Robert Morris Wins NEC Championship

(Robert Morris University - 2009 NEC Tournament Champions)

Madness. Sheer Madness. March Madness. This is why they call it such, right? The Robert Morris Colonials are going dancing.

What started out as a game became an event. On Wednesday night, just as I did six days ago, I headed out to my alma mater for some NEC Tournament basketball. This time the stakes were much higher. A trip to the NCAA Tournament was on the line. Robert Morris was set to battle Mount Saint Mary's for the NEC Championship. The contest was to be televised nationally on ESPN 2. The sun was setting and air was solidly crisp. It felt like fall. This had to be a good sign.

("Bobby Mo" at Sunset)

A few more good signs: 1) I didn't lock my keys in the car this time, 2) The main parking lot was full when I got there an hour early...this was not going to be a sparsely attended event like last week's game, & 3) Did I mention this was going to be a nationally televised game? Good stuff. I was joined once again by fellow Robert Morris alums Chris H. and his dad (Magic Mark). Ticket prices were up from 10 dollars (for last week's game) to 20 dollars. I gotta give RMU credit, they know how to be opportunists. Our quorum also included John and CJS...both honorary Bobby Mo apologists on this night. Upon entering the Sewall Center, we received white NEC Tournament towels and became part of a crowd that would become a school-record 3,227 people. This was going to be good.

But it wouldn't become good for awhile. Both teams appeared to have a debilitating case of "the nerves", as play was poor, sloppy, and dysfunctional (at best) in the first half. The record crowd was at least double what these teams were used to. The pressure of the television cameras couldn't have helped either. The half-time score was 19-19. Yes...you read that correctly and No...this wasn't a high school game. This was the third time this season that Robert Morris and Mount Saint Mary's played one another (with RMU sweeping the first two). It was like each team knew what the other team was going to do before they did it. I would not classify the game as a defensive struggle. On the contrary, it was more of an offensive struggle...in that both teams struggled to produce offense. At least RMU wasn't losing at half-time. Somebody MUST hit the 40 point mark in the second half...the Colonials were playing at home...it might as well be them.

The second half was better...but only slightly. Points were still at a premium. Ticky-tacky fouls were being called left and right. The crowd, to their credit, was very into it...berating the refs at every call going against RMU, and breaking out into spontaneous eruptions at just the right moment when the home team needed a pick-me-up. After scoring just 2 points in the first half, NEC Player of the Year Jeremy Chappell started to find his shot in the second, hitting two early three-pointers to keep Robert Morris close. The offensively deficient slug-fest continued and Mount Saint Mary's led 42-37 with 4:22 to play. At the time, 5 points seemed like an insurmountable lead. But things would change.

Jimmy Langhurst nailed a three to cut the lead to 2...and although Jeremy Goode of Mt. St. Mary's countered with a two-point jumper at the other end...we could sense that Robert Morris was getting the momentum back. After a free throw, a defensive rebound, and a layup...the Colonials had cut the lead to a single point. It was time for someone to step up. And as he's done all season for Robert Morris...Jeremy Chappell was the guy to take the shot. Off a Rob Robinson assist, Chappell stepped into a three and buried it to give Robert Morris the lead 46-44. The crowd went crazy. For the first time all game, it felt like RMU was going to win this thing. Every section was standing and cheering. Hope was alive for the record-setting crowd in Moon Township!

However...the refs weren't done leaving their imprint on this game. It was only fitting that Mount Saint Mary's tied the game up at 46 by hitting two free throws. 1:17 remained until someone was headed to the Big Dance. Tick, Tick, Tick. Robert Morris possession...clank! Mount Saint Mary's ensuing possession...clank! This is tense! 46-46...Robert Morris ball...27 seconds left on the clock. Both teams take 30 second timeouts to strategize. That was the situation when the following happened. I was lucky enough to be sitting on the side of the floor where Robert Morris was to take the last shot. This is my Zapruder'esque footage of what took place.

