Since CAA play began seven weeks ago, it’s been one step forward, one step back for Monmouth, solidifying its spot in the middle of the standings.
With four games left in the regular season, it has them pointed straight back to the 8-9 seed game at the CAA Tournament. You know, the one they had last year, when they won an opening round game but had to come back 24 hours later to face a rested No. 1 seed.
Last year it was Charleston, and this year it looks like Towson, with the Tigers stomping Monmouth, 80-54, last Saturday for their second win over the Hawks in a week.
It’s a recipe for a quarterfinal exit.
Monmouth (9-18, 7-7 CAA) needs to build some momentum heading into the postseason. And avoiding the top teams as long as possible, in an effort to build momentum at the tournament, is huge.
More: Monmouth basketball pounded by first-place Towson: ‘They bullied us’
Can the Hawks flip a switch and become a consistent, top-level CAA competitor?
It has to start against Hofstra in Hempstead, New York tonight (7 p.m.; CBS Sports Network).
Monmouth has two games on the road and two at home before the CAA Tournament gets underway in Washington D.C. on March 7.
Hofstra (12-15, 4-10) comes in having lost five straight. Leading the Pride is sophomore guard Jean Aranguren, an Iona transfer averaging 14.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. Cruz Davis is a sophomore guard who played at Iona, then St. John’s, is averaging 14.5 ppg, while 6-8 Michael Graham is grabbing 8.2 rebounds, to go with 7.7 points.
Here are three keys for Monmouth against Hofstra. Check back later Thursday night for complete game coverage:
1. Defensive intensity
Hofstra is one of the best defensive teams in the CAA, giving up 65.9 points on average. Monmouth is one of the worst at 76.5 ppg.
If Monmouth doesn’t dig in on the defensive end for 40 minutes their road woes will continue, having gone 3-13 in CAA games on the road over the past two seasons. The Hawks are 2-5 in CAA road games this season, giving up less than 70 points in both wins, while surrendering an average of 81.5 points in the losses.
Hold Hofstra under 70 points and Monmouth wins.
2. Big game from Bashir
Abdi Bashir Jr. still leads the CAA with a 20.1 points-per-game average – Ryan Forrest of North Carolina A&T is second at 19.1 ppg. – and is 10th nationally, while his 100 three-pointers is tied for the most in the country.
But the 6-7 sophomore has gone from playing 13 minutes off the bench as a rookie to an average of 33 minutes, with opposing teams hounding him at one end and Monmouth making a big defensive ask at the other.
The wear and tear is beginning to show. Bashir comes off a season-low five points against Towson, and is averaging 12 ppg. over the last four games, shooing 28% from the field and 31% from deep.
Bashir needs four 3-pointers to break George Papas’ single-season mark, and the Hawks will need him to make a lot more than that if they hope to make a late run.
3. Protect, share the ball
It’s like a broken record at this point. When Monmouth protects the ball and shares it they generally win. Against Towson, Monmouth’s 13 turnovers resulted in 20 points for the Tigers, while their 10 assists were simply not enough.
Monmouth has very little margin for error, especially on the road. Making the most of every possession, and making that extra pass, has been a successful formula.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth basketball vs. Hofstra: How to watch, game time, analysis
