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.

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 They have rescinded that offer and it's not clear if Masiello will return to Manhattan.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)

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

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!

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

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 in the first game of the season. RMU wins 86-66 on the back of 21 points from Karvel Anderson, 18 of which come in the second half.

-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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

The Colonials dominated from start to finish.
NY Daily News

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

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.

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.) 

:)

NIT Giant Killers

Deja Vu

RMU gets their entire season crushed by Mount St. Mary's in the NEC tournament.

Career high 38 for vel against St John's.

Robert Morris saves face, bounces back, and shocks a nationally known program in the NIT.

For the second straight year, as an eight seed the Colonials knocked of a number one seed. This time the victim was St John's as RMU went on the road and won 89-78.

Last years win over UK was certainly a bigger national win, but this one was in much more stylish fashion.

Karvel Anderson wasn't playing his last game as a Colonial.

Point. Blank. Period.

38 points. A slew of three's, step backs, drives to the rim. Just impressive.

When RMU had their back against the wall after a quick 15-0 run to cut the lead to single digits, Karvel hit a huge three from the corner to seal the deal.

Saucy

The Colonials came out early and set the tone, taking a 19-2 lead on the back of Anderson and a red hot Lucky Jones. The duo was knocking down shots all over the place, and the defense was strong. RMU went to the break up 49-27. They held the Red Storm to one made two point field goal in the half.

In the second half, Anderson and strong defense continued to carry the squad. The Colonials built the lead to 26 points with just over nine minutes to go. St. John's went on a big run to get it to single digits, but Anderson had the answer knocking down a corner three.

A lot more on this game tomorrow.

Notes:

YES YES YES. Sure it's the NIT, and not the NCAA tournament, but damn was that fun. Domination. Karvel gave us what may be one last show. He deserves it. Ant was phenomenal too. Both really deserve to go out with a bang, and that was a a bang.

Loaded Luck. What a game for the junior on both ends. He was great. Hope to see a lot of that next year from Jones.

More to come? Last year after RMU shocked UK, they had to go to Providence. That was another really good high major team. This year they will play at Belmont or at Green Bay. Both are mid-majors that RMU will matchup well with.

Crazy 7? Early reports seem to be David Appolon broke his foot. Get well soon App.

Like I said, a lot more to come tomorrow! Awesome win tonight, another huge step for the program and Andy Toole.

One kind of sour note, what could have been.... This was the type of performance that would be good enough to shock a two seed in the big dance. When Karvel and Lucky shoot like that and the D is strong, the Colonials can beat anyone. Not going to dwell on that though.

Another 20 win season. Another NIT regular season title. Another postseason win over a nationally known program from a power conference. Not many mid-majors doing that.

Belmont about to finish off Green Bay. The Colonials will play the Bruins on the road. Date TBD. Probably Friday/Saturday.
— Lee Kunkel (@kunkel5) March 19, 2014

--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5

At a glance: Robert Morris at St. John's

Robert Morris (21-13) at St. John’s (20-12)

Where: Carnesecca Arena

When: Today! March 18, 2014

Tip: 7:00 p.m.

KenPom: RMU 185, St. Johns 38

Link: ESPNU, ESPN radio 970

Storyline: RMU will look to repeat some of last years NIT magic as they travel to New York to take on the Red Storm

The Skinny

St. John’s is a team that didn’t miss out on the NCAA tournament by much and was rewarded with a one seed in the NIT. Believe it or not, the NIT isn’t a bad tournament. It’s not like we’re watching a couple of sea otters trying to juggle rings of fire (that takes place in the CBI), this is legitimate D-I top level competition and good place for a mid-major program like Robert Morris to continue to try and make a name for themselves.

Our man Norman from SB Nation’s Rumble in the Garden gave us the low down on the Red Storm earlier and I encourage you to give that a read if you haven’t already. He covers just about everything you need to know about St. John’s in a delivery much better than mine. If you’re too lazy to click on that link, just know St. John’s is a big, athletic team who will defend the hell out of you. Their top scorer is D’Angelo Harrison.

NIT Magic?

Certainly the circumstances are different, but RMU has another chance to prove themselves against top level competition in the NIT. The Kentucky win in 2013 was impressive but I might come away more impressed if the Colonials can go on the road and take down a solid St. John’s squad.

