By Paul Meyer
www.rmucolonials.com
November 5, 2010
Meyer on Morris Link
Moon Township, Pa. - The honors just keep piling up for Karon Abraham.
Abraham, the Robert Morris University sophomore guard, followed a fabulous freshman season by being named to the All-Northeast Conference Preseason Team Tuesday.
"I think it's a compliment to his freshman season,'' RMU coach Andy Toole said. "He had a pretty special season as a freshman.''
Sure did.
Abraham, who led the Colonials and NEC freshmen in scoring with a 13.6 average last season, was named the NEC's Rookie of the Week four times. He was voted to the All-NEC Rookie Team and won the NEC Rookie of the Year award.
Then he was named the most valuable player of the NEC Tournament after leading the Colonials to three victories and a second straight NEC championship, averaging 17.7 points per game.
Finally, and perhaps most impressively, he scored 23 points in a scintillating performance against Villanova in the Colonials' narrow 73-70 loss in overtime in a first-round NCAA Tournament game.
Yep, a pretty special freshman season indeed.
Abraham is the first sophomore voted by the league's coaches to the all-NEC preseason team since Darshan Luckey of Saint Francis (Pa.) in 2003-04.
That, plus all the stuff he did as a freshman, will make Abraham a high-profile player in the NEC this season.
Which isn't all good.
"We've challenged him to prepare for what he's going to face this year,'' Toole said. "He's going to be the absolute focal point of some defenses.''
Abraham will have help, though.
Velton Jones, his running mate in the backcourt, can provide some offense, as can fellow sophomore Russell Johnson.
"With those three, you can make a case that Robert Morris has the most talented perimeter in the league,'' said Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore, whose team was picked by the coaches to win the NEC championship this season.
If the league's coaches are correct, which they almost never are when it comes to picking the NEC champion, Moore's team will once again play RMU in the NEC championship game.
The Colonials, who have won the past two NEC titles, were picked to finish second, which seems a bit lofty when one considers Robert Morris lost its entire starting frontcourt to graduation.
"I thought we'd be picked lower than that,'' Toole said. "I was kind of hoping we would be. I wanted to hold that over (the players') heads. But you're picked where you're picked. I think (being picked second) shows the respect we've earned over the last three years.''
Those three seasons included winning outright or sharing the NEC regular-season championship each season and a cumulative record of 73-31, including a 46-8 mark against NEC teams in the regular season.
For Toole, who succeeded Mike Rice as RMU's head coach last May, to continue the Colonials' success, he'll need big-time help from his inexperienced big men and solid contributions from a mostly inexperienced bench. Gary Wallace, a 6'3" guard, is the team's only senior.
The Colonials won't necessarily rely on their interior players - sophomore Lijah Thompson, junior college transfer Lawrence Bridges and freshman Yann Charles - for offense.
"It's more defensively,'' Toole said. "And maybe we'll put Russell Johnson in there at times and play some real small ball.''
Toole was asked during the NEC's media conference call with the media which of the newcomers will have to contribute.
"Probably all of them,'' he said. "Every drill we run in practice, we have five new kids on the court. We have six guys basically who are brand new (to the program) with little or no Division I experience.''
Toole also was asked about following the often fiery and demonstrative Rice on, but usually pacing in front of, the Colonial bench.
"I don't know if I'll be as animated as coach Rice,'' Toole said. "He has a knack for his sideline behavior, and vocabulary.''
Quinnipiac was a unanimous pick to win by the coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team. Long Island received the only first-place vote that did not go to Quinnipiac.
"I try to look at it as an honor,'' Moore said of his team being picked to win, "but I don't know if it's justified. We lost three starters. I'd have to guess we're the most inexperienced preseason favorite in the country. My biggest concern is that lack of experience. But this may become our deepest team.''
The Bobcats do return reigning NEC Player of the Year Justin Rutty and guards James Johnson and Deontay Twyman.
"Our top three guys are terrific,'' Moore said. "But there's still a lot of teaching and learning that we have to go through.''
Long Island, which continues to improve under coach Jim Ferry, was picked to finish third. The Blackbirds welcome back forward Julian Boyd, who missed all of last season because of a heart condition. Boyd was the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2008-09.
"It's been wonderful having him back,'' Ferry said. "It was a very scary time last year. He's really excited to play, but it's going to take a while. I think we'll see the best of Julian probably some time in January.''
Robert Morris opens NEC play at Long Island Dec. 2.
Central Connecticut State, picked to finish fourth, also gets a standout player back this season. Forward Ken Horton missed all of last season because of a knee injury.
"It's a major plus to have him back,'' coach Howie Dickenman said. "I don't think he's missed a beat. He's a good player - and he's going to be a better player this year.''
WAGNER WAKEUP? Former Seton Hall standout Dan Hurley takes over the head coaching job at Wagner this season, succeeding Mike Deane. The Seahawks were 5-26 last season, including 3-15 in the NEC.
Moore, of course, doesn't know how good Wagner will be this season, but he does feel this.
"He'll have those kids playing maniacally,'' Moore said.
GREEN WITH ENVY? Dallas Green, a member of last season's senior class, attended the exhibition game against McGill.
Perhaps Green, who made the last field goal at the Charles L. Sewall Center in each of the previous two seasons, wanted to see who would make the FIRST field goal of this season. For the record, sort of, it was Abraham.
Green, on crutches because of a broken bone in his left foot, is finishing his degree and then hopes to play professionally overseas.
