Colonials welcome Robinson's impact
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Rob Robinson will return to the Robert Morris team tonight.
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The Robert Morris Colonials had their season opener last week and their home opener a few nights ago.
Tonight at Rutgers, the Colonials will have yet another opener -- and this could be their most important.
This will be Rob Robinson's RMU opener.
"He's going to be a big key for us," senior guard Jeremy Chappell said. "He's going to get rebounds for us. He'll get some buckets in the post we need. He's a shot blocker. He's a defensive force. He does the little things for us.
"He's going to open up a lot for our wing players. Other teams' guards are going to have to help on him and look down in the post. That's going to help us a lot driving and kicking [out].
- Matchup: Robert Morris (1-1) vs. Rutgers (2-0), 8 p.m. today, Brown Athletic Center, New Brunswick, N.J.
- Radio, Internet: WPIT-AM (730), www.sports.yahoo.com
- Robert Morris: Lost at St. Bonaventure (72-62) and beat Delaware (86-75) in its first two Garden State Challenge games. ... G Jeremy Chappell has 1,329 points and ranks eighth on career scoring list. Next up is A.J. Jackson (1,455). ... First game against Rutgers. ... Has made 35 of its past 42 free throw attempts.
- Rutgers: Beat Marist (63-61) at home and won at Delaware (85-77) in its first two Garden State Challenge games. ... Has made 7 of 24 3-point attempts. Opponents have attempted 44 3-point shots, making 14. ... Is 39 of 63 (61.9 percent) at free-throw line. ... Outrebounded opponents, 88-67, in first two games.
- Hidden stat: Chappell was Robert Morris' leading scorer on the road last season with an average of 15.6 points per game.
"His presence is going to help out the whole team. He brings a lot of energy, and everybody feeds off it."
Robinson, a 6-foot-8 junior-college forward from Waldorf, Md., missed three games -- including the Colonials' exhibition exercise against Shippensburg -- while on suspension for violating team rules.
Coach Mike Rice reinstated him after the home opener Tuesday night against Delaware.
"He's done everything he needs to do," Rice said of Robinson meeting his team-rule obligations.
And like Robinson's teammates, Rice is eager to see what Robinson can do on the court in a real game.
They've all seen him in practice and watched in a kind of awe as he scored 30 points in a scrimmage against Niagara a few weeks ago.
"He can score with his back to the basket," Rice said. "From what we've seen -- and the reason we recruited him -- he has a really nice post game to him. He's long and athletic. He doesn't need to box out. He's the one guy who just jumps above everybody and gets the rebound. That's always nice to have."
"He's going to give us a lot -- a lot," insisted forward Josiah Whitehead, another junior-college transfer, who contributed a total of 20 points and 13 rebounds in the first two games. "He'll give us more rebounds, more inside presence.
"Everybody knows how athletic he is. He has a great wing span. He might not say much, but when he says it, you feel it. It's like, 'OK, I got you, Rob.' "
"We'll have more confidence [on defense] now, too," guard Jimmy Langhurst said. "If they drive in, I can feel comfortable because I have a shot blocker that's going to help me from behind."
All that being said, Robinson won't start tonight.
Rice will continue to start senior Iffy Ehirim in the middle, who scored 10 points against Delaware.
Rice envisions having quite the presence inside when 6-8 Dallas Green (academics) becomes eligible Dec. 14.
"With Rob, Iffy, Josiah, Jeremy a little bit and then Dallas, we all of a sudden get deep," Rice said. "We all of a sudden become very versatile and can beat you in different ways."
Ehirim and Robinson probably will guard Rutgers center Hamady N'Diaye, a 6-11, 235-pound junior who had 26 points and eight rebounds in the Scarlet Knights' 85-77 win Sunday at Delaware.
"Hamady was outstanding," Rutgers coach Fred Hill said. "He played an unbelievable game. In my 28 seasons of coaching, I have never seen a young man come so far in two years."
Last season, N'Diaye averaged 5.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
NOTES -- Monmouth has lost senior guard Whitney Coleman for the season because of a torn ACL. Coleman, who averaged 11.9 points per game last season, tore his ACL as he made a layup in the Hawks' opener at Florida Atlantic last Friday. ... Robert Morris concludes play in the Garden State Challenge against Marist (0-2) at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Rutgers.
First Published November 21, 2008 12:00 am
