Syracuse men’s basketball: predictions and poll for Monmouth

Compared to recent opponents, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team shouldn’t have much to fear heading into its next matchup at home against the Monmouth Hawks.

Monmouth (1-9) enters the contest coming off a 36-point defeat to Princeton on the road, while Syracuse is coming off an emotionally charged weekend with a 19-point victory against the Georgetown Hoyas.

Here are our predictions for tonight’s 8pm tip-off against Monmouth:

Dom

Syracuse 81, Monmouth 58

Monmouth currently sits at the bottom of the NCAA barrel, ranking 327th out of 363 teams in the NCAA, per KenPom. While there’s a chance the Orange could cool off just a bit on offense, the team is coming off an 83-point performance against a feisty Hoyas’ defense. Offensively, the Hawks don’t have enough jolt to pull a Colgate and kill Syracuse from three, nor do they have the inside presence to make Jesse Edwards’ day become a nightmare. This is a golden opportunity to get out to an early lead, then give more reps to some of Syracuse’s youngsters.

Kevin

Syracuse 87, Monmouth 62

The Orange should have an easy time with Monmouth. This is one of the worst D1 teams so far in 2022 and the Hawks are bad on both offense and defense. Look for Syracuse to force the ball inside early and then once they get a comfortable lead, let the bench take over. Hopefully this is a game where the freshmen can continue to build confidence as Cornell and Pitt will provide tougher challenges.

Christian

Syracuse 90, Monmouth 60

Much like the Oakland game, there shouldn’t be much issue regarding Syracuse’s opponent. It’s a simple game of give Jesse Edwards the ball. Now that I say that, give Jesse Edwards the ball is the way Syracuse is going to win games this season so this serves as another way for the Orange to practice the go-to strategy. Otherwise, don’t leave Edwards on an island on defense and Syracuse should waltz to another win.

Mike

Syracuse 88, Monmouth 57

This shouldn’t be even remotely close. Monmouth has the third-worst point-differential in D1 basketball: -21.4. Yes, that means they’re losing games by an average of over 21 points. They’re also one of the worst blocking teams in the country, so the Orange should run hog wild in the paint. Expect Mounir Hima and other backups to easily hit double-digit minutes while the starters rest up for Cornell and ACC competition.

Szuba

Syracuse 95, Monmouth 66

Syracuse has turned a corner in its last three games with the offense clicking behind Edwards, Girard and Mintz. Jim Boeheim also looks to have found something in John Bol Ajak, who knows his role and plays it well. This should be another game where the offense shines against a markedly bad defensive team as Monmouth struggles to find answers for Edwards in the paint.

Now it’s your turn, tell us who wins the game