Pregame Preview: Northern Kentucky (9-5, 1-2) at Robert Morris (10-4, 2-1)
Robert Morris is still feeling the ripple effects of last season’s success. The Colonials won both the Horizon League regular season and tournament championships, but one of the costs of that run was extreme roster turnover. Just 11.9% of last season’s minutes returned, forcing RMU to rebuild almost from scratch. The Colonials brought in nine transfers and added three freshmen, while only three players returned with experience in Ryan Prather Jr., Cyril Arvanitis, and Vasilije Serafimoski.
Roster turnover like this has become the reality of college basketball. When players shine on big stages, programs with deeper resources come calling, and Robert Morris felt that impact firsthand. Amarion Dickerson (USC), Josh Omojafo (USF), and Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa) all moved on after last season. Kam Woods also signed with USC on Thursday, December 18, and logged 22 minutes just three days later, finishing 0-for-5 from the field but contributing six rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Woods joined Dickerson in Los Angeles, though Dickerson is likely to miss most, if not all, of the season after head coach Eric Musselman announced on December 6 that he would be sidelined three to four months with a right hip injury.
On the floor, RMU handled NKU twice last season, including a triple-overtime win in Moon Township. LJ Wells led the Norse in that matchup with 19 points while logging 45 minutes in a game that turned into a war of attrition.
This year’s matchup features two teams heading in opposite stylistic directions. Robert Morris enters ranked 177th on KenPom, with NKU close behind at 210. The Colonials rely heavily on their bench, which plays more minutes than NKU’s, and they are not a team that lives at the free throw line. Just 15.5% of RMU’s points come from the stripe, and when they do get there, they convert at only a 68.8% clip, a bottom-half mark nationally.
Offensively, RMU averages just 76.4 points per game, third fewest in the Horizon League, but that is balanced by a defense that gives up the third fewest points in the league at 70.6 per game. Tempo will be a defining factor. The Colonials play at one of the slowest paces in the country, ranking 314th in adjusted tempo, while NKU sits 73rd overall and pushes pace aggressively on the offensive end.
Close finishes have been a constant for Robert Morris this season. The Colonials rallied from a late 11-point deficit to beat Green Bay on a buzzer-beater, came up short against Milwaukee on a last-second putback, and erased a 10-point first-half deficit to knock off Youngstown State in overtime. That trend peaked recently against Toledo, when RMU completed the second-largest comeback in program history, climbing out of a 20-point hole after trailing 42–22 late in the first half and outscoring the Rockets 51–28 after halftime to secure a 75–70 win.
Let’s dive into the scouting report before what has all the makings of another Horizon League barn burner.
Robert Morris Scouting Report
★ Denotes Starter of Previous Game
★ #0 DeSean Goode
Sophomore Forward, 6'8" 230 lbs – Fairmont, WV / Fork Union Military Academy
Previous School: IU Indy
Season Averages: 30.2 MIN, 14.4 PTS, 9.1 REB, 0.9 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.4 BLK, 1.0 TO, 60.3 FG%, 81.1 FT%, 60.0 3PT%
Goode is the leading scorer and rebounder for Robert Morris and leads the Horizon League with 53 offensive rebounds, while ranking second in the league in field goal percentage. Offensively, he is primarily a cutter and putback finisher, living around the rim rather than creating off the bounce. When used in post-ups, he has been inefficient, shooting just 3-for-14 on those possessions this season. He will occasionally step out and knock down a three, but if he is consistently getting easy looks at the rim, it most likely means NKU has had a defensive breakdown.
Against NKU last season, Goode scored six points in each of the two matchups. During the 2024–25 season at IU Indy, he earned Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors, played in 30 games with 20 starts, and averaged 7.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 50.6% from the field and 36.0% from three-point range.
