Rivalry? Or Not? Robert Morris vs SFPA

Robert Morris (7-10, 2-0) vs St Francis PA (3-12, 1-1)
When: Thursday, January 16th, 7pm
Where: Sewall Center, Moon Township PA
KenPom: RMU 157, SFPA 333
Storyline: The Colonials look to continue to ride the hot hand of Karvel Anderson as they host local "rival" St Francis PA and move their NEC record to a perfect 3-0 before a tough road game this weekend at Mount St Mary's.

Rival is geographic terms only:

McFadden and the Colonials have dominated
the recent series over SFPA.
(Don Wright/AP)

It's hard to consider this a rivalry game. Sure the schools are geographically close to each other, but that is about it. Robert Morris has dominated this series, winning eleven in a row. The Red Flash last got a win in the first matchup of the 07-08 season. That's 11 wins in the past 12 games for the Colonials. Nobody on the RMU coaching staff or roster has ever lost to St Francis PA.

If this is still a rivalry, it's a one sided one.

As for the Red Flash this season, it's once again been a rough ride. They currently sit at 3-12, which is actually an improvement on where they were at last season at this point in the season.

They are coming off one of their better performances of the season last Saturday, a 75-67 win over Central Connecticut. While the Blue Devils have had their problems with injuries and suspensions, it was still a nice win for a young St Francis team.

Earl Brown is without a doubt the teams best weapon. Brown is a stat sheet stuffer, who can score in a variety of ways. He's averaging 14 points-per-game and 10 rebounds-per-game. Any time a guy averages a double-double, you know he is a baller.

Earl Brown and SFPA look to get their first win
over RMU since 2007.

Outside of Brown is where the troubles start.

The Flash simply have not develop many other weapons on either end of the court.

On offense, the Red Flash are one of the worst teams in the country. They're only scoring 93.3 points-per-100 possessions. That's 336th in all of college basketball in adjusted offensive efficiency. In layman's terms, "they stink."

The defense is much better. They're giving up 110.1 points-per-100 possessions, again a subpar 284th in college basketball.

RMU is scoring 107.4-points-per-100 possessions, and Anderson has dropped 30-plus in each of his last two games. St Francis could be in some trouble.

Malik Harmon, Ben Millaud-Meunier and Stephon Mosley all have their moments. If that trio can find some consistency they could give the Colonials a bigger headache than expected.

Harmon, only a freshman, is the guy to watch. He's got a lot of talent, and in one of the better newcomers in the NEC. Going against Ant Myers-Pate will be a good test for the youngster.

Stay focused: This is a bit of a trap game, if RMU overlooks the Flash. They earned a really big win at Bryant this past weekend, and have a huge game Saturday at Mount. This is their first home game it what seems like forever, so that should help avoid a letdown. If they do overlook the Flash, they will be in for a fight.

Stay Hot, Get Hot: As mentioned above, senior guard Karvel Anderson has scored 30-plus in back-to-back road games. He now comes home to the comforts of the Charles L. Sewall Center, where he has always shot his best. Look for him to stay hot.

Check his Interview here in the NEC Google Hangout.

Myers-Pate has also played his best ball as of late. He really got after it on the road trip, and has found some confidence in his jumper. It's all between the ears with Ant, and right now he has that self belief. It's showing, with  48 assists, and only 11 turnovers in his last nine games, per Craig Meyer. He's the key to engine, and right now it's running well.

As for Lucky Jones and Mike McFadden, they have been up and down as of late. McFadden has been battling a knee injury, but returned this week, according to reports. This would be a nice game to get him going, as RMU will need his presence in the middle to move forward. CTC would really like to see Mike do his work on the post, and work on the interior. Lucky will be fine, he's a shooter, and all shooters go through cold streaks. Expect him to correct that quickly.

Defensive outlook:

I like this zone. It's really helped improve the defense and seems to get better each and every game. Last game against Bryant, it created a ll sorts of problems for the Bulldogs.

