FINAL RECORD
26-8, 16-2 NEC, 1st in conference

WHAT WENT RIGHT
Just about everything from the end of December right through the semifinals of the NEC tournament. Feisty first-year coach Mike Rice got tremendous contributions from his seniors, who responded to their new coach when the relationship was going to last only one year.

WHAT WENT WRONG
The No. 1 seed is not supposed to lose to the No. 4 seed in the semifinals of the league tournament -- not at home. The Colonials were on a major roll, and lost at home to lose the chance to go to the NCAA Tournament. The Colonials lost their last two games after winning 14 in a row.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm not big on moral victories but I feel we were right there, probably two possessions away from winning this game, one shot away from winning these games." -- Robert Morris guard Tony Lee after the Colonials lost to Syracuse in the NIT.

STRATEGY, PERSONNEL

THE GOOD NEWS
Mike Rice is a little crazy on the Robert Morris sideline. OK, he's a lot crazy. But he also won 26 games in his first year as a head coach and did it by making a previous coach's players more productive. Key seniors Tony Lee and A.J. Jackson are gone, but Rice will have a team led by top scorer Jeremy Chappell.

THE BAD NEWS
Losing Lee and Jackson will be a major thing. Lee did everything at the school but teach the classes. He will be missed in every area, mainly leadership. Winning 26 games one year always makes the next more difficult, especially with your Nos. 2 and 3 scorers.

KEY RETURNEES
Guard Jeremy Chappell led a balanced scoring attack at 14.9 points per game and had 80 steals to go with 4.8 rebounds and 76 assists. Guards Bateko Francisco and Jimmy Langhurst came on and return as starters.

ROSTER REPORT

--G Tony Lee was named NEC Player of the Year and also earned second team NABC All-District III honors.

--He had three rebounds in the NIT loss and fell just short of becoming the school's all-time leader. He set the school's all-time single-season assist record.

--Lee finished his career with 1,489 points, 751 rebounds, 485 assists and 275 steals. He is the only player in NEC history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists and 250 steals.

--Lee had eight of his team's 21 turnovers in the game at the Carrier Dome.

--F A.J. Jackson, who made second team All-NEC, had 16 points and six rebounds in the loss to Mount St. Mary's in the NEC semifinals and then closed his RMU career with 19 points, eight rebounds and five steals in the NIT loss.

--G Jeremy Chappell, who also made second team All-NEC, scored 20 points but fouled out of the loss to The Mount and then had 15 points and five assists in the loss to Syracuse.

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