Wednesday, December 6, 2017

I'll Be Quirky: Monmouth

Epic flat-top. If Jaromir Jagr can bring back the mullet, King, you can bring this back.

The Flying Dutchmen snapped a three-game losing streak last Thursday night, when they did what they should do and didn’t get hurt in the process (barely) by routing Division II Molloy, 107-72, at the Arena. The Dutchmen will step up in competition tonight, when they visit MAAC power Monmouth, Here’s a look back at the win over Molloy and a look ahead to Monmouth.

THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Justin Wright-Foreman led all scorers with 23 points and Rokas Gustys (14 points, 15 rebounds) registered a notable double-double over just 23 minutes as the Dutchmen scored the program’s most points in more than 40 years in a wire-to-wire win over Molloy. Eli Pemberton (19 points on 7-of-8 shooting) dodged an injury scare in the second half, when he collided with a Molloy player, while freshman Matija Radovic (16 points) and senior Hunter Sabety (11 points) each reached career highs for the Dutchmen, who . Every player who saw the court for the Dutchmen scored, including walk-on Connor Klementowicz, who drained a 3-pointer with 1:14 left.

3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Molloy 11/30)
3: Justin Wright-Foreman
2: Rokas Gustys
1: Eli Pemberton

SEASON STANDINGS
Justin Wright-Foreman 17
Rokas Gustys 11
Eli Pemberton 10
Desure Buie 2
Joel Angus 1

THEY’RE GONNA SCORE TONIGHT
The 107 points by the Dutchmen were the most in the shot clock era (1985-present) and the most since the Dutchmen scored a program-record 118 points in a 118-88 win over over Wagner on Jan. 28, 1972 (so long ago, I wasn’t even conceived yet). It was also the seventh-highest scoring effort in program history.

1/28/72: 118-88 over Wagner
1954-55: 115-68 over Delaware
1963-64: 110-59 over USMMA
1967-68: 109-76 over Susquehanna
1966-67: 109-89 over USMMA
1963-64: 109-78 over Western Maryland

FIVE ALIVE
The Dutchmen had five players in double figures (Justin Wright-Foreman, Eli Pemberton, Matija Radovic, Rokas Gustys and Hunter Sabety) for the second time this season. Pemberton, Wright-Foreman, Gustys, Stafford Trueheart and Kenny Wormley all got into double figures against Auburn on Nov. 19.

EXHALE
The win over Molloy marked the Dutchmen’s 18th straight against a non-Division I foe. The Dutchmen haven’t lost to a non-Division I opponent since a 70-54 loss to Division II Florida Southern during the 1988-89 season.

NOW LET US NEVER SPEAK OF HIM AGAIN
Rokas Gustys’ double-double last Thursday was the 38th of his career, the second-most by an active player (Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado has 55) and the 11th most by a Division I player since the start of the 2013-14 season. Gustys entered Thursday tied with Alec Peters (Valparaiso) and, we kid you not, Jimmy Hall (you know where he ended up) for 12th on the list. Last Thursday was also the fifth anniversary of the news that ensured Hall and the other three whom we never name would finish their collegiate careers somewhere else. This is a reminder that the universe is always mocking us. Let’s move on.

GUSTYS CLIMBING THE CHARTS
With his 15 rebounds against Molloy, Rokas Gustys surged past former UNCW star Brian Rowsom for eighth place on the CAA’s all-time rebounding list with 1,017. Gustys is 10 rebounds away from surpassing George Mason’s Kenny Sanders (1986-89) for seventh place. He is fewer than 100 rebounds away from second-place Vernon Butler (1,115) and 308 rebounds away from Hall of Famer David Robertson (1,314).

MONMOUTH AND THE MAAC
Monmouth is 3-5 this season following an 84-81 overtime loss to UConn on Saturday. It was the latest big test for Monmouth, which earlier fell to power conferences foes Seton Hall (75-65) and Virginia (73-53) and will face Kentucky on Saturday. Monmouth has a strength of schedule ranked 12th in the nation entering Wednesday. The Hawks, who won the MAAC’s regular season title each of the last two seasons, were picked third in the MAAC’s preseason poll. 

At KenPom.com today, Hofstra is ranked 149th while Monmouth is ranked 145th. Per the wise guys, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 4.5-point underdogs. Hofstra is 1-3 against the spread this season.

Monmouth’s attack is lead by Micah Seaborn is averaging 15.7 points per game. Seaborn returned Saturday after missing the previous two games due to injury. Three other players for the Hawks are averaging at least nine points per game.

Hofstra and Monmouth have three mutual foes thanks to the Dutchmen’s MAAC-heavy non-conference schedule. The Dutchmen already lost to Siena, 86-75 on Nov. 25 and will face visit on Saturday before “hosting” Manhattan at Adelphi on Dec. 20. Monmouth faces Siena, Manhattan and Rider twice apiece.

Hofstra has not faced four opponents from one league since the 1993-94 season, when the Dutchmen played four North Atlantic Conference foes in the program’s final pre-NAC season.

Hofstra is 1-6 all-time against Monmouth. This is the first game between the schools since Nov. 8, 2013, when Monmouth edged the Flying Dutchmen, 88-84, in Joe Mihalich’s first game as Hofstra head coach. The Dutchmen’s only win in the series came in the inaugural game during the 1983-84 season.

Hofstra is 93-117 all-time against current MAAC schools. This marks the 11th time in the last 12 seasons the Dutchmen have played at least two MAAC schools (the 2014-15 schedule had no MAAC teams).

OVER THE AIR
The game will be carried live on ESPN3. Hofstra will carry live audio and video and offer live stats here.

THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
This game should have taken place in the first round of the NIT two years ago bias! (And it would have, if the NCAA wasn’t so corrupt)
King Rice had the best flat top ever bias! (Duh to anyone on the planet in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s)
King Rice doesn’t like student media bias! (Read here)
You have derived publicity from I-AA football bias! (The Hawks made the playoffs this year and alum Chris Hogan plays for the Patriots)

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