Is this season for real?
After last night's game it all seems like a dream.
The win against Kentucky at Sewall Center at the end of last season actually was not a dream, it was real. RMU basketball looked to be on the rise. After that win combined with the success the program has had in recent years, it was reasonable to assume that RMU would be a more attractive option for coveted recruits, and certainly any player in the program would not want to leave. Wrong! Coron Williams, a starter and outstanding shooter decided he wanted to transfer closer to home, Keith Armstong, a muscular big man who was showing promise did the same, and then a couple of weeks prior to the start of the fall semester Lijah Thompson, a talented and experienced center, decided not to return for his final year of eligibility. After the UK win there was pride in playing for Robert Morris like never before, yet three out of the expected nine returning players chose not to return.
During the summer, with incoming recruits, it looked as though the team, for the first time in a few years, would have a full roster of the NCAA allowed number of scholarship players, thirteen. It also looked as though RMU would have depth among its big men, something very rare for the Colonials. Then Thompson decided not to return, too late in the summer to bring in another player, down to twelve scholarship players.
During non-conference play, Coach Toole seemed to be extremely frustrated with his team. Although they were playing an extremely difficult schedule, and mostly on the road, it appeared that this team may not be able to ever pull it together to be competitive in the Conference. Coaches who have diehard ideas about the way the game should be played do not make changes easily, if ever. For Toole to change his defense from man-to-man to zone was monumental, and underlines just how frustrated he was with his team.
Playing zone, the team nearly upset a very good Toledo team, and then beat Duquesne and Campbell, before dropping a couple of games to talented opponents, and then finishing the non-conference by playing a very good game, although a loss, against Alabama on the road. Conference play then started off strong, but a strange thing happened, two players decided to take some time off from the team. Yes, in the middle of the season, they just decided to take some time off. No doubt they had their reasons, but how often do players just decide to take time off in the middle of a season? Mike McFadden, a senior starting center and one of the stars of the Kentucky game, decided he was finished, rather than finishing the last half of his senior season, he did not want to punish his body any more, and his taking time off turned out to be the end of his career. Now, four of the expected returning players from last season were gone. Desjuan Newton, a Jr. College transfer, very gifted athlete with high energy level and a likable personality was the other player who decided to take time off. Apparently, he and Toole have different ideas about how to play the game. Newton's career is apparently finished, at least at RMU. RMU was then down to ten scholarship players, and was without its previous starting center, McFadden.
Then out of the blue, four players, including two scholarship players, got suspended for a year for violation of University rules. One of those players, Jeremiah Worthem had become a starter. Worthem, a burly 6'6" power forward was starting to become an important contributor, both as a rebounder and scorer for the team. Suddenly, RMU was down to eight players, total, not even any walk-ons, and very limited options among interior players. Yet, the craziest thing happened, the Colonials kept winning! They just kept finding was to win.
Last evening, Stephen Hawkins, RMU's last true big man, went down with an injury in the first half. He was out for the rest of the game, and may miss additional games. RMU was down to seven players, none taller than 6'5". RMU was losing by ten at half, and down sixteen mid-way through the second half, often playing four guards and a forward. Karvel Anderson did not score in the first half, but then came alive. During the last eight minutes of the game, he went into Velton Jones mode. That is, he was NOT going to be denied, he was NOT going to let his team lose, he was going to do everything possible to make sure his team won the game. And, that he did, along with strong performances by his remaining teammates, they not only won, but won by nine points. Karvel had zero points in the first half, wound up with twenty six points for the game. The team is now certain to at least share the regular season championship with a current Conference record of 12-1.
Is Toole a coach who has trouble keeping players on his team, or is he one of the great coaches in dealing with adversity? Is RMU really that good, 12-1, or is this just a down year for the Conference?
Can RMU's seven or eight remaining players stay healthy and out of foul trouble to finish the season and the NEC playoffs and possibly a trip to the NCAA tournament?
Is all of this for real, or is this just a dream?
This post was edited on 2/21 11:28 AM by GoRMU
This post was edited on 2/21 11:29 AM by GoRMU
This post was edited on 2/21 11:37 AM by GoRMU
After last night's game it all seems like a dream.