But....

I'm still not 100 percent convinced we have seen the last of the man-to-man for the season.

Why?

What happens when a team figures this thing out? What happens in the NEC Semifinals when Bryant, or Mount corrects some of the issues and RMU needs to change things up?

If the Colonials can take care of business, jump out quickly, and take control of the game, they could go back to the man-to-man just to see where they stand with it, and how certain players can adjust in the flow of the game.

If St Francis keeps it close, I think Andy Toole sticks to what has been working and what the team feels comfortable with, but if they can gran a 20 point lead by the 10 minute mark in the second half, maybe throws a curve ball at the teams to see how they handle the change.

Lets make it 12 straight over the guys from Loretto PA, and get to 3-0 before the big game this weekend.

--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5

NEC News and Notes

Your current NEC standings after two games:

Alex Francis was spectacular against RMU,
but the Colonials got the win.
(p/c Bryant).

1. Robert Morris (2-0)

2. Wagner (2-0)

3. Bryant (1-1)

4. Mount St. Mary's (1-1)

5. St. Francis (Brooklyn) (1-1)

6. Fairleigh Dickinson (1-1)

7. Sacred Heart (1-1)

8. St. Francis (PA) (1-1)

9. Long Island (0-2)

10. Central Connecticut (0-2)

News and Notes:

• RMU is coming of a huge road win against Bryant. If you missed our recap, catch it here. RMU will take on St. Francis (PA) Thursday and we'll have a game preview up tomorrow. 
• Karvel Anderson was named the NEC player of the week. That's what happens when you average 34 points in a week.
• Andrew Chiappazzi talks with Karvel Anderson about his evolution as a scorer.
• TribLIVE radio's Ken Laird chats with head coach Andy Toole about conference play, Karvel Anderson, Mike McFadden's health, attendance, and defense. A great interview worth ten minutes of your time (audio). 
• The Post-Gazette's Craig Meyer writes about conference play for RMU and mid-major's around the country
• LIU is starting to look like the walking dead as they fall to 0-2 in conference play. 
• From a week ago... Ryan Peters of Big Apple Buckets gives out NEC mid-season awards.
• Mount St. Mary's lands a nice transfer from Butler.
• According to the Post Gazette's Craig Meyer, Mike McFadden was back at practice today. That's good news as he battles a knee injury.
• Another note from Meyer, "RMU's average attendance through its first 4 games has been 902.5. At the same point last season, it was 933.5. Not much of a bump from UK win." Pick it up Robert Morris.

Conference Look Back/Ahead:

With two 30+ point games, Anderson was
named NEC player of the week.
(p/c NBC)

After one weekend of conference play, we learned a few things around the NEC. Here are some things that jumped out after the first two games.

1) Central Connecticut and Long Island are both in a lot of trouble. They are two teams that have been CRUSHED by injuries and suspensions. The Blackbirds have dealt with it all year, and just don't have the depth to keep up with teams. They did lose both their games to two contenders (SFNY, Wagner) so one should not write them off yet.

Central is another story. Matt Hunter is out for the year (suspension) and star guard Kyle Vinales broke a bone in his finger. He's likely out until the NEC tournament, if CCSU even makes it that far. On opening weekend, the Blue Devils got destroyed on their home court by Wagner, and followed that up by losing handily to St Francis (PA), again at home. The Red Flash were 2-12 entering the game.

2) Mount St Mary's is a weird team. They lost on the road at FDU, but took down St Francis Brooklyn on their home court. They have the leagues best offense scoring 109 points-per-100 possessions (RMU is second) but don't play a whole lot of defense. Expect the Mount to beat some teams they shouldn't but lose to some teams they should handle.

3) There is still a lot of time for craziness to ensue, but after the first weekend of league play, everything went about according to plan. RMU and Wagner won both games, and Bryant was right there. CCSU and LIU are the only winless teams, but given the injuries they have that's no surprise. The only surprise may have been FDU taking down Mount, but that's about it (and that isn't too shocking).

