breakdown, more on the schedule, predictions and much more. Don't forget to get updates on the summer league, which concludes this week with a couple colonials playing in the title game.
--@Kunkel5
Can you believe it? July is almost over. Only about a month left before the dorms and classrooms will fill up on the campus of Bobby Mo. With that, another step closer to the NCAA basketball season. Compared to the past few off seasons, it's been pretty quiet. There have been a few transfers around the league, but nothing too shocking. Schedules are leaking out slowly (including Robert Morris).
For the first time in a long time, there were not any coaching changes in the league, (nor any teams leaving after Quinnipiac and Monmouth left a year ago). This is probably the biggest reason that the league had a relatively stable offseason. Andy Toole and Jamion Christian both had their name attached to a few vacancies but both ended up staying put. Each will have a team capable of getting back to the NCAA tournament, and neither had an offer that was too appealing to pry them away from the two top programs in the NEC last season.
 |
| Jones will look to lead the Colonials in 2014-2015 (p/c Post Gazette). |
The guys over at NYC Buckets broke down the NEC transfers this off season. Give it a read. There were a few small surprises, and Wagner was probably hurt the most. They lost lengthy big man Mario Moody and sharp shooter Jay Harris. Both would have been starters from the Seahawks, who lost quite a bit of talent to graduation as well.
EJ Reed of LIU was maybe the biggest surprise. Reed, an athletic forward with solid skill, was a major part of the Blackbird attack last year, and was expected to once again been a top tier option for LIU. Reed is heading to the DII level.
As for the Colonials, three players have moved on, but none are too surprising. Britton Lee and Jeremiah Worthem were dismissed from school in January, and neither will return. They would have had to sit out the entire first semester before they could even step foot back on campus, so they likely would not have been able to play for RMU much at all this season. Worthem is no doubt a tough loss, as he had NEC POY written all over him and would have been a major part of the team this season.
Desjuan Newton also left the team, but he also did not play for RMU in 2014 after stepping away from the team after Christmas. Worthem and Lee are at Junior College this season and could be back at the D1 level in 2016 (Surely Worthem will be). Newton is at a DII school.
As for recruiting, RMU had a lot of movement. With three players leaving via transfer, a few scholarships left over from the year before, and the graduation of Karvel Anderson and Ant Myers Pate, coach Toole had a lot of spots to fill throughout the roster.
For highlights and a detailed breakdown of each player, check out the class breakdown here.
The Colonials added freshman forwards Andre Frederick (Detroit, Mich.) and Elijah Minnie (Monessen, Pa.), freshman guards Jafar Kinsey (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Marcquise Reed (Laurel, Md.), junior forward Lionel Gomis (Dakar, Senegal ), junior guard Rodney Pryor (Evanston, Ill.) and sophomore guard Jairus Lyles (Washington, D.C.). They also added freshman preferred walk-on Ryan Skovranko (Pittsburgh PA.)
Minne and Skovranko are the highlight names on this list (simply because of location). The local duo chose to stay home and play for Toole after winning two state titles in high school at Lincoln Park. Minne had a lot of high major interest and is an incredible defender and athlete. He will surely produce a few highlight dunks at the Chuck. I expect him to have a role this season. Skovranko is a lengthy shooter, and one to track for the future.
Gomis may make the biggest impact out of the gate for RMU. He's 6'9 and a legitimate 220. RMU has NOT had many forwards that are "big" (Usually undersized and strong as hell: Tate, Aaron. Or tall but skinny: Hawkins, Stephan). He's big, and knows how to use his frame. He played a year at Siena before going to Community College for a year. Gomis has two years of eligibility left and will look to anchor down the paint and push Stephan Hawkins at the center position.
Kinsey, Reed and Frederick are the future of the program, but all three will have a chance to get minutes right away. While Frederick will have quite a battle in a crowded front court, Reed and Kinsey will have a very good shot. Andy Toole will need a group effort to replace Anderson at the two guard, and Reed has the makeup to take some of those minutes. He can shoot and score it with anybody. It's the other parts of his game (particularly defense) that will decide just how much he plays year one. Kinsey will be penciled in to play the backup point behind Kavon Stewart.
Pryor could be the biggest steal for RMU. The 6-4 swingman has battled injuries his whole career including a torn ACL just before the start of the 2013-2014 campaign. He has the size and talent to be a very good D1 player if he can stay on the court.
The last member of the recruiting class, Jairus Lyles, is a transfer from VCU. Any time a player comes from that type of program, you know he has talent. Lyles will have to sit out this season, but should be a major part of the 2015-2016 plans.
Some other notes/thoughts:
Lucky Jones had a very big offseason/summer league. He is primped to have a big senior season, and could win NEC Player of the Year. He was also named to NYC Buckets very early first team All NEC. Jones has accomplished a lot at RMU, and will once again have a huge season on both ends of the court, but is still missing that one elusive accomplishment. Winning the NEC tournament.
Once practice "officially" starts, it will go-go-go for the Colonials. Andy Toole has a lot of talent, a lot of depth, and a lot of questions heading into year five of the Toole era. Only Jones and Stewart are "expected" starters and there are many roles that will need to be filled. Will the Colonials play man-to-man or go with the 2-3 zone again? Who replaces Karvel? Can the freshmen adapt? and many more....
With the season quickly approaching we will have a full roster breakdown, more on the schedule, predictions and much more. Don't forget to get updates on the summer league, which concludes this week with a couple colonials playing in the title game.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Pro-AM semi's: discussing Chuck, Tate
The Greentree Pro-AM summer league is winding down to a
halt. When I’m not breaking my back sitting on the bleachers I get sad about
this. I love basketball. I love watching, analyzing, looking for tendencies,
critiquing the awful coaching, and joking around with the other writers. But
there are also nights like tonight, where there was some less-than-stellar
basketball being played.
Today was the semifinals of the league. Game one featured
the seven seed Shale Attorneys featuring Chuck Oliver squaring off against the
number two seed South Hill Audi old guys. I added the last part on, but the
players really are a bunch of former collegiate players still trying to ball
out. Take former WPIAL star and Nebraska
guard Lance Jeter for instance, who can definitely still get to the tin but
also looks like he ate Raymond Felton.
Anyway, Chuck didn’t look too bad. He showed up for a 7:15
game at 7:14, meaning he put exactly zero shots before the game.
Unsurprisingly, his jump shot wasn’t on but he showed effectiveness getting to
the rim, especially using his left. I also thought he passed very well in the
transition game and moved well without the ball. Summer league basketball is a
lot of one-on-one action, so moving without the ball doesn’t necessarily mean
your teammates are feeding you open looks, but it didn’t go unnoticed here.
There was a nice ongoing discussion during the game about
Chuck and the expectations the general fanbase may have for him. I like Chuck’s
game and enjoyed watching him get to handle the ball a little bit in this game.
However, I don’t think anyone should expect to see more than 25 minutes a game
from him. He’s pretty average defensively and doesn’t have a very diverse
offensive game. It’s a lot of spot up three’s and baseline floaters. I really think Marcquise Reed is going to push
him for minutes because of how pesky Reed is defensively. It’ll be interesting
to see what Rodney Pryor brings to the table too.
Chuck’s team did win to go to the final which is kind of
incredible in its own right. Along with Oliver
there is Duquesne guard Rene Castro (who, along with a lot of other
Duquense guards, has looked really good) and Pitt forward Aron Nwanko, but
other than that the roster is littered with two West Liberty wing players, a
Cannon wing, and Pitt walk-on Joshua Ko (who’s awful). Good for them.
Game two featured Lucky Jones on team PGT versus Aaron Tate
and Marcquise Reed of team System 1. It was a pretty awful game when you
consider the level of talent playing. Lucky Jones started things off nice by
hitting a deep elbow three then a dirty step back three at the top of the key.
He also squared off defensively against Pitt’s Michael Young, an athletic
forward with a significant size advantage. Even when there were times Lucky was
overmatched in the low post, he did a great job with his positioning which
allowed him to poke away the ball a few times. Young also gave us the most
excitement in the night when him and Duquesne’s Darius Lewis got into it and
received double technicals.
Much like we’ve seen with Lucky in the past, his jump shot
wasn’t always there but he got to the line a ton. That’s what makes Lucky a
special player; the ability to effect the game in so many different ways.
Marcquise Reed didn’t see the floor a lot and when he did
didn’t do a whole lot. He nailed an easy three when a defender didn’t step up off
a pick and roll. I think he finished with seven points.
I’ve really enjoyed watching Aaron Tate play this summer.
He’s shown up to almost every session and has shown an ability to at least try
a few things, like working out of the low post. I doubt we’ll see it much (if
at all) during the season but when he gets the ball in the low post on the
right he hasn’t looked bad trying to move and finish with his left. Also, I am
fully convinced he would be an Olympic-caliber volleyball player if he wanted
to be. He has UPS.
Tate and Reed’s team went on to win the game and will face
Chuck in the championship game on Wednesday. Overall, it was another relatively
bland night of hoops, but these things happen. I’m not sure if I’ll go to the
championship game Wednesday, but will try and run a story later in the week no
matter what.
Until next time!
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
7-9 summer league journal: Kavon, Kinsey, and Karvel Anderson
Welcome back! T’was a really fun night of Summer league
basketball. Those things tend to happen when the life of the party (me) shows
up to do some reporting. Anyway, there were a lot of guys missing tonight but
that didn’t stop me from having A LOT to say:
-Kavon Stewart made his summer league debut tonight and he
was a lot of fun + tried to do new things. That’s what can make summer league
fun to watch. You could tell Kavon wasn’t moving all too well and admitted
afterwards his knee was still bothering him. Also, he had a pretty nasty cut on
his hand from Lucky Jones in a pickup game.
Kavon took four jump shots in the game and only one of them
came kinda close to going in. He tried stepping into two three’s at the top of
the key, airballing one and bricking the other. He took a corner three, which
wasn’t a bad looking shot, and took a midrange jumper off a crossover which
also caught all of the back iron.
Kavon said afterward he’s focusing a lot on repetition,
especially with the consistency of his hands and elbows. He said sometimes his
arms will be where they want to be and it feels good but then the next shot it
will be something completely different. Bottom line is this: even if it doesn’t
always look pretty, him having a shot that is comfortable and gives him a
chance at success is what’s most important. For example, how in the name of all
the basketball gods did Michael Kidd-Gilchrist get into the NBA with a shot like this? But you know what… it works for him. Same with Kavon. Just get
comfortable and consistent. In my opinion, he could also work on his timing a
little. His high jump creates for timing issues (much like Anthony Myers-Pate)
and too often the shot will be released just a split-second late.
Besides that Kavon looked like Kavon. He used his left very
effectively but went to his right a ton in the second half and was looking to
create rather than finish. He had some nifty passes and was a pest defensively.
