span.Normal1 {mso-style-parent:""; font-family:Helvetica; } span.normal10 {}

Robert Morris (0-0) @ Syracuse (1-0)
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 / 7:00 p.m.
2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
Carrier Dome (33,633) - Syracuse, N.Y.

Top Story - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team opens its 34th season of Division I basketball Wednesday by taking part in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. The Colonials will open the season with a 7:00 p.m. tilt @ Syracuse. RMU returns three starters from a 2008-09 club that finished with an overall record of 24-11 (.636), including a mark of 15-3 (.833) in the Northeast Conference. Robert Morris won its sixth NEC regular-season and NEC Tournament titles last season and appeared in the postseason for the seventh time, participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992. Among the returning starters for the Colonials is senior forward Rob Robinson, who was named to the 2009 All-NEC Second Team after averaging 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest last year.

Quick Stat of the Night - Robert Morris enters Wednesday's game @ Syracuse sporting a record of 17-16 (.515) all-time in season openers, including a mark of 1-1 (.500) under third-year head coach Mike Rice. Robert Morris owns a record of 3-13 (.188) in season-opening games on the road and is looking to snap a three-game slide in season openers away from the Sewall Center. The last road victory for the Colonials to open a season came in a 96-86 win @ Missouri-Kansas City (11/22/02) in which former forward Aaron Thomas (2000-04) established a single-game scoring record with 39 points.

Wednesday's Opponent & the All-Time Series - Robert Morris and Syracuse will meet for just the third time Wednesday, with the Orange having won each of the previous two meetings in the all-time series. In the last meeting between the two programs, Syracuse earned an 87-81 victory in the first round of the 2008 National Invitation Tournament (3/18/08) at the Carrier Dome. In that contest senior guard Jimmy Langhurst scored 15 points, while senior guard Mezie Nwigwe contributed eight points.

RMU vs. Syracuse
Series Record - Syracuse leads, 2-0
First Meeting - 12/19/94; Syracuse, 103-67
Last Meeting -  3/18/08; Syracuse, 87-81
Last RMU Win - NA
Current Streak - Syracuse, 2
Rice vs. Syracuse - 0-1

Probable Starters (Robert Morris @ Syracuse)

Robert Morris (0-0)

#	P	Name	Pts.	Reb.	G/GS	Hometown
1	F	Rob Robinson (6-8, 215, Sr.)	11.2	5.6	32/28	Waldorf, Md.
24	F	Dallas Green (6-8, 210, Sr.)	6.6	4.4	27/22	Indianapolis, Indiana
34	F	Russell Johnson (6-6, 180, So.)	---	---	---	Chester, Pa.
2	G	Mezie Nwigwe (6-4, 195, Sr.)	6.5	3.3	35/3	Hyattsville, Md.
3	G	Velton Jones (6-0, 170, So.)	---	---	---	Philadelphia, Pa.

Syracuse (1-0)

#	P	Name	Pts.	Reb.	G/GS	Hometown
00	F	Rick Jackson (6-9, 249, Jr.)	10.0	5.0	1/1	Philadelphia, Pa.
4	F	Wes Johnson (6-7, 205, Jr.)	12.0	8.0	1/1	Corsicana, Texas
21	C	Arinze Onuaku (6-9, 261, Sr.)	14.0	4.0	1/1	Lanham, Md.
1	G	Andy Rautins (6-4, 195, Sr.)	0.0	5.0	1/1	Jamesville, N.Y.
25	G	Brandon Triche (6-4, 198, Fr.)	8.0	5.0	1/1	Jamesville, N.Y.

Head Coach Mike Rice (Third Season; Fordham '91) - Simply put, Mike Rice has put the men's basketball program at Robert Morris University back on the map.

Just 22 months after being named the seventh head coach in the 33-year history of the program, Rice led the Colonials to their sixth Northeast Conference Tournament championship with a thrilling 48-46 win over Mount St. Mary's March 11, 2009, at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The win helped RMU earn its sixth automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and its first since 1992.