In week two of league play, we have a few intriguing match ups. 

The best game, on paper anyway, on Thursday has to be Wagner at The Mount. The Mountaineers have a huge weekend coming up, hosting both 2-0 Wagner and 2-0 Robert Morris (more on that in a bit, Saturday 1/18). The game Thursday against Wagner in on ESPN3.

I'm really interested in this match up. Wagner has a great defense, and Mount has a great offense. On top of that, I want to see if the Seahawks have really found themselves after an up-and-down non conference slate, or if they just benefited from a soft first-two league games. Their opponents record (LIU/CCSU) is a combine 0-4 and both as mentioned are devastated with injuries. If Wagner wins this one though, they will reclaim the top league contender spot (at least until Saturday when RMU has the opportunity to pick up the same type of win at the Mount).

LIU needs to win on Thursday. They play their NEC home opener against FDU. If they lose to the Knights it could be a long season (though FDU is vastly improved).

I (Lee) still don't know what to make of St Francis Brooklyn. I said before league play I wasn't buying them quite yet while many around the league think they can contend for a spot in the NEC title game. Then they crushed LIU on opening night, but lost to Mount giving up 88 points in the process.

SF Brooklyn beat LIU, but lost on the
road to Mount.
(p/c Getty Images)

I maintain the thought that they will not finish in the top four (I have them fifth) but they should pick up two wins this weekend. A game at CCSU and then a home affair against Sacred Heart is not an overly challenging pair of games, in fact it may be their easiest weekend of games in conference play.

As for the Colonials, one wouldn't expect them to have many problems with the Red Flash, though nothing is a guarantee in this league. If they can get by St Francis, they can send a big message with a win Saturday at Mount.

My guarantee of the week:

LIU Brooklyn picks up their first NEC win of the season over FDU.

My upset pick of the week:

Sacred Heart beats either Bryant or St Francis Brooklyn on the road.

I'm giving myself a little leeway here by picking the Pioneers in one of the two games, but I like what I saw from Sacred Heart this weekend. They gave RMU a run for their money, and beat FDU just two days after the Knights beat Mount. I think they pull off one of these two games, and if I was forced to pick just one, I would go with the St Francis Brooklyn.

--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

Game recap: #FEEDTHEBEAST lifts RMU to huge road win

Karvel Anderson dropped 32 in RMU's win at Bryant (p/c: Justin Berl)

RMU improved to 2-0 in conference play with a 71-67 victory at Bryant. This is one of the best games I’ve ever seen covering RMU.

It was a tight one the whole way. The beginning of the game was played with great tempo and lots of baskets. Bryant’s Alex Francis set the tone early making some tough shots in the paint. On the Colonials side, Karvel Anderson did whatever he wanted. He was hitting 24 foot three pointers with hands in his face, getting to the basket, dishing to teammates… you name it, he was doing it.

RMU had as much as an eight point lead in the first half but Bryant fought back by grinding out points. Bryant star guard Dyami Starks was ice cold, scoring only two points in the first half.

The second half started with plenty of energy and lots of misses. RMU started off 1-13 from the field and found themselves down four multiple times through the half. Things started getting extra interesting in the second half when Karvel Anderson and Chuck Oliver traded off three pointers to tie the game. The players on both teams were feeding off of each other. I too was feeding off the energy, doing wind sprints in my apartment during media timeouts to try and remain calm (kidding, I was doing laundry).

The game was tied with 40 seconds left until Karvel Anderson decided enough was enough. He got the ball with the shot clock winding down, faced a double team, picked up his dribble, then split said double team to hit a jump shot from theelbow. Bryant tried to push it down the court for an alley-oop but Stephan Hawkins swatted it away. The game should have been over after that but with 18 seconds left RMU couldn’t inbound the ball and gave it back to the Bulldogs. Starks missed a tough three pointer, Karvel Anderson hit two more free throws, and we were done.

