Judging by the reaction around Robert Morris University, you would think the President of the United States was paying a visit to Moon Township.
But it is not a visit from Barack Obama or another important figure in society that has resulted in classes being cancelled and saw the Charles L. Sewall Center sold out in a matter of minutes.
Instead it is a visit from John Calipari and his Kentucky Wildcats that is creating all of the buzz at RMU.
Thanks to Kentucky hosting opening round NCAA Tournament action, the Wildcats had to take to the road for the first round of the NIT and the matchup against the Colonials is certainly one to keep an eye on.
With that being said, let’s take a quick look at everything you need to know for Tuesday evening’s first round game.
How they finished
Kentucky (21-11, 12-8, third in SEC)
Robert Morris (23-10, 14-4, first in NEC)
The Storyline
It doesn’t get any bigger than the defending National Champions coming to town. While Kentucky had a disappointing season following Calipari’s first championship, it’s still a big deal that the Colonials are hosting such a prestigious program. With that being said, the storyline is all about Calipari coming home as he grew up in Moon Township.
Keys for Kentucky
1. Use their Size: If this becomes a game of guard play, then I actually think the Colonials have the advantage, because the Kentucky guards are not very good, even though Archie Goodwin is a potential first-round pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. Robert Morris defends very well and can cause the Wildcats’ guards fits.
But even though Nerlens Noel is out for the season, expect Willie Cauley-Stein (7’0″) and Kyle Wiltjer (6’10”) to be heavily involved as the Colonials have very little size to contend with the Kentucky bigs.
2. Rebound: This goes back to using their size, but Kentucky needs to control the glass. The Wildcats finished the season 30th in the nation in rebounding (38.3 RPG) while Robert Morris was 275th in the nation in rebounding (32.2 RPG). Kentucky needs a solid team effort rebounding and they will be just fine.
3. Defend the perimeter: Robert Morris is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation (29th, 38.0 percent) as they have made the fourth most three’s of any team in the country. Take the three away from the Colonials and this could turn into a rout.
Keys for Robert Morris
1. Get off to a good start: They will have a packed house rooting them on and can feed off the emotion from the crowd. Any time you see an upset in tournament play it is because the favorite can’t pull away early. The longer the Colonials can stay in the game; doubt could start to creep into the Wildcats.
To do that, Robert Morris must play the same way they have all season long and that means making shots and defending. A big night from guys like Velton Jones and Karvel Anderson would be nice, but RMU has been a balanced team all season and could use another solid balanced scoring attack.
The Colonials are 12-3 at home on the season and if they get off to a good start, they know how to close games out on their home floor. With that being said, the Wildcats are only 4-7 away from the Rupp Arena on the season.
2. Don’t be in Awe: Some of the quotes from the Robert Morris players seems like they are almost in awe of the fact that Kentucky is coming to town. That’s fine now, but come tip-off time that has to stop. This isn’t the same Kentucky team that won a National Championship a season ago. They are a flawed team, which is why they are in the NIT, just like Robert Morris.
But having said that, this Kentucky team is still loaded with athleticism and talent. If the Colonials don’t treat them like any other opponent then they will get run out of the gym.
If RMU isn’t in awe of the Wildcats, I don’t think that Kentucky knows how hard the Colonials are going to come at them Tuesday night. This type of game doesn’t happen very often in Moon Township and anything less than a great effort from Robert Morris will be disappointing. Kentucky is a very inconsistent basketball team and should be treated as such.
3. Get the Kentucky Bigs in Foul Trouble: It’s very simple for the Colonials. If they can get Cauley-Stein in foul trouble and make this a game of guard play, defense and shooting, then they could pull off an upset. If the Kentucky frontcourt, which includes the ultra-athletic Alex Poythress, spends some time watching the game next to Calipari, the Colonials can potentially keep it close. And if it is a close game late, then anything can happen.
Shetler’s Take
Surprisingly, the Wildcats are only 4.5 point favorites in this matchup, which says something. We see teams all of the time who think they are better than having to play in the NIT and don’t take the opposition seriously. With that being said, that’s the only way I envision Kentucky losing this game. I think Calipari understands what he is in for, everything from the emotion of coming home to the potential letdown of playing against a good Robert Morris team who will be up for the challenge. With that being said, I think he gets his message across and the Wildcats come to play.
Prediction
Robert Morris keeps it close for a bit, but ultimately the size and athleticism of Kentucky wins out in the end. Kentucky 74, Robert Morris 65
Photo Credit: ESPN
