Colonials Corner

Mezie Nwigwe shoots over Brad Wanamaker Monday night. AP Photo.

The knowledge will be important down the road. As bitter as a loss always tastes, Robert Morris will walk away from Monday night’s 77-53 loss to No. 25 Pitt with information that perhaps they did not have prior to their annual showdown at the Petersen Events Center.

“We were able to play with them, especially our young guys who were able to attack and move the defense,” Robert Morris head coach Mike Rice said. “They made some adjustments and made it more difficult.”

Robert Morris led throughout much of the first half, playing a strong 18 minutes behind a stout defense that adjusted well to Pitt’s motion offense. With the score tied at 32 with 2:38 left in the half, Pitt gained a little separation to go into the break leading 39-33.

“The first half, we were doing a lot of switching and we weren’t closing out good enough,” Pitt guard Jermaine Dixon said. “Coach got on us, told us to pick our intensity in the second half and it worked.”

By the time the second half got up to speed, Robert Morris had lost any momentum and Pitt was well in front on the back of an 8-0 run to start the half. Robert Morris didn’t hit a field goal in the second half

“We just didn’t come out with the same energy and aggressiveness,” Rice said. “There were times that I thought we looked like a pretty good team and there were times that I thought we had some things to work on.”

The good came primarily in the first half as Robert Morris shot over 65% in the first ten minutes. Karon Abraham scored 14 points in the half (finished with 16) while Velton Jones had all 10 of his points in the first half. But Abraham was held relatively silent in the second half – Rice even pulled him for a five minute stretch for what he described as a teaching opportunity – and the Colonials couldn’t find the same offensive rhythm.

“We can compete with them, but we have to keep going for 40 minutes,” Jones said. “We can’t stop and play good for a stretch of 7 minutes and then let up for 5 minutes. In the NEC you can get away with that sometimes. We learned we have to keep it going for the full 40 minutes.”

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Short version today, since we’re still without power and things are left to be done. However, I will be at the game to provide coverage for you, so there’s that.

You should know all about your Robert Morris Colonials by now, and Pitt should be a familiar team as well. No DeJuan Blair, no Sam Young, no Levance Fields, but they do have Ashton Gibbs, Gilbert Brown, and Brad Wanamaker. Nasir Robinson and Russell Johnson will meet up for the first time since playing for Chester High School. And Mike Rice and Jamie Dixon will face off for the first time since last year.

Tip off is 8pm on FSN Pittsburgh and ESPN360.com

Local coverage: Eric Hall at the Beaver County Times, John Grupp from the Tribune-Review, and Mike Sanserino and Ray Fittipaldo from the Post-Gazette.

On a personal note, I’ve been without power since Friday night. After hopping to various locations – including the Sewall Center last night for RMU’s 75-63 victory over St. Francis – I’m now holed up at the home of a very generous couple of friends.

Because of that situation – and the lack of a timetable on when power is expected back into my frozen tundra of an apartment – updates will be hit and miss.

We’ll try and do a Pitt preview later tonight/early tomorrow. I will be at the game, so there will be original content filed from the Pete Monday night.

For now, here’s the story we wrote for Sunday’s edition of the Times regarding RMU’s hot shooting performance Saturday night against St. Francis.

Stay warm, stay safe, and stay tuned.

Game on!

Made it up to Moon through the Snowpocalypse and both games are on tonight. The women actually just finished with another victory and the men will tip off at 7pm.

St. Francis made their trip earlier than usual (late Thursday night) and has spent the last two days in the Moon area.

Roads are passable in some areas, adventurous in others. I wouldn’t suggest traveling unless you live close by.

Records: Robert Morris (14-8, 9-1 NEC); St. Francis PA (7-14, 5-5 NEC).

Tip off: 7:30pm

Television/Radio: WPIT 730 AM

Web: rmucolonials.com, WPIT’s online media player, and follow the stats via your favorite college hoops site

Projected RMU starters: F Rob Robinson (6′8, 215, Sr.), F Dallas Green (6′8, 190, Sr) G Mezie Nwgiwe (6′4, 195, Sr.), G Karon Abraham (5′9, 150, Fr.), G Velton Jones (6′0, 170, rFr)

RMU Leaders: Points – Karon Abraham 12.9/game, Rob Robinson 9.7/game; Rebounds – Rob Robinson 5.6/game, Russell Johnson 5.4/game; Assists – Mezie Nwigwe 2.8/game, Velton Jones 2.6/game; Steals – Jones 1.3/game, Nwigwe 1.2/game

Projected St. Francis PA starters: F Kurt Hoffman (6′6, 210, Sr.), F Will Felder (6′6, 192, Fr.), G/F Devin Sweetney (6′6, 180, Sr.), G Sorena Orendi (6′1, 180, Jr.), G Chris Johnson (5′10, 168, Fr.)

