Local Team Previews
Robert Morris University
By Gregory T. Philson

Offense wins games, defense wins championships. Maybe no other school in the Northeast Conference understands that more than Robert Morris University.

"Scoring will not be our problem," head coach Mark Schmidt said. "Defense and rebounding will be our problems this season. We are working on it."

A.J. Jackson, from Monessen, was the team's leading scorer and rebounder last season with 17 points and 9.3 boards per game. He should have help in the paint this year.

Six-foot-ten-inch, 360 pound junior Aaron Agnew is a year older, and the addition of seven footer Bas Rozendaal should help on the glass.

"We brought in the size we need to rebound," said Schmidt. "With the big guys inside we should intimidate and lower opponent's field goal percentage."

The Colonials lost four games last season by a total of five points and this year they hope that they can make an important stop and grab a key rebound to turn that stat around.

"We are young but we have good leadership," he said. "We are playing for Derek Coleman this year. He is a leader by example. You have got to say you're going to go out and do it and he does it."

Schmidt also believes that his sixth team at Robert Morris may be his best squad.

"This is the best talent I have had here," he said. "We have more depth than we have ever had and a lot more players."