One last time

This could very well be the last time Karvel Anderson and Anthon Myers-Pate play basketball for the red, white, and blue. This could very well be the last time Myers-Pate plays competitive basketball period. Enjoy it.

Offensive defense

Robert Morris lost in the NEC championship game because of its inability to get stops on the defensive end. In said game (which will now be referred to as “the loss”), Mount St. Mary’s shot 60 percent from the field and 44 percent from three. Toole has talked all year about how the zone defense should severely limit at least one aspect of a teams offense. Sometimes it’s three point shooting, other times it’s driving to the rim, etc. etc. RMU was unable to do any of that. It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments were made for this game, especially when it comes to guarding the high post, which really gave RMU troubles in “the loss”.

NEC Pride

During commercial breaks, kick it to the Mount St. Mary’s-Albany NCAA game. This could be a big day for the Northeast Conference. Best of luck to our companions in Maryland.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella

Behind enemy lines: chatting with Norman

CTC got a chance to interview Norman of SB Nation's Rumble in the Garden to learn a little more about St. John's. We encourage you to follow Norman (@ECoastBias) and check out an interview he did with myself and Craig Meyer of the Post-Gazette. Norman is a pretty rad dude.

1) To begin with, what is the vibe about missing out on the big dance? I know KenPom had St. John’s ranked ahead of a few at-large bids. Does it feel like the committee missed out?

Yeah…. No. St. John’s and the Big East certainly might have a perception problem – with so many teams close to each other in the KenPom rankings who beat up on each other in a way that renders the laws of syllogism moot, it’s hard to know which teams are among the elite. But the league’s non-conference performances left little way of figuring out if the Big East teams were better than, say, NC State.

St. John’s had their chances at marquee wins and fell a few possessions short except against Creighton. St. John’s schedule wasn’t enough to cover the lack of marquee wins. And they couldn’t avoid bad losses, falling to DePaul and Penn State during the year. Even in November, the PSU loss was a bad omen.

The vibe around St. John’s isn’t anger at the NCAA Committee; it’s a mix of understanding that the team had a lot of “distractions” and issues, that they took a long time to come together… and frustration with the coaching falling short of promises fans expected going into the season.

 2) Is there a concern of focus after a big letdown?

Widely? Unsure. I know there is a bit to worry about, with players sometimes losing focus against lower-level teams all year. The year began with near-scares against Columbia, Bucknell, even Longwood and Monmouth. Can this team take care of business like they did against Fordham? The squad tends to get up for big games but… lose attention to detail when ahead or when playing lesser teams.

3) Does anyone know anything about Robert Morris at St. John’s?

No. I’m sure there’s a kid from Pittsburgh at St. John’s who is like “I think I know where that school is, it’s over where… no, wait, I’m thinking of a skate park.” (I don’t know where in Pitt RMU is actually located, but I hope to find out on my next visit. I like the city.

4) What should we know about St. John’s style of play? What type of tempo do they play with, are there any tendencies to keep an eye on, strengths and weaknesses, etc…

Tempo: depends on the time and situation. Ideally, the Johnnies want to run off of turnovers and create opportunities for their stable of finishers with crowd-pleasing dunks. When forced into the halfcourt, watch out for long jump shots from JaKarr Sampson early/ middle of shot clock, one-on-one drives from Rysheed Jordan, pull up jumpers from D`Angelo Harrison, and the occasional paint play from Orlando Sanchez and Chris Obekpa.

On defense, the team will play a mix of man and zone; they will allow guards to drive deep in the paint, knowing that Chris Obekpa, Sanchez, Sampson, and Sir`Dominic Pointer and more than willing to pin a shot to the backboard. When struggling, they put their athletes in action with a full court press that can be extremely disruptive.

Weaknesses: in the halfcourt, they can stagnate and struggle to get good shots inside. The team doesn’t draw fouls (and sometimes complain when they don’t; the love of long two-pointers shot by high-level athletes is inscrutable, inefficient and inconsistent in its effectiveness. The team displays, if you will, mood swings. When they’re up, they can hang with the country’s best.

5) What makes St. John’s such a good defensive team?

Length at all positions, coupled with athleticism. The Johnnies can bother all kinds of shots and they seek blocks.

6) Who are some key players RMU fans should know?

Philly freshman Rysheed Jordan is a dynamic guard who can break teams down himself. D`Angelo Harrison can put up buckets in a hurry. Chris Obekpa will reject many shots. Phil Greene IV is a dangerous shooter from the corners, even if he sometimes tries to score off the dribble, which has been less effective for him.