I’m just going to throw this out there now and tell you Kavon Stewart will win
an NEC defensive player of the year award before he graduates. He is ANNOYING
defensively. His hands are so quick and he has a pretty wide frame for a point
guard.
-Game two featured Lionel Gomes, Jafar Kinsey, Andre
Frederick, and Karvel Anderson. Kinsey, a point guard, started off shooting the
ball really well stepping into a three off the pick and roll and hit a few
corner threes. He clearly has a better shot than I think anyone really
imagined. I will continue to say that he understands how to read the defense
off the pick and roll really well, knowing when to attack, create, take a jump
shot, and most importantly peel back and start over. He looked really, really
good again.
-Lionel Gomes also impressed me. Gomes is a big man who
sometimes just wants to brawl underneath the basket. He also uses his body
really well on rebounding and can rebound out of his position. The only thing
he’ll struggle with is adjusting to the size of the game. Gomes is big but
definitely has the frame to add on and can sometimes get stuck to his man when
trying to rebound.
Offensively he was pleasant to watch. Gomes always seems to
have a plan when he has the ball. I hate to pick on Aaron Tate (mostly out of a
fear that he’ll kill me) but Tate touches the ball and freezes. Gomes gets the
ball and can square up and shoot a mid-range jumper or can work with his back
to the basket. He definitely has some body control issues, but there’s more to
like than dislike.
-Andre Frederick gave everyone a scare when he appeared to
tweak his knee (on which he wears a brace for) and stayed down before limping
off. To be honest, I still have no feel for Frederick ’s game. He took a few mid-range
jumpers that looked nice but I can’t give you much more than that.
-Lucky Jones and Marquice Reed also played tonight but I did
not watch any of their games. Lucky apparently put on a show early and Reed
continues to get after it defensively. I will maintain the thought that the
starting two guard position is more up in the air than people think.
Leftovers
-Hat tip to Andrew Chiappazzi who pretty much decked Pitt’s
Cameron Wright a la Ray Lewis vs. Dustin Keller when Wright came Chiappazzi’s
way. The legend grows…
-Kavon Stewart did some pretty serious trash talking that
definitely lead to some angry opponents by games end. I always enjoy a good
trash talker.
-There were some kids out there who I am convinced are not
better than me. Someone put in a word to get me a jersey.
-Karvel Anderson went all Karvel Anderson in the last game
with his team down seven and two minutes left, scoring something like 13 of the
last 15 points. The ending was also incredibly spectacular, where he hit came
down the court and hit a deep three with a hand in his face. After missing the
front end of a one-and-one (YGTMYFT!!!), he came down and did the exact same
thing which really riled up the crowd. Then, with ten seconds left, Karvel let
the ball roll up-court where he picked it up, took a few dribbles, spun out of
what appeared to be a foul attempt and drained another three to tie the game. It
was incredible. His team actually went on to lose off a buzzer-beating put back.
Which brings me to my last point, and this will probably be
the last time I make it: I still have no idea how Karvel Anderson didn’t even
get a summer league invite. No calls. Nothing. Although I could be wrong, I’d
be willing to bet most mid-major conference players of the year at least got
summer league invites. Hell, even Sacred Heart’s Shane Gibson got one last
year! I know there is the position change and the height, but when you can
shoot the ball like that… It just
doesn’t make sense to me. It never will. There are other things I love about
his game, but I’ll stop there.
Hope I didn’t rile you all up too much there. Sometimes you
just have to stand for something.
Until next time.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Monday, June 23, 2014
Summer league journal 6-23: Reed impresses
Greetings all! As we near the end of June, basketball related
activities begin to pick up. Today marked the beginning of the Pro-Am summer
league played at Montour
High School
This was my first summer league experience. It was…
something. The style of play was similar to how you would play a video game.
The pace is frantic but free flowing with little defense and lots of three
pointers and alley-oops. I definitely feel like I could bang some three
pointers and impress the crowd. Anyway, some observations:
-The first game featured big man Lionel Gomis, point guard
Jafar Kinsey, and former colonial Karvel Anderson going against shooting guard
Marcquise Reed and Aaron Tate.
Reed was absolutely the most impressive person I saw play.
The JUCO transfer averaged a measly 31.2 points per game at Capitol Christian and
has a sweet looking jump shot. I wasn’t so much impressed with him offensively
as I was defensively. I expected Reed to get buckets, but what I didn’t expect
was for him to hound Karvel Anderson the way he did in the first half. He
showed some active hands and overall good positioning.
There is a lot up in the air in regards to who will be the
starting shooting guard. I think Chuck Oliver certainly has an advantage going
into the season but isn’t a slam dunk by any means. Toole is going to want to
go back to his man-to-man defense, something Oliver struggled with last year.
If Reed can show consistencies with his jump shot and bring it on the defensive
end he’s going to see the floor a lot.
-Watching Jafar Kinsey play for the first time was pretty
cool. I think he was Toole’s first commit in the recruiting class. Kinsey has a
Velton Jones-ish build to him and also ramped up the intensity on the defensive
end grabbing a few steals off cross-court lob passes. He seemed pretty
articulate off the pick and roll, identifying when to get to the rim but
usually looking to pass first.
-The big men didn’t look too bad. Lionel Gomis is a big guy.
Definitely has more muscle to him than most big men we’re accustomed to (which
isn’t saying much). He was a little hesitant around the rim early, often fading
away off his spin move in the paint. You can tell he throws his weight around
rebounding though. Speaking of throwing weight around, here is your Aaron Tate
update: still strong as a bull. I got a good chuckle out of watching his
defender leave his feet on one of his patented pump fakes. Tate actually looked
good offensively though: he finished with his left hand twice and scored off a
nice low post possession.
-The other game being played featured Chuck Oliver, Lucky
Jones, and Stephan Hawkins. The only notes I wrote down for the game was “shit
ton of three’s.” Chuck and Lucky had some decent one-on-one battles and Chuck
shot the ball well (and often). Hawk hit his baseline jumper but didn’t see any
low post touches, which was kind of disappointing. Oh well.
-Game three featured two of the bigger names with one team
having forward Elijah Minnie and guard Ryan Skovranko facing off against
forward Andre Frederick. Minnie was fairly aggressive with his outside shooting
and certainly has a nice shot for someone his size. His shot has a nice arc to
it. He had a few nice drives to the rim as well. The biggest takeaway I had
about Minnie was how he plays above the rim. RMU has very few guys who do that.
It’ll be an adjustment period for him but you can certainly see the promise.
Not a whole lot doing for Skovranko who was not very
aggressive and is definitely not the 6’7” he’s been listed as. Frederick seems to have a pretty good idea of
what to do with the ball in the low post.
-Did not participate: David Appolon (foot), Rodney Pryor
(ACL), Kavon Stewart, Jairus Lyles (undisclosed).
-Reminder: All of these observations are coming from the 20
minutes I watched in the first summer league game of the year. Don’t take anything
too seriously.
Games are played every Monday and Wednesday. I will not be
at the next two sessions due to previously committed activities. Follow Andrew
Chiappazzi and Craig Meyer for updates.
Until next time!
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Friday, June 20, 2014
Pro-Am rosters and coaching staff updates
The rosters of all eight Pro-Am teams has been released along with this years schedule. As you can see, all 14 of Robert Morris' players are on a roster:
You gotta give credit where it's due, so big thanks to Matthew Steinbrink for tweeting out those photos even if he does cover Pitt basketball for a living.
There are some former local WPIAL stars back in the league. Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell, Vanderbilt guard Nolan Cressler, Penn State guard Geno Thorpe, and Nebraska Guard Lance Jeter being the headliners. I like that RMU point guard Jarius Lyles is going to get the opportunity to learn from someone like McConnell.
In other housekeeping new, former Robert Morris assistant coach Michael Byrnes was announced as the new head coach at D-III Rhode Island College Wednesday. The news was first reported by Craig Meyer. Byrnes was an original assistant of coach Toole's 2010-2011 staff. Before joining Toole's staff Byrnes spent several years at the prep level as a head coach, compiling an overall record of 404-131. The only assistant remaining from that first year is Robby Pridgen.
"Michael has been involved in basketball at both the prep and collegiate level for over 20 years and his success at the prep level speaks for itself," Toole told Rhode Island's University Herald. "The players he's produced, the contacts he's made and the experience he's gained in the prep school ranks made him a natural fit to join our staff at Robert Morris to help take our program to even greater heights."
Best of luck in the future coach!
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Robert Morris releases its hoops schedule
As the title of this post suggests, the RMU basketball team has released its schedule. Here's the link for the full thing.
The beauty of schedule release day is that even though it's June and we have no idea of who will be good or bad, we still try and predict records and tough and easy stretches of the schedule. I love the non-conference schedule-- it's not overwhelming but just about every team faced is a quality basketball program.
There are two "headliners" in the out of conference schedule. The second game of the year will be at Chapel Hill when the Colonials take on North Carolina. Much like last years early season matchup at Kentucky, this game could be a good measuring stick for a young squad. I don't think anyone will expect them to go into UNC and beat the Tar Heels but it would be nice to see the team play with some toughness.
The second game "headliner" is at Georgetown in the fourth game of the year. This is a game I think RMU could realistically win if they play well. Georgetown went 18-15 last year and lost in the second round of the NIT. They lost one of their best players in Markel Starks to graduation. While they did bring in a good recruiting class, I'll be interested to see if Robert Morris could possibly steal one on the road.
Everything else is about just as we expected. RMU will travel to Clemson December 30 before kicking off conference play at home against Mount St. Mary's in the NEC title game rematch January 3. The only game not previously announced that appeared on the schedule was the third game of the year at Bradley.
There will be more frequent visits to the Charles L. Sewall Center this year, which is nice. Last year RMU had only 12 total home games and only four of those were against non-NEC opponents. This year RMU will have 15 home games and six of these will be against non-NEC opponents (Lafayette, Youngstown State, Oakland, Buffalo, Duquesne, and Delaware).
Reminder: the NEC is going with an 18-game conference schedule, meaning every NEC team will play each other twice. This is smart and logical. Last year there was only a 16 game conference schedule, which was not smart or logical. Although it's tough to say who we expect to be contenders in the NEC, the January 22-24 Thursday-Saturday road trip to Mount St. Mary's and St. Francis (Brooklyn) will probably be the toughest weekend of the year. The colonials will end conference play with two home games against Wagner and St. Francis (PA). Both of these teams figure to be in contention for the NEC title.