Jeremy Chappell drives the lane and gets the ball knocked away...it bounces right into the hands of Dallas Green, who goes straight up with the shot that sends Robert Morris University to the NCAA Tournament! Bedlam at the Sewall Center! Final Score: Robert Morris 48, Mount Saint Mary's 46! I know that video clip will probably give many of you seizures, and make the rest of you nauseous...but it captures the mayhem of that moment better than anything I can put up here myself. Once your motion sickness is gone and your heart stops pounding...please watch the proper highlights of RMU's historic victory.

The fans stormed the court in a cathartic outburst that instantaneously washed away all the disappointment of the last few seasons. Their Robert Morris Colonials were going to the Big Dance. Jeremy Chappell scored 13 points in the second-half (including 3 three-pointers) and was named MVP of the NEC Tournament. It was time to celebrate. It was time for trophy presentations. It was time to cut down the nets.

Being that this was the Northeast Conference and a gym that fit 3,227 people...I found the situation to be quite accessible. Walking down the bleachers, right onto the court, I was able to get some photos of the players as they cut down the net in celebration of their triumph.

(Cutting Down The Net)

(Tournament MVP and Captain Jeremy Chappell Gets The Rest of the Nylon)

(Hoop on which the game-winning shot was taken, now without net)

(NEC Player of the Year & NEC Tournament MVP Jeremy Chappell with the cut-down net and some idiot)

After the game, I went with Chris H. and CJS to the Primanti Bros. in Moon Township to celebrate the victory with some drinks. Spirits were high. After the end of the Seton Hall vs. Syracuse game, ESPN led the late edition of Sports Center with the thrilling Robert Morris finish. Green's game-winning shot was their #6 top play of the day. Robert Morris University was getting national coverage. They were getting their 15 minutes of fame. Great times!

As we were in the bar area, we noticed a Robert Morris assistant coach who came to the same establishment for victory drinks. As trips to the bathroom were made...we realized the entire coaching staff and team had chosen Primanti Bros. as the place to celebrate the NEC title, and were all sitting in the room next to the bar. We overheard conversations that we already knew the content of, players rehashing how the team came back from five down...and how it was Dallas Green of all people that hit the Conference-winning shot. These guys were excited. These guys were going to be traveling somewhere next week for the NCAA Tournament. Their destination and opponent had not yet been chosen, but they didn't care. Tonight was a night to celebrate.

One final part to the story. As I was having a smoke with CJS in the Primanti Bros' parking lot, Robert Morris head coach Mike Rice came walking out to his car with wife and two kids. He also had the championship net in his hands. We congratulated him on the victory and wished him luck in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. "Thanks...it should be interesting!", he replied, as he and his family got into the automobile and drove off into the victorious night.

For the first time in 17 years my alma mater is going to the NCAA Tournament. It definitely should be interesting.

0201

Robert Morris Tournament Game #1 - A Breakdown

I attended my first ever Robert Morris basketball game last night, as the Colonials squared-off against St. Francis (NY) in the first round of the Northeast Conference Tournament. There's nothing like March basketball in suburban Pittsburgh! I met up with my friend Chris H., his dad, and his dad's friend for the game...all four of us were Robert Morris graduates. I figured this had to be good karma. It's been said that bullet points are a crutch used by sub-par writers who cannot construct a proper narrative. With that conventional wisdom out there...here are some bullet points to help describe my Robert Morris basketball experience. In (semi) chronological order:

