#15 Robert Morris (23-11) vs. #2 Villanova (24-7)
2010 NCAA Tournament South Regional
Thursday, March 18, 2010 - 12:30 p.m.
Dunkin' Donuts Center (12,500) - Providence, R.I.

Top Story - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team makes its second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and seventh overall Thursday afternoon when it travels to Providence, R.I., to take on No. 2 seed Villanova for a 12:30 p.m. tip as part of the South Regional at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The Colonials own a Northeast Conference record seven NCAA Tournament appearances and will participate in postseason play for the third consecutive season. RMU advanced to the 2010 NCAA Tournament by becoming the first NEC team to win back-to-back NEC Tournament titles since Rider in 1993 and 1994 thanks to a 52-50 win @ No. 1 seed Quinnipiac (3/10/10) in the championship game of the 2010 NEC Tournament. In that contest freshman guard Karon Abraham, named the MVP of the tournament, led the Colonials with 16 points in tying a career high in field goals (7) and field goal attempts (14). Abraham averaged 17.7 points in three games in the 2010 NEC Tournament.

Quick Stat of the Night - At the heart of the Robert Morris program since Mike Rice took the reigns April 26, 2007, has been defense, and one only needs to look at the numbers for proof. In the 103 games Rice has been on the sidelines at RMU, the Colonials have held their opponent to less than 70 points a total of 58 times, or 56.3 percent of their games. In those contests, Robert Morris owns a record of 51-7 (.879). Robert Morris enters the 2010 NCAA Tournament having held its opponents to less than 70 points in 16 of its last 19 games, with RMU a perfect 16-0 in those contests. In fact, the Colonials enters Thursday's game against No. 2 seed Villanova having won 17 consecutive games when holding their opponents under 70 points. The last loss came in a 65-52 setback to Appalachian State (12/19/09) at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

Thursday's Opponent and The All-Time Series - RMU and Villanova will tip for the first time in school history Thursday as part of the South Regional in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats are just the third opponent on RMU's 2009-10 schedule that the Colonials have never faced in their 34-year Division I history, joining Detroit and Alcorn State. RMU played both the Titans and Braves as part of the 2K Sports Classic, benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. Robert Morris dropped a 71-59 decision to Detroit (11/20/09) but rebounded to earn a 107-76 victory over Alcorn State (11/21/09). Both games were played at SEFCU Arena in Albany, 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.

In his three seasons patrolling the sidelines, Rice has guided the Colonials three straight postseason appearances, culminating with back-to-back NEC Tournament championships in 2009 and 2010 and subsequent berths in the NCAA Tournament. Robert Morris is the first team in league annals earn back-to-back NEC Tournament championships since Rider in 1993 and 1994.

Rice has also been at the helm of a program that has claimed three consecutive NEC regular-season championships, with outright titles in both 2008 and 2009 and a share of the league regular-season championship with Quinnipiac in 2010.

Along the way, a total of 17 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 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, a conference record.

A two-time Northeast Conference Jim Phelan Coach of the Year (2008, 2009), Rice owns an overall record of 73-30 (.709), including a mark 46-8 (.852) against league foes. He signed a three-year contract extension with Robert Morris in April of 2009, meaning he will lead the Colonials through the 2015-16 season.

Rice was named the seventh head coach in the 34-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 Wildcats - Villanova enters the 2010 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the South Regional and has posted an overall record of 24-7 so far on the 2009-10 campaign. The Wildcats are coming off an 80-76 setback to Marquette (3/11/10) in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Big East Tournament. In that contest junior guard Corey Stokes led Villanova with 22 points off the bench, hitting eight of his nine shots from the field. Senior guard Scottie Reynolds leads the Wildcats in scoring (18.5 ppg), three-pointers (67) and steals (48), while junior guard Corey Fisher produces averages of 13.7 points and 4.0 assists per contest. The leading rebounder for Villanova is redshirt junior forward Antonio Pena, who grabs an average of 7.4 caroms per contest while scoring at a 10.9 points per game clip.

Villanova Head Coach - In his ninth season as head coach at Villanova and 16th year overall is Jay Wright (Bucknell '83). He carries an overall record of 324-183 (.639) into the 2010 NCAA Tournament, including a mark of 202-98 (.673) as head coach of the Wildcats. Prior to his appointment at Villanova, Wright spent seven seasons as the head coach at Hofstra from 1994 to 2001, posting a record of 122-85 (.589).