More thoughts:

-Karvel Anderson: 32 points on 12-24 shooting. This is fresh off a game where he had 36 and five. Per Andrew Chiappazzi, Anderson is the first Colonial with back to back 30 point games since Gene Nabors in the 2000 NEC tournament. Think he’s winning NEC player of the week?

-Mike McFadden did not play today. Stephan Hawkins and Aaron Tate played the middle of the zone and weren’t great but did enough when it mattered most. It was a really good job by the team rebounding game.

-Lucky Jones did not have a good game. Even still, RMU just won two road conference games without him finding a groove. That speaks a lot to how the team played.

-There’s really not a whole lot to add. This was a HUGE road win. I know it’s only January, but sweeping Bryant could potentially decide home court advantage in the NEC. That was an incredible game and a great team effort.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella

New Found Rivalry: Robert Morris at Bryant

Robert Morris (6-10, 1-0) at Bryant (9-7, 1-0)
When: Saturday January 11th, 1pm
Where: Chace Athletic Center, Smithfield Rhode Island
KenPom: RMU 174, Bryant 183
Storyline: RMU heads back up to Smithfield, where last year they clinched the NEC regular season title. After splitting the season series in 12-13, these two figure to battle it out again for the NEC crown.
Link: NEC FrontRow

Survive, and Move on: 
First off, nice win to start off the NEC season. Chris gives you the recap here. How good is Karvel Anderson? A career high 36 points on only 19 shots? That's insane efficiency. Let's not overlook the fact that RMU probably loses that game in Anderson does't produce his best overall performance in an RMU uniform. There was a lot of good things, but RMU still has that one stretch where they blow, or almost blow, the game in the second half. It's like they can't avoid a bad five to eight minutes stretch each game. They do that Saturday at Bryant, and things could get ugly.

RMU and Bryant are developing a nice rivalry.
(Bryant Athletics)

New Found Rivalry: 
A few years ago, RMU and Mount St. Mary's was the premiere rivalry in the NEC. Then RMU steamrolled the Mount for a stretch (though Mount got some revenge last March), and LIU became a conference power. The Blackbirds and Colonials formed a great rivalry that included two straight NEC title games, and a few classic regular season battles over that stretch.

Now the Bryant Bulldogs have emerge as the Colonials next big rival.

Last year, Bryant shocked the conference by going to Moon Township and defeating the Colonials on their home court, moving RMU to 0-2 in NEC play. RMU returned the favor in late February, going to Smithfield in front of one of the best, and loudest, crowds in Bryant, and NEC history. The win clinched the regular season title for the Colonials.

With both teams expected to contend for the NEC title, expect the rivalry to continue to grow this year.

What's at stake?

This is a really hard question to answer this early in the season. Remember, last year RMU lost their first two games in NEC play --both at home-- and bounced back to win the regular season title with a game to spare. So one cannot draw too many conclusions from a early January game.

With that said, both these two know the opposing squad will contend for the league title, and both would love to get off to a 2-0 start and kickstart what could be a nice run in NEC play.

This game could also go a long way in deciding who gets home court advantage in the NEC tournament, especially if RMU pulls out the victory, given they still get the Bulldogs at home --on ESPNU, the Chuck better be PACKEEDDDD on January 30th, I'll be driving out from Philadelphia for the game-- they would have a big early advantage.

Getting to know the Bulldogs:

The Bulldogs enter the game winners of two straight including a dominating NEC opening victory over St Francis (PA). They have a lot more depth then last years team, and are still anchored by two extraordinary scoring threats, Dyami Starks and Alex Francis.

Much like RMU, Bryant has a good O, but
below average D.
(KenPom)

Starks (20.9 ppg) and Francis (17.6 ppg) along with Corey Maynard (11.9 ppg) lead a very strong offense, scoring 105.3 points-per-100 possessions (adjusted offensive efficiency).