• Arrive at the Sewall Center 45 minutes early as I conquered rush hour traffic...much like I'm in the process of Conquering The 2009 NCAA Tournament. Took the "short cut" route I used to take back in my days as a commuter student. This brought back some memories...mainly of commuting to school. I must have been overly excited about Robert Morris hoops because I locked my keys in the car for only the second time in my life. I really thought I was above this by now. I was angry, but not shaken. It was getting closer to game time after all.
• I randomly meet a guy in the parking lot who turns out to be the uncle of Jeremy Chappell (Robert Morris guard and NEC player of the year). We both have a cigarette and talk about Jeremy's potential to play basketball in Europe next year. We also wonder if the gym will be half full tonight. This is as close to a college basketball personality I'll interact with all evening.
• Time for the game to start. I meet up with the Robert Morris alumni crew and we end up sitting a few rows behind St. Francis' bench. There were maybe 15 St. Francis students sitting directly behind the bench cheering on their team. Chris H. and I wondered if they were able to take the charter bus out with the team or if they had to provide their own transportation from Brooklyn. I hope, for their sake, they didn't have to drive.
• Robert Morris comes out firing on all cylinders, taking a 23-9 lead. Most of the points on both sides are being scored beyond the 3-point arc or at the foul line. There's no inside game to speak of on either side. Play is often sloppy. There are turnovers. On at least three occasions, the ball hits the floor before it is "rebounded". This is such a different product than Big East basketball.
• I know I'm old when college cheerleaders start looking young. I mean REALLY young.
• Speaking of cheerleaders...there were 3 older men sitting in front of us during the game who always had something funny/mildly sexual/creepy to say about the cheer girls whenever they took the floor for a routine. Growing old has it's perks. Say comments like that when you're over 65 and it's the amusing dirty-old-man thing. Say comments like that when you're 39 and people inch away while calling the cops.
• I found it interesting that the gym had an open area behind one of the baskets where one could get food (from a guy wearing a chefs hat), then sit down at tables with paper/plastic tablecloths and enjoy the game. It was like the court and bleachers were too small for the size of the room. Let me just say that there were great seats still available.
• Robert Morris head coach Mike Rice had all of the mannerisms of someone who will be coaching a big time college program someday. He's already perfected the Jamie Dixon "squat at the top of the coaches box, two feet onto the court while yelling at your team at the opposite end of the floor" thing down perfectly.
• There was a game too. Robert Morris was up by 10 or more for the majority of the game. Jeremy Chappelle had 19 to lead the team. The Colonials got lazy in the second half and were perhaps looking forward to the semi-finals. But in the end...as the scoreboard at the top of this post shows...Robert Morris defeated St. Francis (NY) by a score of 73-60.
• Campus police helped unlock the car door of my 1994 Chevy Lumina after the game so I could be reacquainted with my keys (and my cigarettes). I asked the cop if he wanted some registration/proof of ownership to show the car was mine. He then gave me this look that said, "Are you kidding me? If this isn't actually your car and you brought me down here to help you steal a '94 Lumina...you deserve the piece of shit". Thank you sir!
• Next up for Robert Morris...a date in the NEC semi-finals against fifth-seeded Quinnipiac. Tip time is 2 pm on Sunday. Two more wins until a NCAA Tournament birth!

0201

Conference Tournaments Starting March 5th

Two more Conference Tournaments got underway tonight with battles in the Missouri Valley and Northeast. There's some personal attachment going on with both of these leagues.....I'm an alumni of Robert Morris University and I've selected Creighton as one of my Bracket Busters. These are already the 7th and 8th Conference Tournament brackets that I've filled out. It's really time to get down to the business of this blog and focus. This is a marathon, not a sprint. As always, my predicted champions are in bold.

• Northeast Conference - Robert Morris - It's time for the Colonials to shake off the pain from last season's NEC semi-final loss to Mount St. Mary's. Playing as the #1 seed in this tournament for the second year in a row, Coach Mike Rice has this team ready to play title winning basketball. Led by NEC player of the year Jeremy Chappell, Robert Morris (21-10, 15-3) won the conference by three games. The Colonials are solid all-around, having the second best scoring offense and scoring defense in the league. Robert Morris has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1992. They're due. They deserve their moment in the spotlight before Coach Rice moves up the professional ladder. It's time for my alma mater to become a winner. Notable seeds: #1 Robert Morris (props to Chris H. and myself), #2 Mount Saint Mary's, #3 Sacred Heart, #4 Long Island, #5 Quinnipiac, #7 Wagner

• Missouri Valley Conference - Creighton - The Missouri Valley (aka: The Valley) is stacked. They always are. Five or six teams could legitimately win this thing. The Valley's conference RPI is #9...this is ahead of such "decent" leagues as Conference USA and the WAC. Northern Iowa won the #1 seed for this tournament on a tie-breaker...but Creighton and Illinois State are probably the two best programs due to their skill players and athleticism. As wild as this tournament could be, only twice has a seed lower than #3 won the event in 32 previous champions. Over the last ten years or so...this Conference Tournament has been one of the most reliably competitive and entertaining. The Creighton Bluejays are just going to be a little more competitive and a little more entertaining. Notable Seeds: #1 Northern Iowa, #2 Creighton, #3 Illinois State, #4 Bradley, #6 Evansville, #7 Wichita State, #8 Drake

0201

Two Weeks 'Til Selection Sunday - Notes

If Rick Pitino is wearing his white suit again (along with a candy-striped tie) then it must be time for a Two Weeks 'Til Selection Sunday notes column. I need to do some housekeeping with regard to the blog, tell the loyal readers what to expect this week, and maybe discuss college basketball at some point.

