GAME 1
Penn (0-0) vs. Robert Morris (0-0)
Friday, November 11, 2016 • 7:00 p.m.
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) • Moon Township, Pa.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Video: RMUColonials.com • NECFrontRow.com
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team opens its 2016-17 regular season and 41st season of Division I basketball Friday with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Penn at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
 
- Robert Morris returns three starters and nine letterwinners from a 2015-16 squad that finished with an overall record of 10-22 (.313), including a mark of 8-10 (.444) in the Northeast Conference.
 
- RMU was tabbed sixth in the 2016 NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, the program's lowest preseason prediction since being selected to finish 10th in 2005. The Colonials had been picked to finish in the top three, but never the preseason favorite, for 10 consecutive years from 2006 to 2015.
 
- Entering Friday's game against the Quakers, Robert Morris owns an overall record of 20-20 (.500) in season openers, including a mark of 3-3 (.500) under seventh-year head coach Andrew Toole.
 
- The Colonials, who have dropped three of their last four season openers, have compiled a record of 16-3 (.842) in season openers at home, including a mark of 10-3 (.769) in season lidlifters at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
 
- Included among RMU's returning starters in 2016-17 are guards Kavon Stewart and Matty McConnell and forward Billy Giles. In all, RMU returns 54.3 percent (1,131-of-2,082) of its scoring this season to go along with 45.9 percent (478-of-1,041) of its rebounding, 72.8 percent (291-of-400) of its assists and 62.6 percent (166-of-265) of its steals.
 
- Guard Kavon Stewart supplied Robert Morris with averages of 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in 2015-16. He also finished second for the Colonials in steals with 55 and enters the 2016-17 campaign having recorded at least one theft in nine consecutive games. Over his final eight contests of last season, Stewart averaged 9.1 points, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
 
- Forward Aaron Tate, who played only three games in 2015-16 before sitting out the rest of the season due to injury, returns for his redshirt senior season in 2016-17. In 72 career contests, Tate has supplied the Colonials with averages of 3.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He is RMU's active leader in rebounds with 311.
 
- Robert Morris finished 5-1 (.833) in 2015-16 when outrebounding its opponent and in six seasons under head coach Andrew Toole has compiled a record of 77-16 (.828) when turning the trick.
 
- Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, RMU has compiled an overall record of 193-118 (.621), with the 193 victories tied for 13th with Valparaiso among mid-major programs over the last nine years. During that same stretch, the Colonials have posted a mark of 119-41 (.774) against Northeast Conference opponents.


 
The Floor General - Senior guard Kavon Stewart dished out a game-high six assists in the Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinals @ Wagner (3/2/16) and in the process moved into the top 10 in the RMU career record book for dimes. Stewart concluded the 2015-16 campaign with 385 career assists, which is tied for 10th with former guard Gene Nabors (1995-2000). Based on a 31-game regular-season schedule in 2016-17, Stewart would need to average 5.5 assists per game in his final season of eligibility to become the program's all-time leader in dimes. The RMU career school record of 555 assists was established by former guard Forest Grant from 1980 to 1984.
 
Still Of The Night - Sophomore guard Isaiah Still was a consistent presence on offense for Robert Morris during the stretch run of the 2015-16 campaign. Still reached double figures in each of his last eight games of the season and paced the Colonials in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Northeast Conference Tournament with 13 points @ Wagner (3/2/16). During that span, Still produced averages of 16.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. Where Still really excelled was at the free-throw line. Over his last seven games, Still converted 76.8 percent (43-for-56) of his attempts at the stripe, averaging 8.0 trips to the line per game. In 22 games prior to that stretch, Still shot 62.5 percent (45-for-72) at the chalk.
 
Good Point - Senior guard Kavon Stewart enters the 2016-17 as RMU's active leading scorer with 642 points. It marks the lowest career total by a student-athlete entering a season since 2005-06, when former point guard Derek Coleman (2003-07) was the program's active career leader in points with 339. Stewart has a shot at joining the RMU 1,000-Point Club in his final season of eligibility in 2016-17. Based on a 31-game slate, Stewart would need to average 11.5 points per game this year to become the 25th member of the club.
 
Did You Know? In six seasons under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris has compiled a record of 71-26 (.732) when scoring at least 70 points in a game. Included in that record is a mark of 28-3 (.903) when eclipsing the 80-point plateau.
 
Billy The Kid - Billy Giles became just the fourth student-athlete in program history to shoot at least 60 percent from the field in a season in 2015-16, as the forward led the Northeast Conference in field goal percentage at 60.6 percent (120-for-198). Giles was able to top the league in field goal percentage on the strength of a great final month, as he averaged 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in eight games during the month of February while shooting a white hot 71.4 percent (50-for-70) from the field. Giles' field goal percentage in 2015-16 ranks third in the RMU single-season record book and is the highest mark since former forward Steve Napper (1993-98) shot 66.2 percent (96-for-145) from the floor in 1997-98, a mark that stands as the school record.
 
Thievery - In his rookie campaign in 2015-16, guard Matty McConnell led the Colonials in steals with 57, the second highest total by a freshman in program history. McConnell finished the year averaging 1.97 steals per contest, a mark that led the Northeast Conference. He became the sixth player from Robert Morris to pace the circuit in steals in league history and was bolstered by averaging 2.39 thefts per contest in 18 games against NEC foes, which also led the conference. McConnell also supplied the Colonials with averages of 6.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 2015-16.
 
Jersey Strong - Kavon Stewart enters his final season of eligibility in 2016-17 as RMU's active leader in assists (385) and steals (144). In 2015-16, the junior guard ranked fourth in the Northeast Conference in both assists (4.68 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46) while tying for third in the circuit in steals (1.77 per contest) with Martin Hermannsson of LIU Brooklyn. Stewart will have a chance to finish in the top 10 at Robert Morris in career steals, as he is 17 thefts shy of moving into a tie for 10th with former guard Brandon Jackson, who concluded his career with 161 steals from 1977 to 1981. Stewart also has a chance to become just the seventh player in program history to eclipse 200 career steals, as he is 56 thefts away from the mark.
 
The Streak - Senior forward Billy Giles was the only member of the Colonials to play all 32 games for Robert Morris in 2015-16. He also started the final 26 games of the season and is the active leader for both consecutive games and consecutive starting assignments entering the 2016-17 season opener against Penn. Trailing Giles in both consecutive games played and consecutive starts for RMU is sophomore guard Matty McConnell, who enters Friday's game against the Quakers having played in 27 consecutive games while earning 24 consecutive starts.
 
Protect This House - Robert Morris is playing its 32nd season at the Charles L. Sewall Center in 2016-17, and overall the Colonials own a record of 273-142 (.658) in the building. Since 2005-06, RMU has posted a record of 120-40 (.750) at the Sewall Center and in six seasons at "The Chuck" under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris has compiled a record of 61-25 (.709).
 
Surf Board - The Colonials should be bolstered by the return of forward Aaron Tate in 2016-17, especially on the glass. Tate appeared in RMU's first three games of the 2015-16 campaign before being shut down with a season-ending injury and is the program's active career leader in rebounds with 311. He has an outside chance to join the 500-Rebound Club in his final season of eligibility. Based on a 31-game regular-season slate, Tate would need to average 6.1 caroms per contest in 2016-17 to become the 18th member of the club.

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