Not much more to add here. It was a pleasant surprise to see the schedule released extra early this year. See ya November 14.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Friday, June 6, 2014
Karvel Anderson gets another workout and scheduling notes
We already knew guard Karvel Anderson had a workout setup with the Houston Rockets but his work will not be done according to Stephen Gertz:
This is awesome news again for the Elkhart, Indiana native. As we said in our last post, it says a lot that teams want to bring him in for private workouts. Teams can only get so many private workouts before the draft so for Karvel to get another look says a lot about the possible interest of teams. The Pacers finished the year as the number one seed in the eastern conference and will have the 57 overall pick. Things are certainly starting to get... interesting.
In other news concerning the 2014 Colonials, check out this news from CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein:
Georgetown finished with a regular season record of 17-14 (8-10) and their season finished with a second round NIT loss to Florida State. That will be a nice early season test against a tough, talented, big time opponent. While the full schedule has not been released and certainly won't be for a little longer, things are starting to take shape. We know Robert Morris will play 18 conference games. We also know it will host Lafayette, Delaware, Buffalo, Youngstown State, Oakland, and Duquesne in return games for trips this year. RMU will also travel to Toledo and Georgetown. RMU will likely add only five (give or take) more games to their schedule.
Feel free to comment!
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
This is awesome news again for the Elkhart, Indiana native. As we said in our last post, it says a lot that teams want to bring him in for private workouts. Teams can only get so many private workouts before the draft so for Karvel to get another look says a lot about the possible interest of teams. The Pacers finished the year as the number one seed in the eastern conference and will have the 57 overall pick. Things are certainly starting to get... interesting.
In other news concerning the 2014 Colonials, check out this news from CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein:
Feel free to comment!
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Friday, May 30, 2014
Karvel Anderson to work out for the Houston Rockets
 |
| After an impressive senior season, Anderson will get his shot. |
Stephen Gertz broke the news this morning via twitter.
Karvel Anderson (@ThaBestKeptScrt) will workout in Houston, TX for the Rockets on June 12th. #RMCMB #NBA
— Stephen Gertz (@Stephen_Gertz) May 30, 2014
 |
| Anderson carried the Colonials in 2013-2014. (Post Gazette) |
The Rockets directly inquired about Anderson to his agent just a few days ago. After going through his scouting report, they offered Anderson a chance to workout in Houston. It should be noted that teams only get to bring a certain amount of players in for pre-draft workouts, so their interest in Anderson must be serious.
Anderson will hope to impress the Rockets, who hold the 42nd pick in this years NBA draft, but even if he is not selected, just getting on their radar could benefit him down the line. It should not be forgotten that the Rockets signed un-drafted rookie Troy Daniels just before the playoffs, and Daniels went on the have a great first round playoff series.
Anderson will likely be more on a point guard due to his size, but if he shoots to his capabilities, he will surely impress many scouts.
#CookVelCOOK
Good luck Karvel!
Just got the best news of my life... It's GO time!!
— Karvel Anderson (@ThaBestKeptScrt) May 30, 2014
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Karvel Anderson was not invited to the Portsmouth Invitational
The Portsmouth Invitational is a four day, 12 game tournament in Portsmouth, Virginia, that showcases 64 of the best senior college basketball players in the country in front of nearly 200 NBA scouts. The biggest problem with this years tournament? Karvel Anderson is not on the 64 man player roster. He was wait listed.
If you picked player F, get off of my blog and never return because you picked David F@$%&*^ Stockton. That's right, David F@$%&*^ Stockton, thee who did so little KenPom categorized him as a "role player," got an invite to the Portsmouth Invitational.
This brings us to game time! Categories will go in this order: field goal splits, points, rebounds, and assists per game, KenPom's offensive rating, effective field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, assist rate, and turnover rate. Reminder: the higher the number your offensive rating and assist rate are the better. All of these players (except one) are in the Portsmouth Invitational and all are guards. Pick your player...
Player A: 51.0 FG/46.3 3PT FG/84.1 FT, 19.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists per game, 129.0 offensive rating, 63.3 eFG%, 65.8 TS%, ARate 11.6, TORate 10.9
Player B: 46.2/39.2/88.7, 15.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 117.9 ORtg, 55.9 eFG%, 59.8 TS%, ARate 19.9, TORate 12.6
Player C: 49.6/39.3/84.8, 18.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 101.1 ORtg, 50.1 eFG%, 53.1 TS%, ARate 34.6, TORate 19.7
Player D: 49.6/39.3/84.8, 18.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.1 apg, 117.2 ORtg, 58.9 eFG%, 63.7 TS%, ARate 23.8, TORate 18.1
Player E: 45.1/36.3/74.3, 19.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 114.5 ORtg, 54.0 eFG%, 58.3 TS%, ARate 9.7, TORate 12.8
Player F: 43.4/23.2/75.6, 7.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 104.2 ORtg, 46.9 eFG%, 54.2 TS%, ARate 26.9, 22.8 TORate
 |
| Karvel Anderson was not an invite to the PIT (p/c: Justin Berl) |
As you can see, player A lead these players in field goal percentage, three point shooting percentage, points per game, offensive rating, effective field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, and turnover rate. As you probably guessed, player A is Karvel Anderson.
Player B is Ohio's Nick Kellogg, player C is St. Louis' Jordair Jett, player D is Alabama's Trevor Releford, player E is Delaware's Davon Usher, and just to reiterate, player F is Gonzaga's pride and joy David F@$%&*^ Stockton.
Obviously, different factors play into the different numbers. A team or players offensive style and/or role is going to produce different results. For example, Jordair Jett is asked to do more ball handling and creating for others in St. Louis' offense while Davon Usher will have more of a Karvel Anderson-like role on Delaware. Also, the level of competition each player faces on a night-to-night basis fluctuates. Still, I believe the principle in this little drill remains.
Karvel Anderson also won NEC player of the year, an honor usually good enough to get you an offer for the Portsmouth Invitational. Consider the following: Karvel Anderson (NEC), Jeremy Ingram (MEAC), Billy Baron (MAAC), and Cameron Ayers (Patriot League) were the only seniors who won their mid-major's conference player of the year awards and did not receive an invite to the PIT. The CAA, MAC, Ohio Valley, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Summit League, Southern, MAC, Southwestern Athletic, Mountain West, and A-10 all had their conference players of the year invited to the PIT. Even Long Island's Jason Brickman got an invite. Brickman was a very good point guard for the Blackbirds but it's not realistic to expect him to even compete to make an NBA roster.
So why wasn't Karvel Anderson invited to the PIT? This is a question I'm still trying to understand. It is important to remember that of the 64 players invited, only 33 were guards, narrowing the field down even more. Also, I'm not sure if the PIT committee had some hesitation on inviting a player who is trying to transition to a new position. In my opinion, that should only give them more incentive to invite a talented player like Karvel, but I'm just throwing out ideas.
It's also important to remember there is still a chance Karvel ends up on a PIT roster. So far Xavier Thames, Cameron Clark, and Talib Zanna have declined their offers to attend the event. Unfortunately, the committee decided to replace Thames and Clark with guards Davon Usher and Langston Galloway, a decision I disagree with. Zanna will likely be replaced with another forward.
Bottom line: the PIT whiffed. There is simply no chance there are 33 guards better at basketball than Karvel Anderson.
It's not like this event is an end-all-be-all to making the NBA (only two players the last two years have been drafted), but the harsh reality is Karvel likely will not get another chance to showcase his talents in front of this many NBA scouts and it becomes very likely he goes undrafted.
Bottom line: the PIT whiffed. There is simply no chance there are 33 guards better at basketball than Karvel Anderson.
It's not like this event is an end-all-be-all to making the NBA (only two players the last two years have been drafted), but the harsh reality is Karvel likely will not get another chance to showcase his talents in front of this many NBA scouts and it becomes very likely he goes undrafted.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
RMU nabs JUCO forward
Andrew Chiappazzi of ColonialsCorner.com reports that Robert Morris has received a commitment from Cloud Community College forward Lionel Gomis.
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Gomis is a native of Dakar, Senegal with an interesting background that includes a bizarre battle with the NCAA over his eligibility. The 6-9 forward was at Siena before going to Cloud Community College, where he averaged 5.3 points and 7.6 rebounds in 30 games. Gomis visited Robert Morris March 27.
Robert Morris already has commitments from point guard Jafar Kinsey and power forward Andre Frederick. The Colonials could have even more openings depending on the futures of Jeremiah Worthem, Britton Lee, and Juanie Newton.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
RMCMB Offseason Primer
As we are just a few days removed from what was a very entertaining season for the Robert Morris University Colonials men's basketball team.
The offseason is already off to a fast start as teams across the country change coaches, lose players via graduation and transfers, and the rumor mill is hot.
The Colonials, like last season, will endure a pretty big change in roster, but this offseason has the potential endure even bigger changes, as a potential seven new faces could find their way to onto the Colonials roster by the start of the 2014-2015 season next November.
Let's start with what we know:
Karvel Anderson and Ant Myers Pate have exhausted their eligibility and the seniors will graduate. This was known all season, but we can't forget that Mike McFadden, who stepped away from the team with knee issues, is also graduating and that will open up another scholarship.
The Colonials still had an extra scholarship that was not filled coming into this season when Lijah Thompson left RMU in the school in the mid-summer.
If you're keeping track, that's four scholarship openings (there are currently two commits, but more on that in a bit).
The Andy Toole factor:
The next big question, and one that could dictate where the program goes as a whole, is the head coaching situation.
Obviously, everyone who knows anything about RMU basketball, knows that Andy Toole is one of the best coaches in college basketball.
He's young, only 33 years of age, and already has a 90-49 overall record, and a 54-17 in the NEC. He has wins over Kentucky, St John's, two regular season titles, and has won 22 or more games in three straight years after winning 18 his first season.
His resume is as strong as any at the low-major level, and the only thing missing is an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
While he probably won't get any serious looks from "BCS" level schools like Wake Forest or Boston College (though I personally think he's more then ready) other mid-major jobs will come calling.
Many national columnist have already connected his name to the Manhattan opening after Steve Masiello took the job at USF. They have rescinded that offer and it's not clear if Masiello will return to Manhattan.
He likely won't leave for a rebuilding job if it's in a one bid league. In the NEC, he has one of the best programs that should be set to contend for another league title, so it would need to be at least an A-10 level job at the minimum if there is a lot of work to do.
Toole will also likely want to stay in his recruiting zone (the Northeast). He knows the area well, has a ton of ties here, so don't expect him to leave for a job out west or down south.
Toole will certainly have options, and his future will dictate what this team looks like.
Current openings to track: Manhattan, Marshall (You can find a complete list of openings here)
Possible Transfers:
Coming into this season, the offseason outlook looked pretty straight forward. Three seniors were leaving, the team got two early commits, and Andy Toole would have one or two openings to play with.
Then all hell broke loose in mid-January.
Juanie Newton is probably gone. He walked away from the team at the start of NEC play, and is expected to transfer. He's from Seattle, and just never seemed to fit in at RMU.