The Bulldogs really look to work it into Francis. He's the type of players that can dominate the game with not only his ability to score, but also pass out of double-teams, and kill teams on the boards. With RMU's new zone look, they need to find Francis and keep him off the offensive glass, or he will eat them up all game long.

Look for the Colonials to pack the zone in, and make the Bryant guards beat them. Starks is a 40 percent three point shooter, but he's their only consistent weapon from downtown. As a team Bryant only shoots 32.3 percent. That's not all that good.

On defense, I think Bryant will struggled with the Colonials new high octane attack. RMU is scoring 107.2 points-per-100 possessions. That's just fractions off the NEC's best offense, in terms of Adjusted Offense. Many believe Andy Toole's team has the best offense in the league.

Bryant is allowing teams to shoot 35.6 percent from three, thats 242nd worse three point D in the country. Look for Anderson and Lucky Jones to exploit that. The Colonials are currently the 15th best three point shooting team in college basketball, making 40.8 percent of their attempts.

RMU Keys: 

The Colonials O remains efficient,
but the D still needs work.
(KenPom)

This is the biggest game of the season. I know Karvel, Lucky, Ant, and big Mike will be focused and will bring the heat. I expect solid games from all of them.

Mike will have his hands full with Francis, plus he is battling a knee injury, but I trust the big fellow. He shows up in the big games (Note on McFadden, my man Chris has been pretty tough on Mike, and for good reason. He's been up-and-down all year. I refuse to say anything critical about Mike on CTC because he has a pass for life after his clutch FT's against UK, any time out, beer on me big fella).

What I can't wait to see? How the new guys, Jeremiah Worthem, Charles Oliver, Aaron Tate and the freshmen point guards play in what is a big conference game. They haven't got a taste of big time NEC action. Time to get their feet wet. 

Speaking of those freshmen point guards, I can't wait to see how Toole handles Britton Lee and Kavon Stewart. Lee checking into the first conference game was one of the biggest shocks of the season. He earned the playing time in practice. Stewart has got most of the back-up PG duties throughout the season. How Andy handles the two in this game could be a glimpse into what he will do the rest of the season.

I'm assuming the Bryant students are still on winter break, or just returning from break, so I doubt we will see an insane crowd like the game in Smithfield last season. With that said, there should be a good amount of people on hand for what could be an early NEC title preview.

--Kunkel5

--Lee Kunkel

Game recap: I think we have an NEC POY front-runner

Robert Morris snapped a three game losing streak and grabbed their first conference win with a 79-70 victory over Sacred Heart. RMU loses by double digits if superhuman Karvel Anderson doesn’t go for a career high 36 points.

Cook, Vel, cook. (p/c NBC).

It was a slow start for the Colonials. The team looked like it was sleepwalking through the first ten minutes or so; the off ball movement was lacking and Sacred Heart was getting a lot of second chance opportunities. RMU stayed in it by feeding the ball to Karvel Anderson and Lucky Jones.

RMU ended the half on a nice run. They started dominating by simply picking up the energy level. David Appolon came in, got some offensive rebounds, and defended well. The zone D started forcing a lot of turnovers, including back to back possessions where Aaron Tate and Stephan Hawkins used active hands to get steals. Tate also hit a 20 foot corner jump shot, which blew my mind.

RMU looked like they were going to blow this one open in the second half but give credit to Sacred Heart for never quitting. They DOMINATED the glass. RMU looked like they had no interest in rebounding. All of the sudden this was a two point game with four minutes left.

Karvel Anderson had been playing great all game but put his stamp on things at the end, scoring off a filthy move to the bucket, then a DEEP three with 50 seconds remaining to put the lead at seven. Some thoughts:

-Karvel Anderson: 36 points (15-19, 6-7), 5 rebounds, 3 steals. That was the most impressive performance I’ve ever seen. Without him, RMU losses. By a lot.

-Mike McFadden was a go today but did not move well at all. He worked a lot more with his back to the basket, which is good, but was just out of control. He finished with five points and five rebounds.