• The Donations Tab - Do not fret. This is a blog of the people and for the people. It shall always remain free. I thought it would be a good/funny idea to add a Paypal donation button to the page. I expect nothing. But if the occasional reader wants to send $0.05 my way, I'll gladly accept it. To make things clear: none of the proceeds will be going to charity, they will be going to me. If I can buy a $2 can of Pabst at a bar and leave a tip by the end of March Madness, then I'll consider the donations tab a success.
• Conference Tournaments Start This Week - Continuing the tradition from last year, I'll be filling out a bracket for all 30 conference tournaments. This is a ridiculous idea that takes a lot of time and emotional fortitude, but I love the challenge and I love filling out brackets. Last March, I picked 12 of the 30 Conference Tournament Champions correctly. My goal is to get at least 15 correctly this year, which would be 50%. The insanity begins Tuesday...when the Ohio Valley, Big South, and Horizon Conference Tournaments begin. Expect a lot of props to be given out when I post those prediction columns.
• Please Tell People About This Blog - Friends, family, co-workers, strangers, mistresses, etc. I only make two or three thinly veiled pleas regarding readership each year. This is one of them. I'm very content if only a select few are reading this thing. But I would have no problem at all if my audience expanded. I would also have no problem if ESPN or some other organization bought me out and owned my life, but that has not happened yet. Thank you for the promotion.
• Robert Morris & The NEC Tournament - I'm VERY excited to say that I'll be attending Robert Morris' first round NEC tournament game against St. Francis of NY Thursday night. The game will be held at the Sewall Center on Robert Morris' campus in lovely Moon Township Pennsylvania. The last time I was inside that facility was when I graduated. I figure there has to be some good karma going on with my return. Expect pictures.
• Welcome To The Strangers - A big welcome to the random people who have found my blog through Google. I don't know if they'll ever come back but I've gotten a hit from: someone in Newton, Iowa who googled "fouls called" "ncaa tournament", someone in Charlottesville, Virgina who googled "sonya curry and dell curry", and someone in Albany, New York who googled "siena ncaa 2009 predictions". The Internet remains a fascinating thing. Thanks to all that found this blog, even if only for one visit, by happenstance.

0201

Blog Intro #2 - What I'm Curious To Find Out

(how did this happen?)

Last year we all asked the aforementioned question. Unfortunately, no answer provided sufficient explanation for this perplexing turn of events. Who would have believed that Bill Self could coach a team to a national championship? Nobody. That's who.

And do you know why nobody believed this? Because we weren't asking the right questions! Could an underachieving drunk who continually choked while coaching in the Big 10 lead his team past the likes of North Carolina & Memphis, while matching wits against the likes of Roy Williams & (Clarion's own) John Calipari? Well.....yes....apparently so. I just never thought to ask.

But I'm not here to discuss the past (too often). And I'm not here to try and figure out how Kansas won the National Championship (hurts my head). And I'm DEFINITELY not here to rehash topics of conversation that I've already exhausted (except when humorous or when provoking friends). What I am here to do is ask questions that pertain to this year's NCAA Tournament (and this lovely blog). So without further ado, here is a provocative and surprisingly fresh list of the Top 10 things I'm curious to find out over the next 8 weeks.

1. How will my friends and their teams be involved with this year's tournament? In an ideal situation, the following teams would make the field of 64 (65): Pitt, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Robert Morris, Villanova, Davidson, Holy Cross, Iowa, Gonzaga, Penn State, & Duquesne. Did I leave any program out? Of the teams listed, Notre Dame, Iowa, Penn State & Duquesne have little to no chance of making the Big Dance. Mike Brey's mock-turtlenecks and Luke Harangody's haircut will be sorely missed. If everyone else makes it in...this blog is going to be a lot of fun. Of course if Chaz doesn't make his presence known on this blog sometime soon, I'm going to be very disappointed.
   