Jeremiah Worthem and Britton Lee were both suspended in January for an incident on campus. The freshmen were suspended from the university--not just the basketball program--until January of 2015. That would mean if they were to return, they wouldn't even be able to practice again until January 12th after missing a whole year of action, and could only play in about 14 games.
Worthem, who was on pace to win/contend for the freshman of the year award in the NEC, has already tweeted about leaving the program and joining Quadir Welton --his high school teammate at MCS in Philadelphia-- at St. Peter's.
He would have to sit out the year.
There hasn't been much word on Lee, but I personally would be surprised if he elected to comeback to RMU.
Expect all three to leave the program, opening up another three scholarships. If they do all leave, that would open up seven new spots, with only two currently filled.
What's left on the roster?
While every other player on the roster has the right to transfer as the ones mentioned above, it isn't openly expected for any other players of the remaining "crazy eight"
Lucky Jones, Chuck Oliver, and David Appolon will all be seniors. Jones will be the star of the team, and will be a trendy pick for preseason NEC player of the year. Oliver and Appolon will have the opportunity to start from day one, but both have a lot to work on this offseason.
Appolon is a great defender, but needs to continue to develop on the offensive end. Oliver needs to become more consistent, and work on his defense.
Stephan Hawkins and Aaron Tate will both be juniors, and should benefit from a lot of learning experiences this season. Both could start, but will certainly get a lot of minutes.
Hawkins could be a star, and is a solid offseason and few added post moves from being a great all around big man. Tate will once again be a high energy guy, and could become one of the more versatile defenders on the team.
Kavon Stewart should be the starting point guard next year. He will be a sophomore, but he is one to track as a possible transfer candidate should Toole leave.
The soon-to-be sophomore has three years of eligibility left, and has shown he has the potential to be a great mid-major point guard.
He is lightning fast/quick, and has superior vision.
Stewart is so good at scoring at the rim with his left, and could become unguardable if he develops a right hand, and works on his jump shot.
He also needs to improve his free throw shooting, but the team is in good hands with Kavon at the helm.
Recruiting:
This could go so many ways.
Toole currently has two commits, and two openings, but there could be three more openings to come, and if Andy leaves, there could be more.
The potential new coach would also likely loose both commits, so there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to filling the roster.
For now, Toole is the head coach. He's recruiting as the RMU head coach, and until that officially changes, he will continue to recruit players to Moon Township.
The two commits that have signed their national letter of intent to attend RMU starting next fall are 6-8 power forward Andre Frederick and 6-1 point guard Jafar Kinsey.
Kinsey Verbal Commits Profile
Frederick Profile
Toole will look to fill the remaining spots with a mix of older JUCO players who have collegiate experience, and a blend of current high school seniors.
Two local names to keep an eye on, Elijah Minnie from the state champs Lincoln Park, and former local high school star Nolan Cressler who is transferring from Cornell (he will likely go high-major though).
The Schedule:
According to our man Andrew Chiappazzi over at Colonials Corner, Robert Morris has already secured six non-conference home games. Last season the team only had four.
Per Colonials Corner, the basketball 2014-15 schedule
Home:
Lafayette (return game for trip this year)
Delaware (return game for trip this year)
Youngstown State (return game for trip this year)
Oakland University (return game for trip this year)
Buffalo (part of 4 game series. RMU gets next 2 at home)
Duquesne (annual game)
Road:
at Toledo (return game for hosting this year)
The NEC will also return to an 18 game conference schedule, meaning every opponent will pay each other twice, once at home, once on the road.
So there you have it, a complete guide to the offseason that awaits the men's basketball program. A lot of these questions will be answered within the next two to three weeks, and CTC will have updates and thoughts on everything that happens.
With all that said DON'T GO ANDY!!!
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
The offseason is already off to a fast start as teams across the country change coaches, lose players via graduation and transfers, and the rumor mill is hot.
The Colonials, like last season, will endure a pretty big change in roster, but this offseason has the potential endure even bigger changes, as a potential seven new faces could find their way to onto the Colonials roster by the start of the 2014-2015 season next November.
 |
| Anderson won't be back, will Toole? (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette) |
Let's start with what we know:
Karvel Anderson and Ant Myers Pate have exhausted their eligibility and the seniors will graduate. This was known all season, but we can't forget that Mike McFadden, who stepped away from the team with knee issues, is also graduating and that will open up another scholarship.
The Colonials still had an extra scholarship that was not filled coming into this season when Lijah Thompson left RMU in the school in the mid-summer.
If you're keeping track, that's four scholarship openings (there are currently two commits, but more on that in a bit).
The Andy Toole factor:
The next big question, and one that could dictate where the program goes as a whole, is the head coaching situation.
Obviously, everyone who knows anything about RMU basketball, knows that Andy Toole is one of the best coaches in college basketball.
He's young, only 33 years of age, and already has a 90-49 overall record, and a 54-17 in the NEC. He has wins over Kentucky, St John's, two regular season titles, and has won 22 or more games in three straight years after winning 18 his first season.
His resume is as strong as any at the low-major level, and the only thing missing is an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
While he probably won't get any serious looks from "BCS" level schools like Wake Forest or Boston College (though I personally think he's more then ready) other mid-major jobs will come calling.
Many national columnist have already connected his name to the Manhattan opening after Steve Masiello took the job at USF. They have rescinded that offer and it's not clear if Masiello will return to Manhattan.
He likely won't leave for a rebuilding job if it's in a one bid league. In the NEC, he has one of the best programs that should be set to contend for another league title, so it would need to be at least an A-10 level job at the minimum if there is a lot of work to do.
Toole will also likely want to stay in his recruiting zone (the Northeast). He knows the area well, has a ton of ties here, so don't expect him to leave for a job out west or down south.
Toole will certainly have options, and his future will dictate what this team looks like.
Current openings to track: Manhattan, Marshall (You can find a complete list of openings here)
Possible Transfers:
Coming into this season, the offseason outlook looked pretty straight forward. Three seniors were leaving, the team got two early commits, and Andy Toole would have one or two openings to play with.
Then all hell broke loose in mid-January.
Juanie Newton is probably gone. He walked away from the team at the start of NEC play, and is expected to transfer. He's from Seattle, and just never seemed to fit in at RMU.
Jeremiah Worthem and Britton Lee were both suspended in January for an incident on campus. The freshmen were suspended from the university--not just the basketball program--until January of 2015. That would mean if they were to return, they wouldn't even be able to practice again until January 12th after missing a whole year of action, and could only play in about 14 games.
Worthem, who was on pace to win/contend for the freshman of the year award in the NEC, has already tweeted about leaving the program and joining Quadir Welton --his high school teammate at MCS in Philadelphia-- at St. Peter's.
He would have to sit out the year.
There hasn't been much word on Lee, but I personally would be surprised if he elected to comeback to RMU.
Expect all three to leave the program, opening up another three scholarships. If they do all leave, that would open up seven new spots, with only two currently filled.
What's left on the roster?
While every other player on the roster has the right to transfer as the ones mentioned above, it isn't openly expected for any other players of the remaining "crazy eight"
|
| Jones will lead the Colonials in 2014-2015. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette) |
Appolon is a great defender, but needs to continue to develop on the offensive end. Oliver needs to become more consistent, and work on his defense.
Stephan Hawkins and Aaron Tate will both be juniors, and should benefit from a lot of learning experiences this season. Both could start, but will certainly get a lot of minutes.
Hawkins could be a star, and is a solid offseason and few added post moves from being a great all around big man. Tate will once again be a high energy guy, and could become one of the more versatile defenders on the team.
Kavon Stewart should be the starting point guard next year. He will be a sophomore, but he is one to track as a possible transfer candidate should Toole leave.
The soon-to-be sophomore has three years of eligibility left, and has shown he has the potential to be a great mid-major point guard.
He is lightning fast/quick, and has superior vision.
Stewart is so good at scoring at the rim with his left, and could become unguardable if he develops a right hand, and works on his jump shot.
He also needs to improve his free throw shooting, but the team is in good hands with Kavon at the helm.
Recruiting:
This could go so many ways.
Toole currently has two commits, and two openings, but there could be three more openings to come, and if Andy leaves, there could be more.
The potential new coach would also likely loose both commits, so there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to filling the roster.
For now, Toole is the head coach. He's recruiting as the RMU head coach, and until that officially changes, he will continue to recruit players to Moon Township.
The two commits that have signed their national letter of intent to attend RMU starting next fall are 6-8 power forward Andre Frederick and 6-1 point guard Jafar Kinsey.
Kinsey Verbal Commits Profile
Frederick Profile
Toole will look to fill the remaining spots with a mix of older JUCO players who have collegiate experience, and a blend of current high school seniors.
Two local names to keep an eye on, Elijah Minnie from the state champs Lincoln Park, and former local high school star Nolan Cressler who is transferring from Cornell (he will likely go high-major though).
The Schedule:
According to our man Andrew Chiappazzi over at Colonials Corner, Robert Morris has already secured six non-conference home games. Last season the team only had four.
Per Colonials Corner, the basketball 2014-15 schedule
Home:
Lafayette (return game for trip this year)
Delaware (return game for trip this year)
Youngstown State (return game for trip this year)
Oakland University (return game for trip this year)
Buffalo (part of 4 game series. RMU gets next 2 at home)
Duquesne (annual game)
Road:
at Toledo (return game for hosting this year)
The NEC will also return to an 18 game conference schedule, meaning every opponent will pay each other twice, once at home, once on the road.
So there you have it, a complete guide to the offseason that awaits the men's basketball program. A lot of these questions will be answered within the next two to three weeks, and CTC will have updates and thoughts on everything that happens.
With all that said DON'T GO ANDY!!!
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
First annual 'For the People' awards
Hello all! It was a wild ride of a basketball season this
year full of equal highs and lows. Despite all this, you guys stuck with us and
the team for a memorable time and we would like to show our appreciation with
the first ever “CTC: For the People” awards. You don’t win a prize (maybe I can
construct a trophy out of tin foil upon request) but the bragging rights are
something you can carry to your graves. I also don’t have a name for the award.
Maybe I’ll call it a Chuck. Congrats to everyone on wining a Chuck!
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Student worker of the
year: Ethan Woy
-Congrats to Ethan on winning the first ever Chuck! Ethan is
notorious for his top-level stat passing at media timeouts. He has also been
seen working at men’s and women’s games and does a great job running a few
twitter accounts. The thing that set Ethan apart, though, was his wardrobe. One
week he wears a bow tie. The next it’s a slick silver tie with a black shirt. Then
the crocodile shoes! It’s that type of versatility that wins you a Chuck.
-Also considered: Marissa
Dubiach, for working pretty much every sporting event RMU has, Kenny Celelli, for hooking me up with
whatever I need in the athletic department, Megan Fritz and Lindsay
Roberts for their work with women’s games.
