Robert Morris

NOT SURE HOW many kids care for chemistry, but it's going to decide the Public League basketball championship. Not the kind of chemistry that comes before math or after history. We mean the not-completely-tangible kind that every team, hopefully, finds a way to achieve. Almost every strong team in the Pub features some to many to an outrageous number of transfers - BIG surprise, right? - and it'll be interesting to see how holdovers react to newcomers. Maybe the mindset will be all for one, one for all?

Kentucky coach John Calipari and Kentucky experienced an entirely different kind of "one-and-done" in Tuesday's opening round of the NIT. A year after cutting down the nets in New Orleans, the defending national champions were cut down in Calipari's hometown of Moon, Pa., by Robert Morris, who let a 13-point second-half lead disappear before pulling out a thrilling 59-57 victory. Robert Morris (24-10) led almost the entire way, never blinking in a rare visit from one of college basketball's Goliaths.

Taylor King was a difference-maker for Villanova in November and December. He seemed to get every loose ball. He competed for every rebound. And he made long shots at critical moments. Through nine games, the Duke transfer was averaging 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. He had 20 points and a killer three in a wild win over Saint Joseph's at the Palestra. Then, starting in late January, King's game went silent. He shot just 16-for-63 over the final 11 regular-season games he played.

Face an opponent that had averaged 100 points in its last two games and the last thing expected is holding that team to 14 points at halftime. However, that's what Drexel did yesterday at the Palestra. The Dragons (4-1) stifled Robert Morris (2-2) on their way to a 56-40 victory in the Philly Hoop Group Classic. Drexel meets Loyola (Md.) today at 2:30 p.m. Loyola (4-2) defeated Howard, 73-58, earlier yesterday. Neither team was sharp. Drexel committed 26 turnovers; Robert Morris had 21 turnovers.

On an afternoon in which the Drexel men's basketball team seemed to be suffering some postholiday blahs, the Dragons' defensive performance against Robert Morris was noteworthy. Drexel carved 35 points off the Colonials' 75.2 scoring average to grab a 56-40 victory at the Palestra in the Liberty bracket semifinals of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The win put the Dragons (4-1) into today's championship at 2 p.m. against Loyola, Md., which beat Howard, 73-58. Yesterday's losers will meet in the third-place game at noon.

LETTER-WRITER Michael Coard says that "for nearly 40 years," Robert Morris "was a major slave merchant," but he can't prove that because the statement is false. Mr. Coard, on the board of overseers for the President's House project, has said, "The Revolution was won with blood money - our blood. " This is an insult to America and my ancestor Robert Morris (the Financier of the Revolution). Here are some other responses to Mr. Coard's Oct. 21 letter: The Constitutional Convention was held in 1787 not 1775.

THREE COLLEGES based in Florida had been making overtures to Britton Lee because of his basketball skills. Monday night, however, the 5-10, 175-pound guard from Roman Catholic made an oral commitment to Robert Morris, in Pittsburgh. That might seem like a curious move, especially since Lee is a junior, but it makes every last bit of sense to him. "Why am I doing this? Because of all the loyalty they've shown," Lee said. "They've been after me since 2 years ago. And they were my very first offer.

Phil Martelli was very much the proud papa as he took a call from his son, Jimmy, an assistant coach at Robert Morris, after learning that the Colonials had drawn Villanova in the first round of the NCAA tournament. "I asked him, 'So you want some advice from me?' " said the St. Joseph's head coach, re-creating the conversation yesterday before 600-plus guests during the 12th annual Coaches vs. Cancer breakfast at the Palestra. "He said, 'You lost 20 games this year. What makes you think I'd want advice from you?

A "sick and twisted" Roxborough man went undetected for eight years while systematically smothering his four infant children to death, prosecutors said yesterday in the opening statements of Robert Morris' murder trial. But defense attorneys for Morris, 28 - accused of killing his two baby girls in 1995 and his two infant boys in 2002 and 2003 - portrayed him as a loving father who would never hurt his children. Morris' lawyer, Daniel Greene, said his client "loved and adored and treasured his children, and he would never do anything to hurt his little babies.