Robert Morris University Athletics

2009 All-Northeast Conference Second Team
2009 All-Northeast Conference Tournament Team

Signed a scholarship with Robert Morris in May of 2008 … Strong, athletic forward that provides Robert Morris with a true post presence … Length continually poses problems for opponents in the paint … Possesses an uncanny ability to block shots … Extremely active on the glass on both ends of the floor … One of the most magnificent dunkers in school history … A natural scorer with his back to the basket and a solid passer for his position … Will serve as a co-captain for the 2009-10 Colonials along with senior guard Jimmy Langhurst … Expected to provide leadership and be a veteran presence for Robert Morris in his final season of eligibility.

2008-09 Highlights (Junior): Played in 32 games, earning 28 starts … Named to the All-Northeast Conference Second Team … Earned a spot on the 2009 All-NEC Tournament Team after averaging 8.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in three games in helping Robert Morris clinch its sixth NEC Tournament championship … Averaged 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, both of which ranked second for RMU … Established a new Robert Morris single-season record with 35 blocks … Converted 51.7 percent (151-for-292) of his shots from the floor … Shot 50 percent (57-for-114) at the free-throw line … Of his 179 rebounds, 52 came on the offensive glass … Posted 58 assists and 27 steals … Ranked sixth in the Northeast Conference in field goal percentage and eighth in blocked shots per game (1.09) … In 18 games against NEC opponents averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest, shooting 56.9 percent (99-for-174) from the field … Against league foes ranked second in the conference in field goal percentage, 10th in rebounding and 14th in scoring … Converted 58.3 percent (70-for-120) of his shots at the Charles L. Sewall Center … In 28 games as a starter averaged 11.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest … In his Robert Morris debut finished with seven points against Marist (11/21/08) as part of the Garden State Challenge … Hit seven of his 10 shots from the field and led the Colonials with 15 points in an 81-70 win over Long Island (12/6/08) … Posted 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in an 83-70 victory @ Lafayette (12/17/08) … In 22 minutes of action scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 73-60 win over Central Michigan (12/20/08) at the Palace of Auburn Hills … Scored 12 points @ Xavier (12/31/08) and contributed 12 points in a 78-60 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) (1/3/09) … Missed his first career double-double by a rebound in a 77-70 win @ Mount St. Mary's (1/5/09), tying for team-high honors in points with 17 while grabbing nine boards … Also blocked three shots in the win against the Mount … Finished with 15 points in a 75-63 win @ Quinnipiac (1/8/09) to lead RMU and contributed 13 points and nine boards in a 72-70 overtime victory @ Sacred Heart (1/10/09) … Hit all nine of his shots from the floor and finished 2-for-3 at the free-throw line for 20 points in a 104-56 win over Wagner (1/17/09) … Established a career high in field goals (10) in a 74-40 victory @ Fairleigh Dickinson (1/24/09), leading the Colonials with 20 points … Scored 15 points @ Pittsburgh (2/2/09) before fouling out … Scored 11 points and grabbed six boards in a 61-54 win @ St. Francis (N.Y.) (2/5/09) … Grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds while scoring nine points and recording three blocks in a 64-44 win @ Central Connecticut State (2/7/09) … Scored 20 points and grabbed eight boards in an 85-79 win over Sacred Heart (2/12/09) … Recorded his first career double-double by scoring a career-high 22 points and tying a career high with 14 rebounds in a 69-64 win over Quinnipiac (2/14/09) … Hit eight of his 12 shots from the floor against the Bobcats, and nine of his 14 rebounds came on the offensive glass … Also posted a career-high five steals in the win over Quinnipiac … Named the Choice Hotels / NEC Player of the Week (2/16/09) after averaging 21.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals while shooting 75 percent (18-for-24) from the floor in wins over Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac … In the 2008-09 regular-season finale finished with 17 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting from the field and a 3-for-5 performance at the free-throw line in a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09) … In three games of the 2009 NEC Tournament averaged 8.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while recording four assists, four blocks and three steals … Scored nine points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 73-60 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) (3/5/09) in the quarterfinals of the NEC Tournament … Finished with seven points, three blocks and two steals in a 75-48 win over Quinnipiac (3/8/09) in the NEC Tournament semifinals … In a 48-46 win over Mount St. Mary's (3/11/09) in the NEC Tournament championship game finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for his second career double-double … Scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds and posted two blocks and a steal against No. 2 seed Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., as part of the Midwest Regional.

Junior College and Personal: Coached by Mike Cavanaugh at the Globe Institute of Technology … Averaged 17.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game during the 2007-08 campaign … Shot 54.9 percent from the field … Averaged 14.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest as a freshman in 2006-07 … Earned a spot on the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Second Team Division I All-America Team as a sophomore … Son of Julee Velikov … Born March 19, 1987 … Major is sport management.