Andy Toole would like to forget about last season, but it’s not easy. Robert Morris’ longtime basketball coach just can’t stop dwelling on the things he didn’t like.
And there were many.
“Obviously, we did not have a successful year,” Toole said of a 6-14 Horizon League record, 10-22 overall. “I don’t think I was able to get the guys to reach their potential as a group.”
So he made some changes.
“Just a lot of reflection done on how we could try to create the best roster we could, be the best coaches we could be. Are we teaching things the right way?” he said.
Only director of basketball operations Matthew Sweet remained while Toole bid farewell to his other assistants, including associate head coach Mike Iuzzolino, who moved to the high school ranks to take over as coach at Sewickley Academy.
Former Duquesne assistant Kim Lewis is among the Colonials’ latest assistant coaching arrivals.
“It was a frustrating year from a results perspective,” Toole said. “I just never thought we were able to come together as a group, and that’s on me. That was one of the things I did not forget. It just didn’t click, and it’s a hard thing to swallow.”
With a new year upon him, Toole was hoping the Colonials, like him, wouldn’t forget the lessons they’d been taught from yet another sub-par record since leaving the Northeast Conference in 2020 for the Horizon, where they’re predicted to finish ninth this season among 11 teams.
He already has seen progress, and he likely will know more after Monday night’s season opener against West Virginia at WVU Coliseum. The Colonials were expected to be without senior guard Justice Williams, the team’s leading returning scorer, who’s been sidelined while recovering from knee surgery.
“Guys are trying to figure it out,” Toole said. “We’re trying to create some connection between each other. It’s something we talked a lot about in the summer: Keep the focus on what’s important, how we can build ourselves into a championship-level team.
“Guys are interested in that.”
In their only preseason game a week ago, the Colonials dropped an 87-73 decision at Villanova. Robert Morris was led by Josh Omojafo’s 15 points.
The 6-foot-5 guard, one of six new transfers, averaged 20.0 points while shooting 48.2% last season at Division II Gannon.
“We’re starting to see some guys emerge with personalities,” Toole said. “We’re starting to see some chemistry created between certain individuals. That stuff’s been positive, but it hasn’t been fully battle-tested yet.”
Williams (12.3 ppg, team-leading 76 assists) represents Robert Morris’ lone starter and top scorer among three returning players on a team that not only added those six transfers but also three first-year players while shuffling its coaching staff.
Sophomore forward Alvaro Folgueiras (5.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and senior guard Chris Ford (3.2 ppg) also return. The 6-9 Folgueiras was second on the team in blocks (21).
Robert Morris moves on without its two leading scorers from a year ago — Markeese Hastings (14.4 ppg) and Josh Corbin (13.4). Though Williams returns, the team loses T.J. Wainwright (10.0) and Stephaun Walker (9.9 ppg., 6.2 rpg), who transferred to Old Dominion.
“There’s usually been a lot of roster fluctuation here. You try to learn all the time,” said Toole, whose team enters its fifth year in the Horizon League with just one non-losing conference record (10-10 in 2022-23) and is 24-52 (.316) all-time in Horizon games.
Joining Omojafo as transfers to Robert Morris are sophomore guard/forward Ryan Prather Jr., (Akron), senior guard Kam Woods (North Carolina State), junior guard DJ Smith (Bowling Green), graduate forward Ismael Plet (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and junior guard/forward Amarion Dickerson (Mineral Area College).
Woods appeared in 13 games, averaging 1.2 points for N.C. State’s Final Four team last season, and Toole is hoping he’ll make a major contribution to his Colonials this season.
“Kam made great plays, opened up plays for other guys,” Williams said, referring to the exhibition loss at Villanova. “His defensive reads were spot-on.”
The 6-8, 230-pound Plet started in 24 of 32 games played at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, averaging 7.5 points per game while shooting 59.1 %. He ranked second in rebounding (7.4 rpg) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
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Three first-year players — freshman guards Dillen Miller and Maurio Hanson Jr. and freshman forward Antallah Sandlin-El — also join the Colonials this season.
“It’s a different year. There are new players and new coaches,” Williams said. “It’s a great combination that coach put together just in terms of experience and athleticism at different positions. I feel like he did a good job at that. There’s 68 spots (in the NCAA Tournament). That’s the goal every year.”