Robert Morris Colonials
NEC (23-10, 14-4)
Robert Morris really turned their season around after a 1-3 start. They only lost six more games the rest of season on their way to a conference championship. The Northeast was no walkover either. Half the teams were at least four games over .500, and the Colonials still won the league by two full games. They are certainly no walkover where ever they play.
Big Wins: 12/01 Ohio (84-76), 1/26 Mount St. Mary’s (76-68), 2/28 at Bryant (77-75)
Bad Losses: 1/05 Central Connecticut State (70-77), 1/31 at St. Francis (NY), 2/14 at Quinnipiac (61-63)
Coach: Andrew Toole (3 seasons at Robert Morris)
Why They Can Surprise:
Robert Morris is a sharpshooting team from behind the three-point line. They live and die by the long ball, much like a Duke team would. They constantly look for the kick-out and they drain them. It can be quite deflating for their opponents. They are eighth in the country at three-pointers made per game at nearly nine. It is a big part of their game, and it will be the key for them winning some games in a tournament. From inside the arc, the Colonials still shoot over 40 percent. More impressive is their foul shooting. As a team they are shooting about 75 percent from the line. They are tough to catch when they are leading at the end of a game. Robert Morris also tends to win turnover battles, which is a big reason they won the Northeast. They were second in the conference in turnover margin. They have a great ability to snag the ball from the passing lanes. They snared a blistering nine per game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
It is a good thing Robert Morris generates a lot of turnovers because they have a hard time defending shooters. Opponents hit nearly 45 percent of their shots on the Colonials. That statistic becomes a problem if they happen to go cold from three-point range. This is also a team that lacks size. It may be their biggest shortcoming. They only have three players that measure out at 6’7” or over. They do not have the ability to attack the glass the way some other big teams can. They only grab about 32 boards per game. That size may also become a problem when driving the lane. Tall, athletic clubs will be able to get their hands up and disrupt any interior shooting attempts. Conversely, they have no inside presence to dominate the paint defensively. There is a reason they had to perfect the outside shooting.
Probable Starters:
Velton Jones, Senior, Guard, 10.9 ppg, 5.2 apg
Coron Williams, Junior, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 1.2 apg
Lucky Jones, Sophomore, Forward, 11.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Mike McFadden, Junior, Forward, 8.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Russell Johnson, Senior, Forward, 10.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
David Appolon, Sophomore, Guard, 3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Anthony Myers-Pate, Junior, Guard, 6.0 ppg, 2.7 apg
Keith Armstrong, Sophomore, Forward, 1.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Stephan Hawkins, Freshman, Forward-Center, 2.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.3 (83rd in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.6 (147, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.0 (188, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.8 (265, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.6 (8, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.0 (31, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.4 (31, 1)
Rebound Margin: -1.2 (228, 6)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (93, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (141, 5)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 CIT First Round win over Indiana State
2012 CIT Second Round win over Toledo
2012 CIT Quarterfinal loss to Fairfield
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Villanova
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Michigan State
2008 NIT First Round loss to Syracuse
1992 NCAA Round of 64 loss to UCLA
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
