2012-13 Season in Review (PDF)
RMU 2012-13 Season In Review
Overall Record: 24-11 (.686)
Northeast Conference Record: 14-4 (.778)
2013 NEC Regular-Season Champions
Eighth Straight Winning Season
2013 NIT Participants (Second Round)
Top Story - Led by third-year head coach Andrew Toole, the Robert Morris University men's basketball team posted an overall record of 24-11 (.686) in 2012-13, including a mark of 14-4 (.778) in the Northeast Conference. RMU claimed its 10th NEC regular-season championship in 2013 but fell in the semifinals of the 2013 NEC Tournament with a 69-60 setback to Mount St. Mary's (3/9/13). Despite the loss, the Colonials appeared in the postseason for the fifth time in the last six seasons with an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Making its second appearance in the NIT in school history, Robert Morris upset overall No. 1 seed Kentucky (3/19/13), 59-57, in the first round in front of 3,444 fans at the Charles L. Sewall Center, the largest crowd in school history. In the second round of the NIT, RMU fell @ Providence (3/25/13), 77-68. Redshirt senior guard Velton Jones was named to the 2013 All-NEC First Team, while sophomore forward Lucky Jones garnered a spot on the 2013 All-NEC Third Team. Velton Jones averaged 10.6 points and a team-high 5.1 assists per game in his final season of eligibility in 2012-13, while Lucky Jones contributed 11.6 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 45.9 percent (113-for-246) from the field and 82.2 percent (125-for-152) at the free-throw line. The Colonials were led in 2012-13 in scoring by junior guard Karvel Anderson, who averaged 12.5 points per game on the strength of a team-high 82 three-pointers, while redshirt senior forward Russell Johnson chipped in averages of 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest while leading RMU in steals with 61.
What's Next - In the midst of the program's golden era thanks to eight straight winning seasons, the Colonials return two starters and six letterwinners in 2013-14. In addition to sophomore forward Lucky Jones, also returning as a starter next season is junior forward Mike McFadden. In 2012-13, McFadden averaged 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting a team-high 56.5 percent (109-for-193) from the field, which ranked fourth in the Northeast Conference. In losing starters Velton Jones and Russell Johnson, both redshirt seniors, and junior guard Coron Williams, who transferred to Wake Forest, the Colonials lose combined career totals of 3,748 points, 1,305 rebounds and 870 assists. In all, Robert Morris returns 58.3 percent (1,447-of-2,480) of its scoring, 54.7 percent (602-of-1,101) of its rebounding and 46.2 percent (227-of-491) of its assists next year. Lucky Jones enters the 2013-14 campaign as RMU's active leader in both scoring (691 points) and rebounding (416) and needs 309 points and 84 boards, respectively, to become the 13th player in school history to eclipse both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. McFadden owns career totals of 643 points and 300 rebounds entering his final season of eligibility in 2013-14, while Anthony Myers-Pate owns 555 career points and is RMU's active leader in assists (315) and steals (110).
Free Is For Me - A key reason Robert Morris was able to secure a 59-57 victory over Kentucky (3/19/13) in the first round of the 2013 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was due in large part to its performance at the free-throw line. Against the Wildcats, RMU finished a perfect 14-for-14 at the stripe, including a 6-for-6 performance from sophomore forward Lucky Jones. The performance tied a Robert Morris single-game school record for free throws made without a miss with a minimum of 14 made. The Colonials went 15-for-15 at the chalk in a 63-62 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (1/6/05) at the Charles L. Sewall Center as well as a perfect 21-for-21 @ West Virginia (12/22/98).
Chicks Dig The Long Ball - Thanks to five three-pointers against No. 5 seed Mount St. Mary's (3/9/13) in the semifinals of the 2013 Northeast Conference Tournament, RMU established a new single-season school record for three-point field goals. By converting 11 triples @ Providence (3/25/13) in the second round of the 2013 NIT, Robert Morris finished the 2012-13 campaign with an even 300 on the year. The Colonials eclipsed the old mark of 280 that was established in 2007-08. In 2012-13, RMU led the Northeast Conference in both three-point field goals made (8.57 per game) and three-point field goal percentage (.381).
Tag Team - Robert Morris wouldn't have been able to establish a new school record for three-point field goals in 2012-13 without the contributions it received from junior guards Karvel Anderson and Coron Williams. Anderson posted a team-high 82 three-pointers, which established a new school record by a member of the junior class and also ranks sixth in the RMU single-season record book. Williams ranked second for Robert Morris in triples with 74, which is tied for eighth in the Robert Morris single-season record book, and finished his RMU career ranked fifth in three-pointers with 210. Combined the duo established a new school record for three-pointers by an RMU tandem in 2012-13 with 156. The old school record of 150 was set in 2008-09 by former Colonials Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) and Jimmy Langhurst (2006-10).
Another Record - Redshirt senior guard Velton Jones added to his list of accomplishments as a member of the Robert Morris men's basketball program @ Providence (3/25/13) in the second round of the 2013 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Already the RMU career record holder for free throws (495), free-throw attempts (688), consecutive games played (121) and starting assignments (125), Jones established a new career record for games played with 135. He broke the old mark of 134 that was held by former Colonial guard Gary Wallace (2007-11).