-Biggest complaint with the defense: Sacred Heart, especially late in the game, got into the high post and penetrated wayyyyyyy to easy.

-Britton Lee played today! Kavon Stewart has been struggling as of late so Toole went with Lee as his first guard off the bench. Lee didn’t do anything of note, but it was an interesting tactic.

-I really dislike any lineup with David Appolon and Aaron Tate playing at the same time, especially when Appolon is the two guard. It feels like when that unit scores, it’s by accident.

-Overall, a win is a win but keep perspective: RMU let a bottom-feeder NEC school stay in a game that should not have been close. RMU, outside of Karvel Anderson and David Appolon at times, looked disinterested. Bryant is going to be a tough task Saturday.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella

NEC preview mega-chat

Karvel Anderson looks to lead RMU to the big dance (p/c: Justin Berl)

Chris: Alright boss, NEC play is right around the corner. Time for a MEGA-CHAT! Today is definitely a good day to have such a thing; I'm absolutely losing my mind over Mike Piazza being snubbed from the baseball HOF.

Anyways, to basketball. It was an... interesting out of conference season. St. Francis Brooklyn pulled some nice upsets, LIU almost beat Indiana (then lost Julian Boyd), FDU won 4 (!!!!!!!!!!!!) games, and RMU plays a zone now. Lets start with the Colonials. Lee, I know you think RMU is going to dominate the NEC...

Lee: Lot's to talk about here Chris, so let’s get it rolling. We cover the Colonials so let’s start with them.

First off, I don't so much think RMU will run away with the league because of what they're doing, but more whats happening around the league. No team has stepped up as the team "team to beat", and I think RMU's flaws are more than fixable. 

We know the D stinks, but not many teams in the league have a decent D, let alone a GOOD D. Only St. Francis Brooklyn can claim to be an above average defensive group, though Wagner has their moments.

Andy Toole and company have played an insane schedule. It was brutal, and with all the newcomers, the results were not pretty. With that said I think it prepared the team for NEC play. RMU is 5-0 against teams outside the top 200 in the KenPom rankings. They're 0-10 against teams inside the top 200 (with some tight losses to EMU, Toledo, and Oakland). 

Guess what? Only Bryant is inside the top 200 in the NEC. That tells me RMU is going to win a lot of games against NEC level competition, because they have done just that in the non-conference. Other league contenders (Bryant, Wagner, Mount, SFNY,) all have at least one loss to a team sub-

250 in the KenPom rankings.

As for the Colonials main issue (DEFENSE), it's correctable. Playing more comparable competition will help, and it's something Andy Toole should be able to fix. The guy swears by defense, and as we saw against Alabama, it's starting to round into form.

Health is another BIG issue for teams around the league, and thus far (knock on wood) the Colonials have dodged the big injury. Many other teams can't say the same. 

These combination of things lead me to believe that RMU will go something like 12-4 (13-3 at best, 10-6 at worst) which should be enough to win the league regular season title. Your thoughts on the Colonials? 

Chris: I tend to agree. It's been really interesting watching this team grow. The two biggest issues this team has had: defense and bench play. I don't think the defense will ever be where Toole wants it to be. Just when you think the zone has solved problems, Oakland hangs a hundred on them. That lack of consistency really scares me. Overall, I do like the 2-3 zone though. It's really aggressive and is forcing some tough shots. Rebounding is always going to be a minor issue with this team anyway, so switching to a 2-3 is fine with me.

As for the bench play, that's what scares me most. Can this team really win the NEC with 7 trustworthy guys? Does Toole even have seven guys he can trust? I'm not sure. It certainly is getting better. Aaron Tate is rebounding better, Chuck Oliver goes on personal 10 point runs like it's his job and Stephan Hawkins all of a sudden has found his baseline jumper. One guy we really liked was Juanie Newton but is he even still alive? Toole is building extensions for his doghouse to move him even farther back.