The win against Kentucky at Sewall Center at the end of last season actually was not a dream, it was real. RMU basketball looked to be on the rise. After that win combined with the success the program has had in recent years, it was reasonable to assume that RMU would be a more attractive option for coveted recruits, and certainly any player in the program would not want to leave. Wrong! Coron Williams, a starter and outstanding shooter decided he wanted to transfer closer to home, Keith Armstong, a muscular big man who was showing promise did the same, and then a couple of weeks prior to the start of the fall semester Lijah Thompson, a talented and experienced center, decided not to return for his final year of eligibility. After the UK win there was pride in playing for Robert Morris like never before, yet three out of the expected nine returning players chose not to return.
During the summer, with incoming recruits, it looked as though the team, for the first time in a few years, would have a full roster of the NCAA allowed number of scholarship players, thirteen. It also looked as though RMU would have depth among its big men, something very rare for the Colonials. Then Thompson decided not to return, too late in the summer to bring in another player, down to twelve scholarship players.
During non-conference play, Coach Toole seemed to be extremely frustrated with his team. Although they were playing an extremely difficult schedule, and mostly on the road, it appeared that this team may not be able to ever pull it together to be competitive in the Conference. Coaches who have diehard ideas about the way the game should be played do not make changes easily, if ever. For Toole to change his defense from man-to-man to zone was monumental, and underlines just how frustrated he was with his team.
Playing zone, the team nearly upset a very good Toledo team, and then beat Duquesne and Campbell, before dropping a couple of games to talented opponents, and then finishing the non-conference by playing a very good game, although a loss, against Alabama on the road. Conference play then started off strong, but a strange thing happened, two players decided to take some time off from the team. Yes, in the middle of the season, they just decided to take some time off. No doubt they had their reasons, but how often do players just decide to take time off in the middle of a season? Mike McFadden, a senior starting center and one of the stars of the Kentucky game, decided he was finished, rather than finishing the last half of his senior season, he did not want to punish his body any more, and his taking time off turned out to be the end of his career. Now, four of the expected returning players from last season were gone. Desjuan Newton, a Jr. College transfer, very gifted athlete with high energy level and a likable personality was the other player who decided to take time off. Apparently, he and Toole have different ideas about how to play the game. Newton's career is apparently finished, at least at RMU. RMU was then down to ten scholarship players, and was without its previous starting center, McFadden.
Then out of the blue, four players, including two scholarship players, got suspended for a year for violation of University rules. One of those players, Jeremiah Worthem had become a starter. Worthem, a burly 6'6" power forward was starting to become an important contributor, both as a rebounder and scorer for the team. Suddenly, RMU was down to eight players, total, not even any walk-ons, and very limited options among interior players. Yet, the craziest thing happened, the Colonials kept winning! They just kept finding was to win.
Last evening, Stephen Hawkins, RMU's last true big man, went down with an injury in the first half. He was out for the rest of the game, and may miss additional games. RMU was down to seven players, none taller than 6'5". RMU was losing by ten at half, and down sixteen mid-way through the second half, often playing four guards and a forward. Karvel Anderson did not score in the first half, but then came alive. During the last eight minutes of the game, he went into Velton Jones mode. That is, he was NOT going to be denied, he was NOT going to let his team lose, he was going to do everything possible to make sure his team won the game. And, that he did, along with strong performances by his remaining teammates, they not only won, but won by nine points. Karvel had zero points in the first half, wound up with twenty six points for the game. The team is now certain to at least share the regular season championship with a current Conference record of 12-1.
Is Toole a coach who has trouble keeping players on his team, or is he one of the great coaches in dealing with adversity? Is RMU really that good, 12-1, or is this just a down year for the Conference?
Can RMU's seven or eight remaining players stay healthy and out of foul trouble to finish the season and the NEC playoffs and possibly a trip to the NCAA tournament?
Is all of this for real, or is this just a dream?
This post was edited on 2/21 11:28 AM by GoRMU
This post was edited on 2/21 11:29 AM by GoRMU
This post was edited on 2/21 11:37 AM by GoRMU
