The start of conference play has been nothing quiet for Robert Morris (10-4, 2-1), who has had three thrilling finishes in three games. After winning against rival Saint Francis for one last time, the Colonials are back home to take on Northern Kentucky (9-5, 1-2), a perennial contender in the Horizon League.
But with losses to Purdue Fort Wayne and Oakland on their schedule, the Norse need a big road win to avoid falling too far back in the conference standings. Here’s a look at some of the keys to the game for the Colonials to prevail.
1. Battle of the potent frontcourts and the status of Nikolaos Chitikoudis
RMU has been winning games thanks to the play of its frontcourt, led by DeSean Goode (14.4 ppg and 9.1 rpg) and Nikolas Chitikoudis (11.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg), who missed the last game against Saint Francis. They’ll need him against the Norse, which doesn’t have a ton of frontcourt depth but does have two key players in Kael Robinson (16.6 ppg) and LJ Wells (12.9 ppg and 8.0 rpg).
In three games in league play, Robinson is averaging 21.7 ppg. So while guards Dan Gherezgher Jr. and Donovan Oday are still focal points to watch for, the Colonials can’t afford to let Robinson and Wells have big games.
2. Albert Vargas getting back on track offensively
On the season, Vargas is averaging 8.1 ppg and 4.1 apg, shooting 37% from the field. He’s had six games of 10+ points, with RMU winning all six of them. However, his scoring can be inconsistent, shooting 0/9 from the field in the past two games. While RMU did win those games, they could’ve easily lost to Youngstown at home.
What also makes Vargas important is that Northern Kentucky tends to play some zone defense, making the guards' decision-making and shot-making very important. The Colonials can’t afford to have another poor shooting night from the senior guard, especially if freshman Darius Livingston is out for another game, having missed the last three.
3. Importance of ball control
Northern Kentucky likes to force turnovers, ranking top 20 nationally with over 16 a game. However, they can also turn it over as well at times, averaging around 13. RMU forced 20 turnovers to beat Youngstown and, after a slow start with holding onto the ball, has only turned it over 29 times in three league games.
Northern Kentucky will be a good test for Vargas, but the Colonials' size could be just as problematic as the opposing zone. If this category is a blowout in favor of one team, that could decide who wins it.