With nine games left in the regular season, Robert Morris is on pace for its best-ever Horizon League campaign. They’re currently 7-4 in league play, having won the last five games. Their next opponent has a new name but is a familiar foe in IU Indy.
After going 2-18 last year in league play, the Jaguars have improved with a 3-8 record to this point and are coming off an 11-point loss to Purdue-Fort Wayne. The Colonials can’t afford a loss to one of the bottom teams in order to remain in the mix for a top-4 spot in the standings.
Here are the keys to Robert Morris winning.
1. Defend the long ball
The most important thing about the Jaguars that RMU has to deal with is that they love to shoot the three-ball. IU Indy is in the top-15 nationally with 10.5 made three-pointers a game, shooting nearly 30 a game. They’re pretty efficient at 37% as well. All their top scorers can shoot the ball, led by Paul Zilinskas (17.5 ppg on 42% 3PT with seven attempts a game). It could be a long game for them if the Colonials can’t run them off the three-point line.
2. Take advantage of the lack of size and depth
IU Indy is so reliant on perimeter shot-making because they don’t do much work inside the area. Their only proper frontcourt option is 6’7 forward Sean Craig (11.2 ppg and 7.8 rpg), along with freshmen DeSean Goode and Keenan Garner. The Jags don’t have anyone taller than 6’8 in their healthy rotation, so this is an ideal game for Amarion Dickerson and Alavaro Folguerias to have big games, with little opposition inside.
3. Getting Josh Omojafo back on track
It might be a good game for the RMU bigs but one player to keep an eye on is Omojafo, who has combined for just nine points and three rebounds in the last two games. He averages 11 ppg on the season but has been more inefficient as of late, scoring seven points or fewer in three of the last four games.
The Colonials have gotten good production from guards DJ Smith, Ryan Prather and Kam Woods. But it has come at Omojafo’s expense as of late. They’ll need him on both ends on Thursday night and a double-digit scoring output would be ideal.