What to know about Monmouth ahead of Tuesday night’s home matchup
Syracuse will look to move to 4-0 Tuesday versus Monmouth after decimating Drexel in Philadelphia on Saturday. Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor
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One more game before the real ones start.
Syracuse — fresh off three dominant efforts against Binghamton, Delaware State and Drexel — hosts Monmouth Tuesday searching for its fourth straight victory. Last time out, SU obliterated Drexel 80-50. Despite only leading by five points at halftime, Kiyan Anthony’s 18 points and William Kyle III’s eight-point, 10-board, three-block, three-steal performance carried the load, as the Orange outscored the Dragons by 25 in the second half.
Adrian Autry’s squad may be unbeaten. However, per KenPom, Syracuse’s strength of schedule (-17.92 net rating) is the lowest in the country. With a gauntlet looming at Las Vegas’ Players Era Festival, where SU will face No. 2 Houston and No. 24 Kansas, the Orange have one more tune-up opportunity against the Hawks, who’ve lost their last two games.
Here’s what to know before Syracuse (3-0, Atlantic Coast) tips off against Monmouth (1-2, Coastal Athletic Association) at 9 p.m. on Tuesday at the JMA Wireless Dome:
All-time series
Syracuse leads 3-0.
Last time they played …
The Orange previously squared off with the Hawks on Dec. 12, 2022, defeating them 86-71. It was Jim Boeheim’s second-to-last nonconference game of his illustrious 47-year tenure at SU.
The former head coach likely wasn’t too pleased with the Orange’s narrow two-point halftime lead. But backed by 24 points from former guard Judah Mintz and former guard Joseph Girard III’s four 3s, Syracuse cruised to victory with a relatively dominant second half.
It was SU’s seventh win of what became a 17-15 season that ended with Boeheim’s exit.
KenPom odds
Syracuse has a 96% chance of winning, with a projected score of 84-65.
The Hawks report
Under 15th-year head coach King Rice, the Hawks are coming off back-to-back CAA Tournament Quarterfinal appearances. Through three games in 2025-26, though, Monmouth hasn’t looked too impressive.
According to KenPom, its adjusted offensive efficiency rating sits well below average at 262nd in Division I, and its defensive efficiency ranks 188th in the nation. Point guard Jack Collins and lanky guard Jason Rivera-Torres lead the Hawks’ offense, with Collins heading the team at nearly five assists per game and Rivera-Torres recording a team-best 14.3 points per contest. On defense, Rivera-Torres has hauled in the most defensive boards and leads the team with eight blocks.
The advanced analytics don’t suggest many positives. According to EvanMiya, Monmouth only has two players who provide positive offensive value: Collins and forward Cornelius Robinson III. Everyone else is actively making the team worse with their offense, while just four of its 10 players who’ve tallied enough possessions have positive defensive values.
For an SU team that’s allowed no more than 50 points in a game, the Hawks’ offense doesn’t seem too scary.
How Syracuse beats Monmouth
As we’ll say numerous times throughout the season, Autry wants Syracuse to play fast. And Tuesday night presents an ideal opportunity.
There’s an absurd turnover mismatch between Monmouth and SU. The Hawks’ 27.1% offensive turnover percentage is the fifth-worst mark in the nation, per KenPom, and their defense’s 15% caused turnover rate ranks in the bottom 100 of D-I. Meanwhile, Syracuse has been answering Autry’s call this year, causing turnovers at the seventh-most frequent rate in the nation (26.8%) and turning the ball over at the 25th-lowest rate in the country.
If the Orange can run ragged in transition, look for Naithan George and Anthony to feed Donnie Freeman, Kyle, Sadiq White and others for emphatic lob finishes. Syracuse has potential to force a litany of turnovers to get the Dome rocking late Tuesday night, and that’d cause far too many problems for Monmouth.
Plus, SU is getting J.J. Starling back from injury. That might be enough to win all on its own.
Stat to know: 36.9%
According to KenPom, Monmouth has the fourth-best 2-point shot defense in the country, holding opponents to a lousy 36.9% from inside the arc.
That poses somewhat of an issue for Syracuse, which has the third-most lopsided 2-pointer/3-pointer scoring differential in the nation, tallying 64.2% of its points from 2. It loves getting the ball inside to Freeman and Kyle, both of whom will likely push around anyone Monmouth throws at them.
Nevertheless, the Orange could be forced to chuck more 3s if the Hawks’ paint defense holds firm.
Player to watch: Jason Rivera-Torres, guard, No. 1
A 6-foot-7, 195-pound combo guard, Rivera-Torres stands out as Monmouth’s best player. He leads the Hawks with 14.3 points per game on 50% 3-point shooting and a 48.3% clip from the field. He also outpaces all of Monmouth’s frontcourt players by averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, which would rank second on Syracuse (behind Kyle’s 9.3).
It’s possible the Orange assign 6-foot-5 Anthony to guard Rivera-Torres, especially if Starling receives limited minutes returning from injury. If so, it could be a big day for Anthony to gain his defensive chops as a freshman.
