By Paul Meyer
www.rmucolonials.com
Jan. 21, 2010 

Meyer on Morris Link

Moon Township, Pa. - For two members of the Robert Morris University men's basketball team, the Colonials' two-game junket to New Jersey isn't just a road trip.

It's also a homecoming.

Junior Gary Wallace and freshman Karon Abraham went to high school in northern New Jersey not more than a few three-pointers from Fairleigh Dickinson, where the Colonials play Thursday night.

And Saturday's game at Monmouth isn't that far from FDU, so it's likely that both Wallace and Abraham will have at least some family members and friends at that game, too.

Wallace is from Montclair, N.J., just southeast of the FDU campus in Teaneck; Abraham is from Paterson, N.J., a bit northwest of Teaneck.

"I look forward to going home and playing in front of the home crowd,'' Abraham said. "A lot of people from my hometown are going to be there.''

Abraham estimated "more than 30'' of his family members and friends will at FDU Thursday night.

Wallace, who's played at FDU twice before, might not have as many people in his personal rooting section.

"To be honest with you, I really don't invite that many people,'' he said. "I tell my real close friends and family, but I really don't make it all about me because it's really about us going there and getting a win. I just enjoy seeing people I don't get to see during the year.''

Wallace knows what Abraham will be going through Thursday night.

"He's going to be excited to be playing at home and have a lot of people there,'' Wallace said. "But he can't be too excited - just continue to do what he's been doing and don't change anything because what he's been doing has been phenomenal. It's really helping this team.

"It can be a little different when you go home and you play in front a lot of friends and family. You get excited. You really want to give them a good game, but when you really let the game come to you it will all work out.''

It's all worked out pretty well for Abraham so far with Robert Morris.

A standout scorer at Paterson Eastside, Abraham leads the Colonials with an average of 12.9 points a game. He also leads the Northeast Conference in free throw shooting (88.9 percent) and is second in three-point shooting percentage (45.7).

It's worth noting that should Abraham maintain his free throw shooting lead and also lead the league in three-point accuracy, he'd be the first player to rank first in both categories in the same season in NEC history.
Abraham also has this distinction of which his family and friends can be proud: He's won the NEC Rookie of the Week award three times this season. That makes him just about a lock to make the All-NEC Rookie team and a strong candidate to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Heady stuff for the 5'9" guard.

"It's remarkable as a freshman to come in and produce how he's producing,'' said Colonial senior Jimmy Langhurst. "I would have never thought that he'd be the leading scorer on a veteran team. He's doing something remarkable right now, and if he keeps it up - shoot - the future's crazy for him.''

Abraham got his big break for RMU when Langhurst sustained a tough break. In late December, Langhurst went down with a season-ending knee injury - for which he'll have surgery Feb. 1 - and Abraham moved into the starting lineup.

In the seven games he's started, Abraham has averaged 17 points a game. He's shot 45.7 percent from the field, including 50 percent (19-of-38) from beyond the arc, and 87.8 percent (36-for-41) from the free throw line.

"He's a talented individual when he's locked in because if he's making threes he's a handful to guard,'' RMU coach Mike Rice said.

It's not a coincidence that Robert Morris went 6-1 in those seven games. That sixth win was against Monmouth last Saturday night at the Sewall Center.

The Colonials trailed the Hawks, 33-31, at halftime, but Abraham scored RMU's first nine points of the second half - in less than two and-a-half minutes - to give the Colonials a lead they never lost. Late in the second half, Abraham made a three-point play and then sank two free throws to stretch the Colonial lead to 66-53, virtually sealing the deal with five minutes left.

"He's going to be a good one,'' Monmouth coach Dave Calloway said.

Fairleigh Dickinson recruited Abraham in high school, but the Knights wanted him to postpone his decision until the summer after his senior season. He didn't want to wait, preferring to make his college choice before his senior season.

"Robert Morris was the best choice for me,'' Abraham said.

Abraham played in the same summer league in which Wallace had played a couple of years earlier, so Wallace was familiar with him.

"I knew they were recruiting him and we'd say hello,'' said Wallace, who estimated he and Abraham lived about 10 minutes apart in northern New Jersey. "When he came (to Robert Morris) on his visit, it was like we had known each other forever. I guess it's that 'Jersey Connection.'''

Knowing Wallace would be his teammate at RMU for two seasons was one reason Abraham signed with the Colonials.

"He was the main one I talked to when I came for my visit,'' Abraham said. "He talked to me all the time. He told me how it what it was like. He was straightforward.''

Plus …

"It's a winning program,'' Abraham said. "You can't get any better than the best team in the conference.''

In Rice's first two seasons - Abraham's junior and senior years in high school - the Colonials won the NEC regular-season championship both years and went to the NCAA tournament last season.

Wallace also told Abraham about Rice.

"And Coach Rice told me about himself,'' Abraham said. "Coach Rice was Coach Rice (during Abraham's visit). And that's why I came here - because he was real and he showed me he wasn't a fake.''
Wallace, who scored 10 points in the Colonials' 78-67 win against Monmouth last Saturday, was recruited by both FDU and Monmouth.

"Those two schools came after me the hardest in Jersey,'' said Wallace, who went to Seton Hall Prep. "My high school coach's sister (went to Monmouth), and he's real good friends with (Calloway), so (Calloway) was trying to keep me in-state. (But) I kind of wanted to get out of New Jersey for my college experience.

"And FDU recruited me hard. But, I just needed a change of scenery, so it was good to come to (Robert Morris).''

Rice began recruiting Wallace soon after he got the head coaching job at RMU in April, 2007.

"I didn't know about this school until coach Rice got the job,'' Wallace said. "I came out here to visit, and the people I met were so warm and willing to do anything to make sure I had what I needed. The people on campus made this (feel) so homey. And I saw Coach Rice's energy and his intensity. People say he's a little crazy, but it's just his passion and love for the game.''

The Colonials are a combined 3-1 at FDU and Monmouth in Wallace's two seasons, the loss coming at Monmouth, 60-57, late last season. Wallace has averaged 6.5 points per game in the four games.

"It's fun,'' he said of playing at FDU and Monmouth. "It's kind of motivating because I know they recruited me and I know a lot of the guys on both teams - from (either) summer league or high school basketball or (because) we just know each other. It's fun to go back home and be able to play in front of family and friends and the people who recruited you.

"You just go out there and have some fun. You thrive on those experiences. (But) you have to play them like every game - just go out there and do what you need to do.''

NEC NUGGET: Monmouth (4-2 in the NEC) will be without sophomore forward/center Travis Taylor Saturday. Calloway announced last Monday night Taylor has been suspended for seven games "for breaking team rules.'' Taylor, who scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds in the game at Robert Morris last Saturday night, will begin serving his suspension Thursday night when the Hawks play Saint Francis (Pa.) at Monmouth. Taylor averages 16.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He will be eligible to play again when the Hawks meet Wagner at home Feb. 13.