2022-23 Monmouth Basketball Game Two Preview
Monmouth Hawks (0-1, 0-0 CAA) at #18/18 Virginia Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
Friday, November 11, 2022 - 9:00 p.m.
John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Please find PDF of full notes attached.
TV
Regional Sports Networks (Info Below)
Play-by-Play: Bob Rathbun
Analyst: Brian Oliver
RADIO
Monmouth Digital Network
Play-by-Play: Joe Vasile
Analyst: Steve Bazaz
QUICK BULLETS
-Monmouth is in the second game of a three-game season-opening road trip
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Myles Foster posted his first career double-double in the season opener
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Jack Collins became the fourth Hawk to start the season opener as a true freshman under
King Rice
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Tahron Allen netted his first career double-digit scoring game at Seton Hall
-Seven Hawks on this year's roster have played collegiate minutes previously
-Monmouth graduated four fifth-year seniors and three true seniors from last season's roster
-MU comes off its sixth winning season in the last eight years
-Monmouth is entering its first season in the Colonial Athletic Association
-MU will play its first three games on the road against high-major opponents
A MONMOUTH WIN WOULD...
-mark Monmouth's fourth ever win over an ACC opponent
-be the Hawks first win of the season
-mark Monmouth's first road victory of the season
-be MU's first ever win over Virginia
-mark Monmouth's second win ever over a ranked opponent (Notre Dame, 2015)
-be Rice's ninth win over a high-major program in the last eight seasons
-register as the 183rd win of Rice's career
-be the first collegiate win for four MU freshmen
-be MU's second straight win against an ACC opponent
NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME OUT...
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Myles Foster led all players in the game with 18 points and 15 rebounds
-Four Hawks made their Monmouth debuts and three scored their first baskets
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Klemen Vuga had a career-high seven rebounds
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Tahron Allen netted a career-best 11 points
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Jack Collins became the fourth true freshman to start opening night under
King Rice
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Jakari Spence had career-bests in assists (5) and rebounds (5)
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Jack Holmstrom made his first three since January 2021
-Monmouth shot 42.9% in the second half
MORE INFO ON THE ALL-TIME SERIES
-Virginia won the only matchup between the teams in 2017, 73-53
-Both matchups will have been played at John Paul Jones Arena
-MU's leading scorer the last time MU was at UVA was Louie Pillari with 14 points
-Monmouth is 3-23 all time against current ACC members
-Monmouth's wins over the ACC have come against Pitt (2019) Notre Dame (2015), and Miami (1988)
-This is Monmouth's first game in the state of Virginia since that 2017 matchup with the Cavaliers
HAWKS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
-Monmouth's lone win in program history came on Thanksgiving Day 2015 over 17th- ranked Notre Dame in the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, FL
-Monmouth is 1-17 all-time against ranked opponents
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King Rice has played a ranked opponent in nine of his 12 seasons, with one coming in the 2020-21 COVID shortened season when the Hawks played just one non-league game (Hofstra)
-This is the first ranked opponent MU will play since November 2019 at #5 Kansas
-Tonight is the first of two straight ranked teams Monmouth will play, heading to #23 Illinois on Monday night
HUGE NIGHT FOR FOSTER
Myles Foster led all players in the game Wednesday at Seton Hall with 18 points and 15 rebounds, both career highs for the forward. Foster posted his first career double-double, and the first opening night double-double for a Hawk since the 2017 opener against Bucknell when Micah Seaborn had 21 points and 10 rebounds.
COLLINS STARTS AS A TRUE FRESHMAN
True freshman
Jack Collins became the fourth true freshman to start a season opener under
King Rice on Wednesday at Seton Hall. He joins teammate
Myles Ruth (12/15/20 vs. Hofstra) and Justin Robinson and Zac Tillman (11/8/13 at Hofstra) in starting their first collegiate game as a true freshman.
