3 reasons why Robert Morris can win a game in the NCAA Tournament

The Horizon League has kept a lot of games closer than they should be in the NCAA Tournament over the last couple of seasons, and this year, they have a team that can do the same thing again. The Robert Morris Colonials claimed auto bid No. 9 from the Horizon League. Robert Morris was able to complete the season sweep by winning the regular season and conference title.

Bobby Mo, as they are also known, was a powerhouse in the Northeast Conference before they joined the Horizon League 5 seasons ago. The transition didn’t start well, and the Colonials hadn’t won 20 games in the Horizon League until this year. The Colonials are 26-8 overall and finished at 15-5 in the league. It is the 9th tournament appearance for Robert Morris and their first one since the 2024-2015 season when they were a member of the Northeast Conference.

As mentioned, this is the first time that Robert Morris has had a winning record in the Horizon League. The 26 wins were the most the Colonials have had since the 2011-2012 season. It is likely a 15 seed for Robert Morris as they hope they are able to get their third-ever win in the NCAA tournament. Can they get a win over a top seeded team in the NCAA Tournament?  Here are three reasons why Robert Morris can get a win.

Alvaro Folgueiras

The big man from Spain won the Horizon League Player of the Year, and watching him play, you can see why. Folguerias had a fantastic year on the offensive end of the floor. He shot over 60% from inside the three-point line, over 40% from the three-point line, and 78% from the free-throw line. He is deadly on offense, and there is a direct correlation between Folguerias having a huge game and the Colonials winning. The star isn’t just an offensive threat he is one of the best rebounders in the tournament and blocks over 1 shot per game. Felgueiras is one of the best players in the tournament, and if you don’t know about him now, you will learn about him shortly. He is the player who can keep the Colonials in a game, and if a perfect storm happens, he can lead his Robert Morris team to a victory over a top seed.

Ball Movement

The Colonials are hard to prepare for on offense because of their ability to keep the ball moving. Robert Morris is one of the nation's leaders in assists, and it all starts with their point guard Kam Woods. Woods leads the team in scoring but also makes sure that he is getting the stars the ball where they want it and is able to break down defenses. Robert Morris never stays stagnant with the ball and loves to get easy rolls to the basket for lay-ins or dunks. The Colonials thrive on ball movement, and when it is good, the offense works wonderfully. When the ball gets sticky, they have a ton of trouble scoring, just like every other team in the country. Woods and his ability to distribute the ball and get it to open shooters is going to be a crucial factor for Robert Morris if they want to pull off the upset.

Protect the Three Point line and protect interior defense

The biggest difference in this version of the Colonials is their ability to defend, and not just their ability to defend, but their whole team has bought into the philosophy of defense. Everyone is moving in the same direction, and that direction is to run teams off the three-point line and force them to the middle of the three-pointing where the shot blockers reside. Robert Morris will continue to run every team they play off the three point line. A lot of teams do this, but not everyone is one of the nation's leaders in blocked shots. Folguerias blocks over 1 shot per game, but forward Amarion Dickson averages over 2 blocks per game. The Colonials have been able to protect the rim without fouling. If Robert Morris can keep the threes in check and are able to continue to protect the rim without fouling they will be able to pull off an upset.

The Horizon League was competitive at the top of the league all year long but Robert Morris had a perfect roster that was able to win the league. The Colonials and coach Toole will likely be back in the NCAA tournament again. This year, it is going to take a herculean effort to defeat a top seed, but they do pose some matchup problems for their potential opponent.