Rice a familiar face for Panthers

Mike Rice knows Pitt basketball well. He knows Jamie Dixon well. And he knows the players well. … Mike Rice knows Pitt basketball well. He knows Jamie Dixon well. And he knows the players well. That’s because Rice, now the head coach at Robert Morris University in Moon, Pa., served as Dixon’s top assistant and recruiter during the 2006-07 season before using the team’s success as a springboard to his current post. So when Rice leads his Colonials (13-7, 8-1 Northeast) into the Petersen Events Center tonight at 7 p.m., he’ll know what to expect from the No. 3 Panthers (16-2, 6-2 Big East). He knows the opponents will physically outmatch his men, but that doesn’t scare him or his team. In fact, they feel excited. ‘You want to face teams that are bigger,’ said Rice, whose Colonials have won eight straight. ‘It’s fun for our players, and the exposure of playing better teams is exciting. It helps build the program.’ Since Rice started coaching at Robert Morris, he’s focused on building. Last year, he guided the program to its first Northeast Conference regular-season title and first postseason appearance in 16 years with a trip to the NIT. On its way, the team broke a whopping 13 school records, including overall victories with 26. This year, it hasn’t stopped, jumping out to first in the conference behind a balanced scoring attack and a defensively minded philosophy akin to how Dixon runs Pitt. In order to neutralize Pitt’s size and strength on the inside, expect Robert Morris to try to lure Pitt’s big men onto the perimeter, looking to open up driving lanes and make for easier rebounding opportunities. The Colonials will rely heavily on senior guard Jeremy Chappell, who averages 17.1 points per game this season and is just 14 3-pointers away from Robert Morris’ school record. Rice said he sees the game as a great learning experience for his players and hopes that whatever the outcome, they can take away positives. Above all, though, the team has one goal. ‘We play these games to see where our weaknesses are,’ said Rice. ‘But we play to win the game.’ Despite those goals, Rice admits a bit of anxiety leading up to the contest. ‘I’m nervous about the overall talent of Pitt and what they’ve done to non-conference opponents,’ said Rice. ‘But I’m going to be excited to face the guys I recruited and coached.’