This Monday, the (0-2) Monmouth-NJ Hawks will travel to Champaign, IL to take on the (2-0) Illinois Fighting Illini. Tipoff will be at 9:00 PM EST inside the State Farm Center. These two teams had opposite starts to this season, as Monmouth is still winless and the Fighting Illini are unbeaten.
Monmouth is coming into this one after falling to Virginia, 89-42. They struggled on both ends of the floor, as they couldn't consistently make stops. They will also have to be better on the offensive end of the court if they want to challenge the Fighting Illini on the road in this one.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are entering this game after taking down Kansas City, 86-48. Illinois dominated on both sides of the court in that game, as it was never close. They will be looking to carry that momentum into this game, as they try to start (3-0).
This game was written/published bef ore last night's results.
The Monmouth Hawks are coming into this one after getting dismantled by Virginia. They will be looking to forget about that game and challenge the Fighting Illini in this one. On offense, they are scoring 47 points per game and shooting 33.7% from the field. This is the 362nd least amount of points scored per game and the 252nd lowest team shooting percentage. According to KenPom, the Hawks have an adjusted offense efficiency rating of 93.8, which is the 305th-highest rating in the country. Myles Foster continues to lead the way for the Hawks on the offensive end of the floor. He is scoring 14 points per game on 47.8% shooting from the floor. He is also avenging 9.5 rebounds per game, which also leads the team. Monmouth has struggled from behind the three-point arc as well. They are only shooting 16.1% from behind the arc, as this is the 359th-lowest shooting percentage from deep in the nation. They are also shooting 59% from the free throw line, as this is the 230th lowest percentage in the country. They can't continue to leave these free points at the line if they want to turn this season around.
On the defensive end of the court, the Hawks are allowing 84 points per game and their opponents have shot 50.5% from the floor. This is the 337th most points allowed and the 331st-highest shooting percentage. According to KenPom, the Hawks have an adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 101.9, which is the 206th lowest rating in the country. They have struggled to contest shots from the outside and near the paint, as they are simply giving up too many points. They are also allowing their opponents to shoot 43.8% from behind the arc, as this 339th highest three-point shooting percentage allowed in the NCAA. The Hawks are also snatching 29 rebounds per game, which is the 304th least in the country. They have to secure the ball off of the rim consistently, as they can't allow the Fighting Illini to crash the glass and score second-chance points.
Injury Report: No Injuries.