RMU's Last Game (AP) - Robert Morris coach Mike Rice preaches to his team that defense wins. On March 10, the Colonials locked down their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Dallas Green deflected a potential game-winning shot then sank two free throws with seven seconds left as Robert Morris beat Quinnipiac, 52-50, for the Northeast Conference championship, the Colonials seventh title and second straight. RMU became the first NEC team to repeat as tournament champions since Rider in 1993 and 1994. “To be honest with you, I have no idea what we do sometimes on offense,” said Rice, a former assistant at Pittsburgh who is now in his third year at Robert Morris. “My whole thing is -- defend.” Freshman Karon Abraham scored 16 points to lead the Colonials (23-11), and Green and Russell Johnson each added nine. James Feldeine had 17 points for Quinnipiac (23-9), which was seeking its first conference title but will settle for a berth in the NIT. Justin Rutty, the NEC Player of the Year, added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Green got a piece of Feldeine's three-point jumper with 10 seconds left and Robert Morris leading, 50-48. His free throws gave the Colonials a four-point lead, and they held on for the win. Robert Morris held Quinnipiac to 35 percent shooting and six second-half field goals. “Out of one-bid leagues, the team that finishes first or second in field-goal percentage defense goes to the NCAA Tournament,” Rice said. “If you don't defend in these one-bid leagues, you don't have a chance." Neither team led by more than three points in the second half, and both teams were in the bonus for the game's final seven and-a-half minutes. Robert Morris took its first lead of the second half, 39-38, with just over nine minutes to play on a three-pointer from the corner by Gary Wallace. Quinnipiac took it back at 46-45 on a three-pointer by Deontay Twyman with 3:24 left, and back and forth it went. Velton Jones' leaner in the lane gave Robert Morris a 50-48 lead with 1:18 to play. The Bobcats ran Feldeine off a curl and he tried a three-pointer over Green, who got his hands on the ball.

Leading Scorers: Abraham (16), Green (9), Johnson (9), Jones (5), Wallace (5)
Leading Rebounders: Robinson (7), Green (5), Johnson (5), Whitehead (4), Abraham (4)
Assists: Jones (3), Nwigwe (2), Johnson (1)

Forward Thinking - Already having gone down in Robert Morris folklore for his game-winning shot in a 48-46 win over Mount St. Mary's in the championship game of the 2009 Northeast Conference Tournament, senior forward Dallas Green added to his legacy thanks to his performance this year in the NEC's postseason. Green was named to the 2010 All-NEC Tournament team after averaging 10.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while posting four blocks in three games. More impressively, Green converted 11 of his 14 attempts from the field, a 78.6 percent success rate. Green came up huge in a 52-50 victory @ No. 1 seed Quinnipiac (3/10/10) in the championship game, blocking a shot by James Feldeine of the Bobcats while helping seal the victory with a pair of free throws, all in the final 10 seconds of the contest.

Surf Board - A big key to the success RMU had in Northeast Conference games this season was its ability to rebound. The Colonials outrebounded 12 of their last 18 league foes, including a 35-34 edge on the glass in a 52-50 win @ No. 1 Quinnipiac (3/10/10) in the championship game of 2010 NEC Tournament. So far this season Robert Morris is 17-1 (.944) when outrebounding its opponent and owns a sparkling record of 52-3 (.945) in three seasons under head coach Mike Rice when turning the trick. The Colonials enter the 2010 NCAA Tournament needing 24 rebounds to establish a new team record in the category. RMU has compiled 1,192 caroms so far this season, while the team record of 1,215 came during the 1983-84 campaign.

Three's Company - Thanks to a 2-for-5 performance from beyond the arc @ Pittsburgh (2/8/10), freshman guard Karon Abraham, the 2010 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year, established a new RMU freshman record for three-pointers. On the 2009-10 campaign Abraham owns 80 three-pointers, breaking the old mark of 56 that was held by former guard Bubba Donnelly (1991-95) during the 1991-92 campaign. Abraham also established a new Robert Morris freshman mark for free throws earlier this season and enters the 2010 NCAA Tournament with 122 on the year. For Abraham, it's two of three key freshman records Abraham has established this season ...

Biscuit in the Basket - Thanks to 18 points in a 71-63 win over No. 7 seed Central Connecticut State (3/4/10) in the quarterfinals of the 2010 NEC Tournament, freshman guard Karon Abraham established a new RMU freshman record for points. RMU's leading scorer at 13.4 points per game entering the 2010 NCAA Tournament, Abraham owns a team-high 454 points this season. He snapped the old freshamn record of 410, which was held by former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) in 2005-06.

24 - Thanks to a team-high 16 points in a 52-50 win @ No. 1 Quinnipiac (3/10/10) in the championship game of the 2010 NEC Tournament, freshman guard Karon Abraham notched his 23rd double-figure scoring game of the 2009-10 campaign. That total ties former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) for the freshman record in the category. Chappell reached double figures in scoring 23 times in 2005-06.

Moving On Up - Already having established a new RMU freshman record for three-pointers with 80, freshman guard Karon Abraham cracked the top five in the Colonial single-season record book for three-pointers by going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc in a 71-63 win over No. 7 seed Central Connecticut State (3/4/10) in the quarterfinals of the 2010 NEC Tournament. Abraham's total currently ranks fourth all-time.

Green Day - Senior forward Dallas Green was one of four Colonials to score in double figures in an 80-62 win over No. 3 seed Mount St. Mary's (3/7/10) in the semifinals of the 2010 NEC Tournament by contributing 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and a 2-for-4 performance from the free-throw line. So far this season RMU is a perfect 7-0 when Green scores in double figures, and over the last four years the Colonials are 15-1 (.938) when he scores at least 10 points in a game. RMU has won 14 straight contests when Green reaches the double-figure scoring plateau, as the last loss came in a 111-107 overtime setback @ Seton Hall (11/18/08) as part of The Philly Hoop Group Classic.