Manager of the year:
Paul Swank
-Swank is a stud. The junior manager saw a lot of air time
this year and deservedly so. Have you ever seen the energy he brings passing
water bottles or rebounding shots pregame? The man also draws the ire of the
females. Any time you have a babe like Krissy Knizner with multiple #TeamSwank
tweets you’re doing something right.
-Also considered: Matt
Leach. This was actually a close race until leach pulled out a bow-tie
Cardigan combination that drew some criticism from coach Toole. YOU HAVE TO BE
PERFECT TO WIN A CHUCK DAMMIT.
Cheerleader of the
year: Taryn Pontious
-This was by far the toughest category to pick. If you know
me you know how much I love cheerleaders. I am genuinely impressed with the
athleticism they display and I think I might have missed my calling to be one
(I have a mean toe touch). I went with Taryn for a few reasons: 1) she’s super,
super little and everyone likes someone that is fun sized. 2) She’s the most
visible of the cheerleaders because she’s always at the top of the stunts they
do. 3) She cheers men’s and women’s games. I like that dedication.
-Also considered: Heather
Basilone, because she has the PERFECT cheerleader voice, Tori Della Valle, for the way she teases
fans during the t-shirt toss (and one time we got President Dell'Omo drunk together-- true story), Alyssa
Kortze, for tossing me a t-shirt during a game once.
Most dramatic moment:
Nothing else was considered. I hate you all.
Blogger of the year:
Stephen Gertz, SB Nation
-This was a touchy subject for me because I cover the team
and have made a lot of friends doing so. I love the work Andrew Chiappazzi and Craig
Meyer do but they get paid to do so. Lee
Kunkel and Aaron Hartman do
awesome work for CTC but I’m not going to be that dick who rewards their own
staff like that. That left a plethora of people but no one like Gertz, who
wrote this tear-jerking article about RMU and does a good job mixing in
serious, statistical, and satire. Congrats Stephen!
-Also considered: Jason
Frank, RMU Radio, Kristin Kudla
and Jemel Sessoms, RMUtv, Nick Buzzelli and Chris Mueller, RMU Sentry Media
-Not considered: Jon
Fisher, RMU Sentry Media
Fan of the Year:
Terrell Jackson
-Obviously the biggest prize of the year. Terrell is a senior
who knows the team well and can always give you something positive to say about
the team. He’s also not just one to go to men’s games, but rarely missed a
woman’s game. He might not have been a “colonial crazy” in the traditional
sense of standing with the students, but you could always hear Terrell during
games and could get his section up and loud when needed.
-Also considered: Andre
Frye, Justin Buddai, Eric Buck, Eric Wallas (the originator of the “YES!” chant), Leah Prentice, Dave Grasso (creator of many ultra-awesome gameday hashtags), and Mark Wetmore (the man ready to fight
all of Central Connecticut State #FreeMark).
Picture of the Year: by Jen Hoffman
...and your runner up (not sure who snapped this one):
Dammit. Now I'm crying.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Monday, March 24, 2014
2013-2014 RMU timeline
It was a wild ride for your Robert Morris Colonials. To
better recap, here’s a timeline of events:
-November 9: RMU takes on Savannah State
-November 14: RMU falls for the first time of the season
69-64 at Eastern Michigan . I missed this game
when I embarrassed myself at the Deepher Dude event. Not mad about it.
-November 17: “The Sequel”. RMU falls to Kentucky 87-49. Things were not pretty and
didn’t get better… this was the first of seven straight games where RMU gives
up 80 plus points.
-December 7: RMU falls at home to Toledo 80-77. This was the first game Robert
Morris played in a primary 2-3 zone defense.
-January 16: Juanie Newton is not dressed for a 73-68 win
vs. Saint Francis (PA). It is later reported Newton has quit the team.
-January 21: Andrew Chiappazzi of ColonialsCorner.com reports
that center Mike McFadden has also quit the team.
-January 23: RMU defeats Sacred Heart 91-65. RMU plays the
game without Jeremiah Worthem, Britton Lee, Evan Grey, and Shaire Ford. The
Crazy 8 is born.
-February 6-8: RMU sweeps the Brooklyn
trip for the first time since 1999-2000. The colonials, remarkably, are 9-1 in
the NEC.
-February 20: Karvel Anderson puts on a show for the ages in
the Charles L.
Sewall Center
when he drops 26 second half points in a come-from-behind victory against rival
Long Island .
-February 22: Two days later, Robert Morris clinches the NEC
regular season title with a 71-70 overtime victory against Saint Francis
Brookyln. Anderson
has 31 points.
-March 4: The NEC hands out regular season awards. Karvel
Anderson and Andy Toole sweep player and coach of the year honors. Lucky Jones
is named to the second team all-NEC squad.
-March 8: Robert Morris begins the NEC tournament with a
60-53 win over eighth seeded Fairleigh Dickinson
-March 11: Robert Morris falls to Mount St. Mary’s 88-71 in the NEC
championship game
-March 16: RMU is paired against St. John’s in the first round of the NIT. RMU
receives an eight seed.
-March 18: Robert Morris dominates St. John’s , holds of late rally to win 89-78.
Karvel Anderson goes for a career high 38. Lucky Jones drops 25. The Crazy 8
become the Crazy 7 after David Appolon breaks his foot. It is the second
straight year the colonials defeat a one seed in the first round of the NIT.
-March 21: RMU concludes the 2013-2014 season with an 82-71
los at Belmont
in the second round of the NIT.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Friday, March 21, 2014
RMU season ends in 82-71 defeat
Well, the ride is over. The Colonials lost in the second round of the NIT for the second straight year, this time to the Belmont Bruins 82-71.
Karvel Anderson, in his last game, led the team in scoring with 23 points. Ant Myers Pate, also playing his last game, scored 14 points. The Colonials played well for stretches, but didn't have the man power to keep up.
While the season ends in disappointment, it was one hell of a ride for the undermanned Colonials.
Remember, this team was 5-10 coming into NEC play. They played no D, and looked like a lost group. Then they started 4-0 in NEC play. Just as they were finding their way though, Mike McFadden and Juanie Newton left the team, and four players were suspended from the school including Jeremiah Worthem and Britton Lee.
So to finish 22-14, with a regular season title, and another program building win over St. John's in the first round of the NIT is something to be proud of.
A lot more on this game, this season, Karvel and Ant, and what we will be the biggest offseason in RMU basketball history over the next few days.
PS: Start what ever campaign idea's you have to keep Andy Toole in Moon. It's going to take quite an effort.
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Karvel Anderson, in his last game, led the team in scoring with 23 points. Ant Myers Pate, also playing his last game, scored 14 points. The Colonials played well for stretches, but didn't have the man power to keep up.
Fitting Karvel drilled his last three. Didnt sniff the rim either. Dude can shoot it.
— Lee Kunkel (@kunkel5) March 22, 2014
Down to seven men with David Appolon out with a foot injury, the Colonials couldn't contain the high powered Bruins. JJ Mann scored a game high 25.While the season ends in disappointment, it was one hell of a ride for the undermanned Colonials.
Remember, this team was 5-10 coming into NEC play. They played no D, and looked like a lost group. Then they started 4-0 in NEC play. Just as they were finding their way though, Mike McFadden and Juanie Newton left the team, and four players were suspended from the school including Jeremiah Worthem and Britton Lee.
So to finish 22-14, with a regular season title, and another program building win over St. John's in the first round of the NIT is something to be proud of.
A lot more on this game, this season, Karvel and Ant, and what we will be the biggest offseason in RMU basketball history over the next few days.
PS: Start what ever campaign idea's you have to keep Andy Toole in Moon. It's going to take quite an effort.
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Some great @RMUMbasketball players built this
2013-14: 22 wins
2012-13: 24
2011-12: 26
2010-11: 18
2009-10: 23
2008-09: 24
2007-08: 26
— Ron Ratner (@NECHoopsRon) March 22, 2014
Bravo to Andy Toole. I never thought they'd finish 22-14 after losing Velton, Russell Johnson, Lijah, Coron & others. One hell of a year.
— Ryan Peters (@pioneer_pride) March 22, 2014
HUGE offseason coming up. Who replaces Karvel? What happens to Worthem/Lee? Potential for 7 new scholarship players.
— Lee Kunkel (@kunkel5) March 22, 2014
Will Andy Toole return? Some AD at a BCS school should give him a look, deserves it. We will see. Interesting few months coming for RMU.
— Lee Kunkel (@kunkel5) March 22, 2014
toughest seven dudes I ever played with!!!! it was all worth it 🙌 #rmcmb4Life
— earl handles (@AntMyers5) March 22, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Behind enemy lines: chatting with Belmont's Byrd Cage
We don't know a lot about Belmont. That's not a slight to Belmont, who is a very good successful program. A man who does know a lot about Belmont is the Byrd Cage. Byrd Cage does not have a name other than Byrd Cage and you should follow him @BelmontByrdCage. His insane popularity will surely swarm the masses to this interesting Q&A session we had. Strap up and learn a little bit about the Bruins:
1) To begin with, what was this overall season like? There were certainly a lot of highs, but the disappointment of being upset in the conference tournament finals has to sting.
Overall, the season far exceeded expectations of the common Bruin fan. Losing Ian Clark and Kerron Johnson, one of the best guard combos in the country, was going to be difficult. The narrative of the season changed quickly with a victory in Chapel Hill. One of the biggest wins in program history was easily the most unexpected and everyone thought it was business as usual. December did not treat this team kindly however. It started with a loss to VCU at home and ended with four straight road losses and effectively kicked us out of any irritating national bubble talk. Then the trek through the OVC began. This was our second season in this coach-challenged conference and we didn't miss a beat. We matched our 14-2 record from a season ago and were poised to win our fourth straight conference tournament and reach our 7th tourney in 9 years. Alas it was not be, and yes, it does sting. However, if you told Bruin fans at the beginning of the season that they would beat North Carolina, with the regular season OVC title, and host an NIT game, most of them would take that without hesitation.
2) Belmont is one of, if not the, most efficient offensive team in the country. What do they do so well? How are they so effective?
The Bruins shoot the ball with great efficiency. Over the last three seasons, the Bruins have ranked top 5 in effective field goal percentage. Belmont relies heavily on the three ball (41% of all FG attempts come from 3 point land) and converts about 40% of those attempts. Belmont, with the exception of the JJ Mann typically ignores the mid-range jumper. If they are not getting to the rim they are shooting threes. If you are a good three point shooting team, this strategy is quite effective. But what cannot be lost in evaluating the Bruin offense is their ability to finish around the rim. This team leads the country in 2P%. Forwards Blake Jenkins and Evan Bradds are great at the rim and Craig Bradshaw can finish with the best of them. Belmont is known for being able to shoot the three, but don't underestimate them inside.
