Lijah Thompson leaves RMU

In a surprise move, center Lijah Thompson has decided to forgo his senior season at Robert Morris and will instead enroll at Lincoln University, a D-II school. Andrew Chiappazzi of ColonialsCorner.com was the first to report. A few thoughts:

• Lincoln just got a heck of a center: Lijah is a big, tough center. He played three very solid years and I was really looking forward to his fourth and final season, where he apparently was making great strides in all parts of his game. In his last season, Lijah averaged 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Lijah always made his presence felt on the defensive end and was the best rebounder on the team, a big weakness of the Colonials.
• You’re up, kid: What does Lijah’s departure mean for the frontcourt? Things are definitely pretty slim. The recent departures of Thompson, Vaughn Morgan, and Jervon Presley (Never played a game at RMU) increases the roles of sophomore Stephan Hawkins and freshmen Jeremiah Worthem and Aaron Tate. I thought Hawkins was the most improved player RMU had last year and he has the size and length to be a pretty dominant shot blocker and rebounder, but has to keep improving. Worthem is extremely talented but seems to be more of an inside-out player (think of the likes of Russell Johnson and Jamal Olasewere) than a post player. It sounds like Tate is a good defender and rebounder, but is only 6’5”.
• Lineup changes? Ideally, Toole would have liked to play a lineup with Thompson at center and Mike McFadden at power forward, moving Lucky Jones to small forward. Now? There are plenty of options. You could simply replace Thompson with Hawkins, or move McFadden to center and start Worthem at power forward. When Toole wants to go small, he can move Jones to power forward and potentially play two point guards with Anthony Myers-Pate and Kavon Stewart taking the floor, much like we saw last year when Myers-Pate and Velton Jones played together.
• The Expectations should stay the same: Look, losing a tough, experienced center obviously sucks, but it’s not like he played last year. While RMU lost two greats in Russell Johnson and Velton Jones, Toole still brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the history of Robert Morris basketball. There’s been a ton of turnover in the NEC and RMU is as talented as anyone. There’s no reason to still not expect the colonials to be in the NEC championship hunt. It’s NCAA’s or bust. Again.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella 

Julian Boyd has a torn ACL

2011-2012 NEC player of the year and Long Island University forward Julian Boyd has torn his ACL for a second time, according to Jon Rothstein.

This is a huge deal for LIU, who was really counting on Boyd to come back and be the star for the Blackbirds. The reigning three-time NEC champions have lost Jamal Olasewere (last years NEC player of the year), Kenny Onyechi, and C.J. Garner due to graduation and will likely lose Boyd for the season, leaving a huge burden on point guard Jason Brickman to carry the team.

Health hasn't been in Boyd's favor. Following his freshman season he was diagnosed with noncompaction cardiomyopathy, which, in its simplest terms, negatively affects the ventricles in the heart. Because of this diagnosis, he was forced to take a medical redshirt. Last season Boyd was suspended the first two games due to his actions in a fight. Shortly after he came back, he tore his ACL and was granted another medical redshirt and a sixth year of eligibility. 

Despite the awful luck, I wouldn’t hold my breath on the NCAA granting Boyd another medical redshirt. I’m not sure if there is a precedent for that.

Rothstein noted that January is the best-case scenario for a return, which I don’t buy. Lets think about this in a best-case scenario for LIU: Boyd tore his ACL June 1 and was able to keep it under wraps for this long. A January return would be a seven month recovery, which is Jerry Rice-like. 

Rothstein is a very optimistic guy, but the plan for LIU going forward will probably be to operate as if Boyd isn’t coming back. That’s a tough break for LIU and the NEC, as Boyd, despite his health concerns, could have had a shot to take his game to the professional level.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella

Russell Johnson strikes a deal overseas

Great news Colonial fans! Former RMU forward Russell Johnson has struck a deal to play overseas in Spain for Penas Huesca (also known as Lobe Huesca for sponsorship reasons). As far as I’m concerned, the news was broke by head coach Andy Toole via twitter.

This is awesome news for Russell, who has always had great talent and still has his best basketball ahead of him. Russell was a guy who has seen time since his freshman year but never seemed to reach his full potential until he came on strong the second half of this past season. Russell is a great rebounder (second in school history) and has a solid inside-out game.

I’m not too familiar with Eurobasketball but Lobe Huesca sems to have a pretty good history. Right now they’re in the second tier of the LEB Gold division with twelve other teams. They went 11-15 last season and made the playoffs as the eighth and final seed, where they lost the best of five series 3-1 to the eventual champs Lucentum.

We wish the best to Russell Johnson for his continued success. It’s not everyday you get to play the game you love for a full-time living.

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

Summer League Update: 7/2/13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 --Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

RMU hoops schedule updates

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

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

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

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

Go Colonials!

-- Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel

Coron Williams to Transfer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking of Karvel, here's some good news!

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

Now what?

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

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


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

Can RMU keep its head man?

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

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

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

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

A healthy Lijah Thompson will help
RMU immensely next year

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

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

Worthem could be a huge get for Andy Toole.

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

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

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

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

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

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

--@Kunkel5
--Lee Kunkel