Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team, which claimed its first Northeast Conference regular-season championship since 1992 and appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for the first time in school history last season, will play a 31-game regular-season schedule under second-year head coach Mike Rice in 2008-09.

The Colonials kick off their season with a 7:00 p.m. exhibition contest against Division II Shippensburg Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

RMU opens its 2008-09 regular season by taking part in the Garden State Challenge. The Colonials will open the tournament by traveling to Olean, N.Y., to take on St. Bonaventure Friday, Nov. 14, before returning home to the Sewall Center to host Delaware (Nov. 18). It marks the third time in the last six years RMU will open its campaign with St. Bonaventure, as the Colonials squared off with the Bonnies at the Reilly Center to open both the 2003-04 and 2005-06 seasons.

Robert Morris closes out the tournament by traveling to New Brunswick, N.J., to take on host Rutgers (Nov. 21) before squaring off with Marist (Nov. 22) in a neutral site contest.  

Also on the non-conference slate for RMU in 2008-09 are Youngstown State (Nov. 25), Duquesne (Dec. 28) and Bryant (Jan. 29) at home and road contests at Iona (Dec. 29), Miami (Dec. 14), Lafayette (Dec. 17), Central Michigan (Dec. 20), Xavier (Dec. 31) and Pittsburgh (Feb. 2). The contest against Central Michigan will take place at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Three of RMU's opponents on its 2008-09 non-conference schedule appeared in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, including Miami, Xavier and Pittsburgh.

"Our non-conference schedule is challenging and is one of the toughest that I think we've ever faced," Rice said. "It's going to be a challenge for our veteran players coming back to be ready to play in the early going, because we'll be playing teams that are in higher conferences. The goal with any non-conference schedule is to use it to learn your strengths and weaknesses so you're ready for the conference schedule."

Robert Morris will open Northeast Conference play with a two-game homestand, as the Colonials welcome St. Francis (N.Y.) to the Sewall Center Thursday, Dec. 4, before hosting Long Island Saturday, Dec. 6. The Colonials begin league play in earnest Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009, when it hosts in-state rival Saint Francis (Pa.) at the Sewall Center for a 7:00 p.m. contest. The first league road game for RMU comes Monday, Jan. 5, when it visits Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, Md., a for a 7:00 p.m. tilt with defending NEC Tournament champion Mount St. Mary's.

"It's an advantage to have our first three league games at home," Rice said. "I think our guys realize, especially after last season, the importance of protecting your home court. We'll need to take advantage of those early league games at home and use it as a springboard to take on the road in early January as well as the rest of the conference schedule."

The Colonials return three starters from a 2007-08 club that established 13 school records en route to an overall record of 26-8, including a mark of 16-2 in the NEC. Senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest), an All-NEC Second Team pick in 2008, paced the Colonials with a 14.9 points per game average, while senior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) averaged 8.4 points per game. Junior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) led Robert Morris with 69 three-pointers in averaging 9.6 ppg in 2007-08.