# 2017–18 Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team represented Robert Morris University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Colonials, led by eighth-year head coach Andrew Toole, played their home games at the PPG Paints Arena and four games at the Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as members of the Northeast Conference. They finished the season 16–17, 9–9 in NEC play to finish in a tie for sixth place. As the No. 7 seed in the NEC tournament, they upset No. 2 seed Mount St. Mary's in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to No. 1 seed Wagner.
On January 30, 2017, Robert Morris announced plans to build a new basketball and volleyball facility named the UPMC Events Center on the school's campus. The basketball team's former home, the Charles L. Sewall Center was to be demolished to make room for the new arena. As a result, the Colonials played their home games at the PPG Paints Arena and at the Palumbo Center on the campus of Duquesne University.

## Previous season

The Colonials finished the 2016–17 season 14–19, 9–9 in NEC play to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place. As the No. 7 seed in the NEC tournament, they defeated LIU Brooklyn in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to Mount St. Mary's.

## Preseason

In a poll of league coaches at the NEC media day, the Colonials were picked to finish in seventh place.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition ||||||
| October 27, 2017* 7:00 | | at Niagara Hurricane relief exhibition game | W 73–70 | – | Gallagher Center (605) Lewiston, NY |
| October 30, 2017* 7:00 pm | | at St. Vincent | W 78–61 | – | Robert S. Carey Center (950) Latrobe, PA |
| Non-conference regular season ||||||
| November 10, 2017* 7:00 pm, BTN Plus | | at Ohio State | L 64–95 | 0–1 | Value City Arena (11,128) Columbus, OH |
| November 13, 2017* 10:00 pm | | at Grand Canyon Grand Canyon Classic | L 61–75 | 0–2 | GCU Arena (6,833) Phoenix, AZ |
| November 15, 2017* 10:00 pm | | at San Diego Grand Canyon Classic | L 53–65 | 0–3 | Jenny Craig Pavilion (1,131) San Diego, CA |
| November 19, 2017* 5:30pm | | at Duquesne | W 66–59 | 1–3 | Palumbo Center (1,481) Pittsburgh, PA |
| November 24, 2017* 6:00 pm | | vs. Norfolk State Grand Canyon Classic | W 75–53 | 2–3 | Jack Stephens Center (218) Little Rock, AR |
| November 25, 2017* 4:00 pm | | at Little Rock Grand Canyon Classic | W 78–64 | 3–3 | Jack Stephens Center (1,403) Little Rock, AR |
| November 29, 2017* 7:00 pm | | at Youngstown State | W 81–74 | 4–3 | Beeghly Center (1,786) Youngstown, OH |
| December 2, 2017* 2:00 pm | | at Siena | L 74–76 | 4–4 | Times Union Center (5,749) Albany, NY |
| December 6, 2017* 7:00 pm | | Rider | W 78–75 | 5–4 | PPG Paints Arena (864) Pittsburgh, PA |
| December 10, 2017* 2:00 pm | | Drexel | W 70–64 | 6–4 | PPG Paints Arena (621) Pittsburgh, PA |
| December 16, 2017* 2:00 pm, ESPN3 | | at Buffalo | L 70–86 | 6–5 | Alumni Arena (2,158) Amherst, NY |
| December 19, 2017* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | at NC State | L 69–81 | 6–6 | PNC Arena (13,695) Raleigh, NC |
| December 22, 2017* 7:00 pm | | Canisius | L 62–76 | 6–7 | Palumbo Center (843) Pittsburgh, PA |
| NEC regular season ||||||
| December 29, 2017 3:00 pm | | at Bryant | W 68–54 | 7–7 (1–0) | Chace Athletic Center (305) Smithfield, RI |
| December 31, 2017 3:30pm | | at Central Connecticut | W 71–57 | 8–7 (2–0) | William H. Detrick Gymnasium (1,214) New Britain, CT |
| January 4, 2018 7:00pm | | St. Francis Brooklyn | W 80–79 $^{OT}$ | 9–7 (3–0) | Palumbo Center (855) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 6, 2018 4:00 pm | | LIU Brooklyn | W 88–79 | 10–7 (4–0) | PPG Paints Arena (598) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 11, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN3 | | Saint Francis (PA) | L 80–89 | 10–8 (4–1) | PPG Paints Arena (718) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 13, 2018 4:30 pm | | at Fairleigh Dickinson | W 81–75 | 11–8 (5–1) | Rothman Center (578) Hackensack, NJ |
| January 18, 2018 6:00 pm | | at Sacred Heart | W 74–60 | 12–8 (6–1) | William H. Pitt Center (324) Fairfield, CT |
| January 20, 2018 4:00 pm | | at Wagner | L 49–62 | 12–9 (6–2) | Spiro Sports Center (1,784) Staten Island, NY |
| January 26, 2018 7:00 pm | | Sacred Heart | W 64–56 | 13–9 (7–2) | PPG Paints Arena (636) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 28, 2018 2:00 pm | | Wagner | L 64–77 | 13–10 (7–3) | PPG Paints Arena (1,029) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 1, 2018 7:00 pm | | Mount St. Mary's | L 42–67 | 13–11 (7–4) | PPG Paints Arena (804) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 3, 2018 2:00 pm | | Fairleigh Dickinson | L 67–73 | 13–12 (7–5) | PPG Paints Arena (971) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 8, 2018 7:00 pm | | at St. Francis Brooklyn | L 65–77 | 13–13 (7–6) | Generoso Pope Athletic Complex (617) Brooklyn, NY |
| February 10, 2018 4:30 pm | | at LIU Brooklyn | W 96–82 | 14–13 (8–6) | Steinberg Wellness Center (874) Brooklyn, NY |
| February 15, 2018 7:00 pm | | Bryant | W 83–60 | 15–13 (9–6) | Palumbo Center (583) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 17, 2018 7:00 pm | | Central Connecticut | L 58–65 | 15–14 (9–7) | Palumbo Center (668) Pittsburgh, PA |
| February 22, 2018 7:00 pm, CBSSN | | at Mount St. Mary's | L 53–72 | 15–15 (9–8) | Knott Arena (2,908) Emmitsburg, MD |
| February 24, 2018 2:00 pm | | at Saint Francis (PA) | L 60–80 | 15–16 (9–9) | DeGol Arena Loretto, PA |
| NEC tournament ||||||
| February 28, 2018 7:00 pm | (7) | at (2) Mount St. Mary's Quarterfinals | W 60–56 | 16–16 | Knott Arena (2,129) Emmitsburg, MD |
| March 3, 2018 2:00 pm, ESPN3 | (7) | at (1) Wagner Semifinals | L 64–75 | 16–17 | Spiro Sports Center (1,863) Staten Island, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. ||||||