What's the first thing that comes to mind when somebody mentions the name, Karvel Anderson?

I asked ten Robert Morris students that exact question, and eight of them gave me the same response.

"Buckets," they said.

The other two responses I received were "legend" and "clutch."

However, all three of those answers are correct.

The Colonials are entering their second season without their former superstar. But what exactly is Karvel Anderson up to? Currently, he is playing professional basketball in Italy for a team called, "Andrea Costa Imola." The team is located in Imola, Italy and Karvel says it reminds him a little bit of Moon Township. His team competes in the A2 division, which is the second-tier league in Italy. During his rookie year, Anderson averaged 13.1 points, 4 rebounds, one assist and shot 42% from the field, including 39% from three. "A lot of our time here is spent traveling and when I first got here, it took a lot out of my game. Adapting to that was extremely difficult," Karvel said. Fast forward to his sophomore campaign, and it's safe to say Karvel has made the adjustment. As it stands right now, he is leading the league in scoring, averaging 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2 assists. He is also shooting 42% from the field, and an impressive 52% from three.

Karvel had this to say when comparing collegiate basketball to the professional level: "My game has improved so much since graduation. The pro game is so much different then college. You have to be able to think quick on your feet and become a student of the game. it allows you to showcase your ability a little more than in college because at the university level, it's all about systems. At this level, it's more of the opposite. It's more of a players game and it's more free and open, and you have to be able to do a multitude of things."

It hasn't always been easy for the Elkhart, Indiana native. It may seem hard to believe, but Karvel was at one point, homeless. In 2008, Anderson's mother was arrested for cocaine-trafficking. Family issues caused Karvel a lot stress and he didn't feel right or comfortable in the environment he was in.

So he left.

Karvel decided to make a nearby park his permanent home. "I felt like it was the best move for me. I needed to focus on the right things," Anderson said. Karvel is the first person to admit that he wasn't perfect. As every other teenager on planet earth, he made mistakes and he learned from them. He wanted to be more independent and get a handle on what he wanted to do in the future. He had clothes, a blanket, a bathroom across the street and access to free meals in his community. Being on his own gave him a chance to solely focus on basketball. Hours and hours in the gym, Anderson knew that all he needed was a chance. "I definitely became more of a man," he said. "Sure, I wish I could do some things over again, but at the same time, everything I went through helped me prepare for the present," Karvel went on to say. When it was time for high school basketball to start, Anderson knew he had to produce. Countless hours in the gym and tired and long, sleepless nights, eventually paid off.

Karvel played for Elkhart Memorial and turned into a lights-out shooter. "As well as things were going for me basketball wise, school was definitely a struggle," he said. "But there came a point where I realized that in order for me to get the opportunities I wanted, my grades had to go up," Anderson added. Karvel made two detours at community colleges before finding a home with coach Steve Proefrock at Glen Oaks Community College in Michigan. Anderson excelled at Glen Oaks, averaging 24.9 points per game, while shooting 48% from the floor.

Then came Robert Morris. After being invited to campus, Karvel knew he had a legitimate opportunity to make this place his home. On his way to South Bend International Airport, Anderson was in the car with his now, ex-girlfriend. Unfortunately, his car was hit by a drunk driver and he was forced to miss his flight. "Every time something good is about to happen, something always has to go wrong," Karvel said with a slight chuckle.

After a series of struggles, Karvel received an offer from Andy Toole and Robert Morris; his only division I offer. In only two seasons at Robert Morris, Anderson put up 1,123 points. Imagine how many points he would have scored in a full four years.

That's scary to think about.

Karvel quickly emerged as a three point threat and earned a reputation as a sharpshooter. He had a good first year, averaging 12.5 points per game. He played with a broken wrist on his shooting hand and still made a huge impact. Entering his senior season, Lucky Jones(whom Karvel is still very close to), was suppose to be the main guy. However, I don't think anyone expected his senior year to go the way that it did. Karvel became the man-- literally. He shot 46% from three and lead the team in scoring with 19.7 PPG. Anderson was LIGHTS OUT and it got to the point where everyone expected every single shot he took to go in. It was almost disappointing when he missed because quite frankly, he rarely ever did. Karvel was the catalyst for a Robert Morris team that lost only two games in the Northeast Conference. He lead them to a 14-2 NEC record (19-12 overall) and appeared to be a lock for the NCAA tournament.

