2022-23 Monmouth Basketball Game Four Preview

Monmouth Hawks (0-3, 0-0 CAA) vs. Norfolk State Spartans (2-2, 0-0 MEAC)
Thursday, November 17, 2022 - 7:00 p.m. ET
OceanFirst Bank Center, West Long Branch, NJ

TV
SNY/FloSports
Play-by-Play: Eddy Occhipinti
Analyst: Steve Bazaz

QUICK BULLETS

-Monmouth is opening its home schedule tonight after three on the road
-Two freshmen, Jack Collins and Andrew Ball, scored in double-figures Monday
-MU played its prior two games against ranked opponents
-Four Hawks posted their career-best in scoring at Illinois (Ball, Collins, Spence, Holmstrom)
-Myles Foster scored in double figures in the first two games
-Jack Collins became the fourth Hawk to start the season opener as a true freshman under King Rice
-Seven Hawks on this year's roster have played collegiate minutes prior to this yr.
-Monmouth graduated four fifth-year seniors and three true seniors from last season's roster

A MONMOUTH WIN WOULD...
-mark Monmouth's second straight win over Norfolk State
-move Monmouth to 9-3 in home openers under King Rice
-snap a three-game skid to start the season
-be the Hawks first win of the season
-mark Monmouth's first home victory of the season
-make the Hawks 19-10 all-time against the MEAC
-register as the 183rd win of Rice's career
-be the first collegiate win for four MU freshmen

NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME OUT...
-This marked the first time in program history that Monmouth played back-to-back ranked teams.
-Jack Holmstrom made his first career start in his home state of Illinois.
-Holmstrom's five points marked a career best.
-Andrew Ball netted 10 first-half points, his first career double-digit scoring game, finishing with 13.
-Jack Collins scored 12 points, his first career double-figure scoring contest.
-Ball and Collins' double-figure efforts are the first double-figure games for a true freshman since Myles Foster on February 20, 2021 at Iona.
-This marked the first time two Monmouth true freshmen scored in double figures in the same game since February 4, 2018 against Niagara (Deion Hammond and Melik Martin).  
-Jakari Spence scored a career-best eight points, including knocking in his first career three pointer.
-Jack Collins three assists marked his most in his first three games.
-Myles Ruth dished out five assists, one off a career-best.
-65 points is MU's season high.
-Monmouth shot 42.9% from the field and 37.5% from downtown, both season bests.
-Monmouth shot 42.9% and 37.5% from three.

MORE INFO ON THE ALL-TIME SERIES
-Monmouth and Norfolk State are meeting for the second time in MBB competition
-The Hawks beat Norfolk State on November 27, 2019 at home
-The two meetings have both taken place in West Long Branch
-MU was led in the prior meeting by 24 points from Deion Hammond
-The only Hawk to play against NSU in 2019 still on the roster is Jarvis Vaughan
-Monmouth is 18-10 against current MEAC membership all time
-King Rice is 2-0 against current MEAC members as a head coach with wins over Norfolk State and South Carolina State

TWO FRESHMEN IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Andrew Ball (13 points) and Jack Collins (12 points) both posted their career bests and first career games in double-digits at Illinois Monday. They became the first true freshman duo to both score in doubles in the same game since February 4, 2018 against Niagara (Deion Hammond and Melik Martin).

HOME OPENER SUCCESS
King Rice is a remarkable 8-3 in home openers in his time in West Long Branch, including last year's home-opening victory over Lehigh. The only three setbacks game in 2013 (Penn), 2018 (Lehigh) and 2020 (Hofstra).

HOLMSTROM HOMECOMING
Junior Jack Holmstrom made his first career start on Monday in his home state of Illinois, and registered a career-best five points in front of a large group of friends and family in Champaign. 

HUGE START FOR FOSTER
Myles Foster led all players in the game 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. He followed that by notching his first back-to-back double-figure games with 10 points at #18 Virginia, making his first five field goals. He added nine at Illinois.

COLLINS STARTS AS A TRUE FRESHMAN
True freshman Jack Collins became the fourth true freshman to start a season opener under King Rice 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. 

SANDHU THE FIRST INDIAN-BORN PLAYER TO APPEAR
This summer, freshman center Amaan Sandhu became the first Indian-born player to ever earn a Division I men's basketball scholarship and at Seton Hall, became the first Indian-born scholarship player to appear in a Division I game. 

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.

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 
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. 

UP NEXT
Monmouth visits Colgate Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.