Brooklyn, N.Y. – According to a poll of Northeast Conference (NEC) head coaches, the
Robert Morris University men's basketball team has been picked to finish fifth in the NEC in 2018-19. The poll was released as part of the conference's seventh annual NEC Social Media Day, held at the Barclays Center.
Saint Francis U, which earned eight first-place votes, was selected as the preseason favorite in 2018-19, the second consecutive year the Red Flash have been tabbed the top pick. Fairleigh Dickinson, which earned one first-place vote, was picked to finish second, followed by LIU Brooklyn and Wagner. The Blackbirds also picked up a first-place tally.
Following the Colonials in the poll are Central Connecticut, St. Francis Brooklyn, Bryant, Sacred Heart and Mount St. Mary's.
Led by ninth-year head coach
Andrew Toole, RMU returns nine letterwinners and four starters in 2018-19. Returning as starters are senior guard
Matty McConnell, sophomore guard
Jon Williams and sophomore forwards
Charles Bain and
Koby Thomas.
McConnell enters his final season in 2018-19 as the program's active leader in games played (94), starts (85), points (784), assists (204) and steals (175). He ranks ninth all-time in program history in career steals and is looking to become just the eighth player in school history to eclipse 200 career steals. McConnell would be the fifth player with ties to Toole to accomplish the feat, joining Tony Lee (2004-08), Jeremy Chappell (2005-09), Velton Jones (2008-13) and Kavon Stewart (2013-17).
Thomas was named the 2018 NEC Rookie of the Year after producing averages of 12.0 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game. He converted 43.9 percent (145-for-330) from the floor, and his 227 rebounds rank second in program history by a rookie as well as seventh overall in the RMU single-season record book.
Williams, along with Thomas, established a Robert Morris freshman record for starts by a rookie, as the duo each started RMU's 33 games last season. Williams averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 43.3 percent (58-for-134) from beyond the arc, which ranked fifth in the NEC.
Bain appeared in all 33 games for the Colonials, including starts in seven of the last eight contest of the year, and averaged 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
RMU got its 2018-19 season off to an early start with the first foreign tour in program history in August. Robert Morris visited Ireland and posted a 3-0 record during its exhibition tour, earning victories over
Neptune (August 9),
Moycullen (August 12) and
Killester (August 16). During the tour, Thomas averaged 25.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
The Colonials will open their 2018-19 regular season by taking part in the 2018 National College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. RMU will open the tournament Tuesday, Nov. 6, at USC and will also visit Missouri State Friday, Nov. 9. The tourney also includes a home game against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 17) as well as a road game at Stetson (Nov. 19).
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