University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: Monmouth
December 28, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Monmouth (MonmouthHawks.com)
Location: West Long Branch, N.J.
Rankings: MU - No. 72 KenPom, NR AP; UNC - No. 5 KenPom, No. 9 AP
Records: MU - 10-2; UNC - 11-2
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 1-0 (UNC 102, MU 65, Jan. 1, 2012, Smith Center)
In case you thought Monmouth's breakout 2015-16 season was a fluke, the Hawks are off to a program-best 10-2 start and enter Wednesday night winners of nine straight following wins over Memphis and Princeton. Former Tar Heel point guard King Rice inherited a mess in West Long Branch, but after enduring three straight losing seasons, Rice and Monmouth have suddenly become the class of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The Hawks captured the nation's attention last season thanks to early wins over UCLA, Notre Dame, USC and Georgetown (not to mention some entertaining bench action), but Monmouth came up one game short of its NCAA dreams when Iona edged the MAAC title game by 3. MU was widely discussed as a possible at-large team, but the Hawks were forced to settle for the NIT.
Senior point guard Justin Robinson has returned to lead the Hawks into 2017, and the reigning MAAC Player of the Year has continued to deliver. The diminutive Robinson was named the nation's top player under 5-10 by NCAA.com and he paces the MU offense at 17.5 points per game. He's also a willing distributor (his 33.3 percent assist rate is in the top 60 nationally) and a capable shooter from both the foul line and behind the 3-point arc.
Joining Robinson in the backcourt is fellow senior Je'lon Hornbreak. The 6-3 Oklahoma transfer is off to a scorching start to his second year at Monmouth. Hornbreak has made 51.5 percent of his 3-point attempts through 12 games and has been even better (9 for 15) in two early MAAC wins over Quinnipiac and Canisius. He also teams with Robinson and sophomore Micah Seaborn to lead a defense that ranks 30th nationally in steal rate. Seaborn is a dangerous shooter in his own right (37.5% from deep), giving Monmouth three players who have made at least 30 3s so far this season.
Senior Chris Brady leads the Hawks up front as the team's best rebounder, shot-blocker and inside scoring threat. The 6-10 center grabs nearly 12 percent of available rebounds on offense, converts better than 77 percent of his free throw opportunities and makes a stellar 64.2 percent of his 2-point attempts. He is usually on his own inside, however, as the Hawks typically start four guards and rank outside the top 250 in opponent offensive rebounding percentage according to KenPom.com.
Ultimately, Monmouth is a veteran team that likes to push the tempo on offense (26th nationally in average offensive possession length) and relies heavily on the deep ball. The Hawks are poised to make another run at an NCAA bid, and Wednesday offers a final chance at a signature non-conference win. Even if the Hawks can't pull off the upset in Chapel Hill, they figure to be in the conversation again this March if they continue to dominate the MAAC.