7)    Feel free to add anything else you think we should know about if we didn’t cover it already...

I think we got to it all. St. John’s is a team that needs to believe in itself, needs to play smart and hard, and they can go far. When they don’t play in those ways, they look like a bunch of athletes trying to win the games themselves. Sharing, trust and attacking/ not settling are the big keys.

Breaking: RMU to face St. John's in NIT first round

Robert Morris will be traveling to St. John's University for the first round of the NIT. The game is Tuesday and will start at 7 p.m. airing on ESPNU. The game will be played at St. John's campus site Carnesecca Arena and not at Madison Square Garden. This will be the first matchup between these two programs.

St. John's is a pretty big team. They do not have a player listed at under 6-2 and will start two players at 6-9. The Johnnies are first in block percentage, per KenPom, and 21 in total defensive efficiency. The star of St. John's is guard D'Angelo Harrison, who averages 17.1 points per game on shooting splits of 38.6/36.5/86.1.

We'll break down this matchup more tomorrow, but this is going to be a difficult one against a big, athletic team.

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

Bracketology: What to expect

It's selection Sunday Colonial fans! This might not be the most exciting day ever when all year you've been hoping to get into the big dance, but RMU will be seeded for the NIT. Believe it or not, there are more good basketball teams than the 30-some at large bids that get into the big dance, so everyone in the NIT is more than capable of playing good basketball.

Do not expect whatever wackiness that occurred last year to happen this year. Kentucky, or any other team like Kentucky, is not coming back to the Chuck. With that being said, there is a chance for RMU to knock-off some big time NCAA programs. John Templon of NYC Buckets is one of the few guys who does an NIT Bracketology. His latest bracket had RMU traveling to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers of the Big Ten. Selfishly, I'd like RMU to play at St. John's so I can travel to New York City. Other possibilities include: SMU, Xavier, Florida State, Utah, California, NC State, Missouri, and Tennessee. Expect RMU to be an eight seed with a chance of moving to a seven.

Lee, being the basketball encyclopedia that he is, might be able to tell you more about which team is a good matchup. Side note: none of these teams are going to be *great* matchups. All of these players are in top-end D-I schools for a reason. There are merely styles of play RMU can take advantage of. For example, I'd like to avoid playing Florida State because of their size and athleticism. They might not be the most skilled at putting the ball in the basket, but they'll be able to defend like hell and probably get everyone in foul trouble.

Personally, give me a team that relies on the three ball. Now you might be saying to yourself, "But Chris, look at Mount St. Mary's. They rely a lot on the three ball and crushed us in the NEC championship game." I do get this theory of thinking. However, I have faith that the zone can take some things away. Toole has talked about all year on how the zone is supposed to really eliminate one aspect of a team, like three point shooting, mid-range scoring, or scoring at the rim. Unfortunately, none of those things worked in the NEC championship game. Credit to Mount St. Mary's for shooting the lights out, but I don't see that happening again. It just takes one bad shooting day for RMU to pull an upset.

That's all I have. Lee can take it from here.

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

I know guys, we all wish this post was "The Colonials could really give Virginia or an Embiid'less Kansas some problems" but such is life. Mount came into the Chuck, and flat out balled on the offensive end.

With that said, let's not act like the NIT is chopped liver. Sure, it's not the NCAA tournament, but we saw just last year what an upset in the "little brother" tournament can do for the team and program. With two great seniors in Karvel Anderson and Ant Myers Pate, I hope the team gives it their all and tries to send these two out with a bang.

The match ups are certainly tough to forecast, because four of the possible teams that RMU could play, could be the last four in the NCAA field. There honestly are 10 to 12 possible matchups.

The "best" matchup for RMU in my opinion is Xavier.

RMU almost won at Xavier last season, and matches up well with the Musketeers compared to FSU or Minnesota. They don't shoot a ton of threes, so RMU could clog the paint and try to force them to beat them for distance. (Side note: I think Xavier makes the NCAA tournament, but it will be tight).

Unlike the NCAA tournament, there aren't many --if any-- bracketing rules. Travel is considered, as are logistics, so don't expect RMU to play a first round game out west. That eliminates Utah, Cal and other west coast teams.