3) Belmont is also perceived as a team that isn't very strong on the boards and defensively. Are these perceptions true?
Perception is worthless, except in this case. This is one of the weaker defensive teams we have had in some time. Opponents are shooting an effective 52% against us this year. Those are numbers we are not used to seeing. With the exception of Craig Bradshaw our guards are not the quickest you've ever seen. Dribble penetration has been an issue and caused hectic rotations. Our big man, Drew Windler, is more of a perimeter oriented player who has been forced to guard the block. He is a savvy defender but often times his lack of strength is a problem. Our best interior defender, Blake Jenkins, has been battling a myriad of injures and hasn't been 100% all season. As far as the glass is concerned, they have been better lately than the overall numbers would suggest. In the last three games, opponents have average 24% of available offensive rebounds. A slight improvement especially when you consider one of those teams was the 12th best offensive rebounding team in the country. I wish I could annihilate your lazy perception, but dammit, I’ll give you that one.
4) Robert Morris is going to play a 2-3 zone, something they've done for exactly 25 games this year (with mostly positive results). How many times has Belmont faced a team primarily playing a zone? What were the results? Do you think Belmont is a more effective team offensively versus a zone or man-to-man defense?
This is a great question. We typically do not see a whole of zone defenses. And when we do, teams typically do not stick with them long. Belmont's offensive strength is ball rotation (usually with the skip pass), effective shooting, and a genius coach. It does not take Rick long to breakdown a zone. He has a variety of set plays that will open up shooters and make the opposition wish they weren’t so foolish. It will be fun to see this team adjust to a full 40 minutes of zone defense. We rarely face teams that specialize in playing zone, so it is hard to project. The limited results have been positive, let’s hope that continues.
5) Who are some players Robert Morris fans should know?
Craig Bradshaw, Sophomore: Craig is a crazy athletic, slashing guard who can get to the rim and shoot from deep. He is an extremely efficient scorer as well (eFG 60.1%). He requires a great deal of attention from the defense creating open looks. You can take advantage of this kid off the ball on defense. He tends to get stuck watching the ball, botches rotations, and will occasionally lose his man. He is the guy opposing fans love to hate.
JJ Mann, OVC POY: Don't let this guy confuse you. At first glance, you think you are watching a pick-up game at the local YMCA. However, this crafty senior will shot fake you to death, sneak to the rim, shoot over you, and you will be in a state of confusion because athletically you should dominate this guy. But you won't. So keep dreaming. He will very rarely leave the floor and has deceiving quick hands on defense. He is not your typical conference player of the year but you will enjoy watching him, if you find craftiness to your liking.
Spencer Turner, Sharp Shooter: You won’t see this kid play many minutes (or perhaps at all), but when (if) he does understand you are watching greatness. #freespencer
1) To begin with, what was this overall season like? There were certainly a lot of highs, but the disappointment of being upset in the conference tournament finals has to sting.
Overall, the season far exceeded expectations of the common Bruin fan. Losing Ian Clark and Kerron Johnson, one of the best guard combos in the country, was going to be difficult. The narrative of the season changed quickly with a victory in Chapel Hill. One of the biggest wins in program history was easily the most unexpected and everyone thought it was business as usual. December did not treat this team kindly however. It started with a loss to VCU at home and ended with four straight road losses and effectively kicked us out of any irritating national bubble talk. Then the trek through the OVC began. This was our second season in this coach-challenged conference and we didn't miss a beat. We matched our 14-2 record from a season ago and were poised to win our fourth straight conference tournament and reach our 7th tourney in 9 years. Alas it was not be, and yes, it does sting. However, if you told Bruin fans at the beginning of the season that they would beat North Carolina, with the regular season OVC title, and host an NIT game, most of them would take that without hesitation.
 |
| Belmont picked up a win at UNC early in the season. |
2) Belmont is one of, if not the, most efficient offensive team in the country. What do they do so well? How are they so effective?
The Bruins shoot the ball with great efficiency. Over the last three seasons, the Bruins have ranked top 5 in effective field goal percentage. Belmont relies heavily on the three ball (41% of all FG attempts come from 3 point land) and converts about 40% of those attempts. Belmont, with the exception of the JJ Mann typically ignores the mid-range jumper. If they are not getting to the rim they are shooting threes. If you are a good three point shooting team, this strategy is quite effective. But what cannot be lost in evaluating the Bruin offense is their ability to finish around the rim. This team leads the country in 2P%. Forwards Blake Jenkins and Evan Bradds are great at the rim and Craig Bradshaw can finish with the best of them. Belmont is known for being able to shoot the three, but don't underestimate them inside.
3) Belmont is also perceived as a team that isn't very strong on the boards and defensively. Are these perceptions true?
Perception is worthless, except in this case. This is one of the weaker defensive teams we have had in some time. Opponents are shooting an effective 52% against us this year. Those are numbers we are not used to seeing. With the exception of Craig Bradshaw our guards are not the quickest you've ever seen. Dribble penetration has been an issue and caused hectic rotations. Our big man, Drew Windler, is more of a perimeter oriented player who has been forced to guard the block. He is a savvy defender but often times his lack of strength is a problem. Our best interior defender, Blake Jenkins, has been battling a myriad of injures and hasn't been 100% all season. As far as the glass is concerned, they have been better lately than the overall numbers would suggest. In the last three games, opponents have average 24% of available offensive rebounds. A slight improvement especially when you consider one of those teams was the 12th best offensive rebounding team in the country. I wish I could annihilate your lazy perception, but dammit, I’ll give you that one.
4) Robert Morris is going to play a 2-3 zone, something they've done for exactly 25 games this year (with mostly positive results). How many times has Belmont faced a team primarily playing a zone? What were the results? Do you think Belmont is a more effective team offensively versus a zone or man-to-man defense?
This is a great question. We typically do not see a whole of zone defenses. And when we do, teams typically do not stick with them long. Belmont's offensive strength is ball rotation (usually with the skip pass), effective shooting, and a genius coach. It does not take Rick long to breakdown a zone. He has a variety of set plays that will open up shooters and make the opposition wish they weren’t so foolish. It will be fun to see this team adjust to a full 40 minutes of zone defense. We rarely face teams that specialize in playing zone, so it is hard to project. The limited results have been positive, let’s hope that continues.
5) Who are some players Robert Morris fans should know?
Craig Bradshaw, Sophomore: Craig is a crazy athletic, slashing guard who can get to the rim and shoot from deep. He is an extremely efficient scorer as well (eFG 60.1%). He requires a great deal of attention from the defense creating open looks. You can take advantage of this kid off the ball on defense. He tends to get stuck watching the ball, botches rotations, and will occasionally lose his man. He is the guy opposing fans love to hate.
JJ Mann, OVC POY: Don't let this guy confuse you. At first glance, you think you are watching a pick-up game at the local YMCA. However, this crafty senior will shot fake you to death, sneak to the rim, shoot over you, and you will be in a state of confusion because athletically you should dominate this guy. But you won't. So keep dreaming. He will very rarely leave the floor and has deceiving quick hands on defense. He is not your typical conference player of the year but you will enjoy watching him, if you find craftiness to your liking.
Spencer Turner, Sharp Shooter: You won’t see this kid play many minutes (or perhaps at all), but when (if) he does understand you are watching greatness. #freespencer
NIT Second Round: Robert Morris at Belmont
#8 Robert Morris (22-13) at #5 Belmont (25-9)
Where: Curb Event Center, Nashville, Tennessee
When: Friday, March 21st, 9:30pm
KenPom: RMU 156, Belmont 89
Link: ESPNU, ESPN radio 970
Storyline: The Colonials hit the road for the second round of the NIT as they take on fellow mid-major Belmont, as the winner looks to move on the 'elite eight' of the NIT and get one step closer to Madison Square Garden.
Getting to Know the Bruins:
Belmont, like Robert Morris, ran away with the regular season title in their league, but was upset in the championship game. The Ohio Valley regular season champs would have been a trendy upset pick in the NCAA tournament. At 25 and nine, they own wins over North Carolina, Indiana State, and Green Bay.
One interesting thing about this game, both teams love the three point shot and can put up points. Belmont scores over 112 points per 100 possessions, thats the 37th best adjusted offense in the country. They shoot 39 percent from three, 14th best in the country. They shoot 57 percent inside the arc, that's the best two point field goal percentage in the country. These guys are lethal offensively.
They're a very average defensive team, and they don't have a lot of athleticism. They also are not a very good rebounding team, so Robert Morris will have their opportunities to match the high powered Bruin attack.
The Bruins have four guys scoring in double-figures including their leading scorer, JJ Mann who averages 18 per game.
Down, but not out:
Davis Appolon, who suffered a foot injury against St John's, will not play against the Bruins, or any other games should RMU advance in the NIT. The crazy eight will be down to seven guys. I don't think it's impossible, because Karvel Anderson and Lucky Jones were going to play 35 plus minutes anyway.
Now if there is another injury, or someone gets in major foul trouble, RMU might not have a chance. Gotta defend without fouling.
Sustained Excellence:
Karvel and Lucky scored a combined 63 points in the win over St. John's. They probably won't need that output to win, but they do need around 50 combined points so RMU can keep up with the Bruins. Belmont will score a lot of points. They are going to get good looks agains the zone, thats just the type of offense they possess. RMU needs their big guns to keep pace.
Chuck Oliver needs to ball:
As good as RMU was in their beat down of St. John's, Chuck wasn't a huge part of it. RMU will need him to play a good game. With Appolon out, he will get a lot more minutes then he was already getting. This is a game he should have opportunities to thrive, and a lot of them. Belmont doesn't play great D, and their attention will be solely on Lucky and Karvel. Gotta make them pay Chuck.
Another Golden Ticket?
Obviously, there is a lot to play for here. The Colonials are two wins away from a trip to MSG for the NIT final four. They get another chance to play on national TV, and the two seniors, Anderson and Ant Myers Pate, don't want their careers to end.
But there may be some other incentive.
If RMU can leave Tennessee with a win, and Illinois can beat Clemson on the road, the Colonials could host the quarterfinal game against the Illini. Illinois home arena is under construction, and not available. They won their first game on the road at Boston U, so it appears they are playing every game on the road. Could the Chuck host another power conference team? We will see.
Sit back and enjoy:
The NCAA tournament starts just after noon, and games run all day. How can this day be any better? A little RMCMB on ESPNU at 9:30pm. Sure, we all wish we were on TNT or TBS or truTV or CBS, but hey I'll take it, and I'll enjoy it.
Karvel gave us one last show on Tuesday, and who knows maybe he has another career high in him. It might be his last game, it might be Ant's last game, and it could be Toole's last game. Enjoy, and go Colonials.
