Basketball Blog: Struggling Rider welcomes neighbor to Alumni Gym

By Michael O’Brien

As students buckle down for finals, everyone on campus will have an opportunity to witness history in the making on Wednesday night. For the first time ever, the team that is located only six miles down the road, the defending Ivy League champion Princeton Tigers (4-6) come to Alumni Gym to take on the Broncs.

Given that this season has not gone the way anyone anticipated, Wednesday’s game will provide a chance for the men’s team to overcome their rough start and make progress as the New Year approaches.

An advantage that Rider has in this game will be the presence of freshman Junior Fortunat. After missing the first nine games because of NCAA ineligibility, he made his debut last Friday against
12th-ranked Florida, where he looked impressive on the floor despite limited time.

The Broncs will also need senior Jeff Jones and sophomore Daniel Stewart to contribute in a big way since senior Novar Gadson has seen limited action in the previous two games.

Another key to victory will be the Broncs’ ability to make free throws. Most importantly, however, Rider needs to play consistently throughout the game. In the second half in nearly every game, the Broncs have been outplayed and outmuscled. If Rider can fix these issues, the victories will begin to appear.

Despite losing by 21 points to a nationally ranked Florida team, the Broncs stayed with them throughout the second half and prohibited the Gators from extending their lead. At 1-9 and Rider’s MAAC schedule on the horizon, Wednesday night presents itself as the perfect opportunity
for the Broncs to break out and forget the struggles they have encountered thus far.