St. Francis PA Leaders: Points – Devin Sweetney 16.3/game, Cedric Latimer 9.3/game; Rebounds – Sweetney 7.7/game, Will Felder 4.7/game; Assists – Chris Johnson 2.9/game, Sweetney 2.1/game; Steals – Johnson 1.2/game, Sweetney 1.1/game

Down 43-38 at the half, Robert Morris used a 9-0 run to start the second half to pull past St. Francis (Pa.) 76-67.

St. Francis tied it back up and even took a 63-61 lead with 5 minutes to go, but Rob Robinson’s short jumper keyed another 9-0 run to allow Robert Morris to seal the victory. The win gives Robert Morris a 10-1 record in the NEC (15-8 overall), making Robert Morris just one of 12 teams in Division I basketball to have 10+ wins in conference play.

It also kept Robert Morris a game in front of Quinnipiac, as the Bobcats beat Sacred Heart to improve to 9-2.

Robinson finished with 7 points in an extremely balanced lineup for Robert Morris. Karon Abraham led RMU with 13, Russell Johnson had 12, and Gary Wallace had 11. Three players (Dallas Green, Velton Jones, and Mezie Nwigwe) had 9 points each, and Josiah Whitehead chipped in six.

Devin Sweetney had 18 to lead the Frankies.

Round two of “Rivalry Week” is Saturday at 7:00 at the Sewall Center.

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As ungainly as “Rivalry Week” appears to be for the Northeast Conference, it could quietly be a blessing for Robert Morris. If the Colonials can take care of business in the home-and-home series with in-state rival St. Francis (Pa.), they’re in position to potentially reap the benefits of some heated contests across the conference.

Second place Quinnipiac, the unquestioned top contender to Robert Morris’ hold on the conference, has to deal with 5-5 Sacred Heart. The Pioneers have been inconsistent in conference play, but SHU is the only other team besides QU and RMU to have a winning overall record. Every other team in the conference has a losing overall record. The Pioneers will certainly be dangerous.

Three teams then are tied for third place at 6-4 – Monmouth, St. Francis (N.Y.), and Long Island. The two Brooklyn teams play each other and almost seem destined for a split. Monmouth will take on 5-5 Fairleigh Dickinson.

If Robert Morris takes care of business, they could be clear of the main pack in the NEC by several games, increasing their chances of locking up the #1 seed in the NEC Tournament. But that all centers on the Colonials taking care of business.

This is not the St. Francis Red Flash of old. While Robert Morris was sweeping Long Island and St. Francis (N.Y.), the Frankies were doing the same, only in reverse order. However, Don Friday’s bunch has struggled from time to time. They were swept on their Brooklyn trip by the same teams they just swept, and they went a meager 1-3 against Monmouth and FDU.

Robert Morris has not played back-to-back games against the same team since they finished the 2005-2006 season with a 2 point loss to Mount St. Mary’s, then won the opening game of the NEC Tournament against the Mount on Jeremy Chappell’s last second shot.

Records: Robert Morris (14-8, 9-1 NEC); St. Francis PA (7-14, 5-5 NEC).

Tip off: 7:30pm

Television/Radio: WPIT 730 AM

Web: rmucolonials.com, WPIT’s online media player, and follow the stats via your favorite college hoops site

Projected RMU starters: F Rob Robinson (6′8, 215, Sr.), F Dallas Green (6′8, 190, Sr) G Mezie Nwgiwe (6′4, 195, Sr.), G Karon Abraham (5′9, 150, Fr.), G Velton Jones (6′0, 170, rFr)

RMU Leaders: Points – Karon Abraham 12.9/game, Rob Robinson 9.7/game; Rebounds – Rob Robinson 5.6/game, Russell Johnson 5.4/game; Assists – Mezie Nwigwe 2.8/game, Velton Jones 2.6/game; Steals – Jones 1.3/game, Nwigwe 1.2/game

Projected St. Francis PA starters: F Kurt Hoffman (6′6, 210, Sr.), F Will Felder (6′6, 192, Fr.), G/F Devin Sweetney (6′6, 180, Sr.), G Sorena Orendi (6′1, 180, Jr.), G Chris Johnson (5′10, 168, Fr.)

St. Francis PA Leaders: Points – Devin Sweetney 16.3/game, Cedric Latimer 9.3/game; Rebounds – Sweetney 7.7/game, Will Felder 4.7/game; Assists – Chris Johnson 2.9/game, Sweetney 2.1/game; Steals – Johnson 1.2/game, Sweetney 1.1/game

Mixed in the frenzy of top high school athletes signing with top level schools are all the “projects”, “overlooked” stars on small teams, and just generally “under-sized, under-skilled” athletes that slip through the cracks.

They’re the ones that end up at schools like Robert Morris, even if those tags are only mistakenly applied (see Myles Russ).