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Where: Curb Event Center, Nashville, Tennessee
When: Friday, March 21st, 9:30pm
KenPom: RMU 156, Belmont 89
Link: ESPNU, ESPN radio 970
Storyline: The Colonials hit the road for the second round of the NIT as they take on fellow mid-major Belmont, as the winner looks to move on the 'elite eight' of the NIT and get one step closer to Madison Square Garden.
Getting to Know the Bruins:
Belmont, like Robert Morris, ran away with the regular season title in their league, but was upset in the championship game. The Ohio Valley regular season champs would have been a trendy upset pick in the NCAA tournament. At 25 and nine, they own wins over North Carolina, Indiana State, and Green Bay.
 |
| RMU could use some scoring from Oliver. |
One interesting thing about this game, both teams love the three point shot and can put up points. Belmont scores over 112 points per 100 possessions, thats the 37th best adjusted offense in the country. They shoot 39 percent from three, 14th best in the country. They shoot 57 percent inside the arc, that's the best two point field goal percentage in the country. These guys are lethal offensively.
They're a very average defensive team, and they don't have a lot of athleticism. They also are not a very good rebounding team, so Robert Morris will have their opportunities to match the high powered Bruin attack.
The Bruins have four guys scoring in double-figures including their leading scorer, JJ Mann who averages 18 per game.
Down, but not out:
Davis Appolon, who suffered a foot injury against St John's, will not play against the Bruins, or any other games should RMU advance in the NIT. The crazy eight will be down to seven guys. I don't think it's impossible, because Karvel Anderson and Lucky Jones were going to play 35 plus minutes anyway.
Now if there is another injury, or someone gets in major foul trouble, RMU might not have a chance. Gotta defend without fouling.
Sustained Excellence:
Karvel and Lucky scored a combined 63 points in the win over St. John's. They probably won't need that output to win, but they do need around 50 combined points so RMU can keep up with the Bruins. Belmont will score a lot of points. They are going to get good looks agains the zone, thats just the type of offense they possess. RMU needs their big guns to keep pace.
Chuck Oliver needs to ball:
As good as RMU was in their beat down of St. John's, Chuck wasn't a huge part of it. RMU will need him to play a good game. With Appolon out, he will get a lot more minutes then he was already getting. This is a game he should have opportunities to thrive, and a lot of them. Belmont doesn't play great D, and their attention will be solely on Lucky and Karvel. Gotta make them pay Chuck.
Another Golden Ticket?
Obviously, there is a lot to play for here. The Colonials are two wins away from a trip to MSG for the NIT final four. They get another chance to play on national TV, and the two seniors, Anderson and Ant Myers Pate, don't want their careers to end.
But there may be some other incentive.
If RMU can leave Tennessee with a win, and Illinois can beat Clemson on the road, the Colonials could host the quarterfinal game against the Illini. Illinois home arena is under construction, and not available. They won their first game on the road at Boston U, so it appears they are playing every game on the road. Could the Chuck host another power conference team? We will see.
Sit back and enjoy:
The NCAA tournament starts just after noon, and games run all day. How can this day be any better? A little RMCMB on ESPNU at 9:30pm. Sure, we all wish we were on TNT or TBS or truTV or CBS, but hey I'll take it, and I'll enjoy it.
Karvel gave us one last show on Tuesday, and who knows maybe he has another career high in him. It might be his last game, it might be Ant's last game, and it could be Toole's last game. Enjoy, and go Colonials.
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Robert Morris dominated St. John's
Last night, Robert Morris defeated St. John's by a score of 89-78. Don't let the final score fool you, this was one the Colonials dominated from beginning to end. A late Red Storm run from down 26 helped them save face.
Karvel Anderson went bonkers last night, dropping a career high 38 on the home floor of a very, very good defensive team. He was able to get some clean looks from three to start the game due to some nifty use of ball screens but mostly because St. John's must have snoozed through the scouting report and sagged too far off of him. When they eventually decided to try and ramp up their efforts... it was too late. He did everything. Shooting off handoffs, two dribble pullups, step backs, hell, there were times where I think he was hesitating just to let his defender put a hand in his face.
Anderson wasn't alone in this one. To every Batman there is a Robin and that was Lucky Jones, who went for 25 of his own. After Karvel started the game with his 9-0 run, Lucky wanted to join in on the fun and went on his own 11-0 run to stretch an early lead to 22-6. He also set the tone by getting T'd up for a little smack talk on a four point play. I 'm always a proponent of smack talk and the rest of the team seemed to like it too by shooting some smiles in St. John's direction.
The only other player who scored in double digits was Anthony Myers Pate, who had eleven and played a beautiful game himself. Being the ball handler against a big, athletic, defensive minded team like St. John's isn't an easy task but he played his role well, dishing out eight assists to only two turnovers. It's just an added bonus when his jump shot is on.
-Interesting, under-the-radar substitution that I really liked yesterday: late in the game, when St. John's was making a run and RMU could make some offense-defense substitutions, Aaron Tate was coming in for Stephan Hawkins on the defensive end to rebound. Hawkins definitely has the size advantage, but it is Tate who has the better rebounding percentages.
-Toole's baseline play design at the end of the first half to get Lucky Jones an open three pointer was a thing of beauty. So many times we see RMU run a few screens to get a shooter open in the corner for three. This time, RMU had a stacked set, ran Chuck Oliver to the corner, but had Lucky Jones pop out to the wing. Lucky was also able to get open because Aaron Tate takes up half the court with his wide frame setting screens.
-Don't let St. John's final total of 78 points fool you: RMU was awesome on defense. They held the Red Flash to just 37.2 percent from the field --and only one made first half 2 point field goal-- and if it wasn't for some garbage time three pointers probably would have held them to under 40 percent from three too. I didn't think RMU did anything spectacular, they just had a good game plan (sag off guys around the perimeter except for Hooper) and executed.
Time for some negatives: David Appolon reportedly has a broken foot. He drove to the basket late in the first half, went up for a layup, and by the time he came down he was limping. The thirty pounds of gauze and ice around his foot/ankle area suggested it was serious. This is a shame because Appolon had really come into his the last month and a half of the season. He was getting to the hoop, playing good defense, and rebounding like a man possessed, especially on the offensive glass.
-Chuck Oliver didn't shoot the ball very well yesterday, scoring just two points on 1-6 shooting. The thing is though, I had no problem with any shot Chuck took. I want him to be aggressive and find his shot. He's a scorer. Keep shooting Chuck.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
For a majority of my thoughts, check out my recap last night. NIT Giant Killers
Quick game summary, Karvel was awesome. That was his best game in an RMU uniform, and it could have been his last. That's a guy who didn't want his career to end. Ant also played a very good game. He tweeted out after how easy his job is when guys are cooking like that, but he still needs to facilitate. He did.
Lucky Jones was equally impressive. If Luck plays like that next season, RMU will once again be a major threat in the NEC.
No Rysheed Jordan really helped the defense contain the St. John's attack.
With David Appolon likely out, RMU will be down to seven guys against a really good team in Belmont. They can shoot it from all over the court, and are one of the better offensive teams in the country. The good news? They aren't a good rebounding team, nor do they defend well, especially from three. Karvel and Lucky should get good looks.
That game will tipoff Friday night at 9:30pm on ESPNU.
Sit back and enjoy. It could be the last game we see Karvel Anderson hoisting threes, Ant Myers Pate breaking ankles, and ....I really hate to say it....Andy Toole manning the Colonials sideline.
Two more wins to MSG.
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
 | ||||
| The Colonials dominated from start to finish. NY Daily News |
Anderson wasn't alone in this one. To every Batman there is a Robin and that was Lucky Jones, who went for 25 of his own. After Karvel started the game with his 9-0 run, Lucky wanted to join in on the fun and went on his own 11-0 run to stretch an early lead to 22-6. He also set the tone by getting T'd up for a little smack talk on a four point play. I 'm always a proponent of smack talk and the rest of the team seemed to like it too by shooting some smiles in St. John's direction.
The only other player who scored in double digits was Anthony Myers Pate, who had eleven and played a beautiful game himself. Being the ball handler against a big, athletic, defensive minded team like St. John's isn't an easy task but he played his role well, dishing out eight assists to only two turnovers. It's just an added bonus when his jump shot is on.
-Interesting, under-the-radar substitution that I really liked yesterday: late in the game, when St. John's was making a run and RMU could make some offense-defense substitutions, Aaron Tate was coming in for Stephan Hawkins on the defensive end to rebound. Hawkins definitely has the size advantage, but it is Tate who has the better rebounding percentages.
-Toole's baseline play design at the end of the first half to get Lucky Jones an open three pointer was a thing of beauty. So many times we see RMU run a few screens to get a shooter open in the corner for three. This time, RMU had a stacked set, ran Chuck Oliver to the corner, but had Lucky Jones pop out to the wing. Lucky was also able to get open because Aaron Tate takes up half the court with his wide frame setting screens.
-Don't let St. John's final total of 78 points fool you: RMU was awesome on defense. They held the Red Flash to just 37.2 percent from the field --and only one made first half 2 point field goal-- and if it wasn't for some garbage time three pointers probably would have held them to under 40 percent from three too. I didn't think RMU did anything spectacular, they just had a good game plan (sag off guys around the perimeter except for Hooper) and executed.
Time for some negatives: David Appolon reportedly has a broken foot. He drove to the basket late in the first half, went up for a layup, and by the time he came down he was limping. The thirty pounds of gauze and ice around his foot/ankle area suggested it was serious. This is a shame because Appolon had really come into his the last month and a half of the season. He was getting to the hoop, playing good defense, and rebounding like a man possessed, especially on the offensive glass.
-Chuck Oliver didn't shoot the ball very well yesterday, scoring just two points on 1-6 shooting. The thing is though, I had no problem with any shot Chuck took. I want him to be aggressive and find his shot. He's a scorer. Keep shooting Chuck.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
For a majority of my thoughts, check out my recap last night. NIT Giant Killers
Quick game summary, Karvel was awesome. That was his best game in an RMU uniform, and it could have been his last. That's a guy who didn't want his career to end. Ant also played a very good game. He tweeted out after how easy his job is when guys are cooking like that, but he still needs to facilitate. He did.
Lucky Jones was equally impressive. If Luck plays like that next season, RMU will once again be a major threat in the NEC.
No Rysheed Jordan really helped the defense contain the St. John's attack.
With David Appolon likely out, RMU will be down to seven guys against a really good team in Belmont. They can shoot it from all over the court, and are one of the better offensive teams in the country. The good news? They aren't a good rebounding team, nor do they defend well, especially from three. Karvel and Lucky should get good looks.
That game will tipoff Friday night at 9:30pm on ESPNU.
Sit back and enjoy. It could be the last game we see Karvel Anderson hoisting threes, Ant Myers Pate breaking ankles, and ....I really hate to say it....Andy Toole manning the Colonials sideline.
