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Robert Morris Basketball: What to watch for in exhibition with Alliance

By Tristan Freeman

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 12: Head coach Andrew Toole of the Robert Morris Colonials reacts in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on November 12, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 12: Head coach Andrew Toole of the Robert Morris Colonials reacts in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on November 12, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Robert Morris Basketball takes on D-II opponent Alliance in a warm-up for the upcoming season. What are some storylines to watch for?

After a disappointing 8-24 season, Robert Morris Basketball is hoping to finally get on track in its third year in the Horizon League. They return four starters from last season and have an entirely new bench in hopes of getting better.

We’ll get our first look at the Colonials in public, taking on a school named Alliance in an exhibition matchup. The Horizon League program should win but there are plenty of unanswered questions concerning how the roster overall will work.

Here are some storylines to watch for this game.

1. Which transfers make the biggest impact?

There are eight newcomers on the RMU roster, with three true freshmen and five transfers. One is JUCO transfer and sharpshooter Jackson Last, along with four other D-I transfers. Compared to last year’s offseason haul, this group is much less heralded. Josh Corbin produced the most at his previous stop, averaging 5.5 ppg in three years at Winthrop.

The other three transfers (Trey James, Chris Ford, and Kevin Martina) played little minutes as freshmen. All three could be breakout candidates and the Colonials will need at least two of them to be impact players in the rotation in order to win games. Let’s see what the minutes are like for them.

2. Hype train for T.J. Wainwright

The biggest name among the newcomers is a true freshman in T.J. Wainwright, a 6’3 point guard and three-star prospect, arguably the top freshman to join the Horizon League. The talented ball-handler is set to backup starting point guard Michael Green but he may be good enough to play alongside him in the backcourt. His role is something to watch.

3. Frontourt dynamic to next to Spear

Kahliel Spear is the returning leading scorer on the team and a preseason 2nd-Team All-Horizon League forward. He was part of a four-man frontcourt rotation with Matt Mayers and backups, Brandon Stone and Justin Winston. There was a lot of potential with this group offensively but there were definite rebounding and defensive issues.

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With Martina and James joining, there’s more size to work with. And look out for freshman forward Stephaun Walker, a good athlete at 6’9 to potentially crack the rotation as well. Will Mayers start the game or will one of the transfers push him out? We’ll see how it looks on Saturday afternoon.