Robert Morris probably will welcome back suspended leading scorer Jeremy Chappell tonight at Youngstown State.

And coach Mike Rice also would like to welcome another Colonial tonight -- a productive center.

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Scouting report

• Matchup: Robert Morris (5-4) vs. Youngstown State (3-5), 7:05 p.m. today, Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio.
• Radio, Internet: WPIT-AM (730), www.sports.yahoo.com/ncaab.
• Robert Morris: Is 3-1 on the road ... Last played in Youngstown Dec. 19, 2001, winning 87-80. ... G Bateko Francisco averaging 13.5 ppg in past two games. ... Averaging 75.8 ppg and allowing 72 ppg. ... Shooting 46.6 percent from field, 33.7 from 3-point range, 69.1 at free-throw line.
• Youngstown State: Has lost three consecutive games. ... Former Geneva College coach Jerry Slocum is 24-43 in two-plus seasons. ... Five defeats include losses at UCLA and Notre Dame. ... Led by senior F John Barber (14.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg), senior G Byron Davis (14.0 ppg) and junior F Jack Liles (11.4 ppg).
• Hidden stat: In past three games, Youngstown State has shot just 34.8 percent from field, including 21.1 percent from 3-point range.

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Chappell, the junior guard who averages 16.9 points a game, sat out the previous two games (both losses) because Rice suspended him for violating a team academic rule.

However, after a week off for final exams, Chappell seems back in the coach's good graces.

"There will be added punishment that won't be open to the public, but it looks promising that he'll be playing [tonight]," Rice said.

It also seems promising that little-used Bas Rozendaal will play some meaningful minutes tonight.

Rozendaal, a 7-foot redshirt sophomore, didn't play at all last season and has played a total of only 10 minutes in four games this season for the Colonials (5-4). He has no points and one rebound.

"He needs to get an opportunity," Rice said.

"Maybe there will be some things in the games that he'll be able to do that he doesn't do in practice."

Such as?

"Rebound," Rice said.

Rice has not been pleased with the collective play of Freddie Harris, Iffy Ehirim, Will Royal and Rozendaal in the middle.

Combined, those four have scored 34 points and grabbed 39 rebounds, with Harris having contributed the most (14 points, 19 rebounds).

"I'm searching," Rice said "Bas will be in the mix. These guys have to do something -- whether it's defend, whether it's screen. They have to do something for me."

Harris, a 6-8 senior, should be the player who does something. Last season, he averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds a game and shot 54 percent from the field.

However, Harris reported 15 pounds overweight, and his conditioning has been a factor.

"If Freddie can do more than he did last year -- defend more, not foul as much, make open layups -- I think we'll be a better, deeper team," Rice said. "Freddie's the closest [to contributing] because he's a senior, but his lack of finishing, his lack of conditioning, hurts him.

"Iffy and Will are kind of works in progress. If you put [all four] together, you'd have a heck of a center, but right now we're just trying to find a consistent center who's going to make simple plays and help us win."

Rice really isn't asking for much here.

"Consistent effort," he said. "Like doing the little things for us -- the easy play, a layup, the box-out rebound, a good screen, consistency with that stuff."

Youngstown State (3-5) has three starters back from its 14-17 team a season ago, but it lost two-time All-Horizon League player Quin Humphrey (18.8 points a game) to graduation. Humphrey scored 25 points in the Penguins' 79-78 loss at Robert Morris last season.

Coach Jerry Slocum, who had so much success at Geneva College in the 1990s, is in his third season at Youngstown State. Last season, he became the 47th coach to reach 600 victories in NCAA play.