2. Can the Pitt Panthers finally reach the Elite Eight? This program has turned itself around SO much since the Ralph Willard/Jerry McCullough era, but there are so many remaining hurdles to overcome. I can't realistically root for a Final Four appearance until I see them reach the Elite Eight first.
3. How many Tournament pools will I win? Three...Four...Five? Will I end up filling out bogus brackets in some pools to allow others the chance at victory? Is this blog merely a ruse to lead you in the wrong direction? How many times will you personally have to congratulate me for winning the pool you're involved in? We'll see.
4. When will the NCAA stop treating the "play-in" game like a joke? That's right...I'm going to beat this issue to death this year as well. A conference tournament champion, no matter how small the conference, should be rewarded by playing at a regional site where they get the once-in-a-lifetime experience of being in the limelight, dealing with reporters, meeting celebrities and (oftentimes) losing their first game by 20 or more. And that's fine! DON'T RELEGATE ANY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS TO THE PLAY-IN GAME! Solution: The "play-in" game should feature the last two teams on the bubble, according to the selection committee. These two teams should play Tuesday night in Dayton...and the winner would then be placed as the 11th or 12th seed in the region deemed the weakest. So simple. So smart. So good for TV. You'll thank and credit me later.
5. Why was Billy Packer removed from his announcing duties with Jim Nantz during the Final Four and replaced by Clark Kellogg? Because we won people. We won.
6. How many Northeast Conference Tournament games featuring Robert Morris will I attend? Without jinxing things...hopefully three. Robert Morris is in line for the #1 seed in the NEC (although they lost an embarrassing game at Monmouth tonight). The higher seed hosts every game in the NEC tournament, and for $5, you better believe I'm not missing one this year. I'm still bitter from last season. While writing this comprehensive blog, I didn't make it to one college basketball game...and I seemed to be the only one. Phil & Annie attended Notre Dame games. Rob attended the Missouri Valley Conference championship game (Drake won it all). Chaz & Liz attended Patriot League Tournament games in Washington D.C. I'm not getting left our this year. No way.
7. Which team will be this year's Davidson? I'll tell you right now...it's not going to be George Mason. Never again. NEVER! This question will be answered during my Bracket Busters columns, but I will say that I don't think this year's Davidson is going to be Davidson. It's hard to catch lightening in a bottle twice. I don't care how good Stephen Curry is.
8. Are there any teams with a legitimate shot to win it all outside of the ACC and Big East? I don't know. Seriously...I don't know...that's why I'm asking. The obvious answers are Oklahoma, then there is a drop-off before Memphis and possibly Michigan State. The Pac 10 stinks. Gonzaga? It is the 10 year anniversary of their coming out party. Xavier lost to Charlotte tonight. So a big NOPE on them. I just can't see it happening (yet). The Elite Eight could have 7 Big East/ACC teams then some random Cinderella.
   
9. Will Matt run away with the comments race? He's off to an early lead and looking very solid. I can't help but think that this bodes well for the well dressed Jay Wright and his Villanova squad. But we all know that comments don't equate to labels, so nobody can become complacent this early in the blog.
10. Who will become the star of this year's Tournament and who will become the star of this year's blog? I will reveal my thoughts for both, but only for gambling purposes. I'm not giving that shit away for free. Every Tournament and Tournament Blog is different. The best part about both is the process involved. Sit back, relax, taunt, and enjoy.
    

5 Quickie Questions Not Typed In Boldface:

1. Will Syracuse somehow find a way to choke this year?
2. When will Brian W. finally comment on this blog?
3. Will Trent Johnson look just as angry while coaching LSU?
4. How can one read this blog daily and still want to be my friend?
5. Which team will nearly upset Duke in the first round this year?

I'll have my picks for ESPN's convoluted Bracket Busters weekend up sometime tomorrow, followed soon thereafter by my third and final Blog Intro...splendidly titled: Blog Intro #3 - What We Know. Thanks for reading.

0201