The roster of the Robert Morris men’s basketball team consists of only five players who were on the 2009 NCAA tournament team that lost to Villanova, but because of sensational play from the team’s three sophomores, Coron Williams, Mike McFadden, and Anthony Myers, the Colonials are vying once again for a spot in the Northeast Conference title contest.
Williams, a redshirt sophomore, played in three games during the 2009-2010 campaign, but because of a season-ending injury early in the year, received an extra season of eligibility.
Andy Toole, RMU’s head coach, believes that the native of Midlothian, Virginia is one of the most diligent and dynamic players on the roster.
“One thing about Coron is that he’s one of the hardest working guys we have. He’s improved so much over the course of his three years here that it’s incredible,” Toole said about the 6 foot 2 guard. “A lot of his success and a lot of the confidence that he shows is a product of the hard work that he puts in. He’s consistent in his effort every day in practice and he’s great to have as part of the team.”
Mike McFadden, a transfer from Iona who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for the first semester of the 2011-2012 campaign, has added much needed size at the center position for RMU since his first game on December 17.
“He [McFadden] is physical, aggressive and big. Anytime that you have those, it’s going to help your team,” declared the second year skipper. “He’s helped us even in the thirteen games that he’s played in just because we’ve been able to have more options down there.”
Washington D.C. native Anthony Myers is averaging over eight points per game coming off the bench this season, and coach Toole considers the Colonials a better team with him in the lineup.
“Ant [Myers] is a guy who is really vital to our team’s success. We look at him as really a sixth starter, we don’t look at him as a bench guy,” Toole said. “We are a better team when he’s aggressive offensively, either making a shot or making a play.”
In order to take the next step and lead the RMU offensive in the future, Myers believes that there are still aspects of his game that need to be improved. “I just feel like I have to have better decision making, I think sometimes I make bad decisions so I’ll have to try to work on that.”
Williams, McFadden, and Myers have all helped Robert Morris to victories this season in various ways. McFadden pulled down six rebounds and netted 13 tallies in his season-debut against Louisiana-Lafayette, while Williams knocked down a fade away trey as time expired to seal a 59-56 win at Youngstown State on December 22. One month later, Myers scored a career high 16 points en route to Robert Morris’s 15 point come-from-behind win at Monmouth.
According to coach Toole, the entire team, not just the sophomores, will have to continue to give constant effort for the remainder of the season if the Colonials hope to claim its eighth NEC championship.
