Robert Morris will need all the help they can get in order to take down the powerful Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Unfortunately, head coach Andy Toole doesn’t even have the support of his family for the game.
Toole was a guest on “Morning Men” with Evan Cohen and Mike Babchik on Mad Dog Radio Thursday morning and told the hosts that his wife is a huge Duke fan, which has rubbed off on his 2-year-old son, who will be rooting for the Blue Devils.
“I’m trying to get my wife and my 2-year-old son to root for us. As of now, my 2-year-old is rooting for Duke,” Toole told Cohen and Babs.
“My wife is a giant Duke fan. Obviously during the season we travel a lot, and she’s a huge hoops fan — she watches a lot of hoops — and my 2-year-old will send me videos when I’m on the road, and the video will say ‘Tyus (Jones) is our guy.’ So last night after the game I said, ‘Ryan, who you rooting for: Robert Morris or Duke?’ He says Duke. He’s about to be two and a half, and Duke’s his squad.”
The hosts followed up by making sure the youngster was old enough to understand that his father coaches the opponent.
“100 percent,” Toole said. “And he knows every player on our team. Right now he’s going with Duke. Hopefully he’ll be back on Bobby Mo’s side (by the time the game starts).”
Toole’s team will have to make history in order to win this one. He says he thought about becoming the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed for about half a second, and then he saw Jahlil Okafor on tape and thought twice about how his Colonials will stop the future lottery pick. Duke is favored by 22-23 points in the game.
Best of luck to Toole in getting his family on his side … and on pulling the upset.