The White House - Arguably one of the hottest Colonials entering the 2010 NCAA Tournament is senior forward Josiah Whitehead. One of RMU's top options off the bench, Whitehead has shot a white hot 73.8 percent (31-for-42) from the field over his last 12 games against Northeast Conference foes in averaging 6.8 points and 2.5 rebounds while playing an average of 15.2 minutes per contest.

Engine Starter - Redshirt freshman guard Velton Jones, who is the only player in school history to lead RMU in scoring in his first collegiate game when he scored 15 points in the 2009-10 season opener @ Syracuse (11/11/09) as part of the 2K Sports Classic, has given the Colonials something they haven't had in three seasons under head coach Mike Rice: A true point guard. Since the calendar switched to the year 2010, Jones has averaged 3.27 assists per game over the last 22 contests, dishing out at least four assists in seven games. Jones finished the 2009-10 campaign ranked 10th in the NEC against league foes in assists per game (3.33) and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28).

Paint By Numbers - While Robert Morris has been known to have the ability to knock down the three-point shot in recent years, the Colonials in recent months are doing their damage offensively inside. Over the last 18 games against Northeast Conference opponents, RMU averaged 28.2 points in the paint per contest, over eight points better (19.9 ppg) than its opponents. Overall this season Robert Morris is averaging 25.8 points down low per game. So far this year the Colonials are 12-1 (.923) in games when scoring at least 30 points in the paint and are an amazing 40-5 (.889) in three years under head coach Mike Rice when turning the trick.

Start Me Up - Robert Morris may have found a consistent offensive presence in Karon Abraham, and the freshman guard has really flourished since being inserted into the starting lineup @ Youngstown State (12/30/09). Over the last 23 games, a stretch in which the Colonials are 19-4 (.826), Abraham is averaging 14.8 points per contest while shooting 44.9 percent (57-for-127) from beyond the arc and 83.9 percent (94-for-112) at the free-throw line.

The Line Dance - Already having established a freshman record for free throws this season with 122, guard Karon Abraham has shown an uncanny ability to get to the charity stripe in his first season in a Robert Morris uniform. Abraham's season total of 122 free throws currently ranks fourth in single-season school history. Abraham, who needs three free throws to move into sole possession of second place in the RMU single-season records, has converted the highest total of free throws since former forward Gabe Jackson (1992-95) finished with a school record 151 in 1994-95.

Head of the Class - Seniors Mezie Nwigwe, Dallas Green and Jimmy Langhurst have been an important part of the success at Robert Morris over the last four seasons, and the trio now have the numbers to back it up. Neither Nwigwe, Green or Langhurst will score 1,000 points or grab 500 rebounds on their respective careers, but they have one thing in common: Winning. Over the last four years the trio have compiled 90 victories, a new school record for wins by a class. Nwigwe, Green and Langhurst eclipsed the old record of 82, which was established just last year by former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09). In addition, the trio also broke Chappell's record for most Northeast Conference victories by a class of 50, as Nwigwe, Green and Langhurst compiled 55 from 2006 to 2010.

Young and Old - RMU entered the 2009-10 campaign with a grizzled bunch of veterans in its five seniors, including three returning starters. However, in order to be successful, head coach Mike Rice pointed out the Colonials needed to get production from the five active players in their first season of Division I basketball in redshirt freshman Velton Jones and Russell Johnson and true freshman Karon Abraham, Brad Piehl and Lijah Thompson. As RMU enters the 2010 NCAA Tournament, it's so far so good for the young and the restless. The five newcomers have combined for 1,085 points, or 46.6 percent of the team's total offense. Meanwhile, RMU's five seniors have accounted for 44.4 percent of the team's points, combining for 1,036.

Game On - Senior guard Mezie Nwigwe appeared in his 125th career game in RMU's 2009-10 regular season home finale Quinnipiac (2/20/10), helping him establish a new school record for games played. Nwigwe, who enters the 2010 NCAA Tournament with 130 career games played, snapped the old record of 124, which was held by former guard Jeremy Chappell from 2005 to 2009. Nwigwe has started 33 of RMU's 34 games so far on the 2009-10 campaign.

Three's Company - Despite the loss of former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09), who finished his career as RMU's all-time leader in three-point field goals with 243, the Colonials continue to convert from downtown. On the 2009-10 campaign, Robert Morris is averaging 5.65 three-pointers per contest, which ranks eighth in the Northeast Conference. The Colonials enter Thursday's game against Villanova in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament eight three-pointers shy of eclipsing 200 for the seventh consecutive season. The top threat for the Colonials from beyond the arc this season has been freshman guard Karon Abraham, who ranks second in the NEC in three-point field goal percentage (.442) and fourth in three-point field goals per game (2.35).