In two years as a head coach, Rice has been at the helm of a program that has claimed back-to-back NEC regular-season championships, its first appearance in the National Invitation Tournament in 2008 and the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Along the way, a total of 16 school records have either been tied or broken under Rice's watch, including victories (26 in 2007-08), NEC wins (16 in 2007-08) and consecutive victories (14 in 2007-08). Robert Morris also posted 15 straight wins in NEC road games over the course of the last two seasons, a conference record.

The two-time reigning NEC Jim Phelan Coach of the Year, Rice enters his third season at Robert Morris in 2009-10 with an overall record of 50-19 (.725), including a mark 31-5 (.861) against league foes. He signed a three-year contract extension with Robert Morris in April, meaning he will lead the Colonials through the 2015-16 season.

Rice was named the seventh head coach in the 33-year Division I history of the program at a press conference in the Sewall Center on RMU's Moon Township Campus April 26, 2007. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Rice has appeared in the NCAA or NIT Tournament seven times as an assistant coach and twice as the head coach at Robert Morris.

Rice brought to RMU a vast background in collegiate coaching, having served as an assistant coach at alma mater Fordham (1991-94), Marquette (1994-97), Niagara (1997-98), Chicago State (1998-2001), Saint Joseph's (2004-06) and Pittsburgh (2006-07).

A 1991 graduate of Fordham, Rice was a three-year starter for the Rams at guard. He appeared in 117 career games, serving as team captain of a 1990-91 squad that posted an overall record of 25-8. That season Fordham earned an appearance in the NIT. Rice and his wife, Kerry, have two children, son Michael and daughter Katie, and reside in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Scouting the Orange - Syracuse enters Wednesday night's game with Robert Morris coming off a 75-43 victory over Albany (11/9/09) in its 2009-10 season opener at the Carrier Dome. In that contest five players scored in double figures for the Orange, led by senior center Arinze Onuaku, who finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Forwards Wes Johnson and Kris Joseph and guard Scoop Jardine each contributed 12 points. Last season Syracuse finished with an overall record of 28-10, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Oklahoma, 81-74. It marked the 18th appearance for the Orange in the Sweet 16 in school history.

Syracuse Head Coach - In his 33rd season as head coach of the Orange is Jim Boeheim (Syracuse '66), who earned his 800th career victory in the 2009-10 season opener with a 75-43 win over Albany (11/9/09). Boeheim owns an overall record of 800-288 (.735) entering Wednesday's game and is third among active Division I coaches and eighth overall in career victories.

RMU's Last Game - Three Colonials scored in double figures and eight different players had at least five points as Robert Morris opened its 2009-10 campaign with a 78-47 victory over Division II Shippensburg in an exhibition game Nov. 5. RMU jumped out to a 13-2 lead and never trailed in the contest, cruising to a 45-14 halftime lead by shooting 56.3 percent (18-for-32) from the field and forcing 15 turnovers by the Raiders before the break. A pair of Colonials making their collegiate debut supplied the early fire power for Robert Morris, as sophomore Velton Jones scored the first five points of the game, while sophomore forward Russell Johnson drained a three-pointer. Senior forward Dallas Green added a layup and senior guard Mezie Nwgiwe connected on a three-pointer during RMU's opening salvo. RMU quickly stretched its lead to 20-4 and took a 31-point lead into halftime after freshman guard Coron Williams converted a fastbreak layup with four seconds left before the break. Freshman guard Karon Abraham came off the bench to score 12 points to lead Robert Morris in the first half, hitting five of his seven shots from the floor while adding two rebounds, an assist and two steals. The Colonials took their biggest lead of the game with 6:15 remaining when senior forward Rob Robinson converted a jumper to give Robert Morris a 67-29 lead. Abraham tied for team-high honors in scoring with 12 points with Jones, while Green finished with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and three rebounds, two assists and five steals. Robinson finished with eight points, Nwigwe seven and Williams six. Shippensburg was led by Daziah Miller, who scored a game-high 14 points, while Tarik Belcher finished with 11 points. Robert Morris outscored the Raiders, 30-20, in the paint and also held a 32-10 edge in points off turnovers and a 37-7 advantage in points off the bench. As a team, RMU shot 54.2 percent (32-for-59) from the field while converting 50 percent (8-for-16) of its attempts from long range. Seven different Colonials hit a three-pointer in the win.