The most likely East Coast (or close to it) candidates are St John's, NC State, Tennessee, and Georgetown. The Wolfpack and Johnnies are probably the top two options of this group. Both should be in the NIT as one seeds, and both are nearby.

Another midwest trip is possible too. Missouri, Minnesota, SMU, Dayton, and Green Bay are possible candidates (I would assume RMU could draw Dayton at home too, with the Flyers arena booked for the 'First Four' Tuesday and Wednesday).

Of this group, Missouri is certainly vulnerable. They have "we don't care about the NIT at all" written all over them, and Jabari Brown is there only consistent scorer.

RMU probably wants to avoid Green Bay (who I hope sneaks into the NCAA field) because, one they're really good, and two an upset here won't make near the national news that beating St John's Missouri or Georgetown would do.

I think the Colonials are on a crash course for a trip to New York City. St John's is my pick. If that isn't the call, I would think Missouri is the second best bet.

--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5

Breaking it down: mount St. mary's destroyed RMU's zone and other tidbits

RMU was defeated by Mount St. Mary's 88-71 in last nights NEC championship game. It was a game that was dominated from beginning to end by the Mountaineers as they picked apart Robert Morris' 2-3 zone in a multitude of ways.

The reason Mount can be a difficult matchup for zone defenses is how they can spread the floor with shooters; they have three 1,000 point scorers. In the last regular season matchup between these two squads (an eight point Robert morris victory), coach Toole referenced this, stating Mount had five "high alert" guys on the scouting report who can stroke it. the difference being RMU contained scorers like Julian Norfleet, Sam Prescott, and Will Miller. This time, that was not the case.

In the first half, besides making it rain from three, the Mount did an incredible job scoring from the elbow. Sometimes they were tough shots and other times they were good looks. Exhibit A:

Rashad Whack does a good job splitting two defenders at the top of the key. This shouldn't happen to begin with, but when it does, Stephan Hawkins has to step up immediately.

Hawk does step up and gives a decent contest, but Whack is a very good player and this is a little too much space for him. 

A few minutes later, RMU is in their base defense again and again Whack has the ball. This time, RMU is in a much better position with their defense. You can see Chuck Oliver at the top of the zone. Anthony Myers-Pate is taking away the high post and can also provide help if Oliver gets beat off the dribble.

These are the types of shots you can live with. Whack hit a tough, contested elbow jumper. That's just the type of day it was. 

The second half saw more high post-baseline action with the Mount doing a good job spreading the floor:

Whack beats Karvel off the dribble but Lucky can't help because he can't leave Will Miller open in the corner. Taylor Danaher holds his ground on the opposite side of the paint baseline which hesitates Hawkins from sliding over to help. The high post man screens off Kavon and Prescott is on the wing at three point line. This is the ideal floor spacing you want to see when facing a zone. 

Here is an example of what we saw a ton in the second half: working the high post. Sam Prescott did a great job with his decision making in the high post. Here we see him flashing into that position. Karvel can't take  away the passing lane because Whack could very well knock down that three pointer (and the way things were going, he probably would have). Again, there are shooters in the corner and the far wing and a big man baseline. Look at how Kavon is unsure on if he should stay on the shooter or guard the high post.

Hawkins steps up on the high post but there are two guys on Prescott at the wing. Appolon was late to help and it results in another easy bucket. Picture perfect execution.

And one more time. Prescott in the high post. Danaher baseline. Lucky probably should have taken one step to his left. Prescott makes a nice pass and Danaher finishes. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. 

There was a lot of talk on how RMU maybe should have went to a man defense after getting continually beat in the zone. Even the announcers suggested this. I completely disagreed with that notion. To begin: RMU's zone defense was what got them to the position they were. It was their bread and butter. It was the second most effective defense in the conference. That's not something you ditch in your biggest moments... you have to have faith in your scheme. Also, does anyone remember how dreadful RMU's man-to-man defense was at the beginning of the year. Besides getting beat off the dribble every possession. Help rotations were slow. 

I was more impressed with RMU's offense than I thought it would be. The biggest problem they had was rushing possessions late in the game. I'm all for aggressiveness but there were a few drives that Kavon Stewart and Anthony Myers-Pate had late in the game that were just not smart. On top of that, RMU also missed some gimmies at the rim and had at least three hundred rebounds fall through their hands and go either A) out of bounds or B) right into the hands of a Mount player. 