Can David Appolon give RMU some much needed bench
minutes? (p/c: Justin Berl)

Lee: The bench is a bigger worry to me. Toole's pedigree and the downgrade in competition tend to point toward a better defensive output, at least in my opinion. We will see, there are still a lot of moving parts going on as the team transitions to zone.

Back to the bench.

I really like what I've seen from Hawk, Oliver, Tate, and Stewart, at certain times. Consistency is the name of the game though.

Oliver is the one I worry least about. He seems to have found his footing, and his skillset on the offensive side is something nobody on the team has, outside of Karvel Anderson (who is playing at an All-NEC level). He just needs to continue to grow on the defensive end, which it appears he is doing. 

Hawk is so up and down, but he's strung together a few nice games in a row now, and that's a good sign. Him, along with Mike McFadden, may have a simple answer to their struggles. Just stay out of foul trouble. If they can do that, it allows both to play with much more aggression, something both need to be successful.

Both these issues will certainly be something to track. If RMU can improve both areas, they will be a very strong team.

Enough about the Colonials, let's look at the rest of the league. Who are some of the teams that will fight for that number one seed in the NEC tournament?

Chris: One last note about RMU: I am worried about some of the mental toughness of this team. We've seen some shady things just through social networking, and not just from freshman who don't know better. 

As for the rest of the NEC, I hate to do this but I think LIU is done without Julian Boyd. Such an unfortunate situation for him. I think the other team in Brooklyn is the most intriguing. St. Francis can play defense like no one's business but do they have enough on offense? Outside of Jalen Cannon it doesn't appear so. They realllllly need Ben Mockford to find his three point stroke. He was a 40% shooter from three last year and is down at 34.6 now

Lee: I'm alone on this train, but I'm not buying the Terriers. I still think Wagner is going to be a big time threat, and I'm not off the Mount bandwagon quite yet. The injuries have killed them, but their is still a lot of talent there. 

Julian Norfleet could win NEC player of the year. He's sensational. Rashad Whack is still one of the better offensive players in the conference, from a skill-set point-of-view, and they need Sam Prescott to get his act together, but that's a strong trio. 

If I had to map out a top 4 (and a first round home game) I would go, RMU, Bryant, Wagner, Mount, in that order. SFNY is next up, and behind that there isn't much. 

LIU has been murdered by injuries like you said, they will find it hard to break into the top four. Then again, the media, and many, have doubted them before, and all those guys do is win in March. They still have Brickman, so I won't bury them quite yet. 

One team I have to mention is those Bryant Bulldogs. Many projections have them winning the NEC, including KenPom, and Ken's projections are deadly accurate. 

Is Bryant the favorites in the NEC?

The emergence of Freshman Dan Garvin has been huge for Tim O'Shea. Much like Jeremiah Worthem at RMU, Garvin has given the Bulldogs a athletic threat on the wing to add to their other weapons.

They still have Alex Francis and Dyami Starks, so one would expect the Bulldogs offense to continue to thrive.

They also have a lot more depth than last year, and they added a lot of experience with the run they made in 2012-2013. Last year they were in uncharted waters. This year they know what to expect. 

Chris: What a surprise, you're right on. Experience for Bryant is bigger than any player for them. They also have a great home court advantage, making a potential 1 seed crucial for them. 

The thing that scares me with Wagner is just how talented they are. They're very good defenders, just by nature of how athletic they are, have experience, but just can't figure it out on offense. When you watch them it just doesn't look fluid. 

One team I was high on to start the year was CCSU. I knew they weren't going to be able to defend but what's up on offense? That backcourt can still dominate the NEC. 

Lee: The loss of Matt Hunter for the season is big time though. They have had a good amount of injuries too. We all know what Kyle Vinales is capable of and I'm sure they will shock a few teams at home, but I can't see them making much noise. They should make the NEC tournament as a seven or eight seed, but that might be about it.