★ #1 Josh Hill
Sophomore Forward, 6'11" 200 lbs – Laurel, MD / Wheeler HS
Previous School: Arkansas State
Season Averages: 17.9 MIN, 8.8 PTS, 4.8 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.3 STL, 0.6 BLK, 1.8 TO, 47.3 FG%, 47.1 FT%, 29.3 3PT%
Despite his size, Hill takes a heavy volume of perimeter shots, with 41 of his 91 attempts coming from three-point range, where he has been an inefficient shooter. He made his first start of the season in the last game but played just 15 minutes and scored eight points. Offensively, he is rarely a driver and is used mostly as a pick-and-roll finisher, cutter, and catch-and-shoot option. Defensively, Youngstown State was able to attack him, with Hill giving up a season-high 11 points in that matchup and being beaten off the bounce on multiple occasions.
During the 2024–25 season at Arkansas State, Hill appeared in 17 games and was part of a Red Wolves team that set a program record with 25 wins and reached the second round of the NIT. His career-high performance came against Coastal Carolina, where he scored 26 points in just 16 minutes while knocking down six threes on nine made field goals.
★ #2 Ryan Prather Jr.
Redshirt Junior Guard, 6'5" 205 lbs – Clarksburg, MD / Clarksburg HS
Previous School: Akron
Season Averages: 32.8 MIN, 13.2 PTS, 4.3 REB, 3.3 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.1 BLK, 0.6 TO, 43.1 FG%, 78.1 FT%, 32.6 3PT%
Prather has started every game this season and owns the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the Horizon League at 5.1, with just nine turnovers on the year. He is arguably RMU’s most well-rounded player, holding opponents to 32.0% shooting while contributing across the board offensively. Prather scores in a variety of ways, functioning as a reliable spot-up shooter and frequently coming off off-ball screens designed to free him on the perimeter. NKU’s forwards and guards will need to communicate well through those actions to stay attached and limit clean looks.
Against NKU last season, Prather was held under double figures in both meetings, including the triple-overtime game, and shot 6-for-17 in the two matchups. During the 2024–25 season at Robert Morris, he recorded 11 double-figure scoring games, posted a career-high 19 points against Chatham, and set a career high with six made field goals at Purdue Fort Wayne.
#3 Ta’Zir Smith
Redshirt Sophomore Guard, 6'3" 182 lbs – Woodbridge, VA / Virginia Academy
Previous School: Pearl River CC / State Fair CC
Season Averages: 20.4 MIN, 5.6 PTS, 2.4 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.2 BLK, 1.2 TO, 33.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%, 18.9 3PT%
Smith started the first 11 games of the season but has not started the last three as he continues to search for consistency. He has struggled significantly from three-point range, shooting just 7-for-37 overall and only 25.0% on open catch-and-shoot attempts. Head coach Andrew Toole appears to be evaluating whether a bench role better fits Smith moving forward.
★ #4 Kaleb Brown
Senior Guard, 6'7" 245 lbs – Huntsville, AL / Lee HS
Previous School: Cal State Fullerton / Missouri
Season Averages: 16.9 MIN, 3.5 PTS, 2.0 REB, 1.5 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.2 BLK, 0.9 TO, 48.6 FG%, 50.0 FT%, 35.0 3PT%
Brown made his first start of the season in the last game at Saint Francis and fills a clear role as a spot-up shooter, with 20 of his 35 shot attempts this season coming from three. He is a complementary piece offensively and not a primary creator, but he does have the height to be able to shoot over defenders.
During the 2024–25 season at Cal State Fullerton, Brown played in 17 games with seven starts, averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 assists while posting career highs of 17 points at both UC Riverside and Grand Canyon.
#5 Cam Wilds
Junior Guard, 6'6" 215 lbs – Virginia Beach, VA / Salem HS
Previous School: Clarion
Season Averages: 15.7 MIN, 4.9 PTS, 1.8 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.3 STL, 0.2 BLK, 0.8 TO, 52.4 FG%, 71.4 FT%, 62.5 3PT%
Wilds started the two games prior to Saint Francis before returning to a bench role in that matchup, where he scored a season-high 13 points. He is efficient but not a high-volume three-point shooter at just 10-for-16 on the season, is often used as a pick-and-roll ball handler or transition scorer, and provides strong perimeter defense, holding opponents to 9-for-41 shooting on the season.