Luck Of The Draw - Since serving a one-game suspension due to a violation of team rules in RMU's 88-54 victory @ Fairleigh Dickinson (1/10/13), there was not a hotter member of the Colonials than sophomore forward Lucky Jones. Over the last 19 games of the 2012-13 campaign, Jones reached double figures in scoring in 16 contests and led Robert Morris in scoring and rebounding, producing averages of 13.4 points and 6.1 caroms per contest. Over that span, Jones shot 50.7 percent (74-for-146) from the field, including 52.5 percent (31-for-59) from beyond the arc, and 83.5 percent (76-for-91) at the free-throw line.
A Sense of Urgency - Russell Johnson ended his Robert Morris career with the longest active streak for consecutive starts by an RMU player at 21, and the redshirt senior forward played arguably the most complete basketball of his career during that stretch. Over his final 21 games in an RMU uniform, Johnson averaged 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 46.4 percent (91-for-196) from the field, including 43.9 percent (36-for-82) from beyond the arc, and 73.5 percent (50-for-68) at the free-throw line. Included in that span were 14 double-figure scoring games, a pair of double-doubles and four games eclipsing the 20-point plateau, including a season-high 22 points in an 87-75 win over Quinnipiac (1/19/13).
Dishing It Out - Velton Jones was RMU's floor general over the course of the last four years, and the proof is in the numbers. He became just the second player in school history to eclipse 500 career assists in a 76-68 win over Mount St. Mary's (1/26/13) by finishing with seven dimes and compiled 551 on his career. Jones finished just four assists shy of tying the Robert Morris career record of 555 that is held by former point guard Forest Grant (1980-84). He finished the 2012-13 campaign ranked fifth in the Northeast Conference in both assists (5.10 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.08).
Persevering Through Obstacles - Many teams face diversions and adversity throughout the course of a season, and for Robert Morris, the 2012-13 campaign provided the Colonials with plenty of obstacles. Throughout the course of the year, RMU lost a total of 68 games due to injuries or other reasons up and down its roster. In fact, only redshirt junior guard Coron Williams and freshman forward Stephan Hawkins played all 35 games for Robert Morris in 2012-13. It began in the preseason for RMU, when senior forward Lijah Thompson suffered a season-ending knee injury. Joining Thompson to miss games in 2012-13 were forwards Keith Armstrong (17), Russell Johnson (4), Mike McFadden (2) and Lucky Jones (1) and guards Velton Jones (4), Anthony Myers-Pate (3) and Karvel Anderson (2).
The Center of Attention - In addition to his late-game heroics in a 60-57 win @ LIU Brooklyn (2/2/13), redshirt senior guard Velton Jones became just the ninth player in the 32-year history of the Northeast Conference, and the first Colonial, to eclipse career totals of 1,500 points and 500 assists. Jones is the first player in the NEC to turn the trick since Jeremy Goode of Mount St. Mary's and Jaytornah Wisseh of LIU Brooklyn concluded their respective careers in 2010. Goode finished with 1,716 points and 603 assists, while Wisseh compiled 1,693 points and 538 dimes. Jones finished his illustrious career with totals of 1,588 points and 551 assists, which rank fifth and second, respectively, in the Robert Morris career record book.
Joining The Club - Redshirt senior forward Russell Johnson joined RMU's exclusive club in an 84-70 win @ Saint Francis U. (1/24/13), as his jumper with 2:23 left in the first half allowed him to become the 21st member of the Robert Morris 1,000-point club. Johnson, who finished his career ranked 14th all-time in school history with 1,208 career points, is also just the 12th player in school annals to eclipse career totals of both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Now that Johnson has joined the club, the next Colonial in line is sophomore forward Lucky Jones, who is 309 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
Ant Marching - Junior guard Anthony Myers-Pate will take the reigns as the facilitator of RMU's offense in his final season of eligibility in 2013-14. Over the last three seasons, Myers-Pate has served as the primary backup for redshirt senior point guard Velton Jones. Over that span, Myers-Pate has appeared in 101 career games, including 22 starting assignments. In 32 contests in 2012-13, Myers-Pate dished out 88 assists, an average of 2.75 per game that ranked second for the Colonials. Myers-Pate, who established an RMU freshman record for assists with 116 in 2010-11, enters next season as the program's active leader in assists (315) and steals (110), ranking 12th all-time at Robert Morris in career dimes. He needs just 23 assists to crack the top 10 all-time and also owns a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.83.
The Clibanoff Special - What did sophomore forward Lucky Jones have in common in 2012-13 with Otto Porter of Georgetown, Doug McDermott of Creighton and Christian Watford of Indiana? The quartet were the only four players in NCAA Division I on the year to connect for at least 40 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc (minimum 40 attempts), grab a rebound every five minutes and get to the free-throw line an average of once every seven minutes. In 2012-13, Jones converted 42.7 percent (44-for-103) of his attempts from deep and grabbed 203 rebounds in 955 minutes, an average of one every 4.7 minutes. Jones was also RMU's top free-throw shooter, converting 82.2 percent (125-for-152) of his attempts at the chalk while averaging a free-throw attempt every 6.3 minutes. Statistical research for note courtesy of Jim Clibanoff, president of ClibHoops and an NBA Draft Analyst.
