Just last week, Robert Morris’ lethal deep shooting threat couldn’t even dribble a basketball. On Sunday, it looked like he was right back at home, comfortably releasing the ball from his right hand as he flushed seven shots in from 3-point territory on the way to 34 points — both career-highs.
Josh Corbin’s shooting prowess was much needed as the Colonials cashed in on their first win against a Division I opponent after defeating an old pal in FDU.
“I thank God that I was able to go out there and help my team get a win,” Corbin said following his career night. “It felt amazing to be out there with them. It’s one thing to be in practice but you can’t replicate that game feeling.”
If there’s one thing to learn from RMU’s victory over the Knights, it’s that the Colonials will ride or die on Corbin’s three ball.
That was evident last year. When Corbin hit four or more from deep, the Colonials were 9-3. If he only landed three or less treys, his team went 6-14.
That correlation has already surfaced this year. Although he missed three games with that hand injury, the two games he did play in against Xavier and Jacksonville, he only hit one 3-pointer. Both games wound up in the loss column for the Colonials. Two days prior to his best collegiate performance, Corbin’s lone shot from beyond the arc was a part of a disastrous night for the Colonials from that range as they finished just 2 of 14. Against FDU, the Colonials sank in 11 triples with Corbin setting the tone.
“We needed it so badly because when you have a tough loss like we had Friday night, you expect some of your vets to step up. For him to be able to step up with his performance makes the game easier for the others he’s playing with,” head coach Andy Toole said.
Obviously, there are plenty of other factors that sways a team’s performance, but when Corbin is on, the Colonials are in store for a productive night.
Looking at last year, the Colonials didn’t necessarily need Corbin to get hot every night with the likes of Enoch Cheeks and Kahliel Spear averaging double-digit points every contest, but it certainly led to a winning formula when he did. This year, the senior shooting guard is expected to be one of the top scorers on the roster, along with transfers Justice Williams and Markeese Hastings.
Corbin was brought in last season to provide that high-scoring capability. He made that apparent, draining 93 3-pointers, which is tied for fourth in RMU history for a single-season. His 36.8 percent beyond the arc was the second highest in the Horizon League during the 2022-23 campaign and also led the Colonials.
“Josh is the guy that has a unique skill to be able to shoot it at the level that he does,” Toole said.
In just one season with the Colonials, Corbin has made a mark on the program with his deep ball. His fourth-most threes in one season in Colonials’ history puts his name up there with two of the best 3-point shooting players in RMU history: Karvel Anderson and Josh Williams. Anderson’s 119 threes are the most in a single season. Williams connected on 106 in 2019-20 and 105 in 2018-19.
What do Anderson and Williams both have in common during their best 3-point shooting seasons? Both teams made the NEC Championship and went on to qualify for postseason tournaments with Anderson’s squad competing in the NIT and Williams team headed to the NCAA Tournament before it was canceled in 2020.
With that in mind, it makes you wonder what the possibilities are for this season’s Robert Morris team if Corbin continues at the shooting pace he reached on Sunday.
Even if Corbin does have an off night, the Colonials are equipped with other candidates who can hit from downtown.
On a night that Robert Morris was without Corbin in Wisconsin, the Colonials connected on 13 triples. Jackson Last, TJ Wainwright and Justice Williams all contributed with three apiece.
If the rest of the Colonial roster can catch fire from deep with Corbin in the lineup, they’ll be a problem for any team they match-up with.
“Defenses try to take him away, so if we can have a couple of other guys step up and be able to benefit from the attention that he gets, hopefully that comes full circle and he’s able to get some good opportunities because of that,” Toole said.
Sunday’s execution from outside of the arc is a representation of what the Colonials want to be. The measly two shots that fell from 3-point territory against Jacksonville is something that the Colonials want to keep in the past.