WHAT WAS LOST
Monmouth graduated seven seniors from last season, four fifth-years and three true seniors, a group that accounted for 574 career games at MU. That group featured three All-MAAC performers in George Papas, Walker Miller and Shavar Reynolds, with Papas finishing as the top single-season three-point shooter in progam history. Also in that group was the program's all-time games played leader in Marcus McClary, last season's top rebounder in Nikkei Rutty, and veteran point guard Samuel Chaput.
SCORING PERCENTAGES LOST
Monmouth graduated 84% of its scoring from a season ago, totaling 57.6 points per game amongst the seven graduates. MU returns 16% of last year's points, a total of 11 points per game. That number is third lowest in the NCAA (IUPUI and West Virginia return 9.1 points per game).
WHAT ENTERS
The Hawks bring in four true freshmen as well as three players that redshirted a season ago to total seven players that are new on the floor this season. True freshmen
Andrew Ball,
Jack Collins,
Amaan Sandhu and
Jaret Valencia are joined by redshirts
Tadhg Crowley,
Jayden Doyle and
Sam Fagan.
ALLEN GOING TO THE RIM
The only member of last year's recruiting class to see action last season,
Tahron Allen, posted his first career double-digit scoring game on Wednesday at Seton Hall, finishing with 11 points, all of them at the rim or from the foul line.
STAFF CHANGES
King Rice enters his 12th season with
Rick Callahan by his side, and the staff welcomes two new faces for 2022-23. A familiar coach is back on the MU bench as
Brian Reese, a four-year member of Rice's original staff in 2011, is back as an assistant coach. Also joining the coaching staff is
Clive Bentick as an assistant coach after a long run as an assistant at St. Francis Brooklyn.
CAA BOUND
The Hawks are entering their first season as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, and will be the first team in the league to open CAA play on December 28. This is the second conference change for
King Rice, who transitioned the Blue and White from the NEC to the MAAC in 2013.
COLONIAL PRESEASON POLL
Monmouth, in its first season in the league, was chosen 10th in the conference's preseason coaches poll, with MU selected ahead of North Carolina A&T, Hampton and Elon. The Hawks have matched or outperformed their preseason ranking in nine of Rice's 11 seasons to this point, including winning three MAAC regular season titles despite being picked first just once.
WINNING 20
Monmouth won 20 games last season for the third time under
King Rice and seventh time as a Division I member. Rice's two prior 20-win years came in 2015-16 and 2016-17, when the Blue and White won 28 and 27 games. Overall, it was the 16th time in the program's 66=year history that the Hawks have topped the 20-win plateau.
RICE SETS PROGRAM WINS RECORD
With the win on 2/22/22 against Siena,
King Rice set the program's Division I wins record with his 179th victory in his career, all of them coming at Monmouth. That number is second all-time in the history of the program behind Bill Boylan (364).
ROAD WARRIORS
Monmouth as third the nation in road victories with 10 true road wins last season, behind only Chattanooga who had 12, as well as Towson, Navy and Murray State with 11.
TV DEALS
Monmouth recently reached an agreement for a robust television deal that will feature eight home games airing on SportsNet New York, with five of those to also air on NBC Sports Philadelphia. In addition, MU will play twice on CBS Sports Network as part of the CAA package.
UP NEXT
Monmouth heads to #23 Illinois for a 9:00 p.m. tip Monday night.
TV INFO
The game will air on several regional sports networks, listed below, including on the YES Network.
Networks carrying the game throughout the country (check local listings)
Bally Sports South
Bally Sports Sun
Bally Sports Midwest Extra
YES
NESN Plus
MASN
Marquee
Bally Sports Great Lakes
Bally Sports Southwest Extra - LA
Bally Sports West
Bally Sports app in each Bally Sports region carrying the game
Bally Sports+ with Bally Sports South package (free seven-day trial in AL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN) or Bally Sports Florida package (free seven-day trial in FL)
