By Paul Meyer
www.rmucolonials.com
Feb. 11, 2010
Meyer on Morris Link
Moon Township, Pa. - Their Pitt stop now in the rearview mirror, the Robert Morris University Colonials can concentrate fully on the Northeast Conference road ahead.
They're in the driver's seat in the NEC with six league games remaining, but they must avoid hitting any potholes as they motor toward a meeting with Quinnipiac, Feb. 20, at RMU's Sewall Center.
The Colonials won their ninth consecutive game and moved to 11-1 in the NEC with a 75-63 victory against visiting Saint Francis (Pa.) last Saturday night. Quinnipiac improved to 10-2 with a 90-87 win over visiting Sacred Heart.
RMU's map to that meeting with Quinnipiac includes visits to surging Central Connecticut State Thursday and sagging Bryant Saturday and a home test with enigmatic Sacred Heart Feb. 18.
Quinnipiac has home games against St. Francis (N.Y.) and Long Island this week and a visit to Saint Francis (Pa.) before reaching the Sewall Center.
"It's a two-headed race right now,'' RMU coach Mike Rice said.
That it is a two-headed race at present is largely because of the performances of three Colonial first-year players.
Guards Karon Abraham and Velton Jones and forward Russell Johnson combined average 28.8 points per game. That trio contributed 37 points in the Colonials' 77-53 loss at Pitt Monday night.
Abraham led the Colonials with 16 points and drained two more shots from beyond the arc. That raised his season total to 58 three-pointers, a Robert Morris record for a freshman. Bubba Donnelly, son of former Pirate coach Rich Donnelly, set the mark of 56 during the 1991-92 season.
Abraham leads the Colonials in scoring with an average of 13 points a game. He's shooting 45.7 percent from deep and 88.5 percent from the free throw line. He's also won four NEC Rookie of the Week awards, making him a virtual lock to be named NEC Rookie of the Year.
Abraham, from Paterson, N.J., has scored 326 points, meaning he has a great chance to break another RMU freshman record. Jeremy Chappell, who was the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2006, set the record of 410 points by a freshman that season.
"I would have told you that you were crazy if you told me (before the season) Karon would be our leading scorer,'' Rice said. "My seniors have always been the guys who stepped up. I've always known that he's been a very good offensive player, a tremendous athlete. I think his teammates are the big reason why he's been successful - setting screens and moving the ball. They look for him. They count on him. That's not easy for seniors to rely on a freshman as much as they have. They've done a good job of finding him when he's open. He's done everything I've asked him to do.''
Jones, who's won a Rookie of the Week award, is averaging 8.4 points per game while playing the point guard position. He's become adept and driving into the paint to score or pass.
"Running the point (is) great,'' Jones said. "It's something you dream about a lot. For coach Rice to give me the opportunity to come in and play, let alone start on a Division I team, it's great.''
Jones, from Philadelphia, Pa., got an early start at driving into the lane. He was four years old - playing against kids who were two or three years older.
"They always beat me up,'' Jones said. "I'd be at the top of the key, dribbling, and then just go by somebody and lay it in. I guess it's just natural instinct. I'm always trying to put it in the hoop - or pass.''
"He's become more of a relentless guy getting to the basket,'' Rice said. "He's that Philly-tough point guard.''
Johnson, from Chester, Pa., has also won a Rookie of the Week award. He's scored in double figures in eight games, including two of the past three. That threesome has won the past four NEC Rookie of the Week awards.
"It's a great achievement,'' Rice said. "We're excited about it. It shows we're recruiting the right guys and developing players.''
The play of Abraham, Jones and Johnson has helped four-year seniors Mezie Nwigwe, Dallas Green and injured Jimmy Langhurst become the winningest class in RMU men's basketball history. That senior trio has a record of 83-39. Chappell's class was 82-44.This season's seniors also has established an RMU class record for most NEC wins - 51.
The Colonials will clinch a spot in the NEC tournament with their next conference victory.
That, of course, could happen Thursday evening at Central Connecticut State.