Two more wins to MSG.
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
Never forget: RMU vs. UK
Happy anniversary! On this day last year Robert Morris dominated the sports landscape by hosting the defending national champions and then defeating them in the first round of the NIT.
Chris: I'll never forget when I got a phone call telling me we were playing Kentucky... and they were coming to the Chuck. I literally spilled my gatorade on me while I was driving back to school. What a surreal feeling! I loved that the game just kinda happened too. It was announced we were hosting Kentucky, the next day they were here, and the day after the game happened. There was no time to ask questions or get nervous, it was all excitement.
I remember being at Kentucky's practice the day beforehand and just being mesmerized. There were more than a few guys who were going to be playing in the NBA in the very near future. I was asking questions to coach Cal, a hall of famer, who treated me like a professional instead of the scared, wide-eyed kid I was.
Then gameday. Everything about gameday was awesome (even the announcing duo: Bob Wischusen and Jimmy Dykes are two of my favorites). The buzz around campus is something that will probably never be matched. Classes were cancelled! There was a line to get into the Sewall Center! Fans rushed in hours beforehand and the rowdiness began.
My favorite part of the game was the first few minutes. It made all of the anticipation worth it. That place was LOUD and the boys came out on fire. When Russell Johnson stepped into a long two in transition, banged it, and gave Robert Morris a quick 8-0 lead that forced UK into a timeout, I've never once gone more insane as a fan. That was awesome.
When the clock finally hit, zero and Robert Morris took down Goliath there wasn't a worry in the world. It was so worth it not being in the NCAA tournament. Also, the court storm was AWESOME. I still haven't seen a better one this year. Absolutely the best sporting event I've ever been to.
Lee: Chris pretty much hit the nail on the head.
Just a crazy two-three day sequence. The moment the news broke on ESPNU (and Andy Toole was interviewed live), every sad feeling from losing to Mount went right out of my mind.
It was great redemption for a great group of seniors, and they created memories we will never forget. If you were a student at RMU then, whether a freshman or grad student, you won't create a better memory in your time in Moon.
About three minutes after the news broke, my phone went bonkers. I had well over 100 people ask me how to get tickets, when will they be available, etc.
(A few buddies of mine were playing basketball at Sewall. I called them up to break the news and my man Zach Reicard answered the phone. He honestly thought I was bull shitting him for about five minutes until someone else saw it on Twitter)
I don't think I've ever woke up with more energy then that gameday morning. I was ready to go at 8:30am. The student body came out and tailgated despite the temperature being -45 (at least it seemed). Me and my buddy, Matt Heiland, went into the Sewall Center early to reserve the front row of the Crazies section for the die hards, and put student 'standing room only signs 'on a stretch of bleachers so adults knew what they would be getting themselves into.
(My Sports Jounalism class got to visit the announcers and see the ESPN truck around 1pm. Best day of class ever. Wischusen was a great guy and answered every question the class had)
At 6pm, when I believe the doors opened, the sea of red poured in. It was glorious. I went outside to help my girlfriend into the arena, and saw the line of red. All I could do was smile.
By 630, the whole bleacher side opposite of the benches was filled, standing, and loud. It was INSANE.
Then Alan Buhler, dressed as Moses, parted the Red Sea just before tip. I remember making eye contact with Ryan Harrow during warmups. He was terrified. Scared. I didn't say a word to him, I don't think anyone did. He just seemed mind blown at what was about to ensue.
(At the top, Alan ATE it...I'm crying from laughter as I write this)
When I re-watched the game (if you haven't, do it) my favorite part (other then the win and storm) was Dykes calling out the youthful Wildcats saying they need to leave UK if they are too scared of that environment. Other then Archie Goodwin and Jared Paulson, none of them wanted to be at the Chuck. They couldn't handle it.
(When Russ hit the aforementioned jumper to force a UK TO, I think I punched Andy Heiland harder then I've hit anyone in my life out of pure excitement. He took it like a man)
Then there were the players. Ant ran until his legs fell apart. Karvel played with a broken wrist. Velton played with one arm, and picked apart the Cats like it was nothing. His drive and dish for a McFadden dunk was a THING OF BEAUTY.
(My boy Zach Lash (and others) got killed in the court storm, and he lost a shoe. But God dammit he stormed that court)
Russ played with so much swagger and toughness. More then any game of his career, and that's really saying something if you know Russ.
Lucky was probably the best player on the court. His ejection helped UK stick around, but it also sent a message to the Cats.
The rest of the team played their hearts out. And don't forget about Big Mike. All he did was outplay an future NBA frontline, hit two MASSIVE game winning free throws, and provide a few momentum changing dunks.
(Oh yea, we crowed surfed a baby?!?)
Andy Toole out coached a sure fire hall of famer. His out of bounds play was still one of the best plays out of a timeout I have ever seen since watching basketball.
(Under a minute, media cleared out in front of the crazies. Dre Frye started setting chairs up and I flipped out on him so he wouldn't jinx it. Paul Jones literally tossed a table out of the way, and Matt Heiland would have set an Olympic record for how high he jumped over another table. Justin Bucci also would have set a 40 yard dash record)
When Kyle Wiltjer's three hit back rim, and Velton Jones slapped the ball into the air, the Sewall Center erupted like a volcano. The joy from the players, coaches, students, fans, and alums was well worth missing the NCAA tournament.
Little Robert Morris just took down an NCAA giant, fresh off a National Championship.
Go Colonials.
(Feel free to share your favorite memory of the game in the comments section.)
Chris: I'll never forget when I got a phone call telling me we were playing Kentucky... and they were coming to the Chuck. I literally spilled my gatorade on me while I was driving back to school. What a surreal feeling! I loved that the game just kinda happened too. It was announced we were hosting Kentucky, the next day they were here, and the day after the game happened. There was no time to ask questions or get nervous, it was all excitement.I remember being at Kentucky's practice the day beforehand and just being mesmerized. There were more than a few guys who were going to be playing in the NBA in the very near future. I was asking questions to coach Cal, a hall of famer, who treated me like a professional instead of the scared, wide-eyed kid I was.
Then gameday. Everything about gameday was awesome (even the announcing duo: Bob Wischusen and Jimmy Dykes are two of my favorites). The buzz around campus is something that will probably never be matched. Classes were cancelled! There was a line to get into the Sewall Center! Fans rushed in hours beforehand and the rowdiness began.
My favorite part of the game was the first few minutes. It made all of the anticipation worth it. That place was LOUD and the boys came out on fire. When Russell Johnson stepped into a long two in transition, banged it, and gave Robert Morris a quick 8-0 lead that forced UK into a timeout, I've never once gone more insane as a fan. That was awesome.
When the clock finally hit, zero and Robert Morris took down Goliath there wasn't a worry in the world. It was so worth it not being in the NCAA tournament. Also, the court storm was AWESOME. I still haven't seen a better one this year. Absolutely the best sporting event I've ever been to.
Lee: Chris pretty much hit the nail on the head.
Just a crazy two-three day sequence. The moment the news broke on ESPNU (and Andy Toole was interviewed live), every sad feeling from losing to Mount went right out of my mind.
It was great redemption for a great group of seniors, and they created memories we will never forget. If you were a student at RMU then, whether a freshman or grad student, you won't create a better memory in your time in Moon.
About three minutes after the news broke, my phone went bonkers. I had well over 100 people ask me how to get tickets, when will they be available, etc.
(A few buddies of mine were playing basketball at Sewall. I called them up to break the news and my man Zach Reicard answered the phone. He honestly thought I was bull shitting him for about five minutes until someone else saw it on Twitter)
I don't think I've ever woke up with more energy then that gameday morning. I was ready to go at 8:30am. The student body came out and tailgated despite the temperature being -45 (at least it seemed). Me and my buddy, Matt Heiland, went into the Sewall Center early to reserve the front row of the Crazies section for the die hards, and put student 'standing room only signs 'on a stretch of bleachers so adults knew what they would be getting themselves into.
(My Sports Jounalism class got to visit the announcers and see the ESPN truck around 1pm. Best day of class ever. Wischusen was a great guy and answered every question the class had)
At 6pm, when I believe the doors opened, the sea of red poured in. It was glorious. I went outside to help my girlfriend into the arena, and saw the line of red. All I could do was smile.
By 630, the whole bleacher side opposite of the benches was filled, standing, and loud. It was INSANE.
Then Alan Buhler, dressed as Moses, parted the Red Sea just before tip. I remember making eye contact with Ryan Harrow during warmups. He was terrified. Scared. I didn't say a word to him, I don't think anyone did. He just seemed mind blown at what was about to ensue.
(At the top, Alan ATE it...I'm crying from laughter as I write this)
When I re-watched the game (if you haven't, do it) my favorite part (other then the win and storm) was Dykes calling out the youthful Wildcats saying they need to leave UK if they are too scared of that environment. Other then Archie Goodwin and Jared Paulson, none of them wanted to be at the Chuck. They couldn't handle it.
(When Russ hit the aforementioned jumper to force a UK TO, I think I punched Andy Heiland harder then I've hit anyone in my life out of pure excitement. He took it like a man)
Then there were the players. Ant ran until his legs fell apart. Karvel played with a broken wrist. Velton played with one arm, and picked apart the Cats like it was nothing. His drive and dish for a McFadden dunk was a THING OF BEAUTY.
(My boy Zach Lash (and others) got killed in the court storm, and he lost a shoe. But God dammit he stormed that court)
Russ played with so much swagger and toughness. More then any game of his career, and that's really saying something if you know Russ.
Lucky was probably the best player on the court. His ejection helped UK stick around, but it also sent a message to the Cats.
The rest of the team played their hearts out. And don't forget about Big Mike. All he did was outplay an future NBA frontline, hit two MASSIVE game winning free throws, and provide a few momentum changing dunks.
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| Big Mike played hi best game in an RMU uniform at the biggest moment. |
(Oh yea, we crowed surfed a baby?!?)
Andy Toole out coached a sure fire hall of famer. His out of bounds play was still one of the best plays out of a timeout I have ever seen since watching basketball.
(Under a minute, media cleared out in front of the crazies. Dre Frye started setting chairs up and I flipped out on him so he wouldn't jinx it. Paul Jones literally tossed a table out of the way, and Matt Heiland would have set an Olympic record for how high he jumped over another table. Justin Bucci also would have set a 40 yard dash record)
When Kyle Wiltjer's three hit back rim, and Velton Jones slapped the ball into the air, the Sewall Center erupted like a volcano. The joy from the players, coaches, students, fans, and alums was well worth missing the NCAA tournament.
Little Robert Morris just took down an NCAA giant, fresh off a National Championship.
Go Colonials.
(Feel free to share your favorite memory of the game in the comments section.)
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| :) |
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