Game 3: Monmouth at Kansas – Preview and Prediction

The No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks look to build off their 74-62 defeat of UNC Greensboro last Friday night, as they welcome another mid-major squad into Allen Fieldhouse in Monmouth. The Monmouth Hawks are coming off a 19-point loss on Wednesday in Manhattan against Kansas State. The Jayhawks still have not hit their stride, but this another game where they should be able to flex their muscle and show us what they really got.

• Friday, November 15, 2019, 7:00 pm CDT
• Allen Fieldhouse — Lawrence, Kansas
• ESPN+ or ESPN App
• With its 74-62 win against UNC Greensboro on Nov. 8, Kansas won its 47th-consecutive regular-season home opener in Allen Fieldhouse, a streak which started in the 1973-74 season
• Kansas’ 22-game home court winning streak is third longest nationally behind Tennessee (28) and Gonzaga (25).
• Kansas and Monmouth are meeting for the first time in men’s basketball. The Jayhawks are 15-1 all-time against current membership of the Metro Atlantic Conference.
• Kansas is ranked No. 5 in the Nov. 11 Associated Press national poll. The Jayhawks have been ranked in the top-five 338 times overall and 132 times in the Bill Self era.
• KU has been ranked in each of the last 202 AP polls dating back to 2008- 09. The 202-consecutive weeks in the polls is the longest active streak in the nation. KU holds the same streak in the coaches’ poll at 210.

Monmouth was picked to finish fourth in the MAAC this season after going 14-21 a season ago. The Hawks return their top two scorers in Ray Salnave and Deion Hammond, who are again leading the team through three games this season.

Hawks to Watch

Ray Salnave – Junior, Guard, 6’3″
Salnave is averaging 15.0 PPG through three games. He’s also started the season on a tear from the three-point line. He’s shooting 54.5 percent from deep this season, going 6-11. Salnave led the Hawks in assists last season, dishing out 2.9. He’s doing the same this season with 3.0 helpers per game.

Deion Hammond – Junior, Guard, 6’4″
Hammond is second on the team in scoring at 12.0 PPG. He is not getting those 12 PPG efficiently, as he is only shooting a mere 33 percent. In Wednesday’s loss at K-State, Hammond added only nine points on 2-9 from the field.

Prediction

Monmouth took a lead into the half at K-State on Wednesday. Safe to say, I don’t expect that to happen in Lawrence on Friday. Kansas is much more talented and should win this game going away. The spread has Kansas favored by 25, and it’d be pretty disappointing if the Jayhawks don’t cover that.

Devon Dotson showed what he’s capable of last Friday night, as he went for 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Dotson is at his best when he’s aggressive and attacking the basket and creating contact, he went a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.

Isaiah Moss saw his first extensive playing time against UNCG, as he played 25 minutes. He, along with Tristan Enaruna, will have plenty of opportunities to crack consistent minutes in the rotation as Jalen Wilson will miss the rest of the year with a fractured ankle. The Jayhawks need some consistent minutes from the bench.

I really like KU’s bigs to show their might in this matchup against a smaller Monmouth frontcourt. The Jayhawks should pound Udoka Azuibuike and David McCormack early and often.

Kansas 87, Monmouth 53
KU -25.0 (According to VegasInsider.com)

AUDIO PREVIEW: LINK (go to 68:45 mark of podcast)

Season Record: 1-1 (0-2 ATS)