The Blue Devils have won four straight games to recover nicely from a 2-6 start in NEC play. During the streak, CCSU has limited opponents to an average of 48.3 points per game and held them to 35.7 percent shooting from the field - including 16.1 percent (9-of-56) from beyond the arc.
The Colonials also have played great defense recently.
Over their past seven NEC games, they've held the opposition to 25.3 percent (37-of-146) accuracy from deep. Robert Morris leads the league in field goal percentage defense and three-point percentage defense with NEC marks of 37.7 percent and 30.6 percent, respectively. CCSU is second in the latter category at 32.4 percent.
CCSU's past two wins came at the expense of winless Bryant, which mustered a combined 82 points and made only three of 26 combined three-point attempts.
Bryant (0-24) is one of two Division I teams without a victory. Alcorn State, which Robert Morris beat, 107-76, Nov. 21, also is 0-24.
"We can't have a pity party,'' Bryant coach Tim O'Shea said. "We have to keep persevering. We've got some pieces. We just don't have all the parts right now of a fully functioning Division I team.''
Bryant did earn some respect from CCSU.
"They're not going to go 0-for-(the season) because they play hard,'' guard Joe Seymore told the New Britain Herald.
"They play as hard as you possibly can for a winless team,'' Blue Devil coach Howie Dickenman said.
Bryant led, 24-19, at halftime at CCSU last Saturday.
"I cautioned the players (last Friday) at practice and in the meeting in the pregame that Bryant is going to win a game or two this year and that we wanted to make sure it's not against Central Connecticut,'' Dickenman said. "I'm not so sure our players believed me. We were sleepwalking in the first half. Bryant outhustled us and outplayed us in the first half.''
The Blue Devils did rally to win, but …
"Overall, I told the team I was not pleased,'' Dickenman said. "If we play this way Thursday against one of the best defensive teams - if not the best defensive team in the league - we're going to get hammered.''
Dickenman spoke from experience.
In its visit to CCSU last season, Robert Morris had a 30-16 at halftime en route to winning, 64-44.
THE JUMBLE-TRON: CCSU is one of eight NEC teams behind RMU and Quinnipiac that stand 7-5, 6-6 or 5-7 in league play. Two of those eight will not qualify for the NEC tournament. Behind those eight are Wagner (2-10), which is just about officially eliminated and Bryant, which is not eligible for the NEC tournament.
OFFENSIVE DEFENSE: Sacred Heart allowed a total of 176 points in two losses to Quinnipiac last weekend.
"What's the opposite of fantastic?'' Pioneer coach Dave Bike mused. "We're a fantastic offensive team, but we're the opposite defensively. That's not a good formula.''
The Pioneers, who have lost four straight games, are second in NEC games with an average of 73.4 points per game but 12th in points allowed (72.0).
NEC NUGGETS: CCSU guard Robby Ptacek, the Blue Devils' leading scorer at 12.9 points per game, has been bothered by a sore ankle for much of the past month and has missed seven of the the past eight games, including the past four. He's probably out for Thursday night's game, too … RMU shot a season-best 64.1 percent from the field in its 75-63 win against Saint Francis (Pa.) last Saturday … Sacred Heart senior guard Chauncey Hardy, who was suspended for four games, returned last weekend … Quinnipiac made 45-of-52 free throw attempts in its win over Sacred Heart last Saturday. The 45 made free throws set an NEC single-game record, eclipsing by one the 44 made by Fairleigh Dickinson in a 92-86 win against Saint Francis (Pa.) Feb. 9, 1991 … Saint Francis (Pa.), which plays at Bryant Thursday, has lost 17 consecutive NEC road games and 23 consecutive road games overall … CCSU held Bryant to 34 points in its win last Thursday. That was the fewest points scored by an NEC team since St. Francis (N.Y.) managed just 34 in a 58-34 loss at Robert Morris Jan. 17, 1987 … In the two wins over Saint Francis (Pa.) last weekend, the RMU bench outscored the Red Flash bench by a combined 52-24.