They’re the ones we’re worried about. However, since the focus is usually on the stars and the big money schools, information about signings for the small schools won’t come until later.

Update: Day one is over and the first signings have made their way across our desk. After hunting, prowling, and scouring for information, I have seven names to offer up from Day One. Those names are after the jump, with more to come in the coming days.

Update #2: Added three more recruits to the list.

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It was inevitable. In fact, it started way back on December 3rd. But now a major news outlet is firing up the coaching carousel, and the speculation has begun.

The key word is speculation. Writers across the country, perhaps suffering a bit of basketball induced cabin fever, have begun ruminating on the fate of college coaches across the country. Who is in danger? Which programs need a facelift? Who deserves a new contract or a promotion? Which assistants are the fresh faces needed in this program or that?

And just like last year, Mike Rice’s name has come up.

Before we go much further, let’s make this clear: I don’t know what the future holds for Mike Rice or Robert Morris. No one does. At this point, Mike Rice probably doesn’t have the faintest clue.

He’s probably plopped in front of a TV or computer somewhere watching film of Devin Sweetney. His mind is probably racing, trying to figure out how the hell to handle back-to-back games against St. Francis (Pa.) this weekend. When his mind pauses long enough to allow other thoughts to muscle their way in, he’s likely hoping Karon Abraham doesn’t get the flu or Mezie Nwigwe doesn’t get the whooping cough or that the bus doesn’t break down on the trip back from Loretto late Thursday night and royally screw his team over because the NEC – in their absolutely infinite wisdom – thought it would be a good idea to schedule the first set of “home-and-home” basketball games in college basketball since the days of short-shorts and regular quintuple headers at the Palestra.

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Brian Nash used an interesting phrase to describe Robert Morris’ success against his team this season. It also applies well to the Colonials’ success in January.

You can read about Nash’s description of the “Robert Morris curse” in the game story we wrote for the Beaver County Times. The larger point though, is something worth exploring.

Robert Morris is now 26-2 in January under Mike Rice. They are 45-7 in the NEC in those three years, with 8 regular season (and potentially 3 tournament games) left to play. The 74-56 win over St. Francis by Robert Morris dovetailed with Quinnipiac’s loss to Mount St. Mary’s to give the Colonials sole possession of first place in the NEC.

So what gives? Why has Robert Morris been so successful? Talent has helped. A dangerous trio of A.J. Jackson, Jeremy Chappell, and Tony Lee helped Rice become familiar with the conference in his first year. Chappell and Rob Robinson, with an assist from Jimmy Langhurst and Bateko Francisco, made the Colonials really tough to play last year. And now Rice has something that’s rare in good teams, albeit a bit frustrating: Anyone can step up and be a star for a night. No one expected Karon Abraham to do what he’s done, but when Abraham has an off night, Rice still has Robinson, Velton Jones, Mezie Nwigwe, and Russell Johnson available to take control.

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The legend of Stefan Perunicic is dying. After a dynamic performance in his first game against Robert Morris, Perunicic hasn’t done much of anything against the Colonials in the last two games. Last time around in Brooklyn it was Rickey Cadell’s 29 points that kept St. Francis in the game.

It was also a lackadaisical approach by Robert Morris in the second half that allowed Cadell and the Terriers to even dream of a win. Robert Morris was up 41-20 at the break, but hit just five field goals in the second half and relied on free throws to pull off the 67-63 win.

Records: Robert Morris (13-8, 8-1 NEC); St. Francis NY (9-11, 6-3 NEC).

Tip off: 7pm

Television/Radio: WPIT 730 AM

Web: rmucolonials.com, WPIT’s online media player, and follow the stats via your favorite college hoops site

Projected RMU starters: F Rob Robinson (6′8, 215, Sr.), F Dallas Green (6′8, 190, Sr) G Mezie Nwgiwe (6′4, 195, Sr.), G Karon Abraham (5′9, 150, Fr.), G Velton Jones (6′0, 170, rFr)

RMU Leaders: Points – Karon Abraham 12.4/game, Rob Robinson 9.8/game; Rebounds – Rob Robinson 5.7/game, Russell Johnson 5.6/game; Assists – Mezie Nwigwe 2.8/game, Velton Jones 2.5/game; Steals – Jones 1.3/game, Johnson 1.2/game

Projected St. Francis NY starters: C Herman Wrice (6′7, 210, Sr.) , F Kayode Ayeni (6′5, 180, Sr.), F Stefan Perunicic (6′6, 195, So.), G Akeem Bennett (6′3, 180, Jr.), G Justin Newton (6′0, 190, So.)

St. Francis NY Leaders: Points – Ricky Cadell 16.7/game, Akeem Bennett 14.5/game; Rebounds – Bennett 5.6/game, Kayode Ayeni 5.4/game ; Assists – Bennett 4.0/game, Justin Newton 3.4/game; Steals – Bennett 2.3/game, Newton 2.1/game