In the NEC championship game, Robert Morris got embarrassed by a red hot Mount St. Mary's team, ending any hope for an NCAA tournament berth. An historic year from Karvel Anderson was overshadowed by a poor, team- performance in the most meaningful situation of the season. "That game will always haunt me," Karvel said. "I still have never seen the film from that game and I never want to. We all gave so much that year, and to not walk away with a championship hurt my soul. But we got beat by a team who was hot and they capitalized on all of our mistakes," Anderson stated. "From that game, I learned that I never want to feel that type of pain again. I felt like I let my teammates down," Karvel went on to say.

Reflecting back on his Robert Morris days, Karvel Anderson has a lot to be thankful for. He went from being a homeless teenager with a dream of playing basketball, to making that dream a reality.

"My time at Robert Morris helped shape me into who I am now. I learned so much in my time there, both on and off the court. I was able to mature as a player and a man under coach Toole. He gave me a chance to play Division I college basketball when every other team had given up on me; so for that, I am grateful. I bleed RMU to this day and I always will," Anderson said.

Karvel had such an historic senior season with the Colonials, that he received an invitation to workout with the Houston Rockets. But was the NBA ever a realistic option?

"I'd like to believe the NBA was an option. I had a couple workouts where I didn't perform at the level I was capable of, and I didn't get much of an opportunity after that," he said. "But I'll be honest, my numbers were as good as any scorer in the country that year, but a lot of it was overlooked because I didn't play in a big time conference. I work every day for the opportunity hoping that one of these days I'll get that call," Anderson said.

Robert Morris not only gave Karvel a chance to play basketball, but it also allowed him to mature as a man and enjoy his social life.

"I will also always be grateful to RMU because there, I met the love of my life, who just so happens to be a part of the very successful women's basketball program," Karvel said. Anderson is referring to his girlfriend and RMU women's basketball star, Ashley Ravelli, who just so happens to be from Italy.

Pretty cool, huh?

"Thankfully, having an italian girlfriend helped me out a lot, so I was able to avoid having a huge culture shock. I was already accustomed to many of their ways before arriving. Life in Italy is awesome. The people here are so nice and generous, and they really care for one another. The food is also delicious here; I love it," said Karvel.

Being overseas is tough, but basketball keeps Karvel motivated. Of course, like you'd expect, he does miss the states. "I miss it every day. I'm out here alone, so you could only imagine. I miss all my family and friends, but this is the life I chose and I know staying focused on succeeding will only help my family in the long run," Karvel stated. Being a pro-basketball player in Italy can't be too bad, right?

As someone who has always loved to travel, he is finally getting that opportunity to see sides of the world that the average person doesn't get to see. While he does his best to keep in touch with his former teammates, Anderson alluded to the six hour time difference and how it's a killer when it comes to communication. Nonetheless, he is living out a dream and is thankful because he knows the situation could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for basketball.

Administrators and Professors at Robert Morris have raved about Karvel and the truth is, nobody really has anything bad to say about him. Teachers have told me how easy of a guy Karvel is to get along with and the one thing he was always good at, was he was always willing to listen, learn, and most importantly, ask questions. There's always the stereotypical student-athlete at a college or university who puts themselves on a pedestal, thinking their greater then everyone else. Karvel Anderson is the exact opposite. He's respectful, classy and a guy who quite frankly got along with everyone. He saw himself as just another student and that's what makes him such a likable person. "I'm a very proud RMU alumni and I spent all of last summer on campus, working out and spending time with the guys. I hope one day I'll be able to give back to the school/basketball program, because without RMU, I wouldn't be able to live this dream I'm living," Anderson said.

A lot of people wonder, what happens to these athletes after they graduate? Do they pursue basketball or do they choose a different career path? For Karvel Anderson, it's only the beginning. As great as he is, remaining humble has been key with him because he feels that their is more work to be done. He's so appreciative for the fans who have supported him from the moment he has stepped foot into Moon Township. Anderson still gets so much love from RMU and to this day, seeing the support makes him smile. Even when he was a student at Robert Morris, Karvel vouched and was a huge supporter of other athletic programs.

"Continue to grow the RMU fan base. Not only for basketball, but for all programs. We are too good athletically to not support them and it's time we take it to the next level. Oh, and the men's and women's basketball teams will both be dancing this year. You heard it first right here."

Thank you, Karvel. Robert Morris misses you.