Leading Scorers: Jones (12), Abraham (12), Green (11), Robinson (8)
Leading Rebounders: Piehl (5), Green (3), Johnson (3), Abraham (3), Williams (3)
Assists: Wallace (5), Abraham (4), Three tied with ... (2)

Shippensburg Game Notes - It marked the second straight year Robert Morris opened its season with an exhibition game against the Raiders ... The Colonials earned a 69-34 win over Shippensburg to open the 2008-09 season ... Robert Morris held the Raiders to a shooting percentage of just 25 percent (5-for-20) in the first half while forcing 15 turnovers ... RMU drained eight of its 16 three-pointers (50 percent) as seven different Colonials drained a trifecta in the victory ... The Colonials held a 30-20 edge in points in the paint, while the Robert Morris reserves outscored the Shippensburg bench, 37-7.

The Drive For Five - Robert Morris enters the 2009-10 campaign looking to accomplish something that has never been done before in school history. The Colonials are in search of their fifth straight winning season. In the 33-year history of the program, the Colonials have posted four consecutive winning seasons twice. From 1988 to 1992, RMU posted an overall record of 79-40 (.664), reaching the NCAA Tournament three times over that span. In RMU's current stretch from 2005 to 2009, the Colonials have posted a record of 82-44 (.651), reaching the NIT (2008) for the first time in school history and the NCAA Tournament once (2009).

Five Against One - While Robert Morris searches for its fifth straight winning season in 2009-10, the Colonials currently enter the new season as the top program in the Northeast Conference over the last five years. RMU owns an overall record of 96-59 (.619) over the last five seasons, ahead of Central Connecticut State's mark of 79-72 (.523). In league play, the Colonials are 61-29 (.678) over the last five years, also ahead of Central Connecticut State (55-35). In addition, RMU's run the last two years that has produced a50-19 (.725) overall record and 31-5 (.861) league mark is the best two-year stretch in NEC history.

And We Begin Again - Despite the loss of Northeast Conference Player of the Year and all-time leading three-point shooter Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) and NEC Defensive Player of the Year Bateko Francisco (2007-09), Robert Morris returns 60.8 percent (1,499-of-2,467) of its scoring, 58 percent (673-of-1,161) of its rebounding and 61.9 percent (332-of-536) of its assists from last season. Three of RMU's five starters return in 2009-10, including senior forward Rob Robinson, who averaged 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds last year.

Delay of Game - One of RMU's three returning starters this season is senior guard Jimmy Langhurst, who enters his final season of eligiblity as the active leading scorer for the Colonials with 697 career points. However, Langhurst suffered a broken finger in the preseason and is listed as questionable for Wednesday's 2009-10 season opener @ Syracuse. He could play in RMU's next game @ Penn State (11/16/09) but more than likely will be back in action when Robert Morris closes out the 2K Sports Classic, benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, when the Colonials play three games in three days in Albany, N.Y., Nov. 20-22.

Terrific Trio - Robert Morris may have to replace one of its most prolific scorers in school history this season in guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09), but the Colonials returns three starters in forwards Rob Robinson and Dallas Green and guard Jimmy Langhurst. In 2008-09, when Robinson, Green and Langhurst combined to score at least 30 points in a game, RMU posted a perfect record of 9-0, with five of those victories coming on the road. The most points the trio combined for in a game in 2008-09 was 41, which came in a 74-62 win @ Saint Francis (Pa.) (2/26/09) that helped snap a two-game slide.

Three's Company - Robert Morris finished the 2008-09 campaign as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Northeast Conference, posting 226 three-point field goals. It marked the sixth straight year the Colonials eclipsed 200 three-pointers. The leading three-point shooter for RMU entering 2009-10 is senior guard Jimmy Langhurst, who finished with 66 trifectas last season and owns 138 on his career, which ranks eighth all-time in program history. Langhurst enters his final season of eligibility 62 three-pointers short of becoming the seventh player in school history to hit at least 200 three-point field goals.