-Karvel Anderson played better than I thought he did. In the first half, there were a few instances where I thought he should have shot the ball instead of trying to create off the dribble. We saw a more aggressive shooter in the second half.

-Chuck Oliver and Kavon Stewart played very well when given the opportunity. Chcuk played with a ton of energy. Kavon's steal and layup to cut it to eleven in the middle of the second half was one of the lone high points of the game and really had the Chuck rocking. Karvel airballed a three the next offensive possession in a shot we've seen him hit 100 times before. Just one of those days. 

-Three calls I really disagreed with: the Chuck Oliver blocking foul late in the game (he was two feet outside the restricted area), an Aaron Tate block called for a foul, and a Lucky Jones block called for a foul. With that being said, the refs were not the reason RMU didn't win.

-Those who criticized the crowd noise: just stop. I thought the crazies did a good job. It's hard to absolutely lose your mind every defensive possession when you're down double digits. listen to the crowd when RMU cut it to eleven. The deficit wasn't even at single digits and the place was going insane. 

-Give credit to the Mount. Head coach Jamion Christian had a flawless gameplan and was a step ahead of Toole the entire game. Also, good for the Mount for bussing down hundreds of people for the game. They had a really, really good showing. 

-Do you believe in omens? This was a quick recap of my day: Despite having my clothes in the dryer for over four hours, everything was still wet, not allowing me to wear my lucky socks. We tried to tailgate in the gravel parking lot but were shut down by RMU police despite having only a dozen people with no music plying and no grill. A 50 year old man challenged me to a fight before the game because I made fun of Taylor Danaher for not having a beard. He even appeared to be a writer covering the game. I'm not kidding. 

-Coron Williams dropped 25 today for Wake Forrest because of course. What's next? Lijah Thompson blocking 12 shots, including one with his afro? A Vaughn Morgan game winning dunk over three people as time expired? Sheesh. 

-There's going to be a lot of talk about the future of Andy Toole. Toole is a great, great coach but still has that blemish on his resume of no NCAA appearances. He'll have chances to go elsewhere this offseason, but will they be significant enough to pry him from Robert morris. As of now, I doubt it. Just my opinion. 

-I feel bad for this team. They put up with a lot this season. the crazy 8 truly deserved better. With that being said, there is still more basketball to be played. The NIT is right around the corner. Who knows, maybe a Pitt-RMU matchup is in our future.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella

NEC championship recap

Sports suck sometimes.

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

More to come tomorrow

For all the Chips: Robert Morris vs The Mount, NEC Title Edition

#1 Robert Morris (21-12, 14-2) vs #4 Mount St. Mary's (15-16, 9-7 NEC)
When: Tuesday March 11th, 7pm
Where: Charles L. Sewall Center
KenPom: RMU 163, MSM 207
RPI: RMU 123, MSM 218
TV: ESPN2/WatchESPN
Storyline: It all comes down to this (dramatic voice over guy voice). Robert Morris looks to finish off a magical season, but standing in their way? The one team that has ended their dream multiple times over the past few years, including a stunning upset in the NEC semifinals last season.

Whack has done it all for Mount the past two games.
(Getty Images)

Getting to Know Mount St. Mary's: 

It's been an interesting year for the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers. One year after shocking the NEC by winning road playoff games at Bryant and Robert Morris before falling in the championship to LIU, the Mountaineers came into 2013-2014 with some lofty expectations. How did they respond? With an 0-5 start, which included losses to dreadful programs like UMBC and Maryland Eastern Shore.

It certainly was an adjustment period for the Mount-- one of they're best players Shivaughn Wiggins transferred-- and this squad and they're style wasn't sneaking up on anybody.

Give credit to head coach Jamion Christian, who again has his team stepping up to play their best basketball in the NEC tournament. In the first round, the Mount looked down and out before storming back from 19 down with under nine to play and eight down with under a minute to play before Rashad Whack's game winning three pointer with two seconds left against St. Francis Brooklyn. Saturday, Mount went into Staten Island and defeated Wagner by five in a game they didn't trail in the second half.

There are a few things to be aware of when playing the Mount. They are a team that wants to run a "mayhem' style, meaning they're going to push the tempo on the offensive end and full-court press you on the defensive end. This type of style allows for a lot of players to play and can wear down an opponent.

