Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2005 21:45:31 GMT -5
In an effort to beat Athlons and be the first "publication" out...here's is my look at RMU!
Robert Morris Saturday 7pm 11/19/05
Ok, your coming off a 2-27 season, you have 7 new players…who do you schedule to start the season? How about calling Robert Morris? The Colonials started the 04-05 season with only 11 scholarship players because of the defections of players like Jakeel Gary, Steven Winding, Daren Tielsch, Jeff Trotter and Baylor transfer Corey Herring (not many people knew Herring actually attending summer school at RMU before transferring to Canisius). This year RMU loses 4 seniors, 3 of them starters (including 2 of the top 4 all-time scorers) that totaled 57% of the teams total minutes played. On top of that, the only junior on the team, Joseph Ison, left for more playing time. HUH? That’s right, you lose 3 starters, you’re the only senior, you played 15 minutes per game last year and you don’t think you’re going to get more minutes? All this leads to a team that…well is in worse shape then… oh…say…SBU. Currently, head coach Mark Schmidt has brought in 7 new faces and has one more ‘ship to give out, which, Schmidt figures on keeping for the next year.
The best of the bunch appears to be Josh Johnson, AJ Jackson, and Steve Lancaster. Johnson (6-6 210), described as a jumping jack, played last year at Polk CC where he earned All-Suncoast Conference First Team honors by averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. On a team that has only three players over 6-6 (walk-on Beau Gibbs, first year sophomore Colson Senat and late summer pick up Freddie Harris) you can pencil Johnson in as your starting power forward. AJ Jackson (6-6 230) will be the center. The red-shirt sophomore transferred to RMU after his freshmen year at East Tennessee State. In 7 games for the 27-6 Buccaneers, Jackson averaged 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 6 minutes of action. The third front court newcomer is Freddie Harris (6-8 235). Harris, who signed with RMU in late June, is from Lawson C.C. where he averaged 6.7pts and 4.4rbs per game. Schmidt was quoted as saying that”…we’re expecting him to make an immediate impact. He owns a big, physical body that will help us rebound and has a nice shooting touch around the basket. He also runs extremely well for his size.” With the lack of size the Colonials have look for Harris to contribute significant minutes at the center position. The last frontcourt addition is Colson Senat (6-7 210), a first year sophomore from Vanier College in Montreal. The 21 year old combo forward averaged 12.7 - 6.0 last year while connecting on 43% of his shots from behind the arc. Colson, with his combination of size and outside shooting ability may create some serious match-up problems for NEC opponents.
The best backcourt newcomer appears to be Lancaster. The 6-3 guard was second in scoring (11.8) on a very good Neosho CCC in which he was selected 2nd team all-conference. Lancaster also lead the team in 3’s made, 3’s percentage, and steals. The key stat there, for me, is the percentage. It wasn’t like he was firing 3’s willy-nilly and that’s why he led the team in makes, he’s a legitimate 3 point shooter that opponents will need to know where he is at all times or he will bury 5 or 6 on ya in a hurry. He will be the starting line-up of a three guard offense. Rounding out the current list of newcomers are three freshmen guards, Jeremy Chappell (6-3 190), Kelvin Bright (6-3 180) and Jonathan Clark (5-11 180). Chappell averaged 18 points as a high school senior and was selected 2nd team Division 1 according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Bright averaged 16 points, was Honorable Mention All-Metro in the Washington Post and won the state of Maryland high jump as a junior. I could not find much information on Jonathan Clark other than the Charlotte, NC native was a teammate of Bonnies incoming freshman Tyler Benson at Massanutten Military Academy.
As for the 4 returning letterman, Derek Coleman and Tony Lee will start at the guards. Coleman (5-11) started at PG last year and had a very respectable assist to turnover ratio (1.8/1) and is the leading returning scorer. Lee (6-0) should move into a starting roll after averaging 24.5 minutes per game and finishing second on the team in rebounding with a 5.4 average. Gibbs (6-8 210), a walk-on last year, appears to have earned himself a scholarship this year, saw action in every game averaging 9.6 minutes and was actually the best 3 point shooter, percentage wise (43%), on the team. The final piece to the puzzle is Cori Boston (6-5 200). Boston played all of last year with a sports hernia (mommy!) and is supposed to be healthy this year, but with all the additions at the wings I don’t see him getting anymore time then his six minutes he got last year.
Schmidt was quoted in one of the local Pittsburgh rags as saying that he would like to run more but without actually seeing all these new faces on the floor at the same time, he couldn’t be sure of what he has. One thing is for sure; his team is short by NCAA D1 standards and with your two tallest guys better suited for hoisting 3’s instead of mucking it up in the paint, the Colonials better run. Johnson and Jackson better be beasts on the board and Lee must match his 5 rebounds from last year. Look for a watered down version of basketball that SBU played during the “He-who-must-not-be-named” era.
PROBABLE STARTERS
PG COLEMAN 5-11 180 JR 33.6 8.2 3.3
SG LEE 6-0 180 SO 24.5 7.9 5.4
PF JACKSON 6-6 230 SO
PF JOHNSON 6-6 210 JR
SG LANCASTER 6-3 180 JR
BENCH
C HARRIS 6-8 235 JR
PF GIBBS 6-8 210 SO 9.6 3.0 1.4
SG CHAPPELL 6-3 180 FR
PF COLSON 6-7 210 SO
SG BRIGHT 6-3 180 FR
PG CLARK 5-11 185 FR
SF BOSTON 6-5 200 SO
Next up...Niagara!