Game On - While former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) concluded his career at Robert Morris last year as the all-time leader in games played with 124, it may not be very long that he holds the record. Senior guard Mezie Nwigwe has been a key reserve player for Robert Morris over the course of the last three seasons, and he enters the 2009-10 campaign having played in 96 career contests. Barring injury, should Nwigwe play in each of RMU's 31 games in 2009-10, Nwigwe will establish a new record for games played with 127.

Block Party - RMU established a new team record for blocks in 2008-09, finishing the season with 121. The old mark of 102 had been held by the 1982-83 Colonials. Senior forward Rob Robinson led the way for RMU with 35 blocks in 2008-09, establishing a new single-season school record. Senior forward Dallas Green finished second for the Colonials with 27 rejections last year, which is tied for the seventh highest single-season total in school history.

Distribution Center - While a lot of attention has been focused on the importance of defense in head coach Mike Rice's system at Robert Morris, it's important to point out RMU's unselfishness on offense. In 2008-09, the Colonials dished out 536 assists, the third highest output in school history. That total trails only the school record 597 assists RMU posted in Rice's first season on the sidelines in 2007-08 and the 1982-83 Colonials, who finished with 547. In 33 years as a Division I program, Robert Morris has finished with at least 500 assists in a season just four times, with half those totals coming under Rice. Over the last two seasons RMU has averaged 16.42 assists per game.

Steal City - For the second straight year Robert Morris eclipsed 300 steals in 2008-09, finishing the year with 301. Just like RMU's assist total in 2008-09, it marks the fourth time in school history the Colonials have compiled at least 300 steals in a season, including the second straight season under head coach Mike Rice. The total ranks fourth in team history, and RMU led the Northeast Conference in steals for the second straight year with an average of 8.60 per game. Over the last two seasons Robert Morris has averaged 9.25 steals per contest under Rice's watch.

Bench Press - One area that Robert Morris has improved greatly in the two seasons Mike Rice has been the head coach is the contributions from the reserves. In 35 games in 2008-09, the Colonials averaged 19.9 points per game from their bench, almost four points better than in 2007-08. In 27 of RMU's 35 games in 2008-09, a Colonial came off the bench and scored at least eight points. Included in that were 17 double-figure scoring games, including eight from senior guard Mezie Nwigwe. In two seasons under Rice, the Colonials own a record of 20-7 (.741) when the bench scores at least 20 points in a game.

Three's Company - Each of RMU's three returning starters in 2009-10 in senior forwards Rob Robinson and Dallas Green and senior guard Jimmy Langhurst are a key reason the Colonials were able to finish 24-11 last season and make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1992. When Robinson was on the court, Robert Morris outscored its opponents by 211 points (1,420 to 1,209). The plus/minus ratio for Robinson of +6.59 in 2008-09 was tops on the club, and he was one of three Colonials to average a plus/minus of 5.00 or better. Langhurst posted a plus/minus ratio of +6.11, while Green finished with a plus/minus ratio of +5.52.

The Little Guys in A Big World - Guards Velton Jones and Karon Abraham may be small in stature, but they certainly played big in their collegiate debuts in a 78-47 win over Shippensburg (11/5/09) in the exhibition opener. The 5'9", Abraham came off the bench and scored all 12 of his points in the first half of the win over the Raiders, while the 6'0" Jones tied for team-high honors with 12 points. Combined, the duo converted nine of their 15 shots (60 percent) shots from the field, including 50 percent (3-for-6) from beyond the arc. The duo could play a big role for Robert Morris in 2009-10, as Jones gives third-year head coach Mike Rice his first true point guard, while Abraham is considered a defensive whiz that can score points in bunches.

Defense Wins Championships - Mike Rice has preached as head coach at Robert Morris that defense wins championships, and the numbers bear that out. RMU posted a record of 17-3 (.850) in 2008-09 when holding its opponent under 70 points. Over the last eight years, RMU owns a record of 93-23 (.802) when turning the trick, including a mark of 34-4 (.895) in two seasons under Rice.