RMU and Mount St. Mary's have met twice this season, both resulting in RMU victories (by an average margin of eight). RMU handled the press so well in these matchups that Mount St. Mary's was hardly applying pressure by the end of the game.

Right now, the Mount is lead by guard Rashad Whack, who is an outstanding defender and is putting up big offensive numbers, averaging 24.0 points per game in the NEC tournament. Whack, who in my opinion is the best perimeter defender in the NEC, has given Karvel Anderson struggles on the offensive end. It'll be a fun matchup to watch. Another aspect to keep in mind is Whack is going to spend so much energy guarding Karvel on the defensive end, what is he going to be able to give on the offensive end?

Other players to know: guard Julian Norfleet is top-500 in the country and true shooting and effective field goal percentages with 52/36/74 splits and was second team all-NEC. He's eighth in the country in assist rate and does a good job getting to the line. Senior guard Sam Prescott is more than capable of putting on a shooting display, the evidence being he has nine games with more than 15 points. Greg Graves and Taylor Danaher (who stands at 7'0") make up a frontcourt who will rebound on the offensive and defensive glass.

The last time these two teams squared off, coach Toole said postgame Mount has five "high alert" guys who RMU has to pay attention to from the three point line. Rashad Whack had 27 and I particularly remember him being open a lot on the corner. While Whack had a big game, RMU smothered Norfleet and Prescott, a trade-off they'll take all day.

Just Play Ball:

One of the toughest things when it comes to championships on your home court, is battling your own emotion. I think we've seen a bit of that already from RMU in the semifinals. Shots just were't falling because guys were playing out of their comfort zone.

It's difficult to put the emotion to the side and just play ball. RMU must find a way to do this. It's one thing when you're the underdog (see UK game) and don't have any pressure. You play loose. It's a lot harder as the favorite.

To guard against this, RMU could use a fast start. Karvel Anderson, Lucky Jones and Ant Myers-Pate need to attack the rim, and get to the free throw line. We saw Anderson attack the rim in the second half when he was struggling, get some easy freebies at the line, and it helped him calm down and get in the flow of the game.

Rivalry Renewed: 

This won't be the first time these two teams square off in a huge NEC tournament team. In fact, they seem to find each other is their paths to the NCAA tournament a lot, including a semifinal game last year. Mount stunned the Colonials in that one 69-60.

That wasn't the only meeting.

Mount also knocked off the Colonials in the NEC semifinals in 07-08 at the Sewall Center. they went on to win the conference tournament. The following year, Dallas Green hit a game winning floater in the dying moments of the title game to send RMU to the NCAA tournament.

In 09-10, RMU beat the Mount in the semifinals of the NEC tournament, and went on to win the league again, making it back to the NCAA tournament.

Factor in all the regular season match-ups over the years, and you have what has become one of the best rivalries in the league over the past ten years.

Tempo, tempo, tempo:

Basketball is a funny sport. Ant Myers Pate has seen it all over the past four years. This will be his third title game appearance, he's played in big games, on the big stage, and he has seen every style of basketball possible.

I believe Tuesday night will be his biggest challenge yet in his final game at the Sewall Center.

Ant needs to play poised.
(ESPN)

You see, tempo is going to dictate this game. If it's a run-and-gun affair, start planning your trip to Dayton Mount St. Mary's. The Colonials cannot get sucked into a shootout, up-and-down game. That's what happened to Wagner, and it led to their worst defensive performance in NEC play, and a loss.

If it's a half court, execution style game the pendulum swings heavily in the Colonials favor. Mount has struggled to operate in the half court all year long, and they can't set up their patented press if they don't get buckets.

Myers Pate will dictate how this game goes. He needs to make smart decisions. Run the offense, break the press, and play poised basketball. This will be a difficult task, given all the emotion that will be running through his veins.

When emotion gets involved, it tends to lead to a frenetic style of basketball. This is one reason I think Mount St Mary's has played so well in the NEC tournament. They're 4-1 under Jamion Christian in tournament play, and that lone loss came to LIU in title. Tournament play is emotional, and often fast paced and frenetic.

Have a Blast:

This is what college basketball is all about.

Players, coaches, fans all hoping their school can make it into the best tournament in the world. Crazies, provide a great atmosphere, and give your squad an advantage. Players, go out an execute.

This is March Madness, and there ain't a thing like it. Enjoy.

#PackTheChuck #Crazy8 #RMCMB

--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella