While Robert Morris is still waiting for the last domino to fall in the 2013 class to finalize which of the 14 players with scholarships or scholarship offers will fill out the 13-man scholarship roster, Andy Toole and his staff are busy moving ahead on handling a large potential Class of 2014.
Robert Morris currently has five seniors on the roster, and assuming Lijah Thompson doesn't step away because of his rehab and injuries and plays in 2013-2014, Toole will have a number of holes to fill with those five scholarships for 2014. The biggest hit is in the backcourt, where Robert Morris will lose Karvel Anderson and Coron Williams at shooting guard and Anthony Myers-Pate at point guard. The Colonials are also on track to lose Thompson and Mike McFadden up front.
That's a lot of experience and talent going out the window. But RMU is moving quickly to try and secure a class, and a number of offers went out in the recent recruiting period that ended on Wednesday. Outside of a weekend or two where there are large AAU tournaments, the next few months will be quiet on the recruiting trail until July.
RMU had handed out a few preliminary offers earlier in the year, including 3-star guard Elijah Cain. But here's who landed on Robert Morris' radar recently:
F Blake Simpson (6-foot-6, 200 - Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle) - Last time Robert Morris went to a Cincinnati high school for a player, it landed Jeremy Chappell. The Colonials can only hope Simpson provides similar dividends. They'll naturally have competition. Simpson centered a 20-8 season for La Salle en route to a district title. He's a physical inside guy, and apparently has a decent touch around the rim though the stats don't showcase it from his high school performance. Apparently a good shot blocker, too, and some local services rate him as one of the top forwards in Cincinnati, which usually produces some good prospects.
SF Jordan Caroline (6-foot-6, 215 - Champaign, Illinois/Montverde Academy FL) - The Illinois native transferred to Montverde last year, landing at one of the elite prep schools in the nation and a school coached by Kevin Boyle, who was second only to Bob Hurley when both coached high schools in New Jersey. An athletic forward, Caroline seems to be in a similar situation as Lucky Jones: A quality player stuck behind some elite players. Two high major forwards played in front of him, and another high major guard also started last year. Those four and five star prospects will be gone next year, so RMU might be hoping it can get in on Caroline before he gets more of a chance to showcase himself.
SF Rashaun Richardson (6-foot-7, 180 - Indianapolis, Indiana/Arsenal Tech) - A rangy forward with 3-point range, Richardson sounds a lot like a young Russell Johnson. He grew up playing guard and then had a big growth spurt, according to several local reports. He's still figuring out the forward spot, but his athleticism and tools have pushed him onto the radar. According to his AAU coach, Richardson was offered by Robert Morris based off of his play at the Pitt JamFest here in Pittsburgh. Georgia State also offered him then.
G/F Jimmy Paige (6-foot-4, 170 - Virginia Beach, Virginia/Cape Henry Collegiate School) - No, not the Zepplin guitarist. This guy's a combo guard/forward who seems similar to David Appolon in terms of versatility. Paige is a reserve on a talented AAU squad, but apparently his offense and versatility is enough to get him noticed. He holds offers from High Point, Norfolk State, and Longwood.
G Kaison Randolph (6-foot-2, 175 - Trenton, New Jersey/The Pennington School) - A member of a talented WE-R 1 AAU squad, Randolph appears to have earned his offer at the Pitt Jam Fest as well. A score-first point guard, Randolph averaged 15 points per game last year for the Pennington School. He apparently has offers already from Iowa State and Cincinnati, but St. Joseph's appears to be a heavy competitor as well with an active presence throughout the last few months. Randolph also isn't just a scorer - he's a pretty good rebounder despite his height. That, combined with his scoring prowess, might make him more of a 2-guard prospect.
We'll have more throughout the summer as we get more information. I wouldn't be surprised to see another guard or two get an offer as well as a JuCo player here or there.
Robert Morris currently has five seniors on the roster, and assuming Lijah Thompson doesn't step away because of his rehab and injuries and plays in 2013-2014, Toole will have a number of holes to fill with those five scholarships for 2014. The biggest hit is in the backcourt, where Robert Morris will lose Karvel Anderson and Coron Williams at shooting guard and Anthony Myers-Pate at point guard. The Colonials are also on track to lose Thompson and Mike McFadden up front.
That's a lot of experience and talent going out the window. But RMU is moving quickly to try and secure a class, and a number of offers went out in the recent recruiting period that ended on Wednesday. Outside of a weekend or two where there are large AAU tournaments, the next few months will be quiet on the recruiting trail until July.
RMU had handed out a few preliminary offers earlier in the year, including 3-star guard Elijah Cain. But here's who landed on Robert Morris' radar recently:
F Blake Simpson (6-foot-6, 200 - Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle) - Last time Robert Morris went to a Cincinnati high school for a player, it landed Jeremy Chappell. The Colonials can only hope Simpson provides similar dividends. They'll naturally have competition. Simpson centered a 20-8 season for La Salle en route to a district title. He's a physical inside guy, and apparently has a decent touch around the rim though the stats don't showcase it from his high school performance. Apparently a good shot blocker, too, and some local services rate him as one of the top forwards in Cincinnati, which usually produces some good prospects.
SF Jordan Caroline (6-foot-6, 215 - Champaign, Illinois/Montverde Academy FL) - The Illinois native transferred to Montverde last year, landing at one of the elite prep schools in the nation and a school coached by Kevin Boyle, who was second only to Bob Hurley when both coached high schools in New Jersey. An athletic forward, Caroline seems to be in a similar situation as Lucky Jones: A quality player stuck behind some elite players. Two high major forwards played in front of him, and another high major guard also started last year. Those four and five star prospects will be gone next year, so RMU might be hoping it can get in on Caroline before he gets more of a chance to showcase himself.
SF Rashaun Richardson (6-foot-7, 180 - Indianapolis, Indiana/Arsenal Tech) - A rangy forward with 3-point range, Richardson sounds a lot like a young Russell Johnson. He grew up playing guard and then had a big growth spurt, according to several local reports. He's still figuring out the forward spot, but his athleticism and tools have pushed him onto the radar. According to his AAU coach, Richardson was offered by Robert Morris based off of his play at the Pitt JamFest here in Pittsburgh. Georgia State also offered him then.
G/F Jimmy Paige (6-foot-4, 170 - Virginia Beach, Virginia/Cape Henry Collegiate School) - No, not the Zepplin guitarist. This guy's a combo guard/forward who seems similar to David Appolon in terms of versatility. Paige is a reserve on a talented AAU squad, but apparently his offense and versatility is enough to get him noticed. He holds offers from High Point, Norfolk State, and Longwood.
G Kaison Randolph (6-foot-2, 175 - Trenton, New Jersey/The Pennington School) - A member of a talented WE-R 1 AAU squad, Randolph appears to have earned his offer at the Pitt Jam Fest as well. A score-first point guard, Randolph averaged 15 points per game last year for the Pennington School. He apparently has offers already from Iowa State and Cincinnati, but St. Joseph's appears to be a heavy competitor as well with an active presence throughout the last few months. Randolph also isn't just a scorer - he's a pretty good rebounder despite his height. That, combined with his scoring prowess, might make him more of a 2-guard prospect.
We'll have more throughout the summer as we get more information. I wouldn't be surprised to see another guard or two get an offer as well as a JuCo player here or there.