During the 2024–25 season at Clarion, Wilds led the PSAC at 21.2 points per game, earned First Team All-PSAC honors, scored in double figures in 21 games, posted three double-doubles, and finished his Clarion career with 1,276 points, including a career-high 39-point performance against Mansfield.
#12 Darius Livingston
Freshman Guard, 6'2" 165 lbs – Orlando, FL / Discovery Academy
Season Averages: 25.1 MIN, 8.5 PTS, 2.4 REB, 3.6 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.5 BLK, 2.9 TO, 39.8 FG%, 40.0 FT%, 30.9 3PT%
Livingston has not appeared since December 6th and has been in full uniform on the bench but did not play in the last three games. He is still developing as an offensive scorer and has struggled with efficiency, but he has shown upside, highlighted by a 17-point performance at Monmouth earlier this season.
At the high school level, Livingston led Discovery Academy to the FHSAA Class 3A District 6 Tournament championship game, earned 2025 Lakeland Ledger All-Suffolk County First Team honors, and averaged 17.3 points per game as a senior.
#16 Nikolaos Chitikoudis
Junior Forward, 6'9" 215 lbs – Thessaloniki, Greece / YMCA Thessaloniki BC
Previous School: North Carolina A&T
Season Averages: 27.0 MIN, 11.8 PTS, 7.2 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.2 TO, 53.4 FG%, 36.4 FT%, 0.0 3PT%
Chitikoudis started the first 13 games of the season but did not appear in the most recent game against Saint Francis after taking a hard fall and banging his head against Youngstown State. With 12 days between that incident and the NKU matchup, I expect him to be available.
He is not a perimeter threat and does all of his damage inside. Chitikoudis ranks third on the team in scoring and is relentless on the offensive glass. He has 40 offensive rebounds on the season, third most in the Horizon League behind LJ Wells and his teammate DeSean Goode. In his last appearance, he grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, finishing with a double-double. Free throw shooting is a clear weakness. He is just 12-for-33 at the line on the season.
Offensively, he is used primarily as a traditional big. Most of his touches come via post-ups, as a pick-and-roll finisher, on cuts to the rim. Defensively, NKU will need to stay disciplined. He loves to shot fake in the paint and waits for defenders to leave their feet. Staying down and forcing him to finish over size is critical. Chitikoudis can really be taken advantage defensively when you move him out of the paint, quick NKU guards like Oday and Gherezgher should be able to put him on skates and get to the rim against him. YSU scored 16 points against him by going right past him or through him to score.
During the 2024–25 season at North Carolina A&T, Chitikoudis played in 28 games with 22 starts, averaging 10.8 points while ranking 20th nationally and first in the CAA at 9.3 rebounds per game, shooting 54.4% from the floor.
★ #20 Albert Vargas
Senior Guard, 5'10" 160 lbs – New York, NY / WHEELS
Previous School: Southern Connecticut State
Season Averages: 23.9 MIN, 8.1 PTS, 2.6 REB, 4.1 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.0 BLK, 1.6 TO, 37.0 FG%, 93.1 FT%, 36.7 3PT%
Vargas has started every game this season and is in the lineup primarily to defend and organize the offense. He owns nearly a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, holds opponents to just 31.3% shooting when he is the primary defender, and while he can score in spurts, including a season-high 16 points against Toledo three games ago, he is not an efficient scorer and will take bad shots if the defense makes it a little difficult for him. On the season he is shooting just 39.3% in the paint.
During the 2024–25 season at Southern Connecticut State, Vargas earned D2CCA All-East Region Second Team honors and was named Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference after starting all 26 games while averaging 17.5 points and 5.7 assists per game.