(Update: Kyle Vinales is out 5-6 weeks with a broken finger, a huge blow for the Blue Devils.)

FDU and SFPA will have an uphill climb to make the NEC tourny, but FDU did show some life in the middle of non-conference play. Both those squads have some guys who can beat you (I love Earl Brown, he's a do it all forward that will give some teams a major headache) and the goal should be to fight for a postseason berth. 

Predicting the league top to bottom is as hard as its even been, given all the inconsistencies within the league for each and every team, but I'll take a swing at it.

1. RMU, 2. Bryant, 3. Wagner, 4. Mount, 5. SFNY, 6. LIU, 7. Sacred Heart, 8. CCSU, 9. FDU, 10. SFPA  

Chris: I can’t wait to watch Sidney Sanders Jr. The kid tore up out of conference play.

Every team has some obvious flaws, which makes it hard to pick the NEC. I am buying the Terriers because I’m partial to teams that can get stops and St. Francis can certainly do that. If I had to make a “bold” pick I guess it would be LIU barely makes the NEC tournament and finishes as a seven seed. I think CCSU gets it together. I loved them going into the year and they have way too much talent on offense to not figure it out, even without Matt Hunter.

Here are my picks:

1.Bryant 2. RMU 3. Mount St. Mary’s 4. Wagner 5. St. Francis Brooklyn 6. Central Connecticut State 7. LIU 8. Sacred Heart 9. FDU 10. St. Francis (PA)

Enjoy NEC action!

Game preview: RMU at Sacred Heart

Anthony Myers-Pate is hitting his stride and hopes to kick off conference play right (p/c Justin Berl)

Robert Morris (5-10) at Sacred Heart (3-12)

When: Thursday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Where: The William Pitt Center

KenPom: RMU 180, Sacred Heart 280

Storyline: Robert Morris’ roadtrip hits four games as they tip off NEC action

Getting to Know the Pioneers

For four years Sacred Heart was defined by one man: Shane Gibson. Gibson, arguably the most prolific scorer in the history of the NEC, played on some bad teams but always scared opponents for his ability to score. He could win a game by himself. Sacred Heart does not have him anymore and the transition has been a bit of a struggle.

Sacred Heart is following the NEC trend of poor defensive play, coming in with KenPoms 314 defensive efficiency rating. They don’t do a bad job of forcing turnovers or defending the three but struggle with just about everything else. Opponents are shooting 55 percent from two. That tells me Sacred Heart has really struggled defending the block.

Some names to know: guard Phil Gaetano is one of the more underrated players in the NEC. I love his game. He’s smart with the ball, creates opportunities for his teammates, and has a nice jump shot (he’s shooting 43 percent from three on the year). Evan Kelley and Chris Evans lead the in scoring with 14.1 and 12.7 points per game, respectively. Louis Montes doesn’t do anything spectacular but will certainly shoot a lot. Steve Glowiak is the guy to watch around the perimeter, attempting 97 three pointers and making 39 of them (40.2 percent).

The injury watch is officially on

Mike McFadden (knee) missed Sunday’s game at Alabama in what was described as a minor injury. He had a full practice Wednesday, per Andrew Chiappazzi, and is expected to play the NEC opener. The low post presence McFadden brings is going to be very key for RMU’s 16 remaining games. If you can recall, McFadden actually left the team last year due to some of the nagging injuries he was suffering. Keeping him healthy and happy could decide the NEC.

Low post dominance?

Sacred Heart is really struggling on defense, committing a lot of fouls and giving up a lot of two point buckets. This should translate into nice games from Jeremiah Worthem and Mike McFadden. As we’ve said before, McFadden is excellent with his back to the basket. As long as he commits himself to limiting his jump shots and backing down opponents he should be okay.

When it counts

NEC time is what really matters. No team goes to the big dance without winning the NEC title. In Andy Toole’s time as Robert Morris head coach, RMU has a combined record of 39-15 in conference play with nine of those losses being on the road.