The 10 Spot: Colonials Setting, Achieving Goals

By Paul Meyer
Dec. 29, 2011
www.rmucolonials.com

Meyer on Morris Link

Moon Township, Pa. - The 2011-12 Robert Morris University Colonials last Thursday added another page to the growing chronicle of recent successes for the program.

Their last-tenth-of-a-second 59-56 victory at Youngstown State made these Colonials the first RMU team to win 10 games before Christmas.

"Now,'' head coach Andrew Toole said, "we'll see where this can take us.''

In the short run, the Colonials will take their 10-3 record to Memphis tonight and then to Ohio University, Jan. 2, before they resume Northeast Conference play in earnest at Bryant, Jan.5.

Beginning with the Bryant game, we'll really be able to see where the Colonials' 10-3 start can take this team.

To a fourth consecutive NEC Tournament championship game?

To a third NEC Tournament championship in four seasons?

To a fourth 20-win season in five years?

"Our goal was to have 10 wins by Christmas,'' junior guard Velton Jones said. "After that, we're just very excited to try to get (back) into conference 12-3 and get going in conference play.''

The Colonials being 12-3 entering that Bryant game doesn't seem realistic, though.

"Why not?'' Jones said.

Uh, those games at Memphis and Ohio University?

"We don't care about who we're playing,'' Jones said. "We don't care if it's Memphis or if it's Duke. We're going to go into the game thinking we can win the game, and we're going to try to prepare to do that. So in our eyes, yes, it's realistic that we can go (back) into conference 12-3.''

A small dose of reality here, if you will.

Memphis is, after all, Memphis of Conference USA and is 6-5, with losses to Georgetown (twice), Michigan, Louisville and Murray State. Ohio University won 10 of its first 11 games, including a huge win at Northern Iowa, and is off to its best start since 1940-41 and, as Toole noted, is "terrific.''

Still, Jones has support for his thought that the Colonials can be 12-3 after 15 games.

"He's right on the money,'' freshman guard/forward Lucky Jones said. "We work too hard not to think that we can real our goal (of) becoming 12-3. As long as we work hard and stay together, we can get that done.''

Well, we shall see.

For sure, though, this team accomplished a lot before Christmas. It was 5-1 at home and 5-2 away from the Charles L. Sewall Center.

RMU got its 10th win well before last season's team broke into double figures. The 2010-11 Colonials didn't post their 10th victory until Feb. 3.

"Last year, we went through a lot of up and downs in the beginning of the year with injuries,'' Velton Jones said. "It was a crazy year last year.''

Before the midpoint of last season, forward Lawrence Bridges missed four games because of a concussion. Guard Gary Wallace missed two games because of a finger injury, and guard Karon Abraham served a four-game suspension for violating team rules.

On top of that, the Colonials slogged through a midseason slump in which they lost four of six games.

"Last year was a learning curve for a lot of us,'' said sophomore guard Coron Williams, whose buzzer-beater won the game at Youngstown State. "Now we're more experienced. And it's a different vibe now. We went through so much last year. This year, our distractions are to a minimum. We're real into it this year.''

"This year, everybody's into it,'' Velton Jones said. "I'm not saying they weren't last year, but it's just a different type of feeling this year. We feel like we can be real special this year.''

The Colonials haven't been injury-free this season, either.

Center Lijah Thompson hasn't played since Dec. 8 because of a foot injury, and forward Russell Johnson missed most of the Hampton game, Dec. 20, because of a broken nose, although he did play at Youngstown State.

Watching his team play through those injuries and continue to win encouraged Toole.

"It gives me hope that eventually if we can ever get everyone healthy and get everyone on the same page we can be a really good team,'' he said.

It would seem these Colonials are on track to better last season's 18-14 record.

"Last year, I don't know if our effort was any less (than this season),'' Toole said. "We played really hard last year in the beginning of the year, but we fell short a couple times. I think maybe some of those experiences have helped us execute better down the stretch of games, have opened our eyes to what it takes to be successful and how every possession matters.

"A lot of those guys who were on that team last year and played heavy minutes are back, so they should be a little bit more mature. They should be a little more experienced. They should have a better understanding of what it's about.''

Last season, after that late-January/early-February funk, the Colonials won eight consecutive games to reach the NEC Tournament championship game. That run stamped that squad as a good team at the end of the season.

"In our first meeting (this season), we talked about not waiting to become a good team,'' Toole said. "We talked about (figuring) out how to be a good team as soon as the season starts. There are some days where I think we have a chance to be pretty good. There are other days where I'd like us to be a little sharper, but that's every coach in the country.

"But I'm not going to be someone who's satisfied or who relaxes - especially (in late December). We have to continue to improve, but I'm happy with the progress we've made. I'm happy with some of the maturity we've had.''

Toole gave the players a few days off for Christmas, suggesting they "go home, enjoy being with their families and then be excited to come back.''

And then go to Memphis and "have a fun game.''

A fun game?

"Those games are fun,'' Toole said, referencing RMU's annual game at Pitt and last season's games at West Virginia and Arizona. "I think those are fun games because there's no pressure on you. You can just go play. You can just go execute and challenge yourself against some of the most talented players in the country. I look at (these games) as just a fun opportunity for us to go and compete and try and raise the level of our program.''

Any sightseeing included on this fun trip? Say, for example, a tour of Elvis Presley's Graceland?

"We might,'' Toole said. "Why not? I've never been there.''

NOTES: The previous high for most wins before Christmas by a Robert Morris team was seven, accomplished in 2006-07 (7-3 before Christmas) and 2007-08 (7-4). The 2007-08 team finished 26-8 ... It's worth pondering if this Robert Morris team might be the first in NEC history to have 10 wins before Christmas. Very sketchy research revealed that the 1999-2000 Central Connecticut team that finished 25-6 was 6-2 at Christmas. Two seasons later, when the Blue Devils finished 27-5, they were 8-3 at Christmas. Last season, Long Island had the NEC's best final record at 27-6 and was 7-4 at Christmas ... Central Connecticut State lost at home to LaSalle last Thursday 85-59, which was a bit of an eye-opening score. However, the Blue Devils played without leading scorer Ken Horton (22.3 points per game), who rolled his ankle during that day's shootaround. CCSU coach Howie Dickenman expected Horton will be able to play in his team's next game at Massachusetts, Dec. 30. "I would be shocked if he's not ready for UMass,'' Dickenman told the New Britain Herald.