Robert Morris Basketball went 5-6 in the non-conference and has been much more competitive compared to last season. Can they compete in the Horizon League?
It’s now Year 3 for Robert Morris in the Horizon League and after two miserable prior seasons, there finally looks to be some optimism for the team. After another complete roster overhaul, the pieces for the Colonials seem to fit much better, allowing for better results.
Taking out the two wins over D-I programs, RMU has wins over Mount St. Mary’s, Saint Francis (PA), and Central Michigan, with two of them on the road. And their most impressive performances came in the first week of league play, beating Wright State on the road by 21 points and nearly upsetting Northern Kentucky on the road as well.
With home games against Cleveland State and Purdue-Fort Wayne coming up, here’s a look at the top takeaways for the Colonials to this point.
Enoch Cheeks a star in the Horizon League
In the preseason, it was senior forward Kahliel Spear that got the 2nd-Team placement. And as expected, he’s been good so far, averaging 13.8 ppg and 7.5 rpg on the season. But the early MVP of the Colonials was Cheeks, who leads Robert Morris with 16.8 ppg on the season while averaging 4.7 rpg and 3.0 apg as the defacto starting point guard.
Cheeks has been in double figures in every game, including a season-high 23 points in the last game. He’s shooting 44% from three-point range, while also being a good defender on the perimeter. The junior has developed into one of the best players in the Horizon League and if the team finishes high enough, should warrant some 1st-Team consideration at the end,
Josh Corbin’s streaky play
The top newcomer on the roster has been the redshirt junior, third on the team with 13.4 ppg while shooting 47% from three-point range on over seven attempts per game. The Winthrop transfer not only has one of the greenest lights you’ll see but RMU sets up many plays to get him an open shot from deep. He’s had seven games of at least 15 points out of 13 and when he’s on, Corbin can be impossible to deal with. But in the three losses to Ohio State, Marshall, and Mercer, Corbin went a combined 2/25 from the field. When he’s cold, the odds of the Colonials winning are slim but to his credit, the guard has found ways to contribute on both ends.
Collective effort at center position
Matt Mayers was one of the few returning players from last season, who played mostly at the five-spot. He’s coming off a double-double against Saint Francis (PA) and averages 16 mph off the bench. The player who’s been starting for them mostly has been Stephaun Walker, a 6’9 freshman averaging 6.7 ppg and 5.8 rpg and has been a good defensive presence with a growing offensive game. Another player who has joined the rotation is Iona transfer Trey James, the biggest player on the team at 6’10 and 240 pounds. He’s been back for the past couple of games and even in limited minutes, is showing an impact on the defensive end as well.
Remarkable defensive improvement
Speaking of defense, RMU ranks in the top 100 in points allowed at 65 ppg. That’s a nearly 10-point improvement from last year when they ranked in the bottom 40 nationally. A big part of that simply is the roster having more defensive-oriented players. That includes starting guard Jackson Last, a JUCO transfer averaging 25 mpg. He’s shooting just 30% from the field and 25% from deep but his defensive impact has been clear on the perimeter. Last had a season-high 11 points last game and if he can give RMU anything on offense, they’ll be much better as a result.
Michael Green the x-factor off the bench
Green is arguably the best ball-handler on the team and is a true scoring threat compared to Last. But after watching some games for the Colonials, it makes sense why he’s the 6th Man. The team needs a scoring option whenever Cheeks and Corbin are on the bench. The senior guard still leads RMU with 4.9 apg and has four double-digit scoring games.
Green also can produce more offensively but he’s on the court in late-game situations. He’s allowed RMU to have offense and ball-handling in most situations and can play next to freshman TJ Wainwright on the court too. The ability of Coach Andy Toole to use various lineups both among the guards and forwards without sacrificing offense and defense has been a key part of the team’s improvement. Let’s see if that continues with Horizon League opponents going forward.