Robert Morris Saturday 7pm 11/19/05
Ok, your coming off a 2-27 season, you have 7 new players…who do you schedule to start the season? How about calling Robert Morris? The Colonials started the 04-05 season with only 11 scholarship players because of the defections of players like Jakeel Gary, Steven Winding, Daren Tielsch, Jeff Trotter and Baylor transfer Corey Herring (not many people knew Herring actually attending summer school at RMU before transferring to Canisius). This year RMU loses 4 seniors, 3 of them starters (including 2 of the top 4 all-time scorers) that totaled 57% of the teams total minutes played. On top of that, the only junior on the team, Joseph Ison, left for more playing time. HUH? That’s right, you lose 3 starters, you’re the only senior, you played 15 minutes per game last year and you don’t think you’re going to get more minutes? All this leads to a team that…well is in worse shape then… oh…say…SBU. Currently, head coach Mark Schmidt has brought in 7 new faces and has one more ‘ship to give out, which, Schmidt figures on keeping for the next year.
The best of the bunch appears to be Josh Johnson, AJ Jackson, and Steve Lancaster. Johnson (6-6 210), described as a jumping jack, played last year at Polk CC where he earned All-Suncoast Conference First Team honors by averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. On a team that has only three players over 6-6 (walk-on Beau Gibbs, first year sophomore Colson Senat and late summer pick up Freddie Harris) you can pencil Johnson in as your starting power forward. AJ Jackson (6-6 230) will be the center. The red-shirt sophomore transferred to RMU after his freshmen year at East Tennessee State. In 7 games for the 27-6 Buccaneers, Jackson averaged 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 6 minutes of action. The third front court newcomer is Freddie Harris (6-8 235). Harris, who signed with RMU in late June, is from Lawson C.C. where he averaged 6.7pts and 4.4rbs per game. Schmidt was quoted as saying that”…we’re expecting him to make an immediate impact. He owns a big, physical body that will help us rebound and has a nice shooting touch around the basket. He also runs extremely well for his size.” With the lack of size the Colonials have look for Harris to contribute significant minutes at the center position. The last frontcourt addition is Colson Senat (6-7 210), a first year sophomore from Vanier College in Montreal. The 21 year old combo forward averaged 12.7 - 6.0 last year while connecting on 43% of his shots from behind the arc. Colson, with his combination of size and outside shooting ability may create some serious match-up problems for NEC opponents.
The best backcourt newcomer appears to be Lancaster. The 6-3 guard was second in scoring (11.8) on a very good Neosho CCC in which he was selected 2nd team all-conference. Lancaster also lead the team in 3’s made, 3’s percentage, and steals. The key stat there, for me, is the percentage. It wasn’t like he was firing 3’s willy-nilly and that’s why he led the team in makes, he’s a legitimate 3 point shooter that opponents will need to know where he is at all times or he will bury 5 or 6 on ya in a hurry. He will be the starting line-up of a three guard offense. Rounding out the current list of newcomers are three freshmen guards, Jeremy Chappell (6-3 190), Kelvin Bright (6-3 180) and Jonathan Clark (5-11 180). Chappell averaged 18 points as a high school senior and was selected 2nd team Division 1 according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Bright averaged 16 points, was Honorable Mention All-Metro in the Washington Post and won the state of Maryland high jump as a junior. I could not find much information on Jonathan Clark other than the Charlotte, NC native was a teammate of Bonnies incoming freshman Tyler Benson at Massanutten Military Academy.
As for the 4 returning letterman, Derek Coleman and Tony Lee will start at the guards. Coleman (5-11) started at PG last year and had a very respectable assist to turnover ratio (1.8/1) and is the leading returning scorer. Lee (6-0) should move into a starting roll after averaging 24.5 minutes per game and finishing second on the team in rebounding with a 5.4 average. Gibbs (6-8 210), a walk-on last year, appears to have earned himself a scholarship this year, saw action in every game averaging 9.6 minutes and was actually the best 3 point shooter, percentage wise (43%), on the team. The final piece to the puzzle is Cori Boston (6-5 200). Boston played all of last year with a sports hernia (mommy!) and is supposed to be healthy this year, but with all the additions at the wings I don’t see him getting anymore time then his six minutes he got last year.
Schmidt was quoted in one of the local Pittsburgh rags as saying that he would like to run more but without actually seeing all these new faces on the floor at the same time, he couldn’t be sure of what he has. One thing is for sure; his team is short by NCAA D1 standards and with your two tallest guys better suited for hoisting 3’s instead of mucking it up in the paint, the Colonials better run. Johnson and Jackson better be beasts on the board and Lee must match his 5 rebounds from last year. Look for a watered down version of basketball that SBU played during the “He-who-must-not-be-named” era.
PROBABLE STARTERS
PG COLEMAN 5-11 180 JR 33.6 8.2 3.3
SG LEE 6-0 180 SO 24.5 7.9 5.4
PF JACKSON 6-6 230 SO
PF JOHNSON 6-6 210 JR
SG LANCASTER 6-3 180 JR
BENCH
C HARRIS 6-8 235 JR
PF GIBBS 6-8 210 SO 9.6 3.0 1.4
SG CHAPPELL 6-3 180 FR
PF COLSON 6-7 210 SO
SG BRIGHT 6-3 180 FR
PG CLARK 5-11 185 FR
SF BOSTON 6-5 200 SO